What's Going On With Your Veggie Garden: Part 4

Glad to see you back David. It's so strange even with the high temps my tomatoes are still setting. When I get a chance I pull the spent bloosom out and there is a tiny tomato button. I went out this evening and found some tomato buttons on all my plants. I have some Red Alerts and Dwarfs in containers. They all have tomatoes and tomato buttons. Then I went into my weed/grass infested garden and found more. Even the Cowlick's Brandywine has tomato buttons. The black krim has some large tomatoes but smaller ones too.

I'm really surprised. The plants are smaller then normal but they are cranking out the fruit. I haven't had a bunch of ripe ones yet but the future looks promising. I expected the larger fruited varieties to have stopped but Mortgage Lifter, Box Car Willie, Virginia Sweets etc are setting fruit too. I even have some tomatoes on the Black Seaman (didn't get one last year) and it too is still setting.

I read in a DG article that tomato plants don't like coffee grounds and by the looks of my garden I have to agree. I do lasagna gardening and the plants are much smaller in the area that got the most coffee grounds. This is just a strange year. The fruit is coming in later, the plants are smaller, but they are loaded with fruit. Maybe mine are still going strong because my micro climate is cooling off into the mid 70s at night?


As for Eggplant. I grow almost only Thai types I just like how they look, but they love the heat. Any suggestions on the weeds. I've been so busy taken care of my elderly parents personal matters. I haven't had a lot of time for my gardening....

I still need to plant my pepper plants I really want to put them in containers. I've heard that 3.5 gallon nursery pots should be Ok, but what does everybody think about smaller pots. I have a lot of plants (unusual types) and I want to try to over winter them since it doesn't look like I'll have much time for them this summer...

Lisa, my tomatoes are also still setting fruit in all the high temps! Lots of maters waiting to ripen. I just wish they'd hurry up! Also I've been hunting down the evil hornworms!

Since we've pulled out much of the spring stuff, hubby got more mushroom compost and cotton burr compost the other day. He's been putting that on top of the garden in the places we've pulled stuff out in preparation for fall planting. He's not going to turn it in, just rake it over the existing soil and water in. Then, we'll put a layer of either leaves or straw on top to prevent weeds and to help with moisture control and keep the soil temps down a little.

We're in that hurry up and wait period. LOL

Picked a few more tomatoes this morning. Although much of the crop had BER, the ones that have avoided it taste real nice.

The sweet peppers growing next to the bush beans are doing well. The ones in the bed by themselves are suffering from this heat. I had to discard several small peppers that had sun scald.

when rb #1 was set in place we tilled down about 8". we also tilled the spot where rb #2 is now sitting. i have to dig the holes for the feet and level it. it's been about 2-3 months since the ground was tilled and i think it compressed again. it's been covered with a sheet of heavy plastic, so no weeds or grass. i was thinking to go buy a pitchfork and hand dig it up about 6-8" before i cover it up with a sheet of thick cardboard and begin layering some organics on top. do y'all think digging again is necessary?

Linda, from what I have read, it is best not to till a garden too much as it disturbs the micro-organisms. If this bed is full of earthworms, I would leave it alone. They will till the bed for you. ^_^

However, if the soil has compressed to the point where roots cannot get enough air, I would certainly "fluff" it up a bit.

I would just add compost to the top and maybe turn it in a bit, nothing major tho.

thanks !

Linda,

Just saw the post above and wondered what okra you're planting. Was that any of the seed that I sent you? Glad your second bed is in the ground and ready to go. BTW, some replacement showed up & I'll get some to you...

yes, Kevin, it's all your okra seeds.

Nothing like cooking dinner with a lot of the veggies from your own garden! Taco salad with roasted corn salsa with my own onions, tomatoes, and peppers! (the corn was at least from the farmers market tho)


-Vaughn

Kev, I haven't tried the okra seeds out yet. Still have half a dozen Burgundy Okra to transplant when I pull up the zukes and cukes

Thanks Vaughn.... It's different grillin' zucchini an hour after you've picked it from your garden!!!

picking string beans, cukes, and peppers at 7:30am and it was already 80*. Got everything watered and now indoors while it warms up to 104* outside!


-Vaughn

We're pickin' maters!! Granted they are cherry tomatoes, but still they're maters!

Ha, got myself two more cucumbers today. I have never had cucumbers this early in the year before. Now if I only had ripe tomatoes to go with the cukes!

