# Things I try to Grow ...... 10/1/11 update



## daveomak (Jun 23, 2011)

Here it is June 23rd.

1st alfalfa cutting. Cold wet weather delayed everything here.

3/4 acre should have 2 tons this cutting. 








Horse Radish in the apple bin (jail). It doesn't get along with anything. Spreads worse than......







Elephant "garlic". Very mild. Grate raw on anything. Excellent baked and mixed with butter.







Hard neck garlic. 3 varieties (reduced from 7) Each has 4-8 large cloves and a unique flavor. Very very flavorfull. Excellent for aioli or added to a hollandais. 







June 28th and the corn is 2" tall. I plant "Bodacious". A 75 day se variety.

At the far end are the "Blue Lake" pole beans. They are in jail to keep the

quail away. Quail just love the tender bean sprouts.







Cherry tomatoes by the back door. A-100's. (from seed)







Cilantro and peppers. Bells(seed), jalapenos, anaheims, and poblanos.







Table grapes. 2 varieties. So much better than store bought.







Thornless loganberries. I am a sucker for loganberry pie.
	

		
			
		

		
	







Fall raspberries. great jam.







Table cherries. 5 varieties. A late frost did the blossoms in on the lower 1/3rd of

the trees. The birds get the top 1/3. I will make do with the middle third.







Bartlett pears







Quince. Very unique acidic/sour refreshing flavor. Rosy pink color. I guess I can't describe the flavor worth a darn.







Things are looking up. 16 hrs + daylight and 90* days and 65* nights. Things should start growing now ?????

Some of you are eating tomatoes now. We don't have blooms yet. I refuse to show our 16 Roma tomato plants. The rain beat them to death. They had to re-sprout from the roots. Up about 4" and growing.

The same with the cukes, butternut and cantaloupes. Had to restart from seed.

Thanks for looking, Dave


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## big twig (Jun 23, 2011)

You have a great variety of fruit, veggies, and herbs. Everything looks like its doing great to me and you should have some good eats soon.  I wish I had the space for all of that. Thanks for sharing!


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## venture (Jun 23, 2011)

Hi Dave.  Don't feel alone.  I live in ag country in central Cal, and everything down here is running late too. We are probably a little ahead of you, but late for this area.  It was just one of those weird springs.

Nice looking garlic!

Good luck and good smoking.


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## nwdave (Jun 23, 2011)

Your pears are way ahead of mine.  It's been really terrible over here on the wet side.  I've got my daughter growing my ball squash in Denver area.  They might be ready before anything here.  So, are you going to set up a roadside stand or anything or just keep the harvest?


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## scarbelly (Jun 23, 2011)

Everything is looking great Dave.


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## beer-b-q (Jun 23, 2011)

Nice Garden...


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## flash (Jun 23, 2011)

Look real good Dave, here in Florida the Spring gardens are close to being Kaput. A few tomatoes left, some onions and some peppers. That's about it. Been to dam hot.


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## pineywoods (Jun 23, 2011)

Looks awesome Dave


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## papagreer (Jun 24, 2011)

Nice garden. Things are looking good. I started my garden from seeds for the first time this year. So far so good. Going to transplant this weekend. Cant wait! I bet that corn is incredible!

Chris


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## dtcunni (Jun 25, 2011)

Everything looks great! I wish I had the time to grow and maintain a garden!


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## daveomak (Jun 25, 2011)

NWDave said:


> Your pears are way ahead of mine.  It's been really terrible over here on the wet side.  I've got my daughter growing my ball squash in Denver area.  They might be ready before anything here.  So, are you going to set up a roadside stand or anything or just keep the harvest?


Most everything we grow is for us and the kid/grand kids. It is frozen, canned, dried, made into pies or stored in the cool room. Some is for the neighbors that help me out around here.

 




Venture said:


> Hi Dave.  Don't feel alone.  I live in ag country in central Cal, and everything down here is running late too. We are probably a little ahead of you, but late for this area.  It was just one of those weird springs.
> 
> Nice looking garlic!
> 
> Good luck and good smoking.


Garlic grows so good here. It is hard to goof up a plant your stick in the ground in October and harvest in July.

 




BIG TWIG said:


> You have a great variety of fruit, veggies, and herbs. Everything looks like its doing great to me and you should have some good eats soon.  I wish I had the space for all of that. Thanks for sharing!


