Gardening

[cineater]

Wisconsin got first snow, coming your way.  We might get a few snow flurries Thursday too.

All of my patio lights have fried.  Need to replace all of those plus get up the Christmas lights.  I'm a Christmas light junkie.  Next week is still in the 50's.  Goal is to get all the plants down and under leaf mulch and get the lights up.  I'm teasing our compost guy if he can keep up, incoming! 

[soon]

Apparently we are getting a new igloo bar on the canal where we skate. So winters got that going for it at least 

Yeah, I can see you being a Christmas light junkie - thats cool! Here we are to wait until after Remembrance Day on November 11 to put up Christmas lights.

Do you have a set up for your lights or do you change it up most years?

Edited October 29, 2019 by soon

[cineater]

You skate?  I suck at that.

Same thing every year, roof line and the bushes.  The neighbor has one of those light show boxes we hook up some years.  Technically we aren't supposed to turn ours on until Thanksgiving at the end of November.  Mine always seem to need testing on nice evenings before that. 

I did try nasturtiums the other day.  The leaves taste like radishes. 

Edited October 29, 2019 by cineater

[soon]

Im not a good skater, but I enjoy it. I always need to relearn how to stop!

Your lights sound awesome! Haha, obviously it would be irresponsible to not test them out a few times 

Cool! Yeah, I like that like hot/peppery flavour of them. Eating them can help fight off colds too 

[cineater]

My coleus cuttings must have took as they are getting new leaves.  I'm kind of worried about them getting too big over the next 6 months.

[soon]

The coleus will be poking out all your windows and stacked in your basement  Thats great that they took.

[cineater]

3:30 in the morning this male voice announces, a frost warning has been issued for your area.  Insert weird episode of where is my phone and what did you say into my dream.   The warning reminds me to drain my hose and bring it in.  Haven't done that yet.  Kevin hasn't done that at the garden either.  He has to blow out the drip irrigation system in the pantry garden and drain all the other hoses.  I'm waiting for the rain to pass and then I have to run up there and walk the green path line, get good soil contact.  So not prepared for winter to move in this fast.

 

[soon]

You get frost warnings as emergency services to your cell? Did you sign up for it? That must have been weird. 

I need Kevin to drain my hose at the big garden next year! What a hassle.

I am not ready for winter either. And my perennials are all still thriving. Ill do the last of the kale tomorrow.

Have fun at the path!

[cineater]

You want Kevin to drain your hose?   He gets the compressor out there and blows them out.

I really need this Saturday.  Tool sharpening class is scheduled along with seeding and perennial transplanting but I'm suppose to be headed south to a Garden Art show.  I guess they will get along without me.  It's my side project again.  She was suppose to be here last night to get my help on some computer stuff but an hour later she's calling me, in her PJ's, at her computer and can't figure it out.  I've learned to go about my own shit and if she shows then we'll switch back to the planned activity.  I think she went off caffeine again.   Look, either self medicate or get the ADD meds!

[cineater]

Was not ready for this, cold and windy.  All those body parts that have gotten too cold over the years start screaming on days like this.  Lost the tropicals last night.  Their leaves are rolled under and sagging.

Must be some heavily guarded secret by the industry.  I can't find any charts that give the bloom time from germination.  They talk about it and contract it out but they don't put that on line.  Feel like it's a mind boggler with all the light, fertilizer, temperature and watering combinations to get just right to have them blooming on a certain date.

[soon]

Second thought: I do not want Kevin to drain my hose 

How was the garden art show?

Fridged, foggy and drizzling here. I cant beleive my perennials are still thriving!

You got these Lantana!! 

[cineater]

Art show is Saturday.  So far today, Del has e-mailed about the 10 bushes he wants to put in the pantry beds.  I told him he can't put bushes on the northside!  You get 6, southside only.  The north side is the path.  And then Libby left me a message about changing up the annual bed.  WTF, it's in the shape of a butterfly you can see from google sky.  What could she possibly want to change?  What happen to downtime? 

Kevin did drain all the hoses and blew out the lines, e-mail just went out.  That kind of bummed me out, season is over.  The garlic is scheduled to be planted Saturday.

Libby wanted to change to colead over the Flutterby garden.  Which means I need a new lead for her garden.

Sugar Baby ordered.  I've got my watermelon.

Edited November 1, 2019 by cineater

[soon]

Next thing you know someone will name a watermelon varietal Sugar Daddy 

Everyone is busy imagining next years gardens. Gardeners brains dont seem to know abut down time. That is too cool that you can see the butterfly shape from above!!

