Today's harvest

[pepperhead212]

A few more peppers ripening today. I knocked a couple of half ripe habaneros off by accident, but the others I pulled off on purpose with only a hint of ripeness.
Misc. peppers, harvested on 7-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I used that red Paper Lantern habanero a couple of days ago in that small amount of bean salad I made, and that told me that it wasn't that hot, compared to most habaneros I've grown, and also it didn't have that intense habanero flavor. It reminded me of the Scotch Bonnet I grew years ago, that had less habanero flavor, but also had some regular pepper flavor in with it. I tried it by itself today, and that one was the same - probably around 200k, with the mixed flavor. That's good, if using it in a Caribbean dish, or anything calling for the Scotch Bonnet.

I also got a few eggplants today. They are slowing some, due to the intense heat this month, but it's getting cooler now...hopefully for a while.
9 eggplants (2 already cooking) - 7-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[Bitser]

Picked Sienna peas and shelled them with a mug of strong coffee and a classical piano album on the headset.

 

[pepperhead212]

Earlier, I got a bunch of my tomatoes cleaned off the counters, and got another gallon of tomatoes packed, and in the freezer. I always pack the cherries in between the larger varieties, to take up as much space as possible. I also got my dehydrator emptied, and ready for the next loads. In between things, I got some bread dough made, and it's baking now, since I finally had a day without AC!
Second gallon of tomatoes to go into the freezer this season. 2 more will be enough. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I went to a friend's house today, to share that sambar I made last night, and some more of that pachadi I made - a double recipe. They made some roti, to have with it. When I got back, I went back to the garden...of course, since it was nice out! I cleaned a bunch of dead foliage off cukes and tomatoes - some had major problems, which I'll post about on the tomato thread. Still, I'm getting a lot of tomatoes, even from the ones I won't grow again! Here's what I harvested today:
Harvest for 7-31, plus a few more things not in the photo, that I took to a friend's house. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[pepperhead212]

I just harvested several of my favorite tasting tomatoes of the season Saturday - Golden Buddha. I harvested some very small ones a few weeks ago, but they were on a dying branch (more on that later), and never really got ripe, even though they were blushing. Last week I got some that I left on until totally ripe, and the flavor reminds me of the Amish gold slicer, and KBX - a delicious, balanced flavor, with enough of both acidity and sweetness, and a true tomato flavor. Unfortunately, one of the plants had about 3/4 of the foliage die off, top to bottom, while the one right next to it is relatively resistant to whatever killed that! I bagged some new growth on the good one, and the tomatoes forming in that I'll save seeds from, if it continues the resistance. It's a little late, but looks like it'll produce a lot, given its size. Fairly large fruits, largest a little over 14 oz, smallest (except those earliest) over 8 oz, so far.
Golden Buddha harvested on 7-31 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A while back I think I reported my dissatisfaction with that Honeycomb that I tried this year. I pulled all of the ripe fruits from it, hoping that the next batch would improve. The flavor did improve; much sweeter, though still not as good the others - reminds me of some others that were sweet, but not as much flavor. But the main problem was the splitting - over 75% were split, once they ripened, while I had no problems with all those other varieties. I wish it had worked out - the plant was huge, with an incredible number of tomatoes on it! When I pulled the plant out yesterday, I kept finding more of the vines, filling up a trashcan with it. Here's a handful from a single cluster, showing the splitting.
Honeycomb, showing the large percentage of splitting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[Bitser]

Seems like quite a few great-tasting heirloom tomatoes split like that. Which rules them out as commercial crops.

Did a second cutting of greenhouse basil: time for pesto!

 

[pepperhead212]

Bitser, Actually, that Honeycomb is a Burpee hybrid! I was surprised at all of the splitting, esp. since none of the others did this, and only a few here and there on larger ones, as well. Maybe they bred them with thinner skin?

