[BigDaveinKY]

I picked my second planting of sweet corn (four 20' rows) got just over two bushels, (lots of one ear per stalk this time) and a full bushel of tomatoes off my eight plants yesterday.
The green beans are coming back slowly, I picked a half bushel last week, and could rummage through to get enough for a mess, but most are not growing very fast. I'm guessing from the heat.
Also dug four hills of potatoes that yielded about ten pounds. I had dug three hills a couple of weeks ago with a similar yield. Eleven hills left to dig.
The rest will wait till the vines die back totally (which won't be but a week or two at the most), or the weather to cool a bit. Not too bad from four pounds of seed taters.
Carrots are coming on good, radishes have been stored for some time, I've been pulling and drying onions as the tops fell over, about half a row total still growing, but most are stored in the basement between sheets of newspaper.
Watermelons and mushmelons should start coming in within the next week or two, as long as my guard cat continues to keep the rabbits at bay. Some good sized ones on the vines now.
My pumpkin vines all died out, regardless of how much I watered them. I've had that happen in the past years, now and then, that weren't as hot or dry as this year. Anyone have an insight on why they do this??
I decided not to plant any cucumbers or squash since my bride won't eat them, and most go to waste. Then, yesterday just before I called my neighbor to ask if he wanted any maters and roastin' ears,
since I knew he got his garden out late, he called to ask if I wanted any cucumbers or squash. Since my bride is going out of town this weekend to help her sisters with their mother's estate.
Saturday night's supper will include some crookneck squash simmered in a skillet with butter, and a big ole mater squished over top. MMMMMMMMMMM
Today I'm freezing corn, and maters, and making zucchini bread for my bride, (from her mothers recipe) to take for her and her sisters this weekend. I'll send them some maters and roastin' ears as well.
So now my garden is down to maters, beans and melons that need checked and picked regularly, and my freezer, is filling with food for the winter months. Hope everybody is enjoying the harvest of their gardens.

 

[Stephenscity]

Glad you're having a good crop!!!Hope it continues!!!

 

[bettyp]

Big Dave what a crop you have had . If you had gotten the rain Dave you would of had to start a Farmer's Market . Sound like your garden like the creek water. Glad to hear you got so much frozen for the winter.

 

[Jim in NC]

Dave, pumpin' all that water has paid off for you. We have managed to can some green beans, freeze a little corn and 10 to 15 gallons of maters. We have made some dill and bread and butter pickles and squash relish.
Presently, we have about 10 bushels of maters in varying stages of ripeness in the house. It is to hot to properly store them any where else.
Watermelons range from softball to basketball size and will be stunted by the dry weather. I should be close to havin' some ready, but I don't know if i have the will to cut one, much less offer them for sale. Okra is a no show. I planted many ounces of seed three times, only to have much of it come up and die.
Sweet corn ears are about 2/3 the size of a normal one. Many had poor pollination.
I hope to begin picking over the second corn patch tomorrow. I will probably have to look alot to find any.

 

[BigDaveinKY]

Thanks Mike, I've worked hard all season to make sure I had a good garden this year. It's the first time for three years I've been able bodied enough to make a garden.
Yes it did Jim, I wouldn't have had much after the early crops if it weren't for having access to the creek, and I wasn't about to let that happen.
I had very few (about ten ears) of corn that didn't pollinate good. Those got used for cut corn in the freezer. The rest were good 9" to 11" ears.
What I just picked the cobs were smaller than the first round, but the kernels were full, but just a bit tough. I'm guessing the heat had to do with that.
My neighbor commented what good looking corn and 'maters I had, as he was stuffing his grocery bags full, and that he wished he had 600' of pipe to get water from the creek to his garden.
This picking through the tomatoes reveled very few with bloom rot, unlike the first picking where about a third had bloom rot. The only difference being that I started watering regularly when these were setting on, and growing.
Miss Betty, I don't know if mother nature would have watered the garden any better than I did, just wouldn't have had to pay for the electricity to run the pump. :?
Also, I'm willing to bet what's in the creek water has a bit more fertilizer properties in it than the rain water does.

