Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[pacerron]

As soon as the hull becomes leathery, they shell really easily. The greener ones seem to have thick hulls and the peas are small. I think once before we discussed snaps, and I said I like to go back and pick snaps after picking shelling peas. That way I know how many snaps I have compared to shelling peas. Have you ever seen canned blackeyes with snaps?

Related to gardens; is 5% Sevin Dust still available in Texas?
We tried to get a big bag this AM at a Do-it-Best Hardware and was told it has been taken off the market.
After getting home we see online that TSC has it, in stores, in 10 pd. bags but only 2% and granules instead of dust.
They advertise 5% dust but only in the little 1 pound shaker tubes at a ridiculous price. We didn't call to verify if they actually have it.
We have used Sevin on the garden, dogs, cats, etc. forever with no negative results.
What do you use to control bugs and worms in the garden?
I imagine FG19 uses hot pepper and garlic.
Ron

 

[jinman]

Ron, they still have bags here and 1-pound cans in a tri-pack. Of course, liquid Sevin is very common also. I've been using Malathion some lately to give the bugs something new and keep them from building a resistance. Spectracide Malathion sure has a strong odor. There's no hiding that you've used it. The odor is much stronger than liquid Sevin.

 

[pacerron]

Ron, they still have bags here and 1-pound cans in a tri-pack. Of course, liquid Sevin is very common also. I've been using Malathion some lately to give the bugs something new and keep them from building a resistance. Spectracide Malathion sure has a strong odor. There's no hiding that you've used it. The odor is much stronger than liquid Sevin.

Jim,
We use Spectracide Malathion spray on the fruit trees. Before they bloom and after about every 2 weeks till August. Your right about the smell. It does a great job in keeping the bugs from messing up the fruit.

Another good use for the deer fence fabric to report. We always put chicken wire around and over our blueberry bushes but birds still find there way in. This year we put a scrap piece of the plastic deer fence over the bushes and it kept every bird out.
Ron

 

[farmgirl19]

I use Spinosad, when needed. I hate to use much of anything, because I use good insects to battle bad ones. I have lots of ladybugs, green lace wings, and praying mantis. No danger of them causing health issues, that can come from the chemicals.

 

[Western]

Well, word is my garden is in "peril" even with heavy daily watering?? I was told "not to get upset since I worked on it so much" :laughing: It will be depressing, but there has to be more going on than the heat. I am wondering if the moles tunnels have caused more underground damage than I had thought?? Or it could just be the heat. I have grown many gardens over the years and have had few go "down in flames" all at once.

Have a long nasty night left in Houston, then finish up in Galveston, hopefully I have the energy to deadhead home if I can get through before rush hour!

 

[jinman]

Dennis, I've found a successful garden requires lots of attention right before it starts producing. It's like getting kids through school before they go out on their own. Once you establish deep roots, all it takes is watering and keeping the pests at bay. Proper early cultivation to build a big deep root system is key for Texas. Some soils are very loose and plants easily put down deep roots. Other soils take lots of cultivation and careful attention to watering/not overwatering when the plants are young to encourage deep rooting. Even with all that, brutal heat will turn your plants from production to pure survival. It takes a happy and healthy plant to bloom and produce. That's my theory anyhow.

 

[farmgirl19]

Western; While my zucchini plants still looked good when I got home last night, my yellow squash plants looked more wilted and battered. After today's temp, not sure what I'll have left there. Most eveything else is still looking good, so maybe the cool front will arrive tonight, before its too late.

All of that being said, I'm sure jinman could share some of his bounty, since he is always braggin' about picking by the bucketfuls! :laughing:

I do agree that having good organic matter, (i.e., compost) worked into the soil helps hold what moisture we do get, and feeds the plants and their roots, without having the "overfertilized" burn, as soon as rain/watering can't keep up with the Texas temps.

I hope you have some garden left to tend, when you get home. Losing it all would be a major bummer.

