Weekly Gardening Thread – 2011 (Vol. 32) August 19

Free Republic | 08-19-2011 | Red_Devil 232

[Red_Devil 232]

Good morning gardeners. Weather has been great here in East Central Mississippi but my garden is basically done for the season. I do have some paste tomatoes coming along just fine and hope they produce before the first frost. They have a good chance to produce because the first frost around here is usually in late October or early November.

If you are a gardener or you are just starting out and are in need of advice or just encouragement please feel free to join in and enjoy the friendly discussion. Our Freeper community is full of gardeners, each with varying interests and skill levels from Master Gardener to novice.

I hope all your gardens are flourishing.

[poobear]

Good morning RD. Could you please put me back on the ping list please?

I didn't have a garden this summer because I thought my back finally went out for good. Turns out all the pain was from a disintegrating hip. Full replacement in 2 weeks, full rehab by the end of September. I have the garden solarizing and hopefully prepared for a Fall garden.

Hope you, spouse and the dogs have been well.

[Arrowhead1952]

It's supposed to hit 107º today and will be day #65 of triple digits in central Texas. The record is 69 days, so this area will easily surpass that within a week. No rain in sight.

[Red_Devil 232]

No problem you are back on the list. It is good to hear your problem will be taken care of. I pray for a successful operation and rehab. Rehab from these types of operations can take time so don’t rush things.

[cashless]

90+ heat for weeks on end and a dry spell during June slammed my Tomatoes and bell peppers. Tomatoes are splitting (combo of me watering and heat still in high 80s) and the red bell peppers are just deformed, small and ugly. The yellow bell peppers took forever to go from green to yellow and they were just as ugly. The green peppers were smaller than last year and my cukes are half bitter and mostly deformed. The cukes are planted in the ground, the peppers in 5 gal. buckets, and the tomatoes in about 35 gal containers. All sit on my deck and get a soaking every day. Am I over watering or is this just a sucky year for growing in Guilford county, NC (north central)? I plan to increase my lime in all containers next year. I mulched the tomatoes but not the peppers. We refreshed the potting mixture this year with cow manure. I'm not looking for prize winners, just good peppers and tomatoes.

[who knows what evil?]

Hundreds of green tomatoes FINALLY starting to ripen...wife and I made our first batch of ‘Purple Haze Salsa’ a few days back...NOM-alicious!

[poobear]

Glad to be back on board RD. Believe me, I’ll take it easy. Anything to get back on my feet. The thought of sweet onions and collard greens in my fall garden keeps me motivated!

Thank you for your kindness.

[Ladysforest]

Still waiting on tomatoes to color up. Some have, and I’ve made a tiny amount of sauce, but I’d so rather just do a big batch. Some of the plants, all the same variety, are rotting from the blossom end. I think we have four of those plants - 1/3 of our “crop”. Roma-but I’d have to double check that. Lovely plants, loaded with tomatoes - go rotten.

Hubby got lots of basil last night and made his pesto - about a quart. He said his oregano has no flavor. Fennel is still struggling along. Rabbits.

One pumpkin is orange, four or five others are all still green, which is fine. I just wish we had gotten seeds for a larger variety.

Once again our “leeks” appear to have kept the Japanese beetles at bay. I have no idea what variety they are, so we leave some to winter over to make sure we have them again.

I have decided that I do not care for “bush” style green beans, although they are now producing nicely (only three that the rabbits left me) so next year it’s back to the pole beans.

Cucumbers are very good, but about half the volume I had expected and hoped for. Three pints of canned pickles and one quart of refrigerator pickles. Picking more today to make relish.

Six acorn squash. A couple of cantaloupes. Various peppers. One cabbage looks viable. Potatoes. Small row of carrots-about another month or so on those. They take forever here.

I have finally convinced my husband to PLAN the garden next year. He likes to just stick things in the ground haphazardly. He forgets that they GROW bigger. Bless him. It makes weeding a nightmare. I did stake out a small 1/4 of the garden before he got there, and my patch is nice and sensible. And weeded.

