Growing/sharing/learning to garden: 2023

[DANSPEED]

Yard clean up is fully underway. Now to only have enough green bin space at this time of year.

That's my problem too! I'm shredding mine directly into the veggie garden this year. Dig a trench, position the shredder output over it, shred and repeat. I'd get someone to take it away but removal services want $250 or more per load! I can buy lots of fruit and vegetables for that price. Anyways I'm waiting for the frost to hit my garden before I start any major removal, pruning and yard clean up. I'm still collecting zinnia and African marigold seeds.

[Catsumi]

$250.00 to remove garden plants??!!

You’ll certainly save money and improve your soil with the trench method. So easy, easy with a shredder to aid you … can hardly wait until spring 2024 to hear your reports of how little of the material added is still identifiable.

Even though I live in a senior’s complex with garden box someway off, I can’t help myself from saving peelings, diligently collected in a pail with snap on lid, and trenching them into my garden box. That soil needs all the help it can get as there’s little to none of organic material and even less water retention.

[DANSPEED]

$250.00 to remove garden plants??!!

You’ll certainly save money and improve your soil with the trench method. So easy, easy with a shredder to aid you … can hardly wait until spring 2024 to hear your reports of how little of the material added is still identifiable.

Even though I live in a senior’s complex with garden box someway off, I can’t help myself from saving peelings, diligently collected in a pail with snap on lid, and trenching them into my garden box. That soil needs all the help it can get as there’s little to none of organic material and even less water retention.

My neighbor cut out his overgrown creeping juniper and checked on getting it removed. Removal companies quotes him around $800. He rented a U-Haul truck for $80 and did it himself.

I'm hoping if trenching works I'll see melted snow in the veggie garden this winter. I just hope I won't get too many unwanted seedlings popping up next spring. I love cosmos, asters and cherry tomatoes but not everywhere!

[DANSPEED]

I'm not sure if now is the best time to divide/move irises but I just moved over 50 to my front yard. I have one variety that gets brown flowers that smell like chocolate!

[Catsumi]

I'm not sure if now is the best time to divide/move irises but I just moved over 50 to my front yard. I have one variety that gets brown flowers that smell like chocolate!

I had a couple of those in my ‘big garden’ way back when. They (irises) should be just fine, maybe not produce blossoms in first year of moving. I always shudder when looking at transplanted irises where corms are completely covered with soil…. They like their knuckles and toes in sunlight, dead stuff cut off cleanly.

Btw, expecting hot and gaseous trenching with snow melt isn’t going to happen. It’s a quieter, cooler and more solemn method of transforming dead plants back into soil (when was the last time or first, you saw cemetary steam?). Expect more earthworms instead.

[DANSPEED]

No joke, a second crop of green seedless grapes! That's a first for this 30+ year old vine. After I picked the grapes first week in August (that's early!) I noticed new clusters starting. These aren't very sweet, they taste more like wine grapes but it's still kind of amazing...

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... I always shudder when looking at transplanted irises where corms are completely covered with soil…. They like their knuckles and toes in sunlight, dead stuff cut off cleanly.

Well don't look at mine then! It's hard to plant small irises shallow without having them fall over. Once the roots get established I'll brush the soil to expose the rhizome tops.

[Catsumi]

Good. I’ll be looking over your shoulder, haha

Anyway, earlier on we were discussing green beans frozen without blanching. Tried mine for 2 dinners and this is my assessment.

Boil water with a little salt, dump in frozen beans, drain, S+P + butter. The taste was fine but the beans seem a bit soggy. So, upon thinking about this, will do the same again tomorrow, except after cooking in water, will drain and dump them into hot buttery frypan, a little onion and almonds, cook until wetness evaporates.

LadyT…have your tried yours yet?

[Lady tehMa]

Good. I’ll be looking over your shoulder, haha

Anyway, earlier on we were discussing green beans frozen without blanching. Tried mine for 2 dinners and this is my assessment.

Boil water with a little salt, dump in frozen beans, drain, S+P + butter. The taste was fine but the beans seem a bit soggy. So, upon thinking about this, will do the same again tomorrow, except after cooking in water, will drain and dump them into hot buttery frypan, a little onion and almonds, cook until wetness evaporates.

LadyT…have your tried yours yet?

Nope - been making soup. The flu has hit our house and I just haven't time or energy.

[Queen K]

Sorry to hear that, get better soon!

Beans here are been left on the vine in vain hopes of dried beans in pods for next year. I have a few, need more.

Leek report: cooler weather has made them fatten up.
Hole of former Red Currant occupation: Getting partly filled with great soil, ok dirt and sand and a bit of clay. It's my potato patch next year. EARLY one too. I plan to empty out my worm filled compost bins on top, cover with leaves, cover with cardboard, weigh down with rocks and let the soil magic happen in situ.

Hundreds of flowers are still flowering though I "borrowed" green bin space from well, everyone to dispose of the sunflowers almost all at once. Got a few left but the backalley is now cleared completely as is various parts of the yard. Grape vines will be next. Let the clipping begin. I also have late grapes but too small to amount to eating this late in the season.

I'm getting new leaves on the zuchinni and letting them enjoy their moment. Most things are done now, yard clean up next, how do I get so much "stuff"?

[Queen K]

Thank you and welcome to the group and forums.

I hatched a plan to plant garlic in a few different places too.

[Queen K]

Yard clean up is fully underway. Now to only have enough green bin space at this time of year.

That's my problem too! I'm shredding mine directly into the veggie garden this year. Dig a trench, position the shredder output over it, shred and repeat. I'd get someone to take it away but removal services want $250 or more per load! I can buy lots of fruit and vegetables for that price. Anyways I'm waiting for the frost to hit my garden before I start any major removal, pruning and yard clean up. I'm still collecting zinnia and African marigold seeds.

hmmmmm zinnia seeds, is there any chance for a trade for poppy seeds?

[Babba_not_Gump]

That's about it for this year's garden, and a surprisingly successful garden it was.
Just one job left. Planting the garlic. Next week?

20231021_135323.jpg

And near mine is a second planting of lettuce. I'm not sure when it was planted, August maybe. Nice looking crop.

20231021_135403.jpg

[DANSPEED]

^^^ Wow you've got about $30 worth of lettuce! I grew iceberg lettuce indoors last winter as an experiment. It's possible but I think I spent more on lighting than the lettuce was worth. Nothing like eating a $20 salad!

Anyone have any tips on growing BIG potatoes? I can grow small ones no problem but I'm talking homemade French fries size potatoes. I bought a deep fryer a few years back and there's nothing like making your own fries.

[Babba_not_Gump]

^^^ Wow you've got about $30 worth of lettuce! I grew iceberg lettuce indoors last winter as an experiment. It's possible but I think I spent more on lighting than the lettuce was worth. Nothing like eating a $20 salad!

Anyone have any tips on growing BIG potatoes? I can grow small ones no problem but I'm talking homemade French fries size potatoes. I bought a deep fryer a few years back and there's nothing like making your own fries.

Welcome JohnstonOwen! Do you have a garden? If so tell us about it.

That's not my lettuce, but I did plant two crops of it. Once in mid spring and the other in early summer. They were very successful.
Next year I'll plant three crops.

Sorry, can't help you on the spuds.

[Babba_not_Gump]

With this forecast (Kamloops) and possible chilly weather, plant the garlic as soon as it warms a bit, or do it real quick?
Experts, chime in.

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