More peppers and 4 more cukes today. Sampled that Death Spiral, but I'll make a post about that. I took the covers off my 3 pepper Earthboxes today - always the end of July that the pepper maggot flies disappear.
Some of the pepper harvest on 8-02 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[pepperhead212]

I'm starting to get a good number of beans, but I don't know how they will produce, with this heat coming again! Cukes are starting to fizzle out, though I have one later, and 2 even later, that will start producing eventually. The tomatoes are still producing fairly well, and the bottle gourds are starting up again. And the peppers love heat, so they aren't going to mind this heat! I never got to picking those today - I have to do that early, as that's when they are in the shade out front.
Misc. harvest for 08-05. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A good sized bottle gourd, plus some tomatoes. 8-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The first cukes are starting to fade away, but the beans are kicking in. 8-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[pepperhead212]

I got a few peppers today. The habaneros I took up to my local Mexican grocer - didn't put any Death Spirals in there, but I told him I'd bring him a few, later on.
Paper lantern, Gold Bullet, and Chocolate Habanero 8-9 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Thai, Hong Gochu Korean, and Hanoi Market peppers. 8-10 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[blissful]

Larry, how did the apple tree survive? I 've never seen raccoons bother an apple tree. I've seen fawns of white tail deer make mess of apple trees. Our apple tree which never produces is now producing this year, after 30 years. We're going to get a harvest. Pears too.
Canning season is going to be so very busy for me. Tomatoes pears and apples.

 

[larry_stewart]

Larry, how did the apple tree survive? I 've never seen raccoons bother an apple tree. I've seen fawns of white tail deer make mess of apple trees. Our apple tree which never produces is now producing this year, after 30 years. We're going to get a harvest. Pears too.
Canning season is going to be so very busy for me. Tomatoes pears and apples.

The tree itself is a well established tree ( probably at least 15 years old and standing close to 20 feet high) so physically the tree s fine ( unlike the peach tree, which still is fine, but only a few years old and a dwarf tree ( maybe 6 - 8 feet). We almost never get any apples from it, and the few we get look Terrible. I initially put it there more as a privacy thing so my nosy neighbor couldn't see over the fence for most the year, and never expected much fruit. This year wa an exception, as it was loaded with fruit. Id say the raccoons ate or knocked off 2/3 of the fruit. Still leaving a decent amount on the outer branches that couldn't support the raccoons. Still got a month or so to go, so we'll see of the rest of hem make it. That same night they got afish from the pond too. Usually they go after the chickens, but I have finally raccoon proofed the coop, so haven't had a raccoon/ chicken incident in a few years.

 

[blissful]

The tree itself is a well established tree ( probably at least 15 years old and standing close to 20 feet high) so physically the tree s fine ( unlike the peach tree, which still is fine, but only a few years old and a dwarf tree ( maybe 6 - 8 feet). We almost never get any apples from it, and the few we get look Terrible. I initially put it there more as a privacy thing so my nosy neighbor couldn't see over the fence for most the year, and never expected much fruit. This year wa an exception, as it was loaded with fruit. Id say the raccoons ate or knocked off 2/3 of the fruit. Still leaving a decent amount on the outer branches that couldn't support the raccoons. Still got a month or so to go, so we'll see of the rest of hem make it. That same night they got afish from the pond too. Usually they go after the chickens, but I have finally raccoon proofed the coop, so haven't had a raccoon/ chicken incident in a few years.

Wow, still. That's a lot of raccoon interference. We trapped 13 last year. We aren't trapping any this year. They aren't here so far.They usually go after the ripe corn, so the farmers around here get all the raccoon. We can't grow corn just because of the raccoon. We're not willing to take the losses. They know when it is ripe. They also find anything else that is ripe. Our trees, pear and apple are loaded so it's like a huge invitation to anything. Raccoons, deer, neighbors. We keep putting off our buying a trail camera, but at some point I think we may buy one. Just to know where the produce is going. We have problems we are keeping under control with rabbits and chipmunks this year.


We had an incident last week, it was awesome. mr bliss saw a 2 foot tall owl, near the bean seedlings. It had something in it's talons. It waddled like a penguin to turn, then fly off towards the tree area that was more swampy. I'm still envious he got to see that and I didn't. I told him, see that owl was 'on your side', and is against rabbits and chipmunks. We're always fighting with the animals eating our produce.

