Garden Time, JINMAN ??????

[TBDonnelly]

The last pictures I posted were April 5, past time for an update. A minor upgrade to the garden layout has kept me very busy. I'm not sure how, but it's turning out to be an extreme garden makeover.

First picture is what transpired right after planting in the greenhouse first week in April.

Second picture shows the inside dirt temperature above the waterbed heating pad I 'planted' last fall. I'm still experimenting with watering time frames etc. The temperatures dropped below freezing several nights. I had the water coming on every 2 hours for 5 minutes just so the water line would not freeze.

I can't take credit for all the plants. A local professional grower got started way before me. I supplemented my 'house' soon as they opened there doors. The lettuce, onions and especially the zucchini have taken off. The tomatoes & cucumbers were slower but are now catching up.

Yesterday high was 87 while today it's only in the upper 50's. Frost warning's (Southeast MIchigan)were out two nights ago.

We're going from a circular garden to a larger square garden. Kinda like going from a medium round pizza shape to a square deep dish sicilian. The round shape started several years ago and centered around a tree stump and worked perfectly with a round sprinkler head. We're incorporating raised beds and will be experimenting with some vertical gardening as well.

A few pictures attached.....

Don

 

[jinman]

Don, those raised beds sure look good. They're small compared to what I plant, but I've looked at the Noble Foundation site and they have much bigger beds. Of course, if I go to big raised/covered beds, what am I going to do with my tractor and tiller?

The veggies look very healthy. Will you have room for all your tomato plants? Is overcrowding a possibility. I always want to plant things too close together, but my tomato and squash plants are huge. In two weeks, they have gone from tiny little plants around 1' high to 3' high and wide with 3/4" diameter vines. Space really becomes used up quickly as plants grow.

I can't wait to see how all your raised beds turn out. That just looks like a terrific way for me to have a winter garden down here in our mild winters. I'm living vicariously in your experiments. Are you saying that you are also planting in normal ground-level beds?

Yesterday was our warmest day in a long time. It got up to the high 80s here and then plummeted down into the 60s overnight. I just can't imagine more perfect growing weather.

I've got to take a few more pictures of our garden and post them. We've picked over 5 lb of green beans so far and we'll pick English peas tonight. Most of our onions are 1' to 1-1/2' diameter and squash is starting to pile up. I guess we have 10-15 lb in the fridge and we'll pick another 10 lb tonight. I'm going to take a basket of stuff to my daughter tomorrow: turnips, beans, peas, squash, onions, and new potatoes. It won't be long now until the tomatoes will be ready too.

 

[schmism]

so what do you do with all your veggies? you have a stand or frequent the local farmers market?

 

[jinman]

so what do you do with all your veggies? you have a stand or frequent the local farmers market?

Let's see...
Family,
Friends,
Neighbors,
Co-workers,
and any TBNers who drop by.

I never expected to have all this stuff grow and make as much as it has. My timing was perfect and the weather has been spectacular this year. ...just lucky.

 

[JC-jetro]

Let's see...
Family,
Friends,
Neighbors,
Co-workers,
and any TBNers who drop by.

I never expected to have all this stuff grow and make as much as it has. My timing was perfect and the weather has been spectacular this year. ...just lucky.

Sounds great. You know there always are moochers around. I bake bread a lot (not at all ashamed to admit it) and am planning when I retire to supply weekly bread to my four boys, their wives and grand kids, but not at all in hurry to get there.

By the way I'm elated to inform that out of 95 tomato plants I planted every single one survived and they all look good. They are not as tall as your tomato plants but they have the darkest green foliage due to plenty of sunshine. At my garden in town they look a bit anemic due to lack of adequate sun.

 

[Bird]

I bake bread a lot (not at all ashamed to admit it)

I used to bake sourdough bread every once in awhile with a recipe I got from the Alaska magazine. I kept my starter in the refrigerator when not being used, but put it in the oven (gas range with a pilot light) to warm and work when I wanted to make bread. I've lost the recipe, but think I remember it well enough to get started again. The problem is that the pilot light in the gas range made the temperature right and now we have a total electric home so I'm not sure about a warm enough place, without being too hot, to set out starter when I want to make bread.

Do you make sourdough bread and have a solution for my problem?

 

[KaiB]

Bird, I make a few loaves every other weekend or so.

PM me and I'll send starter your way. Room temp is fine; you can mess around with different stages, fridge overnight and resume in the AM...do anything you like with it.

It's bulletproof by design. I like it during the summer 'cause it takes much longer to spoil.

 

[JC-jetro]

Do you make sourdough bread and have a solution for my problem?

Bird,

I don't intend to open up a new chapter for TBN'ers called "how about them breads " but feel oblige to share some. I have got to come out of the closet, not only I work with my engine and tractors and have 26 tool boxes I do enjoy baking and cooking all kind of stuff. making cakes, breads are kind of my passion. everybody at work want me to open up a side business. Unfortunately my last kid is somewhat gluten intolerant (not 100% sure ) that put a bit of a damper on my work. let me know and I send you my starter recipe , although I never follow recipe for anything, I just wing it and let the dough talk to me

Just a sample.

 

[Bird]

That's some good looking bread in those pictures. I'm sending PMs to both of you.

 

[jinman]

Jetro, that bread is so good lookin' I can smell it. Yum!

My wife has taken up breadmaking lately and she even made me some nice rye bread. I love it all and you can tell by my waistline.