*~August Food Growing Mamas~* - Page 3

[Hibou]

Hi mamas.
Harvests are starting to come in here at last, so i feel like I can join you all. It's been a late year with lots of setbacks, but we have a nice crop of zucchinni, carrots, potatoes, garlic, onions, beans. The tomatoes are green, but it's hot this week so there's hope. The crabapples and sweet corn's looking good too. Should benefit from the heat this week. Finally time to pull out the canner and start putting-up.

Originally Posted by lmonter

Just an extra month at the beginning of the season and an extra month at the end would be just fine -

I hear ya! An extra month on either end can make a huge differnce to us cold-climate folk.

[hjrowan]

We got 14 1/5 lbs pears today - Bartlett I think, as well as about 4lb I processed and froze yesterday. Not bad considering this tree has produced very little in the three years we've been here. I've no idea what's responsible for the good crop this year, now I just have to figure out what to do with all these lovely pears!

I also just transplanted some spinach, carrot and rutabaga seedlings today so we'll see how those do - I'm not hopeful! But the starter greens I got from a great local nursery look lovely :

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by Hibou

I hear ya! An extra month on either end can make a huge differnce to us cold-climate folk.

Did you look at the greenhouse I linked? Pretty slick if you've got some of the things on hand...

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy

Though now I need more seed for next year. Long, cold winter = lots of seed starting in the basement of Fiancee's house. Should be fun!

Are you guys going back to MI after the wedding? For some reason I thought you were coming back to CA after the wedding (so I got confused as to why you'd be seed starting up there if you're not going to be there to plant it...)


I got 15 quarts of peaches done last night. Holy moly do peaches take time. Well, one of the quarts is in the fridge since I only have a 7-qt canner, but still. It's something. Still have another box of peaches, few boxes of pears, green beans, and spices and seeds I'm saving to deal with. Crap. Remind me of this in December when I start complaining of being bored, would you?

[FarmerCathy]

Originally Posted by lmonter

Are you guys going back to MI after the wedding? For some reason I thought you were coming back to CA after the wedding (so I got confused as to why you'd be seed starting up there if you're not going to be there to plant it...)

Yeah, were moving back to CA. I need to start my tomatoes in Feb. to plant in April. Plus, I always start my flower seeds too late, so I'm thinking about starting them in Dec. Anyway, going to be a worm farmer as well in the basement. Killed them last summer when I was depressed accidentally, so I will be starting over.

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy

Yeah, were moving back to CA. I need to start my tomatoes in Feb. to plant in April. Plus, I always start my flower seeds too late, so I'm thinking about starting them in Dec. Anyway, going to be a worm farmer as well in the basement. Killed them last summer when I was depressed accidentally, so I will be starting over.

You mean you'll be able to bring your plants back across the border? I thought CA was darn strict about stuff like that - outside dirt/produce/everything... Heck, I know wegrowgarlic.com (I think? the family outfit) can't send garlic to ID and... NV if I remember right. Because little viruses or something may be hiding in a speck of dirt somewhere. I also can't get peach/apricot trees shipped to me, and some grape vines. Hence why I'm a bit into the local thing, less paperwork...

[anamama]

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy

Actually just ordered some Music garlic that does well socked in snow. Very excited!

I've bought Music garlic from a grower in KY, and it's really good! It might be really fun to try out some different varieties in a different climate.

I am living vicariously through you all, since my poor little garden succumbed to Walnut Wilt earlier this summer. My tomato plants produced a couple of really sweet tomatoes in spite of the juglone coursing through the soil, but the plants themselves are all wilted and sad looking. I've read that I can grow some vegetables, even with the walnut tree- I'm going to try corn, beans and squash next summer. A Three Sisters Garden surrounded by calendula! For fall, I think I'll try some beets and onions. I have a few clumps of sorrel, we'll see how that does.

Anyone else with experience growing near a black walnut?

[Talula Fairie]

just harvested a (small) bowl full of tomatoes and one spaghetti squash. Looks like the cherry tomatoes did the best (I guess because it's all in containers) but I still got a few larger ones. They just didn't get as big as they were 'sposed to. Lots more still on the vines.

[UmmSamiyah]

Hello all,
I am hardly a food growing mama but I really want to be. just about everyone i have spoken to at our farmers market said it is too late to start to grow anything now. do you think I could start them as seeds now tho in the house then transplant them next spring? also i was thinking of getting a green house does anyone use them in the winter? it gets REALLY cold up here.

[Talula Fairie]

Is there a September thread yet?

Well anyway. I have my first harvest! It's small but hey. It's my first year really doing this.

tomatoes! green grape, red cherry, and various red hybrids
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2509/...208af9de_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3448/...bfba2088_o.jpg

this squash was a bit small, but the plant died (due to my lack of watering after having a baby) so..that is as big as it's going to get.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3478/...0749ba50_o.jpg

[CariOfOz]

Congrats Talula! Those look gorgeous : I've got corn that is a flop (2 stalks are actually growing, the others are about 4inches tall and stopped), zuchinni (green is doing well, several 3" long zukes as thick as my thumb or so!.. the golden ones keep shriveling and going soft before they get bigger than my pinky , I had some sad tomatos that I yanked out.. and planted cherry toms instead and they are going well so far! Cucumbers are getting a good start (they're only a couple of weeks planted) and my few bush beans are going well. I have 2 capsicum/pepper plants that already have a couple of tiny fruit coming up as well as a few flowers! : :

UmmSamiyah, I'm not totally sure about your area, but I'm fairly sure you can take what the famers market folks say to the bank.. so to speak. They know what they're talking about. You can however start reading and making plans for next year! For me the planning is half the fun

[Talula Fairie]

I actually did get my corn to grow, but I forgot to water it for two weeks after I had the baby and no one else thought to do it so it died

Also, and this could be a container issue, the corn itself never got very big.

[CariOfOz]

Oh that bites Talula I lost a few things when I was away for 17days in August but such is life I suppose. He kept the kids alive & house in order, so I can't fault him too much if a few tomato seedlings kick the bucket lol. My corn is in the ground (such as it is.. not great soil at all, if you can call it soil even) and it's still doing nothing