Is there a Garden Overwaterer's Anonymous one can join? Maybe with a 'Twelve Step Program'? If so, I'll try to get my neighbors to join, too! Really, if you think I over water, you should see them. The neighbors on both sides of us water every.single.day. One waters not only every day, but twice a day! We all have irrigation water. We pay for it right along with our property taxes, and we can use all the water we want for six months each year. We have to pay the fee, whether we use it or not, so I guess some people want to make sure they get their money's worth.
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My refrigerator is stuffed full of veggies, and something has to be done with them....to make room for more! There is barely room for the eggs, let alone anything else. I must have six heads of cabbage in there, and two more in the garden that have to be picked. I guess I'll make sauerkraut today (yuk....I don't like it, but Mr. Granny does). It will have to go out to the garage to ferment, I'll not have that smell in my house for three weeks! There are three (maybe four) gallon bags absolutely stuffed with beans to be blanched and frozen. Bags full of summer squash and zucchini were waiting for my son to come get them. Since he was a no-show yesterday, I'll have to give in and freeze the yellow squash, and make a batch or two of zucchini bread. I guess with today's heatwave I'll just turn on the AC, set a fan on the kitchen counter and get to work. It's too hot to go outside anyway!
One day at a time, they say. I can't fathom irrigation systems such as yours. Seems totally foreign to our way of life, but I hear you on the sandy soil! Good for digging, not so good for holding water. Your tomatoes with thank you.
ReplyDeleteWe've really been spoiled by having unlimited water, Stefaneener. Even in AZ, we had our own well, so I didn't have to restrict my watering. Although, how much water does it take to keep cacti alive, LOL!
DeleteI don't even know what that irrigation system is you're talking about. I've never heard of that, but it's fascinating learning different things from other parts of the country. I'm sorry your fridge is so full but hey, there could be worse problems, ha. 2nd Man and I will be right over to help you eat, er, "put up" that food.... ;-)
ReplyDelete1st. Man, we live right next to the Columbia River, which is the largest river in the Northwest. Much of the eastern part of our state is served by irrigation canals (great big concrete ditches of water) that have river water pumped through them and then it's distributed through irrigation companies, usually run by the counties. The big farmers have large pumps that draw the water directly from the canals, but we city people have underground water lines, just like city water lines, that serve each residence or small acreage. It's just like city water, only it comes through a different pipeline and supplies water to our outdoor spigots. I also have underground sprinklers that are on a timer, so I can set the time of day and which days to water automatically. I'm spoiled ;-)
DeleteWe are roasting from the summer heat here, too. When I have too many veges in the fridge, I make a big stir-fry and throw everything in. Don't tire yourself out cooking, even with the A/C on it gets hot!
ReplyDeleteLana, I have a stir fry every single week, even through the winter. we love them! I don't think I have a pan big enough to stir fry the 3 gallons of green beans, six heads of cabbage and 10 pounds of squash that are in the fridge though :-)
DeleteYou need a second fridge. I took over hubby's beer fridge in the garage. LOL!!
ReplyDeleteHe's none to pleased about that, but desperate times call for desperate (mean, despicable ) measures. Who needs beer, when you have BLUEBERRIES!!
Sue, we just sold our Silverado yesterday, so I have half of a big garage sitting empty now! I have a feeling it won't stay empty long though. A man just isn't a man without a truck, ya know. We really miss our little Ranger, so I'd bet money there will be another small pickup in that garage before long. So it would have to be a table top mini fridge, because I already have two freezers, a wall of cabinets a wall of shelves and a wall of tools and crap (anybody want to buy two dirt bikes and/or three bicycles?).
DeleteBut, not to worry. I already have three gallons of beans blanched and chilling, and I'm on my way to do the zucchini bread right now.
I guess if I could pay a flat fee and water all that I wanted I would probably do the same as you. It doesn't work that way around these parts, you pay for what you use, and you pay twice at that. Once for the water and once again in sewage fee. It doesn't matter if the water is used to water your yard either, you still pay the sewage fee.
