Processing Soy Beans.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HQSOJ 31 August 2009 Processing soy beans
Soy bean constitute a portion of my diet. Breakfast consists of a bowl of soy beans and a bowl of oats.

Soy beans are prepared for about a seven day supply for one person. Four cups dry beans are washed and cooked in a pressure cooker. Pressure cooker is used to minimize cooking time. If boiled on the stove, it takes about 6 hours to cook the beans. Soy beans never get mushy with cooking, just soft. Beans are removed from pressure cooker and water, and sugar added to taste, and boiled about five minutes to mix the contents. The beans are then blended to a fine consistency, and stored in quart jars and kept in the refrigerator. Beans will keep for about ten days. A bowl of beans with a bowl of oats is breakfast. This is low cost and nutritional.

Making Combination Juice

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?MXFFU 31 August 2009 Making Combination Juice

Juice is made from fresh vegetables currently available. The fruit and vegetables are cut into small pieces and blended twice, some water is added to make the blend easy to drink. This quantity will last one person for about seven days. The mixture keeps in the refrigerator with no deterioration for this time period. Any fruit and vegetable can be utilized. I avoid apples, and most of the pulpy fruits, blueberries (coagulation) since they expand and make the juice not so appetizing. Cranberries are used when available. The juice takes on the color of the predominant produce used. One liter of water was added to this mixture. Carrots are from my garden.

Cold Room in Basement.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?WVRGE 30 August 2009 Cold Room Construction

Cold room construction in the utility room in the basement. Purpose is for storing garden produce. Potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, beets, etc.

This is the cold room built in my basement. Space was at a premium so I did the the best with what was available.

The floor space is 18 square feet, and 80 inches in height. A four inch outside air vent was installed. The hole was cut with a rental tool. The one plug in the room is split and the light is switched from outside. Paneling was construction grade spruce 5/8 plywood. Insulation of the inside wall is R14, and a vapor barrier was installed on top of this insulation, then covered with5/8 plywood. The roof was insulated in the same manner.

Tables are plastic, the same as I use in my greenhouse. Vegetables will be stored in the common plastic milk containers. The air inlet will be controlled by stuffing a rag in the inlet if it get too cold. The exhaust went is four inches diameter, and is in the roof of the structure. Humidity will be controlled with a pan of water, if necessary.

Time to build about 48 man hours. Started 25 August and finished on 30 August 2009.Cost $565.42 I had some help for about 16 hours.

31 August 2009. Outdoor temperature 10C, House temperature 20C, Cold room 15C. This is the first temperature measurement.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?NKLSD 1 September 2009 Cold Room Organized
Some milk carrier container were obtained today, and vegetables stored in the cold room. These containers are ideal for the home gardener; in that, the containers are a manageable size and they are well ventilated.

Black Cherry Tomato

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?LZLEW 26 August 2009 Black Cherry Tomato
Most of the cherry type tomatoes have been grown over the years, and this Black Cherry Tomato is the best. The fruit is dark, very tasty, and the fruit is a good size, skin is thin. Everybody in my vicinity likes them. There are two plants in the garden, and fruit growth is prolific more than enough for a family. The fruit is lighter than the sales hype pictures depicted on web sites.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?XIZFD Black Cherry Tomato, Indeterminate
More information

Vegetable Storage for the Urban Gardener

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?IKYQV 25 August 2009 Vegetable Storage for the Urban Gardener
Urban gardeners usually don't have a suitable place to store extra produce from the garden. Modern houses seldom have a suitable cold room, and the quantity stored is usually small. Standard ice boxes are available, so I decided to modify slightly and to determine is this system is feasible.

Ventilation is made by making a hole in the top cover, and using the existing drain hole. The boxes are small enough that they can be moved around to take advantage of ambient temperatures. For cooling, which is the main concern, three ice packets are utilized in a container inside the ice box. A cleaning pad is used to block and slightly insulate the vent hole if required. These ice packets will be refreshed as required in the kitchen refrigerator. For the initial cool down I am utilizing ice. Pictures indicate the modifications, and ultimate storage. There are about 150 pounds of vegetables in the three boxes.

This is an experiment and time will tell if the system is practicable or not.

