Author Topic: Cohutt's Garden 5th Try (2013) (Read 32809 times)

LvsChant · « **Reply #60 on:** May 16, 2013, 07:15:45 AM »

Yes, I would love some seeds! I imagine our hot weather here would also be suitable...

cohutt · « **Reply #61 on:** May 18, 2013, 08:02:37 PM »

The blackberry bird netting contraption is done and almost invisible from the house once painted-

Still behind, trying to put stuff back together and at the same time catch up with my summer planting. Weather hasn't cooperated so far this year.

LvsChant · « **Reply #62 on:** May 19, 2013, 11:22:34 PM »

Beautiful. Maybe it could double as a batting cage? (after the harvest) haha.

cohutt · « **Reply #63 on:** May 29, 2013, 05:39:47 AM »

Batting cage- eureka!

The oddity of my garden continues as I am trying watercress in one of last year's rice paddies; I'll keep one as rice (tip: it drops enough seed to pretty much reseed itself as volunteers.)

I lifted this from a local spring creek and it is taking to its new home in just 24 hours....

closer:

AverageDude · « **Reply #64 on:** May 29, 2013, 06:27:55 AM »

Awesome photo. Have you found a way to control mosquitos in your ponds?

LvsChant · « **Reply #65 on:** May 29, 2013, 08:31:48 AM »

You have the most interesting things in your garden, Cohutt. I'm trying loofah this year. I got some seeds from a friend in 2010 and wasn't sure they would germinate (2 moves in the meantime), but was happy to see sprouts in my garden this morning.

cohutt · « **Reply #66 on:** May 29, 2013, 04:14:20 PM »

Skeeters:
Not a problem. The little ecosystem in the main pond eliminates them when they land to lay eggs. Lots of water striders and diving beetles, both of which apparently love mosquitoes. I have a lot of dragonfly nyphs as well, and I am sure they take care of their fair share. In the paddies I sprinkle a little of the dunk granules initially and haven't had an issue once established.

Loofahs: Get them once and you'll have them every season. Trust me lol. Once they start putting out fruit you can eat them when they are small zucchini sized. Cook and eat the same way you would zucs, they just seem to have a little more moisture content. Once fruit starts setting you will have plenty.

I have two new gourds this year- the giant bushel basket ones (hopefully giant anyway) and apple gourds. Why? Why not....

cohutt · « **Reply #67 on:** May 29, 2013, 08:09:39 PM »

Quote from: AverageDude on May 29, 2013, 06:27:55 AM

Awesome photo. Have you found a way to control mosquitos in your ponds?

A follow up on this ....

I took the picture below at the end of April; I was trying to get some shots of tadpoles but wasn't particularly pleased with the results so I trashed all but this one as it was taken just as a diving beetle was making the final move on a female mosquito that was busy laying eggs.

The tadpole I was shooting was nibbling at the surface (1).

The mosquito was busy laying eggs (2)

The beetle was moving quickly up from below to nail the mosquito (3)

While i was still looking though the lens, in a fraction of a second after this frame snapped I saw the beetle snatch the mosquito and immediately return to the depths below. I remembered to look for it when reviewing the pics on my pc and sure enough, the beetle was in the frame.

I thought it was pretty cool, the first time I had witnessed a beetle on the hunt. However, Mrs cohutt was much less intrigued when I showed it to her

LvsChant · « **Reply #68 on:** May 31, 2013, 07:19:29 AM »

I have never seen that... very cool Cohutt. I look forward to trying the loofah... did you trellis them?

cohutt · « **Reply #69 on:** May 31, 2013, 12:32:49 PM »

Quote from: LvsChant on May 31, 2013, 07:19:29 AM

I have never seen that... very cool Cohutt. I look forward to trying the loofah... did you trellis them?

They are Kudzu and will climb 20 feet up into a tree.

On your next door neighbor's property.

I know this first hand lol

This being said, they do just fine on the ground. When they start drying though they tend to come out with a more uniform color inside if they hang. This might not matter there but in the hot humid hills of N GA it does.

