Gardening

[Ryan Johnson]

Royal Gala apples on the way

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Wow, they seem far along for your season.

 

[MajorClementine]

I love that even though I'm freezing under the snow here in the U.S. you are enjoying gardening weather in Australia. I wish I could grow fruit here. Our season is soooo short and our winters get so cold that few fruit trees can survive them. I'm looking at maybe getting a really big green house next year. Industrial size!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

We had a really cold winter this year, it was the first time as a horse owner of 30 years that my water troughs had frozen over. ( you guys prob deal with this on a daily basis ?) The fruit trees blossomed as soon as they felt the warmth and I thought it was a little earlier than usual myself.

Major Clementine, you should definitely install a green house, If I was near you Id send some frames around, I have heaps just gathering dust. You may have better success by planting some "dwarf " variety's of fruit trees if you get the green house. They can usually be planted into pots and most will give full size fruit.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

For those that grow Citrus trees, what do you feed them ? and how often ?

TIA

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Update on the Garden, Ryan?

I got my onion sets and will get them in later in the month.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

This years harvest ( so far)

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Top left - Almonds , Apples, Blood Plums, Corn, 4 weeks after planting, New years eve when i put the seedlings into the ground, White nectarines, yellow nectarines.

I have one apple tree that has been netted and also two pear trees. 1 x Nashi Pear, I x Peckham pear.

I nearly didn't plant anything as I was so late getting things into the ground this year.

With the zucchinis and cucumbers I am glad I waited. The last two years the plants suffered from the last of the frosts that we get here.

One thing I did try for the first time this year is "watermelons" . I may have been a little late but they are are growing , though yet to fruit.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Thanks for the pictures and updates. Looks like you won't starve!

 

[jeanniecogan]

that is so cool Ryan, u should be proud, i love gardening but unfortunately i was born with a brown thumb.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Thanks so much for your kind words. It has been a big learning experience and I enjoy being able to harvest from "garden to plate"

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We are totally replacing all the irrigation in our raised bed tires. After researching, we decided to go with emitters, instead of soaker hose. Each tire will be controlled so I can regulate better.

Time to get my onions in this week, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

After hearing how yours had constantly blocked , I decided not to use them any more. With the heat here, I like to be able to turn them on first thing in the morning. With the emmiters, It soaks the leaves of the plants as well as penetrates into the soil. When I had the soaker hose , I noticed everything was droopy by the time I got home from work.

I have harvested , Cucumbers , Pears, Nashi Pears, More zucchinis , Spring onions . Sweet corn will be the last to harvest for 2017/2018

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Aren't fruits and vegetables ART? Gorgeous produce. What variety of cucumber to you prefer? I like Orient Express.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I actually like the "bush" cucumbers this year. They were the slightly striped ones.

One thing I love about homegrown cucumbers is the skin is never bitter

How are you going in preparation with this years plant out Marsha ?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Got the onions in. My sister is starting sweet potato slips. We are still freezing at night here some. Strawberries looking good and asparagus should be showing soon. I sprinkled on epsom salt. Cilantro wintered over. I had a bad year last year, so I am resting this year. The only other vegetable I plan to do is yard long green beans. And probably oregano. Hopefully the apples and cherry will produce well.

He got the new drip in the tires, but it isn't hooked up because of freezing. Also, our rural water pressure is running nearly 120 psi. The rural water gave us a regulator, but he had to dig up the meter and install the regulator for the line to house, barn, and corral. The high pressure blew out our garden timer last fall and caused one of the outdoor faucets to spring a leak. He was worried about other damage, even to the Pex under the house.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Just about finished in the veggie garden dept here for the summer. I harvested some corn yesterday but I was a little slow and the "Aphids" had got to quite a few of them. My tomatoes did really well , until the hurricane winds we have been having took to them. Nothing like a homegrown Tomato, so much more tasty than ones brought in the grocery store. Picked about 30 apples off the last tree.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Well, we've had warm days then sudden cold snaps. Still in a drought. For some reason almost all the onions I put in didn't make it. This has never happened to me before. Maybe the sets were not good ones? I will need to get new ones to put in. Kale is doing well and the strawberries. We had a cold snap with 50+ mhp wind this week and it burnt quite a lot of the cherry blossoms. Some were not open yet so maybe they will produce. Another cold snap due this weekend.

I am toying with the idea of getting another beehive. We haven't done bees since we've been in Oklahoma. So many challenges to raising bees now, but I would like to get some pollinators going here.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Yikes. Temp dropped into the low 20's for nearly 12 hours. Lost the cherries. Asparagus all wilted over. New rose growth frozen. I did cover the peony and a couple of other things and they are all right. Strawberries held up fine and so did the kale. No moisture with the cold, which is bad for the wheat. After this week we should be safe. Hope to plant the replacement onions tomorrow.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Mother nature sure likes to have the final say. Hope the weather steadies for you soon Marsha.