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My cucumbers started rolling in the last couple days so I needed to do something with them. Made a couple jars of pickled jalapeņos as well. The pickles are the "quick pack" where you have to keep them in the fridge. I'd rather keep them not in the fridge, how hard is that? Maybe a canning thread with recipes or what not would be good here or in Goons with Spoons. Having cooking stuff strewn about inspired me to try something I've never done: Make a pie. Lemon Meringue mother fuckers, the left over filling was amazing. I'm glad I decided to buy to some cooking stuff a few months ago, till then I really only had a 10 inch non stick from Wal-Mart for scrambling eggs. It was sad. 
ChaoticSeven fucked around with this message at 01:49 on Jun 22, 2009 |
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Jun 21, 2009 23:22
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| # ? May 15, 2024 18:48 |
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ChaoticSeven posted:My cucumbers started rolling in the last couple days so I needed to do something with them. Made a couple jars of pickled jalapeņos as well. The pickles are the "quick pack" where you have to keep them in the fridge. I'd rather keep them not in the fridge, how hard is that? Maybe a canning thread with recipes or what not would be good here or in Goons with Spoons. ahhhhhhhh I finally got brave enough to eat 2 lettuce leaves from my plant today and you are making lemon meringue pie! I am so jealous of you guys in warmer climates 
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Jun 22, 2009 02:31
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I bought the lemons from Kroger, go make a pie. I used this : http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/lemon-meringue-pie-recipe/index.html But it fails to mention bringing the filling back up to a boil after adding the lemon juice, butter and lemon zest. I let it boil and stirred it for a full two minutes after that. I found that tip in the comments, apparently if you don't do that you'll end up with Lemon Soup Meringue Pie. Mines in the cooling process so I guess we'll see how it turns out in a few hours... P.S. I bought the crust from Kroger too.
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Jun 22, 2009 02:59
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ChaoticSeven posted:Maybe a canning thread with recipes or what not would be good here or in Goons with Spoons. Please do it here. Canning is usually a self-sufficiency thing and that falls pretty well 100% under DIY. 
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Jun 22, 2009 05:16
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ChaoticSeven posted:I bought the lemons from Kroger, go make a pie. I used this : You mean you didn't grow the crust?  go back to GWSAnd the day has come. I knew it would happen sooner or later, but a bunny took a nibble and ate 3 leaves from one of my echinacea plants. Hopefully he didn't like it, because this is the first time in 2 years he's ventured into my garden to eat the plants. Either that or he eats the sweet peas, who were dying but saw a resurgence when the weather turned cool. The weather this year has been total poo poo. It's been pretty cool (I can think of 2 days we went above 25C) and very dry, so the plants are relying on my watering can. The flowers are finally setting out some new leaves, and I hope it takes a turn for the warm soon or else they just won't have the time to grow! Tequila Mockingbird fucked around with this message at 13:48 on Jun 22, 2009 |
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Jun 22, 2009 13:42
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Zeta Taskforce posted:Your best bet is to grow resistant varieties next year, of which there are many. Look for varieties that have V & F after them. That will probably mean planting a newer hybrid variety; no more heirlooms. No more heirlooms?? I am weeping forever. Is it all right to plant resistant varieties in the same bed next year? I have very limited garden space, unfortunately.
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Jun 22, 2009 16:43
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My stuff is coming along, though not as wonderfully as before. I had some serious aphids on my habanero, bell pepper, and eggplant. The dish soap and mineral oil mixture certainly killed those little fuckers, but gave my plants leaves one hell of a beating. All are still alive and flowering/fruiting (including the habanero, which lost all of its flowers after an cold spell a few weeks back--now I have a few peppers and tons of flowers). The leaves just look a little less than desirable. I have a mantis that is looking out for the habanero. I don't really have a good camera for taking pictures of him, but I tried my best: pic, another. There are a lot of lady bugs, as well. Hopefully, I won't have to assault my plants anymore.
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Jun 22, 2009 19:53
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FuzzyDunlop posted:No more heirlooms?? I am weeping forever. I wouldn't event plant resistant varieties--resistant is not disease proof. AFAIK it mostly it means that the plant will likely survive longer with the disease, giving time for control. If you know for a fact that your soil harbors wilt diseases I wouldn't plant anything from that family there. With limited space, I'd say go the container route. Don't give up on heirlooms, just don't grow them in the ground.
