My garden 2010
- Thread starter Dor
- Start date
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I'm all too familiar with the pay more for less concept. But, when you are buying items by count, in this case the bunches are to be between 55 and 75 plants each with the sale unit being two bunches per "offer". That doesn't leave a lot of room for interpretation beyond that the buyer should receive between 110 and 175 plants. They probably bundle them by weight rather than piece count but if that be the case they should be selling by weight.
At any rate, I emailed them and I have a confirmed order for another shipment for the 2011 season.
And I thought I was the only one doing that. I built an entire picket fence for my garden one time from the wooden stakes they used to use. My husband thought I was crazy! Recycling at it's best !
I tend to think that my recycling activities are such that at least one good thing comes out of the elections.
He told me just this morning that I never cease to amaze him.
Not sure if that's good or not!?
I am so sorry about your gardens Nanci. I had it happen to me too in late spring. I sent my grandson out to water my raised beds in the afternoon and I decided to check right as the sun went down. Water was all over the yard and the beds were bone dry. I guess he only played in the water. My water bill shot up that month.
Thanks Dawn. I bought one of those three legged folding trellis at Walmart last year and decided to grow my cucumbers up it since they were running everywhere. The bush ones are ok with a trellis but these I sowed are not bush and they are just running and love the trellis. I might have enough for some pickles after all.
Alan in Vermont
New Member
I'm all too familiar with the pay more for less concept. But, when you are buying items by count, in this case the bunches are to be between 55 and 75 plants each with the sale unit being two bunches per "offer". That doesn't leave a lot of room for interpretation beyond that the buyer should receive between 110 and 175 plants. They probably bundle them by weight rather than piece count but if that be the case they should be selling by weight.
At any rate, I emailed them and I have a confirmed order for another shipment for the 2011 season.
Alan in Vermont
New Member
Nice crop of flags so far
I planted a lot of cucurbits this year. Since the plot is odd shaped and also since bush type cucumbers need less room tham Prizewinner pumpkins it is hard to keep things relatively organized.
With the (seemingly) haphazard way I was planting I needed a way to keep track of what was where until the plants were big enough to see and avoid.
Enter the world of the scrounger! Free signboard and old political signs to the rescue.
On election night I snatch up campaign signs. Some of the ones that are heavy plastic sleeves over a bent wire hoop are the same size as the signs I use for the farmers market. Buying in small lots the wires cost more than the signs do, "Thank you Mr. Slimeball Candidate!"
Some are a plastic board, looks almost like corrugated cardboard. Hard to cover the writing but it can be done. They make good material for hand lettered signs.
All of them have very stout wire frames. I used some of the "H" shaped legs, cot down and brazed together so they are only 4" wide to make really tall labels for the pumpkins.
Because it is such a pain to cover the writing on the corrugated material I went looking for new stuff. Sign shops buy it in big sheets, they generate leftovers that are too small or odd sized for their use. SCRAP!! Scrap is good!
The only thing I bought was a bundle of the small marking flags the underground locator people use. $10 for a bundle of 100 and they can be reused.
Here's part of my crop of flags. Where I had a long row I would use a small sign at each end and flags every 10' or so. Hilled seeds I stuck a flag/label in each hill. The labels are pretty cryptic, "Home PW" translates to "Prizewinners from saved seed".
Corn is coming nicely. So far I have been able to keep the ^$!@%$& crows out. Crow body count is coming along nicely as well.
I planted a lot of cucurbits this year. Since the plot is odd shaped and also since bush type cucumbers need less room tham Prizewinner pumpkins it is hard to keep things relatively organized.
With the (seemingly) haphazard way I was planting I needed a way to keep track of what was where until the plants were big enough to see and avoid.
Enter the world of the scrounger! Free signboard and old political signs to the rescue.
On election night I snatch up campaign signs. Some of the ones that are heavy plastic sleeves over a bent wire hoop are the same size as the signs I use for the farmers market. Buying in small lots the wires cost more than the signs do, "Thank you Mr. Slimeball Candidate!"
Some are a plastic board, looks almost like corrugated cardboard. Hard to cover the writing but it can be done. They make good material for hand lettered signs.
All of them have very stout wire frames. I used some of the "H" shaped legs, cot down and brazed together so they are only 4" wide to make really tall labels for the pumpkins.
Because it is such a pain to cover the writing on the corrugated material I went looking for new stuff. Sign shops buy it in big sheets, they generate leftovers that are too small or odd sized for their use. SCRAP!! Scrap is good!
The only thing I bought was a bundle of the small marking flags the underground locator people use. $10 for a bundle of 100 and they can be reused.
