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oh gosh. I didn't think of that! Well, even if I kept them outside, they'd probably sprout. it has been raining daily for a month!

sheeshshe wrote:
speaking of kale, how long will it grow for? and if I cover it in with a cold frame type thing, how long will it go for then?

what is your favorite variety of kale?

I like Toscana Kale which have the long skinny, really dark green leaves. The young leaves are great raw in a greek salad. I also grow the curly winterbore kale. I don't eat it until after the first freeze which sweetens it up. The curly kale will survive most of the winter without any cover. You can pick the leaves from under the snow, if it snows. The Toscana isn't as happy with extremely low temperatures.

I don't have much experience with growing kale when it rains all the time. It rarely rains here.

What I did when I grew cabbage to get rid of the cabbage worms is I dusted them with flour. Just normal household flower when they eat it makes them bloat and die. It doesnt get every single one, the outside leaves will still have a few holes but my cabbage was perfect.

ReptileAddiction wrote:What I did when I grew cabbage to get rid of the cabbage worms is I dusted them with flour. Just normal household flower when they eat it makes them bloat and die. It doesnt get every single one, the outside leaves will still have a few holes but my cabbage was perfect.

awesome! thanks!

sciencegal wrote:

sheeshshe wrote:
speaking of kale, how long will it grow for? and if I cover it in with a cold frame type thing, how long will it go for then?

what is your favorite variety of kale?

I like Toscana Kale which have the long skinny, really dark green leaves. The young leaves are great raw in a greek salad. I also grow the curly winterbore kale. I don't eat it until after the first freeze which sweetens it up. The curly kale will survive most of the winter without any cover. You can pick the leaves from under the snow, if it snows. The Toscana isn't as happy with extremely low temperatures.

I don't have much experience with growing kale when it rains all the time. It rarely rains here.

I don't' recall what variety I planted. I'm going to have to find the seed packet it would be neat if I could pick it throughout the winter

sheeshshe wrote:

ReptileAddiction wrote:What I did when I grew cabbage to get rid of the cabbage worms is I dusted them with flour. Just normal household flower when they eat it makes them bloat and die. It doesnt get every single one, the outside leaves will still have a few holes but my cabbage was perfect.

awesome! thanks!

When I read this, cynical/suspicious person that I am, I immediately ran a search for "flour treated with Bt". interestingly enough Wikipedia article for Bt states:

B. thuringiensis also occurs naturally in the gut of caterpillars of various types of moths and butterflies, as well on leaf surfaces, aquatic environments, animal feces, insect rich environments, flour mills and grain storage facilities.[1][2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis

Here are some moldy bean pods out in the rain. The seed look pretty good.

Royal Burgundy
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20-%20Saving%20seed/VegetablegardenOct18th2012013_zps713c9c14.jpg[/img]

Yellow wax Rocdor
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20-%20Saving%20seed/VegetablegardenOct18th2012012_zps5988c4fe.jpg[/img]

Eric

I KNOW! You mustn't give up on those nasty looking pods and throw them away. ALWAYS open them up and see what's inside.

I don't know why some of them end up furry and other are shiny and good.

a lot of mine were discolored and yellowy even though they weren't moldy. I tossed them. I think there are going to be just a few that will germinate, a lot of them look too small Oh well, I tried!

I know you said you tossed them already, but remember too that until they dry, the fresh beans undergo different color changes.

A drastic example is an edamame variety that when harvested in mature but untried pods are oblong green, but by the time they are dry, become black and almost spherical.

Well, they were the jade beans. I remember what they looked like when I planted them out of the packet. Some were that color and others were discolored. I kept the ones that were the right color and tossed the rest. I guess there is always next year.

I guess there is always next year.

Yes, and every season is different. Each year is a new adventure.

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

Sorry, James's post just reminded me of The Byrds song, "Turn Turn Turn"

Eric

I like the song, but you might as well give credit where it is due --

Ecclesiastes 3 King Jame Version Bible Verses 1-8:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace

rainbowgardener wrote:I like the song, but you might as well give credit where it is due --

Ecclesiastes 3 King Jame Version Bible Verses 1-8:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace

DoubleDogFarm wrote:To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

Sorry, James's post just reminded me of The Byrds song, "Turn Turn Turn"

Eric

jal_ut wrote:

I guess there is always next year.

Yes, and every season is different. Each year is a new adventure.

Let next year's BE THE ONE! The one year where I feel satisfied

Part of feeling satisfied is in the eye of the beholder. There will always be things you could beat yourself up about (I SHOULD have ... ) and there will always be things you could feel satisfied about (wow the melons - or whatever - were really good). You choose what you want to focus on.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

So feed your soil and it will feed you.

Eric

rainbowgardener wrote:I like the song, but you might as well give credit where it is due --

Ecclesiastes 3 King Jame Version Bible Verses 1-8:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace

Ecclesiastes 7:5
It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.

Eric

rainbowgardener wrote:Part of feeling satisfied is in the eye of the beholder. There will always be things you could beat yourself up about (I SHOULD have ... ) and there will always be things you could feel satisfied about (wow the melons - or whatever - were really good). You choose what you want to focus on.

Yes, but most years area a wash. Just one year I'd like to get a moderate yield for the time and effort I put into it. Next year, next year!!!!!

You got a terrific yield for the time and effort you put in to it -- exercise, fresh air, time away from the computer/cell phone/TV etc, closeness to nature and the seasons and green growing things, bird song, relaxation, engagement of all the senses, etc, etc. If you garden mindfully, that is staying present to your senses, being in the moment, not thinking about all the things going wrong, but just enjoying the breezes, birds, flowers, sights, sounds, scents, gardening is one of the most serene and healing pastimes there is.

If you get a few organic veggies from it, that's a bonus, but like life generally, it is the journey not the destination that counts.

rainbowgardener wrote:You got a terrific yield for the time and effort you put in to it -- exercise, fresh air, time away from the computer/cell phone/TV etc, closeness to nature and the seasons and green growing things, bird song, relaxation, engagement of all the senses, etc, etc. If you garden mindfully, that is staying present to your senses, being in the moment, not thinking about all the things going wrong, but just enjoying the breezes, birds, flowers, sights, sounds, scents, gardening is one of the most serene and healing pastimes there is.

If you get a few organic veggies from it, that's a bonus, but like life generally, it is the journey not the destination that counts.

Yes, I do enjoy all of that. I love all that part of it. However, I want to try and store some veggies up to help feed the family through the winter. SO it is frustrating to me when I don't' have any extras to do that and I work towards doing that. I mean, I love going out there and tending etc. and I love being out in nature etc and I love going out there to cool down when I am stressed etc. But in the end, yes all those things are rewarding, but I still don't have the extras to store up for the winter I wanted to get good at doing some homesteading and honestly I don't see how anyone can do it. Each year I give a moderate effort and each year I have friends who I help get started, and my friends get more veggies out of their gardens than I do. They come over and look at my 'big garden' and then I tell them how it doesnt really yield anything LOL. I sort of feel like a hypocrite that I can help them out but I can't help myself out.

Ok, wow that went on a tangent! LOL so sorry! but yes, I do enjoy gardening. It is very relaxing and it is fun to see things grow. or not grow LOL