What's Going on in your Veggie Garden-Part 5

Carrots are ready!

On the left is "Short & Sweet, the right is " Tendersnax"

Humm, looks good. I haven't planted carrotts in years.

I can just taste the squash...almost. This one is growing in a bale 'tower' beneath a 12 foot tall lilac bush. How it has enough sunshine to bloom I do not know. Perhaps because this is "Solar Farm" land here in the Valley and the sun is scorching. :)
1-Squash
2-Bales with Anaheim chile, tomatoes, beans, corn, squash
3-Spinach in hay and Happy Frog in a Rubbermaid tub

Tommy, those carrots are GORGEOUS!

Lisa,

I was thinking about doing some Arcadia & Major Hybrid Broccoli, Snowball Cauliflower, and L.I. Improved & Catskill Brussels Sprouts. That's about all I want to mess with right now. More planning & setting up for the commercial market garden for next spring. I'm more worried about that then this falls garden, but Momma & my grand daughter would really like fresh Brussels Sprouts.

While in Fl. Momma grabbed some of the watermelons out of the garden, but they had too many seeds. Good & sweet but seedy. Can't please everybody...

Would sow the seeds as soon as I got home, but thought it might be late. Guess I could do staggered plantings and see what happens...

Cala-I thought I was the only one who couldn't get the tomatoes you mentioned to produce. I've heard so many good things about Abe Lincoln. I'm glad you've found a way to garden that works for you.

Susan-I don't understand your question. Ornamentals are not bred to be edible, they are but if you want something to replace a bell do you want a sweet non bell?

Kev-I don't think it's too late to start cool weather crops. I usually put them out in Oct. There is a link to an A&M site that shows Texas divided into 5 different regions and tells the recommended spring and fall planting time for each one. You may try googling it. I have a link but I can't do it on the iPad.

I'm going out of town and won't have much computer access for a week, but I'll look for it.

1lisac
I see lots of info where ornamental peppers are used for edibles. ☺ I don't know how good they are, but I'm going to do more research and give it a try. If we don't like them, at least I can teach my squirrels a lesson or 2. hehehe

I do so want to make roasted tomatoes and certainly have plenty. Plus my VIVA ITALIA paste types are just starting to ripen and they sure would make fabulous roasted tomatoes as would the Juliet tomatoes that I pick lots and lots of. Of course I could use any of the other types as well. But my oven is gass in my stove and I just don't turn it on in the summer as it heats up the entire house.

I am thinking about possibly getting one of those countertop stand alone electric ovens. Looking at The Compact Smart Oven by Breville at the FoodNetwork.com store.
http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/the-compact-smart-oven-by-breville/shop/326772/#axzz22KknYqW4

Solace,
Thanks! I have to pull the rest up now. I grow them in a 3x8x12" deep foot raised bed along with other stuff.

Seems to me I am wishing I had read some comments about the Abe Lincoln I have some that were gifted and they are just beautiful plants but so far have not picked even one ripe tomato from them ..this week I am soaking them with water that has a lot of Gypsum dissolved in it we will see...

Grits, my plants were beautiful, just no fruit and the fruit it did set rotted on the vine just when it was getting the little pink star at the bottom. If I picked it green, it still rotted.

I noticed a couple of small broken branches on the persimmon tree this morning. It looked as though an animal, (possibly a raccoon) had climbed the tree and then tried getting down by walking across the tops of the OSU tomato plants. Many of them had broken tops.

Between the the bugs, birds and beasts it's a wonder there's anything left to eat!

That racoon needs some garden etiquette lessons.

I found a chrysalis hanging from my avocado tree (actually the twine that's bracing it), in the hothouse. Can't figure out if it's friend or foe. Could be a moth. Goodness knows there are plenty of them.

Just got through planting some okra seed that's been soaking a couple of days. Not sure if they'll come up so planted them in the plastic tub. I did a bed on the north border of the property, between the neighbors and me, yesterday, and boy are my knees sore! Note to self: invest in knee pads. Planted some bean seedlings alternating with some kinda big tomato transplants. That bed will eventually be hollyhock and bluebells, but on the edges I put veggies and in the middle planted the hollyhock and bluebell seed. Those seed are very old, so if they come up, it will be a miracle. I took them from a former flower bed I had around 2006. In the north bed, also squash and cosmos. Hodgepodge, for now.

