Growing Tomatoes, Beans and Other Things

May 18, 2012

bishop9396 Gardening, Philosophical, Relationships, Tomato Groeing, Vegetables , , , , 4 Comments

I am learning all the time……my recent lessons include “patience” and “trust”. The little back yard farm is a classroom of life’s little lessons. So – off to school!

Patience is a virtue – we have all heard that old and well-worn cliché but……..it is so true. I love to see my garden grow and most importantly watch it  produce, produce( isn’t the English langauge funny this way – same spelling but oh so different meaning) with the quality and taste absent from the supermarket produce….there’s that word again. So. my lesson on patience – I planted an heirloom variety of tomato this year that gets great reviews from many home growers, Mortgage Lifter. My friends, Jane and John here in Kingwood mention it frequently. The plant grew beautifully, tall, strong and lots of blossoms. The blossoms would bloom, then wither, die and fall off. Oh I searched the web for an answer – not much luck as  the symptoms did not show up on my adjacent tomato plants, in fact with the exception of the Beefmaster variety, everything is loaded with young and growing tomatoes. 10 days ago I was ready to rip that plant out of the ground and start over….. slow down Bishop, show some patience, let things develop at their own pace and by golly the plant stepped forward and showed me one developing tomato last Sunday – Mother’s Day! I was leaving for a consulting job off in Midland Texas….gotta pay for my hobbies – and I decided to give it another week. Well on my return, guess what – the one was looking good and several more are developing nicely – see photo below. I just did a little web search and may add morning and late evening “shaking” to my tomato cages to aid in fruit set. The Beefmaster….it too has a few tomatoes on it when I checked it this morning so it also earned a reprieve…

Mortgage Lifter – Looking good! And companions too!

Beans – they are doing well. I like the looks of the purple pole beans as they mature. They emerge from  the beautiful purple blossoms green! then as they gain size and length the slowly morph into that deep purple color. Unfortunately they lose that wonderful color while being cooked….oh well! at least for a bit…I can enjoy the color.

Well on its way to purple….they are fun to watch as they mature.

I have been gathering green beans from both my accidental plantings of bush beans and from my conscious efforts to grow bush beans…I have added more of the pole beans but they are a few weeks away from producing. I took a hanging bucket that hosted an upside down tomato plant last year and planted bush beans on the top side. They are doing very very well. Makes me wonder if “container growing” for bush beans might be a good option. My biggest complaint  – and it is not a big one – is that they grow low to the ground and I am up there at about 6’3″ off the ground….a long ways from those tasty pods. I am still limber and healthy enough at 61 to pick those ground hugging varieties but this hanging basket will make it easier to harvest the produce and actually looks pretty good to boot. There are some purple bush varieties many actually pass as an ornamental as well as a source for a side dish. Gotta give it a try.

Nice green basket – the flowers will be white – kind of boring so maybe I will try some of the purple ones too….a bit more aesthetically pleasing???

Cucumbers…asparagus…..strawberries…..blackberries…..peppers….. all are kicking in now. I checked a very dark purple/black blackberry for ripeness this morning and it fell off into my hand…….I was listening closely and I heard a plaintive cry……please, please don’t let me go to waste……so I didn’t – oh it was so good….can’t wait…wait a second, wasn’t I talking about patience….I better wait!

So close to being ready…..back off and wait!

I have getting some very nice Anaheim and Ancho peppers over the last few weeks. I roasted some on the grill last week and used them in a salad. So tasty. My Serrano peppers are a month or more away from producing. I had been looking at the nurseries for the last month and finally found some at the big box store – Lowes. I like buying at the local nursery but a man has got to do what a man has got to do.

A nice 6 or 7 inch long Anaheim pepper….I will be patient and give it a few more days!

Oh….I mentioned trust at the beginning of the post – well – I have been gone for  5 days and 11 hours, approximately….. in the past I have worried about my little plot while gone but I have become more comfortable in the last couple of years with trusting my wife to give the attention I want/need/like –  for my back yard farm…. I sent a text message early in the week as a reminder but I learned that she was tending to my babies in the back with nearly the same care I would give….Some of her efforts, I am sure, are driven by the benefits of the harvestasty goodies and maybe, just maybe driven by the love we share….. Should I run a poll on what y’all think the driving factor is?   I don’t think so…the Valentines day poll was a bit painful –  ;0  -

TTFN

Bishop

Did you all see the announcement – The 16th century home of Winnie the Pooh is on the market. Near the   ” 500-acre wood” -  is up for sale…just $ 3 plus million – USD – I wonder if I could put a big ktchen garden in on the property?

