Please don’t take my Sunshine away!

August 19, 2015August 19, 2015 ~ illbtru ~ 2 Comments

I love having my grandkids here in my home! I enjoyed having my daughter and little Sunshine visit for the past two weeks and will be sad to see them go back to Colorado. I have to share a few photos of all the fun times we had together.

Sunshine loved following me around while I watered and picked veggies in the hoop house.

She’s a willing and eager helper- even with garden chores!

Her favorite spot is the tire swing in the huge Elm tree next to our home.

She came to visit me at work a couple times and enjoyed wandering around the Seed Store and playing in my office.

I took her trout fishing and she is definitely “hooked” on the sport saying it was “Incredible!”

She is a great little shadow and helper in so many ways. I’ll miss my young’uns!

Papa

Sunset at Papa’s Gardens

August 11, 2015August 10, 2015 ~ illbtru ~ Leave a comment

My grandbaby helped me pick peppers and eggplant in the hoop house before the sun went down. The pup is Victory, our 11 year old 4 legged grandbaby!

The pepper she is holding is Etuida, a Polish orange bell pepper. I’ve been amazed they are doing so well in the hoop house with 110 degree temperatures.

The cicada’s serenaded us as we went in for the night.

Papa

Our Very First Eggplant From the Garden this Year!!!

July 6, 2015July 7, 2015 ~ illbtru ~ 2 Comments

Eggplant are almost too pretty to eat!! However, they are delicious as well!

This variety is Listada De Gandia (Solanum melongena). Introduced in France from Spain circa 1850. The fruit get 8″ long on 2 foot plants. This delicious variety thrives in hot weather!

Presently I am growing Listada De Gandia in the hoop house which easily gets to 100° (F) and over.

Papa

Floating Row Covers? Let’s Learn How!

June 29, 2015July 1, 2015 ~ illbtru ~ 4 Comments

I just uploaded a new video documenting how to make and install floating row covers.

Supplies you will need:

Rebar – 3/8″ x 10′, cut into 5 – 2′ lengths
Electrical PVC – 1/2″ diameter pipe x 9′
Floating Row Cover fabric
Angle Cutter or equivalent for cutting lengths of rebar
Hack Saw or PVC Pipe Cutter
Gloves and Safety Glasses

Low tunnels using floating row covers is of great benefit for several reasons.

Floating row cover is a light weight, breathable fabric that allows air, moisture and sunlight to pass through the material.
- There are various fabric weights to meet different needs.
  - Agribon 15 is lightweight fabric that is used for insect protection and shading.
  - Agribon 50 is a heavy cloth used for freeze and frost protection. This cloth will protect a crop down to 26° (F)
Insect protection – when properly sealed, insects cannot penetrate the covering which protects the crop from damage and disease.
- Problem insects such as Japanese beetle, squash bugs, squash vine borer, cucumber beetles and flea beetles are blocked from doing their usual mayhem.
Isolation chambers – Low tunnels are ideal for seed saving of crops such as squash, pumpkin, melons and watermelons. Bumble bee hives may be inserted at one end of the enclosure to insure proper pollination. Plus, there is not a chance of cross pollination. You may grow several varieties side by side. That is a huge advantage.
Season extension – row covers placed over a crop will allow for early planting by trapping 2° – 8° (F) higher temperature. Likewise using a row cover late in the season will protect the crop from early frost. By using this method you can easily extend your growing season by one month!!!!
Hoop houses, high tunnels and greenhouses – row cover gives added protection and benefits the grower with lower fuel costs. The insulatory value of the row cover will block some of radiant cold that may damage a crop.

This is another method and tool for your gardening arsenal!!!

Papa

Time to Enjoy Fresh Carrots and Radishes!

May 20, 2015May 21, 2015 ~ illbtru ~ 2 Comments

What a pleasure to see the bounty of harvest. Fresh carrots from the hoop house and radishes from the planted salad bowl. There is always something growing and maturing for harvest. What an exciting time!

Papa

Beets from the Hoop House Two Weeks Early!

May 19, 2015 ~ illbtru ~ 4 Comments

Garden beets grown in a hoop house are ready to harvest two weeks before those grown outside. The beet plants and beets are more tender. The protection from the outside elements accelerate the growth for an early crop.