2016 Vegetable Garden

thought i would get a quick photo of the wisteria blooms before the risk of night time cold snaps bite the blooms off. The wall flower has a lot more blooms now. also the beets have nearly doubled in size

I have not lost any tomato plants this year. I normally lose 3-4 plants.
I have to many in the ground.
75% already have fruits and some are really large.
I have transplanted almost all my summer crops already, apart for Okra and Malabar Spinach.
Some of my squash plants are going to flower maybe today or tomorrow.
I keep harvesting lettuce and radishes pods.

My Datura (#1-#2) never died last winter and now it is blooming already.
I directed seed "RATTLESNAKE BEANS" (#3) and they are just starting to germinate.
My friend told me to start this kind of bean earlier in the spring because they like the cooler weather. Last year I did plant them in June, but it was too hot for them and they didn't produce.
My onions are starting to make a flower bud ... which I remove.
So far so good !

Jmc, my wisteria is just starting to get little buds and leaves not close to flowering. Weird bc im so far S of you. I realize I lived in cool microclimate I didn't realize how cool.....

How long have your onions been in the ground, drthor?

just had a look at my blueberry bushes, and the early spring like weather tricked them into going into full bloom, and then tuesday night they are saying 30F at night, and a couple of pretty chilly nights after as well. think i stand ANY chance of fruit this year if i perhaps cover the bushes with cloth overnight?

This message was edited Apr 4, 2016 12:05 AM

That's interesting! I'm wondering if this weather has them confused and they are starting to bolt and sending up their flower stalks??

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/onions/ONIONGRO.html

almost all my tomatoes have fruits, apart for the orange varieties.

I am still harvesting tons of radish pods.
This winter my tropical milkweed didn't even dye !! For the first time ever I will have food fort the Monarch at this time of the year.

This is the website where I bought th DAIKON RADISHES seeds - 1lb for $4.99.
I truly threw them in the ground ... and they grew fantastic !
http://www.deerseeds.com/content/nitro-radish-daikon-radish-pound

This message was edited Apr 9, 2016 5:07 PM

hoping that safe planting date gets here soon, things are getting a bit large, lol.

They look really healthy ! Great job !

JMC, they're looking great! I will be planting next weekend. Need to harden off my tomatoes and peppers. We picked up a little rain today so things should be moist. My onions are recovering nicely from the hail a few weeks ago. Berries are forming on my blackberry bushes. Things are ramping up!

i have noticed flower buds on my now 2 year old blackberry plant today. we are due for another HARD freeze tonight, ACK! i watered and covered all that i was able to, i think it will go down to something like 25F tonight at one point. Hopefully things will be able to hold on. Some stuff i decided to bring inside such as my pot of gladiolus, dahlia and even my storage tub potato planters, lol.

Well, how did it go?

well looks like everything made it out practically unscathed (whew), only a droopy green shoot here or there that may recover after warming up again.

I am glad I hadn't put my tomatoes or peppers in the ground yet. I brought them in last night, will see if I can put them on the patio tomorrow morning.

It got down in the 30s one night last week but the days are nice. My plants are on the back deck but they aren't growing so I know they aren't thrilled with the temps. When it gets warm they grow fast.

I will be harvesting the first tomatoes of 2016 tonight: STUPICE is the winner !

Almost all the tomato plants have fruits. They are growing very fast.
The Orange varieties still have no fruits, as well as Green Zebra.

Tons of peppers are forming. One little baby cucumber.

im curious about what variety that little purple colored pepper is?

Buena Mulata Hot Pepper
http://www.rareseeds.com/buena-mulata-hot-pepper/
My dear friend gave me this Buena Mulata pepper plant.
It was very new to me to see the pepper growing purple from the first day.
The leaves are also purplish.
This variety was featured in the last Baker Creek magazine and the seeds are already sold out. In the magazine there was a recipe to make a special salsa using this pepper and chocolate powder ... yummy ... I cannot wait to have lots of Buena Mulata peppers!

you will have to let us know how it tastes (including heat level), as i am rather a heat wimp and rarely venture beyond anything hotter than a jalapeno, lol

First Tomato harvest of 2016: STUPICE tomatoes.
More to ripen real soon !

How gorgeous those tomatoes look!

They tasted amazing too !


This message was edited Apr 15, 2016 6:47 PM

I'm trying some Smart Pots this year. Today I planted some luffa in 2 of my pots. We're expecting a lot of rain this weekend, so I also put some blood meal on my onions as well as some composted sheep manure.

I left Dave's Garden in 2011 when I moved to an apartment and it hurt to read about other people's gardens. I bought a house in January and reupped my membership here. I now remember why I hate the south. I am jealous jealous jealous!!!! We can still have frosts here so nothing is planted yet. Yet you southerners are already harvesting tomatoes!!!! RRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

hey you can still grow stuff like kale, beets and carrots ;)

Hi Stephanie, please keep us posted with your "smart pots" luffa.

bolino, lol I haven't planted any tomatoes down here yet.

But I had a jump start of pumpkin, I'm going to try to train this one to harvest the biggest pumpkin as I can. Oh it's also in pot, a large pot.

Welcome back, Bolino! Just remember that we in the south suffer from zone envy when it's 100º down here and our gardens are fried.

ive been rather concerned about one of my potato plants lately. its been getting droopy during the day, but then will perk up again by the evening, while all the other potato plants are doing fine. it also doesnt appear to be growing any like the others

This message was edited Apr 19, 2016 1:26 PM

I was very surprise to find artichokes this year.
Artichokes need at least 200 chilled hours ... not this past winder in my garden !!
My tropical plants didn't even dye or go to sleep.
Happy feeling was gone really fast ... these artichokes tasted horrible !
They were super bitter ... oh well ...

Bad year for artichokes, but good for tomatoes: PRINCIPE BORGHESE is the second variety to ripen this year.

Lots of green peppers already and a few strawberries

Cucumbers, onions and okra are also doing well. This year I planted a few squashes ... here and there !

I wonder how Syrumani's garden is doing?

Jmc you might want to yank that potato plant sounds like there is something going on underground.

well actually they are planted in large plastic storage bins with holes in the bottom, and im just filling the container up with potting mix as the plants grow

This message was edited Apr 19, 2016 9:00 PM