This is our container corn as of 6/8/14:
This is the same container corn as of 6/24/14:
Posted on 06/27/2014 12:49:59 PM PDT by greeneyes
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Had trouble posting, this is my third try. Computer doing funky stuff, and fingers hitting wrong keys.LOL
Nothing new with the garden. It's time for the 3rd planting of corn. First has tassels and silking. Second went bust. Hoping 3rd times a charm.
Been extra busy with volunteer work. Will be spending the weekend catching up with gardening, indoor chores, and some swimming and R&R.
Hope all is well with you and your gardens. Have a great weekend. God Bless.
Pinging the List.
OK will every Yellow Blossom on my Tomato Plants evolve into a Tomato?
Not too often. But a lot will. You can increase the odds by doing a manual pollination with a q tip or tiny paint brush.
I’m a new gardener. I think we have aster yellows in some of our plants. Dug them up and trashed them. Hope the disease does not spread to the rest.
I’ve been spraying with insecticidal soap and chasing (and crushing) leaf hoppers out of the flowers when I find any. Also having trouble with mealy bugs.
I guess this year will be my learning curve, but it’s frustrating. I have been cursing these bugs every time I catch sight of them. Does it get better? I live in NC (zone 7b).
This is our container corn as of 6/8/14:
This is the same container corn as of 6/24/14:
Ah never in doubt. TWGT postings are as reliable as a Swiss watch. Well we had some good rains earlier in the week here in North Texas. All the greenies took a liking to the deep drink from above. Got 2 cukes now and also a cubanelle and anaheim pepper popped out nicely. The ‘maters are slow but the beefsteak variety seems to be doing the best. I gave them all a nice little covering of compost with cultivating too. Speaking of ‘Swiss’ the chard variety in pots took forever to get going but I’m picking a few leaves for the salads now. Now if we can only keep the dreaded triple digit temps at bay but next week the heat is on so they say.
Well, the bunnies have been dispatched, but not before they did a lot of damage. On a good note, I’ve talked hubby into several additional beds, all raised. Yay! I might start selling next year!
Our little “whistle-pig” is still with us. He/she is living under the screen house, and comes out to eat the flowering weeds. So adorable!
My first swing at potatoes here had excellent results. Salad greens are on their last legs and have gone on longer than I expected due to some much needed rain and moderate temps. Of special note this year were the peaches which were the best I can remember...ever.
Tomatoes are on the downside of their peak which was 20 a day of Celebrity and Purple Cherokee off of 8 plants. Also plenty of Roma and San Marzano. The latter have done very well and are quite tasty. I am also impressed with the Heinz Roma and will plant again if I can find them.
Peppers and okra of course and plenty of shallots and 1015s.
The blueberry experiment results are somewhat iffy. Only the first year after hollowing out a huge chunk of native "dirt" and filling with a mix of acid soil and peat moss. Almost impossible to keep them wet enough..or something. Think it's going to work out that store bought is a lot cheaper and better. No so the thornless blackberries which I expect would grow just about anywhere. Not as much fun as native dew berries but a lot bigger and tastier.
Despite a very warm spring just an excellent year for the garden.
Thonked a SVB moth on the head, but it was tougher than my thonking it. Went to get some bug spray, but by then it had left....not before it laid about fifteen eggs at various places on my Tromboncino Squash Vines, and probably some places I had missed. The eggs don't wash off. They have to be picked off. I wonder if there is some "natural enemy" to SVB moths..I know there is BT for the maggoty borer babies.
If I make it through summer without falling off my ladder which I use in my Cucuzza/Tromboncino obsession it will mean my guardian angel is putting in overtime.
Also today, I bought a pump sprayer so I can do foliar feedings on my plants.
This is as of 6/24/14:
Just came in for an iced (sweet) tea break (HOT & humid outside today) from moving the pots from around one of my raised beds. The ‘squash square’, an old sandbox with cattle panel around 3 sides, is home for my Trombettas (2) and the one Cucuzzi that I managed to germinate. The Trombettas in particular, are hanging off the wire since they have outgrown it and are grabbing on to everything in the pots! I’ve had to untangle their climbing tendrils from around clumps of garlic chives, basil, marigolds, tomato stakes, and each other. Anything that’s not moving, they’re grabbing! I’m clearing everything away from the squash square and putting it on the ends of my other two raised beds, which will take care of the ‘grabbing’ problem and neaten everything up. I’m sure the plants escaping the squash invasion will be much happier.
In other garden news:
Sugar Sweet cherry type tomtatoes - I’ve had 4 ripen & they are delicious.
Tomatoes (regular) - all 4 are fairly loaded with tomatoes & the Bonnie Original has one that should be ripe by the 4th of July.
Eggplant - harvested one small Ichiban & have maybe 4 more that are growing.
Cucumbers - quite a few 2 inch or so babies - looking forward to some Gurkensalat
Squash - harvested the first Trombetta (25-1/2 inches long) and used a julienne peeler to make almost-noodles (close enough), sauteed and made a sauce ... little Parmesan to top it off .... delicious!
Lettuce - cutting almost every night & surprisingly, even in the heat, it’s growing back
Radishes - harvesting as they get big enough - found out I love them diced in tuna salad
Peppers (bell) - really starting to bloom - hope I have a crop
Peppers (poblano & jalapeno) - growing ... which is progress ‘cause they got a very slow start.
Marigolds - starting to bloom - yay!
Basil - Japanese beetles are putting a hurting on them, but I’ve been able to cut some for cooking.
Herbs (thyme, oregano) - growing well
Garlic chives - being harvested today - sowed seed in some pots & few came up, but the ones that did are big enough to do something with.
I have 5 empty pots after all this .... now I have the fun of figuring out what else I can/should plant. :-) One thing’s for sure - I want an herb garden next year, two more 4x8 raised beds, and some system devised for the Trombetta/Cucuzzi squash to grow on ... my cattle