Whatcha Up To???

[w_r_ranch]

Watered the garden, except for the melon patch... had to dispose of 12 melons split due to the heat... GRRRR.

Started spraying RoundUp at the main gate & along the roads, then enjoyed a few frozen margaritas with my wife while sitting in our redneck swimming pool.

 

[Mr_Yan]

Again I didn't work in the garden but I set another concrete pier for my garage.

This was a MAJOR undertaking. I ended up placing just under 1040 pounds of quikcrete concrete mix into the hole. This is 5' long, 24" deep as the shallowest point, two 8" holes sink 42" deep and it tapers to 4" wide at ground level.This is to both hold the foundation wall from washing out more and act as an edge to finish off the rest of my paver patio.

I was so dirty, sweaty, and stinking that my wife didn't want to be near me.

Air temp today was in the mid 80s F but when you dig down 3.5' it is remarkably cold still.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Continued spraying Roundup yesterday (around the home site & the parking area). I quit about 1200 hrs. because the temp was already over 100.

Today we are going shopping & taking the day off, more or less, as it is supposed to be even hotter today... I'll probably hose down the porches.

 

[Mike]

Pulled the bolted spinach and cilantro and trimmed the basil. The onion's are probably ready to go but I haven't pulled them yet. Carrots are looking good and the two tomato plants still look good as well...if I could keep the dogs away from them.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Watered the backyard flower bed, the hanging baskets & all pots. I'll do all the trees tomorrow AM.

Started the stone wall around the 'party barn', but only made about 24' as it was in the sun.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Finish watering. Then continued working on the wall around the 'party barn' (did about 40' today).

 

[w_r_ranch]

Pick/discard more split watermelons. GRRRR....

Picked up another load of concrete for the stone wall.

 

[Mike]

Mowed the yard yesterday, cut down a few low hanging branches and a dead branch from a few trees and now getting ready to paint the back deck this weekend.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Continued working on the stone wall around the 'party barn' (about 30'). Need to pick up more concrete on Monday.

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Then picked the first 2 watermelons today... The first was overripe so I tossed it, the second was very good. These seem to have different 'signs' of being ripe than the 'Au Producer' that we have grown the last few seasons.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Kind of a lazy day here... The pool umbrella's string broke, so I restrung it, this time using stainless steel cable. Hopefully it will last till we're dead, LOL!!!

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[Rahab222]

Sam; What do I spray the stink bug nymphs with? I just spent 7 days at the hospital with Mom who we took in by ambulance last Saturday morning for heart and kidney failure. I went out to the garden for the first time yesterday evening with a cousin who came to visit. My garden is in shambles. I had to restake all my pepper plants. This evening, I plan to pull up all remaining tomato plants since tomorrow is trash pickup. EVERYTHING needs WATER! I need to get it all cleaned up so I can plant some more purple hull and pinto beans. I also want to try potatoes again for the fall and more cucumbers. This will require putting out more compost and tilling it in before I plant. You're right about the stink bugs moving onto any other plant. I crumpled up a leaf on one of my purple hull pea plants yesterday and there must have been 20 nymphs on it with an adult nearby. I need to get rid of ALL of these - nymphs and adults. The netting proved a hindrance in this, as I couldn't get to them fast enough before they flew or jumped away. I've really missed my garden and our rain has been severely lacking. It's just HOT!

 

[w_r_ranch]

Sam; What do I spray the stink bug nymphs with? You're right about the stink bugs moving onto any other plant. I crumpled up a leaf on one of my purple hull pea plants yesterday and there must have been 20 nymphs on it with an adult nearby. I need to get rid of ALL of these - nymphs and adults.

The adult bugs are highly resistant to pesticides... however, they are vulnerable in their bright orange nymph stage (spray them with insecticide NOW!!!). I would recommend spraying the entire garden (including your flowerbeds), paying particular attention to the undersides of the leaves.

I spray them with either malathion or liquid sevin, both have been used for decades in the home garden. You can also use insecticides such as permethrin (such as Spectracide’s Bug Stop Multi-purpose Insect Killer or Bonide’s Total Pest Control Concentrate Outdoor Formula) or cyfluthrin (such as Bayer’s Advanced Garden Lawn & Garden Multi-Insect Killer) or esfenvalerate (such as Ortho’s Bug-B-Gon Multi-purpose Insect Killer Concentrate or Bonide’s Bug Beater Concentrate) are effective in controlling leaf footed bugs.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Didn't do a whole lot as today was a designated 'shopping day'. When I got home, I shelled the the 'Kentucky Blue' & the 'Italian Roma' beans so I can put the seeds in the freezer (they will be planted next spring). Still waiting on the 'Spaghetti Squash' & the 'Clemson' okra seeds to dry. so they can be put up as well.

Almost time to start planning the Fall Garden...

