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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 26, 2012 23:28:21 GMT -5
I wonder whether anybody ever made wine or booze from tomatoes. Wow! I just had an epiphany! The solution to the bane of gardeners everywhere: zucchini wine. I have a recipe for tomato wine. It must be aged two years before it's palatable. Supposed to be a heavy wine for drinking with game meats. Personally, I'd rather stew the tomatoes with some onion and herbs to serve with venison.
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Post by steev on Apr 30, 2012 22:26:25 GMT -5
Thirty varieties sprouted, more expected tomorrow. Yee-ha! Must get more in the hotbox.
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Post by steev on May 11, 2012 22:03:11 GMT -5
Faced with an impending explosion of separated and up-potted melons and squash, which I have to keep in town to pamper until they're grown enough to plant out on the farm, I took time to build a cage-structure to verticalize my flats of pots and exclude squirrels. My landlady was starting to be a tad pissy about my monopolizing her patio. Fair enough. What with these and peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes, it's threatening to get a tad crowded.
I need to seed the beans and corn! Told my brother I can't take two weeks off in June to go to Baja with him; I just don't have the time! End of the year, for sure, maybe. Right now, I need a new tiller more than I need two weeks goofing off; next life, I'll vacation, almost certainly, unless something comes up...
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Post by 12540dumont on May 21, 2012 23:30:28 GMT -5
Steev, does that mean you'll be "in" for Memorial Day? Sorry about your vacation. Here's what I started for Watermelons. Haven't started the others, as every flat I own is full. Finally transplanted the peppers and eggplants so there's hope! Now if I can get the squash and cukes in, I can plant the rest! USDA melons (and very much appreciated) Golden Honey Cream Northern Sweet Wills Sugar Sugar Lee Perola Melons I bought or swapped for: Grover Delaney Ali Baba Asahi Miyako (this is my only f/1) Anguria Janosik Mickey Lee (thanks) New Hampshire Midget (thanks) Winter King & Queen Crimson Sweet White Wonder Cream of Sask Tender Gold Dixie queen Golden Midget Sugar Baby All Sweet The Curtis Showell Melons (It's not too late to ask me for these) Note: Not one of these sprouted. Back to the barn.... Windsor (f/2) Moon & Stars Brown (2 types on 1 vine) Summertime F/2 Blacklee Summerfield Petite Sweet Moon & Stars Minnesota Karpus (I actually think this may be an AMK variety)...It had his handwriting on the label.
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Post by steev on May 22, 2012 0:06:18 GMT -5
Starting to separate and pot up my melons and squash so they've got a good root-ball when transplanted out into the cruel world. I'll alternate them in the rows, by variety. Working on lining up storage for the doubtless abundant crop to come.
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Post by nathan125 on May 22, 2012 1:03:50 GMT -5
i am starting tommorrow, just putting them in the ground as seeds. hopefully they do alright. we typically get frosts second week in october. so i'm optimistic. growing on cattle panel trellis: minnesota midget my blend of small and early melons sweet and early heart of gold zatta in the ground: week;s nc giant(we'll see) Iroquois joseph's best my blend's "best" sleeping beauty amarillo
and i'm sure more. but i'm tired.
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Post by castanea on May 26, 2012 14:46:34 GMT -5
Seeded those twelve GRIN melons and twelve from Turkey yesterday. As soon as they sprout in the hot-box, I'll replace them with more varieties. Got to start the tomatoes and squash, should pre-seed beans and corn, cowpeas and bitter melons. I need more facilities! What were the Turkish varieties?
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Post by steev on May 26, 2012 21:36:13 GMT -5
So far as my interpretation of the vendor's handwriting (and perhaps alternative alphabet) goes:
Siirt Dilimli Yazlik Adabazaar Kislik Topatan Akhisor Topen Karagol Sarizeybek Vodina Kazan Tiger Kirlangic Ankara Cesme Green Bosnian Yellow Bosnian Pamakova Dalaman Hasanbey Kislik Ortakoy Coban Aldotan Midyat Altinbas Hidir Muhurlu Davutbey Kula Symrna Lidya Kirlangic Talibi iran Meshedi Persian Bosnian Kirkagac Soykan Mini Galya Edirne
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Post by 12540dumont on May 26, 2012 21:43:33 GMT -5
Steev, Can you put me on your list for melon swapping?
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Post by castanea on May 26, 2012 22:52:16 GMT -5
So far as my interpretation of the vendor's handwriting (and perhaps alternative alphabet) goes: Siirt Dilimli Yazlik Adabazaar Kislik Topatan Akhisor Topen Karagol Sarizeybek Vodina Kazan Tiger Kirlangic Ankara Cesme Green Bosnian Yellow Bosnian Pamakova Dalaman Hasanbey Kislik Ortakoy Coban Aldotan Midyat Altinbas Hidir Muhurlu Davutbey Kula Symrna Lidya Kirlangic Talibi iran Meshedi Persian Bosnian Kirkagac Soykan Mini Galya Edirne Awesome list. I'm growing Green Bosnian and Kirkagac which is supposed to be a really pretty orange and yellow striped melon.
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Post by steev on May 26, 2012 23:02:21 GMT -5
Holly, I assure you, you have pride of place; and johno, even though his photo betrays mixed feelings about our ophidian friends (did that puppy "musk" you, dude?).
Although I'll not be in Mexico as planned, I've promised my bro I'll go in January. I made him swear to look for local corn and bean varieties, with appropriate names and places; we shall see. I think he's motivated to please me in this, as I am the black sheep, the eldest of our clan, and the one who looks and acts the most like Pop did.
I am going to try my best to self as many of these melons as possible, giving priority to those of which I have the least reserve seed, not that I have any idea how pure varietals they are. Also, I will put even higher priority on the GRIN melons, because I want GRIN to like me.
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Post by steev on May 26, 2012 23:13:14 GMT -5
I'm hoping Kirkagac and Tiger Kirlangic don't turn out to be versions of that striped whatsit that was promoted heavily a couple years ago: Tigger! The first of those I grew and tasted was the worst cucumber-bitter I've ever tasted!
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Post by castanea on May 27, 2012 11:35:21 GMT -5
I'm hoping Kirkagac and Tiger Kirlangic don't turn out to be versions of that striped whatsit that was promoted heavily a couple years ago: Tigger! The first of those I grew and tasted was the worst cucumber-bitter I've ever tasted! I'm hoping the same. The Turkish gene pool for melons seems to be so large though that it may be different.
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Post by 12540dumont on May 27, 2012 18:57:25 GMT -5
Steev, I'm really excited about your melon trial. I'm hoping to find someone over in that department who likes me.
Dr. Welsh, the bean curator at GRIN is going to retire. I'm so bummed.
I sent an 8 page onion review to Dr. Robertson. He's been very helpful as well.
I irritated the folks in Iowa by putting in too many requests separately. The Director asked me to combine all my requests and trials into one document so that they could save money on postage.
It's really hard for me to think like that, but I'm working on it. Next year I hope not to have quite so many trials going on as I'm pretty tired. Burning that midnight oil writing up my notes. yawn.
Moving forward, I'm going to begin work on drought tolerant varieties.
I'm really quite pleased with the lupins and cicers. Although the yields on the overwintered taters were not great...they did not require irrigation. I doubt that I'll ever find a melon that doesn't need water!
Now that 75% of the squash has been planted, I'm ready to start the seeds of the other half of the melon trial....the cucumis melo.
I have to try to resurrect some of these watermelon seeds. I had a few with low germ and some with 0 germ as well.
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Post by rowan on May 27, 2012 20:27:33 GMT -5
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