Garden 2024

[blissful]

The lettuce garden is raised and I've seeded in all different kinds of lettuce over the past 5-6 weeks. There's a swedish style cover for it we made from plastic, it rolls down from the top to the bottom and it's on an angle to the front. South facing. We've been closing it at night to keep the deer out of it. It's about ready for the first lettuce to get picked.
We harvested just enough okra for a meal, and 2+ gallons of green beans. We made 4 servings of beans and gave the rest away.

 

[pepperhead212]

I still had some volunteer butternut in my bed, too, but I pulled it out today, as there was no sign of a blossom, so I figured it's too late. 3 volunteer tomatoes left, since they are blooming already, but pulled a couple smaller ones out. I'll see what happens with these.

 

[larry_stewart]

If a butternut squash starts to change color ( to its ripe pinkish color), will it continue to ripen if it's picked or the vine dies ?

 

[pepperhead212]

I have had them totally ripen after I had picked them when just starting - like a blushing tomato. When way too small, I just treat it like a winter melon, or something like that, and cook it until it gets tender.

 

[larry_stewart]

So we went to a local Fair today. It basically resembles the kind of fair they would have had in the 1800's. There are contests for best produce ( Along with other crafts, hobbies and home made things including baking). I never thought to enter, but after checking out all the Blue ribbon winners today, I think some of my produce would have had a good shot at winning. Next year Im hoping to enter some of my veggies. Would be nice to have bragging rights !! ( my wife won a blue ribbon years back for entering some of the things she crochet'd. They have many different craft, hobbies, cooking, produce , animals ....you can enter to win). ***The crochet pics were the ones my wife won years ago. The veggie blue ribbon pics are other peoples submissions, basically my competition for next year. Just wanted to see what Im up against***

 

[blissful]

@larry_stewart she's very talented! Cool!
Do they have a mushroom competition?

 

[pepperhead212]

Or a hot pepper competition? And how would they test them?

 

[dragnlaw]

So pepper, you offer your expertise and be the judge!

 

[blissful]

Or a hot pepper competition? And how would they test them?

Yes, how would they? I would recommend you for that. They could fly you out to NY, we could all meet there while you test out all the hot peppers as the Grand Pepper Taster. Why not!

 

[dragnlaw]

They could even give the contest its own name. "The Pepperhead212 Contest"
I can hear it now...
"and now, what we've all been waiting for, the most anticipated, prestigious Award of the Fair. The recipient of the Pepperhead212 Award for this year is blissful!
Come on folks, a big round of applause here! Accepting on her behalf is Mr bliss. It seems blissful ate too much of her own produce and is incapacitated 'under the weather' at the moment.

 

[larry_stewart]

@larry_stewart she's very talented! Cool!
Do they have a mushroom competition?

Thats a good question ! Didn't think of it ( dont know why I didn't) but I also didn't see any either on display. They do have a miscellaneous section for things not mentioned. Maybe I'll grow some next year indoors ( so I can get the timing right) to enter them. Outdoors is too unpredictable.