Thought I'd start a new thread with some current pics.
Here's a bird's eye view
General Discussions 2009 - Chapter 28
A little produce - almost time for some tomato canning.
Well done!
Oooo , beautiful , I'm jealous . You are going to be busy . digger
I'm not going to let my envy show! But I do have blossoms on some tomatoes. And we are getting greens. LOL
Way to go Kent! What a beautiful yard and garden you have there! I don't mind saying I'm very envious. I have a few maters coming soon I hope. Here's a view of the taller tomatoes in my hay bales. I have parsley, coriander, and marigold growing in between the tomato plants, as well as several grape tomato plants do pretty well, too.
Appreciate that, ya'll!
Russ: hang in there, big guy!
Bev: waiting to see that arch with tomatoes hanging from the top.
That's so neat and well tended, KentNC! Just beautiful - and a very nice harvest haul, too. :)
And I love that arch, Sundownr - I can't believe your tomatoes are so tall. I should have done at least ONE tomato in a bale - everyone's baled tomatoes are so lush and healthy looking!
I will *have* try a couple of fall tomatoes in the bales.
Kent: Me too!! I can't wait to see veggies hanging from above! I feel like a little kid waiting on Christmas, LOL!
Here's a view underneath the arch. The tomatoes from this end are not as tall as the ones on the other end, but they finally took a hold and are growing strong now. The green beans (KY Wonders) are on the left, along with a few cucumber plants that are still pretty small. Oh, I planted one luffa gourd about midway (on the bean side) to see what it would do, too.
Those are my "Possum Pots" hanging from the trellis supports... my version of Topsy-Turvy pots made from recycled 2-liter bottles, planted with grape tomatoes, and they're doing great, too!
I hope the rest of you are having as much fun as I am with this bale gardening!!
Everything looks pretty good. Bev, are you using cattle panels or hog wire? Your hoophouse looks pretty good. Are you going to put visquine on it to extend your season? I haven't decided whether or not I will do that.
Russ, has Gary been over to help out with the garden and goats? Are you milking the goats?
How are Barb, Connie, and Sandi? Bet everyone is pitching in. How are the sweet potatoes doing?
When are they going to fix your eye Russ? I have about 10 days to go on my other foot and then hopefully I will be able to walk good. I can hardly wait. It has been a long time. My poor garden and yard sure look it too. I just haven't been able to do very much this year and the weather just hasn't cooperated at all either.
I'm thinking that I might sell if I can. But, this area is like every other place, a lot of houses on the market and everyone needs to sell one before they can buy one.
Well, enough of the gloom, hope you all are doing good. The pictures look great.
Jeanette
O T . jnette , I had a house in ark . on the lake that is in a very depressed area . You notice I said , Had ! I sold that sucker on the 19th .I won't ever have to go by on the way to Tex. and mow the grass again . It was on the market several years and the realter (s) just had so many houses for sale, (the mill shut down) that no one was buying , so they only showed the high dollar, high comission homes . Keep the faith !
I had the best garden there , not like this Georgia clay . I got 12 bushels of toms on 10 betterboy plants. My best year ever .
Hopefully , you can run foot races next year . digger
Jeanette: We're using concrete re-mesh wire for the arched trellis (it was free), with hopes of covering it with some type of heavy clear plastic to use as a green house. I want to convert it to cattle panel next year if we can manage, those panels are expensive.... we'll just have to see what happens. Hope you're doing/feeling better soon lady!
I need advice-my watermelon plants are curling. Ive replaced them and had the same problem with the new plants. As soon as they go into the bales, they will curl in a few days. All the other melons are doing well. Any ideas? See attached picture. Anybody growing watermelons successfully?
Oh, a cute little watermelon there. :)
I'm curious as to whether the bales can hold enough water for melons?
green-green: you might give them a little more time and water more often. My big tomato transplants did the same thing. The leaves curled tightly under and were very dark green color. From what little bit of info I was able to find, the "curl" may be a stress situation caused by too much of something (water, fertilizer, heat, etc.), and is a temporary problem. The jist was, if the leaves are not yellow, pitted, or milky, but really dark green, then the plant is having too much of a good thing and doesn't know which direction to grow: roots, leaves, fruit. I'll have to see if I can find a link to the article to post... it was very helpful.
If extra watering doesn't help, then it may be too much water, so you would back off for a few days and see what happens. I had to flush my hay bales for a few days to keep them cool and/or dilute whatever had caused the problem (suspect fertilizer). They are fine now and growing monstrously (pic from today).
Thanks for the encouragement Sally and Bev. It just wasn't working the way my foot was so I insisted that they fix it even knowing it was probably going to mess up my summer growing. So, it was 6 of one or half a dozen of the other.
