2025 gardens

[MossRoad]

I've never liked the taste of blackberries for some reason. I do like black raspberries, though. I usually make some jelly out of that every year or two.

 

[walhondingMF]

Man what a harvest we had thus far for blackberries and just starting blueberries. They are about 10 days early for us.

I myself have harvested over 40# of blackberries. One row produced 12.5# Saturday after our pickers left (they picked I think it was 40#).

With my new ninja juicer I juiced the 12.5# and made 12.5 cups of the purttiest juice. There is over 6 cups in each of the gallon bags. Also after this I rejuiced the pulp it was so thick almost like a milk shake. Lots of pectin in that rejuiced stuff.

How are you covering your blueberries to keep the birds away?

 

[DJ54]

My thoughts on hail cannons: snake oil. Think about it. Thunder is a bazillion times louder than any hail cannon, yet hail is formed in thunderstorms.

All I can say is what I have seen here with it going off. It may disrupt the updraft that carries drops of water up into colder air to form hail. I remember them telling me it was good for approx. 80 acres in a radius around it, but at a 1/2 to 3/4 away here, never seen anything bigger than ice chips, or an occasional pea size in the mix.

Several years ago, we had a lot of hail in a storm. 3 miles to the South it destroyed roofs on 1–2-year old houses, and broke vinyl siding on them too. Here with the cannon going off, it looked like you shoveled crushed ice in the yard. Maybe just a fluke, but I feel a little more comfortable when it's set off. My early warning system too, to head for the house.

 

[dj1701]

This year does not look promising. I mulched with straw this year for the first time. Looks ok, keeps some of the weeds down but keeps the ground cold and wet. The broccoli is all but gone because of slugs. I hate those SOB's. Tomatoes died in one raised bed and the others are not lookin good. Peppers are being eaten by slugs. Planted some zucchini in the raised bed that the tomatoes died in. We will see if they do anything. Put some potatoes in this year. First time in may years. Nothing yet.

On a positive note, The blueberries are looking good, and the garlic is going nuts. I did plant some tomatoes along the chain-link fence to the dog park. Figured I try to train them along a support I already have. They are looking good, just have to be careful with the weed whacker.

Between the clay soil, late frosts, and more rain than I can remember, it's been a losing battle.

Dave

 

[MossRoad]

All I can say is what I have seen here with it going off. It may disrupt the updraft that carries drops of water up into colder air to form hail. I remember them telling me it was good for approx. 80 acres in a radius around it, but at a 1/2 to 3/4 away here, never seen anything bigger than ice chips, or an occasional pea size in the mix.

Several years ago, we had a lot of hail in a storm. 3 miles to the South it destroyed roofs on 1–2-year old houses, and broke vinyl siding on them too. Here with the cannon going off, it looked like you shoveled crushed ice in the yard. Maybe just a fluke, but I feel a little more comfortable when it's set off. My early warning system too, to head for the house.

Reminds me of a hail storm we had on a Father's Day one year. Wife, one child and I left the family gathering to run to the pet store for cat food before it closed with intention to return to gathering.

We came out of PetsMart and heard this pinging noise. Started getting really loud, but it was sunny! Looked across the parking lots and saw a wall of large hail coming right at us. Golf ball sized and larger. The pinging was it bouncing off of the cars. YIKES!! It was so loud!

Jumped in the car just in time. Told the wife and kid to stay out from under the sunroof and back window. Lasted close to 10 minutes. Stripped the leaves off all the trees. Damaged thousands of cars across that part of the county. Several car dealerships, too. Tore holes in roofs and any vinyl sided houses got their south and west walls destroyed. Punch hole right through awnings, a rubbermaid pool box, yard barns, you name it.

Every piece of sheet metal on our 2000 Impala was dented multiple times with the exception of the two right-side doors. Insurance said there was $4500 damage on a $5K car, so they didn't total it! Sent it to paintless dent removal. They replaced the fiberglass hood, and got all the dents out. However, a few weeks later, all the paint cracked off the rear trunk lid. The entire lid had to be replaced and that was over $500. So, they should have totaled the car in the first place. Anyhow, the car looked fine after that and we drove it another 100K.

 

[masseyrider]

It's OFFICIAL. NO GARDEN 2025.
Maybe ever. I'm getting acclimated to the condo I bought. Sorting out the nosey Nellies and gossipers.
I still have the "ranch" for the time being.
This was going to be the swansong garden year anyways. It has been wet and cold. The ground is still below normal temps.
People I know who have planted are having miserable results.
Warm loving crops really suffering.
The sunflower field should be close to knee high. 4-5 inches is the best it has done.
I might put in some late corn and beans just to say I tried.
The grass has hogged all the attention. Twice a week around the yard and every week and half in the meadow areas.
Sump pump has given a good return on investment.
60+ years of self sufficient summer produce done.

