Laurel - LOL on the Monsanto corn! I hearya! Little Henry is a doll! So......how's things with the bees? Where are they hanging now???
Edibles - '08 - Part 3
The bees have gone on vacation. They are awaiting the completion of the new chimney cricket to move back in. I'll write more about that on the other thread. I guess this counts as edible...the bees need to cap off each one of those cells before the screen can be harvested. It's been a slow honey year because of the drought and problems with hive losses.
L
thx deb - i'll give them one more year - how big are your kiwi plants
Okay, last one...Henry "smoking" me like a dragon (can't believe his dad let's him mess around with that burning stuff; he's only three)!
The females are about 5 ft tall, the males are all over the place. I've had those maybe 4-5 years. They are just starting to color up nicely.
i have 4 total plants - one is the colorful artic kiwi that does not have any of the color yet. the other are one male and two females?? whichever fruit i have two of those. they are planted behind my veggy garden where it is a bit shader - still believe they get good sun back there. they are growing up a pergola and did not do much last year at all - this year two of them went to the top - it is 7 ft tall. i still have the tags on them will have to check out which one took off.
thx
I have males in the shade which are about half the size as the ones in sun. They don't get as much color either. This is in the sun. Do you have 2 different kinds of kiwi? Mine are all arctic kiwi.
i was told or read that the artic were not for the fruit only the leaf color - so i bought one of the artic and the rest were i think hardy kiwi - from miller farms - i am travling this week for work and will check the labels when i get back and let you know.
Oh, Henry is too cute. My DGS, Henry, just turned 4. He lives around the corner.
I googled Dean Mtn. I think I found it. Are you at the very top of the road? Are there other places on the way up? ( one with a pool maybe) It wasn't very clear.
We always used "cheese" pumpkins for pie. Don't know if there is another name for it. Shaped like a wheel of cheese and kinda light- colored.
On what other thread will I find the bee story? I can't remember where it was before. lol
wow - I didn't realize kiwi was hardy. For some reason I thought they were tropical.
Same here, Anita. I may have to check this out. HMMMM....
They're not your big fuzzy brown kiwi, they are grape size and green.
ahh .....same taste?
Well, I actually don't like kiwi,and haven't eaten a regular one for decades! This was good - very sweet. It was soft with the little seeds just like a regular kiwi. I started with the males for the color of the foliage, then said might as well throw in a few females, if I didn't like them, the birds might.
So, I'm not much help!!
Jan, I'll DMail you particulars. Got some beans to deal with.
L
Those beans look great!
I finally got another zucchini!!! lol I kinda felt like a failure cuz, I couldn't get my zucchini to grow, then along comes a volunteer in the compost and voila!
I just dumped out my garbage can potatoes, not a lot - maybe 4 lbs, but not bad for a first time. Will try them tonight.
Next year I'll use a bigger can and more compost. I'll report back after dinner!
That would be the 'Rubbermaid' variety?
Oh Victor, I can always count on you for a laugh!
It was kind of fun, because you don't know what you're going to get til you dig down deep. It was neat to keep uncovering potatoes.
That is cool. I tried them in straw one time and they all rotted. And to make matters worse, yellow jackets made a nest in it!
Ha -Victor, that would be my luck too! I tried red bliss one year from the supermarket. Not bad. Even though I love them, I don't eat enough potatoes to warrant a crop though.
Would love to try a potato barrel--that way I could isolate it from the rest of the garden--the 1 year I grew potatoes, they called every bug from the neighboring towns in to share. Glad you got a nice crop, Debi--you said they were from Gro-More, & they have quality plants. Yesterday I picked 5 zukes, 1 yellow squash & many beans--Derby always crops well, although it is a floppy grower. Bought some great apples--Ginger Gold--try them if you see them.
My eggplant disappeared - I think the skunk is back!
Debilu, I did the trash bag potatoes years ago. Got about the same harvest. Maybe that would be cheaper than buying cans? I tried bales and got a field mouse harvest.
Robindog, I'm going looking for info on skunk eating eggplants. Do they like them? I've got skunks, but they love the compost and leave the veggies alone. Have they taken or damaged anything else in your garden?
