# Garden Pictures!



## Dick Hanks

It's about that time of year. Maybe a little early, but you can at least throw in a picture of the prep work that you have done to get you garden ready. Those onions, cole and lettuce families, radishes, taters, gotta be showing some green for some of Ya. Potted plants qualify for pictures too! I need to see some GREEN!

I'll be starting my pepper plants indoors from seed next week, and my tomato plants closer to the end of the month. They will go into the garden around Memorial Day if there is a frost free forecast. 

Ok..... I'll start off the pictures. these were taken around 2PM today:

1st picture is my veggie garden and the 2nd picture is part of my fruit garden:frown:

I guess that I'm running a little behind you guys.hwell:


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## SwampRat

What's that stuff in your yard? Did a UPS truck dump a bunch of packing pellets?

:rotfl:


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## stammster - temporary

Thereâ€™s a lot of snowflakes in Minnesota.


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## hk

Tomatos,poblanos,jalepenos ,multiplying onions.Greenbeans ,yellow squash , cucumbers,cilantro ,basil and dill planted lastweek.Mandarin satsuma in full bloom.Can't wait for those tomatos.Hope everyone has a great spring/summer garden.





































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## Rubberback

Got mine all tilled and rowed up. 8 rows 50' long. Holy snow balls Dick.


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## Meadowlark

Not much green here, Dick...and fortunately no white either....just mostly soil fresh from having tons of green cover crop turned under. 

Potatoes just pushing through....should be about 200 pounds. About 300 onions starting to really take off. They will start bulbing soon and it will be time to start pulling dirt off them. Over wintered beets and carrots will be ready to harvest in a couple of weeks. Beds ready for pole beans...3 kinds of limas, plus blue lake and Kentucky. Rows ready for triple sweet corn. Winter peas once again seem to be doing poorly. 

I'm making a big push into grapes this spring with a new arbor and 5 different varieties to try out. 

In another three weeks this all will be mostly green instead of dirt...assuming no white shows up in between.


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## Rubberback

Here's mine


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## Postman

I'd post mine, but pretty sure everyone's seen tilled dirt. Be a couple weeks.


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## Lunkerman

I'll have to get some pics. I do have some stuff growing well and some sprouts just showing. Keeping all the tomatoes and pepper plants in my make shift greenhouse for another week or so. Days like today make you think it's ok to plant them but, we have a few cold nights in the forecast. 

A question about onions from something Meadowlark mentioned. Taking dirt off the once the bulbs form. Mine look to be in the same stage as yours so I should do this soon. How much dirt do I take off? As you can tell I'm new at growing onions & would have thought to hill it up around the bulb.


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## Rubberback

When mine start bulbing I always put a side on them of chicken/quail poop. I never really ever messed with pulling the dirt back.
But last year I pulled it back just to give it a whirl. I really think it depends on what soil you have. 
My dirt is like sand, so I never saw the need. JMO!
Scroll up and you will see my dirt. Its like at one time my place was ocean front property. LOL!
To answer your question , don't expose the roots.


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## hk

First attempt at a indoor lettuce garden.Planted seeds 2-17,Mesclun mix and blackseeded simpson.So far it is looking pretty good.









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## Meadowlark

Lunkerman said:


> ....A question about onions from something Meadowlark mentioned. Taking dirt off the once the bulbs form. Mine look to be in the same stage as yours so I should do this soon. How much dirt do I take off? ...


You will get mixed answers to that question, Lunkerman. I definitely pull the dirt and I have very loose, sandy soil. I believe pulling dirt increases bulb size and length of storage.

It is a bit tedious to do and takes some time but the results speak for themselves... 25 pounds of onions out of 11 onions for example.

I like to wait until the bulbs are definitely showing. Right now it is too early. At the right time, I just run my finger around the onion bulb pulling off the dirt to the roots...but you don't want the white roots showing. They should be just under the surface. The bulb should literally set on top of the dirt.

There are various theories I've seen as to why this works. For me, I'm not sure why it works exactly, but I'm 100% confident it does. I can't say exactly how much effect it has... 5%, 10%, 20% or more. My guess would be about 10% increase in bulb size pulling dirt vs not pulling it.

Another positive for pulling dirt is onion storage. I routinely store onions for 9 months usually eating them all before they rot. Most online sources I read about say you can only store onions 2-3 months. I say horse feathers!

We just finished the last of last years onions...in fact I can show you pictures of some harvested last May that are putting out growth in hopes of getting into the ground. The "experts" say this can't be done. I say horse feathers!

Does pulling dirt help with storage? I guess I can't prove it, but yes I believe it does.

So, its more work, but the increase in bulb size and increase in storage time are both well worth it to me.


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## Dick Hanks

hk said:


> Tomatos,poblanos,jalepenos ,multiplying onions.Greenbeans ,yellow squash , cucumbers,cilantro ,basil and dill planted lastweek.Mandarin satsuma in full bloom.Can't wait for those tomatos.Hope everyone has a great spring/summer garden.
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Wow HK..... You are really off to a good start. Thanks for the great pictures!

Looks like spring is starting to happen for all you guys in Texas. Good stuff in these posts.

Lark.... I have wanted to grow grapes, and have tried several times. It's Zone 3 here, and even the very few that say that they can handle Zone 3, get killed each winter. It's a bummer.... I had a cool arbor planned. Glad to see that you are getting into them. What varieties?

Onions: I still have a lot to learn about them. Advised by Lark, I did try loosening the soil around my Walla Wallas last year, and they did get very big.... and delicious. I was surprised at how well they do with so much bulb exposed. I made much stronger efforts to prep my onions for storage last year, but I think that Wallas just contain too much moisture to store long term. Need to find another long day onion with better keeping genetics. Like RB, I'm side dressing fertilizer during the growing process now.

Keep the pictures coming guys!:mpd:


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## Meadowlark

Dick Hanks said:


> ...
> Lark.... I have wanted to grow grapes, and have tried several times. It's Zone 3 here, and even the very few that say that they can handle Zone 3, get killed each winter. It's a bummer.... I had a cool arbor planned. Glad to see that you are getting into them. What varieties?
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I added a Jumbo Muscadine and Noble Muscadine to a transplanted Noble Muscadine I had along with Thompsons, Summer Royal, Delight, and a new one that ksk posted called the RazzMataz. Muscadines do very well here but not sure about the seedless varieties...will find out.


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## LandLocked

Taken yesterday...


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## monkeyman1

I'm not posting mine until well after Easter. I don't want to jinx myself any more than I already am.


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## peckerwood

Dick,ever try snow peas and icicle radishes ?


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## Lunkerman

Here's a shot of the front garden, it's pretty much all planted just some stuff hasn't sprouted yet. One are on one side I saved room for tomatoes and peppers which I'm putting in this afternoon.


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## Lunkerman

Daggum pic didn't go thru. Let's try again


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## Dick Hanks

peckerwood said:


> Dick,ever try snow peas and icicle radishes ?


LOL! Well.... as a matter of fact.... I have..... and both grow well up here!
Just occasionally on the snow peas, but I grow icicle radishes ever year.

I appreciate the new pictures that got posted. I like the look of new, spring gardens as much or more than the ones that are ready to harvest. They offer so much hope and promise...... plus you haven't had to start fighting the bugs, critters, storms and weeds.


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## Lunkerman

Dick Hanks said:


> LOL! Well.... as a matter of fact.... I have..... and both grow well up here!
> Just occasionally on the snow peas, but I grow icicle radishes ever year.
> 
> I appreciate the new pictures that got posted. I like the look of new, spring gardens as much or more than the ones that are ready to harvest. They offer so much hope and promise...... plus you haven't had to start fighting the bugs, critters, storms and weeds.


Not so my friend. The aphids have already attacked my pear trees. I caught them early and squeashed most with my fingers but brought out the sprayer with neem oil the next day and sprayed all the fruit trees that have leaves. The red delicious and granny smith tree have just started budding and sprouting a couple of leaves so nothing to spray. I'm going to definitely stay on top of them this year as they really got to one pear tree last year then spread to the other two.

Another type of aphid wreaked havoc on my tomatoes last year then spread to the cucs and watermelon vines. I read on another forum that coffee grounds works to keep them away so I'll try that. I'll spray early too if needed but haven't seen them in the garden yet.


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## hk

Garden progressing nicely.Got lucky planting early.Counting the day's until I can have a real tomato.























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## jboehm

Took this a couple of weeks ago. Since then it has already developed a lot.

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## hk

garden progress since previous pictures two weeks ago.Beans to the top of fence and picking jalepenos.





































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## Meadowlark

Remind me where generally is your garden located. You must be getting much higher night time temps than we are seeing. Nice work!

Predicted low of 37 here Sunday night. Too cold to make peppers.


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## Rubberback

Meadowlark said:


> Remind me where generally is your garden located. You must be getting much higher night time temps than we are seeing. Nice work!
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> Predicted low of 37 here Sunday night. Too cold to make peppers.


Yup the nights are still too cold up here. I've planted everything but its been a slow go. I'm not complaining because the weather is really comfortable right now.
No freeze I'm a happy camper.
Matter of fact my blooms on my mater plants have been falling off. But the plants look healthy. Will see.


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## hk

Meadowlark said:


> Remind me where generally is your garden located. You must be getting much higher night time temps than we are seeing. Nice work!
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> Predicted low of 37 here Sunday night. Too cold to make peppers.


Thank you sir..I am located in pearland.

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## hk

Garden turning into a jungle.First squash harvest .






























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## Dick Hanks

hk said:


> Garden turning into a jungle.First squash harvest .
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Holy Cow..... What an awesome start to your season! Everything looks really healthy.

Please keep the garden and harvest pictures comin!


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## Wado

*Update*

Got some poblano peppers, mucho nacho jalapeno's, tomatoes on the vines and all the other stuff is up. Got the cucumbers a little thick and my second crop of sweet corn all came up together, now if I can keep it alive. Got plenty of grass also. Green beans caught on but look rough and the peas finally broke the crust. I did a little replanting on them. Okra and melons made it and the squash is ready for the wind to blow and break it off so I'm good to go. Next week will be the test with the chance of storms, all it takes is one frog strangler and my garden turns into a rice paddy. I even have radishes, almost forgot about them.


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## hk

Nice garden photo's.Wish I had that size of garden.Thanks and keep us updated as your garden grows.Here are a couple more of my little backyard city garden.Green beans doing well and early girl tomatos turning red. Cucumbers starting to make.Photo of green bean pest.Sqaush doing good, but losing some to blossom rot.






























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## Meadowlark

Harvesting every day now...radishes, robbed potatoes, carrots, beets, first tomatoes, and onion thinning's. One volunteer hybrid squash shown and not sure what it is exactly?

Corn and beans thriving, many 2 plus pound onions yet to pull. Looks like I can finally plant peas and okra as the night time temps are climbing this week. Its good to be a gardener.


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## Wado

I saw some corn already tossling yesterday towards Victoria. I see some yellow leaves on your plants Meadowlark, mine have it also and is limited to the lowest ones. Any idea why they do that? I see the farmers doing it also. Maybe a little too hot on the fertilizer? I used straight N on top of the rows but my second corn planting got triple thirteen and I don't see yellow leaves yet but it's still short. Maybe just wind. Yours is looking good compared to my grass patch.


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## Postman

Awesome harvest. With the cool weather every other weekend for the last 2 months. My stuff can't decide if it wants to grow or go dormant. Coming around a little bit now.


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## Meadowlark

Wado said:


> I saw some corn already tossling yesterday towards Victoria. I see some yellow leaves on your plants Meadowlark, mine have it also and is limited to the lowest ones. Any idea why they do that? ....


Yes, its fairly common around here too. Maybe a little too much N2, maybe too much water, maybe not enough water, who knows? Doesn't seem to hurt production any.

My second corn planting is up and growing fast. Much better seed germination. I'll probably make a third planting around June 1. Continuous fresh corn, all summer...its hard to beat that.


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## Wado

Meadowlark said:


> Yes, its fairly common around here too. Maybe a little too much N2, maybe too much water, maybe not enough water, who knows? Doesn't seem to hurt production any.
> 
> My second corn planting is up and growing fast. Much better seed germination. I'll probably make a third planting around June 1. Continuous fresh corn, all summer...its hard to beat that.


That's right, plants are healthy. Even the grass has some yellow spots around my rows. I think I should have put the nitrogen in around January and let it break down but as soon as I planted I walked down each row and dribbled a stream of pellets right on top. The grass is almost a blue color on the row tops, likes that nitrogen. That second planting of the Incredible variety really came up good. I can tell where I stopped with it and finished with G90 on the last four rows. The G90 is a bigger plant although planted the same day. Man the grass, I can't beat it.


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## Dick Hanks

Every spring, I get very jealous looking at all of your gardens. Very impressed at how mature that they are by May 1st!

Lark.... I see that there is some bug damage on the bottom on 1 or 2 radishes. I will have some Wire Worm damage like that when mine mature. What kind of bugger does that In Texas? Radishes will be the 1st thing that I plant in about 10 days. I love em. There is still frost in our ground for about 1 more week. Frost out is very late this year.


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## fishingtwo

*First tomato*

I got my first tomato a few weeks ago and a lot on the vine.

I'll get some picks up soon.

I was excited that my satsuma had a huge number of blooms and once the fruit started forming...Bam they were all gone. Thing it was a mocking bird but not sure I sprayed it prior and they were not on the ground like they fell off.
I am pizzed as was hoping for the tree to finally produce. It is about 4.5 years old. About 4 or 5 blooms survived and have grown to almost the size of a pea,

My squash is trying.....how much do you water the squash? I think it does better not watering at all???


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## Postman

Dick Hanks said:


> Every spring, I get very jealous looking at all of your gardens. Very impressed at how mature that they are by May 1st!
> 
> Dick, early start means early finish. I'm sure we will all be jealous of your garden around the end of July/August when ours is all burnt up and gone. Good luck with yours this year.


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## Meadowlark

Dick Hanks said:


> ...Lark.... I see that there is some bug damage on the bottom on 1 or 2 radishes. I will have some Wire Worm damage like that when mine mature. What kind of bugger does that In Texas? ...


Dick,

Actually the damage you see is on the small spuds I rob. I'm pretty sure its caused by pill bugs. Its mostly cosmetic and trim removes it all. I've never had anything bother the radish...and they are delicious again this season.


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## hk

Thanks to all for the great pictures.Keep them coming.

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## fishingtwo

*Trying*

Dang some of you really have some Green Thumbs.....

Got a few thing trying to grow, squash is trying but a slow go.


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## fishingtwo

*few more*

'


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## monkeyman1

Really like the pictures. I'll try to take some and post up this PM or tomorrow AM. I've needed warmer temps for weeks now, but I almost dread it getting warmer and leaf-footed bugs start showing up. Those bugs are the devil to get rid of without pesticides.

Thanks for sharing!


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## Bukmstr

*First Try*

This is my first try at a little garden, not much but I am proud so far. Started everything from seeds and seedlings..


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## 3192

Pulled almost 40 pounds of potatoes this morning from a 5 x 10 bed. Tomatoes are coming along great.

























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## old 37

I have a small (4' x 12') raised bed garden and my winter garden of Swiss Chard and Kale is still going strong. Mr. Hanks, as we speak I am making Kale Chips in your honor. Sorry for the sideways.


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## monkeyman1

Old washing machine










Squash is looking good...some sort of root rot did them in last year before harvest










Pablano peppers I think










Eggplant










Bells coming along










Maters looking better than ever 










Carrots looking great...we freeze a lot of these










Peas










Okra waiting on warmer weather










AÃ§aÃ­ Bush, 3 years old, zero berries

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## monkeyman1

Blackberries, eat a few every day. Want to make some wine this year.










Fig trees producing, I harvest from my daughters mature tree...many gallons.










Olive tree, first year to produce.










The girls and 2 guys, a dozen per day on average.










The 16x24 raised plot, my little piece of heaven on earth. Brightened because it was getting dark.

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## fishingtwo

Dang....you got it going on there MonkeyMan

I might have to get me a fig tree or two. My lime tree did not make the winter replace it with a peach tree.


