Knock knock. Are you ripe inside?
Forget about the old-fashioned process of thumping a watermelon to determine whether it is ripe. As a kid, we used to go down the corn row where they would also grow watermelons and plug them to pick a ripe one. This, too, is an old fashioned way that is defiantly not a sure thing. The “thump” is not a sure thing in determining a melons ripeness simply because a thump only produces a sound that can be uncertain when it boils down to the ripeness deep inside.
There is a more sensible method to confidently determine the ripeness of a watermelon that includes more than a small thump. This method will defiantly work whether the melon is in the supermarket, roadside stand, or in a field. It is not the “thump” method but the “knock” method, just like your knocking on a door. To do the melon knock, place one hand on the bottom of melon and with other hand, make a fist and knock on the watermelon. Solid sound which indicates the melon is ripe all the way through — it is not hollow sound or an empty sound, but an unmistakable solid vibration sound that you can feel with your hand. Another thing to check before “knocking”is if the stem is bright green, it could mean the melon is pink inside and not ready. Knocking is a foolproof method of selecting a ripe watermelon. It is also a way to spread good will and know how to others at the super market or produce stand by showing others how to select a ripe, red watermelon.
Late autumn tomatoes
As we approach the final days of June, it is time to start a packet of tomato seed to provide plants for a late autumn harvest and some green tomatoes to harvest and ripen in the house or basement after frost arrives. One of the best varieties for late, late tomatoes is Rutgers, a determinate variety with unique features — it ripens from the inside to the outside. This is beneficial for very late tomatoes. Being a determinate means these late tomatoes produce the bulk of their harvest over a few weeks. Many gardeners that can a lot like this variety because it produces a large harvest over a short period of time. Rutgers is also the best of late tomato varieties because it produces most of its harvest over a short period of time which becomes important in mid-October.
Start a seed packet of Rutgers at the end of June. In a medium flower pot or container, measure a container or pot of seed. Fill with starting medium and allow a handful of medium to cover the seeds. Mix enough water with the medium to moisten it. Place moistened medium in the pot or container, leaving at least a half inch at the top of the container. Place seed scattered in the medium and cover seed with reserved medium. Use a spray bottle of water to mist the container each day. Keep the container in a semi-sunny location.
In about ten days they will develop two true leaves and will be ready to transplant to individual pots. Mix the remainder of the bag of seed starting medium with the proper amount of water to moisten the soil and fill the containers. Punch holes in the medium with your index finger, place a plant in each hole and pinch soil up to each plant. Place containers of seedlings in a tray of water and mist the top of the tomato seedlings each day and keep water in the bottom of the tray. Keep out of the humid dog day heat. About 20 days after transplanting, they will be ready to transplant to the garden.
Tomato ripening
Our goal every summer is to have a ripe tomato by the Fourth of July. A warm or cool May usually determines what the outcome will be. No matter what happens between now and July Fourth, green tomatoes are now forming on the tomato vines, and that means red fruits are on the way.
Feeding tomatoes for a long harvest
As green tomatoes form on the vines, feed the tomatoes by side dressing the vines on each side of the row with Tomato-Tone organic tomato food with enriched calcium to help prevent blossom end rot. A four-pound bag costs around $8 or $9. A totally organic product; a little goes a long way and dissolves quickly into the soil and you will notice remarkable results.
Sweet potatoes harvest
Sweet potatoes are raised from sweet potato slips which are actually plants. Most sweet potatoes in North Carolina are raised in Eastern North Carolina where our state is one of the nation’s largest growers of sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes thrive in the loamy soil of the coastal plain. An unusual method of growing a harvest of sweet potatoes without using a lot of garden space is to set out potato slips in wooden whiskey barrels, plastic tubs with a few holes drilled in the bottom. To provide rich growing soil for sweet potatoes, use bags of potting soil, Black Kow composted cow manure, peat moss, and stir in a cup or two of Plant-Tone organic vegetable food and finish off with a bag of top soil. Plant slips about 10 to 12 inches apart in the containers. Keep watered and feed with Plant-Tone every 20 days. When potatoes are ready to harvest, reach down and gather the potatoes, add a little more rich soil and sow a barrel or bucket of purple top turnip seed for a harvest during cold winter.
The front porch is for all seasons
Porch sitting is not a pastime — it is a sport (year round). Porches and decks are nice amenities to any home. Unlike swimming pools that require a lot of expense and maintenance all year long and only provide seasonal enjoyment, a porch can be enjoyed in all seasons and adds a lot of charm and value to a house. The activity of porch sitting invites conversations and makes Dr. Pepper and hot coffee more enjoyable as well as a great place to watch activity of the birds, squirrels, butterflies, hummingbirds, and fireflies as well as a haven for admiring perennial flowers. At grandmas house in North Hampton County her front porch was large and had a swing and plenty of rocking chairs. Each evening it was a gathering place until bedtime. Porches have a way of drawing families together and ideal places to keep an eye on the kids. Its no wonder that porches are making a comeback. Only from the front porch can you enjoy the sound of a mourning dove, mockingbirds, cardinals, robins, crows, and even owls or whippoorwill’s. In winter you can feel snowflakes blown by wind and covering your face, and watch birds making tracks in the snow. Life is more meaningful from a view on the front porch. Even in the 1950s, grandmas North Hampton County house rated well — she had a front and back porch!
Lazy, hazy days of summer
Summer is in its first week. The hot and humid days of summer will be the norm for the next three months or more. The soil of the garden plot is warm and perfect for tomatoes, peppers, and green beans. As days continue to get warmer, rise early in the morning before the sun gets high in the sky and heats up the garden. Get garden chores done early in the day so you can relax in the shade of the afternoon.
A cool drink for the birds
The summer sun shines down on the birdbath and heats the water. Birds need a cool drink of water and also a bath. As you begin each morning, take time to empty the baths and refill with cool water. In late afternoon, stick your finger in the bath, if the water is hot, refill bath with fresh cool water.
Real vanilla homemade ice cream
Nothing is quite as cold and refreshing as a freezer of homemade old fashion real vanilla ice cream. There is no imitation or substitute for real vanilla whether its in a fruit cake or a freezer of real vanilla homemade ice cream. This recipe is not only simple and good, but also creamy. You will need one can of Eagle brand condensed milk, one can of evaporated milk, two cups sugar, four tablespoons vanilla extract (the real thing), enough milk to fill a four quart freezer. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a four quart ice cream freezer and crank it up.
Hoe Hoe Hoedown
Waiting for baby: “Just relax,” was the words the staff in the delivery room gave to the young father to be. The young father’s wife was in labor and was a nervous wreck. After what seemed like a whole day to the father and hospital staff, a nurse announced the happy news, “Its a girl!” The young father replied, “Thank the Lord. At least she wont have to go what I went through.”
