Ducks4you for 2022

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,149
Reaction score
13,819
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
@Gardening with Rabbits, I am pretty sure that your tomato problems were weather related.
Post#1348
Check out the video on Post #550 about tomato problems.
I think that thoroughly watering when transplanting is crucial. I soaked my 24 tomatoes for 2 weeks straight, with a soaker hose,1 hr/day, and drained a LOT of my cistern doing it, and they developed such good roots that the drought afterwards didn't phase them.
Up potting before transplanting works wells, too. Save those really big pots like when you buy a tree bc it really helps with tomatoes.
I have had several years of tomatoes that didn't need any watering once they were established, and I can prove the root system at the end of the season when I pull them out.
They remind me of the 8 yews that used to grow S side of the garage, and how I dug deep and finally dislodged each one when I was able to cut their tap roots. I dunno how deep the roots went, but they never grew back to challenge me.
I believe that the key is having a very good root system.
This week's Mid American Gardener expert, Kelly Alsup was talking about how crucial it is to develop good roots on succulents, and that you shouldn't transplant THEM to a bigger pot for almost a full year.
Vegetables (annual Anything) wants to grow fast, but you end up watering the dirt only if the roots aren't big enough and deep enough..
I (almost) always plant mine full stem up to the top leaves.
Several tomatoes this year sat for weeks after transplant, and they looked very Good, just not any bigger.
They were growing good roots before taking off, mostly straight up (before the sprawl and tying up to the fencing.)
I have about 8-9 that I started from seeds saved and they are growing on the south side of my cistern. I expect some fruit, planted late, but mostly I intend to save their seeds for 2023, so it's ok for them to sprawl.
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,149
Reaction score
13,819
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
Today's harvest (so far) is apples and beans. I think there are enough beans that I will try blanching and freezing these. Gotta start Somewhere...
I hope to harvest my pears today and take an accounting. I'm thinking there are at least 35 more--already harvested 7 of them, not soft yet.
DH gets to harvest the apples--I grew those 2 trees for Him, ya know!
Oldest Golden Delicious Apple Tree that keeps trying to die, has produced, as well, but I think I'll be harvesting the small fruit for apple juice.
 

Attachments

  • Harvest, 08-12--22.jpg
    Harvest, 08-12--22.jpg
    184 KB · Views: 56
  • Johngold, 1st harvest, 08-12-22., #2.jpg
    Johngold, 1st harvest, 08-12-22., #2.jpg
    367.2 KB · Views: 54
  • Johngold, 1st harvest, 08-12-22., #3.jpg
    Johngold, 1st harvest, 08-12-22., #3.jpg
    353.6 KB · Views: 59
  • Johngold, 1st harvest, 08-12-22., #4.jpg
    Johngold, 1st harvest, 08-12-22., #4.jpg
    251.8 KB · Views: 68
  • GD, oldest tree, 08-12-22, #1.jpg
    GD, oldest tree, 08-12-22, #1.jpg
    373.9 KB · Views: 62
  • GD, oldest tree, 08-12-22, #2.jpg
    GD, oldest tree, 08-12-22, #2.jpg
    301.7 KB · Views: 60

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,149
Reaction score
13,819
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
DH had two apples, said they need more ripening, so...no apple havesting for today.
Fine with ME, I have a yard work list as long as my ARM!
Btw, DD"s have paid for a local gym membership for me, to go with them 2x/week, and they are also going on Saturdays. They both did a stretch, calisthetic/running workout a couple of years ago and lost a lot of weight, but stopped and wanted to get back to it. We all started at this small (20 minutes from My house) and local gym. We stretch, I do 10 minutes on the leg press (right now I use 50 pounds) and then I walk (slowly) on a treadmill. I walked for 45 minutes straight and DD"s said I was walking better.
We theorized that I needed my leg muscles strengthened bc I had had 3 leg injuries--pulled the muscle behind my left knee, slipped on the ice and slammed down right, lower leg, and slipped and fell left lower leg--and I have been limping ever since the last injury, about a year ago. I limped on my left leg, overcompensated with my right leg, then my right leg got weaker.
ANYWAY, the therapy IS working, and I am walking better. Helps with my gardening, too!
I think one reason this very nice AND very clean (with showers) gym doesn't get a lot of traffic is bc the sign reads "Physical Therapy." So far I am the only member who is DOING any physical therapy.
I will have my old phone loaded up with music and earphones for next Tuesday, but I have been sharing DD's Raybans (wireless ear phones) and listerning to Her music and the workout program, which they do in unison.
Good music, many downloaded music from their favorite childhood videogames.
I will probably be walking to Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi and my favorite piano concertos.
 
Last edited:

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
25,715
Reaction score
28,712
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
That mention of Ray-Ban sent me off into the outland(ish).

I knew that Ray-Ban made glasses with video cameras. Looked at those this AM and learned that they also record and have headphones even with voice controls!

I don't know how to be fully integrated into the modern world, Ducks'! Let's just say that impediments like limp muscles in a leg are best overcome. Good Luck with that exercise and therapy!

