Gardening 2021: berries, veggies, trees and flowers!

[two_shoes1mit]

Sterile seeds is evil. A work against Nature.

Pretty soon I expect an Orwellian announcement like, "gardening is bad for you and goes against the State."

Thanks Lady t for the gardening compliment *blushes*. I am muddling through. I plan to replant the Bee Balm you gave me out of the wheelbarrows and into the soil, maybe today. Planting garlic today too.

Pretty soon I expect an Orwellian announcement like, "canning your fruit and vegetables is bad for you and goes against the State."

I was more than a little excited yesterday, having a conversation with a stove repair person. He told me that I have ruined by stove by canning on it, that I should get rid of my coil burner stove and get a flat top. I asked, how I was to can with a flat top. He said you can't but flat tops are 70% energy efficient and coil burners only 40%. And, that the manufacturers are attempting to discontinue the coil burner stoves. I asked how to can then............he said get an old stove for your basement and do it there. Great, since we have a rancher with a crawl space! He went onto almost shame me for using a coil burner stove. I countered with my desire to can and he said those days are over. I then asked him, with his knowledge of the industry......what I could get counterwise for canning and he said there was nothing. When I had completely exhausted his expertise, he suggested that I get an old coil burner stove, with a thick enamaled top. He even thru in that perhaps I could get one in avocado green or harvest gold. I almost thru him out of the house. But where there is a will, there is a way. Perhaps I will trade in my stainless steel appliances and go for a total retro makeover.
I am reaching out here and asking.................what are you using to do your canning on?

[seewood]

If you have gas to the house, look into a gas stove. We switched about 10 years ago and should we ever move, gas to the house is a must.

[Bsuds]

I am reaching out here and asking.................what are you using to do your canning on?

We can on our ceramic/glass top stove.

You could always get a propane burner and do it outside.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/martin ... 1000751079

[Lady tehMa]

I do that - it's been awesome. Plus if we have a power outage, between that and the bbq we're golden.

I hope to can more next year, these past two years I haven't done much.

[oneh2obabe]

For those who want to try different veggies.

https://www.burpee.com/pepper-sweet-moc ... 00027.html

Sweet, seedless peppers.
https://www.burpee.com/pepper-sweet-nib ... 00028.html
https://www.burpee.com/pepper-sweet-nib ... 00029.html

[faith7177]

Is it too late to plant garlic in Kelowna?

[Babba_not_Gump]

Is it too late to plant garlic in Kelowna?

I'm almost certain it is too late.
https://www.almanac.com/planting-garlic-fall

But from another article,
However, you can also plant garlic in the spring, especially if you have a long growing season. The cloves won't be as large, but you'll enjoy the garlic scapes which are delicious shoots with a mild garlic flavor.

[Queen K]

We're trying it today. It's that or eat our seed.

[Bsuds]

Is it too late to plant garlic in Kelowna?

It might be but you could plant some and see and save the rest for the Spring.

[Randall T]

I'd try it. It's like Spring out there today and the next week looks moderate. Go for it!

[Lady tehMa]

And now we have snow. I do snow removal because I'm not full-time and the other members of my household are.

I scoop up the clean snow and dump it on my garden beds. Especially the tree beds, because they can get so very dry. I do this every year we have a decent snowfall, and each spring that follows I have a good start for my plants :)

[Queen K]

My blooming pansies are buried under snow in their wheelbarrows. This is the season to plan for 2022, what is, what could be and what costs a fortune!

[Bsuds]

We had several Forsythas, a large Lylac and a couple of other shrubs removed from our yard yesterday. Along with a 30ft pyramid Cedar that blew over in the big wind storm.

After 30 years of trimming the Forsythias every year I have decided they are just a big weed! I hate them.

Back yard looks pretty bare right now and after they remove the roots in the Spring we will have to come up with some ideas.

[Lady tehMa]

QK - keep us updated! I really enjoy hearing about your garden adventures

Bsuds - I remember when QK got rid of her Forsythia, she would agree with you. I liked the one my neighbours had, but they also took theirs down. I used to use it to know when to prune my roses . . . Looking forward to what you are planning in your yard, too!

I am not planning much for the coming year. If I can get my buddy motivated, the greenhouse may happen. Aside from that, I need to build a grape arbour and (if I have the coin) rebuild the boxes for my raised garden. At this point I'm not planning on planting anything in the garden, I think I will let it rest next year.

[Queen K]

You said that last year, about this year.

Bsuds, someone put it this way, berry bushes are the way to go because of the BC floods. Blueberries esp. IF you can get them. Pick for one month, enjoy the plant for the rest of the year.