Veggies!

Very nice Andy. Do Bok Choy and Kohlrabi stand up to the heat okay? Do they ever bolt? Your tomatoes need to look at the calender!!

Victor, yes the Boc Choi bolts. A couple are getting ready but they can still be used. I plant more seed later in the season, too.
The 4th of July tomatoes are right on time for me. Usually in the 3rd week of July. I suspect they got their name in New Jersey where they get in sooner, lol. I like them better than Early Girl and they are 10 days earlier.
Andy P

I know that anybody can grow cucumbers, but this is my first veggie patch, and I'm so proud!

Man, do I have cukes. I'm trying to keep them picked at between 7-8 inches. These are from seed called Park's Whopper. Now I have to figure out how to keep my vines from taking over the whole backyard. They're on the MOVE.

You should be proud! Congrats. How do they taste?

Emily - I'm so happy for you!

Sarahskeeper...when do you put in more bok choy? I'm thinking of starting that, Mizuna, Broccoli Rabe and Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch Kale. Too early you think?

Got so involved with tomatoes this year I neglected everything else except squash. Think I'll need some variety when the tomatoes come in (a few cherries are ripe now but the rush will start in 1 to 2 weeks).


This message was edited Jul 17, 2007 9:06 PM

Hmmm no food stuff for me here. Once I get my new bigger house and YARD I will be able to join in. After seeing these posts I am now convinced!

Are you moving Dawn??

Actually I hope to move in the next year or two. But I will be staying in Sudbury. I like it here. Not too busy and not too quiet...just right like goldilocks and the three bears.

Do they live there too??

Probably....it is very naturistic here...lots of bush LOL

CCG, way to go.
David, you can plant the Boc Choi seed any time. Some years I toss seed in the hole where I just pulled one up from. They are fast and the seed is cheap. They transplant easily, too. If you can find a cool corner of the garden, that will help.
Andy P

Thanks Sarah.

DawnLL...I've had good results this year with 15 gallon ez-lift white grow bags. They're only about three bucks each and "ez" to move around. Didn't want to till more of a garden and they sit in back of everything else. With two squashes in each bag, the footprint is only a couple square feet. Put three climbing lemon cukes in one (three bamboo poles inside the bag for a trellis). Working well for brugmansia too. If you don't mind black and don't need to move them around, you can pick them up for under a buck. A 10 gallon would work fine I think for one plant.

CCG,
Your cucumbers look great. Congratulations!

Andy,
Your kohlrabi made me think of the "Purple People Eater." How do you cook it?

Dave_Paul,
I like your grow bag idea. A possible portable vegetable garden. Sounds good for me since I tend to move my plants alot.

Maybe plants should come with wheels.

CCG, Congratulations on your first cukes!

I want self-propelled, sun-seeking, weed avoiding veggie plants that can turn on the hose.

Loretta, the Kohlrabi just needs peeling. Eat it raw with dip or in salads (firm & crunchy) or sliced/ julienned in stir fries, steamed, in stews and soups. Very versatile. They are fast at 60 days, makes a good second crop after the bush beans or lettuce is done. This purple one is Kolibri an earlier one is Vienna.
Andy P

Sounds good, Andy. Thanks.

Hey, thank you all for the encouraging words about my very first "crop." Victor, this Park Whopper variety tastes pretty good to me--o'course, most anything tastes better right out of the garden. At least, that's what I've been telling my neighbors as I walk around giving away free samples!

Ain't it fun.

I planted summer squash and it looks like I got zucchini! I will know in a couple days for sure.

I planted "Zuchino da Fiore", a zucchini bred to produce flowers to harvest, and got . . . zucchini.

Lots of flowers too. Huge ones. But the novelty of eating blossoms wore off fast (so did picking out the bugs). The zucchini is tasty but weird looking--as if someone grapped it by the neck and tried to strangle it.

A deer, no doubt.

Italians eat those flowers in a batter that makes a fritter. We used to have them all the time.

Dave . . .see the blossoms are stuffed with mozzarella, prosciutto, clams etc. Sounds terrific. We just had them with scrambled eggs.

that sounds delicous!

I've had the flowers and think they are delicious - I just love the zucchini more and don't want to give them up! :) I have a nice pace of them coming in. I harvested my second cucumber. I really on have one vine, so I think that's pretty good. I'd love to try blueberries - perhaps I'll find a spot for a bush. My garlic is delicious! I have to remember to save some cloves to plant more this fall.

Columbus Day is when we plant our garlic with some compost (not a lot) and a good handful of 0-20-20 mixed in the soil. I'm ready to dig today! We love it fresh.

I dmailed you just before you typed that Arlene - which variety do you use?

I'm not fussy. Peconic River Herb Farm has a great assortment of varieties to suit anyone.

Anita - in order to get blueberries you have to plant 2 different blueberries. So find room for two plants. I have "half-high" plants that only get to about 4' tall. They grow very s-l-o-w-l-y and it takes 3 years before you can take a big harvest. But they are yummy if the birds don't eat them all!

pirl - thatnks for the tip. I'll put in garlic on Columbus Day then.

Andy, I had pak choi and it bolted weeks ago. i'll try more when it cools down in late Aug. you inspired me to try one of the 'individual-size' melons. I couldn't find seed for the one you had last year. this is 'Serenade' (container-grown)

Blackberries will be ready soon!!

Celeste - can't figure out why your blackberries are ahead of mine! I thought one was getting ripe - and I was right because the brids came and pecked it! But the rest are still quite green. . .

You have ripe ones......or did! The birds just got them first! This spot gets sun from sun up to sundown so maybe thats why?

Mine are just about ripe - picked my first few the other day. Yummy.

Mine only get afternoon sun - maybe that is why they are behind.

Gram, new varieties of melon come and go fast. Either grow the old standards or find new ones every year. Frustrating when a new one is good and unavailable the next season. This year my melon patch is for Sweet potatoes.
Pixie, your blackberries look like black raspberries. I ate my first blackberry today, early before the birds found it.
I just picked those tomatoes I posted 2 days ago, nice & red. Then I found more coming.
Andy P

Andy, I've never tried sweet potatoes, but I'd like to. I'll be watching to see how yours do.

Cherry, Roma, Early Girl, Peace Tomatoes
Cukes, Shallots, lots of peas, 3rd crop of Broccoli
Chard and Ruby Chard
3rd round of lettuces
Zukes and Yellow are 6" long
Onions, softneck Garlic is ready to harvest
Hardneck Garlic is 4' tall
Peppers Eggplant Potato and Fingerlings
first year with 3 Earthboxes
Chipmunk got all my strawberries
Brussel Sprouts and Cauliflower
Trombone Zucchini
That is about it.....

Peter