 

[larry_stewart]

Wow, still. That's a lot of raccoon interference. We trapped 13 last year. We aren't trapping any this year. They aren't here so far.They usually go after the ripe corn, so the farmers around here get all the raccoon. We can't grow corn just because of the raccoon. We're not willing to take the losses. They know when it is ripe. They also find anything else that is ripe. Our trees, pear and apple are loaded so it's like a huge invitation to anything. Raccoons, deer, neighbors. We keep putting off our buying a trail camera, but at some point I think we may buy one. Just to know where the produce is going. We have problems we are keeping under control with rabbits and chipmunks this year.

The neighbors are in on it too??
Thats one pest I haven had to deal with ( yet), but dont have too much land, and have a significant amount of security cameras so if they did, Id likely see i. he owl thing is definitely cool. I got a bunch of cats outside, so the smaller animals aren't an issue. Raccoons are just too big for them. But they come and go. They'll empty a tree, then not show up again for a month, even though I have a garden full of other stuff, or another tree right next to the one that they got to. Im completely surrounded by wooded property, so its a losing battle. ID rather them get the fruit than the veggies if I had to choose.

On a harvesting note, My cukes just keep on coming. Im actually going too do some canning today, as even the people ive been giving my excess cukes to dont want anymore. I really thought this year was a going too be a bust do to the very slow start, but its likely going to be my best year to the point where Ill have to cut back a bitt.

Tomatoes probably an average year. The plants are starting to look like they've had it. Still a lot of green ones on the vines, hoping they all ripen up.

Okra, very late start but I think will be ok.

Peppers, for me have kinda 2 rounds. The first one is about over, then usually in mid September it all kicks in again. I can see the flower buds on the tops of the plants accumulating already for the second round.

Eggplants, a dud. The mini eggplants did ok, but only got a few large ones, which had bugs in them. Last year was so great that I thought I finally figured it all out. Im guessing maybe he weaatther, as I did everything the same.

Actually have a watermelon, just not sure when to pick it. It is up on a trellis , hasn't gotten any bigger in weeks, vine looks relatively healthy.

Will harvest all strignbeans from my initial row today, and rip up to make room for fall peas.

Zucchinis also were a slow start, but have been steadily producing. I have aa few plants that must have been as. result of the compost, as I know I didnt plant them where they are.

 

[blissful]

Larry, we are approaching tomato canning season (hell) now. It's the glut. So many tomatoes, 40 pounds each time I can tomatoes.
We don't have a lot of land, we are acre lots and the neighbors don't have more land, they just don't do the work of it.


We've had springs where they (unknown origin) pick our asparagus and we deal with it. Or last year 6 ripe red peppers, gone in one night. We now pick everything letting them ripen in the house. We do this because ripening in the house makes the plants produce more but really also, the neighbors don't steal. And we don't know who exactly is stealing. We don't know. We've had blackberries harvested in the night. We're tired of it because bears or deer or bunnies can't do what is being done. (we don't have bears by the way)


I wasn't thinking my S neighbor was the thief but when my husband was out talking with him, he, the neighbor, mentioned that he thought it was weird that we harvested tomatoes before they got red. We harvest when they blush now. I don't really know but it was like we got in the way of him taking ripe veg/fruit. It shouldn't be a problem since we provided transplants at the beginning of summer for him for his own yard. We provide transplants for everyone. We also dump produce on them when we have extra. Still someone is doing this. If they are poor or sick we probably won't do anything about it. If they are just lazy and think stealing is fun, well then we'd probably deal with it with more force.


Larry, after I've pickled all the cucumbers into sweet pickles (we collect them in the fridge drawer about 5-9 lbs at a time, or a cooler this time of year with all the produce), then given lots away, then I start a batch of fermenting pickles. That will provide some enjoyment for at least a month, fresh fermented garlic dills. That is good stuff. I've even canned the fermented ones and been unimpressed but the fresh ones, those are amazing.