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Jun 22, 2009 21:10
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Well I dug up my potatoes today: first and second earlies, couple of different types. They didn't exactly come up like the picture on the package shows, I don't have baking potatoes, more like salad/new potatoes. And since I never put potatoes in salad these will be new potatoes I guess. They range in size from about 1.5cm across to about 5 or 6cm long and 4cm across. For a first crop they're alright but I had 3 buckets and one big container going for over two months and my total yield fits in one colander. I guess I just need to make sure they're watered more. I planted out the main crop potatoes in the empty containers, they're supposed to grow until the leaves die back sometime in August so we'll see how they do. Planted out the tomatoes I got a couple of weeks ago, give them another shot. I'm pretty lazy about pinching off things and tying up supports so I hope I can keep on top of them better. I also pulled up all the lettuce varieties that had gone to seed and planted out the remainder of my red onion bulbs. The lettuce seeds I planted a few weeks ago are slow to come up, need to make sure they're watered well and then plant them out in the soon-to-be totally cut back big lettuce containers.
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Jun 22, 2009 21:20
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HeatherChandler posted:I wouldn't event plant resistant varieties--resistant is not disease proof. AFAIK it mostly it means that the plant will likely survive longer with the disease, giving time for control. If you know for a fact that your soil harbors wilt diseases I wouldn't plant anything from that family there. Yeah, good advice. After all the talk earlier about upside down tomato plants, I should have thought about that.
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Jun 22, 2009 23:52
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Update: Everything coming along nicely, apart from the broccoli my Lab decided to have for lunch. I think I'm way too close together with my tomatoes but oh well. My pepper plants are taking a while to get large, but that happened last year as well. My celery is looking STUNNING!
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Jun 23, 2009 02:07
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So now it's been about a month since I get everything planted in my beds. Everything seems to be growing very well in them. All the stuff in the original garden is taking off as well  The melons are getting there, but they still have a lot to grow so they can start climbing the trellises  I have about 10 cucumbers growing now in the far back box and here is a closeup of one  The blueberry bush has a bunch of nice looking berries on it  A closeup of my roma tomato plant. Have about 5 little green tomatoes on it so far  A cool looking dragon fly that was hanging out by the yellow zucchini  And finally I harvested one of my bilko napa cabbage heads from the back box. It didn't really form a head at all and they are starting to bolt, so I figured I better harvest it. The leaves are also a lot darker than what I'm used to seeing at the store. I'm going to try and make some tsukemono with it and see how it turns out. Hopefully next time I'll get a variety that actually forms a head of cabbage to try and make kim chee with. 
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Jun 23, 2009 03:34
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Question: Will an immature hot pepper faux ripen in a bag with an apple? I accidentally knocked 2 full grown Hungarian Wax off. Tried one, turns out these are no good at all green... My cucumbers seem to just appear. I check out my plants every morning, and I will see nothing, and then *poof* a full grown cucumber is there.
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Jun 23, 2009 13:45
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How can I tell if my peppers are ripe? I have 3-4 Cayennes that are close to being full grown, at least 1 hot banana, and possibly a few others in the next few days? My tomatoes started budding and flowering last week so I'm hoping they'll start producing fruit. My sweet red bell plant started flowering also, but the yellow bell isn't doing poo poo. Its kind of growing and looks like it is starting to bud but I haven't seen anything from it. Also everything from the seeds I planted, except the oregano, is growing! Chives, Parsley, and Basil!
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Jun 23, 2009 15:04
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Does anyone have any experience with a drip irrigation system? We're in a severe drought right now so my plan for a sprikler timer won't work. I'd like to build a passive gravity system with a rain bucket or something. I was thinking of picking up this book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/096158484X/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance Any ideas on this?
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Jun 23, 2009 22:00
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Shazzner posted:Does anyone have any experience with a drip irrigation system? We're in a severe drought right now so my plan for a sprikler timer won't work. I'd like to build a passive gravity system with a rain bucket or something. I think I addressed this earlier in the thread but if you do go with a drip irrigation system you need to be sure you do your research and get all the proper filters and regulators for your situation. Failure to do drip irrigation properly can lead to some pretty nasty disease working it's way into your home's plumbing system and possibly even the rest of your neighborhood's plumbing. If you do it, don't cheap out, it's not worth the health risk.
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Jun 24, 2009 15:32
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HeatherChandler posted:With limited space, I'd say go the container route. Don't give up on heirlooms, just don't grow them in the ground. I did have good success with heirlooms in large rubbermaid containers last year; the problem was they got so big they eventually fell over when the wind was strong! ETA: Nevermind! Wikipedia is my friend. FuzzyDunlop fucked around with this message at 16:40 on Jun 24, 2009 |
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Jun 24, 2009 16:24
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Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes.  Found these around my pepper plants today. I'm sure it's harmless to the garden. I'm sure I should probably just ignore it. The problem is that I hate it and I want it to die. I don't want any surprises when I'm out there weeding. Just thinking about all the times I've poked my fingers around in that dirt is giving me the heebee jeebees. I'm open to suggestions on trapping and relocating it but I've never heard of a snake trap so tips on nuking it from orbit with fire are also welcome.