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## hk

First blue lake greenbean harvest(11.5lbs.).Second earlygirl tomato harvest.Squash just average this year,losing quite a few to blossom rot.Last year I had super squash production and lost hardly any to blossom rot.Overall the garden has been producing pretty good.









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## monkeyman1

fishingtwo said:


> Dang....you got it going on there MonkeyMan
> 
> I might have to get me a fig tree or two. My lime tree did not make the winter replace it with a peach tree.


Thanks fishingtwo. Not much more enjoyable to me these days. I'd like a larger garden but we planted oak trees 35 years ago and these take up most of the property.

Our 5 year old lime tree, over 7' tall and always loaded...died in the freeze. Can't find another lime tree locally (Beaumont) and had to order one.


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## monkeyman1

hk said:


> First blue lake greenbean harvest(11.5lbs.).Second earlygirl tomato harvest.Squash just average this year,losing quite a few to blossom rot.Last year I had super squash production and lost hardly any to blossom rot.Overall the garden has been producing pretty good.
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Nice haul!


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## Part Timer

Did a little picking for fajitas tonight.









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## Dick Hanks

Lots of beautiful, tasty, healthy produce is heading into all of your kitchens now. Sweet!


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## hk

Dick Hanks said:


> Lots of beautiful, tasty, healthy produce is heading into all of your kitchens now. Sweet!


Yes Sir .Great time of the year down here for those fresh veggies.Iknow this is not the recipe forum,but if you have fresh tomatos an old favorite of mine is tomato bread pudding .Stew down 9 or 10 tomatos,remove peels,add 1 stick of butter,1cup of sugar and apinch of salt.Taste to make sure you have desired sweetness.Break up bread of your choice in 9Ã-13 pan,pour tomatos over bread and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until desired color of bread.Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and enjoy.You can also use the tomatos prepared this way with a cobbler crust.Store bought tomatos do not cut it.Give me some feedback if any of you do this already ,or if you make it.

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## jm423

Congrats to you guys--thanks to a prolonged puny spell, my garden is so late this year it may burn up before any production to amount to anything. But at least we have blackberry and dewberry cobbler makings in the freezer and my pole beans show ambition.


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## Rubberback

Weather controls your garden. Been a lot of chilly nights where I'm at. But its fixing to take off. 
Here yeah go Dick! Here's where I'm at.


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## Rubberback

Not sure how I'm gonna pick the maters. But as they say don't count your chickens before they hatch! LOL!


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## Dick Hanks

Randy....If you are worried about punchin holes in the plastic around your tomatoes, when you walk on it, try this: I've always got some scrap 2X10 boards (or like that) laying around, and I just flop some of them down on the plastic, down the middle of the row. The pressure from your feet is spread out over a wider area and the plastic won't rip and the dirt under the plastic and board won't compact.

Another tip is for getting water thru the plastic where you want it. I'd make light depressions on the plastic with my foot where I wanted water. I have a stick with a nail on the end of it and used it to punch tiny holes in the bottom of the depression. The holes are too small for weeds to grow thru, but water goes thru fine. 

Your garden looks great. I really like your opening picture with 1 of your yard birds! She is a pretty one.


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## Rubberback

Dick I'm using the 4 mil and its holding up. Glad I used the plastic this year because of the cold weather.
That's my favorite hen her name is Checkers she is over 6 years old and still laying.


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## hk

Squash already slowing down.Tomatos coming off big time.Cucumbers not doing that good.Will get a few more pickings of green beans,but they are also showing signs of decline and will not be a real good year for them.I will pull up squash soon and plant cowhorn okra .Jalepenos and poblanos are still doing good.Photo is two days picking of tomatos.









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## hk

Second picking of greenbeans (17lbs.).Good gardening to all.









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## Rubberback

Nice haul! I've still got a few weeks to go. I did pick some banana peppers and a few bell peppers. Seemed kinda early for bells.


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## Meadowlark

Some good looking beans, HK. Have you heard of Dick's pickled green bean recipe? 

I definitely recommend it. Our Thanksgiving dinner folks raved about them and cleaned us out. I like to use the long asparagus beans in that recipe. Looking forward to making a lot more this year.


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## hk

Meadowlark said:


> Some good looking beans, HK. Have you heard of Dick's pickled green bean recipe?
> 
> I definitely recommend it. Our Thanksgiving dinner folks raved about them and cleaned us out. I like to use the long asparagus beans in that recipe. Looking forward to making a lot more this year.


No sir.,Please post recipe,just the other day I thought about pickling some greenbeans,but have never done.I do usually pickle 7 or 8 quarts of okra every year.Thanks in advance.

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## Dick Hanks

Lark and hk... Here is the recipe for dilled green beans:

"Mix 1/2 water and 1/2 white vinegar and bring it up to just under a boil. It will take more than you think. Even with your jars looking like they are very solid with beans. 
If you are canning 6 quarts, you will need close to 3.5 quarts of this mix.

Hold jars on their side and pack as tight as possible with beans, plus 1 or 2 spears of jalapeno or other pepper, a clove of garlic, some dill weed and seed to the amount that you like. I add a couple of dill sprigs. Beans need to be trimmed so that they are 1/2" less than the height of the jar.

Ladle hot vinegar/water over then beans to fill the jar to about 1/2" of the top. Toss in 1/2 teaspoon of canning salt.... more if you like your pickles salty. Wipe jars rims and then cap. Place in a boiling hot water bath for 12 minutes. They will stay crunchy up to about 6 months or longer.

This recipe is also in the Blue Canning Book"

Prepared this way they will turn out crunchy and I love them. Use any kind of peppers that you want, but do deseed them and take off stems. I also like a little extra dill in mine...especially if they are going in Bloody's. When I make a Bloody, I also put about a tablespoon of the pickling juice into the drink as well.

I've found that everyone that tries them, likes them. However, some would like more heat, and some would like less. You might do some jars with hotter peppers, and some with milder peppers. Be sure to mark the lids with what peppers you used, after they have cooled down.

I also pickled some White Cucumbers


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## Rubberback

I've always added some grape leaves to keep my cucs crunchy. I've never canned green beans.


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## hk

Dick Hanks said:


> Lark and hk... Here is the recipe for dilled green beans:
> 
> "Mix 1/2 water and 1/2 white vinegar and bring it up to just under a boil. It will take more than you think. Even with your jars looking like they are very solid with beans.
> If you are canning 6 quarts, you will need close to 3.5 quarts of this mix.
> 
> Hold jars on their side and pack as tight as possible with beans, plus 1 or 2 spears of jalapeno or other pepper, a clove of garlic, some dill weed and seed to the amount that you like. I add a couple of dill sprigs. Beans need to be trimmed so that they are 1/2" less than the height of the jar.
> 
> Ladle hot vinegar/water over then beans to fill the jar to about 1/2" of the top. Toss in 1/2 teaspoon of canning salt.... more if you like your pickles salty. Wipe jars rims and then cap. Place in a boiling hot water bath for 12 minutes. They will stay crunchy up to about 6 months or longer.
> 
> This recipe is also in the Blue Canning Book"
> 
> Prepared this way they will turn out crunchy and I love them. Use any kind of peppers that you want, but do deseed them and take off stems. I also like a little extra dill in mine...especially if they are going in Bloody's. When I make a Bloody, I also put about a tablespoon of the pickling juice into the drink as well.
> 
> I've found that everyone that tries them, likes them. However, some would like more heat, and some would like less. You might do some jars with hotter peppers, and some with milder peppers. Be sure to mark the lids with what peppers you used, after they have cooled down.
> 
> I also pickled some White Cucumbers


Thanks for posting.I have that blue book and will pickle some soon.

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## hk

Tomato harvest at its peak .Early girl and healthkick.First year growing healthkicks and I am impressed with their production.This was four days worth picking.









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## Meadowlark

Laid in our annual supply of potatoes (160 pounds 8/1) and onions (well over 200 pounds) with many onions over 2 pounds. 

Looking like a good year also for corn, tomatoes, and beans.

Overflowing 4-wheeler with part of the onions.


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## hk

Nice looking onions Meadowlark.If I had those I would be having some onion rings for supper.

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## Rubberback

No onions here! First time in awhile. You cannot believe the taste of homegrown onions. I can eat them like apples. They are so sweet and juicy. 
Good looking onions Lark!


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## Postman

My onions were doing so well. Tops started falling over, so I pulled them all and tied them in bunches of 8-10 like I always do and hung them under my shed to dry. After about a couple weeks I went to trim the roots and tops and take inside to the cool and half of them had gotten soft and started to rot. Threw them away. This is what I always do and they are fine........what happened?


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## Rubberback

Postman said:


> My onions were doing so well. Tops started falling over, so I pulled them all and tied them in bunches of 8-10 like I always do and hung them under my shed to dry. After about a couple weeks I went to trim the roots and tops and take inside to the cool and half of them had gotten soft and started to rot. Threw them away. This is what I always do and they are fine........what happened?


Did you quit watering them before you picked them?


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## Meadowlark

Postman said:


> ........what happened?...


Probably too much water. I like to dry mine in the full sun for several hours before storing...and shut down the water intake days before harvesting.

I hate to hear about losses...cause onions are so great eating.


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## Meadowlark

hk said:


> Nice looking onions Meadowlark.If I had those I would be having some onion rings for supper.
> 
> ...


Yes sir thanks....and blooming onions on the menu soon.


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## Wado

Starting to pick some stuff, pulled a couple dozen yellow squash this morning and one big zucchini. We canned six quarts of jalapeno pepper halves yesterday and I pulled some radishes this morning. Still another good mess of them out there if I can find them in the grass. Getting a few tomatoes mostly Celebrity's but they're small. I have written off six of my tomato plants, must have gotten a disease and all were from the same six pack. My other plants I bought at a different place are doing well except for the usual percentage of blossom rot I get. I need to plant in a different spot next year and add some epsom salt or shell to the soil and more compost. Biggest problem right now is keeping the water right. This clay I have dries out so quick you have to water continuously. First corn I planted doesn't look good, maybe a forty percent yield. Planted the seeds too deep and had a poor germination cycle. I don't know why the leaves are turning yellow, may have something to do with well water. I haven't had over an inch of rain on this garden since planting. Second corn crop looks better if I can keep up with water and hope the grass doesn't choke it out. Green beans in two days and I just saw some blooms on the blackeye peas and cucumbers are full of blooms and bees. Same thing last year and got zero cucumbers, don't know what happened. Anyway enough whining for now.


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## Part Timer

Yalls gardens are looking great. We got 3/4" of desperately need rain last night. So that was great. Picked a few potatoes for dinner and some kale.
















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## Meadowlark

Marinated cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes all fresh from the garden....just doesn't get any better.


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## cajunasian

Great looking gardens and awesome harvest. I missed out planting this year due to Harvey. Still fixing my house but hope to be ready for the fall planting season.


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## Postman

Lark, Rubberback thanks for the replies about my onions. Sure ya'll are right on the water. Yes I watered a lot but didn't thin it was excessive. Maybe combo of the extreme heat the last to weeks or so and the water, kinda steamed them. Just kinda made me sick to bring them along since November just to loose them in May. I've made excellent, big onions in the past......not this year. Give it another go in about six months.


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## hk

Tomatos coming out my ears.Poblanos and jalepenos doing good also.Cow horn okra coming up.Beans and cucumbers (poor this year for me)done.





































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## Postman

hk, you doing what I do it looks like, pickin' em pink so the darn birds don't peck them all.


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## POCLANCE

*Cucumbers*

What's wrong with my cucumbers? They are not filling out?

THX


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## hk

Postman said:


> hk, you doing what I do it looks like, pickin' em pink so the darn birds don't peck them all.


yes sir and they fully ripen in 2 to 3 days.

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## hk

POCLANCE said:


> What's wrong with my cucumbers? They are not filling out?
> 
> THX


I dont know but thats what mine did this year for the most part.Maybe not enough rain at the proper time.I usually have super production ,but not this year.

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## Part Timer

Enjoying a little squall. Sunny and hot and then crazy little storm popped in. Ill take the rain. It shook the chickens though.
















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## Dick Hanks

Those pictures with the chicken and kid/kids are priceless!

Stubby Cucumber problem: Poor Pollination - high temps - insufficient/irregular water, can all be causes of short, stubby cucumbers. They still taste good though!


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## Lunkerman

SNL tells me Fredericksburg is having a bumper crop of peaches this year. Must be a good year for peaches everywhere here in the hill country cause the trees I planted this spring have peaches ripening now. I pulled lots of little peaches early on so the branches wouldn't get overloaded.


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## Lunkerman

The little serrano pepper plants are pumping them out. I bought these early in the year and kept them in the greenhouse so they have a head start over all my other pepper plants which were direct sown. Lots of the seeds I planted never sprouted, probably planted to early. Looks like those peppers defy gravity too. Not sure how to fix that.


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## Wado

*Big Rain*

The rain we got last Monday and Wednesday came too late and too much. Between five and six inches for the two days and blistering sun clobbered some of my tomato plants. Drowned the green beans also. I don't know what to say about my sweet corn. No ears on the plants, just blooms. Guess the grass strangled the roots. I've had corn before when the grass was waist high. Still got a few more days to see what happens but I'm ready to mow it down and clean the grass up. Hate to do it but I'm going to lay the round up to it. Got a lot of maters on the plants that lived and been picking some squash.


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## Meadowlark

Canned about 20 quarts of tomatoes and still picking. Also several quarts of beets and potatoes and beans canned and many cucumbers, various peppers, and squash consumed. Lima beans and pintos still maturing.

We'll start feasting on fresh corn this week and should have it continuous through summer. The last picture shows first planting in far background which we are just starting to eat, the second planting which will start tasseling this week and be ready for July 4th, and the third planting just coming on for about August 1. Don't know about a fourth planting yet.


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## Wado

Meadowlark said:


> Canned about 20 quarts of tomatoes and still picking. Also several quarts of beets and potatoes and beans canned and many cucumbers, various peppers, and squash consumed. Lima beans and pintos still maturing.
> 
> We'll start feasting on fresh corn this week and should have it continuous through summer. The last picture shows first planting in far background which we are just starting to eat, the second planting which will start tasseling this week and be ready for July 4th, and the third planting just coming on for about August 1. Don't know about a fourth planting yet.


My corn never got a good green color even my second crop that I fertilized with triple thirteen. Guess I need a soil analysis and see what it needs next time. I talked to another guy that plants a big patch and his was real slow about growing too. He plants the roundup ready variety but just kind of sat there I guess he got a good crop I haven't seen him lately. I think that seed runs about forty bucks a pound. My main problem is grass, cultivating doesn't stop it just made it thicker. First couple of years I didn't have this stuff and it is hard to kill and it sure likes nitrogen.


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## Meadowlark

Wado,

My garden was originally part of a bahia grass hay field years ago. Nothing is tougher than Pensacola bahia, nothing. It took awhile but years of cultivating and use of year around cover crops finally got the soil to be reasonably free of weeds and grass...and very healthy for growing veggies. 

I'm a huge believer in the use of legumes in the garden as cover crops...year around. Cow peas are growing constantly in my garden all summer in the space vacated by tomatoes, potatoes, corn, etc, etc. If you look at my last picture you can see three rows of peas planted where potatoes and beets were previously growing right next to tomatoes and they will follow the tomatoes in another 6 weeks or so. The corn rows will be planted in peas as soon as corn is harvested. 

The peas will grow so thick that they shade out all weeds while building soil constantly. As I've mentioned before, I just shred them when they mature and let them start all over again self seeding. Sometimes I get three or four generations of peas in before frost. 

In winter, I'll continue with legumes like clover and vetch and elbon rye (for nematode control). The added N2 and cover is super beneficial to the soil. 

Its a 365 days a year deal and the only way I have found to manage the weeds/grasses. In one off year, I'm sure it would revert back to a bahia grass field. 

This has worked for me...maybe its not for everyone or maybe even anyone, but it sure works here.