 

[jinman]

All of that being said, I'm sure jinman could share some of his bounty, since he is always braggin' about picking by the bucketfuls! :laughing:

I am picking by the buckets and also trying to give it away and spread it around as much as possible. I took my brother two huge bags of veggies on Wednesday. That same day, my neighbor came to help me pick and gave her beans, a whole bucket full of squash and zucchini and lots of tomatoes. She takes her husband to dialysis twice a week and I send lots of veggies with her to give to folks at the dialysis clinic. So yesterday, I pulled and cleaned about 40 nice onions, a gallon of cherry tomatoes, 10 really nice slicing tomatoes, and more squash and cucumbers. It seems that there are lots of needy or older folks who come to dialysis and they love to have some fresh veggies to take home. Sandy loves to take the veggies and give them out. She even buys boxes of gallon size Ziploc bags so people can take them home. My wife is taking two big bags of all kinds of stuff to her parents this morning too. They then share with her aunts and uncles. It seems my garden stuff gets around and I could not be happier. What's better than sharing good food with those who really need it? I especially like helping the elderly and folks scraping by on Social Security only.

BTW: Even with giving all this away, we still have more than we can eat. My blackeyed peas will need their first picking tomorrow morning. My okra will be producing too in another week. I'd bet I still have over 250 lb of nice tomatoes on my vines too.:thumbsup: I counted ****** melons yesterday and have about 15 big ones that will be ripe in a couple of weeks too. I don't think they will make it by the 4th of July, but one or two will probably be ready a week later.:licking:

 

[pacerron]

I am picking by the buckets and also trying to give it away and spread it around as much as possible. I took my brother two huge bags of veggies on Wednesday. That same day, my neighbor came to help me pick and gave her beans, a whole bucket full of squash and zucchini and lots of tomatoes. She takes her husband to dialysis twice a week and I send lots of veggies with her to give to folks at the dialysis clinic. So yesterday, I pulled and cleaned about 40 nice onions, a gallon of cherry tomatoes, 10 really nice slicing tomatoes, and more squash and cucumbers. It seems that there are lots of needy or older folks who come to dialysis and they love to have some fresh veggies to take home. Sandy loves to take the veggies and give them out. She even buys boxes of gallon size Ziploc bags so people can take them home. My wife is taking two big bags of all kinds of stuff to her parents this morning too. They then share with her aunts and uncles. It seems my garden stuff gets around and I could not be happier. What's better than sharing good food with those who really need it? I especially like helping the elderly and folks scraping by on Social Security only.

BTW: Even with giving all this away, we still have more than we can eat. My blackeyed peas will need their first picking tomorrow morning. My okra will be producing too in another week. I'd bet I still have over 250 lb of nice tomatoes on my vines too.:thumbsup: I counted ****** melons yesterday and have about 15 big ones that will be ripe in a couple of weeks too. I don't think they will make it by the 4th of July, but one or two will probably be ready a week later.:licking:

Jim,
That's a great way of giving. It all goes to the folks that need it rather than a majority to administrators and high paid executives. Perhaps God is blessing you with a plentiful bounty because of the way you are sharing it.
Ron

 

[Lou66]

Jim I know what you mean,, I give away just about everything I grow.. There is a youth home a few miles away and the minister will bring a few on the kids over to help pick and carry,, swear some of those kids have never seen a garden,, they do make me smile.. I enjoy growing things.. Two of my sons have garden also,, so between the three of us we keep the family in veggie,, fresh and canned,:licking:, Lou

 

[farmgirl19]

I'll bet it is neat to see those kids in a garden for the first time, Lou!

Sometimes, I think half the fun of gardening is nurturing it and watching it grow. Yes, the food is good, and is neat to put up and have in the winter too, but growing and sharing, is definitely part of why most of us do it!

 

[Lou66]

Lou, I started to school before they had school lunches, so we all carried our lunch, and mine included a pint of milk. Of course we had our own milk cow so my milk was pretty "rich"; i.e., had a bit of cream in it. And since we also had no refrigerator at school for our lunches, occasionally my milk would be soured by lunch time. And when that happened, I'd shake the jar walking home that afternoon and have just a little butter when I got home.:laughing:

Bird when I started to school.. it was one room and went all the way thru the 9th grade,, You had to go to town if you wanted higher education,, My brother and I would carry our lunch in a one gallon syrup bucket,, all ways the same thing, couple of large biscuits with a slice of cured ham,:licking:, with some fry potatoes wrapped in a dishtowel.. There was always plenty of cool well water.:laughing:That was our job at school my brother and I was to draw the water in the morning and at lunch,, everybody drink from the same gourd unless you brought your own.:thumbsup:. Lou