ReplyDeleteFor what it is worth, I only water my garden once a week, but heavily. I have always heard that it is better for plants to have to reach down and stretch for water when they are stressed. It builds better root systems, I have always followed that method for my lawn and just carried it over when I started vegetable gardening. I say do whatever works for you, and if it ain't broke don't fix it.
Kris, the difference is you have clay soil that holds the moisture, so you water deep. Our sandy soil drains too quickly and dries out, so we water more shallow but more frequently. The garden is getting a little better at holding moisture, thanks to the composted manure I add each year, but the lawn turns brown if I go longer than three days without water. I never did get the bale of straw I wanted for mulch this year, so the garden dries out pretty fast. Back where I have the zucchini and crooknecks, I had enough straw to mulch with. I only water that area twice a week, even in the heat.
DeleteAhh I see, wow having to water your lawn every three days stinks.
DeleteNot really, the sprinklers are on timers. I set them in the spring and turn them off mid-October. They do all the work!
DeleteIf I get over-full of zucchini and don't feel like baking, I usually shred the zucchini, wrap the shreds in a cheesecloth bag and blanch them for a minute and a half. Then drain them well and freeze them in portions for zucchini bread or muffins (about 2 cups). Then i can bake the breads when i feel like it during the year. At least that way you won't have to use the oven on such a hot day, but the zukes will be out of the way. I have no idea what to do with the rest of my cabbages, my husband is about sick of coleslaw. Good luck on the sauerkraut, I've heard it can be challenging to keep it from spoiling before it ferments.
ReplyDeleteAnywhere, you blanch your shredded zucchini? I never blanch mine, just shred it and bag it for the freezer. Another neat trick is to add the amount of oil your zucchini bread recipe calls for, with the proper amount of shredded zucchini, and freeze it all together in the bag. That way it's ready to go right into the bread! Sheesh, I still have shredded zucchini from last year in the freezer, and it was a bad year for zuccs :-(
DeleteSauerkraut is easy when made in the jars. One must be diligent about checking the level of the brine. I always wadded up a piece of Saran wrap and placed it between the kraut and the lid to keep the cabbage submerged, but some just use a cabbage leaf, so I might try that this time. I've never had any spoil on me, but I always had a cool basement for fermenting it. The garage is fairly cool, but probably never the optimum 70 degrees during the afternoons.
Good for you. Plants droop in the sun to "shade" their leaves when they've had too much. Not the worst thing happening out there.
ReplyDeleteOur town is big on water conservation. They average a home's water use from the Jan, Feb and Mar bills to put you in a range. Over that range, you pay more for the water. Also, no watering outside between noon and 7 pm here June-Sep. It evaporates too much then anyway to do your plants much good.
Over using water because it is paid for could make for an issue later when a real drought hits and there isn't much available. I hope your area reconsiders that plan.
Enjoy all that produce. Nice to have a bursting refrigerator.
Sherlock, I always water beginning at 5:00 am, because my sissy dogs won't go outside if the sprinklers are running, so I want it finished by 8! I never water in the evenings, as that can be one cause of mildew on the leaves. We pay $155 a season for our water. That's up from the $40 we paid 30 years ago!
Deletehow wonderful that you have a separate water supply you can use for the garden. We haul in drinking water from town to fill our cistern in the basement and Luckily we have a well out back that is full this year so the garden does get watered from time to time...However, I prefer mother nature to water for me....LOL
ReplyDeleteMrs. P., I can't let Mother Nature take over here. We only get about 6-7" of precipitation in an entire year, with most of that in the winter!
