What are you eating out of your garden?

Let us know the results, please.

Burpee said::::

Thank you for writing about the "Picklebush" cucumber.

The lack of fruit production could be due to the following:
Too much water
Too much nitrogen in the soil
High temperatures

The containers were certainly large enough to accommodate three plants.

Your local Cooperative Extension Service may be able to provide a few more ideas on the subject.

Sincerely,

Marsha
Customer Service Department

It's good to see that they responded. Given the choices which do you think was your source of grief?

It could have been all 3 - altho I think the water was fine.
I used Mighty Plant a couple times on them which is 18-18-18 - ok live and learn
I was concerned that those black plastic containers might have heated up - who knows

I read cucumbers like a little shade- mine are still going strong on a western exposure, trellised, with sun from about 11:00am to sundown. I saw a cuke beetle in July, but it seems to have gone away. We'll see. I don't have any other signs of beetle infestation.

I transplanted late in the season, this means the first cuke beetles had already found a home somewhere else. I put radishes in the ground below (it keeps the cuke beetles from laying eggs in the dirt), and planted beans on the opposite side of the trellis. These are all tricks to keep beetles away, and have a longer season. I planted Marketmores because someone gave the seedlings to me (they are just like store bought, unfortunately). They are very resistant to disease. I would rather have some more flavorful variety, but hey, I've still got lots of cukes, so I won't look a gift horse in the mouth!

You're right! As long as you get production you do whatever you have to do.

I used 12 cucumbers to make salads for a beach picnic but the sissies (52 people!) won't eat onions or garlic and now we have a ton leftover.

I have cucumbers coming on, too. If the weather is good Saturday - I'm having a Tag Sale - maybe I can sell cucumbers!

Not eat onions or garlic??!!!!!! I'm speechless. How can you make good food without onions or garlic?

My dad always says, "The only things that aren't better with a little garlic are ice cream and coffee. And I'm not sure about the ice cream....."

Funny, Ivy! I agree. They're all wimps. They "only" eat Vidalia's, etc. - boring!

A Yankee Cat - what a great idea! I'll bet they sell. Good luck with the Tag sale.

Ayankeecat- make homemade cucumber ices if it's hot. Throw them in the blender or cuisinart with sugar, then freeze them. We freeze watermelon chunks too and make ice pops. They are super! People will buy them, I bet.

Cucumber ices? Wow - never thought of that. How much sugar to how much cukes? Didn't sell cucumbers today - my new brick walk was being put in during the sale and it made for a lot of noise and confusion. But the result is wonderful! (I will post a picture of my recycled brick walk when it is sanded and I have the flower beds back in.) I gave out cukes to the guys who did the foundation and brick laying and all my neighbors who came by to watch the work. Work is SO fascinating when you are not the person doing it.

How true!

I spent about 8 years doing that work with my father and then with my brother. I agree that its fun to watch!

Just use what you think is right- I go by taste, and have never really measured.

I finally broke down and picked one, we had it for an afternoon snack.

Looks good!

Yummy, that looks good, Pixie.
My cantaloupe are doing the best of any veggie this season, they also need another week. Broccoli was poor this year, onions are nice and the tomatoes are so-so.
Andy P

I'm taking a five second break from my side job and that watermelon would sure hit the spot!

Pixie- you have to post and say how it tasted! Watermelon from the grocery store is pretty good already, so fresh must be like heaven.

Ivy,
It was pretty tasty, but I think a few more days in the garden would of made it sweeter. However it was very juicy...running down my chin juicy! I have approx. 5 more to pick so i'll let you know if longer in the garden will make it sweeter.

I picked the first Cantaloupe today.
Breakfast.
Andy P

Raspberries - golden and red - snack, breakfast, snack, lunch.

Yum.

Cucumbers, cucumbers cucumbers aaaaahhh help me I am buried under a ton of cuc. .......................gurgle.....

Us, too. "Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head...".

That's from an old Danny Kaye song, "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts" and we, who have this deluge of cucumbers, do feel slightly nutty this time of year.

Snifffff!

I Like cucumbers and I didn't get a one this year although I planted them 3 times! The weather and probably a bug problem just did them in.

Thats how I feel about my tomatoes. I haven't got one decent tomato all season..... Thank goodness for friends who have too many. Unfotunately, I have to listen to them crowing about how great their big giant tomatoes are doing in order to receive some of the leftovers.

Ivy ~
You could always crow about your cucumbers, or just bury them with the cukes when they start crowing about the tomatoes!

Think I'll crow about cukes- don't want to lose out on my supply of sweet juicy fresh tomatoes.....

Well, my first post on this thread...it's been a long summer. 2 Big Boy tomatoes in containers that started out just gorgeous and got very sick very fast...but the good news is (edit for spelling)

ta da!

This message was edited Sep 1, 2006 6:16 PM

...and I had an extra container, so I did some Orange Belle sweet peppers. they look so pretty now that they're turning

so I'm not just lurking and seeing all your great stuff anymore...well, I still am, but at least I had something to add ;-)

gram

My peppers are not doing well at all. I have a decent crop, but they are not sweet as they are supposed to be and I keep finding worms in them. Not sure if it is the cultivar or what...

Gram, My tomatoes started off great, too. I think all that June rain hurt them. They are better now and giving me a satisfactory crop.
My peppers did the same. I picked my first yesterday, about a month later than usual.
I really enjoyed the cantaloupe today, the entire house smelled cantaloupe.
I picked 2 more this afternoon. They are a small variety called 'Little Sweetie' about the size of a large Grapefruit.
Andy P

Gram, those tomatoes look wonderful!

Anita, I only picked 3 peppers so far....2 green and one purple. The rest have not formed, or the watermelon plants choked them!

Andy, YUM!

Today I went and took a few pictures in the garden. Here's my summer squash that I let go by because they were twins!!

Taken today, need to harvest soon!

mmm, everything looks so good. pixie, cauliflower is my absolute favorite vegetable and I've never been able to grow it well. yours look perfect. that squash is a good conversation piece LOL

Andy, do you grow your melons on a trellis? Those little ones would be perfect. I'm allergic so it's only DH eating them here.

I have one Korean melon growing!!! I am so excited! Pirl, if you are following this, how did yours fair?

Gram ~ I was careful when I thought of how to describe that double squash! LOL

LOL!!! I made sure not to say a word...I didn't want to get in trouble!!!!!

Mine were lost in the 10 day heat wave, Anita. I'm sorry.

I didn't want to say anything about the squash either, it is really quite representative of .....something.