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## Wado

*Cover Crop*

I got to do something Meadowlark, or let it go back to a grass patch. As soon as the corn is done if I pick any I'm going to shred it down and run my buster in there. Trouble is this stuff has already gone to seed and I will have it again if I water. I planted a bunch of purple hull peas one fall but the rye grass sounds like a plan to me. Can you plant cow peas anytime?


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## Meadowlark

Wado said:


> ... Can you plant cow peas anytime?


Anytime its frost free. I use zippers, blackeye, purple hull, crowders, creams, anything I can find seeds for. In winter, last year I used Austrian peas and they did really well. Deer love them, however.


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## 2Ws

What kind of corn???


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## Wado

*Corn*

I planted G90 and Incredible about half and half. My second planting looked good until the grass got out of hand and now it's dwarfed. I just walked through it and the pollen in the second planting is everywhere but very few ears showing silk. Just too much grass in it.


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## Meadowlark

I'm harvesting a dozen ears a day now out of my first planting...estimate about 30 dozen to harvest and eat in this first go around. 


Varieties:

1) first planting: triple sweet honey select
2) second panting: Mirai 301BC
3) third planting: Gotta Have It


Looking for 08B2084 variety in a small enough amount of seed for a fourth planting, but $500 worth of seed has been the smallest amount I've found thus far. 


We will eat all we can fresh, give away several dozen, and as a last resort freeze some but only as a last resort. Fresh garden corn is one of the great pleasures of life...and my goal is always to have fresh corn available all the way until September.


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## 2Ws

I figured you would go all honey select, WTH is the 08b stuff?


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## POC Fishin' Gal

I don't understand why ya'll pick your 'maters so "green"....I'm obviously missing something. How do you ripen them after you pick 'em?


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## 2Ws

I pick mine when they start to turn pink so as to beat the birds and squirrels. They will ripen in a few days, most all the comercial grown are picked when green.


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## Meadowlark

POC Fishin' Gal said:


> I don't understand why ya'll pick your 'maters so "green"....I'm obviously missing something. How do you ripen them after you pick 'em?


For me its easy...we like birds and mockers love 'em. A couple of days on the table and they are red ripe without bird marks.


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## POC Fishin' Gal

Thanks guys-thought I was missing some magic trick to get them to ripen inside. Yeah, birds are a problem.


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## Meadowlark

POC Fishin' Gal said:


> ... Yeah, birds are a problem.


Birds are counted as blessings around here. Love 'em and plant enough for them as well.


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## hk

Meadowlark said:


> Birds are counted as blessings around here. Love 'em and plant enough for them as well.


Same here sir.I have 30 or so resident sparrows that I feed daily along with a host of other birds.They do more good than harm.I do have them a big bird bath by the garden for continuous water supply.I think this helps keep them from messing up to many tomatos.

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## Mattsfishin

Mocking birds are extremely smart. Put up netting over my raspberries to keep them from eating all the raspberries. They really like the raspberries. While on my tread mill looking out the window I watched a mocking bird go all the way around my raspberries trying to find a way in. He made it to the area I had overlapped for access and the dang bird started tugging on the outside layer until he got it open. Got off the tread mill and went outside and caught me a mocking bird. Did not kill it but in the process he lost a couple tail feathers. My cherry tomatoes are going crazy. Forgot to mention I have an old swamp rabbit that has been around for several years now and everyday he goes to the raspberries and just looks at them. he will sit there a while and move to the other side but never try to get in.
I don't have a big fancy garden like most of you guys, just a little backyard spot for me and a neighbor but I enjoy it.

I don't know what I did AGAIN, sideways pictures. Sorry about that.


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## Whitebassfisher

Here you go Matt....


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## Postman

Garden looks plenty "fancy" to me. Nice


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## hk

Great garden photos from all ,keep them coming.Okra plants coming along.
















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## monkeyman1

60# of carrots.

























First maters.









Poblanos.









Blackberry pie, homemade crust. Two gallons of wine making, photo later.










Two tumbler compost barrels I made.










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## cajun3gunner

I had to pull my squash out. Is it too late to replace with okra


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## Meadowlark

cajun3gunner said:


> I had to pull my squash out. Is it too late to replace with okra


Absolutely NOT too late...Okra loves the heat and humidity...the hotter the better.


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## Meadowlark

*Pintos...the forgotten garden veggie*

Why grow pinto beans in the home garden?

1) the home grown pintos taste so much better...and are so much easier on the digestive system
2) the home grown version cooks in about 1/2 the time of store bought dried beans
3) you know what you have when you grow them yourself


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## Dick Hanks

Lark.... those pintos look like they would be in the "firm", but not yet dry, hard stage. Do you dry them the rest of the way, or do you freeze, can, or other storage method with them? Do you ever shuck mature green beans?


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## Meadowlark

Dick Hanks said:


> Lark.... those pintos look like they would be in the "firm", but not yet dry, hard stage. Do you dry them the rest of the way, or do you freeze, can, or other storage method with them? Do you ever shuck mature green beans?


Yes, that's the stage we like 'emâ€¦.taste is optimized, cooking time is significantly reduced, and digestibility is no problem. Shell then freeze, just like peas.

No, on shucking mature green beans, but if you pick the pintos early enough, they can be used just like green beans...very versatile.


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## monkeyman1

Nice Dick.


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## hk

poblanos and jalepenos.okra plants and basil.Darn bugs finished off my tomatos.Planted about 80 okra plants total in my 4 garden spots. How's that Minnesota garden going Mr.Hanks?

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## hk

hk said:


> poblanos and jalepenos.okra plants and basil.Darn bugs finished off my tomatos.Planted about 80 okra plants total in my 4 garden spots. How's that Minnesota garden going Mr.Hanks?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G550T1 using Tapatalk


oops























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## Dick Hanks

Great lookin gardens you guys!

hk.... My garden is off to a really slow start... The ground was frozen until around May 8th up here. Still haven't had any warm nights, but have had a week or 2 of hot (mid 80s) days. Most all nights are in the 50s. 

The 1st picture is a Pumpkin plant that was started indoors. It is just now starting to put out it's 1st runner. The Pumpkin in the background was started from seed in the garden.

The potatoes in the 2nd picture are doing great. Instead of "hilling up" around my potatoes as they grow, I put on compost about 2 or 3" deep around the plants. Seems to work very well. The different colors on the wood chips is because I just added some fresh, wet chips that are much darker until the dry and bleach in the sun.

The 3rd pictures has green onions in the foreground and Walla Walla onions at the far end of the row. The green onions (scallions) do form small white onions if they aren't picked soon.


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## Dick Hanks

Here are a couple of more pictures:

The 1st picture is cucumber. The ones started indoors are just now getting runners and I saw a blossom or 2 forming. I'm growing both green and white cucumbers again this year.

2nd picture is a Hubbard Squash plant. The plants and the squash should both get huge like my pumpkins do. They need a lot of room. These are my strongest growing vines so far.

Not pictured yet are the Spaghetti Squash, Peppers, Tomatoes, Beans, Beets, Carrots, Basil, and Radishes.


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## hk

Nice looking garden Mr.Hanks.Had a super spring garden down here and I hope you have great summer garden.All I have left growing now is dill, basil,poblanos, jalepenos and okra.

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## Part Timer

Dick, are you using the "wood chip- no till" gardening method" or are you just putting down chips strictly for 
weed suppression? 



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## Dick Hanks

Part Timer said:


> Dick, are you using the "wood chip- no till" gardening method" or are you just putting down chips strictly for
> weed suppression?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


Well it is actually a combination of things that made me use the wood chips.
Everywhere up here is usually pretty heavily wooded, so it is difficult to find places to garden where the plants will get enough sun per day. About the only remaining place that I had was on the south side of my pole barn.

The problem was that the land on that side dropped about 30" in the 1st 35 feet coming out from the barn in the southwest corner. If I just tilled the soil 
"as is" I would have had a VERY bad erosion problem from rain coming off of the barn roof.

The top soil was only about 8" deep in that area, so I scraped all of the top soil off to the side area. Then the power company brought in about 10 truckloads of free wood chips. I raise the SW corner of the garden (and surrounding garden area) up to barn grade with the chips.

I then mounded up the chips where the paths would be and made valleys where the soil would be replaced. Then filled the valleys with my saved top soil. Because the soil was only going in about 1/2 of it's original area, it went in about 16" deep in the planting rows. At this point the SW corner of the garden was actually higher than the barn elevation, but in 1 year the chips settled to about level.

Every year more chips have to be added to keep it level as the chips decompose and make more soil.

It was a LOT of work, but the plan seems to be pretty effective. The fresh chips need a lot of nitrogen to break down, so I have to watch near by plants for nitro deficiency. The fact that the chips "lock up" any nearby nitro (until they break down), makes them a good weed suppressor.

I make about 3 or 4 full 55 gallon drums of finished compost/year now, plus making a lot of fish emulsion. This keeps the soil in good shape.

Deer have wrecked a bunch of my fencing so much of it will be replaced in the next 2 weeks. Hopefully I can keep them out of there until the fence is replaced.


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## hk

Water barrels and dogs swimming pool full.I hope it rains for several days,garden and yard sure needed it.These rains will super charge the okra.














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## jboehm

Little bit of everything out there. Watermelon plants are growing well.

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## karstopo

Just under 2â€ of rain here in 77566. Purple hull peas coming up. Okra producing well. Japanese Eggplant hanging in there. First year in house and first garden here. Iâ€™ve enjoyed the heck out of it even though the critters have at times gotten the upper hand. Already thinking of expanding the garden once things cool off.

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## Part Timer

Whipped up some fresh pico with my romas and serrano peppers to go with breakfast. Whew its got heat! Those little suckers are pure fire now. 









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## hk

Part Timer said:


> Whipped up some fresh pico with my romas and serrano peppers to go with breakfast. Whew its got heat! Those little suckers are pure fire now.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


Looks good. Garden fresh pico is hard to beat.

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## The Driver.

Picked my first two loupes a week ago with the largest at 7.25 lbs. Chicken chit must have a kick to it!


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## Dick Hanks

Holy chicken chit!..... Is all of that vine in the 2nd picture your cantaloupe plants? How many plants? Is that a melon hanging on the side of the trellis?

Do you feed the chickens radioactive grain?:mpd:

I sparingly use this comment about special ladies... but hey..... NICE MELONS!


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## Meadowlark

The Driver. said:


> Picked my first two loupes a week ago with the largest at 7.25 lbs. ...


Those are beauties...how was the taste?


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## The Driver.

That is a 36" row with plants about every 18" and they have excellent flavor. I actually used seeds I froze from last year. Hales Best cantaloupe's. There is a cattle panel running parallel behind the chain link fence on the row that I planted them on.


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## Dick Hanks

My garden is finally starting to improve. Cool weather again this summer has really held back the tomatoes and peppers, but everything else seems to be doing pretty decent.

1st picture is mostly Blue Hubbard squash plants with some Spaghetti squash plants in the background. This is a 10X35 patch that in actually in my fruit garden fenced area.

2nd picture has some beets that will be pulled for "greens" any day now. The pole beans behind them are starting to crowd them out

Last 2 pictures have potatoes on the left, onions in the middle, and zuks and cukes on the right. I planted way to many cucumbers. I can't give them away fast enough. The white ones produce like CRAZY!

I remember WR Ranch once saying "I was getting so many cucumbers..... when I open my door with a bag of them, my neighbors would pull their drapes closed." I guess that's where I'm at now.sad_smiles


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## Part Timer

Beautiful garden Mr. Hanks.


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## Dick Hanks

More pictures:

The tomato and pepper plants are a very health green, but refuse to get to a decent size because of the cool nights. The little pepper plants are producing jalapenos and yellow peppers, but most varieties are just getting tiny peppers. My 1st ripe tomato will still be 15 to 20 days from now! That will be a very short season for them.

The pumpkin patch is doing great again this year.


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## Mattsfishin

Awesome gardens. Wish I could grow cantaloupes like those. Planted 3 years now and 3 different types and they never make.


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## The Driver.

Looking Good Mr. Hanks!


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## 3192

Nothing going on in our garden.









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## hk

okra plants,sun drying poblanos and jalapenos ,mandarin satsuma looking good.Meadowlark first picture is of okra patch I thinned yesterday.Maybe they will produce now.
































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## hk

Nice looking garden Mr.Hanks.Enjoy the pictures as always.

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## karstopo

Fresh trout from the gulf and fresh okra from the garden. I donâ€™t have a lot of okra, but the little I have produces some every day. Fresh okra definitely beats the frozen stuff.


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## tiberiuswade1

Fresh from my backyard garden berries are heavy(planted in 55gal garbage can with miracle grow soil) grapes doing well, just have to beat squirrels, black eyed peas





































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## Dick Hanks

Picked both white and green cucumbers this AM. Also a couple of Zukes. I pick the white ones small so that they are easy to just eat "out of hand". Their skins are much more tender than the green ones. I've gotta find a new home for most of these. Friends are already loaded up so I'm going to check with a local food shelf tomorrow AM to see if they will take them. 

I pulled a bunch of radishes this AM as well. 2 of them seemed to be forming a 2nd radish farther down the root. I've never seen that before.

Lark.... I didn't get my Watermelon Radish seeds planted this spring, but I recently planted some that just sprouted. Our summer has been kinda cool so I think that they will be OK going into fall.


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## Meadowlark

Never seen a double radish like that before. Interesting.


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## monkeyman1

Looks great Dick.


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## hk

Picked a few jalapenos this morning and harvested pears at neighbors yesterday.Time to make some salsa and pears/pineapple preserves.














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## Meadowlark

Good looking pears...mine are about that size but hard as a rock!


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## hk

Meadowlark said:


> Good looking pears...mine are about that size but hard as a rock!


These are still hard also ,but they fell easily when I shook the limbs.Would have liked to leave them for a couple of more weeks if not for the birds and squirrels messing them up.

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## Dick Hanks

I wish that I could grow pears. Tried twice, but our winters killed the trees both times.

Some new pictures here... The Squash and pumpkins are sizing up nice (several are already full size), and I'm pretty sure that they will have plenty of time before the 1st killing frost to mature.

The 1st two pictures are spaghetti squash that are close to about full size (around 4#s each). Should be ripe by Labor Day, or shortly after. I don't know why some start out cream colored and others start out a mottled light green on the same plant. Does anybody know why this happens?

The last picture is Hubbard Squash. They still need to turn to a grey/blue color. Many of those are still growing. Hoping to have them mature by Sept 10th. 

Some of the pumpkins (3rd picture) are just starting to get a hint of orange color. This means that those have quit growing and now just need to get full orange. Others are still getting bigger. Harvest on pumpkins will probably be mid September. Most will be in the 14# to 18# range, but a couple will be substantially larger. Grand kids love those.


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## hk

Have never had a Hubbard squash.How do you prepare them? Good looking spaghetti squash.I like to steam them and eat with butter,cheese and garlic.

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## Meadowlark

Dick Hanks said:


> I wish that I could grow pears. ....


I'd happily trade you a bushel of pears for one or two of those pumpkins. Its very difficult ( almost impossible) to grow big punkins here.


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## Dick Hanks

hk...... This is my 1st year at growing Hubbard squash. Last fall a friend gave me 2 of them that were around 12#s each. They have a very tough skin so it is a bit of a challenge to halve them from stem to blossom end, but that is what I did. Take the seeds out, and clean the seeds for roasting. Very good. The 2 halves get some olive oil on the cut edges and are placed "cut side down" on a jelly roll pan. They are then roasted in the oven like other squash, but for a lot longer time. The "meat" is between 1.5 and 2" thick so they are in the oven over a hour. 

So now you are pulling about 10#s of cooked squash out of the oven! I stumbled onto a killer squash soup recipe, so some of the left overs go that direction, and some is mashed and frozen. These only need to be reheated at a later time. Once it is cut open, it is definitely best to cook the whole thing at that time. As mentioned, they have a very hard skin and keep well stored up to 6 months.

The flesh is excellent quality. Naturally sweet, excellent flavor, and not stringy. My previous experience has been with butternut, buttercup, and acorn squash. I like the Hubbard better than those. I'll try to remember to post a picture of 1 cut open when I harvest them this fall. I'm going to pressure can some this fall as well. Very much like how Lark cans potatoes. (I'm gonna do that this year too!)