Yes, the cattle panels are expensive Bev, but how many would you need? If you check around you can probably find them cheapest. I paid $14.95 I think it was. The local feed store had them for $17. She charges a lot for hauling things up here. But, I paid $5 for alfalfa bales and she charges $13. So, as far as I'm concerned she can keep them.
But, I got 5 panels and am using 4 on the hoophouse which is just over 16 feet. That is plenty for my needs. But those panels are strong. I learned one thing tho, and that is not to cover them in the winter because the snow and ice caved them in. Other areas may not have that problem.
Sorry GG, I don't know melons. QG might have something there tho.
Jeanette
Thanks for the suggestions! The watermelons reside in the wetter row of bales. Funny thing is that the cantaloupes are in the same spot and they are perfectly happy. I'll try drying them out a bit and see if they perk up.
GG
Kent and Bev, your gardens look great! Keep those pictures coming, dreaming is all I have during the cold wet winter, planning what to grow and where to grow it. I love that arch, did you make it yourself?
Jeanette, good to hear your foot is almost better. Have you planted much yet? I hope you dont miss out on too much gardening. That would be an awful shame.
I cant wait to get started again, making plans for new things to try like corn and okra and maori potatoes. And sorting through the hundreds of tomato varieties I traded for, to find about 60 to plant. I am determined to keep the tomatoes down to a sensible number this year, Im running out of space to rotate my crops and the diseases are claiming their share. Its such a wasted effort. And because we plan to move in autumn, a reduced canning burden would be beneficial to the cause.
Im at mums in Russell this week, having a break before the next semester starts. When I get back I have one week of holidays left, and am going to try to build a small cold frame. The aim is to get a very small early crop of zuchini and tomatoes going soon after, see if we can get a ripe tomato before christmas (the ultimate challenge for the NZ gardener, not many succeed).
I have some fencing wire, and plenty of strong bamboo stakes, and ill buy some clear plastic. I need to make something sturdy enough to survive the strong wind, tall enough to let the tomatoes get to about 2ft underneath, and easily removable for when they get bigger and its warm enough to leave them outside. Ideally 3-5 plants would fit inside. Ideas, anyone?
Lena
We have had some good frosts lately, this was at 7am the morning of my last exam.
Poor little lettuces, the leaves were frozen solid. Im not usually up early enough to witness the frost, so it was a bit of a shock. Maybe I should build them a little shelter too.
Jeanette: Here, the cattle panels run over $20 /each. I would need 5 to replace all the sections of re-mesh wire presently in the arched trellis. I'll have to think about it some more after I price the clear plastic to see how much of what I can afford. Thanks for the snow load tip. Did you have any type of support posts under the panels when they failed?
GG: It must be the mixed field contents of the bales that cause one to do different things on either end. I had bales I couldn't part the hay to plant on one end, but the other end was completely mushy. Then, I had a couple of bales that over-heated on one end and burned a few of my plants. The plants on the other ends remained happy. Good luck with your melon plants!
Lena: The arched trellis was a family project, everyone helped out. I could not have done the job by myself at all. Did you lose any of your veggies from that frost? Good luck with your cold frame.
Bev
Lena, you don't get much snow there, how about a mini hoophouse?
Bev, we only had the Tee posts about 4 feet high on the sides. We had the boat in there for the winter. Normally, I don't think it would have happened, but the weather was just such that the snow froze into ice and then snowed on top of that until it got heavy. May not happen again in several years.
Anyway, Bob took each one out and laid them out in the driveway and flattened them and put them back. No big deal. Unless of course you are going to try to grow all winter.
Yes, a mini hoop house of some sort would be great. The kind that is easily transportable and can be stored away in summer. I need to work oout how to build one, and how to keep it from blowing away.
Lena
Jeanette: Yes, I wanted to see if I could keep salad veggies growing throughout the winter, as well as start seeds for next year's garden, in the arched trellis. I believe the metal fence posts and rebar structure will out live the old rusty re-mesh I'm using now. I'm glad to hear the cattle panels are so resilient.
I think then Bev that if you are going to heat it in the winter that you would want to maybe make it fairly small for winter and add to it in the spring if you want a bigger one. That would be very easy to do. That way too, you wouldn't have all of the expense at once. 2 panels would be 104 inches or almost 9 feet deep. And if you were going to heat it at all you wouldn't have the snow build up on top.
Lena, this would work for you too. But, you shouldn't need to keep it up very long in zone 9. Also, maybe you wouldn't need to heat it. You might have enough light/sun that it would do the same thing.
Jeanette
Jeanette; There is a tentative eye surgery date. However I am not sure I want to have surgery on my good eye. That is the other eye.
