I just posted on last weeks

That’s what I was thinking Amy. Either everybody is outside enjoying the beautiful weather are they doing holiday things. I’m going to Lubbock for four days with my daughter and her family. It’s gonna be a good time

Amy thanks for starting new thread Houzz wont let me ”like”

or even comment half the time, I miss the old GardenWeb and especially miss Dawn.

I have a new experiment - I planted potatoes end of September they are in s raised bed, covered with a plastic cloche and surrounded by straw. So far they are about 6” tall. If they freeze I wont have lost anything but my time. Wouldnt it be amazing to have new potatoes at Christmas?

i still have greens and onions from volunteer sets in the garden. My guage is already in for the winter but think we got sbout 1/2”

About 0.2 tenths here in the OKC area. More coming tonight I hear.

Rick

Amy, thanks for starting the new thread. Houzz, of my stupidity, keeps me from starting new threads.

Farmgardener, my neighbor has planted potatoes also. Neighbor planted his potatoes in wood chips. I don't think that he has any up yet, but I don't think he will have a lot of luck, but the chips may keep them warm enough, and dry enough that he will get an early crop next year.

Kim, I have been spending a lot of time doing outside things, and going to the doctor.

Today I made pear sauce for the grands. Tomorrow I’m going to make wild plum jam and cherry berry jam. I’m just gonna keep making jelly and jam until I run out of stuff in the freezer.

Thanks for starting the thread, Amy. What lettuce varieties are you growing?

farmgardenerok, it's fun to experiment in the garden. Keep us posted about your potatoes.

Kim, that's a great idea--cleaning out the freezer and making delicious stuff with it. School's out, so you're on a break, right?

I started cleaning out our shop freezer last week. The little freezer that is part of our shop refrigerator had several jars of turkey and/or chicken broth. And chopped onions. Those were all from 2020. I had been quickly grabbing the more recent jars of broth instead of getting the older ones. I just threw them out. (Not the jars, but the broth.) It's time to start making more broth. It does feel good to clean out and make room for fresh things.

We got rain but not as much as I had hoped for. We got about the same as what Rick mentioned above. There's no time to water this week, so it will have to do.

Saturday was beautiful! We got the Christmas lights up, but there's a big chunk on the back that is not lit. SO frustrating because we did check them first. THEN, the ones I put on the chicken pen (You can see the pen from our kitchen and dining windows) has a 3 ft unlit spot. I checked them too. But, they'll have to wait. Today, I'm working, then visiting my friend who lives north OKC. Then grocery shopping tonight for Thanksgiving food. I'll be off work the rest of the week. Tuesday is house cleaning. Wednesday is starting cooking/baking for Thursday. Family is coming for dinner so I'll have time to finish up cooking on Thursday.

Life is busy and confusing right now. I've been filling in for people at work in various ways. Lots of changes in general, not just work. I feel unsettled. The turnpike situation is annoying. The OTA has purchased several properties. Some houses are coming down. The land across from our little neighborhood is being rezoned for "shoppes" and who knows what else. I suspect the turnpike will be just outside our neighborhood, with "shoppes" and neighborhoods on the otherside. Which is quite different from what is there now. Rolling fields with cows and trees and wildflowers. Once they start building, I'm not sure how we'll get into our neighborhood. We're one way in. So, that's hanging over all of our heads.

I've been looking at properties closer to my daughter. The things we can afford are fixer uppers like this place was. The energy that takes...and money too! Who wants to go through all of that work again? and we're still not done with THIS place.

I look different. It's amazing how much my face has aged in the past couple of years.

It's all weird and feels unreal.

Tom and I like to eat breakfast at a certain restaurant on Black Friday and then go to the mall to get my keepsake ornaments and look around. Then, go to a craft fair at the fairgrounds. It's been our tradition for the past few years. BUT, there's a stupid football game in Norman at 11. Makes traffic so awful! Who planned that?!

Anyway....many things to be thankful for. Always grateful.

Yes Jennifer I am on 10 Day break. So far it’s been awesome. I had to deal with nasty leaking sink yesterday but I got the pear sauce done. Broke out my new came to waterbath my jams. Taking a break for lunch and then I have 3 more batches. I am going to finish today or freeze the juice to do when I get back. Tomorrow I get ready to go to Lubbock. Y’all have a great holiday. I hope you all stay safe out there.

