So what are you planting?

Heavy frost here, 36F at dawn this morn, but, I was ready! Dad rummaged around in his junk and found an old tobacco bed canvas (120' x 12') that very nearly covered my entire tom/chile bed:



This is the extent of my herb garden so far:

 

Unfortunately, just flowers. With a possible move for the husbands job we've decided to hold off on planting a garden this year.

 

Planted different types of peppers, along with basil, tomatoes (behind fences- our pup will eat them off of the vine otherwise), onions, beans.

Planted garlic last fall and should be ready to dig up next month.

Cherry tree appears to be producing a bumper crop. Last year we only had three cherries because of a late frost that decimated the crop in this area.

Mrs. Arbo likes her flowers, so there are a few of those also.

 

OK, you beat me. My cherry tomatoes are at least a week off. I have pickling cukes that are going to be just the right 'gherkin' size in a couple days, have to watch them close, pulled up remaining collards and mustard, still have plenty of lettuce, green onions, have planted more, pole and bush beans doing good, been eating some green peppers/chiles, they're doing good. Good season so far. Thank you Lord.

 

Wow...tomatoes already...good for you. Ive been harvesting lettuce & broccoli ...and the peas will be ready in a week. I seed grew the collieflower so I'm guessing two or three more weeks...but the wife loves my morning brock & cheese omelets ... I raise chickens too:thumbs:

 

Ok, that makes sense. I would also caution you guys to be on the lookout for the ever present 'blossom end rot ' because of all the rain. Ive been adding more lime to the ground & also put near the plants oyster shell granuals I normally give to my chickens to insure hard egg shells ... I then treat with a fungicide if it starts to appear. Lastly ive put some plants in large pots to keep them, the soil clean. Hope the isolation will provide better yields. And yes Larry, :godisgood:

 

Picked first two ripe tomatoes (a very early variety) two days ago. Not bad for northern Wisconsin.

 

I see....so you can add a winter greenhouse to the Arbo household. :laugh:...BTW, What's the brand name? Might want to plant some if they yield that quickly.

 

"Sweet-n-neat" hybrid. It's a small plant, so I have it in a pot.

As for a greenhouse, Wifey and I are in negotiations...

 

The makings of some deli half sours...

....or full sours if you wait a couple more days. First cuke pickins' from the garden this morning:



About 15 mins later:



Pounded/mashed a baby cuke, sprig of dill, 3 garlic cloves in the bottom of qt jar, packed rest of cukes in, added 1 TBSP salt 3 TBSP whey over the top, and filled with water. Sitting next to it is a corn/tomato/pepper relish/salsa I threw together last night to ferment for 2-3 days.

3.3 litre 'crock' of half sours (store bought cukes) I threw together last week for a small feed we put on for my daughter's second pregnancy 'gender party'-when we were all informed that we're gonna have another granddaughter. (that's three daughters and four granddaughters for me, no boys.

 

I am impressed. My boyhood friends grandmom used to pickle cucumbers and to this day were the best I've ever had. Bill & I would watch a ball game & polish off a few bottles. And there were plenty because his uncle would plant a few acres for just that purpose...real fresh...not anything like what you get in the market today.

 

TRACTOR SUPPLY...you can throw it in the back yard. BTW...I'm adopting another dog (shephard breed mix) so I can walk him an hour a day. I need the workout & bulldogs just don't do that.

 

Do you know if those pickles she made were 'vinegar pickles' or 'fermented pickles'? These I've made above are fermented (also known as salt pickles); but nothing wrong with a good vinegar pickle though, it's just that the half sours are quick, easy, fresh, and crunchy.

 

Vinegar...she was an old Ukrainian woman. My wife cant eat them so I didn't put cukes in this year.

 

This is an el cheapo 'mini-greenhouse' my wife gave for my birthday a couple years ago and this was the first year I used it and it was very functional, worked like a charm, I was very impressed. As with any greenhouse, temperature control is the thing you HAVE to watch. Zip it up tight at night, open it wide during sunny days:

 

Congrats on the new pup. Had a shepherd years ago.

 

Have something very similar that I built about ten years ago. It's about half the size. It works well for what it is.