Four o'clock ( Mirabilis multiflora)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DUSCD 25 August 2009 Four o'clock ( Mirabilis multiflora)
Four o'clocks bloom in the late afternoon and are open throughout the night. The plant can get large about 3 by 3 feet. flowers have various colors. Seeds are planted in late Spring and are easy to grow. I usually have a large clunp in the garden. This year there is only one plant.

Crosne (Stachys affinis)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?EHYNO 24 August 2009 Crosne
All plants are doing well. No underground tubers are forming yet. They require a long growing season, but can withstand much cold weather.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?CBDDK Summary: Crosne 2009

Sugar Baby Watermelon

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?INAYT 24 August 2009 Sugar Baby Watermelon
There are three very healthy plants and about nine melons are forming. the bed is separate from the main garden to allow for spreading onto the grass. The season has been cold, consequently growth has been slow. Planted 1 June using purchased seedlings.

Crosne (Stachys affinis)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?EHYNO 24 August 2009 Crosne
All plants are doing well. No underground tubers are forming yet. They require a long growing season, but can withstand much cold weather.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?CBDDK Summary: Crosne (Stachys affinis) 2009

Fuchsia fulgens

fhttp://www.durgan.org/URL/?WQEJR 23 August 2009 Fuchsia
The one Fuchsia fulgens (Upright Fuchsia) in the garden located along the deck in full sum. There is not enough shade in my garden to grow the other types. This does not over-winter.

Lorne Park, Brantford, ON Canada

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?UBUPS 23 August 2009 Lorne Park, Brantford, ON Canada
Lorne Park in Brantford, ON. The plants are all in pristine condition, so I photographed most of the park. Begonias are particularly well preserved. Enjoy.

Processing Russian Blue Potato Seeds

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?NZBUS 22 August 2009 Processing Russian Blue Potato Seeds
Seeds have fermented somewhat, and they were rinsed with water , placed on a paper towel, and then on wax paper to dry. The main issue is to prevent clumping. The seeds will be allowed to thoroughly dry, then stored for growth in the future.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?VQCPT Summary: Saving Russian Blue Potato Seeds.

Dracunculus vulgaris Seed Head Maturing

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DJEVG 22 August 2009 Dracunculus vulgaris Seed Head
The head is slowly changing color.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?Dvulgaris Summary: Dracunculus vulgaris

Final Carrot Harvest

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?TCUGT 22 August 2009 Hybrid Carrot Eagle 92A from Stokes
Final Harvest, since the carrots are getting too large and will split. These will be grown next year, since the quality is excellent.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?CarrotsE Summary: Carrots

Red Pontiac Potato Harvest

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?VFDVZ 22 August 2009 Red Pontiac Harvest
Red Pontiac row of potatoes were dug today. Total weight was 60 pounds from 16 plants for an average per plant of 3.5 pounds.The crop is average if not a little below. The tubers are solid with no hollow centers. The largest potato was 1.25 pounds.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?FAKES Summary: Potatoes 2009.

Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?YUBKM 21 August 2009 Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos)

This hibiscus dies back to ground zero during the Winter, and appears like magic every spring. The rather strong stems are cut off at ground level in the Fall. A string is placed around the clump to limit damage due to heavy rainfall. The flowers last about one day, but there are numerous buds for replacements. the variety comes in several colors. Growth is phenomenal for the season.

Multi-headed Sunflower

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GEUSI 21 August 2009 Multi-headed Sunflower
This plant is grown for the flowers, and the birds eat the seeds formed. The plant usually self seeds.

Celery

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?FLPEO 21 August 2009 Celery.
Four plants were allowed to grow without hilling.The stalks are not blanched due to this. Plants were purchased from a supplier and placed in ground in April. Flavor is quite strong, and the stalks and leaves are particularly tasty in soups.

Spanish Onions Harvested

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?WAAPU 21 August 2009 Spanish Onions Harvested
The tops were soft just above the bulb. This is a good indication that the onions are ready to harvest. Sixty seven plants were collected for a total weight of 42 pound about a 1/2 pound per onion average.

The small seed bulbs were planted on 8 April 2009. the area was mulched and they were not disturbed until harvest. About 16 were culled for various reasons, like rotting, and misshapen.They will be dried in the sun for a few days then stored in a paper yard bag. I prefer burlap or jute bags, but they are not readily available. The crop will be stored in the basement, which is the coolest place that is available.