Here's part of my crop of flags. Where I had a long row I would use a small sign at each end and flags every 10' or so. Hilled seeds I stuck a flag/label in each hill. The labels are pretty cryptic, "Home PW" translates to "Prizewinners from saved seed".
Corn is coming nicely. So far I have been able to keep the ^$!@%$& crows out. Crow body count is coming along nicely as well.
Attachments
Alan in Vermont
New Member
Because the worst crow activity is very early morning I have to keep the noise level down, no point upsetting the neighbors, especially in light of the questionable legality of dumping these things. That leaves me only one option for ammunition, a low power round, the "CB Long". Much as I wish otherwise it is not a quick killer all the time. It's running about 50/50 at this point, three that were obliging enough to die instantly and three that were able to lift off and make it over the field of scrub brush and weeds behind the garden before they folded up and went in. That was also the resting place of the first ones who were courteous enough to die on site. The last one who died on the spot got spread eagled in the middle of the garden and that seems to have convinced the brethren that this is not a fun place. I think it has been six days now and I have not seen one crow fly over, they get about 100 yds out and veer off.
And I thought I was the only one doing that. I built an entire picket fence for my garden one time from the wooden stakes they used to use. My husband thought I was crazy! Recycling at it's best !
Alan in Vermont
New Member
I tend to think that my recycling activities are such that at least one good thing comes out of the elections.
Alan in Vermont
New Member
I set out plants for an experiment this morning. Conventional wisdom is that broccoli will bolt in hot weather. Granted, this year my original batch was set out so late it is probably in trouble already, but I already had seeds started for a "second crop". I dug out my super cheapo planting auger(recycled metal toolshed anchor) and set out 37 plants. We'll see how they do in the heat. They are planted where they will see shade from about noon onwards, I'm hoping that will slow down the effect of mid-summer heat.
I looked at store bought planting augers and the prices are fit to cause panic. I looked at tie out stakes for dogs and livestock, not the bent wire curliques but the ones that sort of look like a post hole dogger bit. Those were less money but still a bit steep for my tastes. Late last summer I was helping a buddy with some project (CRS) and there was an auger, an absolutely perfect starting point. He had three of them from an illfated tin shed he assembled and left sitting without being tied down. One thunderstorm later the shed was wadded up, the tie down augers unused. I ended up with three of them. There was a loop on the top for an attaching point. That came off in mere seconds on the saw. I had to grind a bevel edge on the cutting edge but the shank was 1/2" already so it fit nicely in my cordless drill. The length is just right that I can bore planting holes, 4" dia., while standing naturally erect, so there goes one cause of back strain.
I looked at store bought planting augers and the prices are fit to cause panic. I looked at tie out stakes for dogs and livestock, not the bent wire curliques but the ones that sort of look like a post hole dogger bit. Those were less money but still a bit steep for my tastes. Late last summer I was helping a buddy with some project (CRS) and there was an auger, an absolutely perfect starting point. He had three of them from an illfated tin shed he assembled and left sitting without being tied down. One thunderstorm later the shed was wadded up, the tie down augers unused. I ended up with three of them. There was a loop on the top for an attaching point. That came off in mere seconds on the saw. I had to grind a bevel edge on the cutting edge but the shank was 1/2" already so it fit nicely in my cordless drill. The length is just right that I can bore planting holes, 4" dia., while standing naturally erect, so there goes one cause of back strain.
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He told me just this morning that I never cease to amaze him.
Not sure if that's good or not!?
Dor
Active Member
The heat and my garden
My little garden is still trying to hang on. My tomatoes aren't doing anything but they are all indeterminate so I am hoping I will get some some this month. I have a few in peat pots so that I will have some later. My sweet one million still has tomatoes. Here's some pics of what is left. I want to pull the tomatoes in one bed and plant butter peas and purple hull peas.
My little garden is still trying to hang on. My tomatoes aren't doing anything but they are all indeterminate so I am hoping I will get some some this month. I have a few in peat pots so that I will have some later. My sweet one million still has tomatoes. Here's some pics of what is left. I want to pull the tomatoes in one bed and plant butter peas and purple hull peas.
Attachments
Dor ,
Yours looks good. My tomatoes were suffering. I was watering on Sunday and forgot ( Guess I thought I did) to turn the water off. I walked out yesterday and was just sick. The water has been running since Sunday and everything is just wilted and droopy. I had about 3 inches of standing water in the garden. I am just not having a good garden year.
Yours looks good. My tomatoes were suffering. I was watering on Sunday and forgot ( Guess I thought I did) to turn the water off. I walked out yesterday and was just sick. The water has been running since Sunday and everything is just wilted and droopy. I had about 3 inches of standing water in the garden. I am just not having a good garden year.