My pleasure. I've pretty much always had a garden. I think this is getting a llittle out of hand at times but worth it.

 




Scarbelly said:


> Everything is looking great Dave.


Thanks. Now if I can keep up with it all.
 




Flash said:


> Look real good Dave, here in Florida the _Spring gardens are close to being Kaput_. A few tomatoes left, some onions and some peppers. That's about it. Been to dam hot.





Pineywoods said:


> Looks awesome Dave


A dream of having a hydroponic garden like yours. No weeding !

Next year, alfalfa bales and self watering plastic storage boxes maybe ?

 




papagreer said:


> Nice garden. Things are looking good. I started my garden from seeds for the first time this year. So far so good. Going to transplant this weekend. Cant wait! I bet that corn is incredible!
> 
> Chris


Chris, right on !! I try to grow it all from seed. Plants are so expensive when you want 12-15 of each variety. The corn is good fresh and freezes well. We strip the kernels and freeze on a tray, then bag and put in the freezer. I think we froze 15 gallon freezer bags last summer.

 




Dtcunni said:


> Everything looks great! I wish I had the time to grow and maintain a garden!


Don't wish away your youth. Retirement will arrive soon enough.


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## daveomak (Jun 25, 2011)

Beer-B-Q said:


> Nice Garden...


Thanks. We really enjoy the fresh fruits and veggies. It  really puts the gloves on "idle hands".


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## Bearcarver (Jun 25, 2011)

This is the first I saw this Dave!!!!

Everything you showed looks real healthy!

The pics are Great too!!!

Thanks for the tour!

Bear


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## samaridad (Jun 27, 2011)

looks great, It looks like you have your hands full  .Just bought cherry treee to plant. any advise about fruit trees?  Here in GA the temps have been high ninety's for all spring (no spring, or rain) I have been canning squash and tomatoes already. blackberries are being picked daliy to keep birds away.  looking forward to your updates.


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## daveomak (Jun 27, 2011)

Samaridad said:


> looks great, It looks like you have your hands full  .Just bought cherry treee to plant. _any advise about fruit trees?_  Here in GA the temps have been high ninety's for all spring (no spring, or rain) I have been canning squash and tomatoes already. blackberries are being picked daliy to keep birds away.  looking forward to your updates.


My neighbor has cherry trees and sprays mine every 2 weeks. He get horseradish, raspberries and garlic for his troubles. I do mow his orchard periodically also. Get a good neighbor. My 10 trees is nothing compared to his 10,000 or so. It is a good relationship.


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## SmokinAl (Jun 27, 2011)

Awesome garden Dave!


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## daveomak (Jun 27, 2011)

The early variety is ready to harvest. This variety the tops fall over when mature. The other var. keep standing

until harvested.

Hand digging. When I grew 5000+ plants I built a harvester to dig them. It worked very well. This plot is too

small to use it.







Peeling the heads getting ready to hang to dry. Peeling keeps the heads from getting discolored

when the dirt is attached. Much prettier product.







Mom nature did really good. She grew beauties this year. Must have been the LONG, COOL, DAMP spring/summer we had.







2-3 weeks and these should be dry. Depends on the weather. The fan is used to aid in drying.







I ended up with about 100 heads of this variety.

3 more varieties to go. Thanks for looking.    Dave


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## alelover (Jun 27, 2011)

Nice garden. Lots of work though.


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## fpnmf (Jun 27, 2011)

Your garden is awesome!!

We love the garlic pics!!

 We like to wrap the elephant heads in foil with a slab of butter and toss them in with whatever we are smoking.

  Next year we will have the garden rocking here.

  Great pics... Thanks!!

  Craig


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## hurriken (Jul 28, 2011)

I'm growing a different variety of garlic (first attempt) when will I know it's ready for harvest?


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## tjohnson (Jul 28, 2011)

Dang!

What a spread!

Todd


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## roller (Jul 28, 2011)

When it starts to flower on top.


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## hurriken (Jul 28, 2011)

Thanks Roller. BTW, love the picture with the coffee cup. It would make for good desktop wallpaper!


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## daveomak (Jul 28, 2011)

Hurriken said:


> I'm growing a different variety of garlic (first attempt) when will I know it's ready for harvest?