Egrets – Just Egrets

May 13, 2012

bishop9396 Egrets, Photography Leave a comment

This post has gone to the birds – no garden talk. Just me, my camera (with the big lens) and the birds in their backyard! I took these last year but decided to post a little differently this Mother’s Day….. Happy Mother’s Day to the mothers taking time to look through the lens with me. I set this up as a slideshow….I hope you are patient and allow the 11 photos cycle through.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

TTFN

Bishop

A click on the photo below will take you to the full gallery shot that afternoon. Hope you take time to look.

Strawberry Jam – It’s As Easy As……..Well, Jam

May 12, 2012

bishop9396 Canning, Making Jam, Strawberry , 5 Comments

I finally gathered up enough of the misshaped and odd looking strawberries that did not become treats for my wife…and yes, me too – to make a batch of strawberry jam. I keep a gallon sized freezer bag in the freezer(duh) and add to it as the consumption allows. When the gallon bag is bulging full it is time to make jam. So today was the day.

I use the “Sure-Jell” low sugar/no sugar pectin and I always default on using sugar, only 4 cups per batch vs. 6 cups for the regular recipe. It takes 6 cups of mashed up strawberries to get started…accurate measurement is critical to making successful jams and jellies. I still have a cup or so in the freezer bag for the next batch. Once measured and mashed up – see below – you add the pectin mixed with ¼ cup of the sugar (from the original 4 cups measured out) into the mix and begin cooking…another key is to follow the recipe…..I know it’s not a man thing to follow recipes or directions but I have learned many good lessons the hard way!

6 Cups of mashed up strawberries with the pectin/sugar mix stirred in.

Now – when it boils vigorously foam tends to build up on the surface of the jam…even when adding a dollop of butter in an effort to keep the foam down. The foam is not a bad thing….it just not aesthetically pleasing when viewed in the jars….. ewwwww, what’s that stuff floating in the jam? So, I just scoop it off, put it into a little bowl for immediate consumption. Today Kathy was making her special breakfast treat – 3 tbs. of quick oats, a 4 tbs. of egg whites, some cinnamon and topped with any sort of fruit compote…. Cooks two minutes covered in a very small fry pan, flip and add the fruit…today was the strawberry jam foam – must have been good because I got a real kiss as a thank you……nuff said.

The foam starting to show up on the surface of the mix….close to boiling. Keep stirring Bishop – you don’t want to scorch the jam….also, stirring is clearly stated in the recipe/directions!

Then into the sterile jars, processed for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath and now wait until cooled and probably at least 24 hours to make sure it jells well. I already tested it…the utensils used in the process pick up and hold lots of jam…if it jells well more sticks to the utensils and I get to clean-up the tools……yes I do use my tongue….it’s only me and my germs…..I don’t share. I hate to waste any of that precious sweetness!

A nice little bounty to stash away in the pantry. I still have a few jars of strawberry jam from the 2011 season so I may have to gift some of it or eat a lot more biscuits & jam, toast & jam and maybe try Kathy’s egg white concoction with strawberry jam lathered across the top! Yum!

The bounty….all in reused jars. The hexagonal jars get used up first as I don’t trust them to reseal with previously used lids. The rest of the jars get new sterilized lids. That’s what the recipe/directions tell me to do…….

 

TTFN

Bishop

Garden Harvesst – Bragging Via my iPhone

May 11, 2012

bishop9396 Gardening 1 Comment

I was out in the garden yesterday morning and was enjoying the “cooler” temperatures…..hah, not cool by most folks standards but it’s all relative…75 degrees F at 6:30 AM. My daughter out in California, a great gardening spot called Camarillo, loves to garden and I love to brag a little – well maybe sometimes more than a little! I decided to quick send a few braggadocio photos via my iPhone…  Not my usual quality of photo resolution but fun nonetheless! She seemed to take my comments and sharing in a positive way! Isn’t that right Melissa?

I love the sharing but most of all I love to enjoy the freshness and flavor!

PS… I think I have a new gardening buddy, three-year old Caleb who lives two houses down the street. He and his mother came by to check out the garden. I kept a swatch of carrots waiting for the two of them to stop by – wanting Caleb to pull them up. He seemed to be really excited about pulling them up – I rinsed them off in my Valentine’s day sink (long story there) and let him and his mother take them home. I also picked a red, ripe strawberry for him to taste – his eyes lit up and he loved the flavor.  Ah…..the makings of another convert!