Im happy for you that you still get to plant some garlic. Im too finish the kale finally today and thats it for me too  

I wonder what I will have under grow lights by Monday?? 

[soon]

Its snowing  Not much but its snowing. Wind gusts up to 65kmh. Have to wear my thermal under layers at the garden 

[cineater]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/260+Brown+Rd,+St+Peters,+MO+63376/@38.8029606,-90.6392643,35m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x87ded79e00671ee9:0x55fe8331f56a2f0e!2s260+Brown+Rd,+St+Peters,+MO+63376!3b1!8m2!3d38.8028529!4d-90.6394149!3m4!1s0x87ded79e00671ee9:0x55fe8331f56a2f0e!8m2!3d38.8028529!4d-90.6394149

That's the whole property, scroll out.  The path on the left down to the creek is gone as that corner is what we are afraid will fall into the creek.  Damn we look good from the bird's eye view.  I can tell from view it was taken the first week of May because the plant sales tables are still up.  It was a Tuesday because my trash can was out, lol.  Can't tell the year.  Those 12 raised beds behind the butterfly are the pantry beds.  The orchard is behind there with the grape vines below them.  That whole area is under renovation.

We got in the 50's today.  I was up there for five and a half hours taking down stuff.  Dead plants but they were juicy and gunked up my pruners.  I've got until Thursday when we get cold again.

Too cold for the garden art show for her so we are working in her yard, oh joy.  Actually, she forgot we were going.

Edited November 2, 2019 by cineater

[soon]

Darn it, I cant get this link to work. Ive never been able to figure out how to send a google map image link. Tried a few approaches... sigh. I wish I could see it!]

Thats incredible that you can pin point the day of the week the pic was taken. Like "Theres Kevin laid-out in the creek, so that was a week day." 

Ill keep trying to see if I can see it.

Too cold with wet snow today so no harvest. 

Of course she forgot 

[cineater]

Tool sharpening class today.  Here's the training guide: https://thetoolmerchants.com/sharpen-garden-tools/  I learned if you want to be able to dig straight down, you sharpen the inside edge of the shovel not the back.  If you sharpen the back it will go in at angle.

Garlic is in and lantana is at home under the lights.  Went ahead and started the hosta seeds.  Side project is planted.  Busy day!

The library classes are posted on their calendar.  People are signing up and they haven't been announced yet.

Edited November 3, 2019 by cineater

[soon]

Thanks so much of this sharpening guide. This will be the first year Ive done this. A big step towards being a legit gardener! So cool about the different angles - one can adjust for mobility even.

You've been busy! Im exhausted just reading this all! I never thought Id read the words "Side project is planted", well done 

So exciting about the library classes!

Today in never ending lentils and kale, I will attempt to cook up a lentil, broccoli, onion and peppers stew to a consistency suitable to use as filling for a spanakopita type thing (phyllo dough thing). And use the purred kale and mushrooms as a dipping sauce.

[cineater]

I wish I was a better cook.  All your stuff sounds good to me.

Glad we got an extra hour today.  I overslept, even forgot the time changed.  I have lots to do before the temps crash on Thursday.  My friend was asking what I was going to do all winter.  So busy in the present I haven't thought about that.

My white Christmas lights are fried!  My patio is a mini Disneyland with those.  Usually they just burn out over time but these are black.  Happens around here once in a while that lights just all burn out at one time.  I'm replacing all of them.  Should paint but I'll put that on next year's to do list.  Hate having to cut all my vines back.  Always a couple strands short.   I'm buying my daughter Christmas lights for her house.  Nothing says her mother more than Christmas lights.

Edited November 4, 2019 by cineater

[cineater]

Here's my write up on garlic.  Soon you want the hardneck and might want to go 3 inches below soil line.

Hardneck vs Softneck

Both hard and soft neck varieties will grow in Missouri.  Hardneck garlic needs a longer period of colder weather to germinate.  Hardneck varieties produce a long, edible flowering stem through the center of the plant and have a single layer of regularly shaped cloves around the stem.  Hardneck varieties are more flavorful and easier to peel than softneck.  Softneck garlic cloves are irregular in shape, in two or more concentric layers.  They will keep longer than the hardneck varieties.

Planting

Garlic cloves are planted about 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes to ensure good root growth before winter, about 6 inches apart, with about 6 inches between each clove.  The pointy end of the clove is the top and should be planted about two inch below the soil line.  Cover with 4 inches of mulch.  Garlic grows best in a sunny location in soil of moderate to high organic matter. It should drain well and retain moisture.