I am thinking of waiting a while longer, give some more time for healing of the bone structure around my eye and see about removing the steel plates, that are right in the area of the eye muscle above the eye. That is the mechanic in me talking. You know, fix what is broken, instead of attempting to make the other eye muscle act the same as the one that has scar tissue blocking some of the movement.
In the meantime, I have come up with a workable solution.
I started out with buying a cheap pair of magnifier glasses and just put them on over my older prescription glasses. In effect that makes the entire lens area into a bifocal and I can read, using the upper portion of the lenses. I know it sounds funny wearing two pairs of glasses at the same time but it worked. Then I had the optometrist make me a pair of reading glasses. When I don't have to look down like for normal reading, I can see pretty good, only minor double vision that I can focus out and read just fine.
I feel that my vision has improved, somewhat. If it keeps improving, I just won't have the surgery. I will be happy with what I do have.
Gary has been here pulling some weeds, however not enough.
I am doing most of it, just taking my time. The long rainy period, really made the weeds take over. I only work at it early morning and later in the evening. Then only on what I really want for Barb and I. Now would be a good time to have old carpet, to lay down between the rows.
I have plenty old newspapers but they require some thing to hold them in place. I should have had that laid down already before the weeds got their head start. But I'm not a super hero that can do all things.
Next year the garden gets cut back, so I have more time for fishing & camping.
Barb is still hurting her one hip just won't let up. It keeps her from any amount of walking. That don't help with trying to lose weight.
We are thinking, she may need a hip replaced.
Connie is still holding on. She tries to stay stress free, which helps to hold down on the headaches.
I am keeping hope that some how the other vein will enlarge enough to enhance the blood flow to the brain. To give her a near normal life.
Sandi & Ken are still renting that A Frame out in the country, which is too small for their furniture and appliances, and this house is furnished, so their things are still in storage in Alabama.
At least they are only a four or five hour drive from here. We see them more often now.
Are you in any therapy mode or is that coming up? I think I would go bonkers if I couldn't walk. I know it isn't easy to be on crutches but I've been there too and managed, so I guess we just make ourselves do it.
I guess if our gardens suffer from the extra weeds this year, we will be forgiven. Right???
If not somebody ought to step in and help!
Russ
Russ, it was good to hear from you. Do whatever you can to make it work without surgery. Only as a last resort. If you need some more glasses let me know. If 2 are good then 3 or 4 would be better. LOL
The carpet would have been good. I have great plans for next week when I get the rods out of my foot. I am hoping to put wet newspapers over the areas that need them and then to cover that with compost and steer manure. My perennials are finally getting to be a size where they are filling in and I am letting the roots go deep for water rather than watering much so that keeps the weeds down too.
Of all the surgeries I have had the hip was probably the easiest. If that is any consolation. I sure do hear you tho that it is hard to lose weight when you can't walk and exercise.
Other than that, the rest of your issues except for Connie don't sound too bad.
I have almost given up on having tomatoes this year, only taking care of the container plants on my deck.
I had a roofer come by to give me an estimate on a new one so am waiting for the bad news on that, and then I am looking to get another vehicle before winter. So, the money just keeps rolling out.
Well, Russ, keep those goats healthy they may need to go into the freezer this winter huh?
Jeanette
Russ: yep, 'preciate the updates. A lot of us are praying for you - for encouragement and healing.
Lena: this world is amazing! We're at 90+ all week in NC and you send up pics of frost!
We love having you with us at DG!
Hey Jeanette; That is the plan for my little Billy. First I need to take care of him. lol They are all getting pretty good size already. Hmmmm, goat burgers. Don't sound too bad. Might even make some jerky. Goat jerky
LOL
I decided against milking. with all I have that needs doing. Possibly next year but I won't make that decision just yet. I have some traveling I would like to do. Milking really ties a person down. Then if you want to go any where the milking still has to be done. By Gary???? Ha Ha!
The Nannies are still a little too wild yet anyway.
Just came in from the garden and got cleaned up. Pulled weeds from 2 more rows of beans. and from around some of the tomatoes.
I may go out in the morning for a while but with the wet weather we had the skeeter population is really up. I have a net that really helps. You wouldn't think that thin net would hold body heat but it does.
I need to get after the weeds in the melon patch. They would choke out really fast.
I think I can mow between the rows of sweet potatoes yet, then run the tiller that should take care of them until the vines spread out. and shade the weeds to keep them down to a low roar. I am going to try get all my bales this summer they will be bromegrass but cheap. The last bales we got we gave $3.00 per bale. If I can get them for that again. I'll load all I can on the pickup.
