Whatcha Up To???

[w_r_ranch]

Yes Mr. Yan, I used 2 1/2" diameter Avery stickers (#5294) for our labels & affixed them to the lids so as to not bugger up the bottles themselves.

Picked tomatoes, okra, & japs. Cut the grass & then put the 'swim up bar' back together as we are getting ready to fill up our redneck swimming hole, LOL!!! I'll post a pic later & give y'all a good laugh.

 

[ErnieCopp]

FILE DELETED BY ERNIE

 

[ErnieCopp]

FUNERAL PROCESSION GOING ON HERE TRYING TO BURY MY MISTAKES.

ERNIE

 

[ErnieCopp]

Okay, here they are, both melons from same Nutmeg vine. last year they were mixed green and orange so these are the first two solid colors i have had. The Green tastes a bit spicier to me, but not much like nutmeg.
Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Picked japs & okra this morning, then made 8 pints of pickled japs & 1 pint of pickled okra. Still need to do 'sweet hots'...

Then watered everything (trees, pots, hanging baskets, flowerbeds & garden).

 

[Mr_Yan]

I tied up my tomatoes last night.

Today I planted a new row of royal burgundy bush beans.

Once the crumb crunchers were down for nap I went up to the community garden and trimmed the weeds from around the raised beds - all 100 raised beds each 12'x4'.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Picked tomatoes, cucumbers & okra. The spaghetti squash is getting pretty close to harvest... Worked on designing some more canning labels too.

Storms & rain all around us & looks like I made a good call on not firing up the big smoker today.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Making raisins today. Picked about four gallons of Himrod grapes from that 17 month old vine. I stuck that dormant cutting in the ground a year ago January out along the fence where it gets lots of sun. I have an older Himrod on the Arbor, that is loaded too, but foliage so much heavier on Arbor those grapes need a few more days.

My main focus on preservtion is to partially dry grapes and figs, and Apricots if i ever have any, to eat with breadfast cereal.. I do not dry them to the point they will keep in the pantry, just dry enough to focus the flavor, and i have to keep those in the freezer.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Picked another tub of tomatoes, cucumbers & some okra. Made the last batch of spaghetti sauce.

Mrs. Ranch commandeered my brisket... for ground meat (said she's getting close to making stuffer green peppers). She told me to buy another one when I go to town. Sometimes she has no respect... LOL!

 

[Mike]

It's been dry here for a while now so watered the garden and sprayed some Bonide Liquid Copper on my squash leaves.

 

[Rahab222]

Today I picked tomatoes, one cucumber and two peppers after several days in the hill country since the 4th. I really need to get out and fertilize. The ground is nice and wet. My neighbor said we've had rain every day since Saturday. It's been really nice not to have to spend all my time watering this year. I still have LOTS of green tomatoes. They are just slow to turn red. It's really difficult working around all the netting I had to erect to keep the mocking birds out. Now it's the stink bugs. I spend most of my harvesting time crushing them or dropping them in soapy water after I pick them off. I'm looking around to see what I can pull to start my fall garden. So far, everything is producing okay (except the green beans - if I leave the green beans, will they still be alive and start producing when the fall weather turns cooler? The plants look really lush and healthy. They just aren't producing much.) Right now, I'm just happy to still be harvesting and having my purple hull and pinto beans working towards a late summer harvest.

I took some of my salsa and jam to the family gathering in Boerne. Turns out another cousin brought in some MUCHO HOT salsa from California and my uncle had salsa from Ecuador. The Ecuadorian salsa burned our lips off. Before the evening was over, we were all sitting around the party pavilion in the back yard, mixing the salsas to see if we could get the "perfect blend." This was actually pretty funny once they instigated the rule of "No liquids," for taste testing.

I actually got a couple of calls from kinfolk when I got home, asking it I would sell them some of my salsa and ship? They said my salsa was actually edible and they could taste the different ingredients in the blend. The hot salsas didn't let you taste anything but the BURN

 

[ErnieCopp]

I may have to change the name of this place to either Rainbow Melon Farm or Mongrel Melon Patch.
My different varieties are pretty close to each other and they are cross breeding. I posted a picture of two Nutmegs, one completely orange and the other completely green. I did not think much about that as last year each of the Nutmegs were part green and part orange.

