Green thumbed folks, gardeners and grow your own

Oh, and conveniently the first recipe also uses fennel!

Seriously, I'm eyeball deep in fennel. I have harvested all the bulbs, used one, frozen one (after dicing it), and have a half-dozen more sitting on my kitchen counter that I have to find something to do with, soon.    It is a shame that the food bank won't take fresh produce.

So we waited until almost dark last night to go harvest the rest of the garlic. It was down to 87F at 8:00pm. Thankfully, harvesting garlic isn't too strenuous, but I was still having sweat drip into my eyes. That is one thing that's better about living in the desert southwest - humidity. The sweat would have evaporated and cooled me down, instead of just messing up the lenses of my glasses!

Anyway, we had planted several varieties. Two didn't work too well - Inchilium Red and Chesnock Red (spelling for both is questionable). They bulbed, but barely. The German Whites are freaking HUGE. So we'll be saving cloves from them to replant for next year. The Polish White did well, too. As did the Bogatyr (my favorite tasting, so far).  The daughter cut the greens off them as I forked up each lot and brought it over to the car.

We stashed all the prepped bulbs into the car and stopped on the way home for ice cream.  When we opened the door to get back into the car it was like a tsunami of "GARLIC" hit us. We're supposed to be doing a road trip tomorrow, so I hope I can get the car aired out before then. It's too hot to have the windows open when it's daylight, so we'll see how that works out.

Needless to say, my kitchen alcove, where I have all the wire shelves set up, now is completely vampire-proof.    There's a nice ceiling fan in there to keep the air moving over the bulbs. I was going to try to dry them outside, originally, but I think the humidity is too high out on the back porch so they're just going to cover any other smells we have in the house, for a while.  Not going to have to buy garlic for the rest of the year, or to plant for next year  unless we want something different.

Looks like the tomatoes for canning will be next - they are just barely showing some color now.

[Edit: I forgot to mention the Georgian Fire garlic. It did really well, too. Haven't tried it yet - it's supposed to have a good bite to it, though.]

So it's been hotter than Hades for some time now. Last Wednesday the garden got some rain. Not enough, as the ground is cracking (deep cracks, not just surface), but the plants appreciated it.  I water my plants using gallon milk jugs - I punch a small hole in the bottom of the jug, set it next to the plant, and fill the jug with water. It gets a slow drip. The plants are doing pretty well that way, generally, and I know precisely how much of a drink they've had.

Normally for a tomato plant I'd expect to give them about a gallon of water per plant per week, over the week's time. It's been so hot I've been doing a full   refill on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. So they are still alive and happy, but some varieties seem to be having a bit of trouble. Might be time for shadecloth. The pumpkin vines are still ok, but I see signs they are stressed. (Amazingly, the leeks are fine. Tiny, but alive.) Some of the corn has given up - I have to water that with a garden hose and I think I'm just not getting enough water to it. The soil where the corn is drains very well. Too well, I think. I will have to add a LOT more composted plant matter to slow it down next year. The birds and the chipmunks were going after it massively, so I brought home a few of the good ears that are left. (It's lovely.) I assume there won't be much more. It's too dry to justify planting more corn, since one plant needs a lot of water and you get maybe two ears of corn per plant. The zucchini. I used to laugh at that joke about people doorbell ditching zukes on neighbors's front porches.  We put in one plant. I've kind of been ignoring it. Last Wednesday it had two tiny zukes.  Today I brought them home, each longer than my forearm and massive. I have no idea what to do with them. Zuke bread for the office team on Monday, I guess!  It's making more zukes.

So this afternoon it absolutely poured rain here at the house. For well over an hour. Seriously, it was pounding down so hard I checked every now and then to make sure it wasn't actually hail. (It wasn't.) I was thinking " Exactly what the garden needs! A good soaking  rain."   Went over to the garden after the rain stopped, to make sure everything was ok, since there was also some wind involved. (Trees down, some power-lines down around town.) We are maybe two-ish? miles from the garden as the crow flies. Got there and it looked really dry. Checked the rain gauge. Nada. The soil was bone dry under the pumpkin plants. The tomatoes were doing ok, as I'd buried the milk jugs halfway under the ground when the plants were young to get them to sink roots deep, and it had rained last Wednesday.

But darn it! We had standing water over here that the gutters were having trouble clearing. Over there, not a drop. There are still cracks in the raised beds and it'll take a lot of water over a long period of time to get it all rehydrated properly again.

Sigh. I could never be a farmer - it would just be too nerve-wracking. Last year half my stuff rotted in the garden because we had too much rain. 

So it's been hotter than Hades for some time now. Last Wednesday the garden got some rain. Not enough, as the ground is cracking (deep cracks, not just surface), but the plants appreciated it.  I water my plants using gallon milk jugs - I punch a small hole in the bottom of the jug, set it next to the plant, and fill the jug with water. It gets a slow drip. The plants are doing pretty well that way, generally, and I know precisely how much of a drink they've had.

