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  • 2ManyGuns

    Revolver's, get one, shoot the snot out of it!
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    Speaking of Kung-Flu, you should of seen the looks I was getting at the Katy, Tx Buc-ee's I was getting today. How dare I not obey Her Majesty's dictate and not wear a mask!

    Does she bake that in the oven so the Dutch oven heats evenly? or over a wood fire with coals on the lid? Inquiring minds want to know!
    Hurley's Gold
     

    MTA

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    Speaking of Kung-Flu, you should of seen the looks I was getting at the Katy, Tx Buc-ee's I was getting today. How dare I not obey Her Majesty's dictate and not wear a mask!

    Does she bake that in the oven so the Dutch oven heats evenly? or over a wood fire with coals on the lid? Inquiring minds want to know!

    Baked in the house oven
     

    2ManyGuns

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    Getting to the end of my cucumber season, today did 3 half gallons of refrigerator pickles and 4 pints of pickled jalapeno/serrano mix. In the pickles I added 3 large serrano peppers plus peppercorns. Might be a tad spicy.
     

    2ManyGuns

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    Update, getting ready for the fall garden. Thursday I had 6 yards of mushroom mulch delivered. Starting on Friday, began cleaning out some of the old beds, preparing new beds, and even transplanted some asparagus plants I started earlier in the year. I will be planting more asparagus seed, I still have about half a packet left. I side dressed some of the tomatoes, I planted the indeterminate types this year and they are still producing and have reached over 10 feet in length/height. There is still one bed of tomatoes that need side dressing. Going to start setting up some trellises for planting sweet peas, I love fresh peas! I still need to get the cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, spinach, turnips, cauliflower and broccoli started. I almost have the bed for a fall potato planting finished also. I have just been slowed down by the intermittent rain. Does anyone have any suggestions for fall/winter garden crops? What are you doing for a fall/winter garden?
     

    2ManyGuns

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    Today, planted, sweet peas, lettuce, kohlrabi, cauliflower, cabbage and a new batch of bush beans. Dressed some more beds. After this evenings thunder storms and high winds I had to go out and pick pears that were knocked out of the tree, I'd guess about 30 pounds or so. I need more jars to make canned pears, pear butter and pear jam, I might even try pear honey. Probably about the same amount left hanging on the tree. I was not planning on picking them yet, pears ripen when you pick them, now I am on a deadline!
     

    BuzzinSATX

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    .....Does anyone have any suggestions for fall/winter garden crops? What are you doing for a fall/winter garden?

    Brother, you are making me so envious! My garden has been hammered by the heat! I have water, but need to figure out some shade. Peppers are doing okay, though.

    My winter garden in the SE Hill Country is greens and root vegetables. Collards, kale, carrots, radishes, etc. Also garlic and onions when it cools. I’m planting squash & cucumbers now.

    But I’m a novice, so I’m definitely open to your advice!
     

    2ManyGuns

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    I only have a small area that is shaded part of the day. Are you mulching at all to help retain moisture? Temps here are pretty hot, I was showing 95 in the shade at 3:30 today.
    Are you planting in the ground or in raised beds, or containers? If in containers, you will need to water more often, I have peppers in 2 gallon containers, I water them almost every evening. Sometimes they do not need water, so I may skip a day.
    I need to get collard or mustard green seed, I forgot to order them when I placed my last order. As far as shade get the stuff they use on high tunnels.
    https://www.amazon.com/share-Black-...8046&sprefix=shade+high+tunnel,aps,400&sr=8-2 .

    Please keep in mind, I planted the seed for transplanting later, I have some temporary bed space available. I have been letting my tomatoes go, I need to prune them, but I have been ignoring them other than daily watering and an occasional feeding.

    As you can see from the following photos, I do not have much growing now. Most of what I am doing now is preparation, I also have a somewhat small area to work with. You can see what remains of the mushroom compost I have yet to use. In photo 3 you see the 3 fig trees I have yet to transplant, these have come a long way from the 2 inch little starts they were in January. I still have more to do, it is an evolving project.

    IMG_0302.jpg IMG_0303.jpg IMG_0304.jpg IMG_0305.jpg
     

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    2ManyGuns

    Revolver's, get one, shoot the snot out of it!
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    I still have caps to install on some of those beds, time time time! never enough! And I need to build at least 3 more beds a 2' X 8' X 18" and 2 4' X 8' X 18" (possibly 3 of the last).

    Buzz is your property flat or on a hillside? If on a hillside have you considered terracing and then backfilling to retain more rain water. Could be done on the cheap, some treated 4 X 4 and re-bar, some good topsoil and then compost it. I would do at least 12 inches deep, 18 would be better.
     