Ok, two beefmasters. One is 1 pound six ounce and the other one pound one ounce. Ha, I remembered to weigh them this time!

Grape tomatoes with two Juliet grape and a quarter at the bottom for scale.

Those are beautiful, Rita. You must do a lot of canning or cooking with those beauties.

Thanks! Actually I never do canning. I just love to grow tomatoes and I do eat lots and lots of them. But I give away far more than I keep as I have lots of neighbors and friends that love home grown tomatoes but don't grow their own. I do cook them down and freeze the sauce though to use in the winter.

Solace, if it is a hanging chrysalis it is a butterfly. Could have been living on another plant and the avocado was a convenient place to hang. Moths usually go underground to morph.

Still trying with the Abe Lincoln s not that I am stuborn or anything but if I pulled them right now it is too hot to try and replace them..

I did my own tomato taste testing just for fun. First I picked tomatoes from six hybrid varieties I am growing. Put post it notes on them so I could not get them confused!!!

Superfantastic is new to me this year and so was Beefmaster. Whoppers I have grown on and off for nearly 16 years. Skip some years but they always return. Big Boy was the tomato I grew up with as my mom grew these when I was a kid. Again I have some most years and lately have the Better Boys most years also. Early Girl is an old standby here.

Results are-

1- Beefmaster
2- Big Boy
3- Better Boy
4- Early Girl
5- Whopper
6 - Superfantastic

Those first three I can definately taste a difference on but really, really like the flavor of all three. Early Girl is good and I am very dissapointed in the flavor of the Whoppers this year. I remember them being much better. So I don't know if my memory is wrong or they just don't have as much flavor this year. Superfantastic is not so super since it is deffinately, definately last in my taste tests.

I also have PATIO and BETTER BUSH new this year. Have already determined that neither has much flavor and neither of this two will be back next year. Also I have 4th Of JULY which I have had once before. Too bland for me and I do not like that the fruits are so small. The size of golf balls. Not coming back. Joining them on the not to return next year will be the Whoppers and Superfantastic.

Those first three, Beefmaster, Big Boy and Better Boy are the true winners to me. Early girl I want to grow but would like to cut back the number of plants in order to try another early variety. Not that I know what that will be.

My garden seems very late or slow or something......we are in a drought, but really.......the corn is still small, but has silk......my green peppers look very droopy although we water them, not many blossoms either.....my pole beans have blossoms, but nothing yet......tomatos are very plentiful, but still green......I had lotsa pumpkin/squash/gourds re-emerge from last years lay-overs......my snow peapods are bountiful and delicious.....my cucumber and zuchini plants died by the time they reached about an inch high......i guess something/bug ate them....someone mentioned "white fly?" killed 'em?

So, we are watering what we can and hoping for the best......my veggie stand looks quite bare right now.....pray for rain
"

newyorkrita - Early Girl is usually top of my list, but I didn't grow them this year. Instead I tried OSU Blue. I didn't like the flavor at all. My hubby, neighbors, and daughter's co-workers liked them. They have produced an ENORMOUS number of tomatoes! No diseases. They required very little water, and I've not fertilized them since they were transplanted in April.

I've been turning them into tomato juice. With a little salt added, I've found the taste "tolarable."

Next year, Early Girl will be back, and I will give Juliet a try for the first time.

I have saved seeds from "Moneymaker" and will grow this one again. It was the tomato I grew up with in England.

My little study was hardly scientific and it is only what I think. I figgure other people tasting those same tomatoes might have rated them differently. Early Girl is very reliable here and keeps producing all season. Plus I do like the taste. So I always have Early Girl here.

I tried several Tomato varieties, Ester Hess has tomatoes still, Dr Wyche is still alive, no tomatoes,broad ripple current is producing well,Rutgers is dead, Sugar lump is green and growing with a few green tomatoes none have ripened so far.Marglobe has made a few tomatoes and has some green ones on the plant, Not a good year but not all that bad truthfully.
Harvested a calypso cuke with a couple of more about ready ,hanging on the vines.
Small animal got to my first watermelon,About six little melons giving a try at growing.Cantelopes came in zero so far, my be a first fail ever for me there.
I don't like to water and with the drought taking it's toll ,next year will see some more refined planning and strategy.