I saved some of the seeds from those 2 squash to plant this year. 100% germination, and from what I see, they are very true to the parent appearances. Hopefully, they will taste as good too. If any of you gardeners want to try growing these, I would be happy to mail you seeds that I get this fall. I will also have white cucumber seeds that I could mail also. Maybe some unusual pepper seeds. Just PM me your address. I need to dry the seeds 1st, so they would be mailed about mid October.

Lark...... I sure wish that it was easier to make that trade! Our climates and growing conditions are so different. We both have plants/crops that we would like to grow, but mother nature just won't let us. It's nice that we share as many crops as we do!


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## Mattsfishin

Squash and pumpkins look good. I picked enough raspberries this evening to make me a pie tomorrow. Gonna use the w r ranch recipe. Have some left over from yesterday that will be a smoothie in the morning.


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## hk

Mattsfishin those berries sure look good.Enjoy your pie,I know it will be delicious .

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## Dick Hanks

Mattsfishin.... great looking raspberries. The high resolution of the camera make it an especially nice photo. What variety are those raspberries?

I picked my 1st ripe cantaloupe this AM. No where near as big as hk's but I am very pleased with it weighing in at 5.75#s. I only planted 1 plant and it just produced 4 melons. The other 3 don't look like they will be ripe for quite a while. 

It smells really good. Will be cutting it open around dinner time.

Have been making a lot of "bread and butter" pickles lately. 10 pints and 6 quarts so far. I've finally figured out how to make them nice and crunchy. Most will be given to friends and family. 

Also canned some potatoes and 5 other quarts that have potatoes,carrots and onion in them. Those 5 jars will be used to make beef stew. I did can pints of venison, beef, and chicken. I figure that a pint jar of meat, pint of my canned tomatoes, and a quart jar of veggies will make a quick, tasty stew. Just thicken liquid portion and it ready!


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## Mattsfishin

Dick, they are Itsaul summer raspberry. I was told by a friend that they don't do as good as other raspberries up north. I had no experience in growing raspberries and it has been by trial and error. They like some water every other day, organic fertilizer (micro life), and I put wood chips around them. Keeping all the weeds away. They started out producing small berries and now the berries are getting a lot bigger but not as big as the berries from up north or Washington area. They make a lot of runners. I decided to plant some of the runners so I will be able to pick 3 to 4 cups every other day. I pick 2 cups every other day now and sometimes more. I don't have a lot of plants but with the added runners I can expand. I do enjoy fresh berries this time of year. I have been freezing some for pies at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also the mockingbirds love the raspberries. They started eating them again and we are at war.


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## Dick Hanks

It's 11 days after the last pictures of my squash and pumpkins. There has been a fair amount of color change. Both are maturing quickly.

The pumpkin in the 1st picture is the same 1 that was in the 8/11/18 post. The squash in the 2nd picture are the same ones as in the previous post as well.

You can see that the pumpkin has changed dramatically, and the Hubbard Squash are well on their way from green to a blue gray color. The picture of the single Hubbard is my largest (around 12#s) and already has the full blue/grey coloring of a mature squash. It will be my 1st to pick in about 10 days.

You can see that other pumpkins are turning as well. The pumpkin that is still mostly green is my biggest. It's hard to get a size prospective from the picture, but it will definitely weigh well more than 20#s.

Beans, tomatoes and pepper are all doing very well now. The red potatoes have been dug. Will be digging a bunch of Russet and other white tomorrow because it may rain on Friday. I've also pulled about 1/2 of the onions also.

Tomatoes are the only REALLY late crop this year. I need the 1st killing frost to be a month away to get all of the tomatoes that I want to can plus enjoy fresh. This AM was 47 degrees so that slows down the tomatoes.sad_smiles


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## Mattsfishin

still picking some raspberries but not as much as they have been putting out. Made a raspberry banana smoothie this morning. Picked fresh berries and some spearmint growing with a leaf of basil. Added a good ripe banana with local raw honey. Sure was good.


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## fishingtwo

I have heard of keeping your seeds in the frig. Does anybody do this?


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## hk

test.no pictures. nothing on garden pictures thread for days.

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## hk

hk said:


> test.no pictures. nothing on garden pictures thread for days.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G550T1 using Tapatalk


thread now viewable after my test .Use tapatalk and never any problems till the last month or so.anybody else having problems getting threads to load up.Okra ,poblanos and jalepenos,thats all I have growing now.


hk said:


> test.no pictures. nothing on garden pictures thread for days.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G550T1 using Tapatalk


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## Meadowlark

fishingtwo said:


> I have heard of keeping your seeds in the frig. Does anybody do this?


Yes have done it for years... very effective for up to three years.


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## Meadowlark

Thanks hk for reviving this thread. 

I've started some of my fall plants...kale, broc, chard, cabbage, brussels. I plant a few each week to stagger the harvest time and I'm up to three weeks worth of planting so far. Will continue planting weekly through Oct. and add 1015 onions in Nov.

95% of garden is in cover crop of peas right now which are second and third generation and many loaded with pods. I'll shred these soon and get more fall garden veggies going as well as get my winter cover crops planted. I usually plant elbon rye, crimson, Austrian peas, and turnips for winter cover.


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## hk

Your welcome sir.I enjoy all the photos from everyone.Looking forward to all those fall veggies.

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## Mattsfishin

Have kale growing now about 6 inches tall and planted more kale yesterday along with mustard greens, collards, and some turnips. Planted about 200 bunch type onions. They are the white tender ones with good flavor grown here in montgomery county. Pole beans are doing good and will not be too long before they start making. Picked a handful of okra and fried it whole while I was cooking some fish. Never fried it whole always cut it up. Sure was good dipped in ranch dressing or just eating by itself. Raspberries still making a few and I transplanted a few of them along with transplanting 3 white polar berries. My little backyard garden has done good.


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## Dick Hanks

We have had our 1st heavy frost and the majority of my garden is dead and gone. Still have some carrots and beets in the ground, but that is all. 

Overall, I'm happy with the way that the year turned out. The cold spring made the tomatoes ripening a couple of weeks late, so we missed makin about 5 extra BLTs! Peppers were late too, but both came on strong at the end of the season. We canned about 35 quarts of tomatoes and gave away that many as well. 

Potatoes and beans both produced better than expected. All of the vine plants did very well. Way too many cucumbers and zucchini. Pumpkins and Blue Hubbard Squash were excellent as well. The pumpkin in the picture below was really heavy. Glad to get it off of my lap after the photos.

A couple of you guys have requested seeds from my plants. I'm running late this year and the seeds still need to be dried. They will be mailed out to you closer to the end of the month.
Keep your pictures coming!


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## Mattsfishin

awesome looking pumpkins. Amazing to read you had a frost. We don't get that here this time of year. Going to grow a real garden next year. Keeping my backyard garden. Started working for a ministry 2 days a week as handyman and jack of all trades. They want a garden to teach people and I said I would try. Gonna be asking you guys for info as I go. This could be fun and not like a real job.


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## hk

Cool picture Dick.Those are going to make a lot of pies.Enjoy.

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## Lunkerman

I don't think I'll even get any pumpkins this year. We've had so much rain any pumpkins that form rot on the vine before growing. The rain ruined my fall beets and chard too along with some of the lettuces. 

Bumper crop of peppers and green beans tho. The cucumbers vines are huge now with lots forming so should be lots of them for pickling.


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## hk

Mustard green patches,snow pea plants,broccoli plants, lettuce, chive onions and jalapenos still holding a few.Carrots barely up.Big pot of mustard greens and hamhocks with corn dumplings.I hope everyone has a great fall/ winter garden.


























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## hk

Sorry ,double attached photos somehow.

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## Dick Hanks

Gotta love all of those GREENS in December!


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## hk

Winter garden starting to really take off.Snowpeas starting to make.Danvers126 carrots coming up good.Mustard and lettuce doing super.Little dill patch to make homemade salad dressing.Have a great New years.


























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## Mattsfishin

Looks good. Sure do like snow peas. One day I may try to grow them. My mustard, collards, and multiplying onions are doing real good.


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## karstopo

Garden as of today. Went in later than I wanted with the huge September and early October rains. Been fun figuring out what works and does not, nonetheless.

Pak choy has been productive and tasty. Iâ€™ll plant more next fall. Broccoli has produced, but not a ton for the space it takes up. Have Russian red kale and Tuscan kale coming along. Arugula is growing. Romaine looks alright.

Next fall, I want to do bulb fennel and artichokes. Snow peas look like a good idea.


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## Mattsfishin

karstoppo it looks good.

Picked some oranges this morning and made fresh orange juice. Forgot to get a before picture. No food coloring, no pesticides, low to no acid, and organic fertilizer only. I think I am going to plant another orange tree this spring. The quart jar is for me and the little jar is for a neighbor.


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## jm423

Friend of mine was overwhelmed with oranges this year. Gave away a bunch, decided to juice a lot of them, then tried making orange jelly. He says delicious--has me a jar but we haven't made connections to get it to me. Anxious to try--sounds good. Like orange marmalade real well.


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## karstopo

Good year for oranges. My dad that lives next door has a huge crop of blood oranges, the Moro variety, and they are just getting to fully ripe now. Heâ€™s got several mature blood orange trees, dwarf and regular. He has one navel orange, but it never produces nearly as many oranges as the blood oranges. Navel oranges are good to peel and eat, but arenâ€™t as good for juice as the blood oranges. 

His blood oranges arenâ€™t typically quite as bloody inside as the California grown ones available at stores, but the ones he grows are much more juicy and have a better flavor. If you are looking to grow a great orange for production, juice, marmalade or to eat out of hand, the Moro blood orange does great here along the Texas Coast and handles cold weather well.


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## hk

Mattsfishin I squeezed a half gallon of orange juice yesterday also.I see a lot of orange margaritas in my future.Karstopo nice looking garden and good job on the pakchoy.Oregon sugarpod2 are the peas I plant that usually produce lots of peas through winter if no hard freezes.








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## Postman

*Purple Martin house vacancy*

This is kinda a garden picture, so I decided to post it here. Got the fall stuff in way late because of too dry too till.........then too wet to plow. But I got er done. Onions, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, mustard and a few carrots.

Now, here's the question, why don't Martins like my house any more. Had the house up in the same spot for probably 15 years. It was two levels and started to rot, so I rebuilt it same as before except only one level. I used to get 7 or 8 pairs of birds in the spring. Now lucky if I get one pair. all the dimensions are correct like size of hole, height of hole from deck, size of compartment. I keep trees trimmed back from around house. Only difference is I used treated wood.......think the chemicals in wolmanized wood is what they don't like? Help, birds will be coming soon.


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## hk

Postman better late than never.Your garden looks like it will be fine.As for the martins ,I am no expert but you might be on to something with the treated wood.Enjoy all those fresh veggies to come.

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## Mattsfishin

Garden looks really good Postman. I have been told not to use treated lumber for birdhouses. Not sure why other than the chemicals they use to treat the wood with. Same with wood duck houses and blue bird houses. For the blue birds I use weathered cedar pickets. Buy new and let sit out in the weather a couple months. Just my 2 cents.


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## Postman

Think I'm just going to buy a new house, probably made of metal. I really miss having the birds in the yard. Don't want to risk another year with my current house.


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## karstopo

Thinned out the Russian Red Kale some. Made a great fresh salad with the leaves massaging in a meyer lemon and olive oil vinegarette. Massaging in the dressing is supposed to reduce any bitterness in the greens.

Kale is a winner as it germinates well direct planted into the garden and nothing seems to bother it.


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## karstopo

Fresh grated Parmesan, minced garlic and avocado also went into the salad. Leaves were not bitter, massaging in the lemon and oil really did work.


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## Postman

That looks delicious, and healthful.


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## hk

Oregon sugar pod 2 harvest. Broccoli finally making heads and the everpresent sugar pea pest.


























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## Postman

How do you eat those peas, look good, do you shell them? or are they just to till in and make better soil. Would like to try them next fall.


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## hk

Postman said:


> How do you eat those peas, look good, do you shell them? or are they just to till in and make better soil. Would like to try them next fall.


I usually stir fry them with olive oil ,garlic and a little sesame oil.You can eat them young and flat (no shelling)or let them get bigger where they will make some really sweet peas.Oregon sugarpod2 are the variety that I have had the best luck with.Usually plant in them in september.Really delicious and excellent producer.Good luck.

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## Meadowlark

*Winter garden 2019 Summary*

The broc production this winter has been terrific keeping us and several families in a constant supply of fresh tasty broc. We like it steamed, in broc soup, broc/rice, and raw fresh out of the garden. Many "foot" heads measuring more than 12 inches across the head.

The cabbage is probably my favorite winter crop and we've had a steady supply of big heads that we steam, stir fry, pan fry, cabbage creole (fantastic), and kraut . I stagger plant starting in Sept. for a continuous supply of fresh heads all winter through spring.

The kale has been prolific this year and we use it in salads, stir fried, and as decorative mats for veggie plates. It will continue producing right up till hot weather in May.

The cauli has been absolutely delicious this winter and we use it in cheesy cauli, raw fresh cut, and in soups. The last of the fall plantings is just now maturing and I'll start another crop soon.

The last few days of DRY weather has given me a chance to start turning under the cover crops and preparing for potato planting which is about one month away. The cover crop this year was the thickest I've ever had and will take several passes to get it assimilated into the soils...but once assimilated look out, it will be a fantastic crop of new potatoes.

Carrots, radishes, and turnips and of course sweet onions are all coming along nicely.


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## Postman

Thanks hk, do you get the seed locally or do you have to order them on line? Gonna try 'em next fall.


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## hk

You will have to order online once and then after several pickings,when you notice bloom decline l let the peas get fully mature ,leave in pod,pick,put in dry open air enviroment and after several weeks when shells are dry remove seeds put in airtight container in refrigerator. I have not had to buy seeds for over 10 years.The only thing that will kill the plants is a hard freeze or to many days of freezing in a row.Usually do not have that problem down here in Pearland.

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## karstopo

The Russian Red Kale has been my favorite. Makes a good salad green if you massage (donâ€™t laugh, look it up) it to tenderize. Great with sausage and potatoes in a soup, or make it like you would any boiled greens with bacon and onions. 
Romaine Lettuce has been great, no E. coli to worry about. Arugula is another great add in to a salad. Have some butter crunch lettuce thatâ€™s about ready to pick. Snow peas are growing. I planted the Snowbird variety seed at the beginning of January. Itâ€™s a dwarf type. Says itâ€™s 58 days. Hoping for some production before it heats up too much.

My soil, Iâ€™m still trying to improve. I put in a compost heap and that should eventually help. Iâ€™ve added in a bit of lighter soil. Greens like kale or lettuce work as even if they donâ€™t get as big as they could because of marginal soil or light, they still are productive. My Brussels sprouts are three plus months in and are only nickel sized. Iâ€™m giving them a few more days, then going to have them whatever size they be.

Just a little garden like this can really add in some good produce to the dinners we make. Iâ€™ve enjoyed having one. If I get this one down, I might expand it some at a later date.


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## hk

Garden off to a decent start so far.Multiplying onions,dill,greenbeans (kentucky pole ,bluelakepole,cherokee wax bean) sweetbasil,early yellow squash,early girl tomatos,market more cucumbers and longhorn okra just coming up.Hope everyone has a great spring/summer garden.






































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## karstopo

For a small, shady garden with heavy soil, it's producing some good quality fresh vegetables. Harvested a few Asian eggplant already and those really are setting a lot of fruit. Been harvesting Fresno, bell, garden salsa, and jalapenos peppers. Jimmy nardellos peppers are doing well, but still green. Have one gypsy pepper and tangerine sweet pepper with fruit. Tomatoes are enough to have all I want and let me give a few away.

Been fighting a few horn worms. Sometimes hard to spot, but those get squished before causing too much damage. Lost a few tomatoes to another worm and one to a squirrel. Zucchini has been disappointing as has the Corno di Toro type peppers.

