March 19, 2015 - Good morning, at least it isn’t raining right now. The weather is cloudy and it is windy. If we are lucky and don’t have any more rain today, with this wind my garden may just dry out. I checked it yesterday and it doesn’t look good. I may be able to save the cabbage and onions. Everything else is watered logged. When it is dry enough to plow, I will probably just start over.
Oh, the life of a farmer! Farmers have to be willing to start over and deal with what Mother Nature hands us.
Green Beans
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Next best days for planting above ground crops, especially peas, beans, cucumbers, and squash will be March 26th-28th and April 5th-7th.
Some of the most popular pole beans are 'Kentucky Wonder', 'Blue Lake', and 'Scarlet Runner'. 'Early Contender', 'Blue Lake 274', and 'White Half Runner' are very popular bush green beans.
Bush beans (whether you call them string beans, snap beans, or green beans) don't mind being crowded.
Try not to grow beans in the same garden bed two years in a row as they are susceptible to several soil-borne diseases and rotating your crops will help prevent a build-up of these diseases.
To plant the beans, dig out a shallow trench in the middle of the row with the edge of the hoe, mix in your fertilizer, stirring to blend into soil then drop seeds 3-4 inches apart and lightly cover with about 1 inch of soil. I like Kentucky Wonder Bush and Early Contenders Bush. Beans should be ready to harvest in about 57-60 days.
Until next week!! I would enjoy hearing from anyone else on gardening tips or your favorite recipes. Email tips to info@shelbycountytoday.com (Attn: Vickie's This and That.)
This week's recipe: Tator Tot Casserole
2 lbs. extra lean ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 16oz Sour Cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or more!)
1 pack frozen tatter tots
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 inch pan. Layer the beef on the bottom of the pan, set aside. In a med mixing bowl add sour cream and mushroom soup and mix well. Then layer the mixture on top of the beef, then add cheese. Top with tatter tots. Bake covered for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer, adding extra cheese here if desired. Once cheese is melted you will have one fabulous meal. This is an all-time favorite.
(Most of the recipes I will be sharing are recipes from the 40s,50s, & 60s that were my mother's)