TTFN

Bishop

Potatoes Are Harvested

May 11, 2012

bishop9396 Composting, Gardening, Potato Growing, Potatoes, Rubbermaid , 1 Comment

Just finished up the potato harvest…..mixed results. The Rubbermaid bin seemed to be a little more prolific…. I had high hopes for my wire baskets. I was anticipating small new potatoes up the length of the plants that were systematically covered  with soil, mulch and compost. I found many more clinging to the plant stems in the bin. I may have had better success all the way around had not the leaves come under attack by a little critter….a little orange bug destroying the leaves….apparently the nymph stage of a leaf hopper. I did get some potatoes and we will enjoy them!

I did reap a bounty of composted material from the baskets and the bin. Two wheel barrow loads of the good stuff. I will try again next spring and probably use some 40 + gallon garbage cans or recycled 55 gallon food grade plastic drums. As a bonus the material from the baskets and bins were loaded with worms… the red wriggler composting types near the surface and some big fat earthworms churning away in the middle…. One wheel barrow load has been spread and I will work on the other soon….

Had garlic mashed potatoes last night….I really think I can tell a difference between the store bought spuds….who knows how long they have been stored and what they have been sprayed with….vs. mine, fresh from the garden! I also grilled some carrots that I recently harvested… That was a first for me and they were not bad at all….need to try that again. Tomatoes are really looking good – a real surprise is the volunteer plant that I let grow….loaded up with clusters of cherry tomatoes!

Click on the photos for a larger image.

TTFN

Bishop

Making Ready to Transfer the Worms

May 7, 2012

bishop9396 Composting, Gardening, Healthy Lifestyle, Organic, Potato Growing, Rubbermaid, Vegetables, Vermicoposting , , , , Leave a comment

The worm bin is getting to be well filled with that wonderful stuff euphemistically referred to as worm castings – worm poop – I use Rubbermaid containers…36 quart size to house them. They reside in the garage year round and the Houston heat does not seem to bother them. I actually made two bins when I ventured off into worm world. I have found that 4 months or so is an ideal time to let the little guys toil away in darkness before preparing their new abode and harvest more of the good stuff.

As part of my ongoing research into growing methods…..not really research, its just that I get bored easily and I am always want to try something new and different. The back-up bin was put to use growing potatoes. In addition to the 4 foot tall wire baskets housing potatoes I tossed a handful of extras into the bin filled with about 8 inches of soil. Over the next few months I kept adding shredded leaves and compost as the plants grew. Yesterday I decided it was time to make ready the bin for the worms and dumped the contents – potatoes, leaves, compost and all.
I was pleasantly surprised…with minimal efforts I have 8 or so pounds of naturally grown potatoes. My wife is wanting to cook the new potatoes today….I agree hun!

TTFN

Bishop

Tomato War – Friendly of Course!

May 6, 2012

bishop9396 Philosophical, Relationships, Tomato Growing, Vegetables 8 Comments

I tried my best to have a ripe tomato before May 1st. I came close…..the garden that I put in for my friend John trumped me by over a week with multiple ripe red cherry tomatoes. Now, he has his own battle with his tomato loving dog Pismo…. Well I was checking out the lower level of one of the Celebrity tomato plant near the back of my garden and wow – a 4+ inch red globe of a nearly ripe tomato, a slicing tomato, a tomato begging to grace a sandwich, a tomato perfect for en echelon display on my plate next to some fried eggs…. in a  healthy oil like BUTTER! I grabbed the camera snapped my tomatoes smile  and rode over to John’s house, hopefully to gloat a little, but also to check on his tomatoes. The pictures don’t lie…. I am winning this skirmish! Aren’t we all winners by growing some of what we eat?

When visiting with John to take photos I noticed the new “Pismo” barrier. John has added a 3′ high fence to increase his odds of getting ripe and intact tomatoes into the house…..he now has a bird problem. One tomato shows signs of a bird beak pecking away at the tomato. I suggested that he leave it as is …… it is very available in the tomato cage and the bird is likely to go for the easy pickings leaving the others alone….seems to have worked for me in the past……..just a little bounty sharing.

