Monday, May 23, 2022

Today's Gardening. 5.23.22

 I had a long task list, got through a fair amount.

Filling in growing soil for the first container potatoes, and almost filled in for the second ones.

One of the containers was filled with a commercial soil that I just wanted to use for the first potatoes container.  I finished emptying it out.  I didn't refill it yet with the looser soil that I want to use for its next occupant, which will be a pair of Serrano pepper plants.

I finished planting peppers in the pepper raised bed.  Three Early JalapeƱos, two Banana peppers, three Thai Dragon peppers and a Cayenne.  I still have Serranos, some Jalmundos (a giant JalapeƱo type), and a Tabasco to plant, and some to give away.  The drip lines are installed and 1/2 of the paper mulch.


I also transplanted a half dozen Rudbeckias, planted the three Rosemary cuttings that have grown roots, and did some work on the squash bed.  Enough for one day.



A Loaf of Sandwich Bread. 5.23.22

 I used the mixer to make a batch of pizza dough.  That's just flour, water, yeast, a little salt.  I kneaded it together, let it rise.  Now it needs to age a little in the fridge, up to a week, maybe two.

Then I made a loaf of sandwich bread.  I used a recipe on the King Alfred flour website. This bread has potato flour and milk powder as dough conditioners, and some butter.

I made a mistake and cut the butter back by 1/3 without adding liquid to replace the difference.


The dough was a bit dry.  I realized my mistake and kneaded in a little more water.  It was a bit lumpy before rising.



I realize that dough hooks have been around for a generation of two, but I have always kneaded by hand.  I like being part of the process, and feeling the dough texture with my hands.  That is becoming more difficult, and it's more messy that kneading in a bowl, so the mixer is worth a try.  Cleanup is also easier.

Since the surface was a little lumpy so I kneaded a few times by hand.  Let it rise until very puffy, punch down, made into loaf and let it rise again.  I cut some slices across the top.

It came out really nice.



The bread is maybe a little crumbly inside.  Maybe I over-kneaded.  The flavor was excellent and it was  very tender.



More Forsythia Cuttings. 5.23.22

 A few months ago I forced some forsythia flowers, and kept them to see if they would grow roots.  All I did was shorten the lower end when growth started at leaf nodes, to get some of those new nodes under water.

These are a modern, shorter variety with larger flowers.   I don't know the name.  Rooting ranged from lots of big roots to none.  It's easy to see that new roots often emerge at the nodes, often where there is new stem growth at those nodes.




These are an old historic variety, which is what I'm using for the hedge.



I really didn't try.  I just filled the water jars when the level was low.  The goal is to have the plants close together in the hedge.  I think these will grow, with a little extra watering for the next month.  Eventually, I want it to be a privacy hedge.

Saturday, May 21, 2022

Making a Small Water Feature. 5.21.21

 I've been wanting a small water feature to give a calming  atmosphere in my garden.  I haven't found what I wanted, so I'm making one from a ceramic planter.


The inside is unsealed clay, and it has two large holes that need to be sealed.  I'm using self adhesive rubber patches, and liquid rubber sealant.


The  I sprayed with white rubber sealant.


I messed up an area, so will get some more rubber sealant spray and repeat.  I think this will work.  I ordered a floating, solar powered mini fountain, and it will stand on a bird bath pedestal that is missing its bird bath.

Today's Gardening. 5.21.22

Today I installed and tested the drip irrigation system for the sauce tomatoes. They will also need a  support system - my idea is to make a horizontal trellis, using bamboo.  Then they should be almost no maintenance until harvest in Aug or Sept.

Here is Rufus inspecting the fresh eating tomato plants.  I ran the irrigation for an hour.  With the warmer weather, the leaves are greening up as I hoped.  Several have blossoms.



A couple of the irrigation fittings have popped off with the water pressure.  I used a zip tie and zip tie gun to tighten the  better.  Time will tell.  These valves may not be meant for this hose but they were a lot cheaper than the brand name valves.


I laid black plastic for one of the squash beds.  It's about 3/4 done now.  I have last year's experience to tell me that they grow and produce amazingly well with a black plastic mulch, and weeding problems drop to almost zero.  These will also get drip irrigation this year.  I ordered some more tubing for that.


I also installed a cedar trellis for the Honeynut butternut squashes.  I haven't grown them before.  Here is its Wikipedia page.  I also haven't grown squashes on a trellis.  


I suppose, if the squashes look too heavy for  the vine, I can make little hammocks for them.