    2ManyGuns

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    Well, today was the last for the spring/summer growing season. I canned the last of the pears (6 pints), pear jam (7 pints), and jalapenos (7 pints and 1 quart). The jalapenos I did for being used for nachos, and damn these were spicy! 1 fresh ring brought tears to my eyes, and cleared my sinuses!!

    The pear jam, damn, I had to sample it, it is like spreading fresh baked apple pie on a slice of bread. I added a little cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg and allspice, and half the called for sugar (7 1/2 cups instead of 15 cups). I had a double amount of fruit called for in the recipe.

    I will be eating good come winter!!
     

    2ManyGuns

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    Ok, back into the garden, some of the seeds planted on 8/20 never did germinate, some did very well, some poorly. I have had to reseed the cabbage, lettuce, kohlrabi and spinach. In addition to these I have planted kale, turnips (having some fresh young turnip greens tonight with cornbread), collard greens, arugula and swiss chard. The corn is about ready to harvest, for being an experimental crop it will be okay, nothing spectacular. The third planting of bush beans are blooming, the second planting was decimated by some insects and the fourth planting should start blooming by months end as well as the second planting of purple hull peas (cow peas). The jalapeno, serrano and bell peppers are still producing and potatoes are peeking thru. All of the tomatoes are history, the cucumbers are growing up their trellis nicely, and putting on blooms.

    I have never planted kale or arugula, these are simply seeded into some 2.5 gallon nursery pots with a soil mix of roughly 25% native soil and 75% mushroom compost. Into this while mixing it in a 1/3 yard wheel barrow, I added 1 cup azomite and 1 cup 13-13-13. This is just a mix I am trying to see how it will work throughout the growing season, nothing really scientific behind it. I would like to see if this will give me decent yields on the greens.

    When the cauliflower plants were about 4" tall I began to transplant them to other beds, I have had 39 survive out of 42 transplants. Between these I have interplanted turnips, I never tried transplanting turnips before, but you can. So why did I do this? Well the turnips with the cauliflower are to make actual turnips, the bed where I seeded the turnips is primarily for the greens, but will yield some turnips as I thin them out for greens. The greens are nice in a salad or cooked with ham or bacon. If the fresh turnips are sweet, I prefer them raw, other wise cooked.

    I am now waiting for my brussel sprouts starts to arrive.

    the SAGA continues!
     

    2ManyGuns

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    Update, collards, kale, broccoli, lettuce and cabbage have sprouted. I think I have solved my corn issue, I think I have not been using a "fertilizer" that is high enough in nitrogen. In the spring I will add blood meal to the soil to increase nitrogen content, from my observations, my soil mix does not contain enough nitrogen. I will also be supplementing with cottonseed meal, especially on the potatoes, I remember my grand dad putting it in the potato holes when he planted.
     

    2ManyGuns

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    9/25 and 26/20

    Yesterday the 25th, I had that sinking feeling!! I went outside to spray the fence line, my neighbor has a lawn that is about 2 feet tall, he never mows. So I was putting a little round-up along the fence line, his lawn is growing thru the fence and into my garden area, I bogged down about 18 inches!! What a mess, I left a shoe buried and barely escaped!!!

    Today 9/26, was out and about by 8 a.m., transplanting lettuce. I forget what variety it is, I just remember it is an heirloom and I save seeds each year for the next year. As it grows, I harvest some leaves, the others I let mature into a "head", and at least leave 3 to bolt for seed collection.
    In addition to the transplanting, I have just tried a "Sweet and Heat" canning of serrano (3 Pints) and jalapenos (2 pints and 2 quarts). I mixed in some fresh radish, bell pepper and store bought yellow onions and carrots, my carrots are not ready yet.

    1 cup white vinegar (100 grain), 2 cups apple cider, 3 cups water, 1 cup canning salt, 6 cups sugar. Bring to boil while dissolving salt and sugar into mixture. I used this heavy salt mixture since I was adding the radish, I have never "pickled" radish so I used a full cup, probably could have used 1/2 cup, but this is experimental. With 1/2 the salt, could have used 1/2 the sugar. Added everything to the jars, poured in the brine, cleaned rims, sealed jars and water bath for 10 minutes.

    Afternoon update put up for long term storage 25 lbs of flour and 30 lbs of sugar. I do this very simply, clean and sterilize half gallon jars, put in the product and then insert food oxygen eater, clean jar rim and seal jar. Within five minutes or so the jar already has a vacuum, IMO, no need for any special treatment. I have kept flour and sugar 2 years with no issue, but I do rotate constantly.
     