 

[bettyp]

Big Dave , glad that you felt so good this here that you could take all the enduranes of pumping that water and raising that garden. You have done a wonderful job of it . It has been really hard for me this years to get corn put in freezer ,beans canned ,pickles made ,Jams made & etc . Have lots of pain going on from my back. So much wrong that Dr .says surgery could make it worst. So just do what I can do and endure the pain .

 

[Jim in NC]

Big Dave , glad that you felt so good this here that you could take all the enduranes of pumping that water and raising that garden. You have done a wonderful job of it . It has been really hard for me this years to get corn put in freezer ,beans canned ,pickles made ,Jams made & etc . Have lots of pain going on from my back. So much wrong that Dr .says surgery could make it worst. So just do what I can do and endure the pain .

Betty, since you properly follow the necessary instructions, have you tried taking more aspirin? :?:

 

[bettyp]

Big Dave , glad that you felt so good this here that you could take all the enduranes of pumping that water and raising that garden. You have done a wonderful job of it . It has been really hard for me this years to get corn put in freezer ,beans canned ,pickles made ,Jams made & etc . Have lots of pain going on from my back. So much wrong that Dr .says surgery could make it worst. So just do what I can do and endure the pain .

Betty, since you properly follow the necessary instructions, have you tried taking more
aspirin? :?:

Thanks Jim only alowed to take so much aspirin. medicines that would help ,I 'm allergic to them . Some other medicine Dr said would have to be last resouce.

 

[Jim in NC]

12 quarts of Silver Queen corn were added to the freezer this afternoon. No one seemed to be in a corn-buying mood at the Farmers Market today. :?

 

[bettyp]

Just cannot beat that Jim . you will live good this winter.

 

[Stephenscity]

Just picked over my Limas, fresh mess tonight with some fresh fried okra!!!!

 

[bettyp]

Good for you mike . Didn't plant either one of those this year , Had to cut back on something
but love them both .Enjoy your supper.

 

[Jim in NC]

I could smell those beans from here Mike :!: :lol: We froze 6 more gallons of maters today.

 

[bettyp]

Got to work up my tomatoes tomorrow Jim . I dont freeze tomatoes I juice Or can whole or open Kettle and can them, I do have quite a few left over .

 

[Jim in NC]

We have rite many in jars Betty. We will use most of them in old style veggie soup for the Persimmon festival this November. We made about 25 gallons last year, and sold all but 3-4 gallons.

 

[single tree farm]

Wonderful to hear that your hard work has paid off, Dave. It was a very unassuming summer for a good harvest but it seems things have turned around for those who have waited it out!

 

[bettyp]

I froze corn today and also caned 8 qts of tomatoes .
Standing on my legs made for a painful day . got lots of tomatoes
really been nice ones. Potatoes really nice .

 

[Stephenscity]

Glad all is turning out for ya'll. Everything here is turning out really well except tomatoes. Just can't seem to get that big picking. Plenty to eat and share.

 

[BigDaveinKY]

My garden is pretty well harvested. Corn, maters and beans in the freezer. Potatoes and onions between sheets of newspaper in the basement.
Should be enough to last until next years harvest. Still waiting for a good sweet watermelon or mushmelon to get ripe. (Any day now.)
Maters and green beans will produce enough to pick weekly for some fresh food til the frost gets them.
With the recent good amount of rain, and melons so close to ripe, the irrigation system has been taken down until needed. Hopefully a few years again.
Without that, this year, there would not have been much garden to harvest. Corn stalks sure died off as quickly as I've ever seen.
Within a week of harvesting the stalks were turning brown, on both the early and later picked plants. As everything seemed to come a month early this year.
My garden looks like a late August other than an early August garden. Now, it's the loaded Apple and late peach trees getting ripe, and dropping like flies.

 

[Stephenscity]

Been real lucky here. First time in years that I can remember not having to water through July. Seems like about once a week we are getting bad storms. Had two last night dropped about 3 in If it hadn't been for the heat would have been perfect.