Garden Planted for 35 days now. Update 2 weeks later. Post #1

[smokinj]

Pulled some garlic, and FINALLY started getting lil yellow cherry tomatoes... and I hate them. My wife isn't around to eat them, so they're dog treats.

Your dog eats tomatoes? lol

 

[Adios Pantalones]

They love em. These yellow ones are really sweet and small. With the regular cherry tomatoes, Chloe eats them quick, and Shamus walks around with one in his mouth trying to provoke her. It's too funny with that red tomato sticking out of his mouth (they love that game).

Here's the trouble maker

 

[lukem]

My dog ate all, i repeat all, of my tomatoes last year. He would eat them about a day before they were ripe enough to pick.

I have a fence this year. He has less gas.

 

[lukem]

Making my own rain tonight.

 

[lukem]

Making my own rain tonight.

 

[billb3]

I had a Lab that would eat red tomatoes right off the vine.
Current mastiff tries to get the raspberries but her tongue is too big and gets briars. She'll geta few though before she decides it's not worth the pain.

I've had good luck with string beans, cukes and lettuce this year.
Usually get wilt in cukes and melons and the season here isn't really quite long enough for watermelons and melons.

I've had trouble getting carrots and beats started. Neighbor has, too. Finally got some coming but they won't be ready now till October/ November.
Almost had a red tomato for July 4th but it didn't happen.

got a fungus in peppers, too.

good luck with some things, not so much with others.


have lost all my apples and pears to squirrels already this year.


Got a big old rabbit making a night resting spot in the string beans, but it doesn't eat any. Just grass and or the weeds in the grass. I'm tolerating it being there every night as long as it doesn't eat anything of mine.

 

[smokinj]

Making my own rain tonight.

I tilled again last night just to help dry mine out a litte more.

 

[lukem]

Jay,

How's the garden coming along?

I picked a 27 oz tomato today...and bigger one getting ripe. Canned 5 qts of juice and 2 qts of salsa.

Making jalapeno jelly tonight...HUGE jalapenos...12 to a pound.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Gotta love tomato season. Had a big pile of sliced mater, fresh mozzarella, a little basil and shredded cherry peppers last night with dinner.

 

[lukem]

I picked about 25 lbs of tomatoes last night. Canned juice out of the big heirlooms, and the romas will go in the freezer tonight. Should pick another 20 lbs tonight.

Everything but my green beans are rockin. Can't figure out the beans. They look healthy, have a lot of blooms, but no beans. Any ideas?

 

[smokinj]

Jay,

How's the garden coming along?

I picked a 27 oz tomato today...and bigger one getting ripe. Canned 5 qts of juice and 2 qts of salsa.

Making jalapeno jelly tonight...HUGE jalapenos...12 to a pound.

We are behind you, getting enough to eat. There loaded but, late this week tomato will need to can Zucchini, corn,tomato. Corn should be ready early next week, and the fall garden has been seeded and waiting til this weekend to plant the seedlings. (broc,bruss,cali)

 

[smokinj]

Gotta love tomato season. Had a big pile of sliced mater, fresh mozzarella, a little basil and shredded cherry peppers last night with dinner.

We have been baking alot of them with that mix. (first time I have had them roasted) Reminds me of tomato soup exploding on impact.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Can't figure out the beans. They look healthy, have a lot of blooms, but no beans. Any ideas?

We were getting a pile of them until the hot/dry stretch. This weekend they kicked back in again.

 

[SolarAndWood]

and the fall garden has been seeded and waiting til this weekend to plant the seedlings. (broc,bruss,cali)

What's the deal with the timing of the Fall garden? We start seeing frost mid October...do I still have time?

 

[smokinj]

and the fall garden has been seeded and waiting til this weekend to plant the seedlings. (broc,bruss,cali)

What's the deal with the timing of the Fall garden? We start seeing frost mid October...do I still have time?

Yes mid August is the timing. I have a shelve system with grow lights, so my seedling get 24/7 light for 14-21 days (broc,bruss,califlower) Then bush beans, carrots parsnips, mustard greens and salad mix all went in Sunday.(As seed) May be a week early but are temps are now on the way down.

 

[lukem]

I planted my fall stuff last weekend. Broccoli, radishes, lettuce, and peas. I put mine directly in the garden and will thin the broccoli after it sprouts.

Planting time varies by region...you may be a little late. They usually have a spring/fall planting calendar from your local co-op (got mine from Purdue).

 

[smokinj]

I planted my fall stuff last weekend. Broccoli, radishes, lettuce, and peas. I put mine directly in the garden and will thin the broccoli after it sprouts.

Planting time varies by region...you may be a little late. They usually have a spring/fall planting calendar from your local co-op (got mine from Purdue).

That's where I got mine to..I want to give the broccoli Brussel sprouts and cauliflower the extra boooost.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

You guys are impressive. My garden is only about 12 by 30. I am getting a ton of tomato's now and I have been doing great with eggplant, peppers and zucchini. My zucchini is about done now. My questions are: how the heck do you guys keep the weeds down? Do you have a mantis tiller or something? I have seen some people put newspaper down. Also I would like to plant garlic this here. I year to plant it in the fall, when is a good time?

 

[SolarAndWood]

My questions are: how the heck do you guys keep the weeds down?

Mulch around the plants with grass clippings, wood mulch for everything that isn't a seed bed. Still have plenty of weeds to pull.

 

[lukem]

My questions are: how the heck do you guys keep the weeds down?

Mulch around the plants with grass clippings, wood mulch for everything that isn't a seed bed. Still have plenty of weeds to pull.

If gardening was easy more people would do it. There's no fool proof way to keep weeds down other than hard work.

I plant my stuff far enough apart I can get the tiller around most of it for the early part of the year, then once the plants mature they create their own canopy and shade out most of the weeds. I have to do quite a bit of manual cultivation during the spring.

Some people mulch with organic material or sheets of plastic.

 

[billb3]

I collect all my oak leaves in the Fall with the riding mower ( they get chewed up a little) on the highest setting so I get very little grass.
Store them in a pile ( several actually) .
I used to put a tarp over it but haven't lately, the center stays fairly dry.

In the Spring I'll spread some out, pick them back up by running over them with the mower again ( chews 'em up a bit more ) and use them for garden mulch.

I found they'll actually last two years , raking them to the side the second year and spreading them back out after planting seeds or.


Anything left over gets thrown in the compost pile with the lawn clippings.

 

[smokinj]

My questions are: how the heck do you guys keep the weeds down?

Mulch around the plants with grass clippings, wood mulch for everything that isn't a seed bed. Still have plenty of weeds to pull.

I have not done any mulching to this point (but will) Weeds have been easy enough by keeping the rows further apart that the tiller can be used until the plants get very mature.