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Jun 24, 2009 19:17
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frumpus posted:Snakes. Probably isn't even around anymore. Not only is it harmless to the garden, it's beneficial if you have like, a mole or small children problem. I found this critter on a tomato plant. Should I nuke these from orbit?  
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Jun 24, 2009 23:54
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FuzzyDunlop posted:I did have good success with heirlooms in large rubbermaid containers last year; the problem was they got so big they eventually fell over when the wind was strong! Just the plants or the whole container? You could put them against a fence or the house as a windbreak, or maybe even some heavy stones or bricks in the bottom. I think it is worth it for tomatoes, but I am a tomato crazy. ChaoticSeven: I wouldn't care if that bug eats every bad bug in the universe, I would run around screaming and spraying pesticide like a spazz. Why do you have to have a good camera, that bug is making my skin crawl. Gardening might be the wrong hobby for me.
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Jun 25, 2009 00:33
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frumpus posted:Snakes. Dude, that looks like a garter snake skin. They don't have teeth, they eat slugs, and they just chill out. The worst thing he could really ever do to you is if you pick him up he'll release his scent glands on you and you will smell like stinky garter snake. If he's still there, leave him - he'll eat your slugs!
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Jun 25, 2009 04:06
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Tequila Mockingbird posted:Dude, that looks like a garter snake skin. They don't have teeth, they eat slugs, and they just chill out. The worst thing he could really ever do to you is if you pick him up he'll release his scent glands on you and you will smell like stinky garter snake. If he's still there, leave him - he'll eat your slugs! He's a little late, I already baited the slugs after they decimated my jalapenos.
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Jun 25, 2009 04:23
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frumpus posted:He's a little late, I already baited the slugs after they decimated my jalapenos. He starved to death
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Jun 25, 2009 05:16
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Another balcony manual pollination question: My tomatoes are starting to flower like mad, and after some research, it looks like the correct way to get them to pollinate is to shake the flower stems around a bit. I've been doing this without a great deal of success so far. My method is to take a chopstick and rapidly shake back and forth on each blossom. Is there something I'm missing? Any tips on how to do this properly?
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Jun 25, 2009 08:30
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I just shook the entire plant briskly every morning. Seemed to do the trick as my plants are loaded beyond anyone elses around here. I've heard of using an electric toothbrush, touched to stem of the blossom or blossom itself works well. You need to get out there early though, tomato pollen goes sterile above something really crazy. 75F? At what point does one have too many cucumbers? This is just a couple days after making 7lbs of fridge pickles and giving a couple more lbs away. Also look, I finally have a few tomatoes. I picked them a wee bit early as all the ones I've left on the vine have been a magic beacon for avian and other disasters. That big one is 1 pound 4 ounces. 
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Jun 26, 2009 02:42
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ChaoticSeven posted:At what point does one have too many cucumbers? This is just a couple days after making 7lbs of fridge pickles and giving a couple more lbs away. Also look, I finally have a few tomatoes. I picked them a wee bit early as all the ones I've left on the vine have been a magic beacon for avian and other disasters. That big one is 1 pound 4 ounces. We tried to warn you people about the cucumbers.... they never listen.
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Jun 26, 2009 13:48
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GARDEN UPDATE!! Potted basil is going gangbusters.  The habanero peppers are coming along nicely. That smeared mess is a sign my kids made for me for father's day. It lasted exactly 1 rain storm, then it was hosed.  Tomato corner is a happy place.  One poor little tomato plant didn't quite make it.  The red bell peppers are doing nicely as well.  Square foot gardening plot with more basil (teeny) and red bell peppers.  This square foot plot has corn. Both are in full sun after about 9 AM for the rest of the day.  If you squint funny, you can see the row of blueberry and raspberry plants.  The chives are still chiving. I need to separate the clumps next year and plant some of them somewhere else.  Oregano is growing and growing.  Oregano is growing on this side too, and my sage plants didn't die over winter either! Yay me!
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Jun 26, 2009 14:22
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I wish my herbs lasted a lot longer than they did - they're pretty much permanently outdoors all the time and the only thing that is truly hardy is the rosemary, everything else (chives, parsley, basil, sage, etc.) die off after a few months, although the parsley lasts a bit longer than the rest. I guess I just have to resolve myself to planting them indoors all the time.
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Jun 26, 2009 14:51
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Basil in particular I've found extremely picky. I have a few plants that have been hanging on for dear life for a while, but they're not exactly inspiring. I've had a lot of luck with parsley, actually. Others that have worked really well this year are dill (really, if you can't get dill to work right there's something seriously up), tarragon (which I've actually neglected more than I should and it does fine) and mint. Some cilantro coming up but it was planted way too late, and rosemary but it takes for-freaking-ever to grow from seed.