Kandy Corn a hybrid

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?QOSHP 21 August 2009 Kandy Corn

Over the last ten or so years corn has been so modified that it is almost unfit to eat. I dislike the fat fully mature cobs sold in the markets.This year I grew Kandy Corn a hybrid and it is the best encountered so far. The plants are around 8 feet tall, and the cobs have a purplish color. Mine matured in about 93 days.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?SQEOX One supplier of seed for this KANDY KORN Hybrid Sweet Corn

How a Potato Plant Grows

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZELNG 21 August 2009 How a Potato Plant Grows
Potato growing test box was opened today. The pictures literally speak for themselves. Clearly there is no advantage in carrying out excessive hilling when growing potatoes. The purpose of hlling is to insure the tubers are covered. For comparison one Pontiac Red was dug in the same row, which was almost identical to the test box potato in appearance.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?PotatoS Summary: Potato Test Box

Using Supermarket Potato for Seed

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?UAOSR 20 August 2009 Supermarket Seed

This year a supermarket purchased potato was used to determine if it would be viable for home garden seed. Only one red type was planted, and the results were more than acceptable. The plant produced about 4 pounds of new potatoes.

Saving Russian Blue potato seeds

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?OVNFL 19 August 2009. Saving Russian Blue potato seeds.

Seed saving procedure is the same as for tomato seeds. The seeds are removed from the pods and placed in a container with some water, kept at about 20 degrees C, until fermentation starts. The water is changed periodically until the seed gel coating has been removed. The seeds are then dried thoroughly and stored.

When appropriate the seeds are planted in pots or a small plot and the resulting tubers formed are then planted for the main potato crop. Apparently the seeds will not produce potatoes the same as when planting the tuber, which are effectively clones.

The best type grown is then selected for future propagation. This is how new strains are produced. This is my first attempt to process potato seeds.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?NZBUS 22 August 2009 Processing Russian Blue Potato Seeds
Seeds have fermented somewhat, and they were rinsed with water , placed on a paper towel, and then on wax paper to dry. The main issue is to prevent clumping. The seeds will be allowed to thoroughly dry, then stored for growth in the future.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?VQCPT Summary: Saving Russian Blue Potato Seeds.

Hard Neck Snake Garlic Cured.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?KAJVY 18 August 2009 Hard Neck Snake Garlic (Allium sativum) Curing
The dried weight is about 26 pounds from first dug of 31 pounds. Ten pound are in excellent condition and will probably store well for about a year. Twelve pounds had split bulbs, due to late harvesting, and will store poorly, so will be used first. About four pound or 14 of the largest bulbs were selected for seeding in October 2009. The bulbs will be further dried in their storage containers, which is usually a paper bag. Two to three bulbs for about a pound. Garlic growing completed for the 2009 year.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GarlicS Garlic Summary 2009

Superior Potato Harvest

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?QEIEN 18 August 2009 Superior Potato Harvest
Nineteen plants produced about 40 lbs of potatoes. The average weight was 2.15 lbs per plant. One plant produced 3.5 lbs. An excellent crop would be 5 to 8 lbs per plant. The tubers are large and excellent quality.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?FAKES Summary: Potatoes 2009.

Russian Blue Potato Harvest

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?EUVSD 18 August 2009 Russian Blue Potato Harvest
Total of eight plants for a weight of 12 pounds, average weight 1.5 lbs. This harvest is much less than last yer, but the tubers are larger.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?FAKES Summary: Potatoes 2009.

Morning Glory (Ipomoea)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?JBQKB 18 August 2009 Morning Glory (Ipomoea)
The plants are used as shade for the deck. They self seed each year from the pods that fall off the plant. This plant is not invasive due to dying off during the winter, but can be a major problem if climatic conditions are ideal. Flowers have a wide range of colors. Flowers open in the morning and die off each day.

