2025 gardens

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

What do you do to keep the slices from getting rubbery in storage? Whole cukes hold up OK, but if I do sliced ones they don't stay crisp. The cukes that I don't see until they're oversized get made into relish.
I'll can beans, but not pickle them. Tried it once, didn't like the result.

Wife uses pickle crisp to make em crispier. Its a lime of some sort, soakem in it for a bit then rinse em off. Can't remember if it was before pickling or after but I'd guess before. I can ask her if you like.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

I planted a fall garden with snaps, okra spinach. Planted the snaps two days before a ton of rain came in they were up in 4 days from planting. So was the Okra. Snapes are taking off okra is hanging there for now.

As for epsom salts I have used it extensively in our garden. I go to Dollar genearl and get the 3-4# bag. I use about a 1/2 teaspoon per plant every 2-3 weeks. First year we used it on okra and clemson spineless got to be almost 8ft tall. WOW... Pretty much everything liked it best we can tell.

 

[Oaktree]

Wife uses pickle crisp to make em crispier. Its a lime of some sort, soakem in it for a bit then rinse em off. Can't remember if it was before pickling or after but I'd guess before. I can ask her if you like.

If you could.
We have a bumper crop of cukes this year, can only fit so many jars of refrigerator pickles in the fridge.

Garden is doing very well this year, quite a change from last! On our 3rd cutting of broccoli, as noted cukes are going gangbusters. Corn not quite ready yet, but looks like more ears than usual. Gotta put my strobe out next few days. Lots of blossoms on the squash.

Think this'll be my last year of potatoes for a while. Last 5 years or so they've been meh at best. Don't know if it's the weather or something in the soil they need that's depleted. Historically, potatoes have been a major crop around here, not so much for eating but for starch. From what I've heard, this property was mostly potato fields 100 or so years ago.

 

[drumminj]

We have a bumper crop of cukes this year, can only fit so many jars of refrigerator pickles in the fridge.

Same for us here. Cukes (for pickling) and tomatillos have been great. Actually, all peppers have done really well this year, but we're drowning in jars of pickles in the fridge!

 

[kenmbz]

We got our first invasion of armyworms on the tomatoes.
Picked off over a dozen of them and had to dispose of a number of tomatoes that they got into.
Was looking like my best haul ever, and now , not so much.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

If you could.
We have a bumper crop of cukes this year, can only fit so many jars of refrigerator pickles in the fridge.

Garden is doing very well this year, quite a change from last! On our 3rd cutting of broccoli, as noted cukes are going gangbusters. Corn not quite ready yet, but looks like more ears than usual. Gotta put my strobe out next few days. Lots of blossoms on the squash.

Think this'll be my last year of potatoes for a while. Last 5 years or so they've been meh at best. Don't know if it's the weather or something in the soil they need that's depleted. Historically, potatoes have been a major crop around here, not so much for eating but for starch. From what I've heard, this property was mostly potato fields 100 or so years ago.

Wife gave me her general instructions. it's best to start with fresh cucumbers as the longer they sit the softer they can become. Clean em, cut off the blossom end this can cause them to soften up after canning. Soak in an ice bath for at least 30 mins and up to over night.

Add pickle crisp (calcium chloride)to jars if you can find it it not grape or oak leaves can add the tannins needed. She said she has gotten away from using pickling lime (calcium hydroxide) as it takes more work. With the pickling lime though you soak them and then thoroughly wash before putting into jars and filling with your brine.

She also suggested if you use salt to use canning salt for your brine. She is a stickler for the details but her pickles turn out great year after year.

Good luck, have fun...

 

[MossRoad]

I got three (3) peaches off of my tree this year! First time I've ever beat the squirrels.

 

[Oaktree]

Add pickle crisp (calcium chloride)to jars if you can find it it not grape or oak leaves can add the tannins needed. She said she has gotten away from using pickling lime (calcium hydroxide) as it takes more work. With the pickling lime though you soak them and then thoroughly wash before putting into jars and filling with your brine.

Thanks for the tips! Oak leaves, huh? Have to give it a try...keep things in the family.

 

[Oaktree]

I got three (3) peaches off of my tree this year! First time I've ever beat the squirrels.

A bit too cold to grow them this far north, though they do grow in the southern part of the state.

Speaking of fruit trees...is anyone else (especially in the northeast) having a really bad year for apples? I've got maybe 10 on one of my trees, none on the other. Even the wild apple trees are pretty barren this year.

 

[masseyrider]

A bit too cold to grow them this far north, though they do grow in the southern part of the state.

Speaking of fruit trees...is anyone else (especially in the northeast) having a really bad year for apples? I've got maybe 10 on one of my trees, none on the other. Even the wild apple trees are pretty barren this year.

Last year all my apples were super loaded. Almost more fruit than leaves.
This year the Galas have a good crop.
The rest are spotty at best. 10% of last years crop if lucky.
We did have a cold rainy spring and a couple late heavy frosts.