Having fun anyway and never is it bad getting fresh produce right at home. Compost pile is cooking up a bunch of rich compost in time for the fall garden.


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## Mattsfishin

my zucchini and asian eggplant did not do good. Only a few of each. The big eggplant is loaded. Only planted cherry tomatoes and they are loaded and been eating a lot of them. All my berries are doing really good. Will have grapes soon. Pablano , bell pepper and yellow squash doing really good. Okra is growing and will start to bloom soon. Basil, lemon thyme, lavenders, oregano , rosemary, and spearmint are all doing good. I expanded my little backyard garden some this year.


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## karstopo

Funny how the Zucchini bombed and your yellow squash did well. I removed my last zucchini plant yesterday (started with 5 plants) for poor or non production and dropped in a large gypsy pepper in the spot that I had in a medium pot. Iâ€™ve tried to keep a few peppers in pots in the wings just in case the zucchini bombed, which is what happened. Probably should have left the gypsy pepper in the pot at this late stage, but it was getting harder to manage the water needs. 

Never think of Texas as Raspberry country, but those look nice. I did herbs in a couple of giant containers. I use a lot of basil and both the sweet and purple basil are going strong. The Thai basil is huge, but I havenâ€™t cooked with it yet. Spearmint is trying to take over one container. 

I guess the plan is to see how far into the summer I can take the tomatoes. Still getting some fruit set. Not sure what Iâ€™ll drop in once they crater. Last year, the eggplant hung in through the summer pretty well. I may try to keep a lot of the peppers going into the fall for the fall production. A friend of mine said his bell peppers he plants in early spring often rebound in the fall after a summer lull with good fall production. I think Iâ€™ll skip okra this summer. I might put in some type of heat loving pea in the tomato spots if the tomatoes give out soon enough.


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## karstopo

Rain thus far since yesterday afternoon. Ground still soaking it up.










Spearmint and purple basil taking over this pot. Thereâ€™s a little thyme and rosemary hidden in there.










Lemon grass in the center, Thai basil on the right.










My compost bin. Full now, but I bet this rain will speed up the decomposition. Got the bin on Amazon, seems to do a good job with cooking down raked up leaves and waste vegetation and vegetables. It was full before, then almost overnight it shrunk down half way. Digging around in it will produce a few earthworms.


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## karstopo

Papaya plant I grew from seed. Hope the store bought fruit arenâ€™t some sort of hybrid cause thatâ€™s where the seed came from. Iâ€™ve got a couple more plants this size. Probably need to get through another winter before I see any possible production.


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## Meadowlark

That will be interesting to see what those papayas produce.


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## Mattsfishin

I have not had any luck with the papaya. Hope your does well and curious also to see what kind of fruit you get. I do have 2 young paw paw trees growing. Just noticed today I have an issue with my grapes dropping some but not all of the cluster. Have no idea why but I did get some berries picked today. Had more blue berries to pick but just don't eat as many as the other berries. I ate almost as many raspberries as I picked today.


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## WildThings

Today's harvest


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## karstopo

Those look like Shi****o peppers. Some jalapeÃ±os too. 

Iâ€™ve got four shi****o plants, but they are small. I think Iâ€™m going to see if I can nurse them along during the summer for a fall crop.


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## WildThings

They are Shi****os and my first time with them. Doing very well and they are pretty good for a snack


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## Dick Hanks

Great pictures being posted up! Makes me green with envy.

Would either of you guys tell us more about the heat and flavor of the Shi****os? They look interesting.


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## WildThings

Dick Hanks said:


> Great pictures being posted up! Makes me green with envy.
> 
> Would either of you guys tell us more about the heat and flavor of the Shi****os? They look interesting.


The ones I have have no heat. It's like eating a very thin bell pepper


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## karstopo

Jimmy Nardellos just turning red. I've never actually eaten one, but my parents had some at a restaurant and thought they were delicious. I've got 4 plants with about 14-15 total big nearly ripe peppers and some smaller ones. Started from seed way back in January. Eggplant has done well. Fun it is to walk around in the little garden and look at the plants.


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## Dick Hanks

*The Yankee garden is coming along.*

June was a very cool month up here. Only the cool weather crops are doing very well. In the pictures below, plants like the potatoes, radishes, cilantro, dill, lettuce varieties, arugula, wasabi arugula, and onion are doing pretty good.

All of the vine plants (pumpkins, blue hubbard squash, crooked neck squash, zucchini, and cucumbers) plus the tomatoes and peppers are all behind in growth because of the cool weather. Pictures:

1) Potatoes in the foreground are just starting to bloom. Onionsin the background are just starting to form bulbs. There are 2 "big sweet" varieties.

2) Dill is better than most years because of the cool. Sadly, this dill will crapout before the cukes are ready. New dill is planted.

3) Cilantro, like dill does better in cool weather. Also sadly, this batch will crapout before the tomatoes ripen. New cilantro is also planted.

4) Nasturtiums are an edible flower. Both the flowers and young leaves have a peppery taste. the blossoms are yellow, orange, or red, and brighten up any salad with taste and color. The young leaves are a little less peppery, and add good color to a salad.

5) Wasabi Arugula is a small arugula that has an even more peppery taste than regular arugula. Hence the name Wasabi Arugula. Here again, both the leaves and tiny blooms are edible. Those are 4 closely planted in that picture, so you can see they stay a fairly small plant. 1st year growing this variety. It went straight to the top of the list as my favorite "green" in my garden.


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## Mattsfishin

Looks good. I like putting down mulch or chips in between the rows and around the ends. I grow oregano and it has a little bite to it. I like picking the fresh herbs to cook with. My grapes are starting to make. A really small but flavorful grape.


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## w_r_ranch

Looking good fellas!!!


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## hk

Longhorn okra producing good.early girl tomatoes still producing a few tomatos.basil and jalapenos barely hanging in the heat.Thats all I got till fall.























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## Dick Hanks

Success in the garden has been kind of a mixed bag this year. The plants that are under achieving are doing so because of lack of heat for too much of this season.

Pict 1 = Bean and cucumbers on the new trellis system. Getting lots of both white and green cukes, but so far bean blossom are just barely starting and none on the yellow crookedneck squash. All of the plants look great though.

pict 2 = Closest one is a Hubbard Squash and behind it is a Pumpkin. A Cantaloupe is off to the right, but out of the picture. I see male blossoms on all of these, but no female blooms that are setting. Geez, We could have frost in 6 weeks. It's an iffy year for these.

pict 3 = Both red and white potatoes look to be having a good year. Blooms are just finishing up and I'm expecting a strong harvest in a couple of weeks. 

pict 4 = Onions are starting to bulb up nicely. The Ailsa Craig onions in the foreground have the potential to get very big. Farther down the row are Walla Wallas. I should know in about 2 weeks if I'll be getting any close to braggin size. They have been getting my homemade fish emulsion every 10 days.

pict 5 = These flowers are Nasturtiums. Both blossoms and leaves are edible. The blossoms are particularly good. Both sweet and peppery. Great addition on top of salads for both taste and eye appeal.


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## Dick Hanks

More pictures.

Pict 1= These are some different color Nasturtiums with some Dill plant mixed in.

Pict 2 = The end of the trellis row that starts with white cukes.

Pict 3 = Tomatoes are inside the fruit plant fencing this year. Just starting to get Cherry type ripe and the rest are still a week or so away from ripening. The bacon for BLTs is patiently waiting.

Pict 4 & 5 = Today's harvest of fruit and cukes.


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## hk

Nice looking summer garden Dick.I had my share of bacon,lettuce and tomato sandwiches, but my tomatoes are just about burnt up now down here.Enjoy all those fresh vegetables.

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## karstopo

That Minnesota garden looks great! So do the more local ones. Those grapes look amazing, too. I wish I put in some okra, but space is at a premium. Maybe when I expand the garden. Cucumbers are on my wish list, so many great things to grow, so little space.

I guess all gardens no matter where they are face challenges, too little heat or too much. Too little water or too much. Bugs, animals, disease.










This chicken poo fertilizer seems to be good for my vegetables. Things are looking better and Iâ€™m getting new fruit set on peppers that I had about given up on. The fertilizer has helped the ones susceptible to early blight do a little better on the new foliage growth. From what I can gather, clay soils can handle more fertilizer than sand. Trying to get it all nailed down.










Thought I had gypsy, but these are cubanelle peppers. Really nice flavor when they get red. Green, not as much.















Finally got a Pepper on my Carmen plant and looks like a couple more little ones are trying.

Corno di toro has one too, and it was all but dead.


















Purple hulls growing like crazy. Should be ready mid late September, then Iâ€™ll put in some fall vegetables.


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## hk

Okra pickling time.Plan to make about twelve quarts this season. Dill,jalapeno and garlic make them so good.








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## Dick Hanks

In my 7/27/19 post (#214) I mentioned that my pumpkins and squash had blossoms but no fruit set yet.. Thought that I wouldn't get anything ripe before the 1st frost. It is amazing what can happen in just a little more than 3 weeks! Some went from a blooms to pumpkins and squash the size of basketballs in 23 days:

Pictures 3 and 4 are both supposed to be Blue Hubbard Squash. Picture 4 is the normal color. I have no clue what is happening with the one in picture 3. What ever it is... it must be happy. It's already larger than a basketball!


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## Dick Hanks

Some more picture:

The onion tops are starting to fall over on some so I'm probably about 10 days out for pulling all of the remaining ones to dry them.

The Ahi Dulce pepper plants, and the Ahi Rico are setting lots of peppers, but haven't got any ripe ones yet. The plants are big and very healthy.

The beans have gone crazy. So thick that it's hard to find all of the beans.

Some real nice tomatoes this year. Only takes 1 slice to more that cover a slice of toast in a BLT.


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## karstopo

Beautiful produce. What do you do cooking wise with the Blue Hubbard squash? 

My mad hatter peppers, your peppers reminded me of your questions about the mad hatter, are pretty good. Still setting fruit. Rangy, moderately productive plant. Stuffed red ripe ones this evening with cream cheese topped with fresh mozzarella and put them on the cooler edge of a medium grill. Very tasty that way. Raw, mad hatter peppers have a citrusy flavor with about zero heat. Might grow a plant or two again based on this yearâ€™s results.


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## Dick Hanks

Karstopo..... I have an old post on this thread about cooking the Blue Hubbard Squash. I'm pretty sure it is Post #154. It has a better flavor and texture than any other winter squash in my opinion. Did I mention that they get BIG!

I didn't think that I would like squash soup but it is really good. What made it a killer good soup was adding some of my homemade Aji Dulce #2 Pepper sauce to the soup. This gave the soup a little "kick" and a very complex, delicious flavor.

The primary ingredients in the Aji Dulce sauce are the ripe, seeded peppers, vinegar, mango and carrot. These all get pureed together. It only takes about a tablespoon of this sauce in a bowl of soup to make it gourmet. This soup freezes really well. Lot of squash soup recipes are available on the internet. 

The Aji Dulce #2 Pepper looks and tastes like a Habanero, but it has less heat than a Serrano or even most Jalapenos. Here is a picture of one of my Aji Dulce #2 plants this year. Ripe peppers are still 2 or 3 weeks away, but the plants are loaded with them.


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## Dick Hanks

*Mid September update*

The green beans have been producing heavily but the plants don't look that different so I didn't include a picture this time. All of the potatoes (both red and white) have been dug as well as about 1/2 of the carrots. Parsnip and rutabaga would be pulled until the 1st frost.

All of the onions have been picked as well as the biggest tomatoes. Nothing huge this year. The biggest tomato was 1# 9.4 oz. and is pictured below. Really a nice shape for a big tomato and the flavor on a BLT was excellent. Still pretty meaty for a large matter as well. The variety was "Big Zak". Several came in very close to that size, so it wasn't exceptional at all for that variety. Actually kind of small.

Big onion was 21.4 oz. (1# 5.4 oz) so nothing really big there either. However there were lots in the 1# range which is actually our favorite size to use in the kitchen. Very pleased with this years crop. Still drying them for storage.

The last picture are some peppers that I didn't know that I had grown. It was from a pack of Aji Dulce#! seed and the rest of the plants were correct. These peppers appear to be Aji Dulce #2. Looks like it will be very productive, good flavor with much reduced heat. They are also ripening faster that the #1s that I intended to plant. Will be saving some seeds from this plant for growing next year. They were a pleasant surprise!

Big Blue Hubbard and a mystery squash pictures coming soon. Also pumpkin picture


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## Meadowlark

I agree, Dick, the "there were lots in the 1# range which is actually our favorite size to use in the kitchen" those are the best. A lot of folks around here had relatively light crops of tomatoes this year.

Nice onions...that even a Texan would be proud of.


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## hk

Good looking tomatoes Dick.Planted Snow peas and evergreen bunching last week and coming up good with all the recent rain.








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## Mattsfishin

Good looking vegetables there Dick. The rain has really got my white multiplying onions going good. Gonna plant some brussel sprouts and broccoli tomorrow. All this rain beat the heck out of my turnips. May have to replant when it dries out some. Got almost 8 inches of rain.


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## Dick Hanks

Matt,,, Do you start the multiplying onions from seed or as a started plant?

Well, we had our 1st frost up here about a week ago so I've been cleaning out the garden.

This post is just about the pumpkins and squash. I had 2 Pumpkin plants and 2 Blue Hubbard squash plants.

One Pumpkin plant was restricted to 2 Pumpkins and it produced a 40# and a 30# Pumpkin for a total of 70#s on that vine. The other vine was unrestricted and had 3 Pumpkins @ 24.5#, 20.5#, and a 16# for a total 61#s on that vine.

The biggest squash was also exactly 40#s. It was the only Blue Hubbard that had almost Pumpkin coloring. The other 6 squash all had the normal blue/gray coloring.

I'm guessing this coloration on the big squash was because of a cross pollination last year between a Pumpkin and a Squash. I saved seed out of the Pumpkins and Squash last year and replanted them this year. Not sure why it was the only one that turn out like this. I'm looking forward to seeing if it has the classic Hubbard flavor, or if there is a hint of Pumpkin flavor in it as well.

Lark.... Remember that I planted some sweet corn later in the season? Both of us thought that frost would get it before it was ready. Thankfully, we had a late 1st frost and the corn made it! The ***** and bears didn't get it and it was fantastic!. I will plant corn again next year. Earlier next time though.:biggrin:


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## Mattsfishin

I start the multiplying onions from bulbs. Some I saved from the season before and some I had to buy. Only saved about 100 from the season before. They are already growing big enough to eat. I will pick every other one until I get them thinned out. I eat these with just about everything. Going to pick some turnip greens and mustard greens this weekend. Should have enough for a good meal. It is a little early. Planted broccoli and brussel sprouts from plants.


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## hk

Everything planted for fall/winter garden.Bunching onions,oregonsugar pod2 peas,30green magic broccoli plants and a bunch of Florida broad leaf mustard.Mattsfishin has me thinking about getting a six pack of Brussel sprout plants.Good gardening to all.


























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## Dick Hanks

That looks like some really nice Basil in the 2nd to last picture!... 

Are bunching onions the same thing a "green onions" or "scallions"? Do you start them from seeds or bulbs? How do you use them?

It looks like you have very good soil!


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## hk

Yes Sir they are like a green chive onion.I started from seed several years ago but now save some bulbs and just replant twice a year.They grow and multiply like crazy.Can eat them raw or use them in many cooking applications.I use them in a lot of soups (homemade egg drop soup)during the winter. Also really good in salmon patties.

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## hk

Fall garden doing good so far.Already made one of many lemon ice box pies to come.A few more weeks till I can harvest some fall vegetables.
































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## Mattsfishin

Looks good HK. My beds have blocks around them also and I had never thought about planting anything in the holes. Well I have mustard greens growing in some and about 75 Texas Legends onions growing in some. Gonna see how that works. I am ok if the onions don't get real big. I usually pick them before they mature all the way. Planted 105 onions yesterday. I picked a good amount of mustard greens about 2 weeks back and picked turnip greens tuesday. Have a yankee friend that has never ate turnips and or turnip greens so I took her a good amount. Gonna pick me some tomorrow.


