How did everyones gardens do. My garden is very important to me as I have so many health/stomach problems and need to eat plain and simple foods. I can control my diet this way. I was so busy and with the health problems I didn't keep up with you all very good this year. I looked and read some but was just wondering. I know Betty P, Derek and Jim in NC have gardens and some newer members have big gardens. We have had our first light frosts here 2 weeks ago, hard frost this morning. Rains started last week, about 5 inches all together, warm and nice today after overnight of 29. My little garden (3 raised beds) was here at the cottage as we didn't get moved back to the off grid cabin. Sweetie wasn't well most of the summer and fall. We did get a lot from the 3 gardens (here, the cabin and the corn/squash patch at the farm, and the greenhouse at the cabin. Son did most of the garden maint after we got everything planted at the cabin, greenhouse and hoops. I have a tiny greenhouse here, too. A dozen strawberries, 2 tomatoes, 2 pepper plants and a zuchinni in there now. I have 4 tomatoes cut off and hanging in my shop, lots of winter squash (butternut and acorn). All in all it was a great garden year, rains came at the right times. I only had to water transplants, early. No garden watering until mid July as it was cool and wetter than normal. Good long warm, dry fall though. Had a lot of help from the kids with the apples and pears this year, needed the help to get the barrel full of apple juice/cider. Hope everyone had a great year....James
Gardens
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Even with the mid season drought my garden did really well. Thanks to my creek, pump and sprinkler. 
The peach and apple trees did well also, as we didn't have freezing temps. after they set blooms like usually happens.
The apples came in a month early and were kindda dry, but one tree started making big apples this year.
Both the peach and apple trees were planted 15 years ago. So, it's just about time for them to start producing well.
Got a freezer full of fruit and veggies that should keep us out of the canned produce isle until next years garden starts producing.
I'll have to make room to plant twice as much 'taters next year though. I got two full bushels off four pounds of seed, but we like 'taters.
The peach and apple trees did well also, as we didn't have freezing temps. after they set blooms like usually happens.
The apples came in a month early and were kindda dry, but one tree started making big apples this year.
Both the peach and apple trees were planted 15 years ago. So, it's just about time for them to start producing well.
Got a freezer full of fruit and veggies that should keep us out of the canned produce isle until next years garden starts producing.
I'll have to make room to plant twice as much 'taters next year though. I got two full bushels off four pounds of seed, but we like 'taters.
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James ,even though it was a very dry summer and we had to be watering almost daily.
Got potatoes out early,so had a real good crop and enough for our winter supply.
By planting corn in 4 different times ,we got lots in the freezer. Early beans not so
good but the late ones good ,so got 82 qts canned. Had lots of butternut squash & yellow squash
and Zucchini & onions . We enjoyed lots of stir fry with all the squash. Had plenty of tomatoes to
put up juice and can enough for us. So James we did ok and last week a heavy frost took care of the left overs.
Glad to hear you and wife are ok and son helping out.
Got potatoes out early,so had a real good crop and enough for our winter supply.
By planting corn in 4 different times ,we got lots in the freezer. Early beans not so
good but the late ones good ,so got 82 qts canned. Had lots of butternut squash & yellow squash
and Zucchini & onions . We enjoyed lots of stir fry with all the squash. Had plenty of tomatoes to
put up juice and can enough for us. So James we did ok and last week a heavy frost took care of the left overs.
Glad to hear you and wife are ok and son helping out.
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James, we fought, sweated a lot, and scratched through a hot, dry season until mid to late August when temps slowly moved near normal and rains came. Later planted green beans stood in place through July and much of August, bloomed, but produced very little until that time and through September. The latest planting of maters were not very good, but the earliest ones did well. Squash and cukes probably faired the worst. Early melons weren't much, but the late patch, planted 3 weeks later, was much better. I could still be sellin' them if I had some.
I only planted 2 crops of field peas, and they finally tailed off last week, until today. This morning I picked nearly 2 bushels off some really rough looking plants. I have one row just starting to mature, but they are growing very slow because of the short days and cool weather. Okra was planted twice, and I only had about half a stand, but it was just as well cuz it did not sell as well as usual. Some of it is stashed in a freezer.
We froze rite many quarts of sweet corn, even though we had way less than half a crop of sweet corn. I'd sold most of the best, which wasn't much, and cut corn off lots of half-pollinated ears. We have many quarts of green beans, plenty of peas, squash, and qt. jars and gallon bags of frozen maters. We have put up more the last 2 to 3 years than we seem to eat. We made no cuke pickles, but did can some beet pickles and squash relish. All the beet pickles are long gone. Potatoes did well, and we have several bushels to get us through the winter and to use for seed next year.
We put half a cow in the freezer back in early spring, then had to put down another one in the heat of the summer. So our freezers runneth over :!:
We share the bounty with a few elderly kin, neighbors, and daughter and her family. Mrs. Jim and I hate to see anything go to waste, especially food :!:
I only planted 2 crops of field peas, and they finally tailed off last week, until today. This morning I picked nearly 2 bushels off some really rough looking plants. I have one row just starting to mature, but they are growing very slow because of the short days and cool weather. Okra was planted twice, and I only had about half a stand, but it was just as well cuz it did not sell as well as usual. Some of it is stashed in a freezer.
We froze rite many quarts of sweet corn, even though we had way less than half a crop of sweet corn. I'd sold most of the best, which wasn't much, and cut corn off lots of half-pollinated ears. We have many quarts of green beans, plenty of peas, squash, and qt. jars and gallon bags of frozen maters. We have put up more the last 2 to 3 years than we seem to eat. We made no cuke pickles, but did can some beet pickles and squash relish. All the beet pickles are long gone. Potatoes did well, and we have several bushels to get us through the winter and to use for seed next year.
We put half a cow in the freezer back in early spring, then had to put down another one in the heat of the summer. So our freezers runneth over :!:
We share the bounty with a few elderly kin, neighbors, and daughter and her family. Mrs. Jim and I hate to see anything go to waste, especially food :!:
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Ours did fantastic. We probably had one of the best garden seasons in recent times. Lost all the fruit do to a too warm spring and late frost though.
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