Jennifer all the greens were purchased seedlings, probably Bonnie, romaine, with red in the leaf.

Amy, I would be smarter if I would buy my fall greens as plants, or at least try starting them in plant trays where I could care for them properly. The curly mustard (top left) are some of the plants that I was able to get up, along with the lettuce, far left, but I did not do well with either.

Also shown is my old onion area. It started out as a junk plant area at the edge of the garden, but I extended the garden to the right when Covid hit, thinking that the supply chain and food supply may cause a greater need to grow food.

The onions almost directly in front of me are some (new to me) bunching onions planted from sets on 10-27. The old onions are just a mixture of different bunching, and Egyptian walking onions. I am trying to play "depression days " living with my garden. Madge does not like that game. I will pull one of the bunching onions and cut off 1 to 2 inches off the bottom, cut the roots off to 2 -2 1/2 inches long and replant it, then butcher the rest of the onion and put it in a zip loc bag to use for cooking. Madge had rather have an onion bulb, but I can't get my onion bulbs to last this long. Some of the bunching onions have been there 2 years or more.

Below is 204 garlic, and 125+ onions sets that I am trying to get to grow. I have had a tough time keeping the henbit under control, so I put the grass catcher on my walk-behind mower and have been collecting grass clippings and leaves to use as mulch to help control the henbit.

I know that most of you have a life outside of your garden, but Madge and I don't have much to do other than cook, clean, go to the doctor, and maybe play in the garden a little.

Had a facebook memory come up today.

Had 4 low tunnels up over at Jennifer's.

This was a year ago today.

I'm running behind. I only got 3 tunnels started but not covered proper. Just as well with the winds we're getting now , it'd just rip the covers right off the hoops . I reiterated about this on facebook and somebody accused me of "mansplaining".

Shame , SHAME shame Gomer Pyle says.

Not on me but on "her". I think I know what I'm talking about.

This evening I just had to cover right over the plants under the hoops for a predicted hard freeze in the morning. Hopefully the holiday break will allow me to catch up.

Much to do before real winter hits.

Rick

Rick, I think you know what you are talking about.

I am pretty much through for this year, I haven't had any luck getting any thing up. My guess is that the soil has gotten too cool.

I may have my light shelves set up after the first of the year, and maybe have some brassicas ready to go in after it warms up a little. I may try to use the small mower and catch some dead grass and leaves to pit on the garden to help keep the henbit down. I will also try to have a spot ready to plant some onion plants when the time comes to plant them.

I have a lot of repair work to do, but I am not sure I will be able to do it.

Well, normally the mixer is brought out in the fall after the garden produce is cleared from the countertops. But, we had so many tomatoes to bring in green. These are the last of them. We gave two large bags away. I've made pico de gallo, eaten one for breakfast every morning and still had to throw many to the chickens because they had gone bad.

The tomatoes had to go into a bucket because the cooling rack they're on is needed for baking.

It's a seasonal thing. Mixer on the counter in the late fall/winter/early spring. It's put away once the garden produce starts rolling in.

Speaking of baking, does anyone keep a dry sourdough starter?

Our tomatoes are already gone. I should have picked more of the green ones, but I thought I was picking all we would use, but we have a little help using up our stray veggies. The kids know they are welcome to any laying around, and even go to the garden to harvest something it we have it.

The kids sure did grab peppers this past summer, the old man needs to plant more next year.

We no longer put our mixer away, its just too heavy to wag around, its sitting on the counter now with little oranges and lemons in it.

We were certainly blessed with an abundance of tomatoes this year, Larry. I forgot how many jars I canned, but it was a lot. And the veggie soup that Rick likes to can, uses tomatoes too.

I just ate one of those in the picture above on my egg.

It was a good garden year. Very productive.

Except for squash and pumpkins. That is what I'm missing this year.

Normally, I'll (at least) have a volunteer pumpkin or two... and can make puree to put in the freezer. This year I got nothing. I don't even know how to buy canned pumpkin any longer. Sorta like buying eggs. I'm only getting about a dozen a week right now (typical for me at this time of year), but my neighbor's spring chicks are laying, so I can buy from her. Which is weird....I'm usually the one selling eggs.