 

[Lou66]

Farmgirl I had one of them ask me how long does it take to grow a garden,, I told him two to three months before you can start picking,, He said he thought it took years to grow thing,, I told him it take years to learn how to grow thing and I still learn..:laughing:

On a side note I picked another tomato (one pound and 7 oz.) But my friend Norma is smiling and not talking,, yet,, Lou

 

[pacerron]

Another use for Jim's deer fence fabric.
We always had a fungus problem with our grapes until a couple years ago when Robert from NY told us what spray we needed to fix it.
Last year we had a ton of nice green grapes coming along but the deer decided since we had them blocked from the garden with deer fence they would get even by eating off all the green grapes.

This year we have more great looking grapes, so we are trying some deer netting/fence over them to see if when the deer put their nose on it they will be scared off, as they have been in the garden.

When they get a little further along we will put out the coon trap.
Ron

 

[bindian]

I have been leaving my minnow trap in my smaller pond to snag mosquito fish to move some more to the new pond. But I need to bait it to catch them. In the meanwhile, with it deep enough, the perch fry swim into it. I give them to Booger as he loves sushi. In the last ten days, the water level dropped enough to where the trap's inlet was at water level.

I was fixin' to add Aquashade to the ponds when I noticed something moving in the minnow trap. At first I thought it was a frog..........until I got closer and saw a huge water moccassin. I got my son's pellet gun but could not find the pellet clips. So I got Dad's old Winchester pump 22. I didn't wanna use the 22 as the trap is soft metal. Anyway, I pulled the string on the trap enough to get it out of the water, but stablized so it would not swing. I popped the snake with a shot in the belly, then took a head shot.

Then I realized the tail was still moving. Wait, that tail has a head. It was not just a baby. But wait, two babies. Anyway, I emptied Dad's 22 (it holds 13 long rifles) and hit all the snakes, taking care to not hit the metal trap frame, while shooting through the 1/4 inch screen holes. Well, I am sure some of those holes are a little bigger now.

So, the trap is back in the water with the snakes in it. I really dread getting the dead snakes out I am gonna wait until tomorrow to remove them. I was afraid, while I went for the 22, that the snake(s) would get out and Booger was right there going ballistic. Guess he thought...........more sushi.
hugs, Brandi

 

[farmgirl19]

bindian; I am not snake phobic, and welcome some to help keep rodents under control. However, Moccassins, Cooperheads, and rattlers need to be dispatched, when seen, IMO. Glad that Booger stayed safe through the event!

 

[bindian]

bindian; I am not snake phobic, and welcome some to help keep rodents under control. However, Moccassins, Cooperheads, and rattlers need to be dispatched, when seen, IMO. Glad that Booger stayed safe through the event!

I agree. King snakes and such are welcome at my place. When I was little, I saw a King snake eating a huge Copperhead. It wasn't pretty, but Dad explained the King snake is our friend. Friendly and helpful, but still spooky.

Funny thing now.....................there are little perch swimming in the minnow trap. Guess Booger will get some sushi tomorrow after all.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

bindian; I am not snake phobic, and welcome some to help keep rodents under control. However, Moccassins, Cooperheads, and rattlers need to be dispatched, when seen, IMO. Glad that Booger stayed safe through the event!

I agree. King snakes and such are welcome at my place. When I was little, I saw a King snake eating a huge Copperhead. It wasn't pretty, but Dad explained the King snake is our friend. Friendly and helpful, but still spooky.

Funny thing now.....................there are little perch swimming in the minnow trap. Guess Booger will get some sushi tomorrow after all.
hugs, Brandi

 

[farmgirl19]

Booger will get sushi, if more moccassins don't come in and eat his perch! :laughing:

 

[sseelhoff]

My weather station temp reading hit 110 today. The sensor is on a post on the back porch-in the shade. The car thermometer read 105. Official temp at the closest NOAA reporting station was 103. Whichever you choose, it was hot. My eggplant have literally baked on the plants. No eggplant for me this year.