Normally for a tomato plant I'd expect to give them about a gallon of water per plant per week, over the week's time. It's been so hot I've been doing a full   refill on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. So they are still alive and happy, but some varieties seem to be having a bit of trouble. Might be time for shadecloth. The pumpkin vines are still ok, but I see signs they are stressed. (Amazingly, the leeks are fine. Tiny, but alive.) Some of the corn has given up - I have to water that with a garden hose and I think I'm just not getting enough water to it. The soil where the corn is drains very well. Too well, I think. I will have to add a LOT more composted plant matter to slow it down next year. The birds and the chipmunks were going after it massively, so I brought home a few of the good ears that are left. (It's lovely.) I assume there won't be much more. It's too dry to justify planting more corn, since one plant needs a lot of water and you get maybe two ears of corn per plant. The zucchini. I used to laugh at that joke about people doorbell ditching zukes on neighbors's front porches.  We put in one plant. I've kind of been ignoring it. Last Wednesday it had two tiny zukes.  Today I brought them home, each longer than my forearm and massive. I have no idea what to do with them. Zuke bread for the office team on Monday, I guess!  It's making more zukes.

So this afternoon it absolutely poured rain here at the house. For well over an hour. Seriously, it was pounding down so hard I checked every now and then to make sure it wasn't actually hail. (It wasn't.) I was thinking " Exactly what the garden needs! A good soaking  rain."   Went over to the garden after the rain stopped, to make sure everything was ok, since there was also some wind involved. (Trees down, some power-lines down around town.) We are maybe two-ish? miles from the garden as the crow flies. Got there and it looked really dry. Checked the rain gauge. Nada. The soil was bone dry under the pumpkin plants. The tomatoes were doing ok, as I'd buried the milk jugs halfway under the ground when the plants were young to get them to sink roots deep, and it had rained last Wednesday.

But darn it! We had standing water over here that the gutters were having trouble clearing. Over there, not a drop. There are still cracks in the raised beds and it'll take a lot of water over a long period of time to get it all rehydrated properly again.

Sigh. I could never be a farmer - it would just be too nerve-wracking. Last year half my stuff rotted in the garden because we had too much rain. 

I kinda miss those storms that would blow through and make one area a torrential downpour and nothing the next town over. Glad the garden has been so productive!

Yeah, we're happy with it. The voles got all the bush beans (right down to the ground) and the beets (ate half of each one). I had fenced to keep bunnies out, but the voles squeezed through the chickenwire. I guess next year I'll put hardware cloth around a small area for beans.

So I got over there at 7:30 this morning, already warming up outside. Did nothing but stand there with the hose and watering wand, to water everything until 10:00 (with the exception of putting some row cover over recently germinated carrot seedlings, since I took the brown paper bag I germinated them under off them so they'd get light, and picking two very small, but ripe pumpkins). So pretty much watering for two and a half hours. Checked the soil near the corn and only the top inch or so was damp, then back to dry.  Have to try to do more some evening this week when it's not too hot to safely go over there and stand with the hose. Ideally I should do it every evening, but that's not possible when the heat index is hovering around 100F. As it was, I had to sit in the shade for a while after walking back up to the car park - felt very overheated and dizzy. (Car park is at the top of a slight hill.) Thankful to have AC in the car that works well.

Felt bad for a couple of gardeners I met as I was leaving. They were all happy and smiles and "great rain, huh? Just what we needed!" Had to break it to them that there was nothing in the rain gauge there (including a pie plate I have on the ground to put water in for the birds and snakes). Kinda ruined their morning. They'd thought they'd just be in and out with some produce, and were going to have to do pretty much what I'd just done. Only in hotter temperatures than I was under. The weather guy was saying on the TV we might get a rumbler later today, but although it's clouded up a bit I'm not seeing anything on the radar yet that indicates anything significant. They also say it might get down into the 80Fs towards the end of the week, and be a bit less humid. That would be good.

At least the pumpkin vines are happy. They are now at the chickenwire fence and making a break for up and over it.

Oh. And if you ever grow bulb fennel. If you cut the roots off, instead of pulling the whole plant, it grows back again!

Yeah, we're happy with it. The voles got all the bush beans (right down to the ground) and the beets (ate half of each one). I had fenced to keep bunnies out, but the voles squeezed through the chickenwire. I guess next year I'll put hardware cloth around a small area for beans.

So I got over there at 7:30 this morning, already warming up outside. Did nothing but stand there with the hose and watering wand, to water everything until 10:00 (with the exception of putting some row cover over recently germinated carrot seedlings, since I took the brown paper bag I germinated them under off them so they'd get light, and picking two very small, but ripe pumpkins). So pretty much watering for two and a half hours. Checked the soil near the corn and only the top inch or so was damp, then back to dry.  Have to try to do more some evening this week when it's not too hot to safely go over there and stand with the hose. Ideally I should do it every evening, but that's not possible when the heat index is hovering around 100F. As it was, I had to sit in the shade for a while after walking back up to the car park - felt very overheated and dizzy. (Car park is at the top of a slight hill.) Thankful to have AC in the car that works well.

