Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[mikim]

24' x 24' . . . That's not an asparagus bed; it's an asparagus forest. I hope you love it because that's gonna produce a bunch

kinda what I thought -- when I was a kid we'd pick it growing wild in the ditches in small bunches....but swmbo ordered from burpees and iaw directions for planting, it needed that big an area for what she ordered. I figure I can always dig up half the area for corn on the north side. We don't eat that much corn so it would be about right.

 

[jinman]

24' x 24' . . . That's not an asparagus bed; it's an asparagus forest. I hope you love it because that's gonna produce a bunch

kinda what I thought -- when I was a kid we'd pick it growing wild in the ditches in small bunches....but swmbo ordered from burpees and iaw directions for planting, it needed that big an area for what she ordered. I figure I can always dig up half the area for corn on the north side. We don't eat that much corn so it would be about right.

Mike, I picked 30 spears yesterday. I have one row about 12' long and another about 18' long. Some crowns have grown so much that they are putting up 6 or 8 spears at the same time. You will probably lose a few plants, but the ones that take and grow should produce very well. Like all vegetables, you get asparagus all at once at a rate you can't keep up with. You may have to make family and friends happy by sharing.

I have been eating mine raw, but boiled this yesterday and ate half last night. It was deeee-licious.:licking:

EDIT: BTW, if you boil the spears, use a small amount of water, lightly salted. When you finish, keep the pot liquor. Heat it up in a cup for a delicious hot beverage. Asparagus pot liquor is very tasty.

 

[Western]

If your interested in trying to see the comet Pan-Starrs tonight, here is a good "how to" article. Wont be be back I think for 100,00 years, so you might want to catch it this time around:laughing:

Comet Pan-STARRS Near the Moon Tonight: How to See It | Space.com

 

[mikim]

Jim -- do you use hierloom seeds in your garden ....and dry the seeds for the next year?

 

[jinman]

Jim -- do you use hierloom seeds in your garden ....and dry the seeds for the next year?

No Mike, I tried that with cantaloupes and got cross-pollinated hydbrids the next year. I saved some ****** melon seeds from a melon I bought at the fruit stand. They made great melons for one year and then the next they looked different, somewhat like my normal cantaloupes. For me, the cost of seed has not grown to the point that I think it is cost-effective to go through the hassle of saving them. I can just go to Walmart and buy a bag of blackeyed peas, crowders, or many varieties of beans at very low prices from the food aisles. For me, they have always grown as good as store-bought seeds. Some feedstores don't refresh their bulk seeds year-to-year. I bought some pea seeds one year and they were full of weevils. Anyhow, I experiment with saved seeds some, but just don't make it a practice. It's just a personal choice of what works best for you.

 

[mikim]

but just don't make it a practice. It's just a personal choice

I'm hoping to have a full blown garden area cleared, fenced, etc in 2 more years and was thinking it might be fun to do heirlooms. I really hate the heavy handed chem companies with their "seed patents" and the way they treat farmers ...and our food....I think I'll try it for a year or two just to see how it goes...then if it fails --it won't be because of getting crossed by whatever was there before....but I have time yet to figure it out. There's still trees where the garden will be.

 

[Western]

Spring is just around the corner, Red buds almost blooming, Oak trees getting buds and the softwoods all already showing green:thumbsup: I like the Redbuds, nice color, just wish they lasted longer.

 

[Western]

Spring color is just around the corner, Red buds almost blooming, Oak trees getting buds and the softwoods all already showing green:thumbsup: I like the Redbuds, nice color, just wish they lasted longer.

 

[michael.white]

but just don't make it a practice. It's just a personal choice

I'm hoping to have a full blown garden area cleared, fenced, etc in 2 more years and was thinking it might be fun to do heirlooms. I really hate the heavy handed chem companies with their "seed patents" and the way they treat farmers ...and our food....I think I'll try it for a year or two just to see how it goes...then if it fails --it won't be because of getting crossed by whatever was there before....but I have time yet to figure it out. There's still trees where the garden will be.

