Garden 2020
Contributors to this thread:Oklahoma
From: Ok...Russ
23-Feb-20
Checking to see how many here plant gardens. Need some veggies to go with all that red meat! I've got a corner section of my back yard in raised beds - 8' x 40'. Plenty big enough for my wife and I. I plant perpendicular so have 8' rows.
The furthest 8' x 8' section has asparagus planted and this is the 3rd year so it should produce pretty well this year.
This weekend I planted a row of onions, spinach, kale, red leaf lettuce and buttercrunch lettuce. I'll plant another row of spinach in 2 weeks to stagger when it's all ready. We love the big leaf spinach for salads and can blanch then freeze to use later.
Next will be carrots, beets, potatoes then green beans and okra followed by cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. This is a great stress relief 'project' and very rewarding. Lots of canned jars of pickles, beets, tomato relish and salsa in the cupboards for winter!
Any others? Figure a good off season topic.
From: Ok...Russ
23-Feb-20
Pic of the asparagus patch and hard to see but there's a row of onions by the divider. Will plant some shallots too along the edge of the asparagus.
From: PushCoArcher
23-Feb-20
From last year
From last year
Last years high tunnel
Last years high tunnel
I have garlic, shallots, and onions in now. Next up is the spinach, carrots, lettuce,potatoes, and broccoli. Not sure what else for this year, definitely will do some okra, peppers, and squash later in the year.
From: Ok...Russ
24-Feb-20
NICE!! I'd love to have a greenhouse to grow somethings year round or for starters. Maybe next year.
From: Ok...Russ
24-Feb-20
Is the garlic from last fall or did you just now plant this spring and harvest in the summer or fall? I'm planting shallots and garlic this weekend. Looking for horse radish root too but can't find any. Might have to check with a nursery and not Lowes.
From: Quailhunter
24-Feb-20
I have a big garden and enjoy working in it. Regarding garlic, I planted in the fall and harvested the following late spring/early summer.
From: EmbryOklahoma
25-Feb-20
I'm a bit jealous of you guys. Guess I need to get my gardening skills up to par. :)
From: Ok...Russ
25-Feb-20
Seeing the P&Y deer you're taking, those skills don't need honing so may as well start another hobby! Can't wait for fresh arugula on an elk burger(40 days and counting). :)
From: Quailhunter
25-Feb-20
Yea, I’d trade a tomato plant or two for one of Rick’s deer!
From: PushCoArcher
25-Feb-20
The garlic was planted in the fall. Never planted horseradish sounds interesting and I love horseradish sauce. Russ I take it your CO elk hunt was a success? Nothing goes better with wild game meat then home grown veggies well maybe a beer.
From: Ok...Russ
26-Feb-20
Yes, it was a success. Bittersweet as it's was the last year on the private property that I hunt. Not the biggest bull I've taken on the property but got around 225 lbs of boneless meat. Guess now I can focus on whitetails. If ever around OKC area, could meet and swap some elk burger for a cold beverage!
From: Hutch
26-Feb-20
Man, I love a big garden!!! Thats why I let pop plant his every year...lol! He's got a late start on it this year though. Those raised beds look good. When I was a kid, we had a place in Moore, privacy fence all the way round, pop, he put in raised beds on all 3 sides. Now he lives out in the woods and has the smallest garden i've ever seen him plant...lol
Hutch
From: Ok...Russ
26-Feb-20
Hutch, my Mom still plants a huge garden(4 times the size of mine) and gives most away to friends, family and people at the gym(when she goes). She just loves seeing the seeds grow and having people over to talk and pick! Dad can't help anymore so me and wife go help pull weeds, water and pick whatever is producing at the time. She'll have so much squash and tomatoes this summer we should start a roadside stand!
From: Hutch
27-Feb-20
Ya my wife is always askin if his garden is ready to pick...lol he gives away a lot also. Mom used to do ALOT of canning... I loved it!!! as soon as I get me my own dirt I'm gonna have me a good garden again.