LvsChant · « **Reply #70 on:** June 01, 2013, 06:50:12 PM »

Sounds exciting

The weather is so harsh here (high heat, high winds, unremitting sun and extreme dryness) I'm hoping a smaller wire tomato cage structure will work for me... will let you know how it goes! I look forward to both trying them out in the skillet and shower (at different stages, of course).

cohutt · « **Reply #71 on:** June 07, 2013, 04:38:44 AM »

I've been busy as h#ll trying to catch up with the season.
In the meantime, the last of the storm damage from april has been addressed as my neighbor had bobcats and bucket trucks in her back yard a few days ago. The result, even more sun for my garden. one of the two massive remaining oaks had to be removed along with a couple of leaning hackberries.
The rice and watercress paddies are oriented pretty much due east, so you can see that I have truly "full" sun in most of the back portion of the garden now.

back to work.....

cohutt · « **Reply #72 on:** June 10, 2013, 05:10:54 AM »

a basket of plums or a close up of a thornless blackberry?

Correct, blackberries

Last of the garlic is out too

Still waiting on summer here ........ by now things should be much further along (but they just aren't).

At least some of the coneflowers are blooming

LvsChant · « **Reply #73 on:** June 10, 2013, 09:55:28 AM »

Love those photos... esp. the closeup of the blackberry

I harvested the garlic here, too... drying it out (doesn't take too long here) on the back patio in the shade.

We've discovered we love, love, love Brussels sprouts. Where did you get your seeds for your last crop? I seem to remember them being very pretty... Isn't it almost time to start planting for the fall crop? (It's definitely summer here... 105 degrees here today).

cohutt · « **Reply #74 on:** June 10, 2013, 04:25:02 PM »

I have some type from Johnny's and a parks or burpee pack back there. The ones I had a couple years ago were a hybrid from a local seed & feed (my assistant's family runs one up in the next county.) Last year, nobody who was supplied by Bonnie had any sprouts and I screwed up and missed starting seeds in time
I plan on starting mine indoors towards the end of the month subject to revision after some double checking.

cohutt · « **Reply #75 on:** June 12, 2013, 08:38:27 PM »

basils (Oregano and thyme in the background of the second pic)

cohutt · « **Reply #76 on:** June 20, 2013, 05:15:18 AM »

Wet.

Last year we had 20.38" of rain ytd here vs long term "normal" of 28" +/-.

So far in 2008: 41.45

Slow go, too much of a good thing for the summer plantings to really get growing.

So far this year:

Blackberries are slowing way down but my modest raspberry patch is coming on with the early crop.

Blueberries are about ready to start picking. Apparently stinkbugs (leaf-leg type) enjoy doing the deed on almost ripe ones too, yuk)

cohutt · « **Reply #77 on:** June 22, 2013, 09:51:25 AM »

Blackberry flush has peaked but a few are still ripening every day or two. The good news is a lot of these later ones are big juicy monster blackberries

A couple just too big and pretty to eat without a photo:

cohutt · « **Reply #78 on:** June 26, 2013, 05:13:44 AM »

Rainbow chard

raspberry jam wanna-be

"Envy" soya

Watercress project coming along

Asian long beans

View of new wide open sky in the background; all the east/southeast trees were removed from my neighbor's property after two separate storm damages. the tall wall of trees had been uninterrupted from those still standing all the way around to the left out of the picture. several hung over my yard from the east. no more... hello sunshine

unfortunately I am realizing how nice it was in the summer to have some shade during the first half of the day in the summer. no more.

cohutt · « **Reply #79 on:** July 07, 2013, 06:29:20 PM »

Rainbow chard, standing on its head in the rinse bucket

Rosesandtea · « **Reply #80 on:** July 08, 2013, 07:00:20 AM »

Beautiful garden! I have long gaps in coming to TSP forum but your garden threads are what I always hunt for first thing!

cohutt · « **Reply #81 on:** July 08, 2013, 09:04:36 PM »

Quote from: Rosesandtea on July 08, 2013, 07:00:20 AM

Beautiful garden! I have long gaps in coming to TSP forum but your garden threads are what I always hunt for first thing!