I planted heirlooms when I lived in town in Ft. Worth from 2005 until 2008. I can't recall anything that didn't grow well. The Ein Dor melons do good here and taste good; I think they're originally from the middle east/****** area. My parents save the seeds from the heirloom peppers I gave them every year. Just mulch and water (and, if it's like last year, water and water and water). They should do good out your way.

I planted a few melon hills here on Saturday using five year old frozen seeds, near the house but not in the best soil (real garden is planned for next year). I'm hoping something will pop up here in the next few days.

 

[txdon]

... I really hate the heavy handed chem companies with their "seed patents" and the way they treat farmers ...and our food....I think I'll try it for a year or two just to see how it goes...then if it fails --it won't be because of getting crossed by whatever was there before....but I have time yet to figure it out. There's still trees where the garden will be.

Mike, sounds like you will you be going organic too. With that rain water collection the garden will thrive. Two years is just about the right amount of time to get good black compost from your mulch piles.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I'd say mesquite is right 95% of the time but Pecan is right 99%. My native pecan is still not coming out.

I'm going to attempt corn again this year after my 100% failure rate for the past 20 years. This year I will use a secret weapon against the raccoons. A radio blaring at night time the week before I pick it.

TxDon, I'm trying to think which music would best annoy the coons and which would lullaby the corn to sweetness. Hopefully it won't take you another 20 years to figure it out. I'm thinking if you play rap music, the raccoons would like it and the corn would hate it.

Has A&M done a music/corn/raccoon study????

 

[jinman]

When the wind blows from the north, my sinuses go south. Is anyone else having sinus problems? I can't seem to get rid of sinus drainage that gets down into my lungs and causes other problems. One day I seem to be okay and the next I'm wheezing and coughing up clear and yellow mucus like crazy. Yesterday, I even had chills and shortness of breath from all the congestion. I just had a round of steroids and antibiotics a couple of weeks ago, but now I'm going back to my doctor on Friday morning with similar symptoms. It always seems to start with itchy eyes and throat. Even the roof of my mouth itches. Then, my sinuses start draining and that keeps my throat raw. Of course, the drainage collects in my throat and bronchial tubes leading to feeling sluggish and drowsy sometimes. I've always had sinus problems, especially years ago when I smoked. I may be picking up something else from my grandson who seems to bring things home from school too. The combination is really kicking my behind. Oh well. . . I guess that's all part of being 65+.

 

[Bird]

Jim, you ain't alone. I went to the doctor first thing Saturday morning because I hadn't been able to lie down in bed, or even lean back in my recliner because either would start me coughing violently and of course I could feel the rattle in my chest when I breathed. Diagnosed as bronchitis. Oddly enough I had the same thing the 10th of March last year. Last year the doctor gave me 3 prescriptions (antibiotic, cough suppressant, and inhalation aerosol) and told me to come back Tuesday if I wasn't better. But I was a little better Sunday last year, and pretty much over it by Monday. No such luck this year. I got the same 3 prescriptions Saturday, and if anything got worse each day.

So before noon yesterday it was back to the doctors' office, two of them consulted, told me to continue what I was already taking, and then added a steroid pill and a narcotic cough syrup (pretty good tasting cherry flavor:laughing. I told Margaret I felt like I was drunk, but I slept about 5 hours in the bed for the first time in 5 days.

And yep, I've alternated between the sweats and the chills, slight nausea, weak and dizzy, and for awhile coughing felt like it might blow the top of my head off, and maybe break ribs. I've also been keeping a glass of ice water close because my mouth's been so dry. And I am, without a doubt, the best customer the manufacturer of Puffs facial tissue has.

Fortunately, though, I've been taking one of those Cetirizine hydrochloride pills each day and the itching eyes finally got better. And today has been better than any day in the last week, so at least I'm now optimistic. Hope you recover, too.