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## hk

Mattsfishin said:


> Looks good HK. My beds have blocks around them also and I had never thought about planting anything in the holes. Well I have mustard greens growing in some and about 75 Texas Legends onions growing in some. Gonna see how that works. I am ok if the onions don't get real big. I usually pick them before they mature all the way. Planted 105 onions yesterday. I picked a good amount of mustard greens about 2 weeks back and picked turnip greens tuesday. Have a yankee friend that has never ate turnips and or turnip greens so I took her a good amount. Gonna pick me some tomorrow.


Hard to beat a bunch of fresh greens and they are really good for you also.My greens are a couple of weeks away from picking ,but looking forward to a big ole pot of hamhock,mustard greens and corn dumplings.Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

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## Dick Hanks

Great pictures HK. Are those huge lemons on the tree?


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## hk

Yes Sir they are Meyer lemons.It has been a very productive tree,before I pruned it back two years ago,it would produce 300 or so in a year.Have around 150 or so this year.

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## karstopo

https://www.tastecooking.com/a-man-a-plan-a-lemon-china/

â€œLong thought to be a simple lemon-orange hybrid, the Meyer lemon is now believed to be a cross between three of the original citrus speciesâ€"citron, mandarin, and pummeloâ€"based on a 2016 genetics study led by French scientist Franck Curk.â€

Link has an interesting tale about Frank N. Meyer, the man for which the lemon was named.

My next-door neighbor, my parents, have an improved Meyer lemon. They really are nice, sweeter than a store bought Eureka Lemon. I used one last night to dress some bok choy greens, the bok choy from my garden, to serve along with some satsuma and rosemary marinated pork chops, the satsumas from the orchard and the rosemary home grown.


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## karstopo

My lemon grass is still going strong. I had to cover it one night with freeze cloth as it got down to about 30-31.










Garden as of December 5th. Iâ€™m going to put a raised bed beyond the current garden in the sunny spot area of the photo. Abandoned the in the ground idea when I dug into the area and discover tons of charcoal. Evidently, the previous owner had a burn pile or something there once upon a time.

Still have some few tomatoes Iâ€™m nursing along. Not many, but Iâ€™m just seeing how viable it is for fall tomatoes. Everything else thatâ€™s all really in the greater cabbage sphere are doing alright. I seem to always err on too low on fertility, but Iâ€™ll live with that over too much.

The future raised bed, Iâ€™m not sure how big I should make it. I got some decorative steel corners so that I can choose the lumber I want. Is there any issue with using the copper treated ground contact rot resistant decking lumber? Iâ€™m think a foot of depth is enough. 8â€™ x 12â€™ x 1â€™ of depth equals around 2 cubic yards of material. 1 1/2 yards of good garden soil plus some compost, but I might revise that. Maybe 8â€™ x 10â€™


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## karstopo

I do have some romaine lettuce. Riefels had a 6 pack of romaine that I was able to get 16 plants out of. The six pack was past its prime, but the lettuce seems to have perked up recently. 

The raised bed will let me do some crop rotations. Iâ€™ll have a whopping 200â€™-250â€™ square feet when itâ€™s done, depending on how big I make it.


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## old 37

My winter garden consists of: Swiss Chard, Kale and Arrugala.


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## CopanoCruisin

Woke up yesterday morning to a non predicted freeze. 28 sure hit my tomatoes and peppers. 32 this morning. Oh well, Danged ! .......cC


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## karstopo

Somehow my tomatoes didn't freeze. I went to bed and the nearby weather underground gauge was already 32 degrees. Woke up at dawn and same gauge was 30. I must have some micro climate help.

Maybe the Spanish moss tomato ties to the bamboo stakes helped.


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## Meadowlark

*Buckets of Turnips*

Probably one of the most underappreciated veggies in the garden.

I'll admit its an acquired taste...and growing up poor with not much else to eat in the winter probably affects that taste, lol...but I love turnips.

I grow them all fall/winter mixed in with my cover crops for double pleasure.


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## Mattsfishin

I love turnips and have been able to grow a lot of them. I have a raised bed I need to remove the turnips and get it ready for potatoes next month. Took 2 weeks to find someone that wanted some turnips. I even offered mustard greens to go along with them.


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## hk

Nice looking turnips Meadowlark.

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## old 37

My small garden is Kale, Argula and Swiss Chard


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## hk

Broccoli ,mustard greens and snow peas producing good.
































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## Mattsfishin

You guys got it going. Good looking greens, kale, chard, broccoli and mustard greens. Makes me hungry looking at them.


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## hk

Spring garden starting to take hold.25 tomatos (early girl,healthkick,sweet100,hybrid Orange variety) 3 varieties of cucumber,radishes,yellow squash,blue lake,kentucky and cherokee beans,basil,jalapenos,serranos and longhorn okra.Best of luck to All with your gardens.
































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## hk

Left out evergreen bunching onions and my garden pest guards.








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## karstopo

Yellow squash doing their thing. 








Getting some little tomatoes and lots of blooms








Peppers are setting fruit, so far so good. 








Love how the dew patterns on these cucumber leaves.


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## POC Fishin' Gal

you must have started a long time ago...........like in Feb?


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## karstopo

First plants, Some of the 4â€ pepper and tomato sets, from Reifels in Brazoria, went in February 28th. Cucumber and Lima bean seeds went in a week or so later, Other sets and seeds went in up until about a week ago.


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## karstopo

Garden photo from March 10th










Same garden March 29th. I added the leaves I think it was the day before.


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## karstopo

Today, side dressed plants with the Medina 3/2/3 pasteurized poultry fertilizer. Rain due tonight or tomorrow. Holding off water until then. Soil getting a little too basic with the sweet water lake irrigation, rain and oak leaves ought to add some acidity.










Lots of little peppers on various plants.

















Good timing on adding extra garden space, although I had it done before this covid mess.










Corn and melons up.


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## POC Fishin' Gal

I think you could sit and watch those plants grow they are growing so fast. Can't believe you already have tomatoes.....I'm all excited 'cause I have blooms on my 'maters.





i


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## Sugars Pop

I can't find any low cost $1.29 each tomatoes/peppers right now. Usually buy them at Houston Garden centers but with everyone staying home they sell out in 12 hours after the new shipments arrive. Going by the Channelview and Tomball store every afternoon. They have Cherry maters and a couple misc hot peppers. 
Frustrating and will not pay $3.50 each for The Scammed Bonnies at Lowes or Home Depot.


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## waterbug

You may want to check with Nature's Way Resources in Conroe/Woodlands. I bought some tomato and pepper plants from them a few weeks ago and they are doing well. I just checked with them this afternoon after seeing your post and verified that they have plants. Their number is (936) 321- 6990.


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## karstopo

Sugars Pop said:


> I can't find any low cost $1.29 each tomatoes/peppers right now. Usually buy them at Houston Garden centers but with everyone staying home they sell out in 12 hours after the new shipments arrive. Going by the Channelview and Tomball store every afternoon. They have Cherry maters and a couple misc hot peppers.
> Frustrating and will not pay $3.50 each for The Scammed Bonnies at Lowes or Home Depot.


I think they are up to $3.78/4â€ pot. at the big boxes. Feed stores seem much more reasonable. Riefels in Brazoria is $1.75/4â€ pot, but that is a long drive.


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## TXanalogkd

Nice garden and thanks for sharing the leafs and Medina method. I usually keep my leaves in the garden during the winter months, but never thought about after I plant.


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## karstopo

TXanalogkd said:


> Nice garden and thanks for sharing the leafs and Medina method. I usually keep my leaves in the garden during the winter months, but never thought about after I plant.


Iâ€™m not sure the leaves as a mulch is the way to go, more of an experiment, but one Iâ€™ve done before. Just trying to give the soil a chance to not get hit by the blazing sun, get a shot of a little acid from runoff from the leaves, and not dry out as fast. The leaves I had by the bushel and are free.

I guess decaying leaves will rob nitrogen from the soil, but Iâ€™m not working these in yet. Iâ€™ve used pine straw as mulch, but didnâ€™t have much of that, although thereâ€™s some pine needles in with the leaves. A little bit of Spanish moss too, Just everything my wife likes to rake up in the yard and set aside. Some yard debris gets composted in the compost bins, but I get too many leaves to fit in the bins.


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## karstopo

Sweet corn patch. Various melons or squash on the edges.




























Carmello tomatoes are my early stars.










Selfies with the plants.


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## hk

Love fried male squash blossoms in a lite flour batter,remove pistols ,gently rinse and dry blossom then dip in lite batter and fry.A true delicacy.

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## hk

Sorry meant to put in the previous squash thread.

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## Mattsfishin

Karstopo my carmelos look like your. Almost golf ball size and about 4 feet tall. I have 6 foot high cages on all mine. Carmelo, super sweet 100, and beef master.


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## karstopo

At this point, I might wish I had done more than three carmello tomatoes, they are doing so well. I get intrigued with these other heirloom plants, but Iâ€™m not sure any are all that productive around here. We will see. I bought a food scale and plan on weighing the tomatoes from each plant and get some solid numbers on what produces how much.


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## Meadowlark

*Current Inventory and annual supply*

Gonna be a busy 6 weeks or so coming up...enough great food to last a year easily.

1) sweet peas companion planted w/potatoes, yellow and red sweet onions (storm pushed some yellows over), limas, green beans, bingo beans, asparagus beans, etc.

2) first corn planting (two more plantings to go), various beans, melons, cucumbers, tomatillos, squash

3) late kale, late chard, late brock, late cabbage, carrots, radishes, squash, 20 tomato plants, various peppers,

4) years supply of pintos, crÃ¨me peas, and recently planted okra.


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## karstopo

Very nice, Meadowlark. I bought a package of spaghetti squash seeds on a lark, seeds of change heirloom, and package mentioned 4-6â€™ vines. Main vine is 10â€™ and still going. No fruiting yet, but male blooming has begun.


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## Meadowlark

I fully intended to get some of those spaghetti squash seeds this year...have a relative that loves spaghetti squash...but alas, must have forgotten. 

Interested in how yours performs...with the back log on seeds I probably can't get it for 2 or 3 months.


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## karstopo

Meadowlark said:


> I fully intended to get some of those spaghetti squash seeds this year...have a relative that loves spaghetti squash...but alas, must have forgotten.
> 
> Interested in how yours performs...with the back log on seeds I probably can't get it for 2 or 3 months.


I have about 20 of those seeds remaining in the original package. Iâ€™ll be happy to send them to you if you like. They are year 2020 seeds. Should be able to get them in USPS mail by Friday at the latest.


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## Mattsfishin

Karstopo I only bought 3 carmelo's this year also. Wish I had bought maybe 2 more. I cut back on the tomatoes this year and only have 8 plants. Last year I pulled up plants because I could not give tomatoes away. This year people are going nuts over seeds and plants. Thanks for mentioning the squash. I also forgot and have a good place to plant some seeds. My seeds are from last year but should do. Going to do that now while I wait for my new freezer to arrive.


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## karstopo

Iâ€™m going to end up, knock on wood, with more fresh tomatoes than I can use. Thinking about different ways to preserve the excess. 

What do yâ€™all do with the surplus harvest besides give it away?


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## Meadowlark

karstopo said:


> I have about 20 of those seeds remaining in the original package. Iâ€™ll be happy to send them to you if you like. They are year 2020 seeds. Should be able to get them in USPS mail by Friday at the latest.


PM sent...and pick out something you would like to try in return...hint onions are ready, potatoes are almost ready or whatever


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## Meadowlark

karstopo said:


> Iâ€™m going to end up, knock on wood, with more fresh tomatoes than I can use. Thinking about different ways to preserve the excess.
> 
> What do yâ€™all do with the surplus harvest besides give it away?


Can it! We do probably 30 quart jars a year of tomatoes. Use it in soups, all kinds of dishes. Keeps really well. Better, by far than the canned stuff they sell in stores.


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## karstopo

Meadowlark said:


> Can it! We do probably 30 quart jars a year of tomatoes. Use it in soups, all kinds of dishes. Keeps really well. Better, by far than the canned stuff they sell in stores.


Good idea. Iâ€™ve got some mason and weck jars, but have never canned tomatoes. Iâ€™ll look for whatâ€™s the best way to can tomatoes on the web. Most of my tomatoes are slicer types, but I guess they can be canned too.


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## karstopo

Spaghetti squash really took off in this raised bed. Biggest of several fruit.








Still blooming and setting more.









Getting a reasonable amount of yellow squash now, paint brush pollination does work.


















Bell peppers are huge this year.









Getting a few tomatoes ripening and some big ones in the works
















Good season, giving the garden a lot of attention and care and it seems to be paying off. Learning on the job, but all these master gardeners here help shorten the curve.


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## Meadowlark

Very nice. When will you pick the Spaghetti squash? Mine hasn't even started blooming yet, but I have some family members eagerly awaiting some. 

I agree on the bell peppers...huge this year...and the jalapenos are also very large this year for some reason.


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## karstopo

Meadowlark said:


> Very nice. When will you pick the Spaghetti squash? Mine hasn't even started blooming yet, but I have some family members eagerly awaiting some.
> 
> I agree on the bell peppers...huge this year...and the jalapenos are also very large this year for some reason.


Not really sure on the spaghetti squash will be ready. I believe itâ€™s listed as 95 days, This one was up and growing by mid March. From what Iâ€™ve read, when the skin turns golden yellow and the rind is too hard to scrap with a finger nail.

Iâ€™m going to make a guess and say the first week in June.


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## karstopo

Decided to pick a couple of bell peppers for stuffed peppers tonight. I donâ€™t think Iâ€™ll be able to eat more than one. 11.3 ounces and the other one is 9.3. Crusader is the variety, new one for me.


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## Meadowlark

Those are beauties...and have me curious about weighing mine. 

It is a great year for peppers so far...but with the temps getting in the upper 90s I expect mine will slow production somewhat. Funny thing I never used to like bell peppers and would avoid them until I started growing them. Now stuffed bell pepper is one of my favorites. You just can't beat home grown produce.


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## Meadowlark

karstopo said:


> â€¦. 11.3 ounces and the other one is 9.3. Crusader is the variety, new one for me.


I wasn't sure what constituted a big bel pepper...but now I know 11.3 ounces is a HUGE bell pepper. Just to get a reference I picked the largest on my plants today and weighed @ 5.5 ounces...yours is more than double. That's HUGE.

Gonna have to try some of those Crusaders next time. WTG!


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## Meadowlark

*New Potatoes and Fresh Green Beans*

Is there anything on this Earth better?

I'm getting spoiled by the pole beans...and have done the last of bush beans in the garden...more beans, better tasting, so much easier to harvest.


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## T-Muney

Meadowlark said:


> Is there anything on this Earth better?
> 
> I'm getting spoiled by the pole beans...and have done the last of bush beans in the garden...more beans, better tasting, so much easier to harvest.


What type of pole bean. I canâ€™t get em to produce around here.


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## Meadowlark

T-Muney said:


> What type of pole bean. I canâ€™t get em to produce around here.


The old standby...Kentucky Wonder. Been around since the 1850s, maybe longer....and still the best tasting in my opinion.


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## karstopo

A pineapple tomato, not quite the Parkâ€™s Whopper one Meadowlark grew, but still a nice tomato. Ripens to yellow with orange streaks or so Iâ€™ve read. Seems to produce big tomatoes, this is the first one and thereâ€™s several other big ones on the single plant Iâ€™m growing.

The Mortgage Lifter, a pink red type, next to it is 10.5 ounces. I pick them all a little after color break just so the critters wonâ€™t get them first.


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## Meadowlark

Same here...the families of mocking birds will take over when they see color.


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## Mattsfishin

I steamed a big pot of kentucky wonder pole beans today and last night had some chinese light green pole beans. Planted a few more pole beans on an extra cattle panel and some more blue lake bush beans in another bed. I let the beans soak in water overnight and they seem to all come up after the soaking. I have a couple spots that get half shade and half sun that works good in the summer time. My carmelo tomatoes are really doing awesome. 8 ft tall and loaded with fruit.
The dang mockingbirds are trying to wipe out my blue berries. Had to put netting over them today. They try to get to my blackberries but the netting has stopped them. Blackberries are really doing good.


