The Sprout 2018

[DoctorShavegood]

I have two more on the vine, one has gnaw marks on the rind

Get one of these. I have one (different brand) and they work well...except on a very windy day.

 

[shavefan]

Get one of these. I have one (different brand) and they work well...except on a very windy day.

Good idea, but the area my garden is in is very cramped, no open space, and the squirrels just come down the fence that the melon vine is growing on.

Thanks for the idea, a good one for a lot of gardens.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Good idea, but the area my garden is in is very cramped, no open space, and the squirrels just come down the fence that the melon vine is growing on.

Thanks for the idea, a good one for a lot of gardens.

The other idea is too give the squirrels something to eat other than melons. Set out a tray of sunflower seeds. They'll go for that first. I had trouble with feral cats taking a poop in my raised beds, so I made them a poop box on the opposite side of the yard. For the most part they ignore the beds...mostly. That combined with the sprinkler eliminates the eliminations.

 

[davent]

Never done this before but this year have been keeping count of the tomatoes produced by each variety of tomato plant. Did a tally this morning, doesn't include any animal eaten or by other grazers in the garden. Shocked to see 449 harvested so far. Have 31 plants some that haven't yet ripened any fruit, first frost usually November so lots more to look forward to.
dave

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Never done this before but this year have been keeping count of the tomatoes produced by each variety of tomato plant. Did a tally this morning, doesn't include any animal eaten or by other grazers in the garden. Shocked to see 449 harvested so far. Have 31 plants some that haven't yet ripened any fruit, first frost usually November so lots more to look forward to.
dave

That's a great harvest. We had a bounty too and gave away most to my wife's friends at work.

 

[davent]

Outside those we've canned and those on the counter, three of us here have been eating well but the count includes over 300 from six cherry plants.

Haven't heard anything from the people i started plants for to know how that end of things has worked out. Weather's been hot and very dry so supplemental water's been vital.

dave

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Outside those we've canned and those on the counter, three of us here have been eating well but the count includes over 300 from six cherry plants.

Haven't heard anything from the people i started plants for to know how that end of things has worked out. Weather's been hot and very dry so supplemental water's been vital.

dave

I bought a trash can for rain collection...it goes fast though. I'm planning to add to that later this year if funds are there. Do have a rain collection system?

 

[davent]

I have a recycled, i believe olive barrel hooked up a to down spout to collect from maybe a quarter of the roof area. Fills quickly and would be great to have second but space just isn't there, need to figure something out. The other side of the house the roof runoff travels out to a perennial bed. This year's been sunshine just about all the time, way below average on rain.

dave

 

[DoctorShavegood]

I have a recycled, i believe olive barrel hooked up a to down spout to collect from maybe a quarter of the roof area. Fills quickly and would be great to have second but space just isn't there, need to figure something out. The other side of the house the roof runoff travels out to a perennial bed. This year's been sunshine just about all the time, way below average on rain.

dave

I found a place on craigslist that has food grade plastic barrels, you know the big blue ones. They seem to be asking too much for them. I'd like to get 4 of them and paint them a more garden friendly color like dark brown or dark green.

 

[davent]

Those are real nice, squared up sides, screw top and big. Four of those would be a good sized reservoir, keep you in water for a good spell. Mine's a round black one, i'm thinking 55 gal, does have a two piece screw top which made it easy to adapt to my purposes. My sister's set up is using two barrels and i think the whole roof's collected so doesn't take much rain to top hers up.

dave

 

[DoctorShavegood]

I'd also like to get one of these for composting leaves. I get a lot of leaves dropping in January and February and it sure would speed up the composting process with shredded leaves.

 

[davent]

I don't have that one but i have one similar purchased from Home Depot in 2011. Uses fat nylon line as cutters/shredders.

This one, still available, Canadian dollars! Pretty sure was under $200 delivered back then.

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.leaf-eater-electric-shredder-and-mulcher.1000700336.html

dave

 

[shavefan]

Wow, you guys are fancy!

Lol, I use this on our tiny property...