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    2ManyGuns

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    10/3 and 10/4/20

    10/3

    Last planting of cowpeas are starting to put on, picking fresh green beans again. Eggplants have survived the hot summer, blooming and putting on fruits!

    Started building a two bin compost bin, I have limited space and it is made from reclaimed lumber and is 6'6" W X 3'0" D X 3'0" H. At this time I have not finished it, still need to build the second gate for the second bin. I did start filling the first bin with left over garden and lawn debris, corn stalks, tomato plants, cow pea plants, some fresh clippings from shrubs and layering with mushroom compost and the non-composted remains from the old compost heap. I do not have access to "fresh" manure, so I am just substituting the mushroom compost since it has chicken droppings mixed in it. I also use food waste such as coffee grounds and egg shells.

    10/4

    Slept in a bit, went and prepared a couple of beds, next week should be able to start transplanting cabbage. I did transplant kohlrabi, kale and broccoli this morning. The broccoli was planted in 2.5 gallon nursery containers, 1 plant to each. I picked out plants of suitable size, and left the remainder to grow a bit before transplanting those. I have 15 more nursery pots waiting for broccoli. Also dressed the cucumbers with mushroom compost, these are starting to put on some cucumbers, won't be long and will be having a lot of fresh produce again.

    Update on 9/26 lettuce transplanting

    Almost all survived, I have had to replant about a 20 or so, but I seeded a LOT!!! From the young plants that I will not be transplanting, I harvest the young, immature leaves for salads and putting on sandwiches! This is very tasty!
     

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    2ManyGuns

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    444 This is the experimental interplanting of cauliflower and turnips and a partial view of the side of the compost bin

    445 Potted bush beans, dense planting, 7 plants per pot

    446 Some transplanted lettuce and the remainder of my seedling lettuce that I am picking young leaves from, (second bed) another kind of carrot, center more broccoli seedlings and cabbage seedlings, third bed you can see the eggplants

    447 2 different carrot varieties, testing to see which will make a better carrot here

    448 cauliflower to the left in front bed, turnip greens for picking to the right, rear bed turnips for turnips, some already quarter sized

    449 serrano peppers, asparagus ferns

    450 some transplanted lettuce, between the two beds 87 plants to make heads of lettuce

    451 (first bed) swiss chard, transplanted kale (middle), far right last of the radish
    (second bed, rear) chives and more cauliflower, jalapenos in buckets, bucket shelf with more kale, arugula and transplanted broccoli in the top row, still to short to be seen. Far right, bed of cow peas.
     
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    2ManyGuns

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    10/11/20

    Today I slept in, did not get my lazy butt out of the bed until 7:48 am. Had some pancakes and bacon with 35 oz. of coffee. Started the day late after spending some time on TGT reading. I pulled the last of the radish, need the room for more kale, transplanted 15 more. Checked on the turnips, a few between tennis and hardball size, just about ready to pick, picked (to thin out) some baby carrots, very sweet, much better than store bought. Also, was curious about the edibility of carrot tops, did a duck-duck go search, they are edible and nutrient rich, so I kept those. I tasted some and tasted very much like celery! Tomorrow I will cook some up and give them a go. I might even try drying some to use as "seasoning" for soup/stews. https://www.organicfacts.net/carrot-greens.html

    Picked about 2 quarts mixed serrano and jalapenos.

    On 10/07 transplanted more broccoli, 2 did not survive, 51 in total have made it so far. Transplanted some cabbage also, 25 plants, all are surviving, still have more to transplant, need more room. These are the Brunswick variety, supposed to make 6 to 9 lb. heads!! I will be giving to some friends, lettuce, cabbage and kale to transplant, I have to many!
     

    Coop45

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    Oh, by the way, the beds are comprised of 98% reclaimed material from pallets! The only lumber I have purchased has been some 1X6 for the caps on some of the beds. The shed skeleton in the far rear near the old tin structure is also the start of a reclaimed lumber project, I started this on Saturday, 3/28. It is going to be a garden tool storage area, storage for reclaimed wood ( some pretty nice pieces of mahogany on the pallets) for future projects, and my small wood store for BBQ. The company I work for gets some really nice pallets, with a little creativity I can rescue some pretty good oak as well as the mahogany!
    I am praying for your saw blade! Those pallet boards are hard!
     

    2ManyGuns

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    I use freud saw blades on the miter saw and some Oldham Industrial Carbide blades on my circular saws. Both hold up very well, with the Oldham, I have occasionally hit a nail that I missed pulling and it just normally goes right on thru without any real noticeable dulling of the blade.
     
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