ANYWAY, I am missing the winter squash.

I wonder if I diligently spray Bt on the vines of winter squash, I could prevent SVB damage.

Most of the food is ready for this evening. Just need to make the baked mashed potatoes and warm the other stuff up when the time comes. Tom is smoking a turkey breast, but I don't have to mess with that.

I'm going to give Josi a bath this morning, and tidy and arrange the house so it's cozy and inviting--get the candles ready and the fresh Thanksgiving towels. I forgot to buy a BD card for my son-in-law, so need to find an open store too.

When hosting, it's almost like...do you as a guest want 1. good food, 2. a clean house, or 3. for me to look good (hair/makeup done). I can usually pull off 2 of those.

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends.

I wrote a long post then hit submit and it disappeared! We are getting light rain here, but the wind is really cold, I covered my experimental potatoes with straw and chopped leaves-some are about 8” high. I mowed and chopped leaves and put some in garden, some around new pansies, and a basketful for the chickens to scratch in. Our new pullets have started laying. Had several eggs frozen so didnt have to buy any. I picked a big mess of collards and turnips for us and a bucket of bad greens and weeds for the chickens- they always appreciate green stuff. Theres a big buck coming through the garden every night - catch him on game camera. So far hes only walking through and not grazing. Cold weather has not slowed gophers down. I think whole family had party in our front field last night. Gophers ruin a hay field, it makes it terrible bumpy and hitting a gopher mound when mowing is dusty plus damaging to the equipment. I cut open persimmons from 3 different trees. All had spoons - guess lots of snow thus winter. At least its moisture

farmgardenerok, SO sorry you lost your original long post. That happens and it's so annoying when it does.

My new pullets aren't laying yet. Normally my June/July ones start laying in February. I'm getting less than a dozen a week.

It got to 26 here last night and the rain gauge said almost a half inch of rain.

Not much to talk about really. It was a nice holiday week and now it's back to work tomorrow. Fall decor is down and put away. The tree is up and decorated. Will work on the other Christmas/winter decor tomorrow night. It's all very cozy. Our TG celebration was very nice. There were 8 here. Sure missed our regulars who are living elsewhere now.

I have become quite proficient at losing post also, and I also have become over ran with gophers. They seem to be worse in the hay field, the ground is more sandy over there than the gardens, but they seem to be happy in the gardens also. I use to think that I could trap the gophers quite well, but I guess I have lost my touch. I bought some poison peanuts, but I am afraid to use them for fear of killing someones pet.

The temp got down to 21 last night. The first damage I had to my greens was when it got down to 24 and 22. I have not been out this morning to check on things, but I fear that I may have more damage, but its that time of the year.

Madge and I have both been sick, so about the only times we have been getting out was to go to the doctor. I think we may be on the mend now. It seems to take a lot longer when you have a few years stacked on you.

Larry, I hope you and Madge are feeling better now.

Pretty sure I was getting something too, but started on the fire cider and pickled garlic and feel much better.

Again, not much gardening stuff to talk about, but I'm continuing to enjoy the food from the garden. Salads and all. You know, it's much better (to me) to pick what you need fresh each day rather than grabbing a lot of stuff to put in the refrigerator to use for an extended period. Especially root veggies. The ground is such a good storage for them rather than the fridge. Each morning I take a colander and grab what I need.

I'm seeing life in all 3 varieties of garlic. Two (Nootka and Inchelium) are from bulbs I saved and Rick brought over another variety but it didn't come with a name so I'm calling it "generic garlic". So far, the Inchelium seems to be the winner. It is on it's 3rd year in my garden as I've been saving bulbs each year. Maybe that's why?

My house is nearly ready for December. It's all glowy and cozy.

And I've managed to do some online shopping. And have also had issues with my card being compromised, which resulted in me accidentally cutting up my regular card instead of my compromised vacation/holiday card...as I was dealing with the bank trying to set up my new pin because their system was out & in apparently when I was at the bank putting in my new pin number (so it didn't take) when I got the new card. It was a mess for sure and nearly a week later, my cards are all good finally, although they charged me to replace the one I accidentally cut up.