Hutch
From: PushCoArcher
27-Feb-20
Russ that's a beautiful bull congratulations. I might have to take you up on that deal next time I'm up your way. Hutch my dad's a big time gardener as well ever since he retired it's gotten a bit out hand. My mom has no green thumb but her canning and pickling skills are finely tuned.
From: Ok...Russ
19-Mar-20
Garden is coming along good given all the rain. A few asparagus stalks are poking up and need cutting. I replanted some gaps in a row of beets and spinach that hadn't come up yet. Garlic and green onions going like gang busters with lettuce and spinach not too far behind. Got some potatoes about to break through the soil - just need more sunshine.
Wish the Covid-19 had hit about 2 months later then I wouldn't even need to go to Walmart and fight over the last can of beans!! Will get some pics up when more to show.
From: Ok...Russ
20-Mar-20
First harvest
First harvest
Not many but more coming! I don't mind because they're grown for my wife.
From: PushCoArcher
28-Mar-20
Picked some herbs to dry today.
From: Ok...Russ
30-Mar-20
Perfect timing - picked off some rosemary last night to have with dinner. Pulled the 'leaves' and used the stems as skewers on grilled chicken breast. Chopped up the leaves and mixed with garlic and olive oil then rubbed on turkey cutlets. Garden not producing as well as expected and I think I planted some of my seeds too deep. Spinach should be much further along and same with my carrots. Replanted some rows where spotty and hope not too late.
From: PushCoArcher
30-Mar-20
Sounds great love the idea of using the rosemary stems as skewers will have to try that. My carrots are not doing well either, my spinach is coming along nice.
From: Ok...Russ
17-Apr-20
Well, my potatoes did NOT like the recent cold weather and the tops on most got frost bite so had to cut off the dead parts. It's below freezing today here with the wind chill so I covered them up with some cardboard boxes and a light tarp. Starting to get some kale and lettuce for salads. Spinach still sucking but hopefully will come on later in the spring. Don't know what to think of the carrots other than I just planted too deep. I really like the multi-colored carrots but don't seem to do nearly as well as Danvers(basic orange variety). Asparagus still producing 8-10 sprigs every other day but also slowed with the cold front. PCA - ever taken the dried herbs and made flavored olive oil? Just curious as that's something I always wanted to try.
From: PushCoArcher
18-Apr-20
I have done it with rosemary in olive oil its pretty good. My carrots are in a sorry state but other then that everything is coming along nicely. My lettuce is doing great pulled a head for BLT's yesterday.
From: Ok...Russ
20-Apr-20
Got you a good little helper there too! My niece LOVES digging up potatoes. We'll have our first salad tonight or tomorrow - kale, red leaf, buttercrunch and romaine.
From: Ok...Russ
04-May-20
Updates: Got 3 kinds of cucumbers planted and all up, tomatoes(6) and peppers(6) all going good so far. Beans and okra are liking this hot weather! Asparagus is slowing down but still producing 5 or 6 stalks every couple of days. About ready to let go to fern for rest of the season. Have GOT to start eating more ruffage! Had a great spinach salad last night. Don't think we'd eat it all if had a salad every other night. Carrots are a HUGE disappointment so far. Luckily Mom's carrots are doing good and I can just blame losing a few on those damn moles! :)
From: Ok...Russ
04-May-20
Forgot to add subtitle to pic. Green beans on left, Okra on right, weeds in between.
From: Ok...Russ
04-May-20
Potatoes, beets - AWESOME
Potatoes, beets - AWESOME
Purple, red and Yukon gold potatoes.
From: Ok...Russ
04-May-20
Lousy carrots, great lettuces, semi-lousy spinach, onions
Lousy carrots, great lettuces, semi-lousy spinach, onions
From: PushCoArcher
04-May-20
Looks good Russ especially those potatoes. Just harvested my first heads of broccoli for the year and planted some corn this weekend.
From: PushCoArcher
04-May-20
Some broccoli for dinner tonight.
