Northwest Vegetable Gardening

[Saara]

Quick question for y'all: what grape varieties have you had success with in our cooler envirions?

We're putting in a big trellis/pergola thing this summer/fall so next year we'll be planting grapes. (along with wisteria)  I've had Interlaken reccomended highly, but would enjoy planting multiple varieties

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We were recommended Canadice which is a pink dessert grape. I planted it this spring (after overwintering it in a pot) and it's taking off so far. Nothing to report yet on the grape front, but so far so good for the vine.

We're zone 6 so it should be fine in the warmer coastal regions.

[SusieQ]

Hi pupcart. Thank you so much for your detailed post. You are obviously a dedicated gardener! I'm afraid I'm not nearly as diligent or persistent as you are, but maybe I will try again with a pot on the deck, just outside the kitchen, so I can't forget to water it.  I will stick to a common variety, though -- that is, if I can find a start somewhere. I suppose it's too late for that and I'll have to wait until next spring?

SusieQ

I was in several different plant stores today and they all still had Basil available. You should be fine.

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I was at Trader Joe's (QA) Monday and they huge bushes of basil. Didn't check the price.

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Thanks, everybody, for your suggestions about successful basil acquisition and care. I haven't had a chance yet, but I'm going to Trader Joe's this weekend to see if they still have the basil there. If I get some, I'll let you know my progress in keeping it alive.

SusieQ

[kiliki]

ACK!!! Blossom end rot is on all of my black plums and cherokee purples! I didn't even know what this was but I have since found a ton of info online about it. Interestingly, it is not affecting two other kinds of tomatoes that are in the same bed. I am going to try calcium spray but I think it might be a lost cause. *sniff* I was really looking forward to big batches of sauce from the plums.

Susie-You are putting the basil starts in another, larger container, in good potting soil, right? I've never had issues with basil, no matter if I put it in pots or raised beds, with or without other plants, as long as it gets good sun. If you're doing that, I have to think it's the watering. A pot in a sunny location might need water everyday (stick your finger a couple inches down in the soil to see if it's dry), whereas in the ground, it won't need watering as often.

[tsquare]

ACK!!! Blossom end rot is on all of my black plums and cherokee purples! I didn't even know what this was but I have since found a ton of info online about it. Interestingly, it is not affecting two other kinds of tomatoes that are in the same bed. I am going to try calcium spray but I think it might be a lost cause. *sniff* I was really looking forward to big batches of sauce from the plums.

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Got it a bit on the Brandywines, haven't noticed it on the cheokee purples or black russians - though these have something wrong with leaves crisping and wilting. Not on the sungolds (I assume that is what my unmarked plant is) or the garden peach or stiletz. What is the 6th...

Good luck - I've never tried to combat it.

[kiliki]

Thanks. Some ag. extension publications said calcium spray might help, but there seems to be a consensus on gardenweb that it doesn't work. And the poor plants are just COVERED with tomatoes right now, especially the plum. My sungolds and French carmellos, in the same raised bed, are unaffected.

Edited August 11, 2006 by kiliki (log)

[lalala]

Thanks. Some ag. extension publications said calcium spray might help, but there seems to be a consensus on gardenweb that it doesn't work. And the poor plants are just COVERED with tomatoes right now, especially the plum. My sungolds and French carmellos, in the same raised bed, are unaffected.

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Two of my paste varieties are also affected.

Not a good thing to see.

lala

[stevea]

I have a little bit of blossom end rot on my big boys, but not on the rest of the varieties. I confess that I went to the nursery and bought whatever chemical they said would work on it and doused the tomato plant. I'm not sure how well it will work, but I feel a little better about it. Other than not being organic any more.

[kiliki]

Do you know what that was? In all my reading, I didn't hear about any chemical solutions, so I'm curious. I ended up not buying any calcium sprays, either-I just read too many things saying they don't work (apparently there's no evidence tomato plants can absorb calcium through their leaves). I did end up picking all the affected tomatoes, about 40 in all, and there are still plenty of non-affected fruit, so I'm hopeful I'll still get a good crop.

[stevea]

Do you know what that was? In all my reading, I didn't hear about any chemical solutions, so I'm curious. I ended up not buying any calcium sprays, either-I just read too many things saying they don't work (apparently there's no evidence tomato plants can absorb calcium through their leaves). I did end up picking all the affected tomatoes, about 40 in all, and there are still plenty of non-affected fruit, so I'm hopeful I'll still get a good crop.

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It's called ferti-lome Yield Booster. But upon looking at the ingredients, I see that the ingredient is calcium (10%) derived from calcium chloride. So this is probably the same as what you're not planning to buy. Sorry.

[girl chow]

Hi girl chow, I'm wondering, what's your secret (or at least one secret) to growing basil? I've had no luck, trying several different times (every time from a small starter plant). Apparently I water too little or maybe too much? -- seems no matter what I do, it dies within a month or so. Maybe it just doesn't like me. 

SusieQ

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Apologies I didn't see your post earlier. I don't really have any garden secrets beyond replacing my dirt every year with a solid mix of compost and a screened garden mix. I don't fertilize, but add compost as the season progresses. I've never been able to grow a basil plant in a pot. Are you growing yours in a pot? I know people who have, but I've always killed all my potted herbs (except for mint, that damn herb will grow just about anywhere).

[DRColby]

Anyone have any input on eating scarlet runner beans before they are to the drying stage?

We seem to have full crop but not sure whether to eat in the pod when small, shuck when medium and put in salads or what, suggestions?