Seed catalogs are coming in. We will be busy this coming summer and part of me is fine with that. I sorta look forward to a year of just enjoying the garden instead of trying to grow a lot of high production things. I want to try different varieties--just one or two of each. And play around with the heirloom tomatoes. Have it stress free and mostly for fun and enjoyment. Good thing is that our pantry is full from all the high production growing we did this year. We won't be able to eat through everything in a year, unless there's some sort of food crisis.

A FB memory from 2 years ago today, shows that my salad garden was much fuller and prettier than it is this year. I'm not complaining tho. And there were cabbages ready to be harvested. I still have 2 and a half jars of kraut in the refrigerator, so it's not crucial that I have cabbages right now.

I have a list of peppers that I want to try next year:

Cachucha, Mad Hatter; Marconi, Shishito (it's been awhile since I've grown this one), Carmen, and Sugar Rush Peach. There's more, but I can't remember them.

It's hard to believe that December is in a couple of days!

Those pictures are awesome. My big need is almost ready. Still not sure what I will do. Maybe cover for onion time. It doesn’t seem like it but it will be here soon. I plan on planting a few onions in February.

Looks good Larry. Especially that mustard. Mustard is pretty cold hardy. I had some one time that lasted all winter uncovered. I've also seen arctic air in the teens take it out even under a low tunnel.

Rick

I know a lot of us like elderberries for taste and health. I even take elderberry vitamins. I read this in a magazine tonight and found it interesting:

“And, yes, for most people, elderberries in juice, jelly, and syrup supports the immune system, especially in winter. But because the fruit ramps up the immune system in defense of infection, elderberries should be avoided by those with autoimmune conditions.

The fruit will actually cause the body to turn on itself. I have rheumatoid arthritis and suffer full-blown autoimmune attacks after ingesting anything with elderberries.”

Just curious if anyone else has heard this .

Farmgardener, I don't know what all Madge takes, but she tries to take care of her health, and it shows. Madge will be 85 in March, I will be 80 in about 3 weeks, and Madge is in much better shape than I am in. Madge has out lived 2 husbands, and it looks like she may out live at least 3 husbands, but I tell her that is the way I want it, she is strong, I don't think I am man enough to go through losing a loved one, plus she has a large loving family that will take care of her, I really don't have much to fall back on.

Kim, I plan on planting bulbing onions Feb., or Mar.. I need to cover that area also tp keep the henbit from growing in the area. I brought in some onion sets today that had been lying out in all the cold weather we have had. The tops had sprouted on a large number of them, and burned back by the 21 degree nights we have had, but I think they will put out OK once I get them in the ground. I have 2 mineral tubs with onions in them, and plan on having more.

Rick, I am becoming a fan of mustard, especially if it has jalapeno and onions cooked in with it. I am trying to learn more about spices, I wish I had started younger.

farmgardenerok, that is interesting. I wonder if only people with RA have issues or if it includes all the autoimmune conditions. Or if the person who is having issue with elderberries is unique.

We need an herbalist to tell us these things, but I've not come across warnings about elderberries and autoimmune issues yet. Something to research for sure.

I just did a quick (like 2 minute "research") and it appears the issue with elderberry might have to do with the medications that people with autoimmune conditions take.

In many illnesses medications (all the drug commercials...."don't take THIS if you are taking THIS) can't be taken together....and elderberry is a medication. Herbs are not benign, although normally have fewer side effects/are safer than pharmaceuticals.

Thanks for posting about this. Very interesting.

Jennifer thanks for your thoughts about the elderberry. My husband has PMR which is autoimmune issue plus rheumatoid arthritis. The woman who wrote the letter signed as a doctor. She was commenting on an article published by the magazine (Mother Earth News). I take a lot of vitamins or supplements and try to mostly eat healthy - I include elderberry supplements but dont give it to him. i will continue to take it and enjoy the fruit

Glenda

Well, my min/max says 61 degrees, it looks a little windy, but I have a dirt slinging itch, and I noticed the picture of my onions above have a strip along the left side that could use te henbit tilled in. I have planted that strip 3 times trying to get something up, back when it was hot, little lived, when it got cold, same thing. Madge is going to the beauty shop, so this is a good time to go out and get dirty.

I would sure like to set the grow lights up in the center bedroom, but we have guest expected over the Christmas holidays, so I need to clean that room up instead.