From: Ok...Russ
05-May-20
Garden's looking good there! Funny thing is I don't eat many veggies - carrots, potatoes, beans, beets is about all. Love growing stuff for my wife and others. BUT, since I do cook a lot, I can tell that broccoli is as fresh as could be - love that deep green color.
From: EmbryOklahoma
05-May-20
We planted a little garden with various types of peppers and red/white onions. Book ended it with a couple tomato plants. As soon as I planted it all about 10 days ago, I looked out through the window and one of my damn dogs was walking around in it. So, had these old sticks lying around and no more dog in the garden. :)
From: Ok...Russ
06-May-20
Cool raised bed Rick!! Add in a little cilantro and got all the fixins for pico de gallo. I made the mistake one year of not fencing in my potted tomato plant and since I put bone meal in the soil our dog just couldn't help himself!
From: Ok...Russ
19-May-20
Later stages of spinach and kale...should be 'done' in another week or two. Kale seems to bounce back once I think it's through for the year. Romaine and bibb lettuce hanging in there. Asparagus pretty much done too - a few pieces every other day. BUT, the beets are looking great! Some of the top soil washed back so I felt compelled to pick a couple. Going to roast and have with dinner. Potatoes, tomatoes and peppers all have blooms so won't be too much longer. Small San Marzano tomatoes already on 1 plant.
From: PushCoArcher
21-May-20
Pulled my garlic this weekend drying it now.
From: Ok...Russ
05-Jun-20
Watering yesterday and noticed some of my potatoes were showing so dug up a few to have with dinner tonight. I need to cut the tops and leave rest in ground to toughen up the skin. The purple ones are beautiful(if you're into that kinda thing)! Figured I needed to try another beet too. We'll be canning the beets soon as most of the plants have some beet above the soil level. Embry - how's the salsa patch coming along? :)
From: PushCoArcher
09-Jun-20
Good looking potatoes Russ! Pulled some of my onions today getting ready to pull my potatoes.
From: Ok...Russ
10-Jun-20
Those onions will be so good! We have a limited supply so only pick one or two at a time. May have to harvest the rest and put in a cool place - same with the potatoes. Canning beets this weekend with Mom but plan to leave a few smaller ones in the ground for eating fresh.
From: PushCoArcher
10-Jun-20
I grow a lot of onions, garlic, and potatoes to store in the root cellar. Wish I could add carrots to the list but can't seem to grow the dang things. Had a great year with the onion's I've harvested about half of them so far and am preparing them for the cellar. Picked some of my peas for dinner tonight as well. My mom still does all my canning a forgotten art.
From: EmbryOklahoma
12-Jun-20
Very nice, Will! My onions suck. Guess I’ll go to the store. Although, tomatoes are looking good! I’m such a rookie.
From: Ok...Russ
15-Jun-20
Got my first pickings of green beans. Since it's one of like 5 vegetables that I'll eat, I'm pretty excited! Canned beets with Mom on Saturday and ended up with 9 pints. Pulled a few onions and set out on a rack in a cool area. They were growing above the ground line so went ahead and harvested. Jalapenos are coming on good along with some serranos starting. I planted shishito peppers and they're great - olive oil, sea salt and grill on high to char. Mmmmm! Hang in there Rick!
From: Ok...Russ
15-Jun-20
From: Ok...Russ
15-Jun-20
Well, got the erroneous hog pic deleted but now get errors trying to upload a picture. Guess I'll have to work then!
From: Ok...Russ
15-Jun-20
From: Ok...Russ
15-Jun-20
Couldn't leave out the onions just for Embry!!
From: EmbryOklahoma
18-Jun-20
Dang!! I'm a poor farmer.... gonna need to work on that. :)
From: PushCoArcher
18-Jun-20
Pulled my first potato plant
Pulled my first potato plant
Hated helping my grandparents and parents garden as a kid. My grandpa would always say one day it'll grow on you. Always just thought it was a dumb joke, turned out to be a accurate prediction, as well as a dumb joke. Keep at it Rick.
