It has been a very hot, dry summer here but with a few changes and new ideas, we have managed to have some of the best produce ever.
Here is the garden freshly planted and before hoops were installed. (we grow year round, so it is not a new garden)
Our gardens and harvests
Still before hoops, just finishing harvest of these beets.
The garden with hoops, tents and remay row covers.
Some of the harvest. Fresh squash.
Melons: Emerald Gem, Sivan, Heart of Gold, Galia, Canary
Cherry tomatoes: sweet treats, chocolate cherry, yellow pear, juilette, orange parouche, more that are unknown. The sweet treats handle the heat well and also survived the heavy rains a few weeks ago. Chocolate cherry cracks easily.
Hi Calalily very nice gardens! It show you put a lot work and time into those gardens. They make my little 30 X 30 look like a postage stamp. Thank for showing..
I dream of having such acreage! And such a harvest! Thanks so much for sharing and reminding me that, It CAN be done... :-)
Calalily ~ I'm always inspired by your posts and photos. Glad also that your hard work is paying off by rewarding you with a good season.
In your third photo, it appears you have a berm around the beds? Is that for irrigation or is it an illusion that the grass appears more lush from nutrients and moisture?
Wow! Just wow!
Podster, there is no berm, we sprinkle irrigate that area. The grass is lush from the nutrients leaching into it. (I really should fertilize my lawn judging from this!)
NO way! Then you'd have to mow more. I'd vote for tilling it up and planting it.
It did look like a berm where you could flood irrigate if needed.
This message was edited Jul 31, 2011 10:13 AM
Amazing garden. My tomatoes are not sweet which is probably due to lack of rain. I have 45 plants of various types but none are really good. That is beautiful. How to you keep those weeds out? To have a garden like that here you would need to weed every few days and I can't handle this heat and humidity (Va with 98 temp and about that in humidity).
Looks great.
Kathy
You have an inspirational garden. You must grow enough to sell produce! I too am wondering how you keep up with the weeds. Do you use a cultivator?
Beautiful - I love the colors and variety and the palm trees on the border!
This computer is going to drive me crazy! Typed a whole response and poof, gone.
I weed every week, I begin on one side and work my way to the other. My favorite weeding tool is a stirrup hoe. Sometimes by the time I get finished weeding the last section, new weeds are in the first section. I used to mulch with grass clippings but never again without composting them first. I've almost won the battle against the bermuda grass and don't want to chance giving it a foothold again.
We are a commercial farm, we attend 3 markets per week year round. We are the only farm in the valley that can grow leaf lettuce, arugula and real spinach year round. I have almost succeeded in having tomatoes year round! I think with the varieties I have now, I might finally accomplish this.
This has been a hotter than a normal summer, highs in the mid to upper 90's for weeks without end. No rain from October to Feb when we had freezing rain (not normal), then no rain until a few weeks ago two rains each around 2 inches and 1.5 inches from Don on Friday.
What a garden! Thank goodness I don't have to can it! lol
Calalily-can you share with us how you germinate/grow greens year round? Im getting ready to start some greens and we are under another heat advisory so any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Lisa
Lisa, some greens will germinate without chilling and some need a "boost". Last year I did all kinds of experiments with cool treatment, planting straight out and some were covered with either shade cloth (black 30% knitted) or white remay either laid on the row flat or tented and vented.
We grow for gourmet restaurants, so appearance is also important to us.
Arugula: didn't seem to matter as far as germination, but chilling in damp sand for two or 3 days speeded up the germ and raised the %. Row cover improved the flavor (not so hot and much more tender) of the greens. Row covers MUST be vented for these greens.
Kale: grow red russian, siberian and white russian. Will germinate in hot temps, but erratic. I mix with damp sand in a glass jar, put in the fridge for 3-4 days and sow in rows. Shade makes for a nicer stand, but isn't necessary. Greens are less bitter with shade or remay on hoops over plants.
Mustard: we grow a mix from High Mowing. I get their Hot Shot and Mild Mix and mix them together. These germinate without special treatment, but a chill period in damp sand of a day or two gives them a boost.
Bok Choi: same as the mustards, I plant the white stem variety in summer because it is less bitter. I sell as baby bok choi. We also grow Hon Tsai Tai and Tah Tsoi the same way.
Onions: pacific pearl and evergreen bunching: I mix the seeds with damp sand, chill 4-5 days, rinse the seeds(so I can see the seeds and tell how thickly I'm planting the row), sow and cover with a remay "tent." Works well for carrots also. If you chill radish seeds, don't chill for more than 1-2 days or they will bolt.
Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage and other cole crops (I don't grow turnips, rutabagas or brussels sprouts): mix seeds with damp sand, chill 4-5 days, sow in seed bed or seed starting tray (my seedbed has hoops and 30% shade cloth), keep moist, will germinate in a few days. Transplant to final spacing when big enough to handle. Shade for first few weeks with remay, we use a frame to keep the remay off the leaves.
Latest experiment: to grow tomatoes, melons, sweet potatoes and cucumbers while I'm away on vacation. No water unless it rains, temps over 100 almost every day for a month.
I'll be home tomorrow, I'll let you know how it worked.
Calalily,
Thanks for the experiment feedback. I LOVE experiments!
Question: I'm growing cabbages, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflowers from seeds for the first time. Looking at your report reminded me I read somewhere not to keep the seedlings too long, but to plant them out quickly (I FORGOT about this tip...).
I sowed seeds for all these on Saturday, August 6. The Brussels Sprouts are looking lovely, and are about to put on a set of true leaves. The cabbages got floppy-stupid, leggy, 'cause they popped while I was away, so I recently conducted my own experiment and put straw "sleeves" around them to prop them up. It's WORKING! They are almost standing on their own, and putting on new leaves!
My broccoli and cauliflowers are also just about to put on new leaves, too. All in all, I think the seedlings are making it.
At what point do I need to plant them out into the eBuckets? I read somewhere that part of the success of growing cole crops is to have a sizeable enough seedling at plantout.
So, how big is "just right" for plantout?
Thanks, in advance! And, thank you for sharing your wonderful pictures with us!
P.S. I told you I was coming to visit, and I almost made it. A sister church choir goes down to South Padre every year for a long (working/singing) weekend. This year they'll be there the first weekend in November, and I almost joined them for the trip, but I won't be able to make it after all...shoot...
I sure wanna come see your operation!
Linda
Linda
Thanks, Calalily.
I will post more updates in a few days, still trying to get caught up. Weeds sure grow like crazy when one is gone for a month!
Gymgirl, if you decide to come down to the Island, give me a call. We are only 6 hours or so from Houston.