Gardening 2022

[hooky]

There has been a noticeable absence of bees this year. I wonder if that is creating lower yields.

Tomatoes (like peppers, corn and beans) are self pollinating and don't require bees, just the action of wind or if inside a good shake for a few seconds each day will do the job. Your squash, melons, cucumbers, and fruit trees are a different story though.

 

[bwframe]

There are a ton of small carpenter/bubble bees here, always on blossoms. They are pollinating as well, right?


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[Bill2905]

Tomatoes (like peppers, corn and beans) are self pollinating and don't require bees, just the action of wind or if inside a good shake for a few seconds each day will do the job. Your squash, melons, cucumbers, and fruit trees are a different story though.

I learned something new today. Thanks.

 

[KokomoDave]

Heck, I didn't know about the powdered milk trick. I bet my stepdad knew about it. He had all kinds of tricks for growing. I was just too stubborn to listen / pay attention / retain as a teenager. I'd rather go fishing or tube floating down the Tippecanoe river. Met some nice girls that way. I could talk some poo to women back in the day. Heck, I had hair back then!

 

[bwframe]

Heck, I didn't know about the powdered milk trick. I bet my stepdad knew about it. He had all kinds of tricks for growing. I was just too stubborn to listen / pay attention / retain as a teenager. I'd rather go fishing or tube floating down the Tippecanoe river. Met some nice girls that way. I could talk some poo to women back in the day. Heck, I had hair back then!

 

[hooky]

I learned something new today. Thanks.

You're welcome. Always happy to pass along what I've learned.


I picked green beans at lunch today. Somewhere upthread I commiserated with someone about not having beans early due to the heat. Mine are making up for it now. I picked a half a grocery sack today on 28' of rows after picking the same last Thursday and enough for a meal on Saturday. I'm guessing tomorrow's heat will slow things down a little, but they're loaded with smaller beans and blooms.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

You're welcome. Always happy to pass along what I've learned.


I picked green beans at lunch today. Somewhere upthread I commiserated with someone about not having beans early due to the heat. Mine are making up for it now. I picked a half a grocery sack today on 28' of rows after picking the same last Thursday and enough for a meal on Saturday. I'm guessing tomorrow's heat will slow things down a little, but they're loaded with smaller beans and blooms.

My beans suffered from the heat also. The first big pick only yielded 8 quarts, and I've seen more bugs than normal. The first time I've had Mexican Bean beetles, their larvae are ugly greenish yellow things that cling to the underside of the leaves and eat all but the veins. The leaves end up looking like fine lace. My wife goes out a couple times each day and picks off every bug she sees. I see lots of little beans coming on now, so fingers are crossed.

 

[Cozy439]

Red potatoes came out OK but a bit smaller
White potatoes looking good as long as i can keep bugs off w/Sevin
1st batch of onions came out GOOD, next round not looking as good
Cucumbers put out a lot right away then went to crap
Rabbits got 75% of Kohlrabi and 100% of broccoli, brussels sprouts, beets and cauliflower
8 gallons of green beans yesterday and more on the way
Radishes were a bust
Bell and jalapeno peppers still green but very small for this time of year and the small amount of fruit that grows, rots before it matures
Roma tomatoes and tomatillos doing fine
Zucchini went great 1st round and now all dead
1st 8 head of cabbage turned into sour kraut this week.
Peas were good for a small patch
Planted turnips "25th of July, wet or dry" like grandpa always said, also replanted beets. Dogs did eat a few baby bunnies so we may have a chance

My peaches are loaded but small
Cherries were awesome
Pears are OK
Apples are hit or miss. Some varieties are loaded, others are sparse
Black raspberries were awesome but I need to plant more to get enough for more than 2-3 pies

I picked up 2 bee colonies this spring but for medical reasons I got a late start - They helped w/ the fruit I'm sure, but will get less honey than I had hoped.

Many near us complain of peppers, cukes and zucchini doing poorly also.