Steve
climbing out of the rabbit hole and looking again at the tomatillos ;)
 

Gardening with Rabbits

Garden Master
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
3,502
Reaction score
5,543
Points
337
Location
Northern Idaho - Zone 5B
@Gardening with Rabbits, I am pretty sure that your tomato problems were weather related.
Post#1348
Check out the video on Post #550 about tomato problems.
I think that thoroughly watering when transplanting is crucial. I soaked my 24 tomatoes for 2 weeks straight, with a soaker hose,1 hr/day, and drained a LOT of my cistern doing it, and they developed such good roots that the drought afterwards didn't phase them.
Up potting before transplanting works wells, too. Save those really big pots like when you buy a tree bc it really helps with tomatoes.
I have had several years of tomatoes that didn't need any watering once they were established, and I can prove the root system at the end of the season when I pull them out.
They remind me of the 8 yews that used to grow S side of the garage, and how I dug deep and finally dislodged each one when I was able to cut their tap roots. I dunno how deep the roots went, but they never grew back to challenge me.
I believe that the key is having a very good root system.
This week's Mid American Gardener expert, Kelly Alsup was talking about how crucial it is to develop good roots on succulents, and that you shouldn't transplant THEM to a bigger pot for almost a full year.
Vegetables (annual Anything) wants to grow fast, but you end up watering the dirt only if the roots aren't big enough and deep enough..
I (almost) always plant mine full stem up to the top leaves.
Several tomatoes this year sat for weeks after transplant, and they looked very Good, just not any bigger.
They were growing good roots before taking off, mostly straight up (before the sprawl and tying up to the fencing.)
I have about 8-9 that I started from seeds saved and they are growing on the south side of my cistern. I expect some fruit, planted late, but mostly I intend to save their seeds for 2023, so it's ok for them to sprawl.
I think mine do not have a really good root system. I have planted them deep sideways before, but get lazy and I will try it next year and the watering.
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,149
Reaction score
13,819
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
don't know how to be fully integrated into the modern world, Ducks'! Let's just say that impediments like limp muscles in a leg are best overcome. Good Luck with that exercise and therapy!

Steve
climbing out of the rabbit hole and looking again at the tomatillos ;)
Thx for the support!!
My own mother and I were never close, but I eat with 2DD's 6x/week, and I pray with my middle DD every day.
Yeah, we're That close.
What they know, I end up knowing and they keep me in the tech loop.
Eldest DD is pretty good with computers and middle DD works in IT at her local OSF. (Hospital chain.)
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,149
Reaction score
13,819
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
Beans slowed down, and the soil looked dry, so I heavily watered them, and the other crops yesterday afternoon, then we got a light drizzle. This morning I got a meager harvest but I saw many flowers, so they aren't done, yet. The climber beans are starting their ascent up the chicken wire fencing. I can certainly wait for a few more weeks to get their harvest.
Harvested corn for dinner, and baby corn to steam and cut up for our now (regular, weekly) salad. Pulled ALL of the corn plants on the 1st (northmost) row, big garden. Horses have been enjoying them.
Okra is coming in slow, but lots of flowers from the okra with the tomatoes, the others I started from seed 3 weeks ago are growing fast. I have seen okra plants in pots for sale that were only 1 ft tall and had okra pods on them. They really ARE a weed crop.
Tomatoes are taunting me. I have harvested about 10 of them so far.
My volunteer tomato in the big garden has a whopping 21 tomatoes growing on it, at least it Did until I pulled one that had damage, and harvested one that was almost ripe.
I will be saving seeds from This plant for next year.
MEANWHILE, Saturday I finished chopping down the weed trees on the south side of the east yard...where my neighbor keeps his permanent dumpster and the garbage that should be inside of it.
Soon I will transplant the privets, I may have lost a 2nd one, so the surviving 8 need to go in soon.
I spotted 2, yes TWO peaches. There WILL be a hatchet job on this tree next February, and we WILL have words.
I started harvesting my pears, but they just aren't ready yet bc the ones in the paper lunch bag won't get soft.
I will have a meager grape harvest this year. Probably won't have much one in 2023, but maybe the 3 new grapes will produce in a couple of years, like the apple trees did this year.
 
Last edited:

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,149
Reaction score
13,819
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
JUST ordered my Greenhouse!!!
:weee:weee:weee:weee:weee
Good Thing, bc my potato harvest was meager...not enough sun where I grew them. Look very tasty, however.
ALL red potatoes...from the grocery store...sprouting in my bin earlier this season.
 
Last edited:

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,149
Reaction score
13,819
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
I thought I had posted a picture, but here is the greenhouse that I ordered today.
I KNOW that many articles suggested that you buy bigger than you think you need, but it was a matter of buying one that fit where I want it to live. My tomato bed is maybe 5' wide, south side of the garage and This is where it will go after the first hard freeze. I calculated that I need 130 bricks to floor this, and, if I am shy a few bricks I Do have a collection of cement pavers to fill in and a few other odd cement pieces.
I plan to dig a depression, maybe 6 inches deep, level it out, just like I leveled out the 16' x 16' pavers around my firepit, and put premeasured and cut (2 will need cutting) wooden landscape timbers in the corners. I plan to use my auger to put them about 2 ft deep and buy gravel to pour in the holes. I may/may not use these to build some growing tables OR I intend to attach them to each other to help stabilize the greenhouse. Shipping weight is only 33 pounds.
I plan to pound in metal fence posts about 2 1/2 ft west of the west sliding door and put a 4' x 8' scrap plywood or scrap particleboard--I already have these--to block any harsh winds. I have seen what wood can do with my chicken coop and the horse's barn (inside of the shelter open to the east).
The kit comes with some kind of reinforcement but I don't think it will be deep enough. If I build this right next to the clematis trellis that will help, too.
I may also use some 2' x 4's around the perimeter.
LOTS of articles of how to stabilize, how to keep warmth using milk jugs and barrels.
I want to begin by using my old tiny greenhouse, 2' x 4' high x 16" deep (I think) in the middle of this, greenhouse inside of a greenhouse, to start cool weather vegetables early, then go from there.
If we have a mild winter, I can do more.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!
 

Latest posts

Top