Comments on: The Friday Feedback Forum

By: Sayward

Sayward — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:06:24 +0000

@ Tenise Rae – Hmm, I wonder if I could make it an option? I’ll have to consult my husb . . . er, programmer. ;)

By: EroSan

EroSan — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:41:57 +0000

@Dylan: Excellent! Thanks for the info. I already took them outside so they get more sun.

By: Dylan

Dylan — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:49:10 +0000

@Erosan- yeah shallots are in the same family, Alliums, with leeks, onions, garlic, scallions and chives (actually they are a type of onion-Allium cepa, with a slight garlicy flavor and similar growth habit to garlic). I find them to be even more frost tender than garlic and less robust in growth (more like chives, you can use the tops like green onions!). You should separate the individual cloves (only one green shoot per plant at first) to get the most out of them, and make sure to keep weeds etc. away. I’m not sure if they will bulb up well inside your house. They like sun and fertilizer and loose soil but do relatively OK in less ideal conditions. Good luck!

By: Tenise Rae

Tenise Rae — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:19:26 +0000

Totally understand the annoyance of Facebook comment emails. However, I do enjoy them as well. Personally, I think that’s what keeps a conversation going.

Maybe that could be a topic to write about?? Ask the community what they think. :D

I know that if I was seriously annoyed with the Facebook emails I would have changed it in my settings already. Heheh.

By: Sayward

Sayward — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:49:47 +0000

@ Jackie – I have never grown garlic, but now I’m inspired to try! I’d definitely listen to Dylan – he knows what he’s talking about. ;)

@ Tenise Rae – I totally understand. The amount of times I’ve said “Like you ‘say a word’, but just ‘say-word’, get it?” is uncountable.

I’ve considered the comment notification but I’m not sure how to implement it in a non-annoying manner. The way my comment system is set up right now, it would have to be like on Facebook, where you get an email anytime *anyone* comments on a thread that you’ve commented on. That can be really annoying and it’s not the route I want to go.

But I get what you’re saying. I’ll think about it some more.

@ Dylan – THANK YOU! You are becoming our unofficial resident gardening expert. =D

@ Erosan – I’m pretty sure shallots will work the same way, though I could be wrong. Um . . . Dylan?

@ akeeyu – The jar will only crack if the liquid has nowhere to expand to. I freeze the beans in their liquid, but I leave about an inch gap at the top of the jar. Then, I don’t screw the lids on tight at all – just barely set them on the jars in the freezer. The next day, once the beans are totally frozen and all expanded, I screw the lids down tight. Never had a jar crack!

By: akeeyu

akeeyu — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:50:38 +0000

Re the beans:

I thought a full glass jar would crack in the freezer. Do you freeze it with liquid and beans, or just beans? DO they ever explode?

By: EroSan

EroSan — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:28:59 +0000

@Dylan: How about shallots? They are the same family as garlic, aren’t they?

I was doing some shopping in the market and while I was picking my shallots, I noticed 2 that were already sprouting. So I bought those! I meant to plant them, but I have no idea how to cultivate those.

I did the only thing i could think of… I put them in a pot with the green sprouts sticking out of the dirt, but I have no idea if they need special care.

By: Dylan

Dylan — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:58:30 +0000

@Jackie, yes, now is a good time for planting garlic …outdoors! Indoors you will just confuse the poor fellows. Squirrels will not bother your garlic, trust me. In Chicago the temps may get too cold, esp. for container plantings, so either insulate well or bring them inside to protect when it gets cold (below 20 degrees Fahrenheit). But sunshine on their heads will be good when they pop out of the soil and the seasonal temperature changes will tell them when it is time to do their thing. They should get some green shoots above ground before winter and then hold until spring when they will shoot up to about two feet tall by summer. After that they begin to die back and it’s time to harvest! Fall plantings do yield better (and sooner)but in hard winter areas many wait till spring.

By: Tenise Rae

Tenise Rae — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:50:07 +0000

Yup. It’s Denise with a ‘T’. :D I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve said that in my lifetime….especially over the phone.

We saw pumpkins at the store yesterday too! I sooo can’t wait. :D

You know what would be cool too? If I got an email telling me that someone had responded to my comment….or something similar anyway. Sometimes I don’t remember to check past Sayward posts that I commented on already, ya know? Just my two cents….hee hee. :D

By: Jackie

Jackie — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:53:57 +0000

I read something online recently about it being the perfect time to start planting garlic. Any tips on that? Have you ever grown it? I live in an apt in Chicago and it seems that growing it in a container is fine, and so it leaving it outside, but we have a squirrel problem around here and I’m pretty sure they’d eat it. So, I was wondering if you knew, Sayward, or if anyone knows if it can be grown in containers inside???