Michigan

[Jared77]

Hey Das how long did your onions take to mature? I've got some about a week and a half apart that I've gotten started. The first batch are coming up nicely though I think they got a little deeper than they'd like so we'll see how that goes. The 2nd batch I planted more appropriately but that was tonight. Hoping to take advantage of the rain and warmer weather thats supposed to be coming through. I had a few that already started to sprout so I planted those first. I still have to get cukes, carrots (thank you Meijer for celebrating Earth Day and giving my daughter a packet of carrot seeds) and my pole beans in the ground. That's what I'm doing from seed. Tomatoes and peppers (both sweet and hot) I'm getting at the nursery this year. I was so busy this past season I never got time to start squat. We're growing a BUNCH more jalapenoes since I found this killer recipe for candied jalapenoes. They are seriously addictive and add a serious kick in the flavor dept to anything we add them to. So we'll have a bunch of those going in. That and Hungarian hots, and bannana peppers to make our enhanced mustard recipe too. Got that from Journey11 from this site. Another GREAT recipe that's very popular around here.

We'll be giving cans of both those and some braided onions this winter at Christmas time. Our families (the wife's and mine) seem to really appreciate it more because they know the work involved.

I did find my little gherkin sized cukes and I'm pumped to get them in. We made a bunch of pickles last year and I want to do something else in addition to what we already did so I want to make some little garlic gherkins and hot gherkins. So in addition to the traditional dill sized cukes we'll have little itty bitty pickling cukes too. First time with them so we'll see how that goes. If they are half as prolific as they say they are we'll be in good shape. I'm really excited for them.....can't ya tell?

I know this is a REALLY long shot but if anybody has a started ground cherry plant or plants that they want to part with please think of me. Ill gladly compensate you for it. I wanted to try it this year but since I didn't get anything started inside it just wasn't in the cards. Maybe next year Ill get one in. I'm anxious to try them. I keep reading they make a great chuntney and preserves so I want to give them a whirl. I figured I'd do a container or 2 of them so I can reign them if/when I need to.

Swampducks Im glad you made it back. I told my wife to cremate me and put me in an Old Coot decoy. And put me on the mantle so when anybody asks about me she can say "Oh the old coots right over there" Lot of people have their retrievers cremated and put into duck decoys so they can take them hunting again with them. So why not put me in one? Good conversation starter if nothing else.

Other than that I'm staying busy with work and am anxious to get things in the ground and growing. All these people in the south and Cali are making me bonkers with their tomatoes!!!!

Keep the faith

 

[Dascountry]

Jared77, I think I was pulling onions to dry the first of Sept last year. I guess you can say around 3 and 1/2 months for them to mature. I can't believe how mine are already sprouting out of the ground. Seems it was over night

Still waiting on the taters to show some growth above ground. My beets have come up and so have the carrots! Radishes, spinach, and lettuce are doing good. I won't be doing my beans till the end of the month. Hope I've saved enough room for all of them. We don't do peppers here. Stomachs can't take anything spicy at our age anymore. Pizza is even starting to bother both DH and myself now Love PIZZA

I haven't had luck with my cukes the last couple of years. Hopeing this year I'll be able to do some pickles up. That is if I can ever get them to start!

I had to look up ground cherry plant. Sounds pretty interesting. Husk and all

And I agree with you there Jared on those southern gardners.....tomatoes starting to blossom. Ours arn't even in the ground yet!

 

[Jared77]

Good to know thank you. First time with them so we'll see how that goes.

The cukes just not sprouting at all for you? Mine say after the last threat of frost I plan on starting them when I start the pole beans. Thats on the little gherkins package that I had handy I would imagine the other cukes are the same way. We had a light frost earlier in the week, I was scraping my windshield so if I got it I'm sure you hhad frost. I ALMOST planted a bunch of seeds 2 weeks ago too but I waited and I was glad I did. Ill just wait and do it right.

Those ground cherries are something I just want to try. Ive had folks in my Grandfather's generation rave about them but they've seem to have fallen out of favor. Yet when people grow them they rave about them so at some point Ill get some going. I like exposing my family and friends to different things like that. Last year I did Green Zebra and Lemon Boy tomatoes and they were a hit, especially the Lemon Boys. My family all thought I lost my mind growing yellow and green tomatoes (Hello.......McFly tomatoes are red! Now go make like a tree and get out of here!) but they tried them and they admitted they were really good and added a dimension of flavor to soup, sauce and salsa that they didn't have before. They also gave our pico de gio (spelling?) a real shot in the arm. This year its black tomatoes see what all the fuss is about and I'm keeping the Lemon Boys as a strain I have to have in the garden. The Green Zebras were good but they were a pain to harvest I had to constantly palpate each mater to see if they were ready to pick or not since it was tough to distinguish when they were ready.

One thing that helps me keep my sanity against those southern gardeners is I just remind myself they have to deal with crazy temps and lots of stuff designed to kill, and they are potent enough to kill us. Poisonous snakes, gators, spiders, things of that nature. Thanks but no thanks Ill stay right here in the Mitten state.

 

[Dascountry]

Since the growing season is so short up here I have to start all my plants indoors. Except the root crops and beans. So the frost wouldn't of hurt the seeds...but it did get cold enough in here to get the wood stove going on occasion.