From: Ok...Russ
19-Jun-20
PCA - take those little ones and fry whole....amazing!! I probably need to start digging some up as the only ones taken thus far were at the top and soil washed off. +1 on hating the garden when growing up. Cutting okra was the worst! Maybe that's why I don't have many veggies on my 'to eat' list? Have enough cukes(that's grower slang for cucumbers Rick!) to start jarring for refrigerator dill pickles. Likely making some bread and butter ones too.
From: EmbryOklahoma
19-Jun-20
Growing up in Norman, we had a garden too. It was my job to keep the box turtles from eating the melons and other low hanging veggies. Guess that's where my hunting started. I'd also catch horny toads out there too. Anddddd... picking the okra, sucked! Especially since I didn't eat it. :)
I think two factors that are making or made my onions not grow well is I didn't take into consideration the eve of my house shades the plants too much. Early on in May we were getting ample sunlight but as the sun got higher as the days grew, the back 2/3rds of the pepper plants aren't getting adequate light throughout the day. Next year, if we are still in this house, I'll make this planter into a flower/bush bed and make me another bed that gets full sunlight. The plants now that are getting adequate sunlight are doing well and have many peppers on them. My tomato plants are so-so, and they are in pots. Maybe the pot is too small? Not quite sure. One plant has about 15 tomatoes on it and the other has one (sad face). lol
From: Ok...Russ
25-Jun-20
Embry, you're spot on with the onions - full sun. Peppers and tomatoes can handle full sun too. Since you'll need cilantro for your pico de gallo, use a planter and keep in partially shaded!
From: Ok...Russ
25-Jun-20
TWINS!!
TWINS!!
Okay, I'm trying a new variety of cucumbers with hopes of discovering a new #1 for my refrigerator dill pickles. These are only supposed to get about the size of a half dollar - still got a ways to go but so cute when this small!
From: Ok...Russ
25-Jun-20
Cucamelon? I LIKE IT! Melothria scabra, also known as the cucamelon, is a vine grown for its edible fruit. Fruits are about the size of grapes and taste like cucumbers with a tinge of sourness. Vernacular names include mouse melon, Mexican sour gherkin, cucamelon, Mexican miniature watermelon, Mexican sour cucumber and pepquinos.
From: PushCoArcher
28-Jun-20
A few highlights from the week.
From: PushCoArcher
28-Jun-20
Russ those will make great pickles. Just got my cucumbers in 9 days ago not much to show yet.
From: Ok...Russ
29-Jun-20
Dang, that's a big radish! My mom makes a lemon poppy seed cake with yellow squash and it's amazing. Tomatoes are starting to come on now along with peppers and cucumbers. Put up 3 quarts of refrigerator dills so far. Don't get enough cukes in a day so save up 3 days worth to make a quart.
From: Quailhunter
29-Jun-20
Been a good year for the garden so far. I think I prefer a dry year over a wet one (at least as home gardening goes). I can control the watering better....
From: Ok...Russ
29-Jun-20
Quailhunter, agree 100% on this year being better with water control than last year. We had so much rain in May that nothing did too well. Nice onions - hope one of the dogs doesn't have to bunk with another until they're all eaten! Okay, looks like they're drying outside of the dog pens not in one. :) Embry - well, guess I don't really need to say anything with such a good picture! Yes, this ribbing will come back on me when you're standing over another P&Y buck asking me "how's your garden now farm boy?!?!".
From: EmbryOklahoma
29-Jun-20
LOL!
From: Quailhunter
30-Jun-20
My bird dogs like tomatoes but I don’t think they’ve tried to eat an onion. Yes they’re drying outside the kennels. I chop and freeze a bunch for cooking with throughout the year. Try to keep about a 2 to 3 month supply for fresh eating. That seems to be about the length of time most last. The yellows are “Candy” and reds are “Southern Belle Red” from Dixondale Farms. Always had good luck with their onions. Kind of pricey but a few of us do a big order every year.