Harvesting and Curing

In summer, garlic plants will start drying out and the leaves will yellow. After about half of the leaves have died back, it’s time to harvest. Cure the garlic with the leaves still attached by spreading the whole plant on newspaper or hang them to dry in a well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight. After two to three weeks, the skins will be papery and the bulbs will be ready for storage in a cool, dark place; 44-55˚ is an optimal temperature range. Never store garlic in the refrigerator, as the cold temperature will cause the cloves to sprout.

Edited November 4, 2019 by cineater

[hudsonsaul]

Anyone got any tips on Chilli growing? I've had some good success but basically just feed the fuckers as much as possible and give them as much heat.

Keen to understand their up keep once they're dishing out chillis.

Also seeking any tips on how to clone a Lemon Tree.

 

THanks! 

[soon]

6 hours ago, hudsonsaul said:

Anyone got any tips on Chilli growing? I've had some good success but basically just feed the fuckers as much as possible and give them as much heat.

Keen to understand their up keep once they're dishing out chillis.

Also seeking any tips on how to clone a Lemon Tree.

 

THanks! 

I have grown jalapeño, cayenne and once habanero. But I just threw em in, having raised them from seeds, and didnt give them any special attention. Sounds like just the same way you've been doing it.

Ive read up on growing them indoors and what I remember is that they are exceptionally picking about the soils ph. I think I ran into this outdoors too. I planted cayenne in a really sandy garden and they didnt produce, but the jalapeños thrived. Next year same varietal of cayenne in a different garden and they thrived too (jalapeño thrived in both gardens). So you could look into optimizing the soil ph for each varietal? 

If I fertilized the individual plants at all it would have been with homemade bonemeal. And it would be right around first fruits. Ive never documented the impact though.

I would have liked to know more info for you, I started seedlings for a 'hot sauce' garden this year but my cat took them all out - destroyed dozens and dozens of various hot pepper plants  So Id love to hear more about your approach? And also would be curious to learn if you get any answers to your question.

 

[soon]

21 hours ago, cineater said:

I wish I was a better cook.  All your stuff sounds good to me.

Glad we got an extra hour today.  I overslept, even forgot the time changed.  I have lots to do before the temps crash on Thursday.  My friend was asking what I was going to do all winter.  So busy in the present I haven't thought about that.

My white Christmas lights are fried!  My patio is a mini Disneyland with those.  Usually they just burn out over time but these are black.  Happens around here once in a while that lights just all burn out at one time.  I'm replacing all of them.  Should paint but I'll put that on next year's to do list.  Hate having to cut all my vines back.  Always a couple strands short.   I'm buying my daughter Christmas lights for her house.  Nothing says her mother more than Christmas lights.

Oh, I bet you could cook like me, its really nothing special. Phyllo is as fancy as I get  Thanks though!

The time change really threw me and the cat off. I woke up at 1am today. Hope you get your season wrapped before the temps drop.

Sounds like a big project to replace all those lights? Your porch sounds like a nice sanctuary with the lights. Hopefully your daughter will have it in her genes to make them awesome.

You and me both have to figure out the down time from gardening! I cant just keep planning next years beds all winter 

 

[cineater]

Yeah I can cook by recipe (don't tell anybody).  But I would like to be able to throw shit together.  Open the frig, pull down the spices and whip up something different.

Not so big of a project but I put my lights up at night.  I've been doing it for 20 years so I've got it down.  I use wire to attach it so it's just a twist and it's attached.  It is my sanctuary.  My little bit of Disneyland.  You know us people from the LA area, it's in our blood and we take it with us wherever we go.

I'm trying to figure out how to keep up the gardening body over the winter.  I'm like a caged cat when I can't get out and run around the garden.  On the other hand, I'm tired!  I could easily hang out at the local pub and play pinball all winter.

[soon]

I learned to cook by watching Gordan Ramsey scream bloody murder at people, so I picked up some things out of sheer terror . But actually I learned to use phyllo in a 'healthy cooking lessons' bundle I bought (I think) from an add on Mother Earth News online.

Oh, right, I forgot you were from out there. That will be so nice to get them set up.

Ill be back to doing more baking and making yogurt. And hope to make orangina with the whey from the yogurt. But yeah, caged cat is a perfect way to put it! If I spent too much time in our arcade bar I fear that I would emerge a heavy metal dude-bro.