Russ: the deer have just about taken over the community. There's a carcass on every road and they'll eat your garden completely up. No tomatoes for Bambi!
Kent
General Discussions - Chapter 21
Lucy; If there is a large shelter house in a good clean park. I am sure that most RUs started small. Get a group of close DG members. Plan your first RU. With just a picnic and a plant swap.
We have DGers driving 5 hours too. This year there is a man flying in from Texas. We will have to give him a good old Midwest Welcome;"That's Bigger Than All of Texas" BIG GRIN
Hey what can I say.
Well an RU is something to think about. I don't think any picnic is ever a flop.
Well maybe if it is out in the open no shelter, and someone thinks a hornets nest is a pinata. Nobody would do that, Right??
Russ
Russ,
Your RU sounds big and FUN! :) I've been telling everyone who will listen about DG, at least one person that I work with has joined. Maybe I'll have a picnic with her. No pinatas though, that could hurt!
I started my straw bales today! I'm a happy girl!
Lucy
Wow, Kent- that's gorgeous! Do you keep the space so great between the rows for ease of mowing, or it it an aesthetic choice?
Russ, is te any sort of RoundUp here on the East Coast, that you know of? That sounds delightful!
Namaste- Suz
Hi, All.
I am back from Haiti and mostly rested up. I have been spending quite a bit of time reading past posts, when I left for Haiti we were on, chapter 19, now we are on 21.
To you that use SOAKER HOSES, these are hoses with holes all over them so the water can leak out. If you try to use 150 feet all in one row you are not going to get any water at the end unless you keep the pressure where you are spaying water all over the place at the beginning.
You need to set up a manifold system. Look at your local Home Depot and they will have flexible 1/2" tubing, it is black and comes in rolls. They are flat in the roll, but will round up with water pressure. you can buy fittings to make breakouts at convenient points.
I suggest that you not try to soak more than 25' per soaker hose. You can just add more breakouts as you need.
I will try to get some sketches on line to help explain. It is sure great to be gack home.
God Bless you all.
Paul.
I have been trying to attach some photos to a post. I can get preview or send to come up when I just type a message but when I attach a photo to my post, when I hit preview nothing happens. Is there a limit to the photo size? Can anyone help?
Paul.
SuzanSkylark I really didn't see any for this year. Last year Critterologist had a get together at her home, for DGers. There was also one in the fall near Rawleigh NC. I know that area somewhat, but not PA. I did see one there but I forgot the town, and PA being a fairly large state it could be a couple hours away. I will have to go back and look it up again. Will let you know when I find it.
Russ
Jeanette. Have you ever heard of a RU anywhere in our state. I know there are not many DGers in my closeby area.
Russ I just took a trowel or my ditching hoe and drug down the top of the hay bale. Actually the bloodmeal is not deep and my little dog thinks I put it there for her, and as many times as I chased her away, doesn't do much good, she is very stubborn. But the bloodmeal has worked down into the bale now with the soaker hose running a little.
lonejack, glad you are safely home, and that is one reason to travel, when you return, it is so good to see your garden and home.
We had our warmest day of the year so far, yesterday, reached 70 degrees and for 2 nights I haven't had to move my tender tomato plants inside. Other years I have planted the tomatoes out in their space in the garden but this year has been colder than normal. I'm not sure there will be apple blooms for Wenatchees Apple Blossom festival, which begins this weekend, or maybe it will be warm enough so the apples will be in peak bloom.
lonejack, did you mean that your photo showed up after you hit browse but that you didn't see it in preview. And yes to send in less than about 5 min. for me in DialUp, I have to resize my photos.
Donna
Lonejack, Donna has a point. Are you resizing your photos to half? So, you are clicking on brouse, adding your photo, clicking on preview, making any changes to your message, and then clicking on send. In that order?
I know that some of the people were having trouble with their pictures last week but that has probably been cured.
Donna, I think they, on the west side, had a RU on Whidby or Camano Island last year, but that is the only one I have heard of. Did you look on the RU forum? I just looked and Iowa looks to be the closest one. Maybe Russ would let us go with him as adopted children?
Your garden looks great Kent. Guess I had better get started huh. Donna, how long did it take to get your bales heated up with the bloodmeal? The way you wrote it, it sounds like it was very fast decomposing.
Jeanette
Got the picture problem solved.
See my pictures here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/840575/.
Enjoy, Paul.
Donna & Jeanette; Adopted Children, Yup your welcome. Really we do welcome guests. And we have had a drawing for a prize for who came the furthest. :>) Now that might be fun. Then if we could get Kent for the weekend, we could really have some fun.
Russ
Russ: would love to be there!
Kent
I want to come to the RU too! Maybe one day in a few years when I have a job and enough money to travel. Student life is not the most affluent! I should be finished about this time next year. 5 years have gone so fast! I have always wanted to visit America. Its such a fascinating continent. The hugeness of it is somewhat incomprehendible for a little Kiwi girl. Usually when we travel to Europe its over Asian countries so I havent ever seen America. A 6 hour stopover in LA airport hardley counts.