Thank you.

Howz your garden these days?

cohutt · « **Reply #82 on:** July 30, 2013, 08:25:47 PM »

Summer= Heat = Growth =typically over-crowded cohutt garden

LvsChant · « **Reply #83 on:** August 04, 2013, 10:22:44 AM »

Love it... my little garden is also doing fairly well (for a small, beginner's patch) this past month. I'm actually starting to see tomatoes, squash, loofah's, peppers, purple hull beans, etc. starting to produce. Squash and peppers are doing best...

cohutt · « **Reply #84 on:** August 04, 2013, 03:38:18 PM »

Quote from: LvsChant on August 04, 2013, 10:22:44 AM

Love it... my little garden is also doing fairly well (for a small, beginner's patch) this past month. I'm actually starting to see tomatoes, squash, loofah's, peppers, purple hull beans, etc. starting to produce. Squash and peppers are doing best...

I'm jealous re: squash.

My yard seems to host or attract vine borers like no other. This is how I came to eat some baby loofahs; look and tase similar to zucs just not quite as firm. Vine borers leave the gourds alone...

LvsChant · « **Reply #85 on:** August 05, 2013, 07:46:21 AM »

I'm guessing the good luck is due to the fact that nothing has been growing out here for such a long time there aren't the normal pests. I had trouble with vine borers in TX, too.

Greywolf27 · « **Reply #86 on:** August 06, 2013, 03:16:48 PM »

Looking good Cohutt!

Been quite some time since I have checked up on your progress. My sweetie and I got engages at the beginning of the year, we bought a house at the end of last year and so far have been working on our 1/2 acre. I forgot how much work you had put into your produce. As has been stated time and again, you are an absolute inspiration.

GW

Durf · « **Reply #87 on:** August 06, 2013, 05:33:44 PM »

Looking good Cohutt! That rainbow chard looks amazing. I just planted some and if it turns out half as good as yours, my 7 and 4 year old daughters will be truly impressed with the cool colors. I really like the way you have incorporated so much yet still have it looking really nice.

cohutt · « **Reply #88 on:** August 06, 2013, 07:06:54 PM »

Thanks GW and Durf.

I'm well settled into the cycle now that I have it almost built out adequately. That being said, this was one heck of a face-plant for me in several areas. Doofed up and had virtually no lettuce all winter, couldn't get squat started in any meaningful way this spring. It is slowly catching up but compared to past years I'm not having a great year so far.
It has been humbling in that it has swatted down my cockiness a bit; when I started in 2009 I knew very little and worked to learn. In the past year I sort of coasted and assumed I had it all figured out and the slackness hurt me.

It is definitely still, and always will be, a learning experience.

BassManNate · « **Reply #89 on:** August 08, 2013, 08:38:47 PM »

Quote from: cohutt on August 06, 2013, 07:06:54 PM

Thanks GW and Durf.

I'm well settled into the cycle now that I have it almost built out adequately. That being said, this was one heck of a face-plant for me in several areas. Doofed up and had virtually no lettuce all winter, couldn't get squat started in any meaningful way this spring. It is slowly catching up but compared to past years I'm not having a great year so far.
It has been humbling in that it has swatted down my cockiness a bit; when I started in 2009 I knew very little and worked to learn. In the past year I sort of coasted and assumed I had it all figured out and the slackness hurt me.

It is definitely still, and always will be, a learning experience.

The way I find I can overcome the slacking off is constantly looking for something drastically different. Like this year, I'm trying ground cherries (going to grow lots of these next year!) and the Styrian Hulless Pumpkins. Those pumpkins were hard to get started because the seeds are so fragile. Also trying watermelons for the first time this year. Just gotta keep it fresh with something out of left field every year.

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Author Topic: Cohutt's Garden 5th Try (2013) (Read 32809 times)