Text 8037, 138 rader
Skriven 2008-05-30 12:52:04 av Carol Shenkenberger (14122.cooks)
   Kommentar till text 8026 av Ruth Haffly (1:396/45.28)
Ärende: putting up
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 >  CS> Thats probably the way to go.  That or a neighbor with a surplus.
 >  CS> Kinda late now to start them where you are.
 > 
 > More likely somebody from church. We live in a new housing area on post;
 > peope aren't encouraged to dig up their yards & plant vegetable gardens
 > here.

Having lived in so many apartments over the eons it seems, it was natural to
me to take to containers.  It's going really nice so far!  Charlotte is
excited as now she can see what I was trying to do in Sasebo on the porch but
kept going to sea and would die in summer from lack of water.

Inventory-

Butter and another type of lettuce, plenty to keep me in samwich lettuce and
salads (we arent frequen sald eaters or have a small one every few days so a
head tends to go bad on us).  4'x8" and about 9 deep are all but a few of my
containers.  I'll mention if it's in another size.  This is cropping just
fine right now.  In about 6 weeks i think, I have to pull what bolts and
reseed the container.

Catnip and strawberry, living in sin together <g>.
The strawberry shows some small green fruits already.  I'll be drying some
catnip shortly.

6 cucumber plants, later added.  They've grown bigger and now are about 6
inches tall.  First time I've tried them.  Probably supposed to stake them or
something later?

1 bell pepper, has a nice green pepper on it already and a grunch of flowers.
 From the picture these might be the smaller more intense ones I grew to love
in japan.  This one is in a standard sized roughly 14" across hanging style
planter but set on the ground.

On the opposite end (12 ft away?) is another container like it with a bannana
pepper plant.  I see buds that want to become flowers soon on it.  Since we
arnt into 'hot' peppers, this heat level is right for our use.

Then another long container with 5 tomato plants and a smaller 3'x7"
container with 3 more tomatoes.  All covered with flowers, 6 of one type (an
italian sort) and 2 others (1 early girl, one beef eater).  The early girl
and beef eater are smaller and were the ones I suspect had some sort of
tomato blight but they are fruiting just like the others so will see what
happens.

The crowning glory is the straightneck squash with 3 obvious fruits and
several others behind it as well as lots of little flowers. It seems realy
happy in it's tall ceramic pot.  The pot is about 24" across and about the
same deep.

Out front in the ground, rosemary.

I also have some flowers and such <g>.

 >  CS> I ended up with more plants for the new containers so....  Gonna try
 >  CS> cucumber and a bannana pepper plant.  The green bell pepper seems to
 >  CS> be setting fruit now already.  The little bannana pepper is
 >  CS> practically doubling in size in just this week.  I think I need to
 >  CS> move them to opposite corners from each other.

Notice how fast they are progressing.  'seemed to be setting fruit' has a
definate nice bell pepper on it.  

 > If not into another container and separate by even more distance. You
 > may end up with mild bannna peppers and warmish bells. We did that once
 > but with jalapenoes and bells.

I think I caught it in time ;-)

 >  > When and if we ever settle down, I'll probably do some container
 >  > gardening. It's so much easier to move plants around in one of those vs
 > 
 >  CS> Yes, and no worries about fleasprayed food plants.  It's a monthly
 >  CS> ritual here to have to flea spray the yard.
 > 
 > No fun but with pets, it's a must.

Absoultely especially if you have a dog who has to go out!

 >  > dishwasher door.
 > 
 >  CS> I can't visualize that arrangement...
 > 
 > Dishwasher is on the end of a bar type arraingement in the kitchen. In
 > order, there's a set of drawers under a counter top, the sink and the
 > dishwasher under another counter top.  The kitchen window is at a 90
 > degree angle to the bar & low enough that the ledge is about a foot
 > above the open dishwasher door.  If anything on the ledge sticks out
 > over it (along the first 18" or so), the door will clip it as I open it.

Ah.  Ok.  I bet earlier design was thinking a small breakfast nook for 2 then
the dishwasher got added.

 >  > We use jams a fair amount, mostly in the morning.  Most recipes make
 >  > between 4 and 6 half pints; the supply I made last summer is half (or
 > 
 >  CS> I figure to make some of the little 3-4 cup yield recipes in a new
 >  CS> book that just arrived.  It's filled with small batch recipes.  Also,
 >  CS> the jars and stuff are starting to arrive.  I ordered them online.
 >  CS> The price with
 >  CS> shipping was almost the same as local store prices and the variety was
 >  CS> better.
 > 
 > OK, that sounds like it would work for us.  For me, it's no problem to
 > get the small jars in the shape I want (just a fairly straight side with
 > a diamond effect).

Well these are a mix, some quilted like that.  I got a canning tool kit too,
simple one.  Just a 5 piece but has all I really need.  Oh and got some
pectin which was a little cheaper online even with shiping.  Pickling salts
and some pickle mixes.

 >  > raid the supply.  My youngest sister likes to raid the supply of full
 >  > jars; I think that's why my parents still put in as much of a garden as
 >  > they do.  I'd rather take the empty jars.
 > 
 >  CS> They probably enjoy the past time of putting up produce for later.
 >  CS> It's a fun  and useful hobby.  I'll be traching Charlotte how to do it
 >  CS> later in the year.
 > 
 > My sister gets the jars full of food. I don't think she has any interest
 > in putting stuff up but wants to save a few $$ on her grocery bill. My

Yes but i meant your parents do it at least partly for fun I am sure.

 > mom cans and freezes for the same reason.  She never formally taught any
 > of us but I picked up enough of a knowledge, plus DIY/OJT, to do it for
 > myself.  Same as, if they wanted to, Rachel and Deborah could probably
 > do so. Deborah did make several batches of apple butter several years
 > ago. She gave it as Christmas gifts.

Thats part of what i want to do.  I fugure to make gifts for friends for
about 2$ total cost and have fun making it same time!
                xxcarol

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