The Farm..Cooking, Gardening & Much More - Page 24

barefootgardener · May 5, 2016

Thank you Bulldog and Ella. The lambs are enjoying this beautiful spring weather we are having. They are kicking their little heels up and having lots of fun. I love watching them frolic out in the pasture.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

Are you growing your fig tree in a pot or the ground? I love figs and especially green when ripe and an amazing variety that isn't supposed to be cold hardy enough for DFW called Tiger Stripe or Panache Figs. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to baby it in a pot and bring it inside in winter, or plant it in the ground and hope that we have more mild winters around here like we've been having.

Dewayne

Dewayne, I am growing the figs in plastic pots with good soil that drains well, and with lots of drainage holes. The varieties I have would not survive our severe winters. I left the figs outside in my unheated GH for a while in the early part of winter because the temperature stayed pretty mild. Then when the temps got below 32 degrees, I brought them inside and put them down in a cold part of our basement, in a dark room.
I checked on them in late winter and a couple had started to leaf out already, and the leaves needed some sunlight, so I brought them back upstairs and kept them in my sunroom.

I want to eventually get a couple of cold hardy figs, like Chicago Hardy, that I could try to grow in the ground.

Good luck with those figs. They sound like good ones to have.

Ginny

barefootgardener · July 18, 2016

Hello everyone, It has been a while since I have logged in and posted any updates. I have some catching up to do.. I hope you are all having a great summer and that you are healthy and your gardens are doing well.

Life has been busy around the farm. First, our wonderful mama needed to go into the nursing home permanently, a few months ago, due to the quick advancing stages of Alzheimer's. That was heartbreaking..So, my garden has gone by the wayside and I have plenty of weeds competing alongside my plants. I did manage to snap a few pictures here and there before the weeds took over. We have been having a heat wave the last few weeks, a few storms, a few cold nights down in the mid thirties.. The tomatoes in the garden are competing with the weeds, but, doing well despite that. I had a few ripe tomatoes after the fourth of July, a small Brandywine was my first tomato of the season. It was delicious despite its small size @ 4 oz.. The birds are pecking at my tomatoes just as they are starting to blush.. I had the same problem last year and ended up picking them just as they turned. The tomatoes in the GH are behind because the blossoms would not set due to the high temperatures. They are finally setting a few tomatoes but they have some catching up to do.

The Bloomsdale Spinach grew very well very during the early part of spring and summer, and, has since gone to seed..

nancyruhl · July 18, 2016

Glad to hear from you. I was wondering how thing were up there. So sorry to hear about your mom. I have been through the same scenario, and know how difficult it is for you.

barefootgardener · July 18, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by nancyruhl

Glad to hear from you. I was wondering how thing were up there. So sorry to hear about your mom. I have been through the same scenario, and know how difficult it is for you.

Thank you so much for your kind words Nancy.. I hope you are having a wonderful summer!

barefootgardener · July 18, 2016

Last spring I planted two Rouge D' Alger Cardoon plants that I started from seed. While the plants grew tall and wide, and, had beautiful spiny stalks, they did not produce any buds or flowers. I cut the plants down a bit and covered with straw in hopes they would overwinter. Well, imagine my surprise when one started to emerge with new leaves and growth from underneath the straw this spring. I was thrilled.. It thrived, and grew, and developed big buds. Many buds...

barefootgardener · July 18, 2016

barefootgardener · July 18, 2016

Who say's you have to live in the Heart of Dixie to grow cotton??.. Arkansas Green Lint Cotton, growing in containers...

barefootgardener · July 18, 2016

barefootgardener · July 18, 2016

It is turning out to be a great season for the Italian Plums.. The tree is seven years old, and, this is the first year it is producing and holding onto the plums.

barefootgardener · July 18, 2016

Girl Girl's Weird Thing, Tomato.. How beautiful is this tomato? My first year growing it.. Unfortunately, the birds pecked on at least two of the first maters..

efisakov · July 18, 2016

Ginny, pictures look good. Hope everything will work out. Working and keeping busy helps.
Wishing you all the best.

heirloomtomaguy · July 18, 2016

At first glance i thought your italian plums were avocados. I though to myself how on earth did you get avacados to grow in Michigan. Then i read the post and it all came together. Your pics look amazing.

efisakov · July 18, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by heirloomtomaguy

At first glance i thought your italian plums were avocados. I though to myself how on earth did you get avacados to grow in Michigan. Then i read the post and it all came together. Your pics look amazing.

