Hi, I just stumbled across this and I am very interested in finding prolific bean varieties that are suitable to the Helena, MT area. I actually live in Jefferson City, 15 miles south and higher in elevation. Last year my daughter grew some heirloom pole beans that were purple on the vine and...
Looks like I need to change up my seed. I just moved to the Helena area after gardening for 35 + years in western MT. Never had a problem like this before. Very weird. Thanks everyone!
Hey, I would love feedback on what I may be doing wrong with my potatoes. I cure them in the garage, covered with a tarp. I bag them asap. They turn green no matter what I do! These are a Yukon Gold type. They come out of the ground fine. I use a lot of mulch to make sure they don’t get sun on...
Thank you so much, the planting instructions that come with the seed are confusing to say the least. I’m already late, I think. I live in Montana on the continental divide. So, should I get going with my starts, or am I too late.
I have another question. My onions looked great at first. I...
I always let my chives go to flowers early and when they are done, I cut them down and let them grow for recipes. Here at 6000 feet, my asparagus comes on really late! It a tually just quit sending up new shoots! Since I only moved it here 2 seasons ago, I haven’t cut much, but hope to next...
Thanks for this thread everyone! I have been scared of pruning since moving to a much colder and higher elevation. I don’t know why, just am. I don’t have that many years left to get this right! Ha,ha.
I am not an experienced orchardiest. I purchased 2 trees online 2 years ago. They were quite expensive. Both died before their second season. This year, I went to Walmart and bought 2 honey crisp trees that were already in bloom. I didn’t expect to get apples but they actually set fruit that I...
Speaking of records, I began a garden journal just after I moved out to the Helena area. It has really helped me to keep track of what works and what doesn’t. I’m sure most of us here journal, but if you don’t, I highly recommend it!
Hey heirloomgal, for electroculture, I was wondering if one has to place an antenna near each plant or what? I use 4’x8’ beds. Just wondering what you do.
I feel your pain, digitS! Storage is the final piece in the puzzle called gardening! If we can’t store it to last the winter (and into the spring) all our efforts are in vain. Canning, fermenting and freezing are wonderful, but they don’t work for some fruits and veggies. I have yearned for a...
I just had to find out about this so I went to a site named iron cabin:
https://ironcabin.co/electroculture/
I was amazed. It seems like a simple method to try and I fully intend to check it out in the spring. Thanks for sharing your success!
I haven’t done green beans yet - sounds great!- but have done some other things. You can make pickles by lactof-ermentation, here’s a site that has good explanation of the process.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-lacto-fermentation-works-1327598
I have done pico-starter which is like a pickle...
I’ve been a mushroom gatherer for many years, and have a stack of books that I use to identify mushrooms. I once found a huge patch of delicious looking shrooms but they were unfamiliar to me. I used the books to get close to the type and was pretty sure they were edible. However, the #1RULE I...
It’s hard to believe it’s only the end of September and our garden is all wrapped up. We turn the dirt over, weed, and top off with composted goat manure. Then we cover each bed an say “nighty night”. While clearing the pea vines from their spot, I noticed all the little clumps of white nodes on...
Sounds like MY root cellar!😆 We’re expecting a cold snap soon, and I’m going to be trimming the tops off prematurely to speed up the curing process. I’d rather not, but I need to store the onions before it gets too cold. Also, Antelope season starts soon 🤓time is of the essence.
Hey all! Again with securing the harvpest. Growing and harvesting are the 1 and 2 of gardening. But if we can’t store our food (3) it’s a huge waste. I have had many crops end up less than satisfactory for storage in the past and have tried to learn from my mistakes. Timing seems critical. I...