Everyones new bales are looking great! Im actually getting envious and want to start all over again. Mine look like they are ready to return to the earth... squishy piles of yummy black compost.
Oh my carrots have germinated finally! They are very cute. Im growing a variety called "Purple Haze" which I found in Germany. I brought the seeds back in my bag. Sneaky sneaky. Also found some red and white stripey beetroot called "Chioggia" should be interesting to see how they turn out.
There was something Ive wanted to say so ive left this message half sent all afternoon, I just cant remember what it was! Oh well maybe later. I DO think you should come visit me in NZ though.
Lena
Lena; I don't know weather to say " Welcome to the Club" Or to say your far too young to forget what you were going to say. See I have a big grin on my face. LOL
I have planted my onions, radishes and spinach. I have more of the hardier stuff to plant but it is a little early to put tomatoes in my bales yet. It will be couple weeks yet before I will take that chance. The temp. has been dipping down to the minus C's at night. I have far to big of a garden to plant every thing in bales. Especially the root crops like carrots and sweet potatoes. Since fuel prices have gone so high and the economy is in such a mess. I have made my garden even bigger than last year. I will save the bales for tomatoes and squash, and I also want to try cucumbers in bales too. I know more garden will take more of my time but I have more time than money, so the garden will save me from some of the crippling cost's, that the higher fuel prices have caused. Anyway I would rather work in the garden, than to go to work for Wal-Mart and be a door greeter Ha Ha , Snort- Cheesy grin, LOL
I hope that makes sense. Anyway, Works for me.
Russ
All: I talked to a guy last night that grows his veggies in old washing machine drums. He packs them full of bedding from horse barns that have manure and straw all mixed together. The holes in the drums allow for plenty of drainage. Pretty good idea if you can score some of those washer drums.
Kind of like bale gardening but the bales are busted up and have their own supply of fertilizer.
Kent
Sounds pretty good. I guess. lol kinda yucky tho.
Altho, it probably gets pretty composted before he uses them.
Jeanette
Those drums would be good for potatoes.
Be ok but not with manure as the medium. Potatoes would be all vine.
LOL
Russ
Old tires are good for taters. Just keep stacking them on each other as the plant grows and add dirt of course. At the end of the season, take a tire off the top as you need taters. The plant should be 4-6 inches above the top of the tire before you add dirt, and it will send off more "starts" once you bury the stem.
Whats are fried green tomatoes? Thats what I wanted to ask before.
Lena, just that.
You slice them, green of course, about 3/8 inch thick, dip in flour, then egg wash, and then I use a mix of flour and corn meal and fry them in butter. Salt & pepper. Delicious. Taste like fried oysters. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. LOL
Jeanette
Thanks Jeannette, Im going to give it a try tonight! Oysters... are you sure?
Lena
Lena- I do them a little differently- just make a mix of cornstarch, cornmeal, salt and pepper and shake the tomato slices in it (make sure your tomatoes are green, firm, just starting to 'blush' pink. The cornstarch bonds better with the tomato than flour).
Fry them in a mixture of olive oil, a Tblsp. of butter and a tsp. of bacon gease (for flavor). Fry them kinda slowly and let them get nice and brown before turning. Brown on the 2nd side and drain on paper towels. This is perhaps my favorite food in the world!! Let me know what you think. (If you have a black cast iron skillet, use it)
Suz
So do you not use egg at all Suz? Ill have to give both methods a go.
What do you typically eat this dish with? It soundls like a breakfast food somehow.
Lena
No- I don't use egg to coat them. It's great for breakfast, with toast and bacon and eggs, but it's also a great side-dish with dinner. Once you try it, you'll be amazed!
Lena, so many people don't like oysters I was afraid to tell you that. I love them. Did you think so? Suz's suggestion of the bacon grease was a good one. Don't know about the rest. LOL
Jeanette
Suz, I've tried them before with the flour & egg & it didn't come out like i wanted....your way sounds like it would work for me ...... thanks
Foggy
Cornstarch makes a big difference- it's so different from using flour. I'm always surprised that more of the cooking divas (besides ME ;-) ) haven't caught on to that. Not only does cornstarch bond to the food you're coating in a very thin coating, but it's great if you have friends with gluten issues or celiac disease.
Well, Becky and I got the newspaper and pallets down yesterday, between the bales, to keep weeds down and to keep the squash and melons off the ground. I think it'll work well- time will tell!
My 2nd year with strawbale gardening and I have expanded my number of bales slightly. I started planting 4/19 and finished on the 20th. 17 bales total. Planted 5 Roma, 5 Oregon cherry, 2 Cabernet, 3 Beefmaster and one wild Florida in tomatoes. 4 Pole beans and 2 Bush beans (new plant this year). 6 Fancipak cukes (meant to plant Straight 8's and Burpless II but I miscounted and gave away all I had. LOL!) I also planted 4 watermelon, 8 cantaloupe, 4 broccoli and 4 cauliflower. The watermelon, broccoli and cauliflower are all new plants for me. Everything is doing well except two of the cukes. The leaves turned white and the plant croaked on one, the other seems to be trying to come back.