Hurriken, Evening. If you are growing hardnecks, I cut the flower stalk off at the top leaf when the stalk starts to straighten and becomes "woody". That is a sign the garlic is "hardening off" to produce seed in the flower head. Cutting it off tricks it into thinking the seeds are gone and puts extra energy in the head to form larger cloves. Then when there are 4 green top leafs and the others are browning, dieing off, I dig it and peel the outer wrappers to leave 3 good leaves and wrappers on the garlic head. Hang to dry in the shade with a fan.

Quote:


TJohnson said:


> Dang!
> 
> What a spread!
> 
> Todd


Thanks Todd. It sure is a nice place. I love it.


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## daveomak (Jul 28, 2011)

Hurriken said:


> Thanks Roller. BTW, love the picture with the coffee cup. It would make for good desktop wallpaper!


Be my guest. You are welcome to use it. I get 20% of the royalties......HAHAHAHAHA


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## nwdave (Jul 29, 2011)

Beautiful looking garlic.  My daughter, here in the Denver suburbs wants to start garlic and I'm showing her your pictures for an incentive.  I got her to plant some ball squash (an idea from one of our members in England) and they're doing gangbusters (after I weeded them).  Some of the balls are bigger than softballs and growing.  Guess I better leave some green thumb here before heading back. 

~Dave


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## daveomak (Jul 29, 2011)

NWDave said:


> Beautiful looking garlic. _ My daughter, here in the Denver suburbs wants to start garlic and I'm showing her your pictures for an incentive._   I got her to plant some ball squash (an idea from one of our members in England) and they're doing gangbusters (after I weeded them).  Some of the balls are bigger than softballs and growing.  Guess I better leave some green thumb here before heading back.
> 
> ~Dave


Dave, mornin'. Good for you. Gardening is gratifying. Let her know, garlic can take 3-5 years to acclimate, to the type of soil it is planted in, to get really large, beautiful heads and cloves. This is the 5th year I have planted these same heads. Save the largest heads and plant only the largest cloves from the heads for the next seasons crop and she should get some beauties in the upcoming years.

How's the trip going ??? My nephew lives in Iliff, 10 miles east of sterling. Been there twice and love it.


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## alblancher (Jul 29, 2011)

Amazing how the different parts of the country have different gardening seasons.  Down here it's to darn hot outside for everything except summer peas, okra and melons.  You get a late start but those 16 hour days make up for it.

Good going

Al


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## daveomak (Jul 29, 2011)

alblancher said:


> Amazing how the different parts of the country have different gardening seasons.  Down here it's to darn hot outside for everything except summer peas, okra and melons.  *You get a late start but those 16 hour days make up for it.*
> 
> Good going
> 
> Al


It's great in the summer........16 hours of darkness in the winter provides lots of time for......................plowing snow....shopping at 24 hr wmart......

smokin' great food........eatin' great smoked food..........cold smokin' using the heating element in the MES 30...............and planning for spring.....


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## oldschoolbbq (Jul 29, 2011)

VERY nice


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## mco (Jul 30, 2011)

All I can say is WOW looking great


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## hurriken (Aug 13, 2011)

My "leaves" are starting to die off but I don't have any stalks of flowers at all. Some of the cloves are showing so I covered them with dirt. Should I keep waiting?


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## meateater (Aug 13, 2011)

Some how I missed this, what a great garden !


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## daveomak (Aug 13, 2011)

Hurriken said:


> My "leaves" are starting to die off but I don't have any stalks of flowers at all. Some of the cloves are showing so I covered them with dirt. Should I keep waiting?


Hurriken, Evening. Do you know what variety of garlic you are growing ??? Early and late California do not have stalks. The varieties with stalks are usually heirloom varieties from northern climes and are planted in October and harvested in july.

If your leaves are brown, dig and dry in a shaded area with ventilation for a few weeks.


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## barneypoo69 (Sep 30, 2011)

Dave, you have a beautiful place. Keeps you busy I'm sure. Here in Central Texas (live a few miles south of Austin, Texas) its been very dry & we have had 90 days of 100F or hotter. So this years gardens didn't produce too much (couldn't keep them watered). We did get some plumbs.....I peeled, sliced, roled in brown sugar & cinnamin, put in a bought crumbled pie pan, poured some butter on it & baked it.....my 1st try was pretty good. pray we get better weather next year.

Now that I know about this area of the forum & your garden & others....I'll be back.

Thanks for the info on the garlic....and the other gardens...


