Gardening: (2016– )

[BeeZee]

I got a big bag of assorted lettuces from my co-worker today. I'd almost rather have zucchini, there's only so much salad I want to eat.

[KennethT]

Here's an update on the strawberry experiment:

 

I picked a bunch of flowers this morning - I don't want the plants to fruit until they're a little more mature.  They all had flowers except #2 which had some problems from the beginning.  If #2 doesn't come back in a few weeks, I'll plant a new one and see if it does any better.  Right now, there's too many variables to see where the problems are coming from -  is it that plant? Does that variety not do well in hydro?  Was it from the shading in the "nursery"?  Too many unknowns to be sure...

[dcarch]

8 hours ago, KennethT said:

I picked a bunch of flowers this morning - I don't want the plants to fruit until they're a little more mature.

 

What would you do if they send out runners?

 

dcarch

 

 

[KennethT]

@dcarch These varieties are not runnering strawberries, so there is no chance of that.

[TicTac]

Ken -

 

Your gardening knowledge is impressive.  Clearly some experience from the 'past'

 

Question, I have some Heirloom Tom's in the ground which are about 1 foot tall but starting to flower - I had never until you posted this though about pinching their flowers to promote more growth and less fruit production (yet) - though this is the nature and no manipulation of light cycles, so not sure if it would be wise....

 

Would like to hear your (and others) thoughts...

 

 

[HungryChris]

The first wave of sugar snaps are just about in full swing.

When I planted this garlic, last fall, I should have given more thought to the fact that they would be there all through the summer months.

The second wave of lettuce and beans, coming along.

 

Here is the zucchini, I have my eye on.

The promise of tomatoes.

These peppers (shishito, sweet cubanelle fryers and red hot cherry) have a ways to go.

HC

 

[KennethT]

48 minutes ago, TicTac said:

Ken -

 

Your gardening knowledge is impressive.  Clearly some experience from the 'past'

 

Question, I have some Heirloom Tom's in the ground which are about 1 foot tall but starting to flower - I had never until you posted this though about pinching their flowers to promote more growth and less fruit production (yet) - though this is the nature and no manipulation of light cycles, so not sure if it would be wise....

 

Would like to hear your (and others) thoughts...

 

 

Do you know if your tomatoes are determinate or indeterminate?  The difference is that determinate will basically grow vegetatively for a period of time, then flower basically all at once, ripen all at once as the season ends, then the plant dies.  Indeterminates will continue to grow (maybe to 30 feet long!) and continue to flower for about a year until their production slows down (but never really stops).  Most heirlooms are indeterminate, but it's not a guarantee.  I used to grow an awesome indeterinate heirloom in my apartment, I pinched the first several flowers as well, waiting for the root system to be able to take the strain of heavy fruiting.  I think I started to pollinate the flowers (gotta do it by hand indoors) after the plant reached it's third truss.

But the length of your growing season would affect my decision.  Indoors, I don't have a growing season as I can manipulate basically everything - but outdoors, once frost comes, that's it - so depending on the length of the season, you may not need to pinch off the flowers.

[blue_dolphin]

On 6/5/2018 at 1:20 PM, MelissaH said:

Where in the world are blueberries ripe right now? (As in, where are the ones I see in the supermarket coming from?)

 

Not sure about what's in your supermarket but blueberries are in season in So Cal.   Underwood Family Farms, not far from me here in Ventura county., has U-pick blueberries from the end of May through early-mid July.

Pudwill Berry Farms in Nipomo, up in San Luis Obispo county bring blueberries to our local farmers market through the spring, using hoop houses to extend their season.

[kayb]

We have blueberries just ripening in Arkansas (upper southern US)

 

[joiei]

7 hours ago, kayb said:

We have blueberries just ripening in Arkansas (upper southern US)

 

Time to make a blueberry pie.  

