Gardening Thread- Show me your gardens!

Yessir, ain’t my first rodeo.

 

FWIW, I am still battling squash bugs. Saw exact same spots like that on a plant this morning with a juvenile squash bug in center of one. I have been manually removing and killing them and egg pods but got behind after being out of town this weekend. Mixed a sprayer full of dawn dish soapy water, just a few drops per gallon, and soaked all my squash and zucchini plants down a bit ago. About ten minutes later I sprayed them down with water good to rinse. Still saw a few crawlers but they were lethargic. Mashed every one of those sobs and put a whooping on them.

 

Got a batch of blackberry jam done today.


Anyone have recommendations on berry juicer? The one we have works but parts are no longer made or unobtanium...

 

One sauce maker to rule them all:

$58 Johnny Apple Sauce Maker, Tomato Sauce Maker, Remove Skins & Seeds From Produce, Model 250 Clamp Based Food Strainer (Basic Strainer)

https://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Strainer-Sauce-VICTORIO-VKP250/dp/B001I7FP54

Same design comes under different names. We use it for everything, from marinara sauce to apple and pear sauce and pear jam and blackberry jellies. Just need to replace the screens.
The smallest screen keeps blackberry seeds out.

I processed 10lbs of tomatoes last Sunday in an hour, counting washing and blanching them. Berries are even faster, since they do not need to be blanched.

 

$17 Kitchen Crop Strainer Accessory, Small, Berry Screen

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Crop-Brands-Strainer-Screen/dp/B002SVZITW/

 

Nice! Kinda what im looking for. you get the motor on it?

 

Nah, I am too cheap, hand crank works fine. Plus, if there is a harder apple or a tomato, I can slow down easier and control the torque.
We've had the same sauce maker and accessories pack since 2013, use it every summer, it lasts.

Good deal on a screen selection. One of the screens is the same as what comes with the maker, but it is a good deal.

$33 Weston 4 Piece Accessory Kit for Tomato Press and Sauce Maker ,Silver

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S2L0AY/

 

If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer, this works great to peel the pears and apples for canning:

$70 KitchenAid Stand Mixer Attachment, KSM1APC Fruit and Vegetable Spiralizer

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XPRRHYW/

Much faster than peeling by hand. Wash, peel, cut into slices and can.

 

3pints 3 halfpints from about 5.5 cups of mostly seeded blackberries

 

More blackberries. They are small but add up quick. Bout half done id gues. Have some green ones coming along now too

 

We are canning like crazy. Put away another 10 pints of blueberry jam on Wednesday and Thursday.
Making salsa today and marinara tomorrow. Opened a jar of this year's marinara to try with pasta last night. It was so good! Good tomatoes this year. Sweet, not acidic.
Cherokee tomatoes are dying out, they produced a lot, same with yellow pear tomatoes.
Putting 4 black Siberian tomatoes in tomorrow to replace Cherokees, 2nd row of German black tomatoes is coming up to replace the pear yellow.

Graveled more of the garden yesterday with the family. Can put in 8 of 20 gal vegetable tubs. Will expand to put in another 12. Cheaper than building raised bets, and works well for potatoes and bell peppers. Will take pics for ideas tonight.

 

We use #25 black containers. Last about 5 years in the south sun. More, if you do not move it. 26.5 gallons .

Best price that wife found for them:
https://www.greenhousemegastore.com/products/large-nursery-containers?variant=42701222084807

Watch for sales. I got 2 5-packs for $115 shipped and taxed in June, or $11.50 a piece. Much, much cheaper than Amazon ($95 for 4 or $23.75 for one).

 

I realized that I did not water mine as much as I should have. Put hoses on my trellises and poor things absorbed water for almost an hour before it started running over.

 

Bulding ares for the 25 gal containers.

 

Canning tonight!

 

You can green ones?

 

No. Birds start pecking if they get any redder. We pick them when they starr turning pink and they finish ripening inside.
No canning tonight, ran out of time. Yomorrow I will pick the ripe ones from the batch and proccess them.

 

Had problems with birds a couple years back and put netting around tomato cages. Stopped them cold. Was cardinals doing the damage.