Food gardening

dogooder said:
The weather has put a damper on the next phase of the greenhouse which is the roof. The gravity feed watering system is working like a charm.
The garden is all in, the pot plants are growing, everything is going good except for... One of the apple trees I bought last year has rust. I have treated it
and it looks like touch and go. Also something is effecting the old pear tree. Bunch of dead branches. Time will tell.
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What variety of apple tree? It's probably apple cedar rust. Word is, although certainly not good, it won't kill the tree first go 'round. Long term it could. Messes up the fruit to non edible as well. Crazy, damnedest thing, apple cedar rust. It's impossible to cut down every red cedar tree(and some relatives) within 10 miles. Requires spraying a fungicide on a schedule during the spring, copper for instance, approx weekly. Those alien looking orange balls with tentacles on the cedar trees swell after a rain. As weather dries they also dry out and shrink, and harden. That's when the wind carries the spores to the apple trees....up to 10 miles. My trees are semi dwarf, which will be a semi challenge to spray....several times...in the spring. A full size tree, I just can't see that happening, not with a typical homeowner type pump garden sprayer anyway. I suppose it's not the end of the world, but as you spray some falls to the ground, can build up in the soil after repeated sprays. So use an "organic" type fungicide. If the spray kills things on the tree, it can/will kill things in the soil as well. Good things you might not want to kill. It might not be a bad idea to where a respirator, or certainly some type of covering over your face to prevent breathing in that shit.

Good luck.
 
Bagworms. Got the damn things all over a Arborvitae tree by the side deck. I dropped the ball by not monitoring this year. Last year removed larger sacks(bags) by hand later in the season once I understood what was going on. Seems much more numerous this year, but still at this point in the season smaller bags. Seems there are hundreds. The tree might be toast. My intention was to stay away from chemical pesticides as much as possible, but this is war.

Japanese Beetles are attempting to attack my cherry tree, as well. Apple trees have the cedar apple rust, not good, but they appear to be otherwise somewhat healthy. I do need to prune them at some point.

The vegetable garden seems to be doing okay, but still small. I got started late because of other too many commitments, scored a tiller a little late in the game, and it would have been senseless to plant before I built fencing to keep the deer off the plants. A Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes plant the wife had in a pot on the front porch, the deer just poked their head through the railing and pretty much ate the entire thing. Deer eating other ornamentals as well. We are starting to get tomatoes, banana peppers, and some squash from a plot I planted earlier. Harvested Yukon potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli from what the wife planted in the grow bag method.

Lots to learn. Otherwise busy though I may be, I have got to be more vigilant. Had bigger plans, but all I have in my permanent new spot is 6 varieties of tomatoes, 2 varieties of corn(silver queen and bi-color, staggered harvest date), cukes, yellow squash, 5 varieties of peppers, sunflowers, beets, carrots, radishes, swiss chard, watermelon. Climbing beans will go on at the base of the corn once a little taller, probably at the sunflowers as well, cept a little later. Soon to start butternut squash and others for fall planting. Herbs I have seeds but haven't done squat, but will soon. Sugar peas didn't do well in full sun, have a partial shade area for those and others that prefer it out of full sun.
 
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The main garden will expand next year. I'm gearing up with more composting, shredding leaves, etc.

Also gearing up, Tree of Heaven. In my permanent garden I used temp T posts so the fencing can be dismantled. Using permanent wood posts it may have been damaged from fallen trees. I'm about $700 deep into garden fencing, wouldn't want it damaged beyond use. Once the Tree of Heaven starts to prepare for winter by sending it's energy back to the root system, late August, I will hack around the trunk leaving healthy bark between the hacks, it kind of tricks it that it's still okay, "it's only a flesh wound". Then I will hit the hacks while still fresh with a strong concentrate of glyphosate. And, wait. It's a timing thing, hit it late enough where the trees are preparing for winter, early enough where there is no mistaking the tree has died rather than going into fall dormancy. There's probably up to 200 trees there, along the wood line amd up into the woods. A lot are smaller trees, but Tree of Heaven is attempting and has taken over in some places. Invasive species, hosts the dreaded Spotted Lantern Fly. They gotta go. Once they are gone the bonus will be a clearer tree line where I can more easily witness the magnificence of the mighty Oaks. There are also nice Hickory, Cedar, etc.

