Plinsc
Well-Known Member
Sorry about the cat, hope the trip went well.
Green Dragon's 2023 Grow
- Thread starter GreenDragon
- Start date
GreenDragon
Moderator
Found several hornworms today, so everyone got a squirt of BT. I think it’s been four weeks since the first application, so not bad!
GreenDragon
Moderator
Second priming of the season. Burley, little yellow, MD, and Ainaro. First time growing all of these varieties, so hoping I harvested at the right time. Stringers made with zip ties and hung under the porch.
GreenDragon
Moderator
Can anyone else relate?
Me in January: "I'm going to the best and biggest garden ever this year!!! Order all the seeds!!"
Me in August after planting just 2 cucumbers and 3 tomatoes: "Why won't it stop?! I'm sick of canning pickles and tomatoes and salsa!!!"
However, it does look like it's shaping up to be a good hop crop this year. Should get enough for several batches of beer. Note - Hops, being perennials, provide shade for the West facing side of my patio in the summers, then die back to the ground in the winter to allow the sun in. Obviously there are plenty of flowing vines that would do the same thing and are prettier, but why be like everyone else?
Me in January: "I'm going to the best and biggest garden ever this year!!! Order all the seeds!!"
Me in August after planting just 2 cucumbers and 3 tomatoes: "Why won't it stop?! I'm sick of canning pickles and tomatoes and salsa!!!"
However, it does look like it's shaping up to be a good hop crop this year. Should get enough for several batches of beer. Note - Hops, being perennials, provide shade for the West facing side of my patio in the summers, then die back to the ground in the winter to allow the sun in. Obviously there are plenty of flowing vines that would do the same thing and are prettier, but why be like everyone else?
What varieties of hops are you growing?Can anyone else relate?
Me in January: "I'm going to the best and biggest garden ever this year!!! Order all the seeds!!"
Me in August after planting just 2 cucumbers and 3 tomatoes: "Why won't it stop?! I'm sick of canning pickles and tomatoes and salsa!!!"
View attachment 47558
However, it does look like it's shaping up to be a good hop crop this year. Should get enough for several batches of beer. Note - Hops, being perennials, provide shade for the West facing side of my patio in the summers, then die back to the ground in the winter to allow the sun in. Obviously there are plenty of flowing vines that would do the same thing and are prettier, but why be like everyone else?
View attachment 47556 View attachment 47557
GreenDragon
Moderator
Comet, sterling, cascade, and mount hood.
Plinsc
Well-Known Member
What styles you brewing?
GreenDragon
Moderator
Pretty much everything except IPA’s and Belgian. Lagers in the winter and ales the rest of the year. I usually use my hops late in the boil for flavor and aroma and use commercial pellets for bittering.
Plinsc
Well-Known Member
I’m not a fan of IPA’s , ales here, I might set up a lagering chamber (to hot here)
I tried twice with hops and killed them early on! Not sure what I did to them
I tried twice with hops and killed them early on! Not sure what I did to them
Homegrowngoodnes
Well-Known Member
Ipa's are my fav generally but I have never brewed anything. World wide stout from dogfishead brewery out of Delaware is my no1 of all time!
GreenDragon
Moderator
I hear you brother! An authentic old world style IPA is ok, but all these modern ones on steroids are too much for me. Aggressive unfermented sugar to counteract all the bitterness just turns me off. And I don’t like my beer to taste like bananas therefore my aversion to Trappist / Belgian styles.
Hops can be hit or miss in the south. They prefer loamy fertile soil, and don’t like it when it’s too dry because they are very sensitive to spider mites which thrive in hot dry conditions. If you can get them through the first two years they tend to be fairly hardy. Mulch them well over the winter months.
Plinsc
Well-Known Member
BIAB will be the what I’m trying next, remodel first though then hobbies is what I keep being told. Lol
Homegrowngoodnes
Well-Known Member
But u need refreshments while remodeling!?!?!? Haha
GreenDragon
Moderator
Today I started my last batch of fermented dill pickles. How do I know it’s the last? Because I ripped out the cuc vines this afternoon LOL!! Side note - I’ve found the stems of the dill plant to be very flavorful and work just as well as the seeds and leaves to make pickles.
This weekend was pretty busy. On top of normal weekend chores (grocery shopping, cleaning, etc) my wife was sick with a nasty upper respiratory virus. So instead of the old fashion seafood boil I had planned for dinner I roasted a whole chicken and made her some chicken and rice. I canned a batch of dill pickles, started two batches of fermented hot sauce, canned a batch of garden salsa verde, canned a quart of tomato sauce, smoked a rack of ribs with baked beans, fresh bread, and collard greens for dinner, and finished with a batch of cherry orange marmalade. Whew! What’s on Netflix tonight?
This weekend was pretty busy. On top of normal weekend chores (grocery shopping, cleaning, etc) my wife was sick with a nasty upper respiratory virus. So instead of the old fashion seafood boil I had planned for dinner I roasted a whole chicken and made her some chicken and rice. I canned a batch of dill pickles, started two batches of fermented hot sauce, canned a batch of garden salsa verde, canned a quart of tomato sauce, smoked a rack of ribs with baked beans, fresh bread, and collard greens for dinner, and finished with a batch of cherry orange marmalade. Whew! What’s on Netflix tonight?
GreenDragon
Moderator
Yessir! I recon that pantry done pert ne’er full!
GreenDragon
Moderator
This year’s harvest. Using the tropical moisture to hydrate the leaves enough to strip from the stalks. About 80% of the leaf is for pipe blends. Will actually need to construct a kiln this year!
Tobacco
Hops; enough for two batches of beer.
Tobacco
Hops; enough for two batches of beer.
How many bottles are in a batch?
GreenDragon
Moderator
@Knucklehead
A standard batch is 5 gallons which makes about 50 bottles (12 oz).
I’ve been brewing for about 30 years now and have started giving hands on classes to my co-workers. They buy the ingredients, I supply the equipment and know how, and we brew a batch together. This lets them try out the hobby without having to invest in the equipment. I keep a few bottles for my troubles and everyone wins. Been pretty popular so far
A standard batch is 5 gallons which makes about 50 bottles (12 oz).
I’ve been brewing for about 30 years now and have started giving hands on classes to my co-workers. They buy the ingredients, I supply the equipment and know how, and we brew a batch together. This lets them try out the hobby without having to invest in the equipment. I keep a few bottles for my troubles and everyone wins. Been pretty popular so far
GreenDragon
Moderator
We are in the final days of pepper ripening. I expect to have harvested everything in the next two weeks depending on how fast everything ripens. Preparing the rest of the beds for fall garlic planting, and got some seedlings of collards, broccoli, cabbage, and celery from the box store this morning. Also, it appears that one of my neighbors gifted me with a garden gnome last night.
GreenDragon
Moderator
Today is garlic day! The front bed was sown with three varieties of garlic (1 soft and 2 hard necks) and some shallots. I cannot take credit - my wife ordered and planted them. I did, however, overseed the lawn with Fescue and clover seed today so I wasn’t totally useless.
The green beans are really taking off and the sweet potatoes seem happy.
I’ve been drying a batch of peppers about every three days. I hope they will all be done in the next two weeks. I may try overwintering them in the garage in pots this year for an early and robust start next spring.
The green beans are really taking off and the sweet potatoes seem happy.
I’ve been drying a batch of peppers about every three days. I hope they will all be done in the next two weeks. I may try overwintering them in the garage in pots this year for an early and robust start next spring.
