Gardens 2021

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Harvested my first batch of pink guavas yesterday. It was my first harvest from this tree.
Cut one open and realized they're actually white guavas. They're still delicious.
Avocados should be ready soon too.
 
Got my first avocado of the season. It's bigger than my hand. Looking forward to eating it.
My guavas are steadily ripening too. The tree is going into its second bloom, so we should have more guavas later this fall.
 
I picked last night right before dark to try to beat some heat. Tomatoes, acorn squash, patty pan squash, and peppers.
I need to replant my green beans soon. Also plan to start seeding the fall stuff, but I think waiting till the end of the month. It's still hot.
 
DirtDiva said:
My husband picked 3 five gallon buckets of purple hulls so I will be shelling peas and canning them all day.
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I planted 2 short rows of Ford Hook butter beans just to see if I could. I've almost decided that they take up too much garden space for the yield. If you could eat the hulls, that would give me more food. So far I have about a quart after shelling. I'm probably going to use the space for 1/2 runners next year.
 
robinjopo said:
I planted 2 short rows of Ford Hook butter beans just to see if I could. I've almost decided that they take up too much garden space for the yield. If you could eat the hulls, that would give me more food. So far I have about a quart after shelling. I'm probably going to use the space for 1/2 runners next year.
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I always plant Jade green bush beans and have for probably 30 years. I can usually get 3 plantings a year, the first two for canning and eating fresh and the last planting for seeds. Mine are loaded right now and this will be my third canning and seeds for the future.

I use pink eyed purple hulls as cover crops. I pick the peas and then either turn under or compost the plants. They are somewhat like a half runner. Lots of carbon for the compost piles. I have one more planting to pick that is just now blooming. I make a purple hull jambalaya with them after they are canned that is somewhat like "hoppin john" and I also have a bean salsa recipe that I use them in.

My okra is just now coming in good too and loving this heat. I am trying a new variety called "heavy hitter".

I am going to plant some fall mustard greens as soon as the doctor releases me.

OMG my canning tomatoes are just hanging right now but not ripe yet. We sure could use a little rain though!
 
Most of our garden was wiped out when the grandkids left a gate open and the cattle got in. They did a lot of damage in the orchard too. The only plum tree that was producing fruit was broken off at ground level. A couple apple trees may not make it. We may get a few tomatoes and some watermelon but the beans, beets, kale, carrots, lettuce and many others are gone.
 
robinjopo said:
It is taking my tomatoes a long time to ripen.

I did not know not to pull up my bean vines. I always have. Now I will leave the roots to add nitrogen to the soil. Live and learn.
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I like to cut mine off at ground level and add the tops to the compost piles and allow the roots to break down naturally.
 
Arcticdude said:
Most of our garden was wiped out when the grandkids left a gate open and the cattle got in. They did a lot of damage in the orchard too. The only plum tree that was producing fruit was broken off at ground level. A couple apple trees may not make it. We may get a few tomatoes and some watermelon but the beans, beets, kale, carrots, lettuce and many others are gone.
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This is the reason I’m very grateful for our society and grocery stores! Some years the garden produces a bountiful harvest. Some years you would starve to death if dependent upon it. Practice though helps to learn how to avoid some of the bad yields so the best I can say is keep trying and hope we never have to depend solely on our own.
 
Arcticdude said:
Most of our garden was wiped out when the grandkids left a gate open and the cattle got in. They did a lot of damage in the orchard too. The only plum tree that was producing fruit was broken off at ground level. A couple apple trees may not make it. We may get a few tomatoes and some watermelon but the beans, beets, kale, carrots, lettuce and many others are gone.
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Sounds like you need a cattle grate instead of a gate at the entrance to the garden...
 
DrHenley said:
Sounds like you need a cattle grate instead of a gate at the entrance to the garden...
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I put the garden bordering our small corral by the barn. My thoughts were that I could clean out the corral with the tractor and dump it in a big pile in the garden.
I had a load of cattle in the corral waiting to be loaded the next day for the auction. My granddaughter wanted to say good by to her favorite calves and left the gate open between the garden. The corral was over loaded so when they got out they were able to do a lot damage in a short time.
 
I sold my kubota tractor a few days ago. It was a 2004 and was showing some age. (Kind of like me)…. Anyways I just went to look at a 2019 one that was a model slightly bigger. Beautiful, low hours and spotless. I made an offer and he will let me know tomorrow. Hope it becomes mine. One thing I’ve learned in life about buying and reselling things is you make money on the deals when you buy them. You can always be patient and get your selling price if you bought it at a good price to begin with.
 