[Free Vulcan]

I grow Datils and have found some seed sources:

http://www.regalpeppers.com/datil_pepper.html

http://www.amazon.com/Datil-Pepper-Seeds-Distinctive-Taste/dp/B002WVOHWC

http://pirtykitty.ecrater.com/p/575380/datil-heirloom-hot-pepper-seed

http://www.reimerseeds.com/datil-hot-peppers-yellow.aspx

http://www.ecrater.com/p/9171745/organic-datil-yellow-pepper-seeds-25

http://www.smartseedstore.com/capsicum-chinense.html

[Ellendra]

I had three watermelons that are getting heavy enough that I had to make little “melon bras” for them this week. My green beans are slowing down, but my cucumbers are picking up, and the raspberries are ripening a few a day, just enough to nibble while I work. Same with the sweet peas.

My tomatoes still seem stunted. Only one has any green tomatoes on it, and those haven’t gotten any bigger since last week. I might try pinching off one of the green ones, that trick worked on the zucchinnis.

[MtnClimber]

Earlier this year I had one tomato almost ripe that got smooshed in a hail storm. The plants in the garden got set back too. Yesterday I got a surprise when checking progress. I got a 1 lb 6 oz zucchini and a banana pepper. Lots more zucchinis on the way.

[Tatze]

Surprise! After only a year and a few months, I've got a pineapple bloom, the beginnings of setting the fruit! The rest of the plant, and most of the pineapples I planted last year aren't looking too good, but we'll see.

[Ellendra]

My goodness!! I hope you feel better soon!

[Oshkalaboomboom]

I grow Datils and have found some seed sources:

Thanks for the info, I will check them out

[tubebender]

Reporting ffrom Benderville (formally Eureka Ca) where the weather continues to be more like Eureka than Benderville. Still digging potatoes as needed, the pumpkins are a bust, Raspberries are done, Strawberries have slowed down, one bush of Blueberries to pick, Garlic & Shallots are in storage. My wife shucked a Corn cob yesterday and proclaimed ONE MORE WEEK! I said, honey that is the third week you you have said that. LOL

The big news here on the Bender Estate is we have picked 5 Diva cucumbers and they are delicious but the plants appear to be waining...

My lone Siberian Tomato plant now has 6 tiny tomatoes but the older 3 don't seem to be sizing up. We buy our fresh tomatoes at the Farmers Markets and they farm in the warmer parts of the county. I am on a Cherokee Purple kick for the past 3 years. The ocean caught Salmon my wife caught Monday is the best we have ever eaten and this port is the Salmon capital of the west coast. Grandson borrowed my Big Chief Smoker and brined and smoked about 3 pounds yesterday but hasn't eaten any yet.

[greeneyes]

Thanks for the thread. It started raining last night and continued this morning. We are at 72 degrees on the way to a high of 86.

So far, produce has been really small this year. I finally picked one ripe tomato and a cantaloupe yesterday. Got a mess of corn a little over a week ago.

Hubby has had some cukes and vine peaches. The late corn looks promising. It doesn't look like we will get any walnuts or butternuts this year. We had plenty last year, so we still have some vacuum packed in the freezer.

Next month, I will start the winter garden of lettuce, onions, spinach, and carrots. Hard to believe the summer is almost over.

Have a great weekend, and God bless.

[CynicalBear]

>>My tomatoes still seem stunted. Only one has any green tomatoes on it, and those haven’t gotten any bigger since last week.<<

Try throwing a hand full of Epsom Salt around each plant and water it in. I do that every other week and it gives them a pick me up.

[gramho12]

Greetings from Maryland. We have had some great rainfalls and beautiful weather so life is good. I've had some great tomatoes and peppers this year - beautiful and tasty as well. I've put up lots of tomatoes, tomato juice and salsa. I pretty much gave up on my broccoli and cabbage as it got too hot too soon, although I did not pull up the plants yet. So I was surprised to find a couple of cabbages, and although small they have a very good flavor and made great cole slaw.

Happy gardening (or in my case, weeding)!

[Red_Devil 232]

Looks like a chipmunk got a taste of one of those cukes!

[Red_Devil 232]

Sure sounds like a lot of us had a bust year with some area our gardens. In my case, it was probably the very late start I got putting my tomatoes in. And then the weather went into an early heat wave that the young plants just could not survive. My whole gardening experience revolves around my tomato plants and it really had me bummed out when they just conked out even after I provided some shade for them.

I have vowed to get an early start next. Watch it come a late snow! I am so glad I don’t have to rely on my gardening skills to make a living.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Mine are already in a raised bed, but we’ve had unpredictable weather this year. It’s either been drought or a deluge. My tomatoes are also loaded with fruit, and it seems to ripen nicly. I’m not too concerned about the loss of leaves because too many leaves leave too many places for the mosquitos to hide.