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## Meadowlark

karstopo said:


> ... Ripens to yellow with orange streaks ...


Very nice. Somehow tomatoes need to be red for my taster...its irrational I know but I've grown them purple, yellow, etc, but always come back to red.


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## WildThings

I can't compete with you guys but I do get a few snacks every once in a while.


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## Mattsfishin

That looks good wt. I need to go pick some eggplant today. How do you like the purple basil? I have a lot this year and never cooked with it. Got a free pack of seeds and said what the heck.


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## Meadowlark

Thinned out the third planting of corn today. Looks like a good stand. The first planting of corn is just now starting the tasseling and can be seen in the far part of the photo with the second planting in between. 

Corn is one of the most rewarding veggies we can grow in the garden and best when fresh which is why we do three plantings.


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## WildThings

Mattsfishin said:


> That looks good wt. I need to go pick some eggplant today. How do you like the purple basil? I have a lot this year and never cooked with it. Got a free pack of seeds and said what the heck.


It was om a whim at HEB they had tricolor basil and I grabbed one. Grows like a weed. Very good flavor. A piece of cheese on a cracker with a piece of basil dripped with...â€¦ **** I forget the sauce's name. Just trust me it's good


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## fy0834




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## Meadowlark

More pictures fy0834, more pictures please and details...good looking garden!


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## karstopo

Harvested my first Spaghetti Squash, not a giant, but plenty for my wife and me. Looks like there are 4 behind it coming over the next week or two. These squash grow fast.


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## Meadowlark

Nice...mine just started blooming.


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## hk

Garden is in full jungle mode.Everything has done good this year,especially the cucumbers as Meadowlark has noted.Great time of the year and lots of good eating.Growing a Orange tomato this year for the first time and they are really good.Been harvesting okra for about a month and it is starting to come on strong with the heat.Good gardening gentlemen.


















































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## karstopo

Looking good! Which Orange Tomato is that?


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## hk

A friend gave me the seeds that he received as a bonus in an order from tomato growers supply.com.I failed to write it down but I believe it was the chefs choice Orange hybrid.I will grow them again.They are delicious.

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## hk

Correction Karstopo .Friend found the order sheet.They were Orange oxhart.








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## karstopo

Pretty tomato.










Took out my yellow squash and zucchini. Both struggled with downy mildew. I did get a decent harvest from both for several weeks. Put in pink eye Purple hull peas in the spot, all are sprouting nicely. When in doubt, plant a cowpea.

Things are otherwise doing pretty well, although, its on the downhill side of things for cucumbers, tomatoes and the french green beans.








Christmas lima beans.


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## hk

Covered up with early girl and healthkick tomatos.Eating them like candy.








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## hk

Starting to till and plant fall garden.One row of multiplying onions and first planting of Oregon sugarpod2peas in the ground.Will soon be planting radishes, lettuce,broccoli.mustard,spinach and carrots.When my okra patch starts to fall back I am going to plant some collards and turnips at my mothers request.Hope everyone has a great fall/winter garden.









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## hk

Received 4.24 inches of rain here in Pearland.Mustard and turnips will really take off with this cooler weather.Snow peas for supper.






Time to pick lemons.














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## Meadowlark

hk said:


> ...Snow peas for supper....


Man those look really good. I couldn't get my snow peas seeds this year in time for fall garden so great to see those!!


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## hk

Meadowlark if you have problems getting pea seeds next year let me know and I will send you all you need for the cost of shipping.I usually let a couple of quart jars worth go to seed each year.

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## hk

Early girl,Joe cocker ,beefmaster and sweet 100 tomatoes for this springs garden.Got tired of not being able to find plants that I wanted at a decent price and on the timeline I wanted them.Anyone else start their own tomato plants?









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## karstopo

I have 21 plants that are about ready to go from the six pack starter cells to 4â€ or bigger containers. Most are oddball open pollinated types. Some heart shaped, bi colors, some pinks, 1884, mortgage lifter, Pineapple, fishlake oxheart, japanese black trifele, KBX, Hoy, Giant Syrian, etc. 

Iâ€™ll give some of the sets to friends and then also buy some tried and true bulletproof hybrid sets at Reifels and save a few of the oddballs for myself as a test run. Donâ€™t want to necessarily bank on the heirlooms being all that productive, but itâ€™s nice to have some tomatoes that come in different colors and shapes and flavors.


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## karstopo

Here they are. German Queen is another in the mix. Iâ€™ll sort out later what I keep and what I give away.


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## hk

Looks good Karstopo.I have about 50 plants and give a bunch to Friends also.

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## karstopo

Chose today as warm as it is to repot the tomatoes and let them air out a little. These will be a gamble as I will likely put them the garden in not too far into February. Gambling on warm enough soil and not any frost. Thereâ€™s always Reifels if I lose.


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## hk

Turnip harvest from the other day.








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## Mattsfishin

HK those turnips look good. I got a bed ready yesterday to plant potatoes in this week and had to remove some mustard greens. Could not give any mustard greens away. I decided I would cook them and pulled about 8 or 9 small turnips to cook with the greens. They be sho nuff awesome. Had planned on cooking broccoli leaves but since I could not give the mustard away I cooked them. I love eating those small turnips.


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## 98aggie77566

karstopo said:


> Chose today as warm as it is to repot the tomatoes and let them air out a little. These will be a gamble as I will likely put them the garden in not too far into February. Gambling on warm enough soil and not any frost. Thereâ€™s always Reifels if I lose.


I tried to get a big head start last year.

Bought a small greenhouse on Amazon...LED grow lights and a small heater. Kids called it my â€œweed farmâ€.

Tomatoes did well in the greenhouse, but I gambled and the frost got them. Luckily I started a 2nd batch not too far behind and they made it.

I tried squash, zucchini and cucumbers...do not recommend. They just got incredibly tall and spindly....and very fast. When I planted them the wind tore them up within days.

Tomatoes and peppers seem to be about the only thing that worked...and I just decided to buy them at Reifels this year.


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## karstopo

98aggie77566 said:


> I tried to get a big head start last year.
> 
> Bought a small greenhouse on Amazon...LED grow lights and a small heater. Kids called it my â€œweed farmâ€.
> 
> Tomatoes did well in the greenhouse, but I gambled and the frost got them. Luckily I started a 2nd batch not too far behind and they made it.
> 
> I tried squash, zucchini and cucumbers...do not recommend. They just got incredibly tall and spindly....and very fast. When I planted them the wind tore them up within days.
> 
> Tomatoes and peppers seem to be about the only thing that worked...and I just decided to buy them at Reifels this year.


Yep, Reifels makes things easy. I just bought a grow light, one of these weird color multiple LEDs set in a grid thing off Amazon. Put it all on a shelf in my HVAC/water heater room. Most of the tomato seeds I planted germinated and hardly any of the peppers did, but the house has been on the cool side even in that warmer room. I bought some mostly open pollinated, some known and then maybe some not so well known varieties of tomato seeds that Reifels might or likely wouldnâ€™t have. Reifels does have a great variety of tomatoes. Not sure why I went through the trouble of ordering seed and doing all the rest, just something to mess with and keep busy. Way things have been in 2020, I wanted to make sure I could at least have a backup, more self sufficient plan and test it.

I have about enough larger containers that Iâ€™ll transplant the tomatoes into once they outgrow the 3-4â€ ones they are in now. By that time, the weather should certainly be good enough to put them in the garden.


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## hk

Mattsfishin said:


> HK those turnips look good. I got a bed ready yesterday to plant potatoes in this week and had to remove some mustard greens. Could not give any mustard greens away. I decided I would cook them and pulled about 8 or 9 small turnips to cook with the greens. They be sho nuff awesome. Had planned on cooking broccoli leaves but since I could not give the mustard away I cooked them. I love eating those small turnips.


Thanks Mattsfishin.I can eat a few,but my Parents and other Friends love them.

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## hk

Welcome to the jungle.Spring garden doing real good so far.Keeping my fingers crossed we dry out a little soon.Have lost some real nice gardens before from too much rain ,followed by some ninty plus days.Hope everyone has a productive garden.








































































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## WildThings

Very nice


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## hk

This weeks harvest.























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## karstopo

Shi****os going strong. Plenty of Maters


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## hk

Looks good Karstopo.Fried green tomatoes are on my menu tonight.

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## hk

Todays pickings.Yellow squash quit making and black beauty eggplant has failed to produce so far,but everything else is doing pretty good.

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## hk

Screwed up the picture load up.Here we go.









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## hk

Last couple of days pickings.Spring garden slowing down,but I have had decent production this year.Okra ,purple hull peas and a few pepper plants will be all I have for the summer garden.
















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## Mattsfishin

My tomatoes have not done so good this year. More than I can eat but not many. Blackberries have done really good. A little over 7 gallons so far and the chinese red noodle beans have gone crazy. Produced more this year than ever before. Over 300 pods and still going. I have left about 15 to give me seed for next year. Also built an arbor out of cattle panels and the luffas are doing good along with more chinese red noodle about to produce. Blue lake bush beans have done good and another planting is blooming now. Eggplant is starting to go crazy. 10 to 12 eggplant per bush on them now. Gotta pick eggplant today. Will fry up some to go with the crappie I caught yesterday. Will batter and fry some okra to go along with this. I like okra cut up and fried but frying whole and battered is some good stuff.


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## hk

Look's good Matt .Do you shell those beans or cut and eat .Have seen some chinese beans that supposedly grow to five feet or so are said to be tender as a blue lake greenbean.Have thought about trying them.

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## EndTuition

Not a garden pic but first batch of pickles ever. Wife is killing it. Boston pickling and Japanese cucumbers


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## karstopo

green beans, various peppers, and baby corn pickles. Really tasty.


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## homebrew




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## WildThings

WOW!!


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## EndTuition

You look like you're standing in a tropical jungle!


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## hk

Fall garden pictures.Broadleafmustard,turnips,cayenne jalapeno peppers,blackbeauty and millonaire eggplants,garlic,1015and bunching onions,danvers and scarlet nanes carrots,salad bowl blend lettuce,waltham broccoli just started from seed,oregon2 sugar peas, beets and two summer tomato plants(early girland healthkick) that are still producing.Lots of good eating this fall/winter.Hope all have a great garden.

































































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## hk

Installed some trellis for spring green beans.Eggplant,turnips and snow peas producing good.mustard produced good for a while,but bugs have destroyed it in the last couple of weeks.






























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## Mattsfishin

Looking good. I picked some turnips today and steamed them for lunch. Freeze took out my eggplant and peppers. Mustard greens went crazy and could not give them away. The bugs did get to them but I used spinosad to get rid of the bugs. I had cut the mustard back and was producing nice young leaves and the freeze hit. Trimmed them again today. Planted more carrots and turnips. Have 1000 onions growing. Will plant a few taters the end of the month and when he seed taters come in I will plant the rest. Will start some roselle soon inside. Have 2 avocados inside the house. If they get any bigger they will be too big for the house. Intend on planting the avocados in the ground this spring. The avocados should be able to live on their own this year. Also Have 4 shampoo ginger in the house. Lucky I ain't married or she would kick me and the plants out.


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## hk

The freeze took out my eggplant also Matt,but I had enough of them.I do have a millionaire eggplant that survived.I ordered some of the chinese and taiwan long beans that you have grown.I also purchased some chinese cucumber seeds that are supposed to be good.

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## Mattsfishin

I grow the chinese red noodle beans. They are a good pole bean. Always have some blue lake bush growing. If you can not get the chinese red noodle seeds let me know. I think I still have a few extra. Once you grow some you will have seeds for next year. Also got my seeds for the malabar spinach. Red and green.


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## hk

Picked a few carrots and turnips.Tomatos were from a friend's garden.Cooked fried green tomatoes and carrot/raisin salad for my parents today.Nephew provided homemade tamales from his in-laws.Finished it off with no bake cookies.Simple but good eating.









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## hk

Usually I grow danvers or danvers half long carrots.Decided to plant some scarlet nantes and they have done pretty good.Pulled up some yellow ones this morning out of the nantes row.









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## Mattsfishin

I have a question about the carrots that are deformed looking. I was told by a couple people that root nematodes will cause this. Can someone comment. Some of my carrots have done the same thing. I just picked up a 40 pound bag of crustacean meal to use and see if that will help. Thanks


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## hk

I always have several carrots that grow like that every year.Never read or studied about the cause.Most always grow normally.

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## hk

Sixty six tomato seeds started.Early girls,health kick and sweet 100's.Garden work done until spring planting time.Going to slay some white bass and pig hunt on the sabine for a couple of weeks soon.Good times with good friends.Stay safe and hope all have good gardening,fishing, and hunting success.









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## Mattsfishin

Looks good. This year I ain't starting any tomatoes. Will plant fewer and buy from Growers Outlet. I am getting my stuff ready to start some roselle, ashwagandha , and a few peppers. Going to plant red taters this week or next. I have raised beds and can cover incase a hard freeze. Have almost 20 ponds of taters.


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## karstopo

Been enjoying the fall winter garden. Big Flat head has been my favorite cabbage. Stonehead wasn’t bad either. The buttercrunch lettuce was great, but we ate it up and whatever was left was about to bolt. The Bibb lettuce has been really nice too and we still are picking that.

Shanghai bok choi did great, but we’ve eaten most of it. Spinach, Tuscan Kale, Napa Cabbage have been enjoyed. The. Napa cabbage is an aphid magnet. Broccoli, Carrots, and Brussels sprouts have a way to go. Maybe mid February into early March.

Been fun getting fresh vegetables from the garden. Grocery shopping isn’t what it used to be.


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## hk

Good looking bok choy.I buy it at the Hong Kong market close to my house.Did you start it from seed?I might try to grow some next year.

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## karstopo

Yes, grew from seed, from Kitazawa seed co. The shanghai green stem type. It’s a fast and easy crop to grow from seed with Low space needs. I plan on doing more next fall and winter and some additional varieties. We like it cut in half then quick grilled with a little minced garlic, ginger, soy, sesame oil, and sriracha or in various stir fries. Cooks very quickly. Supposed to be loaded with vitamins.


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## karstopo

Spinach has been one of the easier and more productive things and less fussy vegetables to grow in the fall and winter. It grows easily direct seeded into the garden, grows quickly, not a space hog and doesn’t seem to be a bug magnet either. Pick a few leaves off each plant and more grow to replace them. Bloomsdale Long Standing seems the most reliable, but I’ve grown others like Giant noble and viloflay.


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## Mattsfishin

Looks good. Have you grown any malabar spinach? I know it is not a true spinach but it grows good here in the summer. I grow both the red and the green. I need to get some warm clothes on and go outside to pick mussard greens and bok choy before it gets too cold and knocks these back.


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## karstopo

I haven’t grown Malabar spinach and don’t believe I’ve ever ate any. My buddy has grown it and says it grows fast in the heat. I didn’t grow a whole lot of anything last summer as I solarized my most of my beds from July to September.

I might pick some lettuce before it goes below freezing. It’s 38° right now. Supposed to get to 29° overnight here.


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## Mattsfishin

I have grown the malabar in big tubs. I am also going to solarize some of my beds. I have added enough beds where I can solarize half of them this year and the other half next year. The beds I don't solarize I will add a little extra crustacean meal to see if it helps fight the nematodes. I have a small bed where I grow a lot of luffas and the nematodes were really bad in it this year. I will try the meal in it since my arbor is over it. Next year I will see if I can get someone to help me move the arbor to another bed. I have greens on the stove cooking and cornbread in the oven. Going to eat good tonight and tomorrow.


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## hk

Tomato's all up and looking good.









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## Mattsfishin

They look good. I started 10 each of the red and green malabar today.


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## karstopo

Transition time here. Gradually on the way out are the cool weather crops and the warm weather ones are replacing them. Had a good year with Bloomsdale Spinach, that’s still productive, also with various cabbage, especially big flat head like the one pictured above, buttercrunch and bibb lettuce, tuscan kale, Shanghai bok choi all did well. 

