We managed to get a few things planted for a fall garden a few days ago-lettuce, turnips, and such as that. Last year we never got around to planting anything for fall so I’m feeling ahead of the game.
After harvesting a few buckets full on Friday morning we had enough tomatoes and beans for a couple of cannings as well as enough cucumbers to start another run of 14 Day Pickles.
I’ve been so pleased with our bean production this year! Since last summer’s beans were a total loss from all the rain-there wasn’t many jars of greenbeans eaten over the winter. I’m thankful this winter they’ll be more than enough.
Sadly the corn in the big garden isn’t doing well this year. Lucky for us a gentleman down the road has grown an abundance of corn and he’s been generous enough to share it with Pap and us.
Another thing that has done very well for us this year is squash. I’m working on a squash report from the Blind Pig & The Acorn Squash Reporters @ Large. If you participated in the squash reporting (sponsored by Sow True Seed)-shoot me an email with your results when you get a chance.
Tipper
Funny, I just posted some pictures of my squash plants yesterday, but without any details because so far, only leaves, and flowers on several plants, and now a couple of tiny squash on one of the plants! I even started all the winter squash in peat pots to give them a head start this year, but the weather was so odd from Spring onward, I don’t think the plants knew whether they were coming or going. They are growing as fast as they can on every sunny day now, though, and I am very hopeful. But I hope my eventual report won’t be too late to be useful, Tipper.
Tipper,
and Ed…I’m back off the plateau for the night. I say Ed, I’m thinking you need a little twoferfree lessons on deer gardening. First purchase you a set of night eyes. Battery operated and mount about 3 1/2 feet off the ground. Them red eyes blinking have worked for our deer problem in the garden away from the house. No, we don’t have outside dogs! Hang up some old stinky shirts on coat hangers around about too. You can also go to the flea market or yard sale and buy you up some of the cheapest, strongest, outdated “lady of the street errr..evening” perfume you can get cheap and spray posts, shirts everything. The deer hate it! Bambi likes his does with a natural musk! LOL Wet you some newspaper and thickly apply it under and around those plants. The ink prevents a lot of varmints like voles, mice etc. and weeds from attacking plants. Of course compost is the best! We had a big buck and doe and two younger fawns in the front yard this week again. Picking up some fallen crab apples, but left the daylilies and raised garden beds alone…I admit I was late in getting my enticing gourd plants sprayed with stink and an old shirt hung so the deer ate a few of the gourd leaves on the fence in the chicken yard. They still made a ton of long handled gourds and I can’t wait til they are ready to pick!
Later,
Thanks Tipper
I just had a flash of brilliance I thought I would share with someone your cares. Since I only have a little space for a garden and there are so many deer here, I think I will fence it in with hog wire or something like that. Then I could put beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and other such climbing plants around the perimeter and the rest of my veggies inside. The deer could only get the half of my crops that grew outside the fence and if I can catch ’em at it I could eat deer.
Now all I have to do is come up with a scheme to thwart the squirrels, rabbits, rats, mice, moles, voles, crows, blackbirds, jay birds, cat birds {breath} june bugs, stink bugs, bean bugs, bugs bunny (oh, I said rabbits already) bean beetles, slugs, grubs {breathe} horn worms, nematodes, regular toads, aphids, maggots, vine borers, ants {breathe} morning glory, johnson grass, crab grass, hairy vetch, saw briars, blackberries, wild roses, {breathe breathe} pigweed, chickweed, lambsquarter, horseweed, cow parsley, honeysuckle and kudzu. {big sigh} Did I miss any?
Tipper,
I was afraid the shade would cause me problems too, but since my kids can’t come in, in time, I have been shuckin’, cleaning, and baging the Silver Queen like crazy to give away. My corn has done great this year, didn’t even have to replant any and I think every grain came up. I only plant white corn and the Hickory Cane (King) will have
me real busy in about a week.
I’m gonna have a good mess of the
Silver Queen cut-off for supper.
Guess I’ll have to go get a bag
of fixed biscuits at the store
and get ready for another
Passover…Ken
Dolores
Thank you for the comments! We love white corn too : ) I think our big garden has become to shady to grow corn in. There just isn’t enough sunshine getting to it. Maybe we can remedy that before next year : )
Tipper
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
Did I spot a white Kushaw/cushaw in one of those buckets? They make wonderful pies, and I have several growing.
My garden is doing well because I simply quit planting what I have no luck with such as cabbage, corn, and turnips. I would plant rows and rows of black-eyed-peas except for those pesky bees. Potatoes, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, mustard greens, all did well. It helps that I have trimmed garden down so much that I am able to carry water to help it during dry spell.
So very glad your garden is doing well this year. It makes all that hard work worthwhile. I told my Dad one time that I thought it was wonderful that one could grow food and not pay taxes on it. He said, “shhh don’t say that too loud.”
Some very generous friends have given me yellow squash. I love to eat it cooked with cheese, tomatoes, and corn. I also use a can of diced tomatoes which have seasoning in it. I like to bake it. Is the corn problem due to the type of corn? We have had some great bi-color corn. We like the white small kernal the best.
Tipper,
I don’t think even a hard freeze will put my squash down! It has been a banner year for our squash. I have posted about our Sow True Seeds already I think.
Not all came up on the good day or bad day. But all caught up and made squash. I don’t know what we would have done if all the seed came up. We have plenty of winter squash and have put up plenty of summer squash.
I have to git and go as we are packing for The Worlds Longest Yard Sale that starts this Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday…We will be selling on Wednesday as we are putting things out to sell. Some are already selling.
Later, thanks Tipper
PS..Guess we will have to wait until later this month to plant our greens, Kale, Turnips, collards, etc. for Fall…They seem to do better for us as the weather cools and the days shorten??
The bounty is beautiful, Tip. I talked to the Deer Hunter Saturday and he was canning beans while you and the girls were gone.
There is a gas cooker in one of the pictures. It saves heat and mess to cook outside instead of in the kitchen…smart!