Dor
Active Member
Dor ,
Yours looks good. My tomatoes were suffering. I was watering on Sunday and forgot ( Guess I thought I did) to turn the water off. I walked out yesterday and was just sick. The water has been running since Sunday and everything is just wilted and droopy. I had about 3 inches of standing water in the garden. I am just not having a good garden year.
I am so sorry about your gardens Nanci. I had it happen to me too in late spring. I sent my grandson out to water my raised beds in the afternoon and I decided to check right as the sun went down. Water was all over the yard and the beds were bone dry. I guess he only played in the water. My water bill shot up that month.
Dor
Active Member
Thanks Dawn. I bought one of those three legged folding trellis at Walmart last year and decided to grow my cucumbers up it since they were running everywhere. The bush ones are ok with a trellis but these I sowed are not bush and they are just running and love the trellis. I might have enough for some pickles after all.
Alan in Vermont
New Member
Things are just a bit gloomy here this fall, garden season is winding down, and not one second too soon.
My normal goals are to have all we want or can pass on to non-gardening friends and enough to sell to pay for next years' seed and fertilizer.
This year has been just about a bust. Not trying to be a whiner, I realize that sometimes things just flat go bad. I've also picked up a bit of the stoic attitude that farmers show in the face of adversity, "Next year will be better!"
I was handicapped by my bunged up wing to the extent that what might have been 10-12 days work, getting tillage done, took the better part of a month. The result was that almost nothing got planted on time.
Once things started growing there was a growing list of things going wrong to keep me amused.
Virtually all the cucurbits(sp) went in within a 2 day period. No changes in soil conditions and, doing it all myself meant it was all planted the same. Here's how they shaped up: I put in 2 packs ea of Snack Jack and Triple Treat pumpkins, both from Burpee's and both have hulless seeds. Out of all four packs I got Tom, Dick and Harry growing. Two packs of Waltham Butternut squash went in, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came up.
You know it's bad when you can name them!
I think there were five varieties of cucumbers, three did so-so, two were disasters.
Prizewinner pumpkins were planted from saved seed. The resulting fruit are NOT gonna win any prizes. Maybe cross polination of last years crop or genetic fading,, no idea except that if it weren't for what I got from the saved seed I would have no PWs this year. I had two packs of new seed, planted as insurance, that never sent up a sprout.
I had started cauliflower, brocolli and cabbages. The cauliflower got hit first, followed by the brocolli and cabbages. Eaten off right to the ground over a couple nights time. Had to be some sort of bug but I never found a smoking gun. Out of the three species I did get a few cabbages that didn't split (too much rain at just the wrong time) or get some sort of slimy, stinky, black rot. Out of 80+ plants that I set out I got less than 20 cabbages. Those went to the local food shelf.
I set out 48 tomato plants in mid-May. Lost three the first week to a few days of 90+° temps. The survivors were doing good until a spell of serious rain, at the wrong time had them splitting. Some of the remaining fruit healed and kept growing and the green fruit started ripening,,, only to get steamrollered by late blight. We saved what we could by making soup stock.
Nothing was coming off regular enough to make it worthwhile to take it to market. I was hoping for a good corn crop but that was also not meant to be.
I tried "Seneca Arrowhead" this year, looking for a short seasoned bi-color. This one has the growing days but was underwhelming to a fault. My planter was setting the seeds in double and triple lumps. Theoretical seed count was just about right but the undesired hill drop planting caused it to fight for space. Lots of small, 4" or less, ears and not a real good flavor. Won't play with that again next year.
Had Early Sunglow planted as well, it didn't do squat either.
We've had all we wanted, I picked 20-25 dozen and took it to the food shelf. Everything left, and there was a lot, was either too small to sell or gone by. I wish I had a couple pigs to feed it to.
Had a few things go good as well. Started onions from seed, they are starting to die back now. I will do those another year.
I planted a lot of Acorn Squash as I had a standing order for several hundred to go to the local diner. One batch did really well and partly offset the several plantings that did just about nothing. The good ones were "Tay Belle", the bad ones were a couple different brands of "Table Queen" The first of those were planted 5-9 and four more batches 10-14 days apart. So far I have taken 80 Tay Belle to the diner and not a one of the Table Queen yet. The Tay Belle were planted 6/4. There are a lot of squash on the others but not maturing worth beans. There are even a few that are a light cream color, I have no clue where those came from but I'm going to save seeds from them if they have agreeable taste and texture. I think the color will go good served as baked halves at the diner.