Potato Test Box

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?EIFPD 17 August 2009 Potato Test Box
The seed potato is about six inches below the bottom of the box. The plant was carefully hilled often as the stalk grew. Hilling ceased when the flowers started to form. According to some there should be potatoes along stolens growing all along the stem. Experience has indicated that this is simply not the case. It will be a few weeks before the upper boards are removed and pictures supplied at each removal.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZELNG 21 August 2009 How a Potato Plant Grows
Potato growing test box was opened today. The pictures literally speak for themselves. Clearly there is no advantage in carrying out excessive hilling when growing potatoes. The purpose of hlling is to insure the tubers are covered. For comparison one Pontiac Red was dug in the same row, which was almost identical to the test box potato in appearance.


http://www.durgan.org/URL/?PotatoS Summary: Potato Test Box

Red Haven Peach Tree Fruit

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?CDNAL 17 August 2009 Red Haven Peach Tree
Fruit is excellent in appearance and is almost ready to harvest. Birds and squirrels tend to like the fruit.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?MJISM Summary: Red Haven Peach Tree

Dracunculus vulgaris Seed Head

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ODSMU 17 August 2009 Dracunculus vulgaris Seed Head
This is the first year that seeds have been produced. I will try to propagate some from seed.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?Dvulgaris Summary: Dracunculus vulgaris

Spider Flower (Cleome hasslerana)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?SFVFG 17 August 2009 (Cleome hasslerana) Spider Flower
This is an annual, seeds are simply spread on the ground in a suitable location, after the last frost. The flower comes in many colors and blooms most of the late summer. It should be thinned to about a foot apart for best results. The plant is often grown in municipal gardens, and is a good place to collect some seed pods, of which, many are produced.

Russian Blue Potato

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HMNSL 16 August 2009 Russian Blue Potato

There are about 12 plants in the garden and the tops have died back. The seed tubers were placed in the ground on 13 of April 2009. They are left in the ground for storage at the present time. Russian Blue potatoes are really are from Russia, although, like all potatoes, they originated in South America. They’re an heirloom variety which means they’re totally old school and not genetically modified.

Washed weight is just under 3 pounds from one plant, all uniform in size. They produce numerous top seed pods, which can be seen in some of the photographs. I do nothing with the seeds.There were no small potatoes on this plant.

I bake them in the oven and eat with a bit of butter, skins and all. The blue color remains after cooking. The tuber appears to be more dense or fine grained than our typical potato.

Brussels Sprouts

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?LWTWX 16 August 2009 Brussels Sprouts
Twelve seedlings were planted in the garden on 23 April 2009. I purchased the seedlings from a plant supply house.The plant will produce well into the frost Fall season. The sprouts are excellent with no embedded worms, but there is some outer leaf damage, which is acceptable. No pesticides were utilized. The plants have a support stake to keep the main stalk straight. The lower leaves are gradually removed as the bottom sprouts are utilized. One plant produces a large number of sprouts.

Carrots

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ATKZH 16 August 2009 Hybrid Carrot Eagle 92A from Stokes. (Belicum X Nantes Hybrid)
Harvested a loosened forkful of carrots. They are excellent quality, and have been utilized most of the Summer.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?CarrotsE Summary: Carrots

Red Phlox

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?VOLZH 16 August 2009 Red Phlox (Phlox paniculata hybrid)

This plant is a perennial, and is subject to powdery mildew, so the foliage should not be watered. There is also a white one in the garden, but it didn't grow well this year.

Outhouse plant or Golden Glow

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?BQTDR 16 August 2009 Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’ aka Golden Glow and Outhouse Plant

This plant grows about seven feet tall and has many blooms. the stalks are weak and require a string to support, and keep in shape. When the flowers get waterlogged during a heavy rain the stems may bend to the ground. The plant is a perennial and spread readily. It is kept contained by a trench around the roots.

Aunt Molly Ground Cherry (Physalis pruinosa)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?XPRZT 16 August 2009 Aunt Molly Ground Cherry (Physalis pruinosa)
First fruit of the season picked. The fruit must be a bright yellow with minimum green showing for the best flavor, also if slightly green the fruit has an unpleasant taste. I eat them raw and about 20 makes a fine snack. Cooked they are most delicious, and they make a fine pie almost peach in taste. There are three plants in the patch, and they spread extensively.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HHVTD Summary 2009: Physalis pruinosa

Litchi Tomato (Solanum sysimbrifolium)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?Litchi2 11 April 2009 Litchi Tomato (Solanum sysimbrifolium) Morelle de Balbis Growth, since 18 February 2009

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?KJNHO 15 August 2009 Litchi Tomato (Solanum sysimbrifolium)
The four plants are producing ripe fruit. Two plants are in my garden and two are in a friends garden. The seedlings were supplied from my stock.

