Gardening: 2016 (midyear)

[Jacksoup]

Yesterday's 'maters.  Plus cukes and basil but no picture.

[dcarch]

On 8/3/2016 at 9:12 AM, dcarch said:

Something is very strange this year!

Tomatoes are huuuuge! Wonder what is going on?

 

dcarch

 

Ugly, but big

 

 

Looks like 2.5 lbs, still growing.

 

And still growing growing!

 

This year's tomatoes, big, big, but watery and lots of "green shoulder" condition. Not the best tasting.

 

White Queen. Do they make bread that is big enough for one slice?  :-)

dcarch

Edited August 11, 2016 by dcarch (log)

[HungryChris]

Well needed rain showers today. I grabbed the opportunity, during a brief respite, to pick tomatoes.

HC

 

[ChocoMom]

Forgot to take pics, but so far I've plucked 4 zukes off the big bush this week. Gathered 4 big gobs of green and yellow beans. Discovered the youngest turkey was the one really demolishing the 90 feet of bean plants, so I fenced it in with an old roll of baling twine.  (The calf did get in there and trampled plenty, but the turkey must have followed her in, and just went to town plucking away at the leaves.)   There are plenty of spaghetti squash growing now, along with the pie pumpkins and hubbards. Still have a few plants that I am completely clueless about.  Discovered a few little cukes growing, and a couple baby watermelons on the massive vines.  The greens on the Oxtail carrots are about 6-8 inches tall, so those are developing well. And, even though the beets went in much later, the beet greens are nearly the same height as the carrot greens!  The kale FINALLY made its way up through the ground, and is 1-2 inches tall as of last evening. Chard is about 3-4 inches. The rutabega and turnips just went wild overnight, and quadrupled in size. (We make pasties up here, so rutabega is a must-have.) The lettuces are doing well, but the spinach never came up. =( 

For whatever reason, the tomatoes are growing like crazy, but not ripening. There must be close to a hundred out there, but no red ones.  Going out to check on it this afternoon, so perhaps some pics might be in order. =) Happy gardening all!!!

[Shelby]

Ronnie found a house a few towns over selling their tomatoes.  He bought us 6.  They smell really good.

 

I can't believe I have to buy tomatoes lol.

[ElainaA]

The first tomatoes that are more than just a snack. Most of them are still solidly green. Very large, very green.

A few other things I picked - fennel, a green pepper, 2 leeks, some basil and a zucchini. 

[Kerry Beal]

3 hours ago, Shelby said:

Ronnie found a house a few towns over selling their tomatoes.  He bought us 6.  They smell really good.

 

I can't believe I have to buy tomatoes lol.

And worse - you have to leave town to buy tomatoes!

[ChocoMom]

None of the other zucchini plants are even close to this size. I can only guess that a massive pile of chicken/turkey manure was piled there last fall, and that's the reason for the deep green leaves and enormous size.  Just to the left, is the ever growing row of hubbards. Everything is small next to this beast.  The roto tiller is sitting next to the plant, with a tarp over it. 

 

[Okanagancook]

I found this little 'fellow' on my cherry tomato plant! 

[Shelby]

11 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

I found this little 'fellow' on my cherry tomato plant! 

That was a ballsy pick.......

[Thanks for the Crepes]

 

7 hours ago, Shelby said:

That was a ballsy pick.......

 

Shelby,

 

Please get your mind out of the gutter. My first thought was Groucho Marx. Damn, I am getting old! 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Is there any known use for eight inch okra?

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Is there any known use for eight inch okra?

 

 

Rope making?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Just now, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

Rope making?

 

I thought of something else, but it would have to go in off topic, and one would have to be a masochist.

 

[ElainaA]

The tomatoes are finally getting ripe.

11:00 Am today:

 

5:00 pm today. I used about 2/3 of the full size tomatoes. And ate a lot of the cherries. My husband has no idea how many cherry tomatoes I harvest. 

Edited August 18, 2016 by ElainaA (log)

[HungryChris]

The cow manure compost has really worked wonders. I started making sauce, oven roasting and giving tomatoes away  about a week ago. More compost, but fewer plants next year.

HC

Edited August 19, 2016 by HungryChris (log)

[Shelby]

5 hours ago, HungryChris said:

The cow manure compost has really worked wonders. I started making sauce, oven roasting and giving tomatoes away  about a week ago. More compost, but fewer plants next year.

HC

 

NOOOOOOOO embrace the tomato--never never plant fewer plants...always more plants!!  

[Okanagancook]

Don't give away tomatoes...make THE chutney.....

[ElainaA]

3 hours ago, Okanagancook said:

Don't give away tomatoes...make THE chutney.....

And the ketchup. And the salsa. And the faux-V8 juice. And I know I had some frozen tomato soup back in January. And there must be more options.

[Okanagancook]

Actually, last year I had the makings of gaspatcho ad nasaum.  I froze a small portion to see how it would fair.  Excellent, even hard to say it was from frozen.  So try it yourself, you may like it.

[dcarch]

20 minutes ago, ElainaA said:

And the ketchup. And the salsa. And the faux-V8 juice. And I know I had some frozen tomato soup back in January. And there must be more options.

tomato powder.

 

dcarch

[Anna N]

Just now, dcarch said:

tomato powder.

 

dcarch

Tomato butter. 

[dcarch]

2 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Tomato butter. 

tomato ice cream.

 

 

dcarch

[Okanagancook]

No, that's just wrong!

[Tere]

A local restaurant in Tokyo used to do tomato tiramisu. It was, um, interesting.