Garden, Etc. Update

[helwen]

Weather was alternating between cold-ish/overcast and sunny, with light breezes today. The plus side of cooler weather (~50F) is fewer bugs flying around bothering one.

Yesterday:

Planted hills of pie pumpkins, zucchini, butternut squash, and bush delicata squash seedlings (the latter two being winter squash). Also seeds for a type of eating cuke -- I forget the name offhand, but they're small, and yellow/white in color. Also planted a borage seed with most of the hills -- bees like borage and the squashes and pumpkins need lots of pollinating.

I have pickling cucumber seeds to plant as well, but the other cuke's instructions said to keep different types 1/4 mile away from each other (open pollinators). Well, _that's_ not going to happen. But the side garden is around the other side of the house and at a lower elevation, with different wind patterns, so I think that'll be sufficient. Oy.

Also planted the four hops rhizomes (nugget), and (at least 5 feet away), the seeds for another type of hops -- in case they actually sprout, I'm not into experimenting with crossing them just yet.... they don't have the info listed on the site anymore, but they were some English varietal. And of course being seeds, there will be male and female hop plants. The rhizomes are all females.

Being the first year, I don't have to worry about a complicated support setup for the hops -- 6 foot tall poles will be sufficient. Next year is another story...

Moved our two blueberry bushes out of the herb garden to next to the in-laws' lone blueberry bush. Thinking about moving our currant bush to where they have a small dead bush. Then all the shade-type plants have to move to actual shade before the sun gets too much for them, and then I'll have space to put out the gingers and maybe plant some more seeds. Aside from the borage and the hops I haven't done much for herbal-type stuff this year...

fitzw planted the third of the apple trees.

***
Saw Iron Man last night, stayed for the easter egg after the credits. Great fun!

***
Today, probably won't do much. I had some plans, but I appear to have a genuine UTI and need to call the doctor in half an hour to see about dealing with it.

Comments

[nq3x.livejournal.com]

If you'll take a bit of advice, you'll dig up those hops seeds and move them as far away from the rhizomes as they can be moved, like across the county! At least move them as far across the property as can me reasonably managed.

That is, if you want to harvest any usable hops from your Nugget bines. Pollinated flowers are useless for brewing.

Good for you, growing hops! Nugget and Clusters were the most common hops in the Northeast, back when the Northeast actually had hops farms. IIRC, Nugget is what you get when you get rhizomes from gardening places instead of brewing suppliers. Nice hops; I'd use 'em.

Bob

[nq3x.livejournal.com]

Clarification: Unpollinated female flowers are the only part of the plant useful for brewing.

The bines make lovely garland and wreaths!

[helwen.livejournal.com]

I have a solution. Assuming the seeds even germinate, I'll watch for which ones end up being males and just pull them. Should be easy enough, one site said essentially that the male flowers look like regular flowers (more outward in direction). And I know what the cones look like, so anything that doesn't look like a cone gets pulled. Problem solved!

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Bad instructions from the hops company, I take it? Might as well dig them up and toss them in the trash, as I have no where else to plant that's sunny enough. OTOH, they're to the west of the rhizomes, and the prevailing wind is from the northeast. I might have a spot down by the east side of the barn next year, or maybe a small spot by the road to the west of the barn, but mostly the full sun area is the back yard of the house.

I got the Nugget rhizomes from:
http://www.freshops.com/

And yes, I know the flowers are what are used, thanks. Nice to know that Nugget was one of the most common in the old days here!

I'll keep them in mind for garlands ;)

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

I hope your health clears up quickly, that sucks.

I'm sure you know about it, but if not, here's a link which may help people you know:
http://www.grassrootsfund.org/

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the well wishes. The hot water bottle L gave me last night certainly helped me get through the night! Called the doctor and got to go in this morning to give a sample, which he tested and then gave me a scrip for Cipro. Guess it's just as well we're staying home this weekend, though, as I usually have trouble drinking enough fluids at an event. About the only event I get it right at is Pennsic, oddly enough... well, maybe not so oddly, since a short event packs a lot into a little time and Pennsic is more spread out, more like regular living.

Thanks for the interesting link!