I did too. hehe

barefootgardener · July 19, 2016

Thank you both!! Yes, I guess on first glance one would mistake the plum tree for an avocado! LOL.. Hey, maybe that will be my next growing adventure here.. After all, I am growing bananas, figs and citrus!! Why not avocados??

Ginny

barefootgardener · July 19, 2016

First June picking of kale, chard, lettuce and spinach. They are growing well despite the soaring temperature, but, the romaine lettuce is going to seed. I will be starting more from seed today for the fall garden.

July 18, 2016	#356
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	Ginny, pictures look good. Hope everything will work out. Working and keeping busy helps. Wishing you all the best. __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”

July 18, 2016	#357
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	At first glance i thought your italian plums were avocados. I though to myself how on earth did you get avacados to grow in Michigan. Then i read the post and it all came together. Your pics look amazing. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

July 18, 2016	#347
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	Hello everyone, It has been a while since I have logged in and posted any updates. I have some catching up to do.. I hope you are all having a great summer and that you are healthy and your gardens are doing well. Life has been busy around the farm. First, our wonderful mama needed to go into the nursing home permanently, a few months ago, due to the quick advancing stages of Alzheimer's. That was heartbreaking..So, my garden has gone by the wayside and I have plenty of weeds competing alongside my plants. I did manage to snap a few pictures here and there before the weeds took over. We have been having a heat wave the last few weeks, a few storms, a few cold nights down in the mid thirties.. The tomatoes in the garden are competing with the weeds, but, doing well despite that. I had a few ripe tomatoes after the fourth of July, a small Brandywine was my first tomato of the season. It was delicious despite its small size @ 4 oz.. The birds are pecking at my tomatoes just as they are starting to blush.. I had the same problem last year and ended up picking them just as they turned. The tomatoes in the GH are behind because the blossoms would not set due to the high temperatures. They are finally setting a few tomatoes but they have some catching up to do. The Bloomsdale Spinach grew very well very during the early part of spring and summer, and, has since gone to seed..

July 18, 2016	#348
nancyruhl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan Posts: 1,051	Glad to hear from you. I was wondering how thing were up there. So sorry to hear about your mom. I have been through the same scenario, and know how difficult it is for you.

July 18, 2016	#350
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	Last spring I planted two Rouge D' Alger Cardoon plants that I started from seed. While the plants grew tall and wide, and, had beautiful spiny stalks, they did not produce any buds or flowers. I cut the plants down a bit and covered with straw in hopes they would overwinter. Well, imagine my surprise when one started to emerge with new leaves and growth from underneath the straw this spring. I was thrilled.. It thrived, and grew, and developed big buds. Many buds...

July 18, 2016	#351
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291

July 18, 2016	#352
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	Who say's you have to live in the Heart of Dixie to grow cotton??.. Arkansas Green Lint Cotton, growing in containers...

July 18, 2016	#353
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291

July 18, 2016	#354
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	It is turning out to be a great season for the Italian Plums.. The tree is seven years old, and, this is the first year it is producing and holding onto the plums.

July 18, 2016	#355
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	Girl Girl's Weird Thing, Tomato.. How beautiful is this tomato? My first year growing it.. Unfortunately, the birds pecked on at least two of the first maters..

July 19, 2016	#359
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	Thank you both!! Yes, I guess on first glance one would mistake the plum tree for an avocado! LOL.. Hey, maybe that will be my next growing adventure here.. After all, I am growing bananas, figs and citrus!! Why not avocados?? Ginny

July 19, 2016	#360
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	First June picking of kale, chard, lettuce and spinach. They are growing well despite the soaring temperature, but, the romaine lettuce is going to seed. I will be starting more from seed today for the fall garden.