Re: N&C Midwest: August 2016; Hot Stuff!

landarch 8/19/2016, 9:19 am

I ripped up some old cucumber vines and reseeded - 60 days should have been enough time to pick some off of new plants before frost. Anyway, the seeds germinated in 2-3 days and are growing...and being ravaged by insects and disease. must be something in my soil. meanwhile, some of the vines I did not rip out seem to be thriving in the relatively cooler weather in the last week or so.

I have about 50% germination on my fall beets (not so good)...need to reseed bare spots...fall carrots are looking good.

I started flats of fall lettuce and chinese cabbage and moved outside as soon as they germinated...plants are still getting leggy in the sunshine.

**llama momma** 8/19/2016, 1:49 pm

Dried a very small test patch of black turtle beans. Since they are thin skinned and cook fast according to several articles I read, going to cook it tonight and see if the flavor is superior to store bought. Already anticipate growing more next season. How perfect is a plant that puts nitrogen back into soil and provides a nice veggie protein source?
eggplant - N&C Midwest: August 2016; Hot Stuff! - Page 3 Untitl16

eggplant - N&C Midwest: August 2016; Hot Stuff! - Page 3 Untitl16

**Scorpio Rising** 8/19/2016, 6:19 pm

I am starting lettuce and radishes tomorrow, and having a monumental harvest day! I have not been out there in 2 weeks except to find my split-by-the-rain melon! Motrin, pre-session might be in order! Rolling Eyes

**Scorpio Rising** 8/19/2016, 6:21 pm

llama momma wrote:Dried a very small test patch of black turtle beans. Since they are thin skinned and cook fast according to several articles I read, going to cook it tonight and see if the flavor is superior to store bought. Already anticipate growing more next season. How perfect is a plant that puts nitrogen back into soil and provides a nice veggie protein source?

Are these black beans like the ones at Krogers in the bags?

**llama momma** 8/19/2016, 8:00 pm

I suppose so !

**Scorpio Rising** 8/20/2016, 1:05 pm

llama momma wrote:I suppose so !

I love Them! How were they to Grow? How many per square?

**Scorpio Rising** 8/20/2016, 1:10 pm

Just spent some time doing garden hygiene towards the end of summer. Took out 4 plants: My Ox Heart and German Green tomato plants were "supported" by those green plastic coated steel 8' poles--snapped. Maters rotting, plants wrecked. Game over. Next, my early white scallop in the old box had succumbed to SVB. And the kale was just done. Trimmed stuff up, harvested pole beans, lots of peppers, tomatoes, and ground cherries, a couple melons.

Anybody else get itchy when harvesting pole beans? All over my arms and hands? I hate that!

**llama momma** 8/20/2016, 1:46 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:
llama momma wrote:I suppose so !
I love Them! How were they to Grow? How many per square?

4 per square. Grown in a table top. Putting them in a ground box next time. Heard the plants should have grown taller. Lettuce does great in my table top, I haven't been terribly impressed with other things, though. That's been my experience.

**Scorpio Rising** 8/20/2016, 10:17 pm

llama momma wrote:
Scorpio Rising wrote:
llama momma wrote:I suppose so !
I love Them! How were they to Grow? How many per square?

4 per square. Grown in a table top. Putting them in a ground box next time. Heard the plants should have grown taller. Lettuce does great in my table top, I haven't been terribly impressed with other things, though. That's been my experience.

I have no TT, but some containers. The containers need lots more attention as far as watering....my regular boxes were still nice and watered from our recent rains, but the containers on the South Annex....dry.

Not sure I will grow them,you will have to keep us posted as far as taste!

landarch 8/22/2016, 9:19 am

I've been picking some great tomatoes lately...I have not hardly watered at all this year in the community garden so I think roots went deep to get plants through hot, dry weather. That said, I went out yesterday morning to plant fall carrot and beet seeds and my mels mix was already dried out (just had 1/2" of rain a couple days ago)...and the garden well is dry so no chance of watering in seeds or keeping seedlings watered without significant rain...so I passed and decided to concentrate on the SDG boxes at home.

