Ducks4you for 2022

[ducks4you]

I harvested about 20 sugar snap pea seeds from my lousy indoor starting/transplanting/bad stewardship effort, for Fall planting. Already Have a lot of purchased seeds, but the seed saving was fun.
The 2nd article has a calculator for starting for the Fall. You type in your zip code.
For ME, looks like Labor Day weekend.

 

[heirloomgal]

DH Told me that the water would go down, and it did. 5 ft. He said, the cistern is brick lined, and the water will fill in where the underground soil has dried out. Still, I will be watering with it.
What was surPRISING was how much water we took Out of the Other cistern, the one that hadn't been drained since, like 2002. It started about 7 ft down. When we were done it looks to be about 15 ft down, but I didn't measure.
I really thought (hoped) that we wouldn't even make a dent in it.
Guess I will be periodically checking both of them to see the water levels.
I am Seriously considering getting rain barrels!
I would have to put up gutters on the garage, but 2 on the house would help.

Rain barrels are fantastic! I have so many, and still plan to get more as we have an acquaintance who can get some from work for us for free. Rain water is oxygenated, which plants love, and rainwater I think has a small amount of dissolved nitrogen which is why gardens tend to 'jump' after a good rain. My favourite thing (aside from the fact rainwater is free and off grid!) is its WARM. Plants much prefer that.

 

[heirloomgal]

Peas are a problem in Illinois

Q: My peas did very poorly this year, and I only got a few edible pods. I am wondering if I can grow some this fall. If so, what kind

www.daily-journal.com

In really hot summers without much rain I've seen powdery mildew on my pea leaves; nothing to hurt the crop but still not good. This year I only have 1 pea variety of almost 20 that got powdery mildew leaves - the ONLY one I grew in full sun! Ever since I started growing peas in part shade I had healthy vines right til September. Might be something to try where you live, given your 90+ temps. Zucchini does well in part shade too. I think part shade is really underrated as a growing location, but I've had beans, tom's and peppers do well in it, especially in scorcher summers.

 

[ducks4you]

I think part shade is really underrated as a growing location, but I've had beans, tom's and peppers do well in it, especially in scorcher summers.

I think you're right. Let me take pictures of my cabbage today, growing well in partial/complete shade.

 

[ducks4you]

Looks like spinach needs to be planted Labor Day weekend, too.

Fall Spinach: Why It's the Most Amazing Vegetable to Grow

Fall spinach can provide 8 months of harvests from one planting. See proof with photos following the life of one spinach planting through fall and winter.

www.creativevegetablegardener.com

"Spinach can survive the winter in zone 5 with no protection. "
"To review – I plant in August and harvest from that planting from September-December. Once in awhile I’m able to harvest in February. And every year I harvest in March-May. That’s between 7-8 months of harvests from one fall spinach planting!"
"... it’s way more worth it to plant fall spinach. It lasts SO much longer than spring planted spinach."

 

[ducks4you]

VERY FRIGHTENING thing happened when I was looking for a Fall planting calendar. Got Trojan's on my laptop (possibly) OR a link to them.
Here IS a place to find your Fall planting guide by zipcode that IS safe:

2022 Planting Calendar: When to Start Vegetable Seeds | The Old Farmer's Almanac

Find the best dates for planting and transplanting vegetables, herbs, and fruit! Our free planting guide calculates the best dates for sowing seeds indoors and outdoors, and for transplanting seedlings into the garden—all customized to your location. Based on frost dates and planting zones.

www.almanac.com

I tried to save this as a Word file. Didn't paste right. I saved it, inSTEAD, as a Notepad. Then I subdivided it into 3 files:
Planting Dates for Fall, Plant in July
Planting Dates for Fall, Plant in August
Planting Dates for Fall, Plant in September
Here is what they suggest for Fall planted Spinach.

Spinach

Planting, growing, and harvesting spinach in the garden from The Old Farmer's Almanac.

www.almanac.com

"For a fall crop, cool the soil in August by moistening it and covering it with a bale of straw. One week later, the soil under the bale should be a few degrees cooler than the rest of the garden and ready to be sown with a 2-foot row of lettuce."

How to Freeze Spinach, Swiss Chard, Kale, and Beet Greens

Have more greens than you can eat? Freezing spinach and hardy cooking greens is so easy—and you can enjoy them all year long in soups, quiches, smoothies, and more!

www.almanac.com

How to grow spinach – indoors or outdoors for healthy leaves

Find out how to grow spinach in containers or in the garden to have a year round supply of these delicious and healthy leaves

www.homesandgardens.com

 

[ducks4you]

I like to research bc I sometimes forget how to do things!

Collecting seeds from your garden

There are many awesome reasons for collecting seeds from your garden; it's easy to do, will save money & preserve favorite varieties.

savvygardening.com

Melon Seed Harvesting And Storage: Tips For Collecting Seeds From Melons

Collecting seeds from garden fruits and vegetables can be thrifty, creative and fun for a gardener. Saving melon seeds from this year?s crop for next year?s garden requires planning. Read this article

www.gardeningknowhow.com

"As the melon seeds sit in water, they ferment. During this process, the good seeds sink to the bottom of the jar while the detritus floats to the top. To collect seeds from melons, pour off the water containing the pulp and bad seeds."

Read more at Gardening Know How: Melon Seed Harvesting And Storage: Tips For Collecting Seeds From Melons https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/melons/melon-seed-harvesting.htm

 

[ducks4you]

MY seed saving success was with tomato seeds last year. I literally gave them 3 months to dry out before I stored them, and I swear Every seed sprouted, at least 90%, which was an adequate sufficiency.

 

[ducks4you]

Japanese beetles in yards and gardens

Identify and manage Japanese beetles in your lawn or garden.

extension.umn.edu

 

[ducks4you]

So, This is what I saved the seeds from:

Muskmelon vs Cantaloupe: All the Differences!

Muskmelon vs Cantaloupe: Learn the difference between these two summer fruits and never get confused with their identity!

balconygardenweb.com