2020 Garden

[RWS]

The wife called the youngest boy in Pa.  He is back to work this week.  Where he works the employees each are taking a week off rotating.  Not so bad for him as his wife works also.  He got to baby sit for a week.  He has had a 12 ft x 12 ft boxed in garden on one side of his house for several years and a large open back yard.  He said he now has 3 garden spots prepared but it is too cold to plant yet.

[Abigayle]

For those of you new to saving seed, if you want some good tips, go to Southern Exposure.com .  After their announcement, you will see some things to click on for information on seed saving.  I am not sure if it mentions the distance between varieties or not.  If you have have non-hybrid, it may not be the end of the world if they cross, you will still grow something to eat.  I like their information on drying and storing.

[RWS]

Seeds and the availability is in the news.  Prepper need to have already saved their own seed and bought early.  Selection may be limited the rest of this year.  I am curious to see if seed companies increase the volume of seed available for next year??

In the news:
Seed companies who spoke with CBS News said they have stopped taking new orders after unprecedented demand. George Ball, chairman of Pennsylvania-based Burpee Seeds, said the recent increase in new orders is “just unbelievable.” The company will start accepting orders again on Wednesday after it stopped taking new ones for several days to catch up on the backlog.

https://truepundit.com/its-not-just-toilet-paper-seed-shortages-spread-as-locked-down-americans-turn-to-growing-their-own-food/

[RWS]

Early yesterday morning I picked yellow  and zucchini squash.  We had picked the English peas the evening before.  I pollinated the squash by hand.  Then the rain came.  It rained all day yesterday into the evening.  I am wondering if I have any garden left.  I will need on boots to check the squash this morning.

[SS-Preppers]

Looks like I will lose almost all my Squash, Zucchini and Cucumbers....with all the rain they got wet feet.  Everything else is hanging in there, but not thriving.  I'm gonna do more starts indoors and hope it's not too late and the weather cooperates to get them outside and transplanted.

[8greenbeans]

Oh no! 

[Abigayle]

Abigayle, look into celeriac.  It's MUCH easier to grow in our hot climate, tastes and crunches just like celery but it's a bulb.

Star Lady, but will it fit into a Bloody Mary glass???

[Starlady]

You'd probably have to julienne it, lol!

[Abigayle]

Territorial Seed Co. just reopened for orders.  They reserve the right to substitute, and delay shipping....  I found a few things to put in my freezer food insurance box, and asked for no substitutes...we will see what they do.  They had Dragon Tongue beans, which I really like.

[Starlady]

I'm doing some Dragon Tongue this year - do you use them fresh or dried?

[Abigayle]

Star Lady, I like them both ways.  Dried, they remind me a little of cranberry beans in flavor.  I did not do a lot of dried because of labor intensity, but I try to do some of everything, so I know how it will work, if I have to do it...now with that thing over-head...
I grew them last year, when it was dry, so I am unsure of how you will do this year, please let me know. You may have to string them if they get too big. I loved the flavor.  I also added some to my dried. vegetable soup mix, that gets a little of everything from the garden, as I dehydrate.  They tasted very fresh in the soup.

[Starlady]

Yeah, if things ever go south there are a LOT of people who are going to be completely surprised at how many plants and how much TIME it takes to get a pound of dried beans.  I did it in Florida with Black Eyed Peas and here with Red Rippers.

Just a suggestion for anyone, if you're a newbie gardener, stick with the bigger beans/peas at 1st.  You are going to be overwhelmed with the amount of work it takes to feed yourself......along with preparing and storing it.

[RWS]

In addition to picking peas & squash, I have early blueberries ready.  Picture is of our first pick.  We usually never get many of the early ones.

[RWS]

I went out to my garden next door to see if I could start training the cucumbers up onto the fence.  I stopped to pull some grass from around the base of one of my tomato plants and found 3 green tomatoes.  Pic 1

My cucumbers are too close together, so they will both climb the fence and run across the ground.  Pic 2
The cuckes are already blooming.

A wider view picture of the garden with multiplying onions top left.  Tomatoes & bell peppers and blue lake green beans on the right.  Pic 3

When you plant and pick peas, then comes the job of shelling.  The wife shelled about half and said here the rest are your to shell.  Tomorrow she will wash them, blanch them and put them in zip-lock bags for the freezer.

[Abigayle]

Nice!  I have tomatoes on my Granny Cantrell, German Johnston, Matt's Wild Cherry and Cherokee purple so far.  In the greenhouse, there are some on my Amy's Apricot.  My Brandy wine have a few small ones starting, but they hate the cold. 
I actually have eggplant forming on two of the plants, that have spent a lot of time in the greenhouse, being moved in and out in big plants.
Thirteen inch cucumbers in the greenhouse, which I knew how to post pics, but then I would be like a new grandparent, with pictures.
Still no ducks at T.S.C. here.  I missed the last ones.  I want to put a kiddie pool in the orchard, and move it from tree to tree, dumping the dirty water for fertilizer.  They may have some in tomorrow.