The fruit is very small about a 1.5 cm in diameter, pleasant tasting when fully ripe (red). The fruit grows in widely dispersed clusters of from about 10 to 12 berries in each cluster, aqnd don't all ripen at the same time, and height presently is about 2 meters. To get any reasonable quantity a large number of plants would be required. Berries must be very ripe to get the flavor, and the base of the berry opens when pulled from the vine. This means they need be eaten as picked, since in a container they would probably become mush.

To have even a home garden use, other than novelty, the berries would have to be at least twice the size.

Conclusion: The berries have no commercial value and marginal value in a home garden.

Red Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GWEWD 14 August 2009 Red Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)

This red trumpet vine is located on a property in Oakland, ON. It is growing up a hydro pole. The pictures indicate the large stalk. Ground shoots are probably cut off when the grass is cut. It is rather surprising that the utility company doesn't object. This is one of the most attractive trumpet vines I have seen.

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DLFYB 14 August 2009 Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
This pretty plants grows well in my garden. Bees are attracted to the flowers. Bee Balm is native to the Northeastern USA states. It is a perennial and always produces a nice display.

Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?PCWKI 14 August 2009 Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans)

Plant next to light pole where it can climb and you can mow the grass around it regularly to head off shoots. This beautiful plant can be invasive, and should not be planted near the house. Mine is situated in the back area of the garden with a mesh for support.

Purple Cone Flower - Echinacea purpurea

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HERXF 14 August 2009 Purple Cone Flower - Echinacea purpurea

The clump gets larger every year. The flowers last for several weeks.

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?FKJLH 14 August 2009 Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)

Two types of flower, obtained as small shoots in 2004 from a friends garden. They are most stunning when they burst into bloom suddenly. The plants take almost no maintenance.

Globe Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?TKHIM 14 August 2009 Artichoke.

Out of seven plants one survived the 2008/2009 Winter and is now producing fruit. They are starting to open slightly so are ready to harvest.

Garlic Harvest

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZDEZV 12 August 2009 Harvesting Hard Neck Snake Garlic.
Due to being away the harvest is about a month late. Late harvest means the bulb splits the clovers away from the normal protective sheath. Only a few bulbs indicate this condition. These will be used first, and the others dried for about ten days for Winter storage. The weight was 31 pounds for 92 bulbs. Average weight, dug, is about 0.33 pounds per bulb.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GarlicS Garlic Summary 2009

Pontiac Potato Growth

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?VVSJI 12 August 2009 Pontiac Potato
Late blight, the same blight of the Irish Potato Disaster in 1848, is prevalent in the area this year, so a plant was dug to check for damage. None was apparent. The weight of the potatoes was eight pounds, which is considered excellent, near the top of the chart.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?FAKES Summary: Potatoes 2009.

Salmon Arm to Brantford Road Trip

I have been away from the garden from the 29 of June to 11 August 2009. The garden will take a few days to get into shape.

Here are some scenic pictures taken along the route.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ITNNZ

I traveled to Salmon Arm BC and returned on 11 August 2009. On the way West I crossed at Osoyoos BC into Washington State.These pictures were taken along the way on the return trip. My companion was my dog, Neena.

11 August 2009 1400 hours, arrived home in Brantford. Crossed into Canada at Port Huron/Sarnia, ON. Total distance one way about 4000 km. Altogether the trip return was about 8000 km and I traveled to Vancouver and put on another 5000 km touring around BC. Total driving clocked was about 13000 km.

Return trip.
Four nights and five days. Salmon Arm to Cranbrook area crossed US border at Roosville. Made distance in US to just below Lethbridge. Slept in a farmers road to a field. 981 km. 7 August.

Next day made North Dakota. 861 km Slept in transformer site. 8 August

Next day made Minnesota. Slept in a Heritage Sign site 885 km. 9 August

Next day made Michigan. 945 km 10 Aug. Slept in Rest Stop near Flint. 10 August.

Beautiful Sunny weather all the way. Never stopped at any junk food places. Ate soy beans, oats, milk and sardines, and some fresh corn and some fruit I bought along the way at grocery stores A very pleasant journey mostly along along US Highway 2.