Laurel
I think I might have been blaming the skunk in error. Someone took the biggest pumpkin out of our pumpkin patch which is in the back of my neighbor's yard! I grow the pumpkins to give to the neighbor kids. I am bummed and I think maybe I should just pick all the others and hold them until closer to the holiday. They are all bright orange - so even if they aren't done - they will work for carving. Can I put them in my basement and hold them for 6 weeks? Anyone know - 'cause I don't.
Oh, sorry, it's you, Yankee with the skunk issues. Your pumpkins should be good for months if they are cool and dry and have some stems on them. Your temps are dropping, so whatever the coolest, dry, shady place is without rodents should provide good storage. We can store winter squash and pumpkins in a basement refrigerator (42 degrees) which is probably comparable to your Fall temps for up to five months.
I have some experience with skunks. They love fish (and fish bones), eggs, etc. and usually prefer to forage for protein. I've not had them bother the vegetables.
Laurel
I will bet whomever took the pumpkin also took the eggplants. I just can't figure out why they aren't taking the tomatoes! Laurel - I just saw a skunk late one night and about that time something was chewing up cucumbers - so I've been blaming the skunk all summer. I will just have to fence in my vegetable beds next year.
Are you sure it's not a person?
That is what I am thinking. I literally hand out produce to people walking by the house. Maybe that isn't such a good idea.
Yankee - "virtue is its own reward" ....just keep on handing out the produce and put locks on the garden fences! LOL
I picked all the pumpkins and put them in my basement. I told the neighborhood kids where the pumpkins are and that we will have a pumpkin choosing ceremony mid October. Unfortunately some of them are still a bit green on the side away from the sun. Next year the pumpkins go where they can't be seen from the street.
AYC, sorry to hear about a "skunk" of another kind taking the produce. I am sure the kiddos are looking forward to the pumpkin-choosing ceremony. The "skunk" around here only took our car sitting in the driveway.
Enjoyed meeting you at Wellsweep. Did you really get lost? Hope it wasn't for long.
Jan
OMG, Jan! Did you get your car back?????
Yep, it was a few blocks over almost out of gas. We figured it was someone nearby since they ditched near our home. We thought they didn't want to walk home very far. Used about half a tank of gas and put a hole in the back bumper and got rid of the key. ( any idea how much a replacment for a programmable key is? ) We didn't either til DH priced it. $185. We'll stick with just one for now. Had to get estimate for restitution. Detectives did find the "skunk" cuz he left a drink bottle in the car. The Det. eyes lit up when he saw that and said "DNA" Turns out it was an 18 yr. old neighbor kid a few houses up on our street. Had been drinking. Thankful he didn't hurt himself or anyone else. Can't be charged for stealing car, since he didn't want to keep it, but unlawful taking of something, something, something. I don't remember. Anyway he pled guilty, but don't know when sentencing is. I think we'll be lucky to get anything. Basically, we just want the key back. Sorry to get off track.
Back to edibles. Got another zucchini. lol That makes 2 - count them -2. Yippee. Glad I wasn't counting on it to live. I am NOT defeated. Next year will be a winner, I just know it. hee-hee.
Well now Sherrie, don't discount those weeds. Maybe if you boil them long enough and throw in a jalapeno or two? I think a lot of cooking, here in the mountains, is based on foraging. We definitely pick over greens that survive throughout the winter.
Now that the heat has broken, our garden is heating up for the last great gasp. Here are Christmas beans, a type of lima. We harvest them as the pods dry and use them in winter soups and stews. They are wonderful fresh, but there is so much other food coming in that can't be stored, so we save the beans. Did you ever play mancala? I grew up playing mancala with these beans.
Laurel
These are Dixie butterpeas. They look like great northerns, though they don't taste like them. I love great northerns, but these are more even more creamy.
Laurel
Some tobasco peppers to add to the sweet collection. I'm going to give Mcilhenny a run for their money.
L
Those fabulous Italian hot cherry peppers. Ours seem much larger (about 4" in diameter) and hotter than the ones you get in jars. BTW, all the peppers are grown from saved seed, so are on the late side.
Laurel
No, never did play mancala. Have no idea how to play.
In our county a lot of pole limas are grown. Many even make a lima pot pie.
I remember mom making greens with dandelions growing up. I only tasted them, they were very bitter, as only a little kid can remember. If she ever served them again, I know I didn't eat them. She even tried making baked beans with the soybeans from the field. They weren't the best either. Now, today, I really like edamame. Anybody grow them?