anyone else noticing some double posting going on?
2016 Spring/Summer Gardens Pt 2
Quote from bariolio :
On another topic, my blackberry bush is making lots of berries for the first time but the birds are eating them. Other than hanging a net over it, is there any other way to keep birds out?
I harvest twice a day: early in the morning and around 7pm. It seems that the birds just pick on a couple of berries in this way. Good luck !
Jmc, yes I have but I didn't realize it happened to me until now. No idea how it happened, I posted just like always. Oh well.....
I see my first eggplant is starting to grow in. Getting some fruits on my "stripes of yore" tomato. got a late start on my cukes and am just now seeing female blooms.
I must be doing something right with my corn, as im seeing a few starting to tassel.
And my squash plants are starting to get a decent size on them, i always intentionally plant those a little later because ive found out that it helps with avoiding most of the squash vine borer breeding times in my area
This message was edited Jun 14, 2016 12:13 PM
gound cherries starting to come in
Quote from Gymgirl :
Rubber snake?
Gymgirl - My fig tree really has the figs this year (the whole sum of maybe 30 - ha), anyhow, I'm expecting that me and some other critter will be watching for them to ripen and they are just getting started good. Whatever the other critter may be - do you think a rubber snake might do the trick to ensure my harvest and not something else? I liked your rubber snake to prevent the birds and may have to give that a try sometime - cherries.
im a little disappointed with my kentucky beefsteak plant this year, so far every single last bloom has dropped off before it could become anything. quite the contrast from last year when i was bringing in honkin' 1LB fruits, and all the other tomato plants are performing as expected
This message was edited Jun 16, 2016 5:35 PM
Hi brendak654, how do you care for your fig plant . This is my second year with it and it sprouted nicely and side shoots are just budding out . I fertilize it with plant tone and keep a saucer under the container and have it on the south side of my yard .I do not have any fruit yet, but last year there was a few but they fell off. Am I doing the right thing with it?
John Kohler drinks waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much coffee...
Jmc, is there any change from last year that you can think of? It's strange that all the other plants are doing fine but I'm glad they are.
In this area the humidity is wayyyy higher then normal (after all the rain) this is bringing the heat indexes up as high as 110.
yeah we have been included in those parts of the country that started out the spring in a monsoon season, and then shifted into that crazy humid heat wave. perhaps that specific variety cant tolerate that much?
Who knows. I've grown 75+ varieties here and every year is different. It was easier gardening in So Cal it got in the 100s during the day but it cooled down at night and litte to no humidity. When I moved here there was a huge learning curve.
Maybe it will start producing as the season progresses.
perhaps it will, my mom gave it a stern "talking to" the other day ;) LOL!
"Syrumani" You asked:
How can you tell when is a good time to harvest yellow squash?
Summer squash can be harvested whenever it is the size you want it to be. But if you wait too long, it will form seeds. I like it between 3 to 6 inches long - nice and tender.
interesting (and perhaps a bit disturbing), that despite all these flowers i havent yet laid eyes on the first honey bee so far this year.
The Stripes of Yore tomato is starting to take on those stripey characteristics, and i do believe i see corn ears starting to grow in!
And one of my japanese morning glory plants seem to have mutated and decided to grow variegated, where as the other one i have growing from the same seed lot has solid green leaves.
This message was edited Jun 17, 2016 8:34 PM
Ok, so here is the first batch of cucumbers. I do not know what kind of cucumbers, as I bought the baby plants from the farmers market. They probably said on a tag, but where that is now . . . . anyway. We didn't eat any of this first batch, but picked a few yesterday. I wish these were more "normal" cucumbers, but . . . oh, well.
Anyway, these look like pickles already! lol! We were so excited to try them. We washed them off, got the spiky things off, and sliced away. On the inside, they look like cucumbers, and smell like cucumbers. But really, really, bitter. I don't know if that is because the bitterness goes towards pickle flavor after pickling, or if they need some special type of nutrient.
Any thoughts?
definitely looks like what folks around here call "pickling cukes" to me
If those are pickling cucs & bitter, try picking them sooner. Like when they are the size of pickles!! I've grown different pickling cucs & Japanese cucs-the long, straight kind. Except this year, they are curling up. I think that is a sign of too little water or maybe irregular water. Satsuki madori or something like that. Very yummy. I used the last of those seeds this year & want to buy more.
Those cukes "odd shape" are a sign of irregular watering which can also cause bitterness. They look like pickling cukes to me. Also, the longer they stay on the vine the more bitter they will become.
Not much happening here except the heat. It's hit with a passion and the waterworks have been turned off, too.
