Grapes

I picked the red grapes last couple of nights. Looks like the birds really like the grapes. That's okay, they could only reach the ones on the outside and there were plenty they couldn't reach. I still left lots of partial bunches on the vine which they can reach. Still came away with about 12 lbs of grapes.

These taste good but too small to make goo table grapes. However, they do make good juice and jelly grapes. 

After picking, ran them through the food processor, strained them using a colander and nylon netting. However, didn't have enough pectin and wanted the low sugar kind. Wound up having to go to three stores to find one that carried it and had it in stock. Finally succeeded. Then I was too tired to complete the process. Didn't feel like sterilizing all the jars and equipment. So, have to finish the jelly tonight. I boiled the juice for a short while last night, the stuck it in the fridge.

Been playing with the giant sunflowers for a few years now, especially the ones that bloom multiple flowers. This is my best one yet. It stands about 15 ft tall and between old blooms, current blooms and unopened buds, has a total of at least 52 flowers on the one plant! Cool!

Daughter and I harvested carrots and had a good harvest this year. About 20 lbs of carrots (not counting foliage). 

After that, I sprayed the mounds with grass killer, then did the fall planting couple of days later. Pie and giant pumpkin, dill, purple carrots and lots and lots of spinach.

Tomatoes are finally producing. Only one ripe so far, a cherry tomato. Quite a few on the vines and more flowers blooming, though. Have a total now of 14 plants, 12 in containers and only 7 producing yet. But I hope to get the solarium enclosed and move many of them inside, so may be able to keep them going for a while. I hope. Otherwise, going to try and grow some cool weather crops in containers in the solarium. 

Going to order some formal greenhouse film as a covering this time. One sheet to cover the whole thing. Cushioned and well anchored. This film has 5 layers and IR/UV and anti-condensation additives. Supposed to last for up to 4 years. I'm hoping!

Lots of cuttings

I have a lot of cuttings in pots, trying to get those to root. Purple Crape Myrtle, blueberry, pomegranate and green seedless grape. Nothing happening yet but it does take some time.

After doing some reading, decided to try honey as a rooting aid. One article I read included very well done scientific experiment which showed processed honey to be more effective than natural honey, aspirin and rooting hormone (also known as "willow water"). It's harmless, inexpensive and well worth the try. 

Cantaloupe and watermelon vines have stretched out and are flowering like crazy! Not seeing fruit yet but keeping an eye out.

Tomato vines are forming some fruit. Not nearly like last couple of years. However, I'm happy to see a few tomatoes on the vines. 

All the rain has still been making weeds run rampant. Spent an hour pulling weeds this evening and still didn't get to some areas. Plus the fact that I've been spraying a whole lot of weed killer. The newer one I was using wasn't very effective, so went back to generic glyphosate. It may be slower but is much more effective.

Grapes are doing awesome! Red grapes remain small but are ripening and taste really good. The green grapes are huge by comparison to previous years and also taste great! 

Plums are ripening and coming off the trees. Going to pick all of them this weekend, while daughter is here. 

Apples are still green, still growing and many are easily twice the size of most Albuquerque apples! 

Getting twice as many zinnias growing this year over last year. 

Fewer sunflowers. Part of that is intentional. Trying to control weeds that grew crazy last year because I couldn't reach them between and behind sunflowers. Rains has toppled some of them. Weed killer overspray killed off some smaller and younger ones. 

Okay, time for some sleep.