Northwest Vegetable Gardening

[DRColby]

It's not the attack of the giant zucks I fear anymore......

We're going away for a week so tonight I pulled garlic and shallots (which I let set for week or so and then dry store). Taking over their space were four cucumber plants which I have just spent 15 minutes trying to train on a trellis.

I have news for you: unlike the zuks the cukes fight back. I itch all over from my thought-to -be-conquest. I hear thunder; they will all be on the ground again come morning.

Dave

[reesek]

we've had a few tomatoes already - a couple of orange and red ones. we have billions (ok, maybe millions) of tomato-lets. the tear drop and cherries are very green still...the slicing tomatoes are huge.

i planted basil with my tomatoes and am stunned that it's still producing, and i'm not left with only limp huge bitter leaves. it's wonderful. i have to pick buds off them everyday though.

i planted some cippolines and i can't stop myself from picking them, though they're not much bigger than very plump bottomed scallions. the flavor is absolutely extraordinary...sweet, almost garlicky. i wish i'd planted more.

what should we be planting now for fall harvest? is it too late?

i should post a pic so you all can see the woodstock that is my tomato box.

[tsquare]

The figs are by far the best I've harvested in the few years I've been growing them! Biggest, sweetest, and perfectly plump. Yes, the green ones. Only wish the second crop could actually mature.

Green beans, cukes, and squash are coming on strong.

Snow peas are fizzled.

Corn is tassling.

Potatoes have been dug (volunteer purple and gold.)

[trillium]

I picked my first 3 Early Girls and a handful of Sweet 100s earlier this week. This has been a great year for tomatoes in pdx. They are in containers and taller then I am. They actually managed to yank their stake (bean pole) out of the pot and throw it to the ground. I resorted to nailing the stake to the side of the house.

The bitter melons are blooming like mad but not setting any fruit. I must be doing something wrong. The Thai eggplant has a few that are ready to harvest, the rau ram is going nuts, the shiso is competing with the tomatoes for the most crazy growth, and I have more tarragon then I know what to do with. The Thai and red and green holy basils are kind of lagging behind, as is the cornichon varietal cucumber I planted, but I put them out late.

And the figs... the tree here is about 10 years old and I'm actually tired of figs.

My chervil gave up the ghost and the mache, lovage and parsley all look very sad. It's too hot for them.

regards,

trillium

[Foodie-Girl]

This was my first vegetable/herb garden and I am loving it !

Green beans...tons of them and delicious

Tomatoes....just starting to ripen and oh-so-good

I think it was tooooo hot for the cauliflower as it never got very big and seemed to be burnt from the sun

Tassles now appearing on the corn stalks

More lettuce than I know what to do with

Shallots are delicious !

Walla Walla Onions almost ready

The carrots? Who knows...I'll start checking on those next week

This is fun !

[halland]

Any seed savers out there interested in trading good seeds for the PNW? I've got 2 varieties of tomatoes that work well, a large beefsteak heirloom, and another, Isis Candy, that produces clusters of red and yellow fruits.

I'll also probably have some chile seeds for Thai Dragon chiles, and probalby an extra plant if someone wants to pot it for winter.

Hal

[girl chow]

Cool Hal! Thanks for putting the offer out there. It'd be great to get an exchange going here.

I'd love some of your seeds if they're heirloom (or open pollinated) seeds. I'll be saving some seeds from my brandywine and orange oxheart tomatoes this year (both heirloom/open pollinated... and I'm still getting tons of the ripening right now) I'd be willing to swap with you or anyone else who wants them.

I've had freaky results from hybrid tomatoes (and squash, pumpkins, etc.), so I'm off the hybrids (especially if they're F1 hybrids)

For those who want to save seeds, but haven't before, here's a good link about saving seeds: Article on seed saving

[girl chow]

Here's another link to the same story (for some reason the other link I posted goes to a different link)

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_vegetables/art...3103442,00.html

[kiliki]

Has anyone had any experience growing black huckleberries? I found some black (they had red, too) huckleberries in Swanson's native plant section yesterday and bought two. I already have the native evergreen huckleberry, but I'd been on the lookout for these, which are so abundant and tasty in the mountains, for quite a while. I read they do "okay" at lower elevations so we'll see if I get fruit.

[eatrustic]

What are your favorite varieties of cherry tomatoes grown from containers?

After succesfully growing three tubs of heirloom tomatoes on my second floor balcony last year (and having them completely take over the space) ....and losing my barbecue space to boot. I've decided that a couple of varieties of cherry tomatoes are the way to go.

I'm looking for something with lots of flavor that works well tossed in a pasta or salad and hopefully (or is that the nature of the beast?) that doesn't have too thick a skin.

Thanks!

[beccaboo]

What are your favorite varieties of cherry tomatoes grown from containers?