I had so much success last year, I couldn't wait to get started this year. I only have four veggies in dirt this year.
I planted garlic in the fall and started an asparagus patch in March. I also planted snow pea pods again and am trying spinach for the first time.
Grew a lot more plants from seed this year. I am creating a flower and shrub garden in the backyard and am still working on planting that area with my seedlings. It takes a lot more time and effort because I had knee replacement surgery last November and so planting in dirt requires using knee pads for kneeling or planting in a bent over standing position. I've got the gardening bug so I'll just take it slow and get it done as I can. I'm so glad to be back outside. Winter is boring!
Sandie, hi!! How come you haven't been on here before if this is your second year? I don't remember hearing from you. Sounds like you are really doing good. Going great guns. That is wonderful. How about some pictures?
I love to see other people's gardens. That is why I go to garage sales. So I can see their yards. That is awful isn't it. Now you all know my secret. I'm snoopy.
Jeanette
I tried the fried green tomatoes today. Your right Jeanette, they do taste a little like oysters! I like oysters though.
I didnt have cornstarch, so I used a mixture of flour and semolina, and a thick eggwash. I ate them with toast and scrambled eggs and fried chilli peppers. It made a great brunch. Thanks for the tipp. Ill have to get some cornmeal and cornstarch.
Suz: Your garden is looking great! Did those seeds arrive yet?
Lena
Jeanette: Funny! I like looking at peoples gardens too. I go on long walks or bikerides to see other neigbourhoods. Seeing a garden that somebody had put love and time into makes me smile. And its intersting to see what other people grow. Sometimes a sneaky cutting from through the fence is obtained :-)
Lena
Lena, so what are the fried chili peppers? Are they hot, sweet, raw, canned, OR??? Sounds great. I love Anaheims.
Love your way of getting cuttings. I will have to try that. Bob wants to know if you go to garage sales, or if you guys even do that?
Jeanette
Hi, Lena-
Nope, the seeds haven't arrived yet, but I'm grateful for your effort and your generosity, and I'm sure they'll be here soon.
Time to plant this week- getting excited again. I MUST believe that the freezes are over and DONE!
Namaste- Suz
When is your last frost date Suzan? Ours isn't until the last day in May so we normally don't plant without some kind of protection until June.
Jeanette
Jeanette: The fried chillis are just fresh (or in winter frozen) whole Cayenne or "Short Red" or something simelar, halved longways and deseeded, then fried in hot oil in the same pan with eggs or tomatoes, or whatever your cooking, for about a minute or two. They cook pretty quick. Takes the extreme heat out of them, while adding a charcoal flavour. Plus the cooking oil in the pan gets chilli scented. A regular addition to anything im Frying. I just love hot chillis.
Garage sales do exist here, definately. They arent usually a good source of plants though. Perhaps the odd succulent or cactus if your lucky. Unwanted books and furniture, or outgrown childrens clothes commonly make up the bulk of items offered. Im all about low cost though, when it comes to installing perenial shrubs at my previously bare rental property. I have managed to fill my fencelines with Geraniums, Hydrangea, Lavender, Rosemary, Impatients, and Arctotsis, among others... for free! Occaisionally I will knock on the door and ask, if the desired plant is contained within the fenceline.
Suz: I posted last week. Riesentraube, Roma, Black from Tula, Green Sausage. And the Crystal Apple cucumber. Hopefully they arrive soon. And I hope your last frost has been and gone.
Lena
Jeanette, It was so warm here yesterday, 75 degrees, that I decided to push the season. I planted 10 tomatoes out in the garden and have 3 or 4 more to go. Didn't put hotkaps over them but have them ready if the weather threatens. the plants were so large that I knew if I didn't get them in the ground soon it would be hard on them and besides I was getting really tired of moving the trays and individual pots in and out of the house.
Donna
Jeanette
&
Donna
I will be planting tomatoes probably half of today too.
First full day back from the RU. Boy did I ever sleep good last night.
Friday eve BBQ was served indoors due to the unpredictable weather it was really too cool to be comfortable outside.
We had a great time in spite of the cold wind on Saturday. There were 13 crock pots of hot food and a couple picnic tables of salads and deserts. Lots of plants for swaping. a full table of door prizes.
Then Saturday night most of us met for yet another meal, at the Clarian motel. Sounds like all we done is eat. LOL
Guess I had better get to work so we can have all those great tomatoes again this year.. Just looked at the thermometer, it is 73 already.
Russ
Wow 73 degrees at 9 a.m. I'm jealous Russ.
I will have to try the chilis that way Lena. Sounds wonderful.
Yes, it is hard on the plants to put them out when it is too warm, Donna. I planted a rose out yesterday and it wilted a bit. Hope it does better today. Maybe I will give it some Superthrive today.
Jeanette