Victor - The greens aren't my concern. I keep those going for harvest at all stages. It's the other cool weather crops that Dave mentioned that I'm curious about. Snow peas, broccoli.....what else can you plant in late August for harvest by mid October? I just might try planting some cool crops later this month...Any suggestions anyone?
Veggies 2 (and other Edibles!)
Donnie - looks like a potting shed but it's for the mower and tools Jack uses, not me. He did make me a cool potting table, and I stuck the top of the copper trellis that blew off, behind the table and now clematis is growing on it.
I love the stems of the Swiss Chard, too.
Donnie - check with your local extension agent. They should have lists of planting and harvest dates for your area.
No rain and lots of sun the last few days is kicking the tomato harvest into gear:
Good idea, Pirl. Now, about that cute little shed.......Isn't there some wager you can propose to Jack that you can definitely win??? If you can think of one, that little shed could be your bundle of joy in no time! I think you could buy a nice tarp for all that other stuff - n'est-ce pas??? [insert large smiley face here...LOL]
Did someone say he/she needed cucumbers? Zucchini? Harper, I ship, heck, I deliver personally. Even as I speak, they are growing larger. . . and larger. . . I started mine from the Park Seed Whopper collection, and no truer description was ever written.
If I can start a veggie garden, anyone can do it.
David_Paul.......Yumm!!! Those look great! I don't have a single one yet. It hurts my feelings to have to buy tomatoes at the store this time of summer.
Cape Cod......Can you believe how big the cukes are this year? Usually big ones aren't as good, but this year the big ones are great! My small hands have trouble peeling them though. I'm not a zucchini fan, so I don't grow them, but I can imagine they must be huge!
I'm living proof that women are champion multi-taskers.......I'm watching "Bridge Over the River Kwai" at the same time I'm following a couple of threads, and haven't missed a beat!! Or make that "beet"..... Oh, My!
My cukes seemed to have come to complete stop. I watered them regularly. Bummer. One of the few veggies my little guy likes. They did have lots of bugs early on - when the first cukes came out. They were feasting on the blooms.
The cherry tomatoes should start ripening in large numbers this week - of course when we're away on vacation! But we'll be back Thursday. I hope they're better than the first few I tried. Shaping up to be a disappointing tomato year. Worst was my beefsteak turning out to be plums.
David - looks incredible!!
David...is that big yellow tomato an Azoychka?
David - looking good. I took photos of ours and we may get to eat the first tomato tomorrow but we've had many cherry tomatoes, Sweet 100's, so far - yummy. The shed is not air conditioned and hot as can be - even worse than being outside. I like my potting table and umbrella but if I can get electricity to the shed it might be interesting.
CCG - go to a stop light. As each car stops just hand them a bag of cukes, courtesy of your town. If need be just toss them in convertibles as they pass.
Victor - try some food for your cuke. Sorry about those plum tomatoes. We only grew them one time - never again. I know you didn't plan to grow them! As for the cherry tomatoes - remember, from school, "delayed gratification"? We're all too anxious to get the first ripe ones and they're not ripe enough when Jack picks them so I have to be the main picker! They ripen at night, not in the daytime, so bring some in and cover them up and they'll ripen for you and taste sweet (I hope). Enjoy your time away from the garden.
Donnie....Big tomato at top right tomato is Kelloggs Breakfast. To the left and below are Ester Hess Yellow Cherry. The blacks are Nyagous and Noire De Crimee. Which black is which, I have no idea....
Thanks Pirl. If my maters don't work out, it's nice to know I can drive to CCG's stoplight.
David, reminds me of a painter's tray.
David_Paul, those maters are absolutely gorgeous! I am SO jealous.
My cukes and zukes are doing well so far ( kind of an understatement) but I'm having a lot of blossom-end rot in my tomatoes . . mostly Jeune Flamme. . . can't figure out why, because the maters most affected are in Earthboxes, where the fert and dolomitic lime and water are supposedly supplied "as needed." My cherries all seem to be OK.
I'm such a novice that it's all a mystery!
Why are some years so challenging (the eternal cry of the farmer/gardener?)
"Ralph says" look back about 3 or 4 weeks and if there was a storm, especially with winds, it shook the plant and the roots.
On the Cape there was ALWAYS a windy storm. . . which I am sure shook the plants. . . so I am just glad to have an explanation.
Thanks, Arlene.
That might also explain my hair loss. I think I was out in Hurricane Floyd. Shook my roots and now the shine. Thanks Pirl.
oh I totally aggreeeee... it all taste so great.... next year I am going to set up a real veggie garden... I am looking for ideas and design.... I want more veggies... I am so trilled!!!! I love looking at my tomato jungle....
and of course being a newbie I planted sweet pea instead of the other kind.... you know the one you can eat.... it looks pretty ....
sweet pea jungle...
Donnie If your frost date is Oct 15 and you are planting Aug. 20, check the seed package for the # of days until maturity. You would have about 45 days. Snow peas sound good (but check)
David, Great job! I'll be right over!
I had gotten Spoon Tomatoes in a trade and absolutely love them! They are so sweet.. They are only about a half inch in diameter.
My one tomato plant seems to be dying. Not sure what is up with that. My Zucchini plant is also on it's way out. That is very upsetting as I've love what it's produced so far!
Cut the tomato plant back by half - right down to the first leaf from the ground and see if that portion puts out any new growth for more stems. It's worth the try.
Or call Ralph Snodsmith on radio this morning: From after the 8 AM new to 10 AM on your AM dial 710. I recall the number as 1-800-321-8828. Call at 7:45 exactly and be first on the line-up, which means you'll be on air about 8:30 or before that. I'll listen.
Pumpkins anyone??
Wow! Here it is August 5th and Pixie has pumpkins.
I have turkey's too...should we make dinner?
Watermelon
Wax Beans
Green Pepper
'Broccoflower
This is a leaf from one of my Squash plants...I think it's Acorn but i couldn't see the tag. This thing took off across the garden.....it has a spread of about 10-12 feet!!!
Thanks, Dave. I have some now peas left over, so I think I'll give it a shot. What's the harm?
Anita - I've never heard of spoon tomatoes....they sure are pretty in your pic!! Always learning so many new things here!
Victor - Don't worry about hair loss from hurricane shakeups....Men without hair but with a good sense of humor and kindness are just the berries!!! :)
They are good too Donnie - like little pops of sugar! Here's another pic from today - I call this "The Morning After"
What happened "The Night Before"?
Ate my first fig from the fig tree in my kitchen today and there are more to come.
Yippee! Did you savor it without adornment?
Absolutely. Last year the figs were pinky size - this year they are up to quarter size. Next year - who knows?
Anita...that bee does look a bit tipsy! Gorgeous flower he's passing out on!!
Congrats on the first fig, YankeeCat.......yum....they are soooo good. When we lived in Connecticut, one of our neighbors who was from Lebanon had big fig trees (10 - 15 feet tall), and for winter he would tip them over to the ground and cover them with rugs!!! His figs were delicious. Do you have to do anything to your fig trees during the winter or do you have them in a greenhouse?
Threegardeners,
What kind of raspberries are you growing. I'm preparing a new bed for raspberries. DM
YankeeCat, what kind of fig tree are you growing. I purchased Chicago Hardy this year and will probably get Danny's Delight when their back in stock. They seem to be the two hardiest varieties I could find. Are you bringing them in the garage to overwinter? J
My fig tree lives in the corner of my kitchen - all year long. I keep meaning to get it outside in the summer - but it is soooo heavy - I can't move it. It is a Chicago Hardy.