How Does Your Garden Grow??????

MICHI-CAN said:

I only know the ingredients. Not names. Mother of the local family store owners is trying to teach me. I love it. An honestly caring grandma holding my hand to shop and get it right.

I know you an cook. More knowledge of Asian than me by far. I just siezed the opportunity to share with those that don't. Maybe give an option to you. LOL.

Here are my 2 favorites. Especially if the wife is cooking. Good with most anything. Will put a row down this year. Too many flowers this go round. View attachment 4745949

Click to expand...

That chili oil is good stuff. It's hot as well. You can get it with fried garlic whis is also really good.

I always come out of the Asian market with more than I planned on. I have so much stuff I'm running out of room. Half my cupboard space is Asian ingredients. Then add the fact that I always keep a backup of everything and space starts running out. I have an overflow shelf in the garage full as well. But to really cook a variety of Asian food you have to have a wide lineup of ingredients. Korean, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, etc... all share many of the same ingredients but also have others that are unique to their cuisine. I like and cook it all.

I also make my own tamarind paste from tamarind pods, sprout my own bean sprouts, and my next endeavor is going to be making my own tofu. In fact I'm going to start soaking the soybeans right now. I have some getting old kimchee in the refrigerator and you can't make Kimchi Jjigae without tofu. I'm drooling just thinking about it. The lady isn't going to be happy. It's not her favorite but she eats what I cook.

xtsho said:

That chili oil is good stuff. It's hot as well. You can get it with fried garlic whis is also really good.

I always come out of the Asian market with more than I planned on. I have so much stuff I'm running out of room. Half my cupboard space is Asian ingredients. Then add the fact that I always keep a backup of everything and space starts running out. I have an overflow shelf in the garage full as well. But to really cook a variety of Asian food you have to have a wide lineup of ingredients. Korean, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, etc... all share many of the same ingredients but also have others that are unique to their cuisine. I like and cook it all.

I also make my own tamarind paste from tamarind pods, sprout my own bean sprouts, and my next endeavor is going to be making my own tofu. In fact I'm going to start soaking the soybeans right now. I have some getting old kimchee in the refrigerator and you can't make Kimchi Jjigae without tofu. I'm drooling just thinking about it. The lady isn't going to be happy. It's not her favorite but she eats what I cook.

Click to expand...

I love it all. Maybe not so much with the tamarind. Just enjoy adding to my knowledge. And the fridge door is half full of asian this and that. An entire shelf in my pantry closet of dried goods. Great food preservation over there. And my oyster sauce or rice vinegar trips are about $50 everytime. Even after being shown cheaper better quality by "mom" as she calls herself. It's an addiction.

Tofu? Wow. Not enough space or time in my world.

I noticed some fava beans sprouting. Have about a dozen or so coming up. I've never grown them before but they can be planted in the fall as an overwintering crop. I'm just excited to see something sprouting out of the ground and growing this time of the year.

It is a nitrogen fixing plant so if they grow ok I'll probably start using them as a cover crop along with other plants. I'm looking at my garden beds and thinking I should have something that overwinters growing. Green manure.

We had back to back nights in the high 20's. Windy the first night so no frost, but it still got all my peppers and tomatoes at the river house. (which I forgot to cover or bring inside) Big white frost this morning. I fear my remote gardens got it too. Time will tell.

I did get down to the old river camp to pick my oranges.



There are always a few oranges that fall, and I found several small trees. Will get them potted soon.

injinji said:

I did get down to the old river camp to pick my oranges.

View attachment 4757879

There are always a few oranges that fall, and I found several small trees. Will get them potted soon.

View attachment 4757880

Click to expand...

I wish I could grow oranges here. But the PNW climate doesn't allow it. We're an Apple, Pear, Peach region.

xtsho said:

I wish I could grow oranges here. But the PNW climate doesn't allow it. We're an Apple, Pear, Peach region.

Click to expand...

They are a Chinese orange that can handle cold better than most varieties. The old fellow that gave me those two trees as seedlings said folks were growing them as far north as the Carolina's. I've messed around and let lots of young trees die or I would have 15 or 20 trees by this point.

I planted 40-50 orange trees in the pines down at the same location. They are from a local NW Florida tree. They get about head high, then killed back by the cold. Since they are from a seedling tree, they will grow back from the roots the same, but so far they have never had fruit.

xtsho said:

I noticed some fava beans sprouting. Have about a dozen or so coming up. I've never grown them before but they can be planted in the fall as an overwintering crop. I'm just excited to see something sprouting out of the ground and growing this time of the year.

It is a nitrogen fixing plant so if they grow ok I'll probably start using them as a cover crop along with other plants. I'm looking at my garden beds and thinking I should have something that overwinters growing. Green manure.

Click to expand...

My late season crop of garden beans and snap peas got wiped out by an early snow. The romaine has pushed through. Crazy how warm its been in the northeast.

I made 6 ears of the Flint Indian corn. I thought the timing of the sweet corn in the raised bed was so this would be pure. But looking at all the yellow on the big ear, I must have crossed it up. I may try to pick out all the yellow before I plant. I want to plant this Indian style, with small hills of squash and beans.

I've had pretty heavy frost 6 of the last 7 mornings. Although the tomatoes were well on their way to looking like this after the first one.



I cupped 24 of the saved seed Mammoth Jalapeno couple three weeks ago. Done a few others since then, but some of them didn't make it. Got them under glass for now. The lid to the old septic tank at the riverhouse got busted, so going to put the bulk of the peppers and tomatoes in it with glass over the top, and maybe even run lights and hour or so a day.