Felt bad for a couple of gardeners I met as I was leaving. They were all happy and smiles and "great rain, huh? Just what we needed!" Had to break it to them that there was nothing in the rain gauge there (including a pie plate I have on the ground to put water in for the birds and snakes). Kinda ruined their morning. They'd thought they'd just be in and out with some produce, and were going to have to do pretty much what I'd just done. Only in hotter temperatures than I was under. The weather guy was saying on the TV we might get a rumbler later today, but although it's clouded up a bit I'm not seeing anything on the radar yet that indicates anything significant. They also say it might get down into the 80Fs towards the end of the week, and be a bit less humid. That would be good.

At least the pumpkin vines are happy. They are now at the chickenwire fence and making a break for up and over it.

Oh. And if you ever grow bulb fennel. If you cut the roots off, instead of pulling the whole plant, it grows back again!

Nan, I'm expecting one of those pumpkins so big they fill up the back of a pickup.  Please do no disappoint me. 

I kinda wish we would have planted one of those. (They ARE a thing - https://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/giant-pumpkins.php .)   Sorry, but only Jaradales, Long Island Cheese, Long Pie, and Jack-B-Littles.  The first three varieties store well and are good for pies, curry, etc. The Jacks will fit in a large coffee cup when fully grown and look cute, but otherwise are pretty much only suitable for use as decorations or soup bowls. (Photo forthcoming.)

It would have been fun to irritate the garden coordinator by having one humongous pumpkin that I would have to leave there for the critters to eat.  He is a "weeding" Nazi, some days.

Was seriously considering putting up a sign that said "The Most Sincere" but I doubt most of the neighboring plot owners (most of whom seem to be Chinese) would have gotten it, and since we're at the back of the garden, the woodchucks and deer probably wouldn't have, either.

I kinda wish we would have planted one of those. (They ARE a thing - https://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/giant-pumpkins.php .)   

If I had a giant polytunnel, I would so grow these!

How about 

https://www.almanac.com/how-to-build-hoop-house?trk_msg=6DGP92R0P0FK56TT0GAEVORVC0&trk_contact=A5DUOA24HK75FNI8VSJ05D5ILK&trk_sid=ERP8K9O8V96B9V5B8HG0IPCJC8&trk_link=S911H2HCBMU4H0TKHPLL0B0224&utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=+(title)&utm_campaign=Companion+Daily&utm_content=Almanac.com

Only scaled down a bit?

And ohthankgod it's only 77F out there right now. Off to the garden shortly to see what has survived the heat (and the bugs and the voles and the birds and the mice and the opossums and the raccoons and the woodchuck - long story on the woodchuck - etc., etc.)

We have a greenhouse and small poly tunnels built just like that over some raised beds and a garden packed to the gills. No room for a big one, I’m afraid. (I need to garden in raised beds because my so called soil is just sand and rocks. It’s dreadful.)
Someday we will have enough acreage to have a Polycrub though!  Someday!

We have a greenhouse and small poly tunnels built just like that over some raised beds and a garden packed to the gills. No room for a big one, I’m afraid. (I need to garden in raised beds because my so called soil is just sand and rocks. It’s dreadful.)
Someday we will have enough acreage to have a Polycrub though!  Someday!

Oh, I know how that goes. When we were in Calif I was gardening in what was literally a vacant lot. Not even the weeds were growing there and the ground was a combination of sand and rock, so raised beds were the only way to go. The soil in our little garden on the hillside is so clay-ish and tends to be boggy, so I use raised beds in that. The other plot, on the other side of the garden, is level and drains too well, and used to be part of a working farm decades ago, so no raised beds needed there.  One of my dreams is to have enough land for a proper poly tunnel. Don't know how good it will be when it's -6F of a morning, but.... 

Oh yeah. Learned something new. Birds can peel corn husks away from the cob while the corn is still on the stalk!  Watched one doing it (snuck up on the little rotter) after noting something's been going after the corn in a big way. Time for bird netting to save what little bit is left. Too late in the year to plant more. 

So the daughter made tomato sauce to can last night. Put only one teaspoon of pepper flakes in it.  I tasted it after it had been cooking for a couple of hours and it almost took my head off. We are calling it "Inferno Sauce". The recipe made six half-pint jars from about 2.5 pounds of tomatoes.  I think if it is mixed with another jar of the same (but without pepper flakes) when making a meal it'll be just fine. But wowzers, that was amazingly hot! Or we got a particularly good batch of pepper flakes, maybe.

Speaking of canning, I have a new "favorite" canning book. As always, I recommend the Ball Blue Book, but this one is also excellent and, actually, I think a bit more helpful. "So Easy To Preserve" by the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service.  Too much on Amazon. $25 at our local extension service. Has chapters on canning, drying, pickling, and freezing, plus quite a lot of helpful info and recipes in all the sections. Not filled with glossy photos, just lots of information. I consider it a "must have" on my cookbook shelves now.

Thanks for the book recommendation. Not sure that one will be easy to come by here in the UK!
My hubby got me a pressure canner for Christmas last year (which was a US import) so always looking for resources. I have two different Ball books which are great!

Thanks for the book recommendation. Not sure that one will be easy to come by here in the UK!
My hubby got me a pressure canner for Christmas last year (which was a US import) so always looking for resources. I have two different Ball books which are great!

It's available on Ebay right now but not cheap as shipped from the US. There if you want it though.