From: Ok...Russ
17-Jul-20
Tia Raquel, mas salsa por favor!
Tia Raquel, mas salsa por favor!
Nice looking batch of onions! Wish they would store/keep better. We're going to be getting a storm shelter so I'll check humidity levels and such in there as a possible 'root cellar' alternative. Cucumbers have slowed way down. Canned/froze most all of the beets with just a few left in the ground. Tomatoes and peppers have been producing great! And, this is the first year for us to get enough blackberries to share and cook with - think fresh peach and blackberry cobbler! Mmmmmm!
From: EmbryOklahoma
17-Jul-20
Very nice, Russ! We are picking tomatoes daily, jalapeños and cayenne peppers are crazy good too. Makes me want a king size garden. This small attempt has made me a have a desire for it that goes beyond 6-8 plants and a few varieties. I want a BIG garden. Plus it’s fulfilling and rewarding.
From: Quailhunter
17-Jul-20
You won’t regret a big garden. I’ve had a big garden for many years. Raised beds are the way to go. Also, mulch mulch mulch... save a lot of weeding headaches. I think that’s what turns a lot of people off of it after they get started. Put the effort in early to save work later when it’s hot and miserable out. I’ll try to put up a pic or two of what I ended up with after many years of trying different things.
From: Quailhunter
17-Jul-20
From: Ok...Russ
20-Jul-20
Way to go Rick! It's very rewarding to plant, grow, nurture and harvest your own food...very much like food plots and hunting. A big garden is nice but it can be overwhelming at times when everything starts ripening around the same time. But, you'll find all kinds of recipes then spend fun time in the kitchen preparing your bounty! Quailhunter - anxious to see your setup. As you can see from the first pic, I too use raised beds along one side of our backyard fence. It's 8' x 40'(5 sections @ 8'x'8'). One of the sections is strictly for asparagus and I put a 2"x12" in-between it and the next section so that it won't spread to my entire garden. What I'd really like next is a green house or might look into a frame for my current garden and keep stuff going over the winter. Okra is starting to really produce too.
From: EmbryOklahoma
26-Jul-20
Just had one plant of cayennes... what do you usually do with them? We are thinking we will dehydrate them and make powder with them. Anyone have a process they would like to share?
From: Bear
27-Jul-20
Freeze them and use them in your summer sausage!
From: Ok...Russ
27-Jul-20
Rick, if you dehydrate them, when you use in a dish they will rehydrate so keep that in mind. Funny story - I love dehydrating grapes for the summer trips to mountains and hunting. Well, we had some leftover and my wife was making oatmeal raisin cookies and thought why not use these. Look like raisins. Taste like raisins. BUT, when used in making cookies, they will suck out all the butter and liquid in the cookie dough. "Raisins" plumped up almost to size before we dehydrated and cookies would crumble apart if you broke one up. However, those were some damn good "raisins" all soaked in butter! Key takeaway - sun dried vs dehydrated will be for different uses down the road. Oklahoma is so humid I think sun drying may be difficult. Here's an article I found online as I was curious. https://www.wikihow.com/Dry-Chilies For jalapenos and serranos, we just chop up and freeze but the uses are different than cayennes. I quit growing them as they get prolific and produce alot but we don't have many recipes calling for fresh cayenne so ended up wasting. They do add color to our pickle jars though!
From: EmbryOklahoma
27-Jul-20
LOL! I’m sure glad I just planted one cayenne, as they are surely prolific! I think we will dehydrate them and them chop and freeze.
From: Quailhunter
28-Jul-20
Rick, I’m a wimp when it comes to spicy stuff. Those make my mouth burn just looking at them. They even look hot!
From: Quailhunter
28-Jul-20
Here’s the garden. Tomatoes are looking pretty diseased at this point but they’ve made a ridiculous amount this year.
From: Quailhunter
28-Jul-20
From: Quailhunter
28-Jul-20
I usually make a ton of cantaloupe and watermelon but they kind of just sat there this year. Maybe the cool May? Anyway, a good garden this season overall.
