Was gonna pull up the old garden thread but was too lazy to look for it. How's y'alls doing?
Pulled the first few tomatoes a couple of days ago and finished ripening them in the house. Ate the first one today. Celebrity. Then ate a black cherry tomato too. Have one left. Wife didn't want to eat one today and the kids have never liked them. Watermelon plants looking good. Squash plants haven't been out very long. Onions look good. First real rains on the garden were during the last few days. Got about an inch. Been watering diligently though. Things look pretty good even though planting was rough.
Big 5-6' Kingsnake out there today rooting around. Don't like serpents but a Kingsnake is as good as they get. Maybe keep the rattlers away. Sorry for the lack of pics.
My garden in Rigby Id isn't doing too well. Planted about the first of June and still had to tarp tomatoes for a frost. We have had a few strawberries and my boy picked the first reddish for me yesterday.
Everything seems to be moving slow. Not even any blossoms on tomatoes yet and zucchini plants are still small. Im going to hit them all with a good foliar fert tomorrow and see what happens.
I am now working for the shire in parks and gardens...and apparently I am great if you want something lopped, chopped, or killed. So far I find that the chainsaw is my favourite pruning tool and am a bit miffed that they won't allow me to use it on the roses.
Which is a bit mean as I am damned sure that previous employees have done exactly that, as some of those plants have been brutalised.
I pulled 8 beautiful cucumbers on Saturday, the grape tomatoes are on the plants by the 100s but still green. Red beefsteaks have at least 1 fruit per plant that will be ready in a week. Rutgers are about the same.
My carrots are a long ways off as are the zucchini, bell peppers, and squash.
We have harvested leaf lettuce three times now, plants are bolted, and I’m ready to pull and start over.
I’ve never been into fruit plants but I may do some melons or berries for the kids next year.
Ma and I are not planting as much garden since Pa passed away. I grabbed a bunch of leftover mineral tubs from the farm and use those for planters. Have some old tractor tires that I use also. Peppers, tomatoes , cukes are a few days away. Japanese beetles are brutal this year around here. I suspect the mild winter .
Started planting the garden first week of June when the rain spigot finally slowed up. Doing well for first year garden, I think. Started pulling small cukes on Wednesday or Thursday last week. Wife loves the garden fresh cukes. Pulled first two zukes last night. Tomato plants laden with marble to handball sized green tomatoes. May end up staking the tomatoes to keep the fruit out of the mud.
Peas not doing so well. Quick early germination. But, have kinda stalled out. Planted three varieties of sweet corn. The variety that I planted the most of is showing only about 50% germination, and then, less vigor than the other two varieties. Watermelon plants that were direct sown are not yet showing the same vigor as the cantelope sown at same time. not sure if that is typical or not?
As stated above, first year garden/gardener, so still steep learning curve on what, how, and when. When the tomatoes start ripening here in a couple weeks, will be elbow deep in learning the art of canning as well. Fun times !
I have all stages of garden. We've gone through the first 3 plantings of green beans, canned 56 quarts, sold about 5-6 bushels at the market. Wife's done a couple of recipes of pickles, and the cucumbers are pretty much done. Cabbage are done, fall planting will be about a month. First two plantings of sweet corn have gone, and we're working on the third one now. We'll freeze it, and try and sell the rest. Tomatoes are in big time, and we'll be canning some today. Okra, purple hulls, and butterpeas are still yet to come in. I also have 4 more plantings of green beans that will be in at different stages. Have bell peppers and sweet jalepenos in, and squash is about gone. I'll plant some more. Planted both red and white potatoes, and have dug most of the red ones. I'll leave the Kennebec potatoes alone for a while longer. Picking blackberries thins morning. Also have a bunch of pumpkins planted. Keeps me busy, but I enjoy it.
Everything is doing great . Im starting to pull a lot of tomatoes , squash , leaf lettuce , beans and peas . I have a good many watermelons , cantaloupes and honeydew on the vines .
Ours is a disaster. The only thing that's doing well are the tomatoes. I planted 10 cantaloupe and 5 watermelons and something ate them. I have 1 cant and 2 watermelons surviving but they're too far behind and won't ripen. They're just starting to vine when they should have fruits on them. I usually do 4 plantings of corn at 2 week intervals. My germination has been 25% at best. We've had a series of cold snaps since Memorial day that has put everything far behind.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
Strawberries, blueberries, sour cherries are all in the freezer. Blackberries under way. Peaches soon.
Spinach and asparagus are done. Lettuce, turnips, and Swiss chard still hanging on. Cukes, zukes, and squash coming in well. Pole and bush beans too. Okra is starting to flower. Tomatoes got a slow start; had to rsesort to buying some plants because my seedlings were pitiable, but now the seedlings and direct-seeded plants are doing okay. Peppers did better for some reason. Watermelons and lopes are threatening to take over everything. Hope those do well again. Nothing except a fresh tomato compares to a nice home-grown melon.
The China Doll has begun the freezer purge to make room for new stuff. She's actually the gardener; I till and build and spray and do the grass and trees, and count the pills.
The beetles made an initial assault, but I hit them on the ornamentals and fruit trees with a batch of Sevin, and they haven't been seen since. Gotta be careful to keep that off anything with flowers to protect the bees. Diatomaceous earth kills most of the soft pests in the garden.
Good to hear the garden stories. Ima see if more stuff comes in today and another report if Mama will brave the Kingsnake. I gotta hay here pretty quick.