But yesterday i picked a kind of yellowish, instead of Tan, Hales Cantaloupe, from last years seed, and it had an orange center with the rest of the edible part green like a Persian or nutmeg. So, it looks like the honey bees are two timing their blossom friends. I do not know if this is caused by last year's cross or this year's cross, but they are sure showing signs of mixing. Some of the mixed ones are better and some are not as good, so that is breaking even, but I am reluctant to give the melons away as i have not idea what they will look like when they are cut open. Always something interesting going on in the garden.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

When crosses occur between members of the same species, I wouldn't expect to see the effect of the cross the first year. However, when the seeds are saved and planted, the plants will produce fruit that will be have cross-characteristics of the parents.

I already expect to see the same as you Ernie with the nutmegs & Persians... based on the leaf structures of the plants as I mentioned earlier.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Sam, I thought that was the way it worked but not sure enough to post it. I have not seen the Persian affect on the Nutmeg yet but it may happen.
I have seen the Hale's best on the Nutmeg, and the Persian on the Hales. Cutting them is kind of like opening Cbristmas presents, not knowing what is inside.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Picked japs for supper tonight (stuffed) & more okra. Cut the grass, then cleaned & refilled both the hummingbird feeders & the wasp traps.

Oh, I also did a lil' baking... Made a pear/fig cake for dessert.

 

[finkikin]

I took this year off on gardening. Too much going on with family and work just haven't been able to maintain. Next spring I will revamp! I have enjoyed everyone's progress!

 

[Mr_Yan]

More rain today and about 75 F here.

I did pull some of the spinach seed I am trying to save this year. This is from the monster varitey I did (Monstrueux de Viroflay) that was giving me leafs larger in span than my hand. I think, at least hope, these will be true. I had some bloomsdale long standing growing a few feet away but I never let them bolt. I think I'll post some of these seeds up for share if there's interest.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Makiing raisins,, eating watermelon and cantaloupe now, too many peppers,and squash, picked first okra, last of the beets, and plenty of tomatoes now. Also found two more early black figs, and a huge crop on both trees in a few more weeks.

Ernie

 

[Mr_Yan]

More rain but just enough to get the side walks wet and turn on the windshield wipers today. High of about 68 F and overcast most the day.

Picked more beans, beets, and collards - 5.25 pounds worth - from my community garden beds.

Opened the first beer from my latest batch. Good but I think it could use at least another week to condition in bottles, it's only had 15 days.

 

[Mike]

Well we finally got some rain around here, long over due as the lawn is all but brown. Rain barrel is full again! The rain did knock over one of my containers but nothing seemed hurt, just a tomato or two that fell off.

Need to get some pictures of my peppers, the plant took for ever to take off but now this thing is getting tall and I've got about a dozen or more peppers. I can't wait till the fall to make some chili over the fire!

 

[w_r_ranch]

Did some line trimming around the yard, front entry gate, barn & hay-trap (prep for spraying RoundUp) & then continued cleaning the garden (corn is out & part of the beans is too).

 

[ErnieCopp]

Picked a five gallon bucket of Himrod grapes, for making raisins. Enought to fill both dryers. I just got my second one, as i am going to have a big fig crop,, too. Not many birds or bees this year, so very little grape damage. May not even need to use bird netting on my figs. They are welcome to the high ones if they leave me some i can reach from the ground. Finally getting plenty of tomatores but smaller ones than last year. Melons and squash and peppers going to waste, but neighbors are not interested in PICK UR SELF, and dammed if i am going to pick for them.
Company from Australia yesterday. Actually they are from New Zealand, but young people there have to go to Australia to find good jobs. Great travelers, and very enthusiastic. Grandson of an old friend of mine, and his Asian Indian lawyer girlfriend. Refreshiing to see smart yourng people with lots of energy.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Pulled & discarded all 'past prime' eggplant & threw them on the burn pile. The plant are still loaded with 2-4" fruit.

Picked up downed tree debris in front pasture & put it on the burn pile as well.

Staged some more rock.

 

[ErnieCopp]

Picked my first Persian melon but have let a few go to spoil, as been trying to keep up with the cantaloupe. Losing battle, and will eat Persians. for awhile.

I think the big Pecan trees across the fence mst have aphids up high, as honeydew or some sticky substance is covering my melons and leaves. It washes right off and since it is on the melons too, it is not from aphids on the melons. Besides being sticky the sweet honey dew is conducive to the development of tiny spots of mold. Does not seem to be affecting melon growth, but not very nice to touch or look at.
New problems every year, it seems like.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

I haven't done anything other than some 'cleanup' in a few days, as I been doing other stuff. I need to take son picture real soon though. Particularly of a Persian melon that I saw rising up off the ground for Ernie to verify that they're suppose look like this (it's pretty darn big) & to tell me when its ripe for harvest.

Watermelons are getting bigger too as Mrs. Ranch counted 50 that are now visible among the foliage when she did a walk around.