[TicTac]

10 hours ago, KennethT said:

Do you know if your tomatoes are determinate or indeterminate?  The difference is that determinate will basically grow vegetatively for a period of time, then flower basically all at once, ripen all at once as the season ends, then the plant dies.  Indeterminates will continue to grow (maybe to 30 feet long!) and continue to flower for about a year until their production slows down (but never really stops).  Most heirlooms are indeterminate, but it's not a guarantee.  I used to grow an awesome indeterinate heirloom in my apartment, I pinched the first several flowers as well, waiting for the root system to be able to take the strain of heavy fruiting.  I think I started to pollinate the flowers (gotta do it by hand indoors) after the plant reached it's third truss.

But the length of your growing season would affect my decision.  Indoors, I don't have a growing season as I can manipulate basically everything - but outdoors, once frost comes, that's it - so depending on the length of the season, you may not need to pinch off the flowers.

 

I do recall hearing about determinate vs indeterminate tomatos before; though I admit I have no clue where mine fall.  I am growing varieties like green zebra, cherokee purple, black krim, goldie & orange sun gold.  Also in southern Ontario - similar climate to yours, I believe...

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On ‎6‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 10:25 AM, blue_dolphin said:

 

Not sure about what's in your supermarket but blueberries are in season in So Cal.   Underwood Family Farms, not far from me here in Ventura county., has U-pick blueberries from the end of May through early-mid July.

Pudwill Berry Farms in Nipomo, up in San Luis Obispo county bring blueberries to our local farmers market through the spring, using hoop houses to extend their season.

 

I note my recent store-bought organic blueberries are from Florida.  They are large and beautiful and tasteless.  And did I say expensive?  On the other hand the last batch of blueberries I bought were from Georgia and quite good.

 

My own bushes look like they have several weeks to go.  I can't wait to see if methyl 2 aminobenzoate will work!

 

[liuzhou]

I spent a couple of days out in the countryside at my second home. Here is my neighbour's garden. She is over 90 and still very independent. Don't ask me what things are. I am clueless, but  I know they are all edible. That's the point. She doesn't do just pretty.

 

and here she is, sorting out her firewood on which to cook her gardening bounty.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

 

 

In other news, marble sized green tomatoes.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

It seems I was outsmarted.  Last night I saw a blueberry beginning to turn color.  The only one on three bushes close to being ripe.

 

Tonight it wasn't there.

 

[kayb]

Today's pickage, upin returning home after three days on the road. There are tiny zucchini a d yellow squash, so I should have those by this weekend. Baby watermelons and cantaloupe as well. No limas or green beans yet. Tomatoes, but for yhe Su gold cherrirs, are stubbornly resisting getting ripe, though I have a fair number of green ones, especially Roma.

 

 

The tail of one's t-shirt makes a fine impromptu container for picking.

 

 

[Shelby]

Sad news over here ( @HungryChris look away).  Every morning and every evening I diligently look under the leaves of the squash plants to look for the ever dreaded squash bug eggs.  Yesterday morning I had the internet guy here (again) so I didn't do it.  Yesterday evening.....inundated with the little bastards.  They had to have laid underground on the stem or something.  Plants are already almost dead.  I am ordering more seeds to see if we can maybe do a second round of plants.  Total bummer

 

In other sad news, the wind has been like a blow dryer on the hottest setting.  The flowers on the bean plants won't set.  I'm not the only one with problems like this--people all around are having the same issues.

 

Maybe things will turn around now, it's supposed to be cooler and stormy.

[HungryChris]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

Sad news over here ( @HungryChris look away).  Every morning and every evening I diligently look under the leaves of the squash plants to look for the ever dreaded squash bug eggs.  Yesterday morning I had the internet guy here (again) so I didn't do it.  Yesterday evening.....inundated with the little bastards.  They had to have laid underground on the stem or something.  Plants are already almost dead.  I am ordering more seeds to see if we can maybe do a second round of plants.  Total bummer

 

In other sad news, the wind has been like a blow dryer on the hottest setting.  The flowers on the bean plants won't set.  I'm not the only one with problems like this--people all around are having the same issues.