 

[jinman]

Carbon copy, Bird. I'm a carbon copy to the way you feel. I think today is better because it's been a couple of days since the wind was blowin' so hard from the north. I know my COPD and reduced lung capacity has a significant amount to do with this. The frustration is that the weather is so nice and I want to go, go, go, but my body says no, no, no.:confused2:

 

[Bird]

Yep, my yard needs mowing, but it's not gonna get done right away. You know Margaret has COPD, too, so she saw the doctor a week ago yesterday (fourth time this year), then her nebulizer died Saturday evening, so I went and exchanged it for a new one Monday morning, then she went to the doctor yesterday same time as I did. She just keeps getting little bronchial infections that will get nearly cleared up, then flare up again. So this time they decided to send her also to a Pulmonary specialist a week from today to see if he thinks her medications and breathing treatments need adjusting.

Old age ain't for sissies.:laughing:

 

[txdon]

TxDon, I'm trying to think which music would best annoy the coons and which would lullaby the corn to sweetness. Hopefully it won't take you another 20 years to figure it out. I'm thinking if you play rap music, the raccoons would like it and the corn would hate it.

Has A&M done a music/corn/raccoon study????

Talk radio got rid of the swallows so I'm sticking with the tried and true. Don't know about any studies...but an electric fence vs. talk radio vs. music vs. just shoot-em (if you can stay awake), would be a good study.

 

[ronjhall]

Carbon copy, Bird. I'm a carbon copy to the way you feel. I think today is better because it's been a couple of days since the wind was blowin' so hard from the north. I know my COPD and reduced lung capacity has a significant amount to do with this. The frustration is that the weather is so nice and I want to go, go, go, but my body says no, no, no.:confused2:

Betty had the Texas Crud when we left TX last Friday. :yuck: Last night she slept very little. I am sure she has the Michigan Crud now. :thumbdown:

 

[Bird]

It seems this year is just unusually bad; hopefully everyone will recover soon. I'm a long ways from being over it, I'm afraid, but I slept last night longer without waking up than I have in a week.:cool2:

 

[jinman]

Well, if it's not coughing and wheezing, it's my bladder getting me up. I need to stop all liquids before 8 PM, I guess. The last two nights I've been up every two hours to go to the bathroom and I try to clear my throat/lungs and head too. When I lay down, I cough maybe once or twice then feel fine and drop off to sleep. Being able to go right back to sleep is a blessing. However, when I get up in the morning and have my coffee and orange, the drainage in my head and mucus in my chest cut loose. I have to do a lot of clearing 'stuff' for the first two hours I'm up. This morning, power dropped off just as my coffee was finishing, so at least I had that to drink to get me going. We've lost power twice this week for about 1 hr each time. I can't figure why, but it always happens when you least expect it.

 

[pacerron]

Well, if it's not coughing and wheezing, it's my bladder getting me up. I need to stop all liquids before 8 PM, I guess. The last two nights I've been up every two hours to go to the bathroom and I try to clear my throat/lungs and head too. When I lay down, I cough maybe once or twice then feel fine and drop off to sleep. Being able to go right back to sleep is a blessing. However, when I get up in the morning and have my coffee and orange, the drainage in my head and mucus in my chest cut loose. I have to do a lot of clearing 'stuff' for the first two hours I'm up. This morning, power dropped off just as my coffee was finishing, so at least I had that to drink to get me going. We've lost power twice this week for about 1 hr each time. I can't figure why, but it always happens when you least expect it.

Have you had a PSA test lately?
Even with a normal PSA you can have an enlarged prostrate that will get you up at night.

Not to be sissie, but try Puffs with lotion.
My wife says plain ones irritate her nose, throat etc. but the lotion type doesn't.
I used to use about 1/4 roll of paper towels in the morning blowing my nose and hacking.
Best thing I have found to really help about 90% of the time is a little squirt of cheap Saline nose spray
at night in each nostril right before going to bed.