Ceresone, I wondered where you were. I check in here and the farm forum now and again.

My garden this year was the worst I have had in my 40 years of gardening! I started out with such high hopes and mulched everything. The bush beans were ok; raccoons got all the sweet corn; lettuce was good, tomotoes just didn't set fruit like they should have. Cukes were ok, not spectacular, my sweet potatoes were my only thing I can brag about; they turned out really well.

You folks will be eating good this winter!

We are heading down your way next week....Alley Springs area.

Do you know whay variety of pears you have. They are dh's favorite fruit and I still haven't planted any.

I thought I was the only one left who made sauerkraut anymore--fill a five gallon crock every year, but have about given up canning anything else--fill two large freezers with corn, broccoli and beans each summer though. Used to make lots of apple butter every september but lost both my yellow delicious and winesap trees this year. Have a few pears on young trees. For pears be sure to buy fireblight resistant varietes. Can't remember the names but got ours from Stark's Fruit Tree catalog. Does anyone out there know what caused my okra to die at only three feet tall in early Aug? Most years I am bending 8 foot stalks over to pick the end of Sept.

I did absolutely nothing this summer except water a few plants. Wished so much for the good ole days of veggie gardening,canning and freezing and the oh so good fresh veggies.
vickie

Ceresone - I apologize for not responding to this post. I hadn't been checking in here very often since it had slowed down so much.
I had a VERY DRY summer. I'm sure I didn't water as much as I should've but it's hard to keep up.
Sounds like you've stored up a lot of food for the winter. You're making me feel lazy. lol Do you have a pretty good salsa recipe? My father always puts out WAY too many tomatoes and we experimented with making our own salsa this summer but didn't find a recipe we love yet.
I still don't have a real veggie garden but I mix in a few things every year with my flowers and shrubs in different places in my yard. I had a nice patch of cherry tomatoes and red salvia. lol
I planted watermelons along the edge of my mulch pile again and they did well. The second setting didn't get to finish though. I had to toss dozens of little green watermelons hoping the larger ones would finish. I wonder if there's a good use for those.
I tried Big Max pumpkins but they DIDN't do so well. The squash bugs really went after them and some kind of white foamy looking stuff oozed out of the base of my pumpkin vines shortly before they croaked. I had to buy my Halloween pumpkins this year and I'm already planning to buy pumpkins next year too.
I planted Vidalia onions and banana sweet peppers too. The rabbits (I think) zoned in on my sweet peppers but I did finally get a few.
Violet gave me a couple yard long bean plants to try that she had started from seed. REALLY easy to prepare since my kids thought they were cool when I left them long.

Christie SW MO Do you want a salsa recipe to eat fresh or to can. I make it fresh each summer simply by chopping fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapenos, and cilantro, in whatever proportions I think will be good--more tomatoes, bell peppers, and tomatillos of course than the rest. Squeeze in the juice of a fresh lime or two, add a dash of salt and a splash of olive oil and chill for a couple hours to let the flavors blend. I have even thrown in a couple cucumbers instead of tomatillos when cucs overlap tomatoes in the garden, but the tomatillos are more authentic. Sorry I don't have exact measurements, but I'm not that kind of cook. MulberryKnob

I was looking for a salsa recipe to can. My hubby is the one who eats it most and he likes the brands that aren't thin and watery with an occasional chunk so I need a "sticks to the chip" recipe. lol
I've never tried to grow tomatillos but have been tempted. I may have to give those a try for salsa.
I saved seeds from my yard long beans. They produced for a long time and seemed to be pretty happy growing on my backyard fence. I picked around six dozen beans from just two plants and it doesn't take many to make a serving although most of mine were around 15 to 18 inches long. If they're really supposed to be a yard long, I must not have fertilzed them enough. I didn't try to can any so I don't know if they'd work well for that. Also have some pole beans to plant next year.
I'm thinking about planting my own spinach since now I'm a little leary about buying any at the grocery store. I doubt if lettuce is any safer though and I've been buying that.