Here is my harvest today:
Still tomatoes.
I picked enough Eggpant to do Eggplant Roulade tonight
Those Yellow/orange pepper are the most amazing peppers I have ever had in my life.
The large yellow one is "Quadrato D'Asti Giallo" ... just amazing
and ... one Okra !!!
and the sweetest cukes ever. So far no bitterness this year.
This message was edited Jun 26, 2011 3:52 PM
Ray-Thanks for setting me straight on the stink bug thing. I think the reason I never called sow bugs Potato Bugs, is because my mom is from farm country in Nebraska. She knows what a potato bug really is. Lol
Bari-I dont think we will ever have the Bug situation completley clear at least in TX. HEHE I just realized, with Rays help, that a fungal disease that I fought all last season and part of this season was actually a type of armyworm. I lost over 60 plants. Couldnt figure out why the fungicide didnt work. Pesticide does tho.
Still getting tomatoes and have new ones setting amazing considering the temps. Really looking forward to Black Seaman, OSU Blue, Cowlick's Brandywine and Linda's Faux (from Linda herself)
Ray-Thanks for setting me straight on the stink bug thing. I think the reason I never called sow bugs Potato Bugs, is because my mom is from farm country in Nebraska. She knows what a potato bug really is. Lol
Yes, Potato Bugs are not a pretty sight.
1Lisac let me know how OSO BLLUE tomato does for you?
I have the Oso Blue P20 (I don't know if it is the same). The fruits were delicious ... but just a few.
It also was one of the tomato plants I start later and in the wrong "moon date" ... so maybe it is my fault.
I am just making a list to find out which tomatoes are worthed to do next year.
drthor-I will let you know, it got planted out late. I have no idea about moon dates I was just lucky to get it in the ground at all. It is growing blooming and setting tomatoes. Now I have to deal with weeds I just dont do well in this heat.
Lisa
Thanks
This year I am following the planting dates suggested by Maria Thun in her calendar:
The North American Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar 2011
http://www.amazon.com/American-Biodynamic-Sowing-Planting-Calendar/dp/0863157564/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309192304&sr=8-1-fkmr1
I really think that's why this year I am having a fantastic season. Her calendar is different from the farmers almanac, it is very easy to follow.
She color-coded the fruits, green, root crop and flowers. So you just look at the calendar and see if it is a fruit(=vegetable) day and that's when you plant or start your seeds..
I did plant a few tomatoes plant in the wrong dates ... and they didn't perform as well as the other, also they were the only one attch by pests !
Maybe it is just in my head ... my I love to follow her calendar ... it's like "magic"
FYI, I received an email from Amazon.com saying that they couldn't fulfill my recent order for the book due to lack of supply from their suppliers. My son is going to Barnes & Noble this afternoon and I asked him to buy the book there for me if they have it. Otherwise, I found it online here: http://www.bookdepository.com/North-American-Biodynamic-Sowing-Planting-Calendar-2011-Maria-Thun/9780863157561
wow ... I made reservation on Amazon for the 2012 calendar.
The book has a poster inside with a simplify calendar. I cut it down and laminated.
My laundry room (where I start my seedling) has an electrical panel that is cover by a metal door.
I used little magnets to attach there all my veggie info and my calendar ... so I look everyday and I know what I shall do.
It also help me to NOT be outside everyday and do some of my actual work ...
My tomatoes have slowed way down. I only got one mess of soybeans before they fried. I'm still getting eggplants so sweet and good and still getting lots of peppers, red, yellow bells and bananna. Canteloupes are getting big. Lima beans still bearing. cucumbers slowing a bit. A spider came along and made a web on the tomatoes which helped me with the leaf-footed bugs. What a gift.
drthor
With all of the time it must take you tending to your garden, you have time to work, too?
I also reserved the 2012 book on Amazon and I figured that they ran out of the 2011 version because all of the DG people ordered it after reading your recommendation.
Good to hear from you, Cam! I was going to try soybeans this year but didn't find seeds in time. So, do you think it is worth it, or is it too hot in Houston?
Sounds like you still have some good eats coming along!
Veggie Report:
I have one Red Beauty, Valencia, and Yellow Belle bell pepper plant each. The red is loaded and starting to turn red. The orange has several peppers and I think the yellow has a viral disease but seems to be hanging in there. It has one misshapen pepper turning yellow. Is this okay to eat??
My cucs are doing better than they've ever been at this time of year, except the pickling ones are about done. I have 2 pickling and 2 Satsuki Madori plants in 2 pots that are doing better than the ones in the garden. I have to water them EVERY day.
The eggplant has been getting yellow leaves and dropping. Do they need food? They took a rest but seem to be flowering again.
The tomatoes are getting a leaf disease of some sort but still have fruit on the vine. I don't expect them to last until the fall but have seeds from the SETTfest--that I still haven't cleaned but are in the frig :( --and I guess I'd better start those now or just save them for next year. I might try rooting a branch from my Cherokee Purple. And maybe Linda (Gymgirl) will give me a few starts if I say pretty please??