I pulled these up yesterday. After roasting them up for dinner last night I'm mad at myself for not planting more for a winter harvest. I'm also mad I didn't get the rest of them before my lady did. She got up from the dinner table and snatched up what was left in the pan before I could. I was pissed.

Well I meant to switch out the mesh for greenhouse fabric before the first real snow hit.... I was a little late

The only garden still going is my square foot raised bed.

Fortunately it's just cabbage/beets/turnips/kale for the most part. A few heads of broccoli left that might get trashed but who knows!

...And decided some of the beets needed to be on my plate for dinner

I've planted 50 seeds per tray times 4-5 trays of citrus seeds. We've had crazy cold weather for NW Florida and none of them have sprouted. The wife was helping me wash and sort seeds a couple three weeks ago. She ask why didn't we plant a few seeds in a pot in the house. So we put four Pomelo seeds in a small pot. Two of them are up good and one more is showing.



So a few days ago we did 11 more pots to fill out a tray. Pink Grapefruit, WC Oranges and Pomelo.



Then yesterday when the great niece and nephews came by, they did three pots each (with Sister doing 1 to even out the tray). These are all WC Oranges.

injinji said:

I've planted 50 seeds per tray times 4-5 trays of citrus seeds. We've had crazy cold weather for NW Florida and none of them have sprouted. The wife was helping me wash and sort seeds a couple three weeks ago. She ask why didn't we plant a few seeds in a pot in the house. So we put four Pomelo seeds in a small pot. Two of them are up good and one more is showing.

View attachment 4778765

So a few days ago we did 11 more pots to fill out a tray. Pink Grapefruit, WC Oranges and Pomelo.

View attachment 4778766

Then yesterday when the great niece and nephews came by, they did three pots each (with Sister doing 1 to even out the tray). These are all WC Oranges.

View attachment 4778768

Click to expand...

I,m jealous. Wish I had the climate,space and heating budget to name a few. Lemons are promising after some rude lemons. 18F outside now. Love it.

injinji said:

I've planted 50 seeds per tray times 4-5 trays of citrus seeds. We've had crazy cold weather for NW Florida and none of them have sprouted. The wife was helping me wash and sort seeds a couple three weeks ago. She ask why didn't we plant a few seeds in a pot in the house. So we put four Pomelo seeds in a small pot. Two of them are up good and one more is showing.

View attachment 4778765

So a few days ago we did 11 more pots to fill out a tray. Pink Grapefruit, WC Oranges and Pomelo.

View attachment 4778766

Then yesterday when the great niece and nephews came by, they did three pots each (with Sister doing 1 to even out the tray). These are all WC Oranges.

View attachment 4778768

Click to expand...

PSSSSST. a snowbird whispered in my ear to dry and rub the anti competitive slime coating off before germinating. LOL. Took a few tries. Was the biggest hurdle for a noob. Like mater seeds. Never germ with that gel intact.

MICHI-CAN said:

I,m jealous. Wish I had the climate,space and heating budget to name a few. Lemons are promising after some rude lemons. 18F outside now. Love it. View attachment 4778855

Click to expand...

The cold killed a bunch of my BIL's lemon trees. They have to be babied for three years. These were about two years old. He had them covered, so no frost, but 26F must be too much for them. I have about 6 small citrus trees that got touched up a bit. I have them under glass now, but space is so limited, I had hoped they would be alright outside.

injinji said:

The cold killed a bunch of my BIL's lemon trees. They have to be babied for three years. These were about two years old. He had them covered, so no frost, but 26F must be too much for them. I have about 6 small citrus trees that got touched up a bit. I have them under glass now, but space is so limited, I had hoped they would be alright outside.

Click to expand...

My unknown store bought Fla lemons took 45F with no effects. Low as I dared due to forgetfulness.

Do you have any citrus available. I only gift and trade. Cannot find a lime with a mature seed for anything. We consume many.

MICHI-CAN said:

PSSSSST. a snowbird whispered in my ear to dry and rub the anti competitive slime coating off before germinating. LOL. Took a few tries. Was the biggest hurdle for a noob. Like mater seeds. Never germ with that gel intact.

Click to expand...

Yes, they do better when washed. I'm still eating pink grapefruit. About a dozen and a half left. We spit the seeds right into the strainer, then put the strainer in a bowl and run water over them for a few minutes.

WC, the old timer who gave me the orange trees a few years back, raised strawberry melons for seed. He contracted with a seed company in south Florida, and was not allowed to let any of the fruit off his place. He taught me a few tricks about saving seeds. With melons you dump all the fruit into a drum (or bucket) and let them set a few days. The seeds rise to the top and you skim them off.

injinji said:

Yes, they do better when washed. I'm still eating pink grapefruit. About a dozen and a half left. We spit the seeds right into the strainer, then put the strainer in a bowl and run water over them for a few minutes.

WC, the old timer who gave me the orange trees a few years back, raised strawberry melons for seed. He contracted with a seed company in south Florida, and was not allowed to let any of the fruit off his place. He taught me a few tricks about saving seeds. With melons you dump all the fruit into a drum (or bucket) and let them set a few days. The seeds rise to the top and you skim them off.

Click to expand...

Strawberry melons? New to me. I have melons down. Re payed my theft of musk melons as a youth tending a masters yard and garden chores. LOl. Worth every ill gotten bite.