Got some nice sized cukes that should be ready soon. Most look like the first two pics, but then I have one in the row that looks like the 3rd pic. I'm thinking it's a different variety.
stephanietx
what are those cukes?
Mine are done already for the season. I planted MUNCHER like you suggested and I had the best production ever. They also tasted really good.
Steph, the third looks like a pickling cuc to me.
Also about cuc harvesting. Try to pick them before any tinge of yellow. Starts at the stem end. Yellow = bitter.
My dear hubby has always threatened to plant okra in our front flower bed. This year he did! "Well, they make a pretty flower...".
This message was edited Jun 19, 2016 4:04 PM
Drthor, these are supposed to be Muncher, but it seems there's a rogue in there. LOL We'll see soon what's what.
Sometimes they include a pollinator. That might be what it is.
Muncher is a multipurpose cuke. They can be pickled or eaten fresh. Each plant has male and female flowers so they don't need a pollinator. Maybe some other seeds got mixed in? Baker Seed sells them.
Quote from stephanietx :
Drthor, these are supposed to be Muncher, but it seems there's a rogue in there. LOL We'll see soon what's what.
they don't look like Mucher. Baker Seeds often sent me the wrong seeds ... bu I just like them and they are super great on sending you a new seed package ... with the hope the right seeds are in there.
Today I am DIRECT seeding CHINESE RED NOODLE LONG BEANS. Then at the beginning of July I will start indoor the fall crops.
Quote from CountryGardens :
Sometimes they include a pollinator. That might be what it is.
That's a good point, but these were my own seeds that I saved two years ago. I also planted from this same batch of seeds last year.
Quote from stephanietx :
Quote from CountryGardens :Sometimes they include a pollinator. That might be what it is.
That's a good point, but these were my own seeds that I saved two years ago.
Maybe MUNCHER is not an Heirloom ... or it did cross pollinate with some other varieties of cucumbers you were growing.
Or maybe I just mislabeled or put some of the wrong seeds in my own envelope! LOL It's all good. Just have to keep an eye on these because they mature a little faster.
things are looking quite promising now
Jmc, great pics. Luv this time of year. It sees like the garden kicks into gear almost overnight.
one week harvest = doing sooo good !
I am always amazed at the massive amounts of tomatoes you bring in, lol, im still waiting for my first one.
i may have to trouble you for some seed from one of those bright purple colored peppers, if thats ok ;)
Starting to see some beans forming up, as well as some blooms on my squash plants. and finally getting some cukes growing in
Quote from jmc1987 :
i may have to trouble you for some seed from one of those bright purple colored peppers, if thats ok ;)
The purple peppers are BUENA MULATA http://www.rareseeds.com/buena-mulata-hot-pepper/?F_Keyword=buena%20mulata
I have no problem by sharing seeds ... the problem is that they are growing next to many other peppers, so they will cross pollinate and the seeds I will save might not be the Buena Mulata ...
I am growing them because on the Baker Creek magazine there was a recipe to make an amazing salsa using powder chocolate. Yummy !
I have only one BM pepper plant ... and it is taking forvere to reach the 8 oz quantity to make the salsa.
These peppers are super hot !
My offerings at market yesterday. All sold!
Just came in from from the garden with basket in tow. Lucky me - our second tomato of the season - tiny as this one may be. Each time I pick the cucks, I'm getting more - so it will soon be time for making a few pickles. I'm enjoying COLD cucumber water right now. I think stir fry may be in order for lunch. I picked the blackberries last eve (about a gallon) - Huge Apache (thornless). I've been picking them late in the eve as the raccoons have been having a picnic reunion at night. How can they get dirt on blackberries 4 feet off the ground unless it is little raccoons? Geeeesh! Fun & Games. . . . . Temp gauge says 90 so I went out early and did my tilling for the day - now I'm heading out to mow about an acre among some walnut trees (mostly shade) Yeah!
I was glad to see that the deer had left the sweet potatoe vines alone last night. I'm planning on dropping some pieces of loud smelling soap in and among the sweet potato plants - think that will deter them from eating the vines? I think it is gourmet for them. Last night I left a glove here and there among the plants and a bucket in the row and that seemed to work (temporarily).
You ALL have BEAUTIFUL harvests and I so enjoy seeing what you have. ♥♥♥
Quote from drthor :
I have no problem by sharing seeds ... the problem is that they are growing next to many other peppers, so they will cross pollinate and the seeds I will save might not be the Buena Mulata ...
ah, you have a point there, thanks for pointing me out to the source for some seed online
so is anyone else having problems with the plant search? it seems that once i enter in the name of the plant, and then what variety it is, i always get a "no results" error.
Way to go, Brenda!