All week I have been rebuilding the greenhouse. It blew over in a 70mph wind that toppled my gas grill. Only rated for 60mph.
Hoping the wood frame and reusing the aluminum frame gives it the strength for 100mph.
it got very hot in there when the temps outside were over 90. Only one more wall to go.
 
Amish Heart said:
Ordered a small John Deere tractor, it'll be in next week. Bucket and a mower
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Having equipment for chores around a piece of property is essential. My back just can’t do what it used to…. My last machine had a backhoe too. This one doesn't and that’s a huge asset to have. Anyways, a bush hog or belly mower will need to be gotten for this one. It does come with a box blade that has teeth too for tilling a larger garden. I’m eager to hear from the guy but have learned patience is a good thing in life.
 
Amish Heart said:
Ordered a small John Deere tractor, it'll be in next week. Bucket and a mower
Click to expand...
I looked at a1023 and my deciding factor was I could get a little bigger and safer for my hills without a proprietary computer for less. I used to bleed Green.
Wish you the best with it.
 
Brent S said:
Having equipment for chores around a piece of property is essential. My back just can’t do what it used to…. My last machine had a backhoe too. This one doesn't and that’s a huge asset to have. Anyways, a bush hog or belly mower will need to be gotten for this one. It does come with a box blade that has teeth too for tilling a larger garden. I’m eager to hear from the guy but have learned patience is a good thing in life.
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I got a box blade, bucket, and forks for mine. Used the forks the most for my purposes. Used the box blade the least.
Had a small rock rake needed a hitch system for the 3 pt. Got one that I can attach a basket for tools. Very handy if a tree is across the road and my wife can’t get to work.
Brush hog does me just fine. My finish mowed area can be done in 20 minutes with a hand mower.
Then there was the post hole digger.
Attachments can be addicting. I wonder what the second year will bring.
 
Amish Heart said:
We have a larger John Deere riding mower that's been excellent. So, yes, love the green.
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. I have a 1985 214 garden tractor that the dealers around here won’t help me with. A simple belt that was on every 100 and 200 series from the late 60s to 90’s is a special order. Even then they ordered the wrong part. I had to turn to the net.

They want to deal with big AG around here and I get that. Was just afraid they would do that to me with a 1023 or the next step up. I loved the dealer I used to go to. Had the part everytime.
 
Both the John Deer and Kubota are well built and hold their resale value better than all other tractors. I would proudly own either. It mostly depends on the best deal I can get on a slightly used one.
 
I've bought a couple new JD tractors over the years. My current tractor is a 65 hp model. Most of the time it works fine but there are times I wish I would have bought a bigger machine. An enclosed would be nice too, but that was another $20,000.
Many of the compact tractors are made in India, John Deere included.
 
Harvested my avocadoes. They're as big as my hand.
Also got a bunch of calamondins. I like adding them to smoothies, also share some with the neighbors. We may use some in a key lime pie. Got a few key limes but the tree itself is still too young to produce much.
My kiwano vines didn't fare so well. They hated all the rain we've had recently, and have mostly died off. I did get one little kiwano though. Not much but I enjoyed every bite. I'll try growing them again next season in elevated pots where the rain shouldn't cause issues.
 
Arcticdude said:
I've bought a couple new JD tractors over the years. My current tractor is a 65 hp model. Most of the time it works fine but there are times I wish I would have bought a bigger machine. An enclosed would be nice too, but that was another $20,000.
Many of the compact tractors are made in India, John Deere included.
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Every thing is a trade off for cost vs benefit. I’ve always thought and air condoned cab would be great too. If I was farming hundreds of acres and making money then I could see it. For what I’m doing around here the 30hp tractor is sufficient. All I am certain of is I’m too old to try scraping a long driveway with a garden rake anymore or moving dirt with a shovel and wheel barrel.
 
Our son grows a ton of kiwano in New Mexico. But not so much rain there, and it is hot and low humidity. Kinda like Africa where I believe they originate. Once he had so many kiwanos he decided to make kiwano wine. So in went the kiwano juice, the organic sugar cane, and yeast. He set a few 5 gallon carboys of this stuff in our guest room walk in closet and let them ferment. He did not put a releaser valve on the top, so you can guess what happened when we heard the explosion. There was our big walk in closet covered from head to toe with kiwano muck. And the carpet. And the ceiling. And all the photo albums I had on the shelves in there. He was not my favorite son for awhile.
 
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