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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 1, 2013 22:27:22 GMT -5
Oh, did I mention that it got up to 77 degrees here today? We normally get a few frost warnings here during the winter. The frost took out my zucchini plants (they were still bearing fruit at the time  ) just before Christmas.   I haven't pulled them up yet, this is what they look like now -  All this talk about boas and pythons, they kind of look like snake skeletons, no? Here's the tomatoes, still producing (photos taken about five hours ago). Don't have any full size tomatoes right now, but these cherry tomatoes survived a few nights of less than 30 degree temps (in mid January) with only a little burn to the leaves. Hardy little suckers!    Let's get the rest of the fruit trees Navel orange, just getting ripe and sweet  Tangerine, with naked fig tree behind it to the right  Ruby red grapefruit  Lime (for beers during SuperBowl)  Lemon  Salsa makings - some left over chilis (yes, that's a weed in there!)  And cilantro  And for the Guacamole, the avocados   I forgot to pick some before we went to Quartzsite, I'm crossing my fingers that they will be ready in time for SuperBowl on Sunday! (like the RTH BBQ, probably not  . Will just have to eat them next week)  Them's some big ones! We think they are Bacon avos.   That's my little piece of Eden. Jean |
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snuffy
Cave Dweller 
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Feb 1, 2013 22:46:44 GMT -5
Wow Jean,got to bow down to ya!! That is a garden of eatin'!  Simply outstanding! I still wish we had a section on here for gardening,recipes,cooking etc, even bacon grease! Fruit trees have a tough time in our area snuffy |
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Post by orrum on Feb 1, 2013 23:41:43 GMT -5
Wow Jean you got a super neat place!!!
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 2, 2013 10:58:53 GMT -5
Thanks, snuffy and orrum. The trade off is the high prices we have to pay to live here - gas and electric, water, trash pick up, property taxes, all of it.
Just an FYI, last Sunday coming home from Quartzsite, we paid $2.959 per gallon for regular gas at an Arco in Yuma. I just put some gas in yesterday, it was $3.699! And that was at a station with the lowest price around, I could have paid more. What's up with that? Jean
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Feb 2, 2013 11:08:53 GMT -5
Your thumbs are very green.And your weather makes me jealous.It was 17 this morning in Atlanta.Went out side and almost died of frost bite.Hurry up heat.
Do you have extra room for cold people?Squash!Dang it
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dbrealityrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2010
Posts: 1,084
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Post by dbrealityrocks on Feb 2, 2013 11:49:35 GMT -5
Very cool!! I used to grow fruit for a living and now I can't even grow peaches or alot else since we down to -30F. We haven't hit more than -17F for 2 winters now so I might try a couple of Reliance peaches since they can take -25F and still have peaches.
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Post by Pat on Feb 2, 2013 16:07:49 GMT -5
Lovely garden. All the makings of a good salsa, and a fruit salad. Yum! We gave up on tomatoes. Tomato worms got to them.
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Post by gingerkid on Feb 2, 2013 22:03:20 GMT -5
Very nice place, Jean! Hope you get a chance to enjoy some good eats from your Eden tomorrow during the Super Bowl! ;D
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 11, 2013 10:26:53 GMT -5
Well, Jan, we did watch the Super Bowl a week ago, but unfortunately, the avocados were not cooperating - AGAIN! Just like at the RTH BBQ, they did not get ripe in time. They've been averaging two weeks after picking before being guacamole-ready.
Mr. rockpickerforever and I caught some kind of stomach bug last week, that kept us close to the bathroom. Better now, but still not 100 percent, so still watching what goes in. I've got seven ripe avos sitting on the counter, who's up for guac? Jean
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2013 10:55:56 GMT -5
Jean, try an experiment. Take two hard, fresh picked avos and put them in a paper bag. Roll/twist the bag tightly shut. Let sit 36-48 hours. Open bag.
The result should be soft and gooey avos for sexy guacamole.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 11, 2013 12:29:51 GMT -5
Scott, there is no way in heck that they will ripen in anywhere close to 48 hours, now matter what you do to them! We always put them in paper bags, with apples even (apples give off ethylene gas, which helps to ripen fruit). These have been taking a minimum of ten days to two weeks. The colder temps also play a part. Bob thought maybe to put them in the oven (old oven with pilot light), but then figured that would be too warm. Or maybe they are taking longer because they are so big?? Maybe a store-bought avocado can ripen in 48 hours, but keep in mind, it was probably picked at least a week before it ended up in your grocery store. They don't even start to ripen until they come off the tree. But you know, like all good things, they are worth waiting for! Jean |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2013 12:54:05 GMT -5
That is cruel, showing pictures of all that sexy stuff.
If you throw some tarps over those plants they will not freeze at that temp. We do it all the time in the fall up here to add a little summer. How much for a medium box of cherry tomatoes, avocados, tangerines and oranges? I would pay more per pound for those than I would for rocks.lol There is nothing better than fresh cherry tomatoes with salt. Dang, after talking about them I am going to have to go to the store and get some not so good ones that are at least better than nothing.
Thanks for showing the pics anyway.
Jim
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 11, 2013 13:57:28 GMT -5
You're welcome, Jim. Anything for my friends at RTH. By this time of year (dead winter, couple feet of snow everywhere else), it's okay if I lose a plant here or there. I've never bothered to cover anything. The manzano pepper is going strong, has lots of fruit on it right now. Being from the Andes, the not-so-cold temps here didn't even faze it. I understand these plants can live for fifteen years, and I believe it! The zucchini, eh - it was already way past its prime. By now, I'm ready for a break. The long growing season here can get tiring... yawn. The garden must have some down time so it can get rototilled and amendments added. But not until after it dries out from the rain we've recently had. Jean |
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2013 17:41:17 GMT -5
ooopsie!
I hoped I had a trick for you. A website I just read says Bananas are good for ethylene too.
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Post by beefjello on Feb 11, 2013 20:51:54 GMT -5
Wow Jean, you sure produce some yummy looking produce ;D
Citrus does great here, we have a lemon tree and had a nice crop this year. The neighbors have orange and grapefruit trees and we pass grocery bags full of fruit around this time of year.
I wonder how avocados would do in the heat here.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 11, 2013 22:54:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the post, beef! Did you know that The name 'Avocado' originates from the Aztec name ahuacacuauhitl meaning testicle tree! Interesting, I didn't know that! So, I went looking online to see if there are any avos that could withstand the AZ heat... Found out it's not just the heat, but the ground salt. Here's some information: www.phoenixtropicals.com/avocado.htmland www.tropicamango.com/avocado.html#8I think it would be hard, but not impossible, to produce your own avos in AZ! It would be a challenge, anyway. Jean |
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) just before Christmas.
. Will just have to eat them next week)
Simply outstanding! I still wish we had a section on here for gardening,recipes,cooking etc, even bacon grease!