DeleteWell, it sure is interesting to see different takes on watering from around the country. It is rarely an issue here, and I can't remember ever having restrictions. We have our own well, but I still like to use captured rainwater when I can. But Granny, I think for you if it ain't broke don't fix it. You seem to have plenty of gardening success doing what you're doing! My fridge is stuffed too and I have to make myself do something with that produce. I was thinking sauerkraut, but the recipe I looked at required far more cabbage than I have, so that's a bust for now. And the heat does tend to turn off my motivation!
ReplyDeleteNutmeg, with only 6-7" of rainfall each year, and most of that in the winter, rain barrels aren't even an option here. The irrigation water that's used filters quickly back down through this sandy soil and right back into the river, with probably no more lost to evaporation than would naturally occur from the river itself.
DeleteHave you ever made single jars of sauerkraut? I'm going to make mine according to this recipe:
http://www.sauerkrautrecipes.com/recipe6885.shtml
But I might make a couple of changes/additions:
1. Place a folded piece of cheesecloth over the contents, tucking it down around the edges, or wad up a piece of plastic wrap to hold the kraut down in the brine, then put on the lids.
1. Do NOT screw the bands down tight, as in that recipe. Set the jars in a pan or on folded newspaper, as the brine may bubble out a bit.
2. Check on the jars every two days to make sure that the cabbage is still submerged in the brine, and skim off any film that may form.
By making it in pint jars, you can easily adjust the amount of cabbage and salt to what you have on hand.
Different recipes say anywhere from 10 days to 8 weeks for fermentation, my old Farm Journal cook book says 10 days, and that's the recipe I used to use. I guess it's a matter of taste, and it all tastes nasty to me!
I gardened on sandy soil for years. I guess that's why even with clay I still water constantly.
ReplyDeleteWow! What you pay for a season of water is what I pay each quarter!
Someday, maybe, I'll have a fridge full of my own veggies. I guess I'll have to be content with a full prodice drawer.
Ed, old habits are hard to break. I hope my garden isn't dead by morning ;-)
DeleteI just got home from camping all week. I wanted to water before I left, but it was raining. It seemed silly to water in the rain. But we only got a third of an inch and with the hot weather it just wasn't enough. So now things are drooping. But I probably won't water until tomorrow morning. I guess I don't need to join an overwaterers anonymous group.
ReplyDeleteDaphne, I'm surprised you aren't out there using your new sprinkler every day, rain or shine! When we got that rainstorm a couple weeks ago, both of my neighbors had all their sprinklers going.
DeleteActually my hope is that my beautiful new sprinkler never ever gets used, but that's just not going to happen.
DeleteI think I will need to find an overwaterers anonymous group in my area. I conduct regular rescue missions with the hose each time I see those leaves droop. Such a newbie!
ReplyDeleteNichole, it's not just a newbie problem, I've been overwatering for over fifty years :-D
DeleteWhat do you do with your squash when you unfreeze it? I find it gets to mushy and loses all its water after freezing and the consistency is just rubbery in recipes.
ReplyDeleteVanessa, I'm not terribly fond of frozen summer squash, either. Of course, grated zucchini is fine for breads and muffins. The yellow crookneck are used with other vegetables, and added very near the end of the vegetable's cooking time. I like them best mixed with whole kernel corn, as they seem to take on the flavor of the corn and extend the servings. I also like to add them to green beans. I only blanch the slices for about 60 seconds, then freeze them on a tray before packaging them. Like I said, just don't overcook them when you take them out of the freezer! Get them into the boiling liquid, and just cook long enough to get them hot.
DeleteThat's pretty neat have a separate watering supply! Holy cow that's a lot of stuff to process! But I do love the feeling of popping open a jar later on.
ReplyDeleteDavid, I got quite a bit of it preserved, and gave some away. I can find my fridge again....for now ;-)
DeleteAt least you are trying LOL! I haven't watered yet but I find what helps the most is to just not go out there. Step. away. from. the. back. door.......! If you look then you will water :)
ReplyDeleteErin, I went three days instead of the usual two! The garden survived, I'm going to try for four days.
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