Zucchini, I dehydrate it. I have a perfect recipe for zucchini bread now and I can make it any time of year, dried or fresh. I can substitute carrots fresh and shredded in it and the bread is perfect. My husband wants some of it lately but the temperatures in the house are so hot I'm not baking right now. I'm so glad my husband supports all these gardening and cooking things. I couldn't do it all without all his help.

 

[dragnlaw]

Larry, (edit) and you too bliss! you might hear one rather loud swear word in the middle of the night! LOL

Have no idea of the layout of your property and trees, but have you looked into electric fences? It will hurt but not kill. If you touch one you make darn sure you try not to do it again.

Most are several wires but I used just a single Strand. They are powerful enough to go around 12 acres and squared off into paddocks. Cannot wrap it right onto the tree (or bush) itself as the live sap drains the energy too much, but with pins you can circle a tree, no access from the ground, fences are good but you have to know where they climb up to be able to block it.

May not be right for your yard, but it's worth a thought.

 

[pepperhead212]

I really didn't want to go out there again today, but I had to - can't go more than 2 days without picking beans, without overgrown ones. As I said before, those blauhilde purple ones are going crazy! Good thing about those, they're easy to spot!
About 2 quarts of beans, half Blauhilde, and half everything else! 8-11 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I picked 6 more cukes today, and I have to do something with all of those today! And 5 more medium sized eggplants, though that variety has no more flowers, probably due to this heat.

 

[blissful]

Dragon, good idea. We have an acre and we don't want to invest into a fence but if we did it would be wood. I don't mind the neighbors for the most part. We'd be helpful if a tornado or other catastrophe happened to them and the neighbors have been kind to us, except a couple of them that are just unfriendly. We have a few new neighbors and they've been super, and some are here almost as long as I've been here, 35 years.



I'm doing our first day of the official tomato canning season, of the red tomatoes, today, and I have a roaster full of tomato cooking down now. I started late so I'll be up late to finish. The requirements for the batch of thicker sauce are 40 lbs of tomatoes, and end up with 10 quarts canned. Then usually a day off, and when I have another 40 lbs then another batch. We aim for about 100 qts, so we hope to have 400 lbs tomatoes for sauce. Then we start 100 pints of salsa, hot and mild.

 

[Bitser]

Dug the main bed of red potatoes, La Soda from Gurney's. Pretty decent yield from 30 sq. ft.

Once the soil dries, I'll brush them off and cellar them. The reds usually last through March.

 

[pepperhead212]

Most of my tomatoes have slowed down, due to that heat we've been having, but my Sunsugars have been ripening with no problem, and the Chocolate Cherry also had a generous number ripening, on just the one plant.
A little over 2 cups of Sunsugar from 2 plants, after 3 days of heat. 8-13 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I'm surprised that the pole beans haven't dropped their blossoms, like they usually do when it gets this hot! I have been getting a generous number, from a relatively small number of plants. The blauhilde purple ones are going crazy, even in the heat.
Again, Blauhilde, and all other varieties, with less greens! 8-13 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[pepperhead212]

I was surprised to find these two out there today - I've been looking lately, but not closely, due to this horrible heat! And now I know, heat doesn't seem to bother these! They were lost in those vines. I found 4 smaller ones, which I put on top, so as not to let those get so large.
Bottle gourds, about 23 inches long, 68 and 72 ounces. 8-15 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The larger of the bottle gourds. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I harvested some more peppers, but not all of them. Those paper lantern habs are going crazy, and are a type of indeterminate pepper, with all different sizes of fruits, and a bunch ripening every time I harvest, and always flowering.
Misc. peppers harvested on 8-16 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And the blauhilde purple pole beans are still producing the most, though the green varieties have already started up again, now that the heat wave is over! They keep growing, just not flowering, in that extreme heat, so now the vines are huge!
A few okra, 3 Esmerelda tomatoes, and some green beans, but mostly blauhilde, again! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[pepperhead212]

Much less today, but got a few kohlrabi from that second raised bed I'm cleaning out - still 4 large ones left. I'll see how much time I have to work out there before the remnants of Fred show up.
Kohlrabi and a few beans, 8-16 by pepperhead212, on Flickr