Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[mikim]

24' x 24' . . . That's not an asparagus bed; it's an asparagus forest. I hope you love it because that's gonna produce a bunch

kinda what I thought -- when I was a kid we'd pick it growing wild in the ditches in small bunches....but swmbo ordered from burpees and iaw directions for planting, it needed that big an area for what she ordered. I figure I can always dig up half the area for corn on the north side. We don't eat that much corn so it would be about right.

 

[jinman]

24' x 24' . . . That's not an asparagus bed; it's an asparagus forest. I hope you love it because that's gonna produce a bunch

kinda what I thought -- when I was a kid we'd pick it growing wild in the ditches in small bunches....but swmbo ordered from burpees and iaw directions for planting, it needed that big an area for what she ordered. I figure I can always dig up half the area for corn on the north side. We don't eat that much corn so it would be about right.

Mike, I picked 30 spears yesterday. I have one row about 12' long and another about 18' long. Some crowns have grown so much that they are putting up 6 or 8 spears at the same time. You will probably lose a few plants, but the ones that take and grow should produce very well. Like all vegetables, you get asparagus all at once at a rate you can't keep up with. You may have to make family and friends happy by sharing.

I have been eating mine raw, but boiled this yesterday and ate half last night. It was deeee-licious.:licking:

EDIT: BTW, if you boil the spears, use a small amount of water, lightly salted. When you finish, keep the pot liquor. Heat it up in a cup for a delicious hot beverage. Asparagus pot liquor is very tasty.

 

[Western]

If your interested in trying to see the comet Pan-Starrs tonight, here is a good "how to" article. Wont be be back I think for 100,00 years, so you might want to catch it this time around:laughing:

Comet Pan-STARRS Near the Moon Tonight: How to See It | Space.com

 

[mikim]

Jim -- do you use hierloom seeds in your garden ....and dry the seeds for the next year?

 

[jinman]

Jim -- do you use hierloom seeds in your garden ....and dry the seeds for the next year?

No Mike, I tried that with cantaloupes and got cross-pollinated hydbrids the next year. I saved some Israel melon seeds from a melon I bought at the fruit stand. They made great melons for one year and then the next they looked different, somewhat like my normal cantaloupes. For me, the cost of seed has not grown to the point that I think it is cost-effective to go through the hassle of saving them. I can just go to Walmart and buy a bag of blackeyed peas, crowders, or many varieties of beans at very low prices from the food aisles. For me, they have always grown as good as store-bought seeds. Some feedstores don't refresh their bulk seeds year-to-year. I bought some pea seeds one year and they were full of weevils. Anyhow, I experiment with saved seeds some, but just don't make it a practice. It's just a personal choice of what works best for you.

 

[mikim]

but just don't make it a practice. It's just a personal choice

I'm hoping to have a full blown garden area cleared, fenced, etc in 2 more years and was thinking it might be fun to do heirlooms. I really hate the heavy handed chem companies with their "seed patents" and the way they treat farmers ...and our food....I think I'll try it for a year or two just to see how it goes...then if it fails --it won't be because of getting crossed by whatever was there before....but I have time yet to figure it out. There's still trees where the garden will be.

 

[Western]

Spring is just around the corner, Red buds almost blooming, Oak trees getting buds and the softwoods all already showing green:thumbsup: I like the Redbuds, nice color, just wish they lasted longer.

 

[Western]

Spring color is just around the corner, Red buds almost blooming, Oak trees getting buds and the softwoods all already showing green:thumbsup: I like the Redbuds, nice color, just wish they lasted longer.

 

[michael.white]

but just don't make it a practice. It's just a personal choice

I'm hoping to have a full blown garden area cleared, fenced, etc in 2 more years and was thinking it might be fun to do heirlooms. I really hate the heavy handed chem companies with their "seed patents" and the way they treat farmers ...and our food....I think I'll try it for a year or two just to see how it goes...then if it fails --it won't be because of getting crossed by whatever was there before....but I have time yet to figure it out. There's still trees where the garden will be.

I planted heirlooms when I lived in town in Ft. Worth from 2005 until 2008. I can't recall anything that didn't grow well. The Ein Dor melons do good here and taste good; I think they're originally from the middle east/Israel area. My parents save the seeds from the heirloom peppers I gave them every year. Just mulch and water (and, if it's like last year, water and water and water). They should do good out your way.

I planted a few melon hills here on Saturday using five year old frozen seeds, near the house but not in the best soil (real garden is planned for next year). I'm hoping something will pop up here in the next few days.

 

[txdon]

... I really hate the heavy handed chem companies with their "seed patents" and the way they treat farmers ...and our food....I think I'll try it for a year or two just to see how it goes...then if it fails --it won't be because of getting crossed by whatever was there before....but I have time yet to figure it out. There's still trees where the garden will be.

Mike, sounds like you will you be going organic too. With that rain water collection the garden will thrive. Two years is just about the right amount of time to get good black compost from your mulch piles.