oldmobie's Doings

[oldmobie]

Besides lots of green tomatoes forming, the beefsteak I put out for dad is finally starting to ripen a few!




Our young grape is trying to produce. It was planted last year in mid summer. Should I let this fruit grow, or remove it?




Got a couple more ears of ripe corn yesterday. The one on the left was from my seed I saved from Peaches & Cream and Ambrosia, which were grown together. I'd been told it wouldn't be any good, but I'm happy to say that wasn't entirely true. Sure production sucked, but it's also sucked in six other varieties growing beside this seed. It's a bad sweet corn year in my area, plus my growing methods have subjected it to hard soil and high weed competition. It formed a nice ear and tasted like its parents, so I score that as a win.



My son's poor peanuts have been having a rough year. Germination sucked. Between five and ten Tennessee Reds came up. They're in bloom. We also planted eight NC Giants. Twice, starting the same day as the Tennessee Reds. Thought it was a total fail, until I found this. I guess it's not very happy, but maybe if it produces seed, its offspring will be better suited to my garden.



Mrs oldmobie's butterfly weed, about to bloom:



And her sunflower patch, finally coming decently into bloom. I think the insets are 1) Mexican Sunflower & 2) Teddybear.

[oldmobie]

Several days ago I got concerned that none of the Oaxacan Flour corn for the cross with LISP Ashworth has come up, and that out of forty-two seeds planted of Pennsylvania Butter Flavored Popcorn (for the red/ white/ blue project) only one came up.

Three days ago, I put some wet vermiculite in a container and shoved ten seeds of each into the surface. So far, no sign of germination.

Two days ago (on Saturday) I planted five more seeds of Ashworth for the cross.

Edit: I decided to post a pic of the vermiculite bed. Kind of lame in and of itself. I didn't even notice until later, but there are in fact several seeds germinating. Mostly PBR (white), but at least one Oaxacan (green). Afraid the pic's a little grainy, and not everything I marked is visible in it.

One of the Oaxacan is molding. How bad is that? Should I remove it?

[Joseph Lofthouse]

Aug 4, 2014 16:22:55 GMT -5 oldmobie said:

Several days ago I got concerned that none of the Oaxacan Flour corn for the cross with LISP Ashworth has come up

I started a germination test a few minutes ago. Results are expected in about 3-5 days.

[oldmobie]

First two ripe tomatoes from dad's beefsteak. Not huge, but quite a haul after nothing but cherry. They were kinda bug-eaten, so I cut the bad spots out and sliced 'em before I took 'em over to him.



My best picking of corn to date. A few under-ripe, I'll have to be a little more careful in the future. My Peaches & Cream/ Ambrosia (saved seeds) are becoming my best producers. Joseph Lofthouse always said year two's a little better, and year three is "magical". I'm finally getting to experience the year two improvement. Come on, year three!



A couple had crazy long stems. Had to take a picture because it reminded me of oxbowfarm 's post.

[oldmobie]

Three of the Oaxacan Flour Corn seeds sprouted in the vermiculite, so I transplanted them to the bed planted for the cross. Afraid I may have damaged two of them, but hopefully I'll get some pollen yet.



Also a decent picking of corn today. Got a steamer tray full.



Picked my first Cuke today. Can't quite remember if that underdevelopment at the blossom end means anything or not. Is it because the plant is young? I should have left it on the vine longer?



The bloom on Mrs oldmobie's butterfly weed is finally opened. Looks like I'm not the first to notice! I really don't get too excited over flowers I can't eat, but I'm always glad to welcome more pollinators to the neighborhood.

[Joseph Lofthouse]

Woo Hoo on the Oaxacan corn germination!!!

The cucumber didn't get fully pollinated. Typical at the beginning of the season. Pollinators don't know to expect flowers in a certain place.

[oldmobie]

The sunflower patch, just about to be overrun by birdhouse gourds:



A shot of the trellis in the old garden, AKA 'the tunnel' "in action":

[jondear]

Lol, I love how those gourds can overtake anything in their path. They sure like to climb.

[oldmobie]

My first two fruits from the yellow pear seeds I got in a trade. Looks like I picked them just a little under-ripe; there was just a bit of a green "core" at the stem end. The blossom end felt soft and the skin was yellow. For the rest, how do I tell when they're actually ripe? (Without cutting into them.)

[flowerweaver]

I grow a little yellow oblong tomato called Early Ssubakus Aliana, and I picked a mess of them today. I generally know they are ripe when I tug on the fruit and it comes off instantly, leaving the green 'cap' on the plant. If the birds are bothering them sometimes I will pick them a little early and let them ripen a couple of days in the window sill.

[oldmobie]

Aug 13, 2014 18:40:10 GMT -5 flowerweaver said:

I generally know they are ripe when I tug on the fruit and it comes off instantly, leaving the green 'cap' on the plant.

That sounds simple enough. (I'm obliged to lean heavily on the K.I.S.S. method!) I think I'll try it. Thank you!

[steev]

'Kay; I don't know what that is: K.I.S.S. Don't laugh! There are at least three things I don't know, yet; I admit it.

[kazedwards]

Considering K.I.S.S. Is four letters I'd say there's at least 4 things you don't know

[oldmobie]

Aug 13, 2014 22:46:00 GMT -5 steev said:

'Kay; I don't know what that is: K.I.S.S. Don't laugh! There are at least three things I don't know, yet; I admit it.

Keep
It
Simple,
Stupid!

[steev]

Of course; I'd forgotten.