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Looking forward to all the gardening comments. Thanks for this thread. I enjoy it.
Oh! Good morning, too.
Happy 4th to you as well! The flowering fireworks graphic is lovely.
Very useful information about the tomatoes, and worth saving.
I’ve got a question related to gardening for all the folks that do multiple crops or succession planting...
I have about 500 square feet of raised beds needing a crop to be planted for fall. I’m probably going to sterilize several beds (black plastic mulch for the duration of the season) and I might also put in a cover crop for turning over late season and building a little tilth. The soil is a heavy clay loam but the fertility is quite high according to the USDA.
I’m considering some fall kraut cabbage, but I need some more ideas soon because I’m too tired to wander through catalogs looking for solutions. Of course, the rest of the garden is competing with the house for attention, the orchard needs some time, and then there’s the winter wood supply . . .
Any ideas out there would sure be appreciated!
I picked more tomatoes early today. We have several drink flats full now. Some of those will be put up today. Squash are still producing well.
Have a great Fourth of July tomorrow!
i just put my first fresh picked green beans of the season on to cook. put in some new blue potatos and some onion (also from the garden) and now it can simmer away. my tomato plants are loaded but nothing turning yet, just lots of green tomato. my cucumbers are out of control. i have way more of those than i need. may have to do some pickles again. its been awhile since we made pickles. the purple cabbage is getting huge and setting some decent sized heads, a couple more weeks and some rain and we will be picking cabbage. the corn is setting fruit and tassels. it is hilarious because it is a red sweet corn. the tassel and silk are purple-ish color. my jalapeno plants are not as happy as i hoped they would be but hey if i make pickles there should be some peppers to flavor them. happy gardening and thanks for the floral fireworks, they are lovely. have a good 4th everyone.
My gardening in pots is taking off. Cold weather crops are gone, except for one or two kale and swiss chard plants. Have been having tomatoes for a couple of weeks, and cucumbers are now in abundance. I noticed the leaves of all tomato plants are turning a rusty red color and so are the leaves of basil plants. I’ve never seen this before and don’t know what it is or how to treat it. Have been thinking it is something in the soil or maybe the lack of it. Would appreciate any information offered.
I've never seen foilage like that on a tomato plant.
If you can see the tomato it is growing, it definitely isn't a yellow pear!
I also am showing my first ripening tomato in the next pic... I'm so excited!
It was also the first fruit to show up in the garden.
Late to the par-tay, as usual!
(Y’all feel free to stop reading when your eyes glaze over from boredom.) ;)
Great advice on the tomato ripening process, BTW! I have some green ones on the vine and lots of blossoms. My Striped Roman are producing first, even beating the cherry-types if you can believe it! Golden Girl is coming up next.
I just finished watering and weeding and I have some very nice (if I do say so myself) summer squash on the vine nearly ready to pick (4 kinds; yes, I’m nuts!) and some of the basil is filling out, but some of it still looks sickly. I don’t know why.
My Green Beans (Jung’s ‘Top Crop’) are looking good since I weeded them, and are full of blossoms but no beans yet. I’m a little behind...
I picked my first green pepper last night and gave it to my Dad (I was giving him ‘The Fifty Cent Garden Tour’ after our weekly Sunday Night Supper) and he said, “What the heck should I do with THIS? Eat it?” LOL! Yes, Dad. Just EAT IT! He’s SUCH a City Boy, but he does love the eggs I give him each week from his ‘GrandChickens.’ :)
Brussels Sprouts have tiny sprouts on them, and my onions (Red Candy) are lookin’ good.
My ‘Will Rogers’ zinnia are nearly ready to bloom (dark red; an excellent, big cutting zinnia) and I added a few dozen sunflowers in-between the tomato cages in case I need to stake them up later and I added a row of ‘Mammoth’ sunflowers to produce seed for eating...if Ic an get them before the birds!
My cherry tree is just about ready to pick; the plums have dropped some fruit because it’s been so dang DRY, and I harvested more Red Lake Currant that are simmering on the stove and will be juiced for jelly at a later date.
As Gabz knows, I STILL ahve hot peppers in the freezer from LAST season, awaiting Hot Pepper Jelly conversion, LOL! How about Hot Pepper Currant Jelly? It would be a very pretty color, that’s for sure! Cream Cheese on a Ritz, a dollop of hot pepper jelly on top...HEAVEN! :)
I have a pretty boring garden this year compared to when I grew a large majority of our food when I was home and the boys were young.
*SIGH* I miss those days. Oh, not because of the kids mind you; I’m glad to have them out of the nest, LOL! :)