First pic is yesterday Broad Ripple Currant;
Second is from the fifth of July of Ester Hess;

I grow more than I can use so am always giving away tomatoes to neighbors and friends. Around here no one gardens, especially no one grows any veggies. I found the taste testing very useful as I now know which I prefer to pick for eating myself.

Lots of people around here garden! Little gardens here and there. Years past and rows of tomato or cucumber plants have seen many given away to everyone.2;000 saw a refrigerator ,An entire kitchen full of grocery bags, and a four foot pile of cukes in the garden.I could not give away enough of them.Grandma looking at me saying we didn't need to grow that many cucumbers.All I could do was agree and say there was only an 8 foot row of them.
I will most likely get a comment about I ended up burying that four foot pile back into the garden. I wasn't feeling to well at the time and taking to the food services at church or pantry didn't become an option.
I suppose all this is about is the extreme from season to season. This year began with what would grow well here for me, and believe a couple these tomato plants are coming back for next year.
Last year saw 14 inches of water standing on the garden and about to enter the house.This year,well you have heard the story,I'm sure!

We have fried okra and fried green tomatoes on the vine!!

It is just typical suburbs around here. Honestly I do my best not to waste but I have thrown out garden produce that I didn't get to pick before it went over ripe myself. Sometimes It seems like I just picked and have to pick again and that is probably true. I like to try out new varieties and I know I end up planting too much. But I can't stand it when I don't have extra. Would much rather have plenty to share then have to say no to friends and neighbors that would like fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.

Although I give away a lot, I have stopped thinking of composting edibles as a "waste" and more as green manure. It contributes to next year's harvest, and means a little bit less organic materials that I have to got an get and bring to my land.

Even without rain, our crops are producing like crazy.
I will post some pictures tomorrow.

Great pics everybody! Love looking at all of them.

Picked a few peppers today. Plants are loading up again for a 2nd time. Been cutting down some of the real ugly tomato plants but still have about 10 going for the moment. Getting really burned out on tomatoes. Think it happens every year at this time.

Pic 1 - (L) Big Daddy Sweet (R) Padron

Pic 2 - Unknown cross. Heavy fruit set with Orange, Red and Bi-Colored showing up.

Pic 3 - Big Beef

Pic 4 - (Top) Summertime Gold (L) New Big Dwarf (R) Wild Fred

Pic 5 - No way can I remember how to spell it. Reason I added the name to the pic :) One of my favorites this year.



Edited to fix varieties in Pic 4




This message was edited Aug 3, 2012 4:16 PM

Boy, I could never remember how to spell the one in picture #5 either. The fruits look almost unreal in that burnt orange color. If its a favorite, it must taste real good!

New Big Dwarf is on my to try list for next year. So is Japanese Black Trifele. I had no idea there was a yellow variety also.

Skip the Yellow one. They are insanely productive, and neat looking with green shoulders. I picked a bad specimen to show. The pictured one doesn't have the real looks. But it honestly doesn't matter. It's by far the most bland tomato I've ever grown. Supermarket tomatoes taste better.

I'll get a better shot of the neat, productive but bland Japanese Trifele Yellow. The black is a much better tomato.

Do you grow the black also?

I have, but not anymore. I may grow it again at some point but there's just too many I like better.

Here's what most JTY look like. Think it should be called "Japanese Bland Yellow"

Oops....I made a boo-boo. That Yellow in Post #9228602 is Summertime Gold(least favorite of the dwarfs, but I have yet met a yellow tomato I like). I took a few too many pics today and yesterday and got mixed up. But JTY is in Post #9228622

Nice picture. I really do want to try Japanese Black Trifele and I wanted to try some of the ones from the Dwarf Projects including Summertime Gold. The only yellow tomato I have ever tried is SUNGOLD and I do love Sungold. But wanting to get more daring next year with what I try. So thinking of trying some black tomatoes and at least one yellow. But don't want bland yucky tasters.

Curious?How often do you water or have to water "Sungold"? I'm having thoughts.(lol)

Well, Sungold is a cherry tomato as you know and certainly doesn't need any more water than any other tomatoes in my garden. In fact it is very prone to splitting of it gets too much water. When I realize it is gonna rain, I pick off all the Sungolds that are showing any color and let them ripen inside. The taste of Sungolds is just fabulous though. So, so very good. I have one plant which is my only one and I plan to put in more plants next year.