Harvest - tomatillos, cherokee, okra

markqz 8/3/2022, 11:17 pm

An assortment of items harvested. Two cherokees, 7 tomatillos, 10 pear tomatoes, a few okra, some lettuce leaves.

Mark's first SFG - Page 10 DOUdlWL

**sanderson** 8/3/2022, 11:32 pm

with a light sprinkle of DE? Very Happy

markqz 8/4/2022, 10:10 am

sanderson wrote:with a light sprinkle of DE?

Yep. It's edible, and tasty! (just kidding).

OhioGardener 8/4/2022, 3:53 pm

markqz wrote:
sanderson wrote:with a light sprinkle of DE?
Yep. It's edible, and tasty! (just kidding).

Ironically, according to WebMD food grade DE is used for various medical conditions:

"When taken by mouth, diatomaceous earth is used as a source of silica, for treating high cholesterol levels, for treating constipation, and for improving the health of skin, nails, teeth, bones, and hair." (https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1531/diatomaceous-earth)

Maybe if I apply it to my scalp I'll get my hair back.... rofl

**sanderson** 8/5/2022, 10:50 am

Mark and OG lol!

markqz 8/29/2022, 6:28 pm

Part of Mel's advice that I forgot was to shade new transplants. Here's my home-made plant cover.

Mark's first SFG - Page 10 ZBB5bBl

**sanderson** 8/30/2022, 2:02 pm

Yes. I see you cut out part of the side showing. That helps prevent heat build-up in a trapped space.

markqz 9/12/2022, 7:16 pm

sanderson wrote:Yes. I see you cut out part of the side showing. That helps prevent heat build-up in a trapped space.

I need to make more, but it's not like I'm made out of cardboard boxes!

markqz 9/12/2022, 7:22 pm

I know some of you grow amazing cucumber/pickles plants all the time. Usually mine just shrivel up and die. But this one took off. Apparently they don't mind our blistering hot and humid weather the last couple of weeks.

I let them grow to cucumber size because I don't really have a need for pickles. So why didn't I plant cucumbers? Because these were the seeds I had Smile

markqz 9/16/2022, 6:34 pm

I rarely get actual butterflies in my garden (other than those tiny white ones), but today this one swooped in to enjoy the cucumber flowers. Considering current events, it would be appropriate if it was a Monarch ...

Mark's first SFG - Page 10 LIaaWa5

OhioGardener 9/16/2022, 8:16 pm

Not a Monarch, but looks like a Gulf Fritillary. Our Monarchs have started migrating south. I'm going to miss seeing them in our butterfly garden.

**sanderson** 9/19/2022, 11:58 pm

Sure looks like a Monarch to me. All the dark and light dots are in the correct positions. The Gulf Fritillary doesn't have those prominent dark stripes.

Gulf Fritillary

Monarch

Wester tiger swallowtail on my overhead sun shade.

markqz 9/20/2022, 12:08 am

sanderson wrote:Wester tiger swallowtail on my overhead sun shade.

Without anything in the picture for context, I'm sort of imagining this like 3 feet across.

**sanderson** 9/20/2022, 12:29 am

Found out that yours is a male monarch. See those 2 dots? The Foundation working group has a good amateur entomologist.

Do you have milkweed plants?

markqz 10/7/2022, 11:22 pm

sanderson wrote:

Found out that yours is a male monarch. See those 2 dots? The Foundation working group has a good amateur entomologist.

Do you have milkweed plants?

Oh, somehow I missed this post. No, and I don't think I've ever seen milkweed in So Cal. So maybe this is one that got lost on it's way into or out of Mexico. They go down to Michoacan. Which means that some of those butterflies are flying from Michoacan to Michigan.

markqz 10/7/2022, 11:26 pm

Apparently cucumbers are the new Zucchini in my garden.

I should probably find a some sort of pickling recipe.

Mark's first SFG - Page 10 NH0Gp9Z

markqz 10/28/2022, 8:52 pm

This is likely the last Cherokee tomato of 2022, since the growing plants seem to only want to do endless foliage.

Mark's first SFG - Page 10 R6Zoq7S

markqz 11/11/2022, 1:32 pm

Well, the cat-mat's only worked for about a week. Then the critter started tearing the mats out. But squares fortified with bricks were still protected. So for the moment, my garden is beginning to look more like a patio.

Mark's first SFG - Page 10 762nAvq

markqz 11/12/2022, 5:44 pm

When you never have a frost, it becomes up to you to decide when the growing season for a plant is over. This can be challenging, when you've got a 7 foot okra still trying to push out a flower or two.

Mark's first SFG - Page 10 3zoJMxU

**sanderson** 11/13/2022, 3:56 pm

Yes, that SW corner is great in one way but harder to remove old plants for new plants when they just keep on growing.

We need to figure out what is tearing up the beds. Sad

markqz 11/20/2022, 6:00 pm

This is one bag of stevia I've collected. I see the suggestion that I should try to take cuttings. My attempts at that before failed, but maybe because I didn't use rooting compound. Stevia is just about the hardest thing I've tried to germinate.

Mark's first SFG - Page 10 MDUuR78

markqz 12/10/2022, 8:23 pm

All I want for Christmas is for my Cherokee tomatoes to ripen.
And a Tesla.

Mark's first SFG - Page 10 Q1LlHJh

**sanderson** 12/11/2022, 4:19 pm

So tempted to make a joke about your wishes. Instead, I will wish for your Cherokee Purples to ripen.

markqz 12/21/2022, 12:56 pm

One of 3 ripening eggplant fruits -- been growing since 2018 !?, I think. Greenish on inside, but grilled nicely enough. I wonder if the EP will survive another year.

Mark's first SFG - Page 10 OlbnYBk

markqz 12/24/2022, 12:19 pm

The Cherokee Purples won't be ready, but this Snow Fairy, might, might just make it.

Mark's first SFG - Page 10 NBM6Hlb

Sponsored content

Mark's first SFG

Harvest - tomatillos, cherokee, okra

Re: Mark's first SFG

Re: Mark's first SFG

Re: Mark's first SFG

Re: Mark's first SFG

Homemade sun shade cover for plants

Re: Mark's first SFG

Re: Mark's first SFG

Tall Pickle/Cucumber during hot summer

Butterfly

Re: Mark's first SFG

Re: Mark's first SFG

Re: Mark's first SFG

Re: Mark's first SFG

Re: Mark's first SFG

Cucumbers are the new Zucchini

Last Cherokee 2022? And cucumbers

I'm bricking over my SFG

It can be hard to say goodbye (Okra in winter)

Re: Mark's first SFG

Stevia seed harvest 2022

Late 2022 Cherokee Tomatoes

Re: Mark's first SFG

Eggplant, December 2022

Snow Fairy at (maybe) Christmas

Re: Mark's first SFG


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.