 

[ErnieCopp]

Picked some sweet peppers and Zukes, and finished drying some figs. Researched to see what causes the honeydew on the Pecan tree that blows over my melons, attracting the black mildew spots. I had not thought it was aphids as i do not see any curling leaves on the Pecan tree, but it is fifty feet tall, and maybe they are in the top, as it definitely is one of two kinds of aphids that infest Pecan trees.

I will try hosing it off the vines next year and use some milder form of Mildew protection, as the Kocide copper harmed my vines.

Still have a lot of Figs to ripen, and Jap persimmons beginning to color up.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Pick a bunch of eggplant & 5 watermelons for a good friend that stopped by to watch me work. He can pass them out to his kids & their families as they all live somewhere on his property.

Mix/poured the concrete base for the burn barrel & then did about 20' more of the stone wall around the 'party barn' (almost done). Then I will continue working on the area that will become the raised asparagus bed.

 

[Mike]

Just some minor clean up today. Picked some basil and trimmed the tomato plants.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Removed the wood forms from the concrete base & draped it with layers of wet burlap to help cure it. Then did about 10' more of the stone wall around the 'party barn'.

Picked a few eggplant & a few of the remaining tomatoes before pulling up the plants. Collected a bowl of Marigold seeds for next year.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Pick another watermelon yesterday & the big Persian melon today... Ernie, there was absolutely no yellow on it at all (I picked it because I saw a bad spot starting to develop on it). It tastes like a mild cantaloupe... Is this what it is suppose to look like on the inside?

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I finish the stone wall around our party barn this morning & started the 'wing walls' around the area where the asparagus bed will be located (the concrete pad in the background is where our burn barrel will be relocated). Once this area is completed, it it will be filled in with 3/4" aggregate.
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Also. if any local-area users want some watermelons, come & get them before they split...

 

[ErnieCopp]

Sam,
The Persian is about 3/4 ripe. When it is fully ripe, the orange will go all the way out to the rind, maybe only an 1/8" of green between the orange and the skin. The flavor will be more intense than a cantaloupe, and more tender without getting mushy.

I put a totally green one on my workbench in the garage a week ago. just a tiny bit of faint yellow showing and now it is nearly covered with the thin yellow, but not real solid yet. I put three ripe ones in the 12v car cooler, and they have kept okay, brought the last one in this morning. It has the copper/white spot on it, but i expect that to only be skin deep. I have a few more green ones under some cardboard and under the Pecan tree so they are protected from the sun, and i am seeing if they ripen. If you have any more green ones, give them some time and see if they ripen. I am still in the learning process here, too.

I do have some ideas for next year on how to protect the melons from the Pecan honeydew, but will not know until i try them.

I have some more watermelons in the shade, too. The three we have eaten have been wonderful, but they were a darker green than the later maturing ones, so not know if the diffrence in the background color will make them taste different.

Ernie

 

[Mike]

Flash flooding warnings most of the weekend. We received a lot of much needed rain in a short time. So I stayed in doors.

Did celebrate my sons birthday on Saturday!

 

[w_r_ranch]

Picked up another load of concrete yesterday so I could continue with the perimeter wall. Got the 2 corners done & hope to have the straight away done this weekend.

Cleaned & refilled the wasp traps.

Hung & filled the last 8 hummingbird feeders as they are just starting to show up on their way south. We have a total of 20 feeders around the house, 10 on the back porch & 10 on the front porch. We enjoy watching them lil' fighting jets zoom around!!!

 

[ErnieCopp]

Still drying figs, and Linda cooked our best okra yet. Neither of us had cooked it before this year, learning. Last night she soaked the cut pieces in buttermilk and the cornmeal stuck perfect, so it had a thin crust on the finished okra. Very good. I may have to learn Farsi so i can talk to these Persian melons. The totally green ones i saved when i pulled the vines, one turned yellow but had a bad spot on it, The others looked the same but are still green. I need to find a sign of veraison, showing they have stopped growing and will ripen.
The one with a little bit of yellow that i had on my workbench has ripened perfect, and that will be my last one this year. Still plenty of Water melon, and on living cantaloupe vine with 2 Persian/Hale crosses on it. Then i will be out of the melon business until next year.

Received word from Water Company can only water Mon, Wed, and Sat, but okay to water on those days. Not sure how much water that will save, but it sounds politically proper, and that is what counts in California.

Ernie

 

[w_r_ranch]

Continued with the perimeter wall & got within 6' of finishing but I ran out of concrete again. Until I get another load, I'll just do some tree trimming & continue cleaning the garden up... I have plenty of chores to still accomplish.

Relocated the 'burn barrel' to it's new slab.

 

[w_r_ranch]

Been feeling bad the last couple of days but I felt better today so I cleaned up the Persian/Nutmeg melon area & then pruned some trees, especially the one by the garden. Still cleaning up that mess... I quit when Mrs Ranch told me it was 105.

 

[whistech]

Mr. Ranch, please take care of yourself and I hope you continue to feel better. With the humidity we are having that 105 probably was like 155 to 120 degrees. It will get you before you know what happened. I bet you are like me and looking forward to the cooler weather.