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I grew Koralik in pots last year, and they did pretty well. They're determinate, so they didn't get too big, and they tasted good. They didn't all ripen at once like determinates usually do, either.

[stevea]

Has anyone planted their tomatoes this year yet (out in the open, that is)? I'm getting antsy, but I ordered several heirlooms from Territorial and they haven't arrived yet.

[dandelion]

I have -- I couldn't stand to wait any longer. It's the first year that I've planted them in the ground instead of pots, so my expectations are pretty low (but my fingers are crossed).... I took pictures so I have something to remember them by when they're dead.

[laurel]

My favorite cherry tomatoes last year were Sungold.

If you're starting late, lots of tomato and other vegetable plants will be available next weekend at the Seattle Tilth plant sale:

http://seattletilth.org/plantlist/SpringPlantSale.html

[stevea]

I received my tomatoes in the mail yesterday from Territorial. I have never ordered by mail before and was concerned how they would weather the trip. Although I haven't planted them yet, they look healthy. I decided to go heirloom this year to try to focus on taste over quantity and got the following:

Koralik (a cherry tomato)

Delicious

Brandywine

Purple Calabash (very cool looking purple/red interior, at least, in the picture it is)

Since they're here, I'll be planting today. But I do need two or three more plants. I'd appreciate suggestions for other great-tasting tomatoes that grow well in the Portland area.

[kiliki]

I don't think there's any point in planting tomatoes outside this early. It's still only in the upper 40's at night.

[Adiabatic]

Its worth it to wait a couple weeks. If you plant too early sometimes tomatoes will get shocked (for lack of a better word) and they never really grow well the rest of the year.

[petite tête de chou]

Has anyone planted their tomatoes this year yet (out in the open, that is)? I'm getting antsy, but I ordered several heirlooms from Territorial and they haven't arrived yet.

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Yes. I planted one cherry-tomato (Sweet Million) plant in a pot on my deck. I used both a cage AND stakes since we have super windy summers.

I also sowed Thai Basil and Persian Anise Basil seeds. Yum.

[beccaboo]

Since they're here, I'll be planting today. But I do need two or three more plants. I'd appreciate suggestions for other great-tasting tomatoes that grow well in the Portland area.

←

Stupice and Caspian Pink are two that always do well for me in Seattle.

[petite tête de chou]

Hello fellow Pacific Northwest gardeners.

I've been working on my garden for about four years now and am curious what other herbs grow well in our lovely climate.

Thus far I have...

Rosemary- Tuscan Blue, Logees Blue and two unknown strains.

Thyme- Minus (not used for cooking), Wooly (also not used for cooking), Lemon, Silver, Nutmeg, Orange and three unknown strains.

A huge Lovage plant and lots of comfrey (not recommended for internal use anymore) from my mothers garden.

Onion and garlic chives. Just sowed some basils.

Variegated sage (not the best for cooking) and garden sage.

What else?

[Adiabatic]

Besides the ones you mentioned, some herbs I've had good success with include oregano (Greek and Italian), majoram, French Sorrell, burnnett (looks delicate, but almost unkillable), fennell, tarragon, and winter savory. I understand bay grows well outside, but I've never tried it.

Herbs I've found most useful are probably thyme, rosemary, bay, and winter savory.

[laurel]

I have rosemary, thyme, oregano, lavender, vietnamese cilantro, and tangerine sage, and chives in my herb spiral.

I aslo have mint, normal sage, chives, and parsley elsewhere. The only thing that I haven't been able to grow is dill.

How big of a container does everyone use for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant?

[kiliki]

When I containered tomatoes I always used BIG (whiskey barrel sized) pots.

I have the worst time with dill, too. It starts out well then gets sort of sticky and dies.

[LEdlund]

If you're starting late, lots of tomato and other vegetable plants will be available next weekend at the Seattle Tilth plant sale:

http://seattletilth.org/plantlist/SpringPlantSale.html

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Laurel, thanks for this suggestion. We took my parents there yesterday and I was able to buy four cherry tomatos, two red shiso and a catnip. All for $20 going to a good cause.

[petite tête de chou]

Great ideas! Since I use quite a bit of oregano and bay I think I'll try my hand at growing my own. Now to find room!

I forgot that I have winter savory and a few mints- lemon, chocolate and apple.

The winter savory is one powerful-strong herb and I've heard that summer savory is a bit milder. Has anyone found this to be true?

I don't use them much for culinary purposes but I have quite a few lavenders-

Spanish purple and 'Kew Red'- one of each

'Super'- three

French- one (variety hardest hit by ice and snow, maybe because it blooms throughout winter?)

'Richard Grey'- (one)

'Provence'- (one)

One unknown strain

In regards to the pot size for tomatoes, I just grab the largest one I have.

I'd guess it to be about five gallons. They always seem to want a bigger pot but I just don't have the room on my deck. And my roses aren't going ANYwhere to make room for ANYthing..unless it's to add more roses.