From: Ok...Russ
28-Jul-20
VERY nice setup Aaron! Never thought about bricks/pavestones around the garden then grow up into the raised beds. I always get mine overcrowded with the tomatoes going crazy and I'm hesitant to trim them back. Starting to wind down but still getting lots of peppers(jalapenos, serranos and shishitos).
From: Quailhunter
28-Jul-20
Thank you. When I finally built the beds, I used mulch with landscape fabric. Still a lot of weeds and the mulch decays pretty quick. It’s more up front but glad I did it. For years I just had a huge rectangle plot in this same spot and would till or weed eat between rows. This is nice because I can go out anytime no matter how much rain and these beds dry out pretty quick.
I lay down newspaper and straw around almost everything. Eliminates most if not all weeding and helps retain moisture.
From: Bear
28-Jul-20
Do you shred the newspaper?
From: Quailhunter
28-Jul-20
No just lay down a layer underneath straw. Helps keep the wheat seed from germinating. It’ll pretty much be broken down by fall.
From: PushCoArcher
28-Jul-20
Beautiful setup Quailhunter! Here are a couple of my raised beds. Just got back from a 9 day vacation and the garden didn't appreciate it. My tomatoes and corn are dead or dying but the peppers, squash and okra are hanging in.
From: EmbryOklahoma
28-Jul-20
Yep, I’m surely a garden rookie! Those are nice setups fellas! I told my wife if we are still in this house next spring, we are turning the entire backyard that catches sun, into garden planters. LoL It’s a lot of fun growing your own stuff. Now I know why my Mother always had a huge garden. :)
From: Quailhunter
28-Jul-20
I like those tall raised beds... looks really nice and I bet it’s easy to access
From: Quailhunter
28-Jul-20
From: Ok...Russ
07-Aug-20
More chiles for my in-laws!! Rest of garden has pretty much stopped including tomatoes. That's okay, I need to focus on harvesting some red meat instead of vegetables now!
From: Bear
07-Aug-20
Yessir about time to switch gears!
From: Quailhunter
07-Aug-20
On a different note (red meat).... word is out that many of the professors are absolutely slammed and backed up. Possibly late into the fall. I only used processors for one thing and that was grinding. If you depend on a processor for your deer you might want to think about investing in some processing equipment now and not later. Just something for you all to think about.
From: Bear
08-Aug-20
I doubt a lot of them do deer tgis year they are so slammed. Got a cow to take in and the wait times are goin on into next year. Get online get yourself a grinder!
From: Quailhunter
08-Aug-20
I bought a nice one last week!
From: PushCoArcher
10-Aug-20
Heard the same thing as you guys about the processors. No big deal here I do all my own processing except for a steer every year. The freezer is running low on deer but has a surplus of fresh fish currently will be headed to Wyoming September 12th to restock on antelope.
As for the garden still getting a few tomatoes but they're on their last leg, the squash is also fading out. Still producing peppers and plenty of okra.
From: Ok...Russ
11-Aug-20
Same here on the garden - okra going crazy along with peppers and very few tomatoes. I'll need to check the rural processors close to my hunting area before October. But, I'm not in a hurry to stick a whitetail since still eating on elk from last Sept! If any Bowsiters are close to OKC, I'd meet, greet and share if not too far(all touchless with mask, of course).
From: PushCoArcher
22-Aug-20
Got a few of these guys lately.
From: Ok...Russ
24-Aug-20
I just don't have the room for melons or cantaloupe and love them both! There's a guy at our corner bringing up melons from Rush Springs on weekend - sooooo sweet. Actually had some black diamond earlier in the season and I haven't had one of those in YEARS!
From: Tatertot
30-Aug-20
We put in a good size garden this spring. I filled up a 30X30 foot section in the yard. We got a ton of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Our watermelons were crazy. Had 2 that were over 40 pounds. Plan to try some turnips and potatoes in the cooler months ahead.