I have planted some peach tomatoes this year to try but sorry to say I don't think they will be large enough to produce. Hopefully the seeds will keep that I have left and I'll start them alot earlier. A whole lot earlier!

I noticed today that I have some more squash plants ready to be transplanted outside. I'll need to find some more milk jugs or juice containers to cover them with first. Because our last date for frost is the 30th

We went down to North Branch today and I notice alot of the rhubarb down that way has already went to see. Mine is just starting to get large enough to notice the plants. Of course I did transplant them all this year because we enlarged the chicken coop and it took over there growing area. But the strawberries down there were already blossoming. Mine are nowhere near that stage yet! So I'm even jealous of our southern gardners here in Michigan

And speaking of snakes...our place is named Massasagas Wilderness (Michigan rattler) We have seen quite a few on our 45 acres. We have alot of swamp. So my husband decided that would be a great name. Large sign out front and all. Good way to keep unwanted guest away(if they can read) LOL

 

[swampducks]

Dang, I tried to come back a couple weeks ago, think I made it this time. Spent those weeks dealing with my MIL and her broken hip, but she went downstate last Friday to stay with her daughter for a while and I am finally decompressing from all the stress. My new "beater" truck is still acting up (did I even mention Bruce before? when my Taurus was declared unsafe to drive due to a rusted engine cradle?)

DH planted my 1.5 pounds of taters for me the other day. I have some purple something or others, and some bintjes. I got them from Annies and was disappointed that one of the purple ones was totally rotted/dried out. Since they're hand packed I can't see how they missed that. I could tell by the feel. As I only had 5 tubers total it doesn't give me many taters to begin with.

My lettuce has finally been planted about 10 days ago and it's sprouting, it's a sweet mix from Pinetree in Maine. My snow peas are doing great, I've got dozens and dozens this year of several varieties: Oregon Sugar Pod 2, Snowbird, Dwarf White Sugar and Carouby du Massane (sp). I think I remember what I planted where so I can decide if there's one that does better or tastes better.

My plan for tomatoes outside in walls of water sort of fell apart what with all the life crap, I didn't even get them transplanted into 4 inch pots till about a week ago. They're finally getting a better size on them now though, even if only 4 inches tall still. At least they look like tomato plants. Need to mix another batch of Miracle Gro for them.

Planted the 3 blueberry bushes I ordered and have 2 clematis I need to set outside to harden off and find a place for them.

Otherwise, I've got to make dinner now.

 

[Dascountry]

:rainbow-sun Glad to hear from you Swampducks. Been wondering where you've been. Sorry to hear about your MIL. Glad she's doing better. Awfully nice of the DH to plant the taters for you. Sounds like the tomatoes are doing great. Mine are just way to small. Went and bought some bigger ones. Been hardening them off. Sounds like we got the same lettuce mix from pinetree. Thats where I got most of my seeds this year. I planted 5 pounds of red taters and they are just now coming up. Beets are up but small yet, lettuce, radishes and spinach all doing great

I've been transplanting lots of flowers out of one of the beds I want to do away with. I should say DH wants to do away with. He wants grass there. I don't mind really. It means one less place to have to weed. But it is alot of work. Oh well.

 

[swampducks]

I did plant my Provider bush beans from Annie's today. I think maybe we might have seen our last frost a bit early this year. And if not, it's not that big a spot to cover for a night or two.

I must say though that heat wave in March did do a number on my lilacs and apple trees. No apples for me this year and barely a lilac bloom to be seen.

 

[Dascountry]

I know what you mean about that heat wave. I think one of my apple trees will have a couple of apples and that'll be it. I heard that the cherries and apples around Traverse City have been hit

hard also. The news had said that the farmers had a good year last year so hopefully won't be to hard for them this year. I can't imagine that not having a good harvest wouldn't be to hard. I

would think every harvest would be very important! What'll I know about making a living from farming though. I've only did it to help out our food budget.

It certainly was a hot one today! We reached 93 here. Drove into Alpena and they were 70. What a difference the lake makes.

 

[swampducks]

I heard that the cherries and apples around Traverse City have been hit

hard also. We reached 93 here. Drove into Alpena and they were 70. What a difference the lake makes.

My girlfriend and one of her friend's is driving out here from MA this July, We were going to the cherry festival, but shad to change her plans to late July. I wonder what the festival will be like if they have to import cherries. Probably will still head out that way just to show her around, probably hit some wineries. May increase the prices of the cherry wines.

I think it hit 92 yesterday, can't remember but today it hit 94 already though it's hovering around 89 now. I'm 22 miles from Huron. The 2 lakes in town just aren't big enough to make a difference.

 

[swampducks]

Had a spot of rain, lasted about 10 minutes. Just enough for the ground to know what it's been missing. Got frogs of some kind trilling like crazy out there. It's really loud. Don't remember hearing this much in the past few years. They quieted down for the rain but they just started up again. Weird.

Wanted to mention I did have sweet peas sprout. First time I've tried planting them in years. I just stuck 'em in the ground and ignored 'em Finally watered them the second time today, first I think, since they sprouted. I blame that on bringing the rain.