Gardening 2024

[DragonGunner]

No electric fence but deer were snipping at corn and tomatoe plants early. Always around. I started putting my daily socks on stakes on both ends of the garden before dark. Last week I forgot one night and deer pulled some ears of corn off and ate. I then put scarecrow out at dark with socks and a radio playing just enough if they get close they will hear it. So far working. Far enough from woods and not many coon around hopefully.

 

[miguel]

Picked my first cantaloupe. Pretty dang big this year. Takes up about half the dish strainer...I have 2 others about this size still growing..never had any this big in previous years. Hibiscus are opening alot. The new starts are red instead of pink this year. Pretty neat looking.View attachment 368342View attachment 368343

You make tea with the hibiscus?

 

[gassprint1]

You make tea with the hibiscus?

No, never tried it or anything. I've heard of it but thought it was a certain kind of hibiscus.
Fyi, the big mellon sucked. Let it sit for a couple days before cutting it open. Hardly any flavor and was on the hard side. Tossed it out by the wood pile trying to use as bate for a groundhog...

 

[miguel]

Squirrel was going after some of Miss Miguel's cherry tomatoes this afternoon. I ran out there like Refrigerator Perry in his prime, but he stood his ground, even within 2 meters!

He was not so tough when I got the garden hose going, however.

 

[bwframe]

No, never tried it or anything. I've heard of it but thought it was a certain kind of hibiscus.
Fyi, the big mellon sucked. Let it sit for a couple days before cutting it open. Hardly any flavor and was on the hard side. Tossed it out by the wood pile trying to use as bate for a groundhog...

I've had that happen more than once. It's disappointing, but often you are just at the mercy of things beyond your control. It's similar in the grocery store, sometimes good, sometimes bland.

Next time before tossing you might try seasonings? Salt, basil salt, sweetener, bath the bland mellon in whipped creme?

 

[gassprint1]

I've had that happen more than once. It's disappointing, but often you are just at the mercy of things beyond your control. It's similar in the grocery store, sometimes good, sometimes bland.

Next time before tossing you might try seasonings? Salt, basil salt, sweetener, bath the bland mellon in whipped creme?

I usually don't season much of anything as far as fruits or vegetables go..i like the natural flavors.. I still have 2 and a possible 3rd as big growing yet. I'll have to wait until i see no green in the webbing. According to many "experts", 2 sign of ripe is the full webbing golden color and very easy to remove from stem. Well, not always true i guess.

 

[bwframe]

I usually don't season much of anything as far as fruits or vegetables go..i like the natural flavors.. I still have 2 and a possible 3rd as big growing yet. I'll have to wait until i see no green in the webbing. According to many "experts", 2 sign of ripe is the full webbing golden color and very easy to remove from stem. Well, not always true i guess.

I agree on seasoning. Just sayin' its a way you can at least not waist all of your good effort.

Hate tell you this my friend, but in my experience, one mellon bland, all mellons bland. Assuming you picked the first mellon appropriately, the others will be the same, unless they are of different variety.

 

[DragonGunner]

I agree on seasoning. Just sayin' its a way you can at least not waist all of your good effort.

Hate tell you this my friend, but in my experience, one mellon bland, all mellons bland. Assuming you picked the first mellon appropriately, the others will be the same, unless they are of different variety.

Dad use to have a huge garden of melons, cataloupe, muskmelon, watermelon that were so green almost black, round stripes, long stripes and long light green. I liked the long light green ones and seldom ever see them anymore. Lived beside a swamp and dad used the water to irrigate them.

Used the seeds from the biggest one each year and in about 5 years got some up to 80+ lbs. Seed company said anyone getting one to 100 lbs would win some $$$. Never made it but close. We had hundreds of them and I tell you it was so much fun to put them on a table and shoot them with my 22-250.

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

No, never tried it or anything. I've heard of it but thought it was a certain kind of hibiscus.
Fyi, the big mellon sucked. Let it sit for a couple days before cutting it open. Hardly any flavor and was on the hard side. Tossed it out by the wood pile trying to use as bate for a groundhog...

Let the others sit on the vine for a while longer. The green background underneath the netting will turn yellow. The flesh should be softer, and if there's an aroma in the skin when you hold the whole melon to your nose, it should be good to go. Good luck on the next one.

 

[bwframe]

Just took a run through...



These honeydews are on a mostly dead plant. They smell good, but still aren't slipping. Trying to remember if this variety is one that just doesn't slip. Some don't.



I fooled around and missed this small one. It's still a user, but don't like the splits as much as the ants do...



Garden porn???



Timing???

 

[bwframe]

Meh, got a bland honeydew. Normally Diplomat honeydew is super sweet. Only assume the other one on that dead vine will be bland also. Still edible, gonna need salt or whipped cream or something?



Interestingly, the little one (assumed premature) from above post pic also was just fine, really sweet.

 

[Expat]

Froze 6 bags of green beans today.

 

[DragonGunner]

Froze sweet corn today. 1st time. Got some tips and worked pretty good. I cut off cob first. Then with a little water brought to boil for 3 minutes and put pot into ice water to cool. Then put in freezer bags and freeze flat. Family does it this way for years and always been really good. Pressure cooked 6 pints green beans yesterday. That’s it for them unless they bloom another crop?

 

[INPatriot]

Dad use to have a huge garden of melons, cataloupe, muskmelon, watermelon that were so green almost black, round stripes, long stripes and long light green. I liked the long light green ones and seldom ever see them anymore. Lived beside a swamp and dad used the water to irrigate them.

Used the seeds from the biggest one each year and in about 5 years got some up to 80+ lbs. Seed company said anyone getting one to 100 lbs would win some $$$. Never made it but close. We had hundreds of them and I tell you it was so much fun to put them on a table and shoot them with my 22-250.

View attachment 369080

That's awesome!

I can tell your Dad was proud of his harvests!

 

[INPatriot]

I hadn't been on this thread since 7/6.

Thanks for sharing everyone.

 

[stocknup]

Our green bean trellis has worked out great for us .......Harvested quite a few pickings already .





This has been pretty typical for our tomatoes so far ........(a little slow to ripen , probably because the weather ) but just started harvesting for our favorite ( Salsa )




Everything from the garden ........It made a small batch ( 11 c tomatoes, 2c peppers, 1c onion , 1/8c garlic, 1 1/2c parsley/mint mix .



Dug up one of our beds of carrots ...........Chantenay variety .

 

[Expat]

4 more bags of green beans today.

 

[bwframe]

I wish I'd have thought to record this trellis failure with a picture. I'm normally better about that sort of stuff, but I picked it up and couldn't let go until it was better secured.

Wind took this thing down. It was unnervingly rickety, obviously not sturdy enough. Hopefully sured it up long enough to sneak these squash closer to maturity?

 

[snapping turtle]

First corn of the year. A small harvest of peppers and tomatoes. Potatoes half harvested. Carrots done need to get a new planting in. Grapes are coming on great. Mammoth sunflowers have now topped 10 feet with no blooms yet. Onions are done and resting (so in still as it got very hot that day and I wimped out.

 

[Expat]

My second corn planting got hit by coons. I only got 1 grocery bag. I need to blanch, cut and freeze it.