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## daveomak (Oct 1, 2011)

Barneypoo69 said:


> Dave, you have a beautiful place. Keeps you busy I'm sure. Here in Central Texas (live a few miles south of Austin, Texas) its been very dry & we have had 90 days of 100F or hotter. So this years gardens didn't produce too much (couldn't keep them watered). We did get some plumbs.....I peeled, sliced, roled in brown sugar & cinnamin, put in a bought crumbled pie pan, poured some butter on it & baked it.....my 1st try was pretty good. pray we get better weather next year.
> 
> Now that I know about this area of the forum & your garden & others....I'll be back.
> 
> Thanks for the info on the garlic....and the other gardens...


Barney, mornin'... You are welcome..... Tell me about this plum pie.... Was that a pie tin that had graham cracker crumble already in the bottom ?? Sounds good...

I have 5 gallons of Italian plums, just harvested, that I was thinking of making dried prunes out of the ones we don't eat fresh... I don't know if they are peelable or not.... How do you peel a plumb ?? Dave


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## chefrob (Oct 1, 2011)

dave....great lookin' space! still using the garlic ya sent, great stuff! ya know down here we can grow stuff too..............dried sticks seem to do well in our summer heat!


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## daveomak (Oct 1, 2011)

chefrob said:


> dave....great lookin' space! still using the garlic ya sent, great stuff! ya know down here we can grow stuff too..............dried sticks seem to do well in our summer heat!


Rob, morning... sorry about the dried sticks... Our summer was cold... never hit 100 deg.. nights below 50 all summer which put a hold on the garden trying to grow... But finally the tomatoes are coming on a month or more late...

we planted 16 roma plants and have harvested about 800 tomatoes so far. At least another 400 or more to go... Nights are starting to freeze so that harvest is in limbo... Green maters are going in the store room soon to ripen...

We have filled the kitchen table 3 or 4 times in the last 2 weeks and bride has been canning every 3 days or so.  At least we are getting some reward for the effort... Dried maters with basil and sea salt... canned for sauces and salsa.. Must have 3 gallons of raspberries in the freezer in the last 2 weeks... 3 gallons of corn kernels frozen... Dried the grapes into raisins... Holy crap this last 3 weeks has been really busy trying to get all the crop taken care of...

Garlic will be going in the ground in about 2 weeks... Have 15 gallons of walla walla sweets in the drying shed.. Shallots ready to go back in the garden with the garlic... Brussel sprouts are the size of small grapes, don't know if they will mature.. Got the new alfalfa field planted and the irrigation changed around.. We have water but no heat to grow stuff...Dave

Still had time to make strami though..


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## billyj571 (Oct 4, 2011)

Nice looking garden, love the garlic Dave. How about sending some over the mountains ???


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## barneypoo69 (Oct 19, 2011)

Sorry Dave,still trying to remember this part of the forum. you are a full time farmer my friend. As for peeling the plumbs, I'm sure you could teach me how (I used a potatoe pealer) & yes it was a graham cracker pie pan).

We still haven't got any rain but it has cooled off some....still fire danger here in Central Texas


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## rhinoliner (Oct 20, 2011)

Wow, beautiful garden you have there....

On the garlic, do you eat/and or preserve the scapes/stalks?  I've read that they are a really special treat.  I just planted garlic for the first time about 3 weeks ago and I am looking forward to trying them next Spring/Summer.  I planted 6 different heirloom varieties, so hopefully at least some of them will turn out.


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## daveomak (Oct 20, 2011)

rhinoliner said:


> Wow, beautiful garden you have there....
> 
> On the garlic, do you eat/and or preserve the scapes/stalks?  I've read that they are a really special treat.  I just planted garlic for the first time about 3 weeks ago and I am looking forward to trying them next Spring/Summer.  I planted 6 different heirloom varieties, so hopefully at least some of them will turn out.


rhinoliner, evening... I have eaten them while cutting them off to force the garlic to grow larger.... sometimes snap them off while on a stroll to check stuff... The guy down the road has "high end" restaurants buying his... to answer your question.. No.. not as a regular thing....

They might be good dipped in tempura and deep fried.... or stuffed in a fatty for color and flavor... maybe even in an ABT I would try it... just my opinion...

Glad to hear you are growing the heirloom varieties... It does take about 3-5 years for them to get "totally" acclimated to your climate and soil so don't be discouraged for the first few years.... Hang in there.... It IS worth it.... Glad you stopped in... Dave


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