**Scorpio Rising** 8/22/2016, 3:34 pm

I have spinach seeds germinating in the fridge the Citizen Kate method. I have room fot spinach, radishes, lettuces and a chard. I get overwhelmed by leaves.

herblover 8/22/2016, 9:23 pm

Finally have come up for air after everything happening this year with Mom's death. I have managed to keep up with my garden except the tomotoes which are crazy! Especially when i discovered that 2 varieties had been mislabeled and I have 4 cherry types. Soooo..I am picking 50-100/day and trying to find uses for them. Garlic a bust but I did get a batch of freezer pickles from my cucumber plant, which is now not looking too good. Kale and chard doing well except for the Bambi raids on the chard. Have planted the last carrots, first fall radishes, lettuce and spinach this week.

**sanderson** 8/23/2016, 3:06 am

Herblover, I'm sorry to hear about your Mother. May I offer my condolences.

**AtlantaMarie** 8/23/2016, 8:00 am

Herblover, I'm so sorry about your mom... And glad you're finally able to breathe again!

landarch 8/23/2016, 6:43 pm

Herblover, sorry for your loss. Keeping up with tomatoes has been a challenge for me as well...it's weird, eventhough it's been a hot and dry year, tomatoes are starting to roll in and I can't make it to the community garden enough before some over-ripen on the vine. There are some great looking green tomatoes still developing...and some are on the verge of being just perfect, I just need to get there in time.

Granny Cantrel, Carbon, and Health Kick have been my best so far.

**Scorpio Rising** 8/23/2016, 9:35 pm

So sorry, Herblover. It does take a step out of your walk.

As for the garden, I had to take 2 tomato plants out last weekend, falling over, broken supports, rotting and cracked fruits.....mega hard trim on what is left. Will see! Did open up,the box for the peppers, which are doing well.

Glad you are back in the garden! I love you

**llama momma** 8/24/2016, 8:43 pm

Herblover,

I am so sorry for your very tough loss. I remember you telling me your Mom taught you canning and you did pressure canning with her too.

Hope you find peace in your garden.
Hugs,
LM/Gina

**Scorpio Rising** 8/24/2016, 9:59 pm

Trying to figure out where to put some fall stuff. Spinach seeds doing nothing.....but no heating pad either. Cukes coming to an end. Clean out again this weekend. Rain teasing, thunder but zero rainfall!

BeetlesPerSqFt 8/25/2016, 7:29 pm

sanderson wrote:Your avatar reminded me that I stored the cantaloupe I picked yesterday (?) and the split butternut in the oven. The cleaning ladies were coming and I didn't want to put them in the frig (cold fruit hurts my teeth) and it was too hot outside, even just for an hour. Thank you!

Good thing you remembered! That could have been an unpleasant discovery later...

**Scorpio Rising** 8/25/2016, 9:17 pm

Oooooo, yeah, that could have been bad! What a Face

I have really enjoyed the melons thus far. Sakatas Sweet with its honeydew flavor and tender edible rind, and ?Minnesota Midget for a personal cantaloupe! Super tasty and sweet, both of them. Still awaiting my Blacktail Mountain watermelon.....soon, Igor! bounce

landarch 8/26/2016, 4:29 pm

scorpio...use CitizenKate's method to germinate spinach...nip the seed coat with clippers, place in a wet paper towel in fridge overnight...they do not like heat to germinate.

**Scorpio Rising** 8/26/2016, 7:09 pm

landarch wrote:scorpio...use CitizenKate's method to germinate spinach...nip the seed coat with clippers, place in a wet paper towel in fridge overnight...they do not like heat to germinate.

Remembered! Thanks! I did have great success with that this spring. Where is Kate?

**Scorpio Rising** 8/28/2016, 11:10 am

Planted my slightly germinated spinach in the SFG. Today, radishes and lettuces.

Robbomb116 8/28/2016, 12:25 pm

Thinned my radishes today. Put the seedlings in a salad. Officially the first thing I've eaten from my garden!

**sanderson** 8/28/2016, 4:21 pm

Robbomb116 wrote:Thinned my radishes today. Put the seedlings in a salad. Officially the first thing I've eaten from my garden!

This is just the start of your fresh organic veggies! smiles

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