Should be better, could be worse.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Replanted 50 grean beans so far 48 have came up.

Been having a good year for beans here.

 

[KokomoDave]

Anybody besides me put out praying mantis?
I did a smaller batch of katydids too.

Hardly any bugs. One of my green squash plants is dying tho. I suspect the milkweed butterflies and their little freaking spots on my plants.

 

[bwframe]

Anybody besides me put out praying mantis?
I did a smaller batch of katydids too.

Hardly any bugs. One of my green squash plants is dying tho. I suspect the milkweed butterflies and their little freaking spots on my plants.

Where did you get these and were they expensive?

Couple years back, I found a praying mantis cocoon in the garden, dropping little tiny ones. Seen some after that, later in the season, of varying sizes. No signs of them for the last couple summers though.


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[snapping turtle]

I would not say I put them out but I seem to attract mantis

 

[Ruger_Ronin]

Cukes taking a hit from lack of pollination. Crop is so-so, but still productive. Tomatoes are measured in minutes of windowsill; currently at 2.5 M.O.W. Salsa making soon....

 

[hooky]

I've got my new refrigerator spicy bread & butter pickle recipe.

2 cups cucumbers thinly sliced
1 shallot thinly sliced (or onion)
¾ cup apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon Chili de Arbol (adjust to your heat pref)

Put the sliced cukes and shallot in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, mixing well. I used a couple of teaspoons total. transfer to collander and put that in the bowl to catch the liquid.

After 3 or 4 hours, mix the ACV, sugar and spices and heat until the sugar dissolves.

Rinse the salt off the cukes and shallot. Add to a quart jar and pour the pickling liquid over them. Put the lid on, give it a good shake and put it in the frig. They're ready to go in 24 hours, but even better after 48 when the heat smooths out.

Here's the original recipe that I tweaked. https://www.sidewalkshoes.com/refrigerator-bread-and-butter-pickles-thelostfamilysupperclub/

 

[Ruger_Ronin]

Shy a few peppers now for next round of canning. Used them on pork tacos with fresh cilantro, so I'm not mad.

 

[Twangbanger]

Cukes taking a hit from lack of pollination. Crop is so-so, but still productive. Tomatoes are measured in minutes of windowsill; currently at 2.5 M.O.W. Salsa making soon....

View attachment 215697

Where do you get sets for macadamia nut cookies? I'd like to plant some...

 

[Ruger_Ronin]

Where do you get sets for macadamia nut cookies? I'd like to plant some...

Right next to the hot dog trees. Some guy in a red bowtie sold me them. And they're M&M

 

[KokomoDave]

Where did you get these and were they expensive?

Couple years back, I found a praying mantis cocoon in the garden, dropping little tiny ones. Seen some after that, later in the season, of varying sizes. No signs of them for the last couple summers though.


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I hate admit it but I bought them off of Amazon. Don't hate they were the best priced. I absolutely loathe Amazon. I used to buy them from Burpees. There are a couple websites too. Mantis and mantids are what you wanna Google.

 

[Mij]

Wife took 3 heads of broccoli that about filled a bushel basket, largest we’ve ever raised. Gonna freeze the tops after blanching. Got a large peck of pablanoes (sp) gonna stuff with sausage then freeze, for a pop in the oven quick dinner. Maters are there but not ripe enough yet to start making juice. Next week. Juice and salsa. Got tonnes of jalapeños we’ll use them and pablos in some hot salsa. Put up 27 pints of sweet corn. We’ll do another batch in a week or so, second planting.

 

[spencer rifle]

Two things about mantises:
1. They are most likely Chinese mantids that don't belong here
2. They will happily eat your pollinators

Raccoons got some of our sweet corn. Bean plants climbing up the cornstalks.
Harvesting beans, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, basil, zucchini, squash, and a turnip from last year. Potatoes not dong so well, and neither is the okra (yay!).