 

Maybe things will turn around now, it's supposed to be cooler and stormy.

Sad News Indeed!!!

I had kind of a bad year last year and I have seen a few, but I have a bowl of soapy water out in the garden that I just roll them into. Very satisfying!

You should have enough time to recover some of the season, right?

HC

[Okanagancook]

Today's pickage.  Shelby, sorry for your loss!  My zucchini plants are starting to produce daily.  And, what was I thinking, cucumber plants galore....good thing our neighbours like veggies.

[Shelby]

34 minutes ago, HungryChris said:

Sad News Indeed!!!

I had kind of a bad year last year and I have seen a few, but I have a bowl of soapy water out in the garden that I just roll them into. Very satisfying!

You should have enough time to recover some of the season, right?

HC

I think so.  I ordered more seeds this morning and should be able to directly plant into the soil early next week.

18 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:

Today's pickage.  Shelby, sorry for your loss!  My zucchini plants are starting to produce daily.  And, what was I thinking, cucumber plants galore....good thing our neighbours like veggies.

Thank you.

 

Beautiful veggies!!!

[HungryChris]

Sometimes, in the morning, when I take my first look in the garden, I swear I can hear the late Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, singing "The Waiting is The Hardest Part".

HC

Edited June 24, 2018 by HungryChris (log)

[kayb]

Today's haul. Zucchini, more tiny tomatoes (Romas are starting to show a blush of pink, but nobody else so far), and the attack of the cucumbers has begun.

 

And I discovered radishes I'd forgotten I planted. Some are ginormous and probably no good, but some are still small enough to be good, I think.

[chromedome]

Today I finally finished the (main) digging at my main garden, at my GF's parent's place. I'll probably still put in a few smaller beds for this and that, but at least the grunt work is done. The soil there is good, but remarkable for its, uh..."mineral content." I took 7 wheelbarrows of stones out of a 12' x 4' stretch, ranging from egg-sized to microwave-sized. The latter had to be dragged out with a small tractor, as I couldn't budge it with my steel pry bar.

 

Lots of stuff in...chard, kale, red and gold beets, lettuce mix, okra, peas, beans, potatoes, onions, turnips, radishes, Brussels sprouts, red and green cabbages, carrots, some squash (no zucchini, my sweetie is allergic) and doubtless a few other things that elude my recollection at the moment. The garlic my father'd been hand-selecting for size is almost ready to harvest. Last year, I the majority of the cloves fell in the 20-30 gram range (up to an ounce or so) which is freakin' HUGE...I sometimes got a scant quarter-cup of minced garlic from one clove.

[KennethT]

My wife took a photo of me making some alterations to the space strawberry garden...  I added some more controls to the humidifier/dehumidifier system.

[ChocoMom]

The actual garden has very few plants and seeds left after our little flash-flood/rainstorm last week.       Roadrunner, the little heifer, has done a lovely job eating around the edges of the garden to keep the weeds down.    I am anxiously awaiting the blossoms and growth from the tomatoes, the few beans and other random veggies that might pop up, though. (The tomatoes were piled high enough that they didn't all get washed away.)

 

To thwart the constant eating of the garden by the chickens, my wonderful hubby purchased a 2ft tall fake owl- with the bobble head, and installed it on one of the posts of the garden.  The head spin around with the wind, kind of like an exorcist owl. 

 

Now, the unofficial garden areas are the spots where I know other goodies grow - which I did not plant.   My most favorite spot is the wild strawberry patch here at the house. Thus far, I've picked 415g of wild strawberries for the chocolate business. Considering how dinky they are, that is a LOT of berries!   Done two batches of wild strawberry puree for bon bon fillings.   Picked another 60g last night for hubby to have over some lemon sorbet. 

 

Pics are mostly the garden and Mr. Owl