Show me your gardening Progress

The Brew Mentor said:
The roads are clear but we have about 4" on the grass.
Good thing I got my garlic planted early
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We planted our garlic before having the first freezes of the season, and now we’re back to more seasonable weather - yesterday it was 65F. The raised bed where the garlic is planted has a nice topping of straw, and yesterday I noticed that several of the garlic have sprouted and are already poking through the straw. It is so nice growing our own.
 
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That's one cherry tomatoes vine up top Sweet potatoes down bottom and some capsicum.

All I believe from the nightshade family
 
Harvested some kale, Bok Choi, leek, onions, Swiss Chard and parsley.
I have some radishes that are ready as well.
I made some garden soup that's really good and good for me on a cool rainy day!
 
NONE of my radishes, beets, or turnips came up for this fall's greens/roots. We had a very long dry spell right after I planted, so I figure they germinated and then dried out. The broccoli on the other hand is well above knee high with enormous leaves and starting to look like they may flower any day now. Hoping for some nice big clusters since we grew them in cooler weather. Got a few English peas that finally decided to take off. We'll get a couple meals out of those, IF the missus quits eating them while she's picking them. She prefers them raw, as does the granddaughter. They hardly get ready to pick and someone's out there munching on them.

One thing I've noticed about growing our own veggies is that they keep a lot longer in the crisper in the fridge. ANY produce we get in grocery stores seems to rot within a couple days of purchase, but home-grown stuff hangs around for weeks. Last year, we grew a couple dozen heads of lettuce, and immediately noticed that it kept a lot longer than what we got at the store, to the point we had to give some of it away because we didn't have enough demand for it because it all ripened at once, and we didn't have enough chilled storage to keep it. Lettuce isn't very cannable or freezable either. Based on this, I have to say the problem probably isn't my fridge. It's gotta be something about the way store-bought stuff is grown or processed that causes the rot. Planned obsolescence? Gone are the days of shopping for a couple weeks in advance. Too much of it rots before we can use it. We RARELY eat out and cook most nights, so it isn't because we're leaving it in the fridge too long. Going to the grocery store to buy for each meal is a PITA.
 
RoadRoach said:
NONE of my radishes, beets, or turnips came up for this fall's greens/roots. We had a very long dry spell right after I planted, so I figure they germinated and then dried out. The broccoli on the other hand is well above knee high with enormous leaves and starting to look like they may flower any day now. Hoping for some nice big clusters since we grew them in cooler weather. Got a few English peas that finally decided to take off. We'll get a couple meals out of those, IF the missus quits eating them while she's picking them. She prefers them raw, as does the granddaughter. They hardly get ready to pick and someone's out there munching on them.

One thing I've noticed about growing our own veggies is that they keep a lot longer in the crisper in the fridge. ANY produce we get in grocery stores seems to rot within a couple days of purchase, but home-grown stuff hangs around for weeks. Last year, we grew a couple dozen heads of lettuce, and immediately noticed that it kept a lot longer than what we got at the store, to the point we had to give some of it away because we didn't have enough demand for it because it all ripened at once, and we didn't have enough chilled storage to keep it. Lettuce isn't very cannable or freezable either. Based on this, I have to say the problem probably isn't my fridge. It's gotta be something about the way store-bought stuff is grown or processed that causes the rot. Planned obsolescence? Gone are the days of shopping for a couple weeks in advance. Too much of it rots before we can use it. We RARELY eat out and cook most nights, so it isn't because we're leaving it in the fridge too long. Going to the grocery store to buy for each meal is a PITA.
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Well, you must add in the time between harvest and purchase there. If you do, then it takes a while for store-bought veggies to go bad.

If your produce gets moldy, the humidity is too high.
 
Donoroto said:
Well, you must add in the time between harvest and purchase there. If you do, then it takes a while for store-bought veggies to go bad.

If your produce gets moldy, the humidity is too high.
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Yeah, I guess I am forgetting that NOTHING moves fast anymore.

Not moldy, ROTTED. I'd agree with you if storebought and home-grown veggies perished the same way. Most times, the home-grown stuff gets too dried out if we don't use it in time, not rotted like the storebought stuff which most of the time rots from the inside out. I thought the fridge was too cold and it was freezing at first. A thermometer proved me wrong. I can't imagine how much the grocery stores are having to throw out if shipping time is what's causing it.

The difference in appearance after cooking is also mind boggling. Broccoli from the store usually has a more olive-drab color when steamed and at best has a mediocre taste. Ours turns a VERY vivid green and the flavor is absolutely awesome. I'm still gonna lean toward growing and storage methods having significantly more to do with the viability and quality.
 
Mostly because they pick it before it is ripe, and ket it ripen in transit. That broccoli st the Kroger probably came from California.
 
My garden was under water this weekend while I pondered switching up tomato varieties and playing with some 1/2 barrel planters
 
RoadRoach said:
Gonna have to figure out how to use those in your brewing. :D
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Wow haven't thought of that Dangerous.

Mrs sent some to work today and me the same they will be overripe by the weekend.

Thinking of dehydrating some if this rain clears.
 
Trialben said:
1st Bannana Bunch View attachment 28241
Lady fingers soo sweet and their all ripening at once ahhh!
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Lots of rice crispies with bananas. Or porridge. And banana bread. Slice them up and freeze them. Smoothies. Banana muffins. In pancakes for the littlie. Banana, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Banana pudding. Need more?
 
Donoroto said:
Lots of rice crispies with bananas. Or porridge. And banana bread. Slice them up and freeze them. Smoothies. Banana muffins. In pancakes for the littlie. Banana, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Banana pudding. Need more?
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Or give them away which is what I've been doing ;).

Gunna make some bannana bread this arvo and throw some in the Dehydrator. And take em on holidays tomorrow to give to vegetarian mother in law I bet she'll love em
 
Trialben said:
Or give them away which is what I've been doing ;).

Gunna make some bannana bread this arvo and throw some in the Dehydrator. And take em on holidays tomorrow to give to vegetarian mother in law I bet she'll love em
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Dried banana chips are great. Love 'em in a trail mix for the instant potassium to prevent cramping.
 
Zambezi Special said:
Banana wine is really really terrible, although it makes a good paint stripper.
Half banana, half sour cherries makes an awesome wine though
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Man I've had but one bottle of bannana Wine and I loved it :p.

Bit of a story behind it.
I did a Termite inspection for this lady who made it and had kept a heap of bottles for years anyhow she caught wind I was a homebrewer and that's how I saw her wine collection.

following year i went back to do a check and she had passed away and her husband said she would of wanted you to have a bottle.
I obliged and drank the bottle in her honour.

I personally thought it was delicious!
But it was hombrewed bannana wine so that's why it tasted good I rekon;);)
 
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A sweet banana wine sounds delicious, but I don’t think I want any part of a dry one.
 
Trialben said:
Man I've had but one bottle of bannana Wine and I loved it :p.

Bit of a story behind it.
I did a Termite inspection for this lady who made it and had kept a heap of bottles for years anyhow she caught wind I was a homebrewer and that's how I saw her wine collection.

following year i went back to do a check and she had passed away and her husband said she would of wanted you to have a bottle.
I obliged and drank the bottle in her honour.

I personally thought it was delicious!
But it was hombrewed bannana wine so that's why it tasted good I rekon;);)
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Looks like another beer challenge for you this weekend!
 
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