I just need to be careful of chiggers, and ticks. My nephew just found out he has alpha gal, from a tick bite of which he wasn't even aware. He can't eat red meat, milk, cheese, etc, or he could experience an allergic reaction. I just did a burn, drug out 3 large piles of brush into a field, elbows deep in it, not a single tick bite, just a few chigger bites. Have only been bitten by a tick 4 times this year! I don't have a plan yet as to what I am going to do with all the tree of heaven debris once I start dropping them. This shit ain't for sissies.
 
The blackberries are almost in full bloom. There are thousands and thousands on the property. I already picked a jarful and they are gone.
 
I know a guy in Kentucky who ran a nursery for years and has a modest greenhouse where he does all his planting according to some guide based on moon phases. I don't necessarily put stock in it - he does have a degree from the Agriculture department at a Kentucky university and of course years of experience and maybe his results are just the result of sound planting practices but him planting by moon phases clearly doesn't hurt any - year after year he always gets baskets full of robust fruits and veggies that look like what you see on the cover of agriculture magazines.
 
Maybe this topic should have its own thread, cause it's so dang innerstin.

Well first off, the dang bagworms hit my Aborvitae(spelling) by the side deck. Tall pointy evergreen tree you see along property lines. Last year I noticed some brown spots, pulled off big bagworm pods and threw them in soapy water. Tree survived. This last Sunday my wife called my attention to the tree, hundreds of small bags all over it, especially about 15' at the top. Sprayed the next morning, but the tree might be toast. Big bummer. Keep a look out, pods look like little pine cones. It happened really quick. Real quick.

Sooo...last night me and the wife drove to the grocery store. She waited, I went in. I came out and laying beside the car was a huge beetle. Big boy. Hercules Beetle, I think. I pick it up and show it to her, "oh hell no", she says. Cool bug, beautiful, green with black spots, pincher like mouth. She said she heard it hit the side view mirror, thought maybe it was a bird or a bat. I should have kept it. Doing a bit of research online, there are weirdos who collect these things, and other bugs. I don't know the truth of it, but supposedly such a beetle can be worth between 500-700 bucks. I think maybe Asians, they'll grind up anything and eat it if there's the vague possibility it will assist in an erection. Man, maybe it's because there is a river close by, but we have all kinds of weird bugs around here. So far none have done a thing for an erection, in fact I think my butthole tightens to a pucker at the sight of some. But what the hell, I might go full on weirdo and start collecting and pinning some. Some might be worth money!...although I would think it illegal to ship out of the country, and rightly so.

Bugs and Beetles, pretty cool way to get your weirdo on, eh?

In other news ran up on a small pencil thin bright green snake yesterday. About 1 1/2 feet long, fast as lightning. Right at the door to my shed, I might have even stepped on him. Harmless little guy, but I generally hate snakes. I especially don't want to see a Copperhead. Where there's one there are more? They say black snakes will keep others away, copperheads, rattlers, and such. Man, I don't like snakes.
 
Wild blackberries are like an invasive plant around these parts ;)
Pick em freeze em, and use them for smoothies.
 
brassplyer said:
I know a guy in Kentucky who ran a nursery for years and has a modest greenhouse where he does all his planting according to some guide based on moon phases. I don't necessarily put stock in it - he does have a degree from the Agriculture department at a Kentucky university and of course years of experience and maybe his results are just the result of sound planting practices but him planting by moon phases clearly doesn't hurt any - year after year he always gets baskets full of robust fruits and veggies that look like what you see on the cover of agriculture magazines.
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It's definitely a thing. You might enjoy the Eric Sloan books, especially the "Weather" and "Seasons of America Past" books, which (if I remember accurately) mention moon phases etc.
 
The greenhouse is done except for the plastic on the roof. I don't need it now so I am waiting till cooler weather in the fall
to do the roof. It is hot out there working in the sun.
 
LazerBeakShiek said:
If you have a walnut tree , what do I do with the drops to make walnuts? Roast em?
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Really no need, you can just eat 'em. Can pan roast for a short bit for eating or for cooking. Spiced nuts are a favorite. Ground Allspice, pinch of Cayenne Pepper, brown sugar, salt. Stick 'em in the oven or toss in a pan.

