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BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting?
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 Oct 05 - 10:25 AM The garden this summer and fall has been a wash. We've had a drought and the water I put on it didn't seem to help, so I stopped. And we have dogs in the back now, who have their own level of impact. When the rains return I'm going to dig up the bed for onions and rim it with old fence supports and make a raised bed. I'll put chickenwire around it to keep the dogs out. In the next year I'm going to have to bite the bullet and decide how I want to zone this large pie-shaped yard and go ahead and put in a few concrete edges around where I want the compost, a dog run, etc. Until it rains I might as well try digging in concrete. We're still eating last winter's onions and garlic. They've been great, and I have tomatoes in the freezer from last spring. I wonder what Bobert is doing this fall, what with all of the moving and transplanting? I hope he stumbles upon this thread and fills us in. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: bobad Date: 20 Oct 05 - 09:00 AM Season winding down here in eastern Ontario. Had our first frost last night. Brought in the last of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, still have carrots, cabbage, brussels sprouts, turnip and chard. We had the longest growing season in memory this year. Will be planting next year's garlic soon. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Janie Date: 20 Oct 05 - 08:47 AM Oh No! Best not to argue with a bear over an apple, I expect. Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Metchosin Date: 20 Oct 05 - 03:39 AM Well I know one thing I won't be harveting. A bear came by and during the course of one night, stripped every single apple off my King apple tree. A neighbour had phoned me to let me know that there was one about, but I was more concerned with keeping the garbage cans and dogs out of reach and hadn't thought about the dammed apples. I'd been keeping a close eye on "my crop" and had checked for ripeness a few days previously, but had decided to give them a week or so more before picking them. He/she had obviously been keeping his eye on them for some time too. Last year I hadn't bothered to pick the apples at the very top and had left them for the birds. We were surprised last winter when the tree mysteriously developed a 45 degree tilt, so we figure now, he must have whetted his appetite with last winter's slim pickings. This spring we put a temporary prop under the trunk and main branches, as the tree is a pretty good size, until we had a chance to get a machine in to dig it up and move it to a better location in an upright position again. I was actually enjoying the tilt, because it made pruning easier. I figured that for at least this year, it would make picking a lot easier as well and despite the position, the deer were still having a difficult time getting at the majority of the apples even when the stood on the hind legs. Guess the supported incline made it far easier for the bear too. I was pretty certain wherever we moved it, we were going to have to enclose it with deer fence, but I never thought we might have to electrify it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Janie Date: 19 Oct 05 - 11:52 PM Looks like a good year for pecans. They are just starting to fall. I like sitting out under the hemlock in the evening, shelling them to freeze the halves. I still have a few peppers and tomatoes bearing (in spite of drought and neglect.) I still don't have a fall garden started--oh well. Next year. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: JennyO Date: 15 Sep 05 - 11:27 AM The peach tree is a picture - covered in little pink flowers, and I picked the first of my snow peas yesterday. Jasmine is still going strong. I dug some beds today in preparation for planting. I have some little capsicum plants that I grew from seed in the makeshift greenhouse, and I might plant a few out and see how they go. They are still very small. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Stilly River Sage Date: 15 Sep 05 - 12:27 AM It's time to dig up a new bed for the fall veggies. It hasn't rained here in weeks. Five or six of them at least. Means I need to water the area heavily before digging. And I need to figure a way to plant a garden and keep the dog out. This will be my onion patch going in. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: LilyFestre Date: 14 Sep 05 - 08:27 AM We have tomatoes and tomatoes and more tomatoes!!!!!!!! We also have zucchini, summer squash, hot peppers, rosemary, parsley, chives and fresh eggs! :) Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: GUEST,mg Date: 13 Sep 05 - 04:44 PM Oh, and Genie and anyone coming to Sunnycamp..anything that you have excess of please bring along and we'll put it in a salad or a pie or something...we always try for sort of a harvest festival type of theme. mg |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: GUEST,MG Date: 13 Sep 05 - 04:43 PM blackberries of course...Asian pears...and the crocuses are coming up in my front yard. mg |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: GUEST,Boab Date: 13 Sep 05 - 03:26 AM Tomato canning, Plum jam making [Loads of plums still hanging there--] blackberry jelly ["bramble"], great potato crop, nice carrots, ditto cucumbers, MISERABLE onions!, late pole beans, leeks growing well---won't touch them till the cold arrives, curly Scotch kale for a curly Scotsman. Apples failed. Dwarf peach lookuing good---lots of fruit---hoping for more warm sunshine. Some lettuce still viable. Sad news---soon be time to disable the irrigation system--awwwww! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: GUEST,noddy Date: 12 Sep 05 - 04:04 AM potatoes which is great since I did not plant any . lots of cabbages ...lots and lots.... courgettes ....and marrows if I do not eat them fast enough. Nice selectio of herbs. the odd lettuce or three. Did not plant much this year as I knew I would be away a lot. Failed grape harvest failed radishes!!!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Rumncoke Date: 11 Sep 05 - 11:55 AM Apples and huge blackberries. The early blackberries were much smaller, I think this is a man made variety and the other bush is a natural one. The 'wild' one has decided it wants to take over the garden - it might even try to invade Poland it has that sort of attitude. Alas, I will show it the error of its ways, and my secateurs befor the end of the month. I have another kilogram of cotton yarn to ply - it is already paid for weeks ago so must take precidence even if Moscow is being brambled. Here on the South coast of England it has been very dry - the soil is like dust where my neighbour has had the hedge dug up and replaced by a fence - we have a couple of feet more ground available on that side now, but it is sad stuff. The men doing the fence cleared out the suckers from the forsythia - but they also cleared all my black currant bushes and one of the red currants before I saw what they were doing. All that is left is one redcurrant bush - I supose that getting rid of the hedge is a good thing - it lets in more light now even though the fence is almost 2 metres tall - the hedge was much higher. Anne |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: GUEST,UK Gardener Date: 11 Sep 05 - 10:04 AM The slugs and snails that haven't made it to LTS's garden. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Sep 05 - 09:50 AM Genie, what a great story about that peach tree! Volunteers down here are usually tomatoes and cantaloupes. Didn't even have any of those this year. Lots of voluntary lemon balm--I'll harvest and dry that this week so I can take back my brick patio. :) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Myrtle Date: 11 Sep 05 - 09:21 AM Cucumbers, tomatoes....lovely sweet cherry ones, apples, runner beans, marrows and the juiciest brambles. My two whippets are enthusiastically trying to harvest the local rabbits, but so far, I'm pleased to say, with no success! regards, Myrtle. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: GUEST,Sooz sans cookie Date: 11 Sep 05 - 07:21 AM Shallots - Mike's peeling them right now, ready for pickling. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Genie Date: 11 Sep 05 - 05:59 AM Stilly, All this week and last, I've been eating the most delicious blackberries and peaches I've ever tasted! Now I'm starting on wonderful champagne grapes, Niagaras, and purple Concords, which will be around till at least the end of Sept. These were all grown my preferred way -- i.e, they are "weeds." LOL Volunteers, every last one of them! §;-D OK, to be accurate, the grape vines weren't originally volunteers (10-20 years ago). But once they took root the first year, all I've ever had to do is cut the li'l buggers back so I can find my house! LOL The blackberries, of course, are such survival experts that they're officially considered "noxious weeds" in Oregon. But I didn't get them cut back this year till July and August, and by then they were already giving me many pints of luscious berries. The peach tree was a bit more of a surprise, to say the least. A couple years ago, I noticed this "shrub" becoming very tall and gangly and growing like -- well -- like a weed! I thought it must have been some little "bush" I'd planted that thought it was a tree, so I asked my then housemate to cut it down completely. Fortunately (in this instance), he seldom followed instructions, and the tree survived. Before I could get it cut down this year, I noticed it had teeny little fuzzy balls all over the place. I wasn't sure if they were peaches or apricots or some wild cousin, much less whether they would have any taste. But this "weed" turned out to be a full-blown, well-fruited peach tree -- so laden for its young age that its branched bent to the ground like a weeping