Thanks,

Dave

[girl chow]

There's also the companionate theory that some plants do better when planted close to one another. One such combination is tomatoes and basil.  So I always plant basil in the same beds as my tomatoes. Sweet or genovese basil usually work better in my tomato beds than the thai or holy basil I also plant (which seem to do better standing out on their own).

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Interesting. Maybe that's my good fortune. I've always planted my herbs next to my tomatoes

[petite tête de chou]

Anyone have any input on eating scarlet runner beans before they are to the drying stage?

We seem to have full crop but not sure whether to eat in the pod when small, shuck when medium and put in salads or what, suggestions?

Thanks,

Dave

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I've had the shucked, raw beans in salads and cold pasta dishes. But you could serve them steamed with butter, use in a stir fry, add to your succotash, etc. Use them as you would any fresh bean.

[pupcart]

Anyone have any input on eating scarlet runner beans before they are to the drying stage?

We seem to have full crop but not sure whether to eat in the pod when small, shuck when medium and put in salads or what, suggestions?

Thanks,

Dave

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If I am fast enough to pick scarlet runners while they are still young and very tender, I like to add them raw to salads and other dishes - they are such a beautiful dark purple color when raw. If they get a big bigger, then I steam them just as I would a green bean - they turn a darkish green when cooked. I have never tried letting Scarlett Runner beans get big enough to shuck and steam the seeds - I could try it, though! This is the first year I have grown beans meant to be eaten for the dried seeds. I grew the dragon tongue beans this year, but haven't picked them yet even though they are huge. It's time!

[DRColby]

The scalet runners are towering over the Romanos this year, throwing a lot of shade so we don't have many flat beans. Scalet runner salad for lunch today. Thanks all.

dave

[stevea]

I try to get the scarlet runners when they are young enough to be treated like green beens (steamed). If they get too big, the pods are stringy and no amount of steaming or boiling will change that. Then, I shuck and and enjoy the fresh seeds as I would any other fresh bean seed. Delicious.

[Marya]

Rather than harvesting our larger tomatoes, I've been watching their tops whiten and slowly crack. I can't figure out why this is happening and I have no history to tap into as this is a new garden. We are at 900ft. elevation, but it's HOT, HOT up here. I know it's been a particularly warm summer and I can't shake the suspicion that this is sunburn, but the smaller tomatoes are doing just fine. Any ideas?

[stevea]

Rather than harvesting our larger tomatoes, I've been watching their tops whiten and slowly crack.  I can't figure out why this is happening and I have no history to tap into as this is a new garden.  We are at 900ft. elevation, but it's HOT, HOT up here.  I know it's been a particularly warm summer and I can't shake the suspicion that this is sunburn, but the smaller tomatoes are doing just fine.  Any ideas?

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It could be a sunburn, especially if the tomatoes are not shielded by their leaves. I have noticed this start on some of my green tomatoes. That is, a whitening and sometimes leatheryness of the portion of the skin that is facing toward the sun. When this happens, I drape a bit of that white gauze row cover material over the affected tomatoes to give them a bit of shade while they ripen. It won't reverse the damage, but it will minimize future damage.

[DRColby]

Interesting happening yesterday:

I start way too many tomato plants and disburse among friends; this season one of them was a pink Brandywine.

Yesterday a friend broght me one of my Brandywine starts that weighed a pound and a half and asked," when will this get red?"

This season, to rest soil I moved my tomatoes 1 bed east and more under a redwood' I haven't had a big tomato all season.

All starts sewed same time, put in fround same time (Memorial Day) surrounded by old tires and the Brandywine my freidn show me was his sixth of the season and smallest.

The resting of the soil is over, next Summer it's back to more sun.

Dave

[tighe]

Despite benign neglect, we're having an epic tomato year. We bought a bunch of varieties at the Tilth sale that we have never grown before and nearly all of them are thriving.

[tsquare]

Yes, a pretty good year for tomatoes. Thought the Garden Peach were never going to ripen, but here they are, yellow and softly fuzzy. Mild flavor, but fun. Really like the flavor of the Black Russian - almost like roasted, straight off the vine.

Edited August 29, 2006 by tsquare (log)

[Marya]

Interestingly enough, the tomatoes have been sheltered from the sun by the leaves above them. Last month, we had some miserably hot days in the Portland area while we were out of town. I wonder if some watering was done in the searing heat and the moisture stayed on the tomato. Would 100+ heat be sufficient to blanch them?

[stevea]

It is a good year for tomatoes. I even had several "volunteers" start near my tomato bed. Usually I pull them up when I notice them. This year I just let them alone and only occasionally watered them. Even they are thriving with tons of little cherry tomatoes. One of them grew on the other side of my fence and into my neighbor's yard. She had her gardener build a little fence around it and I tied it up to the fence, and it's got dozens of tomatoes on it. Who knows what kind of crossbreeding went on and what kind they really are, but they're quite tasty and we really appreciate this little bonus.

[tejon]

Anyone gardening through the Fall and Winter? If so, what do you have growing?

[Saara]

Last week I planted out cauliflower and kale under a cloche. I still have to set out broccoli and chard in the same manner. Mustard greens, radishes, parsnips, lettuce and carrots have come up. I'm waiting to see if some later seeded carrots will germinate in my season extender greenhouse.

I'll also be bringing inside my chile plants (2 seasons old now) and an eggplant that is just now flowering. I've freshly seeded some basil pots to bring in.

I'm considering sowing some favas now for next year and I'll be planting some garlic soon as well. The promise of an El Nino winter has me thinking about trying a few things just to see what happens.