 

[MossRoad]

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Got our fence up this week. Planting 650 more sweet corn and 120 more pumpkins today. Will have 180 pumpkin plants and 2400 sweet corn, 300 bush beans, and other assorted veg.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

An acre of buckwheat will bloom in three weeks to darken our honey crop.

 

[MossRoad]

I joke with my wife many years ago that we have $500 worth of fence for $35 of vegetables.

But it sure is nice to eat stuff you grow yourself.

 

[kenmbz]

I think I'm up to three tiny corn stalks......
Tomatoes are doing great though and so are the black raspberries and the fig tree looks very healthy.
Got two potatoes started, haven't planted those since I was a kid.
Glad we have farmers markets in the area for corn......

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I joke with my wife many years ago that we have $500 worth of fence for $35 of vegetables.

But it sure is nice to eat stuff you grow yourself.

My pumpkins will pay for the fence this year. I need it to protect my corn. Deer ate about 98% of it last year

 

[masseyrider]

View attachment 3573469

Mmmm...doggie!

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

How are you covering your blueberries to keep the birds away?

We have about an acre of blueberries. I couldn't afford that much netting. We have pickers out and about during the day. Wife and I are constantly in and out. So that seems to keep them at bay mostly.

In future years I may have to sit out there with my shotgun...

 

[Torvy]

We only have 4-2y/o plants. They are surrounded by fencing wrapped in netting.

Wife just picked our first handful of the season.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Finished planting today.
The totals for sweet corn are 1800 plants.
16 Atlantic giant pumpkin vines.
44 Autumn Buckskin pumpkin vines.
196 Renegade PMR pumpkin vines.
8 tomatoes
8 jalepenos
8 cabbage
8 cucumber
300 bush beans
assorted onions and carrots

Plus an acre of buckwheat.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Nice planting there. Had to look up them punkin names. I'm thinking I may try to plant some giant pumpkins next year (as my grandma used to say Lord willing). I have grown seminole and Jarradale and they did good. We eat em like butternut squash.

Be sure to post pics of the big boys. I'm real interested in seeing how they turn out.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Nice planting there. Had to look up them punkin names. I'm thinking I may try to plant some giant pumpkins next year (as my grandma used to say Lord willing). I have grown seminole and Jarradale and they did good. We eat em like butternut squash.

Be sure to post pics of the big boys. I'm real interested in seeing how they turn out.

First year with the giants… so, we will see how the fare

 

[DJ54]

My pumpkins will pay for the fence this year. I need it to protect my corn. Deer ate about 98% of it last year

Curious as to how you plant your pumpkins. The ones we plant at the County Farm Park, tow of the guys in the tractor club have a single A-C lower no-till planter unit, with drop tubes, and a seat mounted on it. Someone rides on it and drops 2 seeds per hill. Marks are painted on a wheel, and you drop seeds when you see the mark at TDC, hills being 3' o.c. We only plant maybe a half-acre, so not too bad.

On Facebook I saw a farm that has a huge pick-your-own site and must have been planting 20 acres. They had a John Deere 4 row no-till planter with 4 people on it dropping seeds.

I bought a pumpkin seed plate for my Brinly, and tried planting some big seeds, but it still picked up 4 seeds. I could grind down the seed pockets as they are cast iron, but hate to be grinding on a $50 seed plate, LOL... I know that's the only way I'll get it downsized to pick up 2 seeds, just don't have the heart to do it.

By the way, my Phacelia seems to be doing great, I need to get a picture. It's only about 4" tall, but it seems to be growing fast. If anything good comes out of this cool spring it was keeping the soil temp below 70º for it to germinate. Took 10 days for it to come up.

 

[walhondingMF]

We have about an acre of blueberries. I couldn't afford that much netting. We have pickers out and about during the day. Wife and I are constantly in and out. So that seems to keep them at bay mostly.

In future years I may have to sit out there with my shotgun...

Reminds me of when I was a teen and we still hade the farm. My grandpa just filled to hoppers on the corn planter with sweet corn. There was a couple acres of sweet corn out along the field corn rows. My lab and I would sleep out in the field with the .22 or the 20 gauge and a spot light. We got a lot or raccoons that way.