I grill eggplant in 3/4 inch slices, spread a little goat cheese on them, and drizzle them with a little ketchup mixed with water, oregano and rosemary. Really good.

We had hail, rain, high wind, thunder and lightening last evening and through the night!

The sweet peppers without support had fallen over, but everything that had support looked fine. I'm so glad I purchased all those 8ft t-posts.

First tomato today, a very tasty Early Girl. Still my favorite.
Cucumbers going crazy in this heat. 8 pails full today. I hope there is a large crowd at market tomorrow.

Bernie,

I wish I could get some of your cucumbers in Texas. My Picklebush cucumbers burned up in our heat weeks ago. I still "need" bread-and-butter and would like to have more dills. I'm going to start some seeds inside and plant a second crop in the next week or two. Also need to start some more tomatoes and try a fall crop.

getting some grape tomatoes and romas. still waiting for the brandywines to turn


-Vaughn

Today I planted the remaining eggplant and bell pepper transplants , and the rooted tomato cuttings. RB #1 is almost filled. Thinking of sprinkling some carrot seeds in between the spaces, since this is where they'll go once the bells are up.

I scored two bags of freshly mowed grass yesterday, and mixed it in with the leaves in my compost trash cans. It helpswas already heating up in the plastic bags! Sure hope it helps the compost break down in the cans.

Didn't get to empty the EBs. The onion nubs aren't doing a thing. I'll use the boxes for my mustards and collards, or for the onions I'm starting from seeds this go round.

All that's left is to fill RB #2, and start the seeds for the fall crop.

It was a very productive holiday. And I managed to eat a plate of BBQ after all!

Linda

Oh my, I got flooded with cukes yesterday, and more today -- but no more stacked up behind them. I may need to make pickles today. Cherokee Purple tomatoes have been coming in (they're the best!) and some small ones off that volunteer vine that have only been good compared to supermarket toms.

I never got overwhelmed with zukes this year. My patty pan squash have been steady but not overwhelming either.

I need more peppers but I can't complain about their productivity. I wish I could find a reliable and prolific bell. Jackpot is reliable and good tasting, but only produces a few fruit per plant. They are large, sweet and truly thick-walled, but I need something that's a better user of space.

Scarlet runner beans are done blooming although they may come back when it cools off a bit. All the native bees adore my sunflowers and the bumblebees are stacked 5 and 6 deep in the squash blossoms.

I jumped the gun and planted potatoes a little early on a hunch and they are starting to put on some green. I have some newer squash, cuke and tomato plants coming along for the 2nd summer season and it's nearly time to direct seed fall seeds.

Nicole, I've been growing "Ace" sweet peppers for the first time this year, and so far have been pleased with them:

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6748-ace-f1.aspx

I only let one get to the red stage, but a bug got to it, so I've been picking (and sharing) them in the green stage.

Really, HB? Because "cold tolerant" is not something I'd generally look for in a pepper!

We finally got about 1/10th an inch of rain last night. It feels like a sauna out there.

I chose "Ace" because the instructions say they are ready to harvest in 50 days.

I sowed seeds indoors under lights March 31st. Transplanted April 30th. Picked first green pepper June 16th.

I didn't consider the "cold tolerant" part.

Oh, my scarlett Runner seeds never came up this spring. Instead rotted in ground.

I'm happy to hear 'Ace" is doing well, Honeybee. That's been on my wish list for my next Johnny's order. Most of my peppers are just starting to turn, wish I had gotten them in earlier.

I just got in an order from Jung's, excited to get started, but have family staying over the weekend...my light set-up is in the spare room, no sense making a mess until they're gone. It's hard holding back, that box of seed keeps calling to me!

Tore out Market More cucumbers, that was my second attempt growing these and I'm done trying. They are way too bitter for me.
Tore out a bed of green beans, they're done for the year. Prepped two more beds for fall. And canning gazoodles of tomatoes. Life is good :0)

I'm about ready to pull out our pole beans because they look so fried. They just really don't do well in this heat. I hate to do it though because they are loaded with blooms. I'm ready to pull out the Marketmores, but hubby wants to try nursing them along. Ugh!

My beans look beautiful, and are putting on new blooms, so I hate to pull them out, but I know it's time. I need to get going or I'm going to mess up my fall planting. I have never tried marketmores, only used to plant straight 8, but since I found the little Cucina hybrids, I probably won't plant anything else. They are wonderful! From Parks seeds, and I've been planting them for a few years now. Soft skin, smaller size, and great taste.

There are lots of better tasting cumbers out there than Marketmore.

