Michigan

[so lucky]

Bobbiee, you said "twist the cabbage so it doesn't split." Do you just leave it in place, but twist the head around? I have never heard that. When do you do it, in its development?
I had blossom end rot on my early Romas, but the ones that are ripening now are ok. From the same plants, just later developing. I don't think it would hurt to thin yours out a bit. Too crowded can create several problems.
What zone are you in? Sounds like you have had a very productive garden so far.

 

[Dascountry]

I got a little bit of rain this morning and looks like its been raining all around us today. I've been busy insulating the chicken coop. (16' x 13') They should have a nice warm place to play this winter.
My tomatoes, well a few of them should be ready to pick tomorrow.
Swampducks my beans arn't getting new blossoms on them either I have processed 44 pints and had fresh ones for about two weeks now at every meal. Maybe this weird weather up here this year has something to do with it.
Bobbiee, sounds like your garden ROCKS! You must certainly be south of me! I only had two watermelons this year. Only one now because I'm not sure how to tell when they are ripe....needless to say the hogs enjoyed it.

 

[swampducks]

Dang Bobbiee, you done GOOD! You may have to provide some tips on how to grow stuff in these hot dry summers. Fertilizers, watering techniques, varieties, I tried a small watermelon and it only barely flowered last week. No water melons for me this year. Heck, I've never been able to grow one, even when I lived in southern California. Way to go!

 

[Bobbiee]

Bobbiee, you said "twist the cabbage so it doesn't split." Do you just leave it in place, but twist the head around? I have never heard that. When do you do it, in its development?
I had blossom end rot on my early Romas, but the ones that are ripening now are ok. From the same plants, just later developing. I don't think it would hurt to thin yours out a bit. Too crowded can create several problems.
What zone are you in? Sounds like you have had a very productive garden so far.

From Rodales Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, As is much of what I "know" practice. Sorta quoted, but not quite. ....... if yousee a head begining to split, give it a half twist to break SOME of the roots and retard growth.... harvest by cutting off at root with a sharp knife and let it grow to produce small "heads " that are like brussel sprouts..... This book and another The Organic Gardener by Catherine Osgood Foster, a 1974 gift from my wife are loaded with bits of wonderful helpful tips for gardening. I must confess, much I learned is now forgotten, but some of it is used yet. I had never done the "twist" before. Well, Actually i did the old one with Chubby Checker.?

I'm in zone 5 mostly. Bout 15 mi N of Muskegon Mi. Five miles inland from L mich so we are temp tempered here. Early Heat in March and Frosts in April did a bad number to Ag stuff hereabouts. Trees, fruit especially. Few escaped the damage. I put all of my annuals in the week of June 4 this year.

This year, having heard through the grapevine that it existed, I'm renting three garden spaces from a local farmer. (35 x 35 ft. ea. contiguous) My own yard is overrun with various berries, flowers, fruit trees, a travel trailer, 2 boats, seldom used. I do have some tomatoes, cukes, peppers, cantaloupe, and I still have some grapevines, though i no longer make wine. My growth rings have been and continue to be erattic.

I tought mostly science for more than 30 years and I fear the experience is difficult to overcome. Folks at the garden, seem to think I know everything there is to know about gardening. Not so!!! Many of them are new to the joy, so they ask how I do "that" I tell em. Do not want to be a Know It All. But like to help out when I can.

 

[Bobbiee]

I got a little bit of rain this morning and looks like its been raining all around us today. I've been busy insulating the chicken coop. (16' x 13') They should have a nice warm place to play this winter.
My tomatoes, well a few of them should be ready to pick tomorrow.
Swampducks my beans arn't getting new blossoms on them either I have processed 44 pints and had fresh ones for about two weeks now at every meal. Maybe this weird weather up here this year has something to do with it.
Bobbiee, sounds like your garden ROCKS! You must certainly be south of me! I only had two watermelons this year. Only one now because I'm not sure how to tell when they are ripe....needless to say the hogs enjoyed it.

