Good evening to all- So, the seeds arrived in the mail and I got the starter packs ready and today my broccoli seeds got planted. Not a day too soon, either. Our spring here is very early and we get into heat and humidity- both not good for brocs- so we have to get our early spring stuff in the garden by March 1 at the latest. Weeded onions this morning- maybe will recover from last week's horrible cold weather. Our citrus trees look bad, and the smell- piles of frozen oranges which are starting to ferment and rot. Hope we don't lose our trees- we'll see. What are you all doing gardening wise right now? be safe and keep well- Ed
Hi Ed. How exciting to get the seeds and get started. I'm only puttering with an Aerogarden and starting to try some "Kratky Method" hydroponics in mason jars. I'm planning two small raised gardens this spring, mostly for a few tomato plants and some cucumbers; perhaps a pepper plant or two.
Because of our chilly start to spring I’m awaiting our apricots to ripen so I can do some drying and preserving normally they would have been ripe About the last week of Dec They have been on the tree so long they are gathering spider webs
Everything here is under several feet of snow, so no gardening here except for wife's Aerogarden and some houseplants. We have a few dormant herbs in the attached greenhouse, but our big gardening season is still months away outside. Indoor starting will probably begin in February depending on what we do for travel. Most of our seeds have already been purchased, but I still have to get a few odds and ends.
I hope they stay good for you. I am sad when I look out at my Japanese apple/pear tree. It is over 35 feet tall (11 meters?) and I just could not get up to the top even with our apple picker and a ladder. So they are just freezing a rotting. I know spring is coming because I just got my first nursery catelogue. Used to call it my wish book. But I shop elsewhere if I need anything now. A neighbor down the road was complaining there is not enough sun in her yard to grow a garden. I invited her to start one at my farm, if she wanted to. Of course everyone wants to until it comes to the work. We'll see. My mouth is watering ever since I tried 5 inch lambsquarters. Yum. Don't have to plant anything if weeds are your veggies. Those and the nettle will get me through to harvesting planted things.
Good morning to all- Well, looks like we have lost most of our citrus trees. A couple out front of the house which were somewhat protected look to be OK. Most of the rest look to become sawdust and firewood this summer. But we did plant early spring veggies yesterday-. snow peas, lettuce, spinach, leeks, and carrots are in and are being watered in today When you garden, you don't have time to think too much on what was lost or failed- something which needs to be done right now for the future. you all be safe and keep well- Ed
Apricots don't do well here nor do peaches or apples. We don't have enough cold weather. We planted all of them and lost them. Pear and fig, fruit trees do good, pecan do as well. I hear there is one from Thailand that survives with less chill,but they are hard to find.
We started our seedlings of lettuce, broccoli, kale, and turnip inside last week. Lettuce is already up of course. tonight, till Monday are going into the low to mid 20s, will harden off a little transplant Tuesday. Turned under last crop last week, covered raised bed with cardboard.
My daughter sent me some Black Garlic. The cloves are yummy. Kind of like figs You set wrapped garlic bulbs in a warming device, like a dehydrator, rice cooker, or crock pot on low for 4 weeks. Google it. I am doing that this week. Some great garlic at Aldi.
Four weeks??? I don't think I'd want to leave my crockpot on for that long, plus I'd have to keep turning it on because it has timed cooking.
I was thinking that exact same thing about leaving the crockpot on for a month ! It made me wonder how someone came up with that idea in the first place, and when (how long ago) it happened. I can’t see people leaving garlic in an actual fireplace for that long, and for sure not on a stove; so I am perplexed how they came up with the idea of doing this. Any more information, @Mary Stetler ?
I got various info on various sites. I have a very low tech dehydrator that I can leave on forever. I thought of a cheap incubator. All I know is that they are yummy. My daughter bought these and knows the guy who produces them. He kept his secrets from her. Stone hearths had spots to raise bread, back in the day and peas porridge 9 days old? food may have been kept until gone or made people sick?
PS, the honey fermented garlic is done but not a great taste sensation. It is more edible than raw garlic but not tasty. Apparently, it is to be used as medicine more than food.