willow. The peaches were nice size, juicy, and sweet! I had tried growing a domestic peach tree in Portland, OR, many years ago, but it soon succumbed to a dry summer-very cold winter year. I figured this new one must have grown from a peach pit in my compost pile and had the advantage of growing from seed. (Natural selection?) So, I'm going to plant all the pits from the peaches of this "self-starter" tree and see if big peach trees can again spring from little peach pits. Genie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: JennyO Date: 11 Sep 05 - 05:10 AM Other end of the season here for us in Oz. The last three days or so have seen the first of the snow peas forming. Three or so more and there will be enough to pick. Right next to them the pink jasmine is blooming - shame it only lasts a couple of weeks in early spring - and my little peach tree is coming out in pink flowers. Freesias are popping up here and there in the lawn. There are a number of lemons ready to pick and a multitude of buds, flowers and new little lemons forming on the tree. Mint is spreading far and wide, and oregano and marjoram lasted right through winter. The rosemary bush is getting bigger, and buds are breaking out all over on the plants that have been dormant. It's a lovely time of year! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Liz the Squeak Date: 11 Sep 05 - 04:57 AM Still on slugs and snails, and after yesterdays rain (thunderstorm that rolled around for over 4 hours!), they're more abundant than ever. My pond appreciated the rain, it's starting to look decidedly unhappy for the first time ever... I suspect there is just too much in it at the moment and come the first frost, there is some heavy duty weed gathering to do (I wait til the frost because then all the watersnails go to the bottom). The rain has brought my Japanese anenome into flower, they're so white they glow in the dark evenings.... the moths like that. I have some major clearing to do this autumn.... I may even go out and buy some more bulbs, even though they don't seem to do too well in my garden. I've got another patch I can clear for them though. Maybe that will work... LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: number 6 Date: 11 Sep 05 - 01:49 AM Cutting the perrenials ... and now hanging them to dry. sIx |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 Sep 05 - 11:47 PM Sounds nice! I used some of my frozen cherry and grape tomatoes (from our early summer harvest) in soup last week. Since the skins pop off pretty easily once they've been frozen I didn't bother to blanch them, but popping that many little tomatoes out of their skins was quite messy. Next year I'll go back to blanching. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 10 Sep 05 - 11:09 PM Currently Harvesting - Slug infested tomatoes - cut out the bad - boil the rest down for catsup, with sugar, vinegar, all-spice, cloves, cinnamon, and wheeeiiiiirrrrrr in the blender.
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Janie Date: 10 Sep 05 - 11:08 PM Dust. Smallish tomatoes. Assorted wilted, wrinkling sweet peppers. Dahlias are very sad looking from drought and no deadheading. Too dry to do fall planting. We had an abundant winter and spring. I shall rejoice in that. Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 Sep 05 - 09:52 PM I've had it with spindly dried stalks and grass taking over everything. I pulled up the posts and rolled up the chicken wire (there were no chickens around and it didn't keep my dog out, once she figured out how to leap over it). I pulled and stacked the tomato cages then got out the lawn mower and leveled it all except the eggplants. They have some life in them, and always do better in the fall. So they got some water. It's still hot and dry, we haven't had rain in a month. I'm watering the trees in the front yard this evening. I'm soooo ready for fall! (What with the dog, I'm not sure where I'll plant this fall's onions). SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: number 6 Date: 24 Aug 05 - 09:49 PM My garden turned out pretty good considering we had an absolutely terrible start to the season here .... not a food garden .. just an urban mixed flower garden. Starting to cut some of them, and hang them on the garden wall. sIx |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: el_punkoid_nouveau Date: 24 Aug 05 - 02:06 PM Slugs and snails... and cabbage white caterpillars... We also have French beans, with the runners coming on; cucumber and a few tomatoes from the greenhouse. We still have strawberries coming on as well, and we have an amazing crop of Blackberries. Next year, I will have more time to get things going... epn PS I forgot the zuccinis (courgettes)! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Bobert Date: 23 Aug 05 - 08:16 PM Well, well, well... A subject that I can sink my teeth into... Well, since moving down (up) to Luray from Wes Ginny we have been blessed in meetin' Clifford... Clifford is 'bout 70 year old and puts in amonster garden every year and sells, if you call it that, just about evry veggie that can be growed 'round these parts... Plus, I tilled up a 10' X 5' space and me and the P-Vine put in obe yellow squash plant, a couple cucumber plants and a zucinni plant... Well, this little plot is gettin' use 4 or five cukes and another 4 or five yellow squash every day and show no sign of givin' out... Its incfredible.... Plus we a zuccini 'bout every 5 days... But that ain't the entire story since Clifford has adopted us... He has the P-Vine down there helpin' him pick produce every other mornin' and gives her 10 pounds of beans 'er a 5 gallon bucket of tomatoes 'er whatever he has lots of... We've canned 14 guarts of tomatoes allready... We went back to the Wes Ginny house today and brought up (down) the freezer, which is out on the porch defrostin', so the P-Vine can start puttin' stuff up in the freezer... Oh yeah, we got beets comin' out our ears as well as taters, same late corn but the best part is fresh tomatoes and cukes every day... Yum... Bobert |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Liz the Squeak Date: 23 Aug 05 - 05:32 PM Still on snails, spiders and cat poop..... LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Essex Girl Date: 23 Aug 05 - 09:48 AM Courgettes have been flourishing since I was at Sidmouth. The neighbours were all enjoying them while we were away. Runner beans are doing well as are the lettuces. Rhubarb, apples and tomatoes are growing well, and the hedgerows near us are heavy with blackberries. We had an excellent crop of raspberries in June. The only thing that wasn't a success were my peppers, which grew and grew but still have not fruited. Linda |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Janie Date: 22 Aug 05 - 10:46 PM Bobad-I'm jealous. We actually had a good start to our season--a long, cool spring (but just a tad dry.) But then we slammed into summer in June. Seems like it went up to the mid to upper 90's then and stayed there. We have had some dry spells, but no real drought. The main problem with my garden this year has been the heat keeping me from taking care of it. Tinker-Dog Rose? Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Tinker Date: 22 Aug 05 - 10:25 PM Janie the weather here has been so dry as well as hot and often humid that very little is doing well. The phlox is the only thing that is abundant this year. Some how I have three white ones that have serendipidously appeared amongst the pink. Hopefully they will survive and prosper. The deer beheaded them early on and I was afraid they would be blossomless this year. It only served to spread out the blossom season. It was less humid today and I went out to atetmpt pruning back the monster dog rose. Four leaf bags later I might be about half way through the process. Perhaps by Getaway time I'll find my way to the heart of the thing and decide what to do with it. I've got a few straggly cherry tomatoes but the zuchini and cucumbers have said enough. The establilshed herbs are doing well, but some of the new ones look like they may not make it. The verbenea I put in the Godess Garden is totally burnt out. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: bobad Date: 22 Aug 05 - 07:19 PM I'm in eastern Ontario, been here 15 years and this is one of the best growing years we've had. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Janie Date: 22 Aug 05 - 07:12 PM Where you, bobad? Sounds like a good year for you. Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: bobad Date: 22 Aug 05 - 07:10 PM Let's see now: eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, green peppers, banana peppers, cucumbers, leeks, onions, garlic, scallions, cabbage, swiss chard, zucchini, carrots, various herbs including parsley, coriander, basil, oregano, thyme etc. The muskmellons are close to harvest and the butternut squash and pumpkin, turnip and beets have a way to go yet. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Janie Date: 22 Aug 05 - 07:03 PM which are...? J |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Mr Red Date: 22 Aug 05 - 07:01 PM quatrafoils |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Sorcha Date: 22 Aug 05 - 06:48 PM Eggplant/aubergine only. The damn tomatoes didn't do well again. Stoopid weather. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: GUEST,UK gardener Date: 22 Aug 05 - 06:09 PM Everything is dripping with the incessant rain and looking forlorn. The buddleia although blooming is weighed down with the wet and needs a good burst of sunshine to perk it up, the black knight looks sad. The hibiscus (blue bird) is doing well but also needs some rays. The lavatera is over and straggly, must get chopping back soon before the winds rock the roots. The jasmine ( fiona sunrise, gorgeous lime green leaf) is leafing well, but no balmy nights to waft it's scent. At least the rain makes all the ivy look glossy. Good show from the gladioli that I begrudgingly planted, the corms were a present, I think they look too prim and proper, ok peachy colour though. Geraniums still putting on a good show after a severe hacking back, although my petunias are all but drowned. Lilies been and gone for another year. Some yellow climbing roses still blooming strong through and around the dead plum tree, which hosts some spectacular, but no doubt lethal looking fungi. Rosemary and all the mints behaving well and a boon in the kitchen, made some ice cubes with sprigs of pineapple mint in each one for the hell of it. Bizzy lizzies spilling out of old kettles, lovely apricot colours and seemingly rain resistant. All the 'structural' plants, cordylines, fatsia japonicas, choisyas etc look very handsome wet, so all is not lost. Just need a dryish spell now to sit out there and ponder on life. The honesty is seeded and I love the papery moon cases, will leave that to spread itself about. The asters, a heathery mauve are coming along nicely and the calendulas are my sunshine at the moment. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Janie Date: 22 Aug 05 - 05:25 PM Wow. Blackberries are an early summer harvest for us in the southeast USA. Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 22 Aug 05 - 05:08 PM Blackberries. The bush outside my backdoor is black with them, and the nore I pick the faster and fatter they seem to get. It's a bit like the Magic Porridge Pot right now, but with Blackberry Crumble. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 Aug 05 - 03:00 PM Too hot here for most of the garden also. I still get an occasional zuchini and there are a few straggler cherry tomatoes in the front yard. The eggplants have come out about the size of goose eggs. Like Janie, I await the cooler fall season to put in the next batch of garden stuff. We'll have until as late as Christmas to be harvesting out there, so there is potential for good gardening yet. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Rumncoke Date: 22 Aug 05 - 01:59 PM The Victoria plums are ripe. For me it is the taste of English Summer. Bliss Anne |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Janie Date: 22 Aug 05 - 01:36 PM One pleasant success this year has been ginger lilies. A friend gave me a 'start' two years ago. I was afraid I had not planted them in a good spot, but they have really taken off this year. The color and fragrance are wonderful, and they seem like they are going to spread. Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Janie Date: 22 Aug 05 - 01:26 PM Don't know about the rest of you, but our summer has been abnormally hot, and it has kept me out of the garden--especially the flower garden. We have had day after day of mid to upper ninties with high humidity. It doesn't cool down much in the evenings. The weeds and grasses are taking over. Normally the dahlia's would be stunning by now, but I haven't kept them dead-headed. In the veggie garden, I haven't fertilized like I usually do--fish emulsion/kelp sprays, monthly additions of bat guano. The tomatoes and snap beans have done OK anyway, but the cukes, zukes and squash are not producing well. Maybe just getting too old to manage the extent of gard beds that I have. I just ordered seeds for the fall garden. Assuming it cools down a little like its supposed to, I'll be direct seeding kale and turnips soon, and will start lettuce indoors at my office where the AC will keep the soil cool. Garlic and onion sets are on their way, but I'll hold off a bit on planting them. Janie |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Jul 05 - 01:04 PM I'm finally getting handfuls of little grape tomatoes. I now have about six cups this year. . . |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Flash Company Date: 07 Jul 05 - 11:12 AM Picked about 8lbs of Raspberries since arriving home on Saturday. FC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: dianavan Date: 07 Jul 05 - 03:21 AM Mizuma is a Japenese green that grows easily. Its leafy and something between a lettuce and a brassica. When young, the delicate leaves can be used in salads. Its really great in Miso soup, too. When it gets bigger, you chop it 1" pieces and steam it or it can be cooked like collards. If you let it go to seed, you may get some volunteer. Its very hardy and I always keep a patch in my garden. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: Nancy King Date: 06 Jul 05 - 07:42 PM I KNEW IT! I should never have said anything about "not much animal damage..." Sure enough, the deer ambled by last night and defoliated a bunch of cukes and pole beans. Sheesh! Anybody know Jon Campbell's song "When Bambi Got the Vote" (or "Since Bambi Got the Vote," or something like that)? My Ex got custody of the tape with that song, and I think I need it again. Anybody? Nancy |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardening: What are you harvesting? From: TheBigPinkLad Date: 06 Jul 05 - 02:02 PM dianavan ... what's mizuma? |