IT is a great garden, the best Ive ever had. Irrigation is provided by the owner. He runs 4 to 6 inch pipes to the fields and has large impulse sprinklers, and a well powered by one of his tractors, runs it when soil gets too dry.... usually. Far more consistant than I have ever been.

I used to work every morning for 2 or 3 wonderful hours, before too hot for me, then go home and live another life. Beats a shrink...

 

[Bobbiee]

Dang Bobbiee, you done GOOD! You may have to provide some tips on how to grow stuff in these hot dry summers. Fertilizers, watering techniques, varieties, I tried a small watermelon and it only barely flowered last week. No water melons for me this year. Heck, I've never been able to grow one, even when I lived in southern California. Way to go!

So now u know. The secret to gardening during hot, which is good, dry, which isn't, is have someone reliable .water the garden. See, its no secret at all. I had trouble for ever trying to grow watermellon. Last year I gave it a supreem effort, even grew them just 10 feet from the deck. Watered diligently. Never harvested a good mellon. Tooooo ripe, rotted on the vine... Was online the other day and learned how to tll when they are ripe. Can't remember the site, I'll se if i can find it. the link..However, there is a tendrill that grows from the vine opposite the mellon stem on the main (branch). Ehen that turns brown and dry the mellon is ready for picking. cut stem on W-mellon and for muskmellon ..... in addition to the brown dry tendrill note the depression around the stem where the stem enters the fruit, Twist the fruit. If it does not break off easily. let it grow. Too bad I can't recall the web site. Got good picts. I thought I put it in my favorites list but don't see it. Another (secret) shared. Save written stuff so u know where it is. How many times I told kids to take notes.. Now look who does not doit.

Oh well, I cma by ...Do as I say, not as i do..

 

[swampducks]

The gardens at the house I've got hoses run to. I think my big problem this year is poor soil. The new garden is dug out of the old swamp where DH cut down trees this spring. The soil is very acidic and the compost I had to drop in each hole just wasn't enough to compensate. Still hoping DH can get me some manure this fall plus I'll dump in some wood ash which will help de-acidify the soil a bit. Going to buy another 25 feet of chicken wire to expand it a little more and move the potato garden from the deer camp which had no water other than rain so the plants just didn't do well. We're getting maybe ONE meal of new potatoes per 3-5 plants. Pretty pitiful. Better luck next year.

And it's been raining a lot today, light as we're on the northern edge of the storm, 50 miles northwest isn't getting anything at all. Not yet anyway. though the radar is starting to look promising.

 

[swampducks]

WOohooo The radar cooperated and massive quantities of rain have been falling. I'm thinking at least half an inch now.

 

[swampducks]

And it just kept raining! Almost out of here now, but my coffee can outside has more than 3 inches of rain in it and a different can that I set up only late yesterday afternoon has about 1.25 inches in it. My 1/8 acre pond was down more than 2 feet, there was only about 6 inches of water at the edge. It's fed by the swamp which is dry. It's FULL!! Unbelievable!

 

[Bobbiee]

And it just kept raining! Almost out of here now, but my coffee can outside has more than 3 inches of rain in it and a different can that I set up only late yesterday afternoon has about 1.25 inches in it. My 1/8 acre pond was down more than 2 feet, there was only about 6 inches of water at the edge. It's fed by the swamp which is dry. It's FULL!! Unbelievable!

TV weather from Grand Rapids is saying the area around Saganaw got almost eight inches of rain, but it was mostly soaking in because the ground was so dry. I don'tt understand that, seems like it would flood anyway. I'm glad your pond filled up. You have an irrigation pump and hose system ? I have to use city water at home cause I let the pump in the well freeze and have not gotten around to replacing/repariing it. 2-3 years now. To say i procastinate is not strong enough.

We got about an inch and a quarter of rain here in past 2 days. Sunny today.HH avea good one.