Okra--doing great!
Cuc in pot--I watered it after the picture.
She might...
Maters
yellowing leaves on eggplant
thanks sweetiepie!
my stand of okra. yes they are close but most will produce by the end of the summer!
Janet,
What tomatoes are those in your pic? Looks like you have enough new growth at the very tops to take nice cuttings. They only need to be 8"-10" or so. I go up to about 12" if I can find a healthy one that long.
I might need to be saying "pretty please!"
I think my vines are on their last breath, and I hope to take the cuttings either this evening or tomorrow. Also, I'm getting weary of watering....really, I'm just keeping them alive long enough to snip, snip, snip...then they will get ripped for the next wave in about 7-8 weeks (planting out by August 19th).
Uh, looks like you're definitely going to have enough okra to share. Put me on the top of the list, please!
Regarding the eggplants, yellowing leaves generally signal a) a lack of some nutrient, or b) overwatering...
Eggplants are heavy feeders, like the cabbages and other brassicas. I used compost and Black Kow manure when I planted mine, but didn't have to feed during the season after that. Did you add any nutrients when you planted? Check your watering. While they ARE water hogs, they do need good drainage, although, mine did spectacularly in the self-watering eBuckets. They could drink when they wanted to, and I didn't have to worry about overwatering them...
If the watering is ok, I'd add some balanced fertilizer. Not too much nitrogen, or you'll end up with gorgeous leaves and no fruits!
Thanks for the tips. I am a VERY unscientific gardener. That's probably one of the problems. When I prepared the soil this year, I added a "nice" sprinkling of MG organic fert (chicken poop), a "light" sprinkling of bone meal, some cotton burr(s?) the guy from the nursery suggested, some other organic stuff that's supposed to help break up the clay, etc. Mix it all up, put my fibrous black weed blocker on top and plant. Then cover with 2-3" of the cheapest wood mulch at the store. Then I fertilize about once a month with liquid Hasta Gro (6-12-6?) and spread more MG organic on top and water in one time, at a different time than the liquid. How's that for nonscience-based gardening? I suppose I should check the soil but I just didn't do it this year. I don't think the eggplant is getting overwatered so maybe some Hasta Gro? Also, I doused everything that was listed to "like" a more acid soil with Medina soil acidifier once this season.
I'll get better with all the tips and help on DG!
my harvest today ... plus 6 okras (which I forgot to pick)
the yellow sweet pepper is California yellow and it is delicious!!!
Still tomatoes !!
yesterday I harvest a full basket of Swiss Chard .... delicious ...
I always thought that Chard grows in the cool temperatures ... I guess no ...
Pepper California Yellow
The long yellow pepper on the left is Giant Marconi Yellow
Eggplant Violetta di Firenze .... and flee beetles ... yes even with the catnip around it ... they came back .. oh well ... Eggplants don't seem to mind right now.
The catnip may repell the cucumber beetles ... because I have seen none in my cukes and they are planted just by the eggplants
This message was edited Jun 29, 2011 2:43 PM
Here some of my sweet cukes
My cucumber trellis
Wow, your cuc plants and peppers look so healthy. Great job! And my chard is enjoying the weather as well. Go figure!
My chard looked great until we had a short rain shower. Then the sun came out and fried the leaves.
here's my harvest one day last week when I remembered to take a photo. then next post for my first canteloupe to get ripe. Pinkish tomatoes in the foreground are variety Black Cherry.
This message was edited Jun 29, 2011 4:20 PM
Here's the cantaloopy. Variety is Hale's Best
This message was edited Jun 29, 2011 4:19 PM
We grew Hale's Best the first year we gardened. They are really good.
steadycam3
great harvest !
what variety are those huge red bell peppers in your picture?
Dr, I don't know what variety those are, but we grew Red Bullnose peppers last year and they were AWESOME!
Dr thor. The red ones are from seed I saved from last year when I planted Grand Bell Mix. The mix included many colors but I only planted a few seeds and got purple and red. I did not save seed from the purple because I did not care for them. I guess the short answer is I dont know. I grew peppers in SW containers last year and those red peppers were much smaller. These in the ground have done really well. Same seed.
Cam,
Have you seen Stinkbugs on your tomato plants? Time to flick your bic...or put on some plastic gloves and mash 'em...
oh No !! I saw my first Squash Vine Borer this morning flying around my zucchinis !!!
It is so fast ... i cannot catch it !!
I spray AZATROL right away on the vines ... let's see what will happen.
This year I am growing zucchini in my regular garden to distract the borer ... oh oh ... he found me already !!!!
In the picture is Butternit Squash growing vertical on my gazebo
Yeah, it would take wrought iron to hold up butternut squash. Nice job!
Butternut squash vine and flowers are so pretty! I'm glad you showed us!
I wonder if it was the same SVB moth I saw at my place this morning?? The good thing is that we don't have anything that's attractive to it at this time. LOL