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.rake--vac-215-mph-3-in-1-leaf-blower.1000184691.html

In addition, I usually steal bags of leaves off the curb for my compost. Our property doesn't produce enough on its own

 

[davent]

Wore out two plastic impellers in my Toro Leaf blower, if i recall correctly a new impeller was not a lot cheaper then a new vac/blower, think printer/inkcartridge.

After that bought the shredder as my wife had a friend with a heavily treed yard and he'd bag up all his leaves (and only leaves) and bring them 'round, a few dozen bags for me to process and use here. He remarried and moved to an under treed house and we lost our great source of leaves. Mulcher does make short work of the few bags of leaves we now generate here.
dave

 

[shavefan]

Wore out two plastic impellers in my Toro Leaf blower, if i recall correctly a new impeller was not a lot cheaper then a new vac/blower, think printer/inkcartridge.

After that bought the shredder as my wife had a friend with a heavily treed yard and he'd bag up all his leaves (and only leaves) and bring them 'round, a few dozen bags for me to process and use here. He remarried and moved to an under treed house and we lost our great source of leaves. Mulcher does make short work of the few bags of leaves we now generate here.
dave

Funny you mention the impeller, I wore one out too and replaced it with a metal one Toro upgraded to. That was 3-4 years ago. I'm going on 6 or 7 years (cant remember exactly) on my little blower vac. It was cheaper when I bought it, I wanna say $44.

Those leaf processors you and Aaron linked to look the business. If I had a larger treed property I'd definitely want one.

I hear ya on the "only leaves" part. I know which neighbors to swipe from...

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Wore out two plastic impellers in my Toro Leaf blower, if i recall correctly a new impeller was not a lot cheaper then a new vac/blower, think printer/inkcartridge.

After that bought the shredder as my wife had a friend with a heavily treed yard and he'd bag up all his leaves (and only leaves) and bring them 'round, a few dozen bags for me to process and use here. He remarried and moved to an under treed house and we lost our great source of leaves. Mulcher does make short work of the few bags of leaves we now generate here.
dave

I have one of those. I love it. Haven't had to replace the impeller though.

 

[shavefan]

Never done this before but this year have been keeping count of the tomatoes produced by each variety of tomato plant. Did a tally this morning, doesn't include any animal eaten or by other grazers in the garden. Shocked to see 449 harvested so far. Have 31 plants some that haven't yet ripened any fruit, first frost usually November so lots more to look forward to.
dave

Very impressive Dave. I think I had a dozen (maybe) of the full size and several dozen of the sweet 100 tomatoes. Not great, but something.

I did harvest the ghost pepper bush today...

Thats it. One pepper so far. Big plant, looks very healthy, lots of flowers, but only the one pepper. Perhaps it's just getting ready to impress me in the fall... Time will tell.

 

[cleanshaved]

Very impressive Dave. I think I had a dozen (maybe) of the full size and several dozen of the sweet 100 tomatoes. Not great, but something.

I did harvest the ghost pepper bush today...

View attachment 905435

Thats it. One pepper so far. Big plant, looks very healthy, lots of flowers, but only the one pepper. Perhaps it's just getting ready to impress me in the fall... Time will tell.

It starts with one, then boom.....peppers galore. I normal get my peppers at the end of summer and into autumn. You have flowers, so there is still hope.

What's your plans with the ghost pepper? Hot sauce?
I almost got some Bhut jolokia but got 7 pod seeds instead.

 

[shavefan]

It starts with one, then boom.....peppers galore. I normal get my peppers at the end of summer and into autumn. You have flowers, so there is still hope.

What's your plans with the ghost pepper? Hot sauce?
I almost got some Bhut jolokia but got 7 pod seeds instead.

That's what i'm thinking (hoping) - that it produces later in the year. Aside fro no fruit yet, it's an impressive plant.

Plan? Wait, what? I need a plan?

 

[cleanshaved]

That's what i'm thinking (hoping) - that it produces later in the year. Aside fro no fruit yet, it's an impressive plant.

Plan? Wait, what? I need a plan?

She'll be right, mate. Just wing it.

Spring is almost here, so thoughts are with getting the garden beds ready.
Picked up some of this stinky stuff today.