What kind of walnuts do you have? "English" walnuts, you're in luck, versatile and easy to access the meat. Black Walnuts, really, really good. Stronger flavor, not sure what it is, but can actually cause a little ulcer on your tongue. Go really good with chocolate, fudge or brownies. You have to wait for them to drop from the tree, and the hull to turn black. Removing the hulls will stain your hands. The shells are really hard to crack, pretty much have to use a hammer. Very hard if not impossible to get anything larger than bits and pieces of the meat. But it's worth it. When I was a kid we would use a Bobby (hair) Pin to hook and dig out the meat. Black walnut trees put out sort of an herbicide, I forget what it's called, Jungolone, or something like that. It decreases competition from other trees/vegetation. The ulcer on the tongue, you handle the nut, handle the meat, and then stick it in your mouth, that's likely the cause, I would think. Jungolone or whatever it's called. Snap a picture, it'd be interesting to see what you have.
 
Squash bloom. Those little bumblebee guys are hard workers. The honey bees seem to prefer to mostly work the clover blooms. Gotta pick squash about every day or two. I like em young, smaller seeds. Also keeps them producing. Corn behind the squash. 2 rows of Silver Queen, 2 rows of Bi-Colored. No doubt I have them in there a little tighter than they should be. We'll see. Bi-Colored in the front harvests earlier than the SQ behind. A few days ago planted climbing beans at the base, Kentucky Wonder below the SQ, and sugar snap beans below the Bi-Colored. Hopefully the KW beans won't topple the SQ corn. Not sure if the corn will cross pollinate. But that's alright if they do. No concerning signs of pests or powdery mildew, yet.

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Old swing set I found on the property, will use it for something, trellis or throw some plastic over it to protect from frost, early or late. Right now I'm hoping it is helping to deter deer from jumping over. Corn seems to be doing okay, no doubt more crowded than they should be. In any case, will make it a challenge to harvest beans.

Watermelon vines seem to be doing good, small fridge size. I've never planted watermelons. They do take a lot of room, but I knew that. I'm dead head pruning, hopefully so they will concentrate on fewer melons. They keep growing. Wife wanted watermelons, we have watermelons.

I'm picking the peppers so the plants will become more robust for a later harvest. Habanero, Sweet Banana, Cayenne, Bell.

I got started late. First year in that spot, huge amount of rocks, shitty "soil", very busy with life. Next year will expand with permanent fencing after I fell those Tree of Heaven this winter, after I kill them. Don't want them tearing up my fence when they fall. Overall I'm relatively pleased. Considering bio-char, navigating the learning curve. Above all else do no harm.



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Mick Doobie said:
Really no need, you can just eat 'em. Can pan roast for a short bit for eating or for cooking. Spiced nuts are a favorite. Ground Allspice, pinch of Cayenne Pepper, brown sugar, salt. Stick 'em in the oven or toss in a pan.

What kind of walnuts do you have? "English" walnuts, you're in luck, versatile and easy to access the meat. Black Walnuts, really, really good. Stronger flavor, not sure what it is, but can actually cause a little ulcer on your tongue. Go really good with chocolate, fudge or brownies. You have to wait for them to drop from the tree, and the hull to turn black. Removing the hulls will stain your hands. The shells are really hard to crack, pretty much have to use a hammer. Very hard if not impossible to get anything larger than bits and pieces of the meat. But it's worth it. When I was a kid we would use a Bobby (hair) Pin to hook and dig out the meat. Black walnut trees put out sort of an herbicide, I forget what it's called, Jungolone, or something like that. It decreases competition from other trees/vegetation. The ulcer on the tongue, you handle the nut, handle the meat, and then stick it in your mouth, that's likely the cause, I would think. Jungolone or whatever it's called. Snap a picture, it'd be interesting to see what you have.
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Juglone.

From my experience, you have to drive over a pile of them with a minivan to get them to crack. Or use a vise -- it's slow going. But awesome flavor!
 
Serendipity Records said:
Juglone.

From my experience, you have to drive over a pile of them with a minivan to get them to crack. Or use a vise -- it's slow going. But awesome flavor!
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's it. After posting I read a bit more about it. Turns out though to a lesser extent other (nut) trees also put out Juglone, such as Hickory. Up to 100 ft, or I think typically the root system is likely as wide underground as the tree is tall. My garden is very near a tall Hickory tree, actually overhangs the entry. I'm not seeing any signs of a problem, so far. Maybe because I got started a little late and by that time the hickory had done it's thing to attempt to inhibit new growth to eliminate new competition? Dunno.

It's always something, innit? :facepalm:
 
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