The $30 I got for those squash are all I have had for saleable produce this year.
Some of the pumpkins are doing really well with one monster too big for me to even make it wiggle.
Popcorn and broomcorm are both doing real good. There is going to be a learning curve to deal with, I told the granddaughter that we would have a try at making her a witches broom out of our broomcorm. That stuff is ginormous!!, some of it over 14 feet tall with stalks too hard to cut with a knife. I cut one stalk, right above the brace roots, and had to use my pruners to cut it as a knife would not make a mark.
OK,, whine mode is now off, things will be better next year.
My normal goals are to have all we want or can pass on to non-gardening friends and enough to sell to pay for next years' seed and fertilizer.
This year has been just about a bust. Not trying to be a whiner, I realize that sometimes things just flat go bad. I've also picked up a bit of the stoic attitude that farmers show in the face of adversity, "Next year will be better!"
I was handicapped by my bunged up wing to the extent that what might have been 10-12 days work, getting tillage done, took the better part of a month. The result was that almost nothing got planted on time.
Once things started growing there was a growing list of things going wrong to keep me amused.
Virtually all the cucurbits(sp) went in within a 2 day period. No changes in soil conditions and, doing it all myself meant it was all planted the same. Here's how they shaped up: I put in 2 packs ea of Snack Jack and Triple Treat pumpkins, both from Burpee's and both have hulless seeds. Out of all four packs I got Tom, Dick and Harry growing. Two packs of Waltham Butternut squash went in, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came up.
You know it's bad when you can name them!
I think there were five varieties of cucumbers, three did so-so, two were disasters.
Prizewinner pumpkins were planted from saved seed. The resulting fruit are NOT gonna win any prizes. Maybe cross polination of last years crop or genetic fading,, no idea except that if it weren't for what I got from the saved seed I would have no PWs this year. I had two packs of new seed, planted as insurance, that never sent up a sprout.
I had started cauliflower, brocolli and cabbages. The cauliflower got hit first, followed by the brocolli and cabbages. Eaten off right to the ground over a couple nights time. Had to be some sort of bug but I never found a smoking gun. Out of the three species I did get a few cabbages that didn't split (too much rain at just the wrong time) or get some sort of slimy, stinky, black rot. Out of 80+ plants that I set out I got less than 20 cabbages. Those went to the local food shelf.
I set out 48 tomato plants in mid-May. Lost three the first week to a few days of 90+° temps. The survivors were doing good until a spell of serious rain, at the wrong time had them splitting. Some of the remaining fruit healed and kept growing and the green fruit started ripening,,, only to get steamrollered by late blight. We saved what we could by making soup stock.
Nothing was coming off regular enough to make it worthwhile to take it to market. I was hoping for a good corn crop but that was also not meant to be.
I tried "Seneca Arrowhead" this year, looking for a short seasoned bi-color. This one has the growing days but was underwhelming to a fault. My planter was setting the seeds in double and triple lumps. Theoretical seed count was just about right but the undesired hill drop planting caused it to fight for space. Lots of small, 4" or less, ears and not a real good flavor. Won't play with that again next year.
Had Early Sunglow planted as well, it didn't do squat either.
We've had all we wanted, I picked 20-25 dozen and took it to the food shelf. Everything left, and there was a lot, was either too small to sell or gone by. I wish I had a couple pigs to feed it to.
Had a few things go good as well. Started onions from seed, they are starting to die back now. I will do those another year.
I planted a lot of Acorn Squash as I had a standing order for several hundred to go to the local diner. One batch did really well and partly offset the several plantings that did just about nothing. The good ones were "Tay Belle", the bad ones were a couple different brands of "Table Queen" The first of those were planted 5-9 and four more batches 10-14 days apart. So far I have taken 80 Tay Belle to the diner and not a one of the Table Queen yet. The Tay Belle were planted 6/4. There are a lot of squash on the others but not maturing worth beans. There are even a few that are a light cream color, I have no clue where those came from but I'm going to save seeds from them if they have agreeable taste and texture. I think the color will go good served as baked halves at the diner.
The $30 I got for those squash are all I have had for saleable produce this year.
Some of the pumpkins are doing really well with one monster too big for me to even make it wiggle.
Popcorn and broomcorm are both doing real good. There is going to be a learning curve to deal with, I told the granddaughter that we would have a try at making her a witches broom out of our broomcorm. That stuff is ginormous!!, some of it over 14 feet tall with stalks too hard to cut with a knife. I cut one stalk, right above the brace roots, and had to use my pruners to cut it as a knife would not make a mark.
OK,, whine mode is now off, things will be better next year.
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