I have been eating my SALAD BUSH cukes (which are in a planter bowl) and saying my inground cukes don't have big fruit yet but today I looked under the leaves and found lots and lots of cucumbers already. Picked 5 today and will be picking more tomorrow. Those were Burpless and Marketmore. I have Straight Eight in there also. Bought them all as seedlings. Over on the much longer trellis I have the cucumbers I started my self from seed which are the China Long, Aremenian and Palace King. Only the CHINA LONG ones have flowers already.

I have calypso and straight eight growing, straight eight I like to grow as an old stand by.it is not always the best for taste,,only does have above average or usual taste and it produces exceptionally on occasion .
I picked my first tomato of the season this evening and had it with dinner. Marketmore and Armenian, always seem to end up with some malady when I grow them.
ARMENIAN as either standard or yard long I find to be delicious as far as taste only either never produced well for me.
My little cucumber fruits are all small yet, in a while.

I only have a few Marketmore plants and honestly, I don't know why I planted them. They are my least favorite cucumber. Well, any of the Marketmores are my least favorite. The Marketmore 76 and others I find no different. Straight Eight is all right but the Burpless ones are better. I never had Calypso.

I am really looking forward to tryying the Armenian and the China Long. Both new for me.

I haven't grown cucumbers for a couple of years because the cucumber beetles were so bad. I looked back into my records and had made a note that "Marketmore" did poorly. Had to go back to find one that I liked and found it in 2009 - "Cucino" from Park Seed. I had made a note that it produced from the middle of June to the middle of September that year.

I'll have to add this to my "buy" list for next year.

The worst part about my Marketmore vines was that they were gorgeous and healthy...but what good is that if I can't eat the fruit.lol

Thanks for the tips on Cucino. I just received H-19 Little Leaf seed, it's supposedly not bitter because it's parthenocarpic and has less Cucurbitacin compounds (the substance that can cause bitterness). We shall see, I feel really confident in my ability to grow a bitter cucumber :0)

I absolutely loved the Armenian melons, I can't get over how much they tasted like cucumbers. The only thing that seems strange is how they looked pickled since the skin is so different. I can't tell if they taste different pickled... I think that might be imagining that they do. I need to do a blind taste test with the family.

Stephanie, I forgot to ask. Do pole beans normally keep producing during our summers? I'm trying them the first time this year. I was hoping they would produce after the big flush of bush beans was over, so I planted them late. They are blooming, no beans yet.
But one concern I had..my bush beans were still producing when I pulled them up, however, the pods were getting tough and stunted. Will poles do this in high heat?

Our Ferry-Morse Marketmore 76 Cukes did great this year... They were not bitter and had great size along with the Salad Slicers... Pulled the last 4 cukes today and cut the vines at the ground and will pull the remnants out of the trellis... If we get the break in the weather we're supposed to next week, maybe the rest of the tomatoes will finally ripen. Now, they're kind of dormant and just watering to keep them alive, they haven't ripened in the last 2 weeks.

Watermelons are going pretty good, but I've got one question. How do you know when a Bush Sugar Baby is ripe?? The skin is dark green without any stripes and has looked the same since it set fruit, just grew to about 7"... So far I can only find about 4 of them and they all look & feel identical.. May harvest one when the grand daughter is over this weekend, just to see how it tastes...

kevcarr59 There's a bunch of guess to that ,With me I am a tapper and a viewer.The melon where it sets in contact with the ground should go from white to yellowish ,Tapping them lightly for sound difference,others will be by the dry tendril only I don't like that as much(to many an overripe melon that way) If they sound solid ;not ripe. Like store-bought there is a slight hollow sound to watermelon.Water re-verb I guess
It does take some practice and do not be in a hurry most melons will not be ripe for a while ,even when you think they are. For amateurs like myself it is difficult!
I love watermelons though!!! And I will keep on trying to grow them!!

Just south of us they have a "Watermelon Thump" in Luling, Tx. It's a huge festival and LOT'S of WM.... Have heard about the thump & the dry-tendril method. Will have to check Burpee's website again to find out what the DTM is. I I'm correct, they should be fairly close to being ripe...according to DTM...

Kevin

I don't know about your type of melon but many melons have a small tendril about an inch away from the melon. It is not attached to a fruit or leaf. When the melon ripens, the tendril begins to dry up. That is usually an indicator of time to harvest.

Checked the melons this morning by the "thump" & tendril method, both saying not ready yet... Just have to wait....

Patience is a virtue!