Ducks4you for 2022

[ducks4you]

RE; https://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/when-should-i-harvest-my-basil.24850/

I have been fortunate. I bought a large basil this Spring that lives in a big pot at DD's house, some 10 miles north, and it has been going to seed, so I can harvest those for next year. I also successfully planted a large patch, and this post is reminding me that today would be a good day to chop it down and use my dehydrator to save for winter cooking.
I still have some basil seeds stored and I will be making an effort to grow basil inside this winter, but the odds are not good, since I have killed several. They like too much sun and heat for me to replicate.
IF I am successful I Will brag about it here and ask for some kind of award.

 

[ducks4you]

Speaking of:

Experiments, observations, and lessons learned

Or take off holding food as heavy as themselves? They must take flying lessons from the bumblebees. :lol: I don't grow any crucifers because the cabbage loopers are active all summer, and the level of intervention required to combat them is more than I'm willing to take on. I would either need...

www.theeasygarden.com

I have tried ALL SEASON to clean up the fencing along the street. I have given up planting anything there this year, but, at some point soon, I will cut down all of the growth from weeds and sawgrass and still alive tree of paradise stumps and use GroundClear to clean it up. After it sits for a bit I plan to thoroughly cover it with cardboard and move in last year's used stall bedding to rot down.
I have rotations needed next year and I will NEED this >70 ft fenceline and beds for 2023.

 

[ducks4you]

Finally found a perfect use for my old and cheapo dehydrator...dehydrating herbs. Almost done with my basil 7 trays worth.

 

[Zeedman]

For drying basil, I cut off each plant & thoroughly wash them, then hang & dry the plants under a fan. Once dry, I gently crumble the leaves, which at that point separate easily from the stems. That spares me the time otherwise spent in separately cutting/pinching off all of the leaves (which can really add up if there are multiple plants).

Sometimes I just grow basil for the bees, in which case I allow it to flower freely. But if grown for the leaves, I cut off the flower stalks as they appear... especially in the last month before the expected frost. This encourages the plants to bush out, and produce a lot of new leaves just before harvest.

 

[ducks4you]

What works the best for You, is the most important thing!
I got a real kick out of saving seeds from the cinnamon basil that I planted at DD's house in 2021, and the seeds sprouted for me.
This year I planted a genovese basil in that pot, and it's gone to seed, so I get more seeds to save for 2023.

 

[heirloomgal]

Dunno...I thought it was a calendula, but it might go to seed and regro.

I had to special order my kenikir flower seeds from Richter's seeds, so I'm thinking you may have something special there, even if by happy accident. I actually bought them as potential food since apparently you can eat their greens when young. But I like the flowers very much. Mine grew to almost 6ft.

 

[ducks4you]

I will be Sure to look for seed pods! Thanks!

 

[ducks4you]

Basil is now saved, and I cut Greek Sage to dehydrate. I Really like the huge leaves on this sage. I have some common sage at DD's house. The quart jar of basil is for eldest DD for her cooking, and I will be dehydrating some for DH and me to have in tomato soup this winter. I have been bagging up and refridgerating, which for the bottom drawer is almost freezing, green beans. Just this morning I have started to get a harvest from the Kentucky Pole Beans that I planted late. I am considering letting the pods on my purple beans dry out and just wait to harvest the bean seeds from those, considering that I have been harvesting from a dozen plants for 6 weeks. I am definitely a bean fan!

 

[ducks4you]

Checked for cucumbers this morning. HOW did I miss THIS ONE?!?!? It was buried by leaves and right next to the chicken wire fence.
It will be bitter so I am going to let this one and the zucchini rot and ferment the seeds for 2023.

 

[baymule]

Didn't want to post this on @baymule 's thread, but I ordered a Lamb last month, to be butchered next Monday. The same lady has sold me chickens in the past. There was another person interested, but she gave me first dibs on the last ram bc I had done business with her before, in CASH.
I should be picking up about 35 pounds of meat next week. I am calling the locker tomorrow with my order.
Dunno how to order lamb meat...I know that I will be getting 2 legs, some roasts, a "crown roast" with the ribs, maybe two of those, and "Lambburger."
It will cost ~$7.50/pound, which is a good price for lamb meat. Last time I bought locally a leg of lamb it ran $90.00
for 5 pounds.
I am sure that DD will want to make a lamb stew, and, of course, there Will be more lamb broth in our future.

You could post that on my thread, it's a good topic of conversation. Lamb pot pie is yummy!