Just planted a few pole bean, Nor’easter, Emerite, Carminat, spanish musica, and algarve, varieties, along with 16 various tomato, mix of hybrid and Op types. Potatoes are in the bed. Brazoria county ag extension has tomato sets going into the garden 2/20 To 3/15 so I really didn’t jump the gun all that much. Soil in beds was 62° when I set them out. 

More tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, green and possibly lima beans going in later, maybe some summer squash. Onions looking strong this year and carrots are just getting to the eating stage. Picked some broccoli and will pick a little more before those go. Brussels sprouts are about ready for harvest. Going to be a month of transition. I garden fork my soil in the various beds shown so it is pretty easy to piecemeal stuff in and out. Still figuring out what I like to grow and what works best when.


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## Mattsfishin

Garden looks good. I can not plant most of mine now due to the weather. Will freeze here tomorrow. Maters are waiting to be set free. Did plant 4- 20 foot rows of taters. Malabar spinach is starting to sprout along with lemon basil, ashwaghanda, and citrus thyme. Going tomorrow to pickup my gypsy peppers. Beds are waiting for it to warm up. Maybe in a couple weeks I will set the plants out and keep pots handy to cover incase of another freeze. Going to set out my shampoo ginger. They will be own there own from here on.


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## karstopo

That barely filled 4’x8’ raised bed is my tater box. I’ve got Kennebec, Red Pontiac and La Soda in there already. As they grow and get to around 6”, I‘ll add more soil, then repeat until the box won’t hold any more soil.

It’s always a risk putting in the tomatoes too early. I decided to roll the dice. Soil was warm enough. May or may not work. I’ll pick up more sets If I lose them to a frosty night. Most of these sets were from old seed that was already paid for. Seven of them I bought for less than $2 each. Not the end of the world to lose a few tomato sets to a later than expected freeze. Our average last freeze date here is February 15th. I’ve got a few more sets under some grow lights and will fill in the blanks with those and whatever Reifels has available.


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## hk

Thought about putting my tomato's out,but have decided to wait another couple of weeks.Got burned last year putting them out early.Another two weeks under the grow lights to play it safe.The big plants in the window sill are lemon boys tomato's and asian delight eggplant from garden center.









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## SeaOx 230C

Sunday afternoon I put out 7 Arkansas Travelers, 4 Brandywine, and 4 Matt's Wild Cherry.
Thes are big plants I started back in January. Two of the Brandywine have started showing flower clusters.

I have another 20 or so from sprouted to 4" in the greenhouse. So the if these get hot.by a frost I have some replacements.

I need to get my cucumbers going.

Okra seed will go right in the ground.


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## Mattsfishin

What kind of cucumbers are you planting? I usually don't grow them and yellow squash but going to try again this year. I like both but the borers get my squash and the cucumbers just did not do so good. I have good soil and maybe the bugs are gone. Been 4 years since any yellow squash. Will spray the squash with spinosad when the start to bloom. Will not spray the bloom.


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## karstopo

16 tomato plants already in the beds. 11 await their turn. Still have about 160 square feet to plant. Working on thinning out or consuming the winter crops of spinach, cabbage, kale, lettuce and escarole. Peppers also need to put on some size before getting their spots in the bed. Green beans sprouted nicely in spite of the marginal soil temperature. Gaps were almost certainly spots I missed based on the complete absence of any sprouting. I planted more seed in the gaps two days ago. Looking forward to some green beans. I think I have 5 different varieties in there. Emerite, Carminat, Northeaster, Algarve, and Spanish Musica. The last three are flat pod, romano types.

Trying a lot of new tomatoes this year, plus some old favorites.


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## karstopo




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## Meadowlark

karstopo said:


> Transition time here. Gradually on the way out are the cool weather crops and the warm weather ones are replacing them. ...


Never heard it called that, but it fits...early March is transition time here. Time to harvest the last of the carrots, the beets, and Brussels sprouts and prepare the soil for spring planting and spring cover/rotation crops. Still have some brock, cabbage, kale, and leaks going for another few weeks.


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## Mattsfishin

One of my beds with red taters. Backyard gardening can be productive. I enjoy my backyard garden. Will be covering my blue bananas tonight for the freeze coming this weekend. A couple of my bananas have made it thru the winter and I would hate to loose them now. I planted 1000 onions. Even planted the little tiny ones that I usually throw away and they are growing.


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## karstopo

Planted 13 pepper sets, Shi****o, pepperocini, Jimmy Nardello, and 7 more tomato sets out in the raised beds. Planted Alabama Black-Eyed Butterbeans and Maxibel and Velour bush beans.

Barring unforeseen garden disasters, I have 33 tomato plants which ought to keep the whole extended family in maters. Currently have 25 peppers out in the beds and have a dozen sets remaining. Have even more vegetables I’d like to plant, but I might wait a week or two.


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## Mattsfishin

They look good. I planted 8 tomatoe plants yesterday and will plant the remaining 12 this weekend. I know we might get another freeze so I came up with a plan. I have several 3 to 5 gallon planter pots that I tape the holes up and cover the plants with. About 10 at night I will toss in a hot hands packet. I have a lot of these left over and need to use them. I said I was not going to add anymore beds but I bought 44 concrete blocks today. Going to add a bed on 2 sides of the pergola I bought the other day. Found one 10 x 13 at a good price and it is soooo much cheaper than building one out of wood. used. Luffas will not know the difference.


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## karstopo

My 16 tomatoes I put in the beds around valentine’s day have had at least three near death experiences. I’m pretty close to the coast, but out a little rural and apparently in a cold spot. My big saving grace is a giant live oak just to the north of my garden. Very nearby weather stations have been at 32° or 31° three times since then, yet my tomatoes are largely unscathed. That big oak drives away the frost. 

I did lose some bush beans to the frost.

Being north of Houston makes a big difference in timing for putting out tender sets. The official Brazoria county planting calendar pretty much endorses the timing I use.


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## SeaOx 230C

Some of my tomatoes got nipped this last freeze last week. I covered them the first night. Then my wife convinced me it wasn't going to freeze. Hit 31 again the second night. 

Got some burn on the leaf edges, but all are still upright.

Ive got ten or so more in the greenhouse I need to set out.

Got a dozen jalapenos out. Have some hab, banana, and Hungarian wax I need t put out also.

I have 8 tomatoes in the greenhouse that are gong crazy. Several are two feet tall and covered in blooms. I have these in 5 gallon buckets. First year to hqve the greenhouse, learning what all I can do in it.


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## Meadowlark

karstopo said:


> ...Being north of Houston makes a big difference in timing for putting out tender sets. ...


That's absolutely true. I'm just north of Livingston and haven't set out my tomatoes or planted corn, beans, etc. only onions and potatoes. Soil temps just too cold. However, I have tilled in my alfalfa cover crop and prepared seed beds for planting probably this weekend. My experience says it does not pay to push Mother Nature.


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## karstopo

I have a 20” thermometer to check soil temperature, not that I put the probe in that deep. Soil temperature moves around a little, but more like how a deep pond water temperature might move around than the air temperatures. I’ve been checking soil temperatures out in the garden since early to mid February. So if the weather is cloudy and in the low 40° range and the soil temperatures are in the low 60° range, 48 hours of next to zero sunshine, forty something degrees air temperature might drive down the soil temperature at 6” a degree or two. Several warm and sunny days raise the soil temperature at depth by a few notches.

The soil temperature isn’t all that different than the 12’ deep lake I live on, moves around at about the same pace.

But, nearer to the surface of the soil, the temperatures swing more quickly. That is why one reason I like to get some leaf mulch down before too long after the plants get established. The mulch helps tame the temperature swings, like a layer of fiberglass insulation does in the home. A lot of vegetables have roots that are pretty shallow and get a little rain then a hot sun on bare earth and you will literally cook your tomato and other vegetable plants to death, especially in some of these dark clay soils.

I rake up live oak, water oak leaves that fall in February and March, along with cypress that fell earlier and any pine needles and that’s been my free, minus my going rate for labor, mulch source. Last year, the bamboo dropped literal tons of leaves after the big February freeze and I used that. That’s the best mulch I ever had. It’s almost white and reflective and lays down so smooth and nice. With all the trees and bamboo, mulch is one thing I don’t have to pay anything for.

One thing about gardening is that a lot of stuff that gets written by this or that expert might be written for someone in a growing zone that might as well be on the moon as it relates to something on the local level. You can seldom apply what some expert writing from New York or Ohio or North Carolina might say about what to do when as it relates to things here. One of my old neighbors gardened like he was living in Ft Worth or Jackson MS or someplace well north. He’d put in his tomato sets in the middle of April, we are 12 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. He’d get a little brief crop before the heat killed his tomatoes. He easily gave up on a month of the best tomato setting weather, for this location on the coast.


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## Mattsfishin

Good info. As you mentioned there is a lot said about planting and growing but it may not be good for the area we live in. I had someone tell me we can not grow bush beans in the summer here. I grow a fair amount in the summer but of course more in the spring and fall. I also started growing fall potatoes. I sometimes look for something different and experiment a couple years with this like my Blue Bananas. I think I have it down now. Had to sacrifice a couple years of harvesting to figure it out and learn how cold they can get. As you mentioned using mulch really helps on protecting from the sun. With my beds they can heat up faster and I get to plant earlier sometimes but the summer heat is hard on them and I use mulch around them. Another new one I am experimenting with is shampoo ginger. I have a couple places it likes in my yard and a couple places that will kill it from the summer heat.


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## Mattsfishin

My red tater bed. All came up but one. The freeze a few weeks back hit them some but they have came back.


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## karstopo

Mattsfishin said:


> My red tater bed. All came up but one. The freeze a few weeks back hit them some but they have came back.
> View attachment 4608253


Looking good! Do you add soil later or straw or something else? Potatoes seem to grow daily. Pontiac or LaSoda or something else?


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## karstopo

These are mostly Red Pontiac. There are a few LaSoda. And even fewer Kennebec. I added more soil today. Soil is nearing the top of the 14” high box. I put them in with maybe 2” of soil in the box. I planted these maybe the first week of February, but they weren’t very far along in their sprouting. The kennebec have really been lagging.









Alabama Black eyed butterbeans just now sprouting. Never grown these. The Christmas beans I grew a couple of years ago were alright, but I thought maybe something better is out there.








Various pole beans, Five kinds. About 3.5’ up the poles.








Getting lots of blossoms. Weather looks favorable for setting.


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## Mattsfishin

Your taters look good. I usually add a little more soil to mine. I did plant them the depth of the blocks. I think mine are red lasoda's. Can not remember at this time. Side effects of outpatient surgery this morning. My soil is still a little too cold to plant some of my seeds. Will try next week. Green beans will be blue lake bush beans and pole beans will be chinese red noodle. I need to start pulling more onions so I can plant the bush beans in the holes in the blocks.


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## hk

2022 garden shots.Gardens doing real good so far.


























































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## Mattsfishin

Looking good. I planted my noodle beans late this year and it will be couple weeks before they are ready. Got a bushel of green beans. Squash is going crazy. Seeing your pictures reminded me I forgot to plant the patty pan squash. I also have some roselle plants and a couple malabar spinach plants if anyone is coming thru Conroe.


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## hk

Mattsfishin said:


> Looking good. I planted my noodle beans late this year and it will be couple weeks before they are ready. Got a bushel of green beans. Squash is going crazy. Seeing your pictures reminded me I forgot to plant the patty pan squash. I also have some roselle plants and a couple malabar spinach plants if anyone is coming thru Conroe.


Thanks Matt.I got started a little late with my garden also.Better late than never. 

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## hk

Garden coming on strong now.









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## hk

Garden still producing a little.Okra really taking off.2 fifty foot rows and 1 thirty foot row making 5 or 6 pounds every couple of days.
















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## Meadowlark

That's a clever use of space for that okra. Very nice.

What type of watermelon. I grow Triple Crown seedless. 

I've been kind of cleaning up some stuff getting ready for fall planting. A peck of peppers picked today to wake up those plants from summer slumber and some delicious seedless watermelons to cool the pepper fire.


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## hk

Meadowlark said:


> That's a clever use of space for that okra. Very nice.
> 
> What type of watermelon. I grow Triple Crown seedless.
> 
> I've been kind of cleaning up some stuff getting ready for fall planting. A peck of peppers picked today to wake up those plants from summer slumber and some delicious seedless watermelons to cool the pepper fire.
> 
> 
> View attachment 4619301
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 4619302


Did not grow the watermelon.Wiggins farms out of Calvert.Been buying them at Aldi and Walmart.They have been really good this year.I use every square foot of full sun area on my small property.Nice looking peppers and watermelon meadow lark.

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## Meadowlark

Fall garden progressing along nicely. I'm growing a lot of my green leafy veggies in containers this fall to see how they perform. So far, so good.

Bok Choy











Buttercrunch/Sylestra lettuce











Green ice lettuce/carrots











Little gem/romaine lettuce











Cabbage


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## karstopo

I haven’t planted much for fall yet other than some Rolande bush filet beans. The first planting done in mid August is flowering. The second batch was planted September 1st when I dug up the peanuts.

I left in two tomato plants from the February planting, one Beefmaster and one Big beef. Beefmaster has some tomatoes and big beef is flowering once again. Most of the peppers planted early in the spring are still kicking out peppers. My black beauty eggplant always do better in the second half of summer and into the fall than they do earlier in the year.
I won’t do any cool season things until mid Octobe at the earliest.


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## Meadowlark

Fall Blue Lake pole beans.

Had a mediocre harvest in spring but the nice thing about Texas is you get a second chance.

First fall picking and should get two more pickings.... expecting to can about 15 quarts and eat the rest fresh.


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## Meadowlark

Grown, picked and canned in the fall are the best tasting green beans ever...


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## Meadowlark

First harvest of Bok Choy today from HK containers...several nore to go


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## WildThings

Meadowlark said:


> Grown, picked and canned in the fall are the best tasting green beans ever...
> 
> View attachment 4623117


Looks good ML. Are those pickled? If not do you have to pressure cook them?


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## Meadowlark

WildThings said:


> Looks good ML. Are those pickled? If not do you have to pressure cook them?


No not pickled but canned in their own juices using a pressure cooker.


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## fishingtwo

Meadowlark said:


> No not pickled but canned in their own juices using a pressure cooker.


So you can them after you cook them in the pressure cooker? I love me some green beans..and can actually grow them.


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## Meadowlark

Yes, we use a pressure cooker to preserve green beans and other low acid foods. The jars seal (canning) as the gases contract when cooling after using the pressure cooker to raise to high temps to kill any bacteria.


Second picking...more canning ahead


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## Meadowlark

Toad pumpkins just in time for Halloween. Last cold snap browned the leaves on the plant which does not tolerate cold well.


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## Meadowlark

Japanese persimmons offer a unique taste we use in breads, cakes, and muffins.


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## hk

Fall garden coming along.mustard,turnips carrots,broccoli,chard ,beets ,cabbage and lettuce.






























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## hk

Lots of collards also.

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## Meadowlark

First head of cabbage harvested today...came in at 9 pounds and 8 ounces and just over 9 inches across the head. 










Several more in line for harvest...hopefully continuous through winter.












Broccoli harvesting also in progress.


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## Meadowlark

More cabbage and cauliflower now coming in. 












Picked peppers ahead of the first frost last night.


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## Meadowlark

First of the fall/winter carrots coming in:


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## hk

Meadowlark said:


> First of the fall/winter carrots coming in:
> 
> 
> View attachment 4626123


Looks good Meadowlark.

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## karstopo

I‘m still getting a few tomatoes from my spring planted beefmaster and big beef.
















a couple of the fava bean patches pictured. The sprouted nicely and Seem to be growing well. I dug up all my bush beans. They gave me about a month of quality production. A few of the kohlrabi are about ready to pick. Maybe some lettuce will be ready in a week or so. Dinosaur kale getting close. Picking a few herbs like cilantro.


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