TTFN

Bishop

The Tomato Challenge – Close But No Cigar

May 5, 2012

bishop9396 Gardening, Vegetables , , , , 4 Comments

I have mentioned several times in my recent blogging that I “may” have a ripe tomato before May 1st. I am sorry to report that I was two days short of the goal. The first ripe tomato, a cherry tomato, was consumed by my wife on May 2nd. I am going to claim partial success though……in the garden I planted over at John’s house….the cherry tomatoes have been ripe for over a week now. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to consume that first ripe, red tomato of the season either. That honor goes to his golden retriever, Pismo. She LOVES tomatoes and it is a real challenge to keep her away from the goodies. The photos for this rambling were taken on April 30th. You will see that my efforts to grow tomatoes are going well but the target was missed by just a smidgeon!

My asparagus is really doing well this year. It is so tender and sweet that much of it munched on while tending to the other garden chores. I have pulled almost all of the carrots and have really enjoyed eating them fresh, steamed, sauteed in butter – with a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon – and tonight I will grill a few. The Royal Chantenay Carrot has been a stellar producer for the heavy Houston soils….becoming less dense every year as I add compost, the Cosmic Purple were pretty…..pretty small too. Lovely color but they were stunted – the descriptor in the catalog says -” The smooth purple skin contrasts beautifully with the bright orange coreless flesh. They have a very sweet flavor and are a hit with kids and adults alike. The tops grow to 15 “. Roots are tapered and best harvested around 7″.” Partially true – color and taste and the tops are tall and beautiful. They would make a a nice border planting. Size, hmmmmmm, not anywhere near 7″. The Danvers Half Long were also a great carrot to grow here in Houston.

Have not been traveling much lately so I have been tending the gardens on a regular basis. I have not written much lately as I have been busy finishing up a video for the High School soccer team….my wife nicknamed me the great American volunteer as I seem to find myself on the everyone’s list. I haven’t had a child on the local swim club team for more than two years but volunteered to do their year end video……maybe it is because I also enjoy working with the kids!

TTFN

Bishop

Composting – Making a Difference

April 25, 2012

bishop9396 Gardening 5 Comments

If you have been reading my blog once in awhile….you know that I do a bit of composting. The link below takes you to Hot Bin Composting…a UK blog touting the wonders of the Hot Bin product. It seems to be a good product but my fascination is with the good advice that comes along with the blog and the difference we can all make.

I am a bit more of a laid back composter but slowly becoming more precise with my “recipes” for the compost mix. My bins are big – a twin 4X4X4+ set-up…. I usually just pile it in in any order, the summers very heavy in green material. This past fall/winter I invested in a big leaf vacuum/shredder. I loaded up on leaves – the “brown” component of the composters recipe. The 64 cubic feet plus of leaves in the right hand side have been incorporated into the grass clippings going into the left side. I am looking for more leaves as we speak. I took some rotted produce out to the bin today and pulled back the top layer – wow-  the steam just boiled out of the pile… it was so hot that I couldn’t keep my hand in the middle of the pile. My guess – 140 to 150 degrees F. The proper recipe must work!!!!

My advice… listen to the advice – we can take a huge bite out of the compostable trash that goes to the land fills and feed our families so much better. Just Let it Rot!!!!!

Compost Awareness Week – 6 – 12 May 2012.

My Double Compost Bins

 

PS….I have also been using an activator and I add some dilute agricultural molasses as food to jump start the little bugs decomposing the composting materials… no meat, no fat and no bones…..just vegetative material.

TTFN

Bishop

My Second Mistake of the Year

April 24, 2012

bishop9396 Beans, Gardening, Philosophical , 3 Comments

Well, maybe that is an exaggeration…… I really just lost count and started over. Sometimes a mistake or an error can lead to a learning. I set up the poles in my garden for my pole beans just a few weeks ago. I  planted both a purple variety and what I thought were the Blue Lake pole variety. The purple variety are up to the 8 foot level and setting blossoms. My green pole beans acted like they were stunted. Guess what, those stunted beans are just 12 inches tall and loaded with blossoms…. You probably figured out my error….I planted bush beans!

It will be OK though. The bush beans will be done shortly and the poles are still there waiting to be wrapped up with the vines of the pole beans -  so into the ground went the “real” pole beans.  I should get an extended harvest…may have to remember to do it again in the late summer for a fall harvest. If CRS doesn’t overwhelm me I will plan it for next spring…seems like a good idea! – CRS is “Can’t Remember Shtuff” I run into it on an increasing frequency now… When it gets real bad it won’t bother me because I won’t recall that I have forgot whatever it was….

The example below is one of my pole bean teepees from a couple of seasons ago….prolific is an understatement!

This is an example of pole beans doing what pole beans do best! Obviously much more than a 12 inch bush bean plant!

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