I redone the roof on our house, I don't believe I would try it again though. At least not on the steep part. I do have some shingles to replace though, about 30 or so got torn off in the last couple big wind storms. But for that I can tie a ladder to the truck on the other side of the house. Then I won't have to keep moving those brackets all the time for that small of area. But I have to wait a while before I can do that. I just Ain't up to it yet!
I have to face facts, I Ain't getting any younger. lol
If I had been smart, I might have replaced the roof with steel instead of shingles. That would have eliminated having to replace a few here and a few there.
Kent; I appreciate all the prayers. Although I'm not too down about it. I take it one step at a time. Do what I can and worry about the rest latter.
LOL.
Still working on the pickup trying to get the mileage boosted up a little more. Had it up to 29, but then I put the topper on and it went down. Think I will make a lid for the box. Get rid of the weight and wind resistance.
I have made a second hydrogen booster. I have to get really good mileage if I plan to make any long trips. I should be able to get it installed toward the end of the week. Saving my energy for cleaning up the weed patch.
Then on Wednesday I will take the Lutheran minister to the airport at 5:00 am. I find it strange that none of his congregation has offered. I don't mind though he is almost a regular at morning coffee and we have some pretty good laughs once in a while. He is a
German/ Canadian, his speach sgives him away.lol
He is flying to Toronto to visit his mother and she has a list of things for him to do, like the infamous honey do list.
Hey Kent don't get over heated in all this heat. Keep that iced tea handy.
Russ
For Heavens sake Russ, you have got to take it easy. Can't you get Gary or someone else to take the preacherman to the airport??? Sorry, maybe I shouldn't call him that.
Fixin' the pickup, weeding the melons, tomatoes, beans, sweet potatoes, and mosquitoes, I can't believe you doing this stuff in your condition. Do you even go to his church? Are you a part of his congregation? Why don't you call someone else to do that?
You are just too kind to do all that.
You have to take care of yourself.
Jeanette
Jnette , I think Russ is overdoing it too . But Russ is just being Russ . I guess that's why we all love him , and worry over him . digger
Sometimes people heal better when they are working and helping others. :)
My Dad was 77 years old, working as a maintenance man at a nursing home. He didn't have to work, he just wanted to. Visitors would pass by and say that it was terrible that the facility made it's residents work there. He was a great guy!
Jeanette; He is a friend and no I don't go to his church. I do things like that willingly. I know this may seem strange but in my and Barbs list of friends, you will find 4 pastors and several deacons. Now either they think help, or they are just The kind of friend I look for lol.
And now the pickup; That is my special project. Who else would I be able to have, to do that kind of thing. Certainly no auto dealership would do it. They would simply say your vehicle wasn't designed for that, it won't work.
Right now I am only making a little over 1/2 Liter of hydrogen and oxygen.
I need at least 1-1/2 liters, In order to make a significant increase in mileage.
I did get 29mpg on one trip but with the topper on it only gets 23.
Not that, that is bad, I want it to do 30+ consistently.
I don't have access to all the technical help I need but experimenting is fun and it seems to be coming together.
With my limited budget, I think things are coming together nicely. Just takes a while longer.
Well gotta run.
Russ
Ok Russ, I won't scold you any more. I know that keeping busy is good for the soul. Especially the mind. Good luck with the 30 mpg and we will all hold a big party when you get there. Consistently. LOL
Jeanette
I may hold you to that. Do we need the whistle party favors???
We could just squeeze a little rubber ducky. We can toast with a bottle of Bubble Up. LOL
I know I will have a smile on my face!
We all will. I will settle for a nice long drink of the Bubble Up about now. Do I have to wait for the 30 mpg? LOL You can tell I have been working outside can't you. Just on the deck. trying to clean it off. Seems always something.
Jeanette
I just had some cranberry/ pomegranate. So no need to wait. lol
I would say, you have a valid excuse for needing that sip. getting around on a bum foot and working outside as well. Yeah I would say so.
Oh I cleaned up the melon patch the easy way. pulled the weeds around each plant, then mow off the rest and use the tiller to get the roots out. Too bad to just pull them all.
next the tomatoes, possibly later this evening. I may pull those and lay them on paper around the base of the plants. I feel like I'm making some headway. Just gotta take it easy an work on it when it's not so hot out.
I think I have room to do the same with 3/4 of them. So I might get ahead of the weed problem yet.
I really do want to get all my bales ASAP.
Oh FYI, I have corn planted where I had the bales 2 years ago. That is the tallest and greenest corn of all. That is all that tea I fed the tomatoes.
Kent, I have got to tell you that you made a lot of points with Janet from Ohio who needed articles for her news letter. She was so appreciative of your talking to her and it is too bad you guys couldn't get together for her club. You would have been a real hit.
Jeanette
Maybe, one day! :-)