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Jun 26, 2009 17:35
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Does anyone else ever feel like a gushing idiot while telling others about their garden? After the massive failure with sprouting seeds last year I was pretty set up for disappointment this year. However, all my little sprouts have grown up into awesome healthy plants. Despite all the cold and rain last month and in early June, the tomatoes are approaching knee high and yesterday blooms appeared. Even at their height, I have not yet had to stake them. My peppers are still short, but the recent heat wave has helped them grow about two inches since I took photos ten days ago. The basil has more than doubled in size over the last ten days and my purchased herbs are really producing as well. I'm still jealous of you southern folks with harvests already! Just a few images from last week: Sweet Basil & Banana pepper 6/16   This is my Paprika pepper plant that I got for a cool $2.50 at an herb fair. In the back you can see my Lime Basil and Sweet Basil that started as seed. 
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Jun 26, 2009 18:55
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enki42 posted:Basil in particular I've found extremely picky. I have a few plants that have been hanging on for dear life for a while, but they're not exactly inspiring. Really?? I have always found Basil as easy to grow as a weed. I've started it in the ground or in peat-pots indoors or in containers outside. The only problems I've had with basil is deer. What varieties are you growing?? What are they planted in? How much sun are they getting?
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Jun 26, 2009 19:38
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They aren't getting a whole ton of sun to be honest. But enough sun that tomatoes in the same place are absolutely thriving, so it can't be THAT big an impact, I would think. I have a fair bunch of them in 8" pots, watered regularly. Every single other thing in my garden is growing like gangbusters, but the basil always looks like it's clinging on for dear life.
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Jun 26, 2009 22:02
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My plants are doing alright but I'm worried about my lettuce and my cucumber.  the kohlrabi on the right has a red leaf. What's that about?  one kohlrabi has fallen in action  go go go go go tomatoes! they've got flowers starting  Is the lettuce going to seed? It's so tall. I've never grown leaf lettuce before. I had some yesterday and it tasted okay.  ooh ooh ooh!! a cucumber is growing! The soil in the cucumber's pot is mucky. I didn't realise that the bottom part of the pot was actually part of a "self watering" pot, so it was retaining water in the soil and it seems that algae has taken to it. It's been without that tray about a week, but the soil is still very mucky and has algae in it. Should I re-pot it? It looks like it will grow well anyway so it could go in one of the large pots I have. Will this solve the algae? It's the only living cuke so I want it to live!
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Jun 26, 2009 22:36
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I would find the biggest pot you can get your hands on for the cucumber. They get big. Mine are almost 9' tall and putting out 5-6 cucumbers a day at an increasing pace. Give them plenty of room for the roots and you'll get a lot more cukes!
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Jun 27, 2009 01:29
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mischief posted:I would find the biggest pot you can get your hands on for the cucumber. They get big. Mine are almost 9' tall and putting out 5-6 cucumbers a day at an increasing pace. Give them plenty of room for the roots and you'll get a lot more cukes! woop! I have a pretty big pot sitting on the deck here so that's definitely in the works for next week
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Jun 27, 2009 03:43
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I'm giddy this morning because my first tomatoes are just starting to grow. I guess my shaking technique was enough and I'm just too much of an impatient bastard. My one lonely zucchini is humming along as well, and I can already see 4 or 5 female flowers a few days from blooming. On top of that, my peas are starting to flower like mad. All in all, a good garden day.
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Jun 27, 2009 14:33
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Quick fill in the blank poll: What is the proper way to kill a mother loving catapiller who managed to decimate an entire beefmaster tomato plant, including 3 green tomatoes of various sizes, in a single night? The son of a bitch ate everything; pretty much every leaf on the entire plant is gone, all the green tomatoes are ruined and the blossoms are all gone. I caught him chowing down on the largest green tomato in my garden. About 10% already eaten when I plucked him up and put him in his current plastic storage container which is sitting in my kitchen. He has stolen food and destroyed an otherwise healthy plant. He must die, suggestions are appreciated and pictures of the decimation will be posted when the wife gets home with the camera. Edit: I've been informed that the proper term is "Tomato Hornworm." Anubis fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Jun 27, 2009 |
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Jun 27, 2009 21:27
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Tequila Mockingbird posted:woop! I have a pretty big pot sitting on the deck here so that's definitely in the works for next week Just make sure you throw some gravel in the bottom before you fill it up with potting soil. Don't want to drown the little fella!
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Jun 27, 2009 23:21
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Yesterday this was a healthy, happy plant. My poor tomato.   The Face of Evil!
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Jun 27, 2009 23:47
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Wow, that fucker is huge. I have a several on a few of my plants but I can't find them, even looking early in the morning. I may be overlooking them simply because I wasn't expecting something of that size. My vote is a simple squashing.
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Jun 28, 2009 00:02
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