Anyone up for a chat thread?

Paidiske · Saturday at 4:45 PM

No, my husband doesn't really do much of the gardening. It's much more my thing.

The cherry is a dwarf, but the apricot is full sized. We don't have that much room, so I'd have preferred a dwarf for that too, but there wasn't one available; so I'll just have to keep it under control.

Unqualified · Saturday at 4:49 PM

Isn’t God the husband man?

Paidiske · Saturday at 4:51 PM

Oh; if that's what you meant, it wasn't at all clear.

Unqualified · Saturday at 4:57 PM

@godisagardener would know ask her.

Shane R · Sunday at 4:59 PM

I also planted an apricot tree I think 3 years ago, possibly 4. I'm thinking perhaps it will bear fruit next year. At our old house I had planted a plum tree and it was 3 years until it bore but it was significantly bigger than the apricot sapling I planted at our new house. It bore for the first time the year we moved and I wondered if the people who bought the house enjoyed the plums or no.

Paidiske · Sunday at 5:36 PM

In our last place - we were there five years - I planted an apricot, a nectarine, and a peach. By the last harvest before we left, we were getting a ridiculous bounty of peaches, a few nectarines, and not a single apricot. I was really sad to hear that after we left, the parish pulled the fruit trees out of the garden before the next person moved in. (Why??? Did they think they were too high maintenance? But what a shame!)

RileyG · 2026-08-03T03:31:04-0500

Paidiske said:
In our last place - we were there five years - I planted an apricot, a nectarine, and a peach. By the last harvest before we left, we were getting a ridiculous bounty of peaches, a few nectarines, and not a single apricot. I was really sad to hear that after we left, the parish pulled the fruit trees out of the garden before the next person moved in. (Why??? Did they think they were too high maintenance? But what a shame!)

In my neck of the woods, it's almost impossible to plant those fruits here. I do know my family had a peach tree back in the late 80s in my childhood home (before I was born). Sadly, it did not survive.

My family mostly does onions, tomatoes, etc. Very common in the midwest during the summer months!

Paidiske · 2026-08-03T05:08:40-0500

Is it too cold in winter where you live, @RileyG?

In Australia, much of the country doesn't really get cold enough for those fruits; it does here, but the trade off is we don't get the tropical fruits that they can grow up north.

Shane R · 2026-08-03T13:04:42-0500

I've got tomatoes on the vine hot and heavy right now. None are red yet. I planted an heirloom varietal this year that is supposed to grow meaty, not overly juicy, tomatoes that are good for slicing or sauce. I generally make and can a bunch of sauce when I have a good tomato crop. I've got an Amish canning book that I loosely follow because they know what they are doing for the process, but their recipes are overly sweet and not as spiced as I like.

Paidiske · 2026-08-03T16:51:50-0500

I've never tried canning. I have done things like pickle lemons and limes.

RileyG · 2026-08-04T00:19:41-0500

Paidiske said:
Is it too cold in winter where you live, @RileyG?

In Australia, much of the country doesn't really get cold enough for those fruits; it does here, but the trade off is we don't get the tropical fruits that they can grow up north.

We are in the summer months now! It’s very, very hot! (The south and the coasts are much hotter, to be fair).

Where I live, the Midwest generally experiences all 4 seasons. Having a white Christmas does occur, but green Christmases are also common.

Back in 2004, there was a blizzard in April, which is mid spring.

Fall starts in mid September!

When I was little, it would cool down in late August.

Sadly, not anymore.

Sometimes, it’s still hot in September!

RileyG · 2026-08-04T00:21:41-0500

Shane R said:
I've got tomatoes on the vine hot and heavy right now. None are red yet. I planted an heirloom varietal this year that is supposed to grow meaty, not overly juicy, tomatoes that are good for slicing or sauce. I generally make and can a bunch of sauce when I have a good tomato crop. I've got an Amish canning book that I loosely follow because they know what they are doing for the process, but their recipes are overly sweet and not as spiced as I like.

My parents grow tomatoes every year, and always make salsa! They also make pizza sauce, chili starter, and sometimes corn and bean salsa!

When I was younger, having macaroni and tomatoes was very common!

I don’t remember the last time I ate it

RileyG · 2026-08-04T00:23:50-0500

Paidiske said:
I've never tried canning. I have done things like pickle lemons and limes.

My grandmother, who died in 2004, canned many items. I’ve loved her watermelon pickles. My next door neighbor, who was like a grandmother to me, and died in 2016, made delicious cinnamon red pickles!

Sigh

I really miss those days sometimes.

RileyG · 2026-08-04T00:28:03-0500

I remember my other grandmother, who died in 2016, made Kolaches! She also had a large garden, and my grandfather was a farmer!

When I was growing up, she would come to our house unannounced. She often brought beans, cereal, and other goods. Even if my mother didn’t ask for them.

She did that to my aunts who lived nearby as well.

My grandparents are all gone now, but I’m so grateful for those precious memories!

Paidiske · 2026-08-04T02:01:31-0500

I am intrigued at the concept of watermelon pickle. It never occurred to me that you could pickle watermelon.

Shane R · 2026-08-04T06:39:01-0500

Usually the rind. The green rind. Not the pink inside part.

I did make some pickles a few weeks ago. My wife hated pickles. Apparently that flavor is not part of the Puerto Rican pallette. None of her brothers particularly like them either.

Shane R · 2026-08-04T06:52:13-0500

That's a page from my Amish canning book. That's the recipe I loosely follow for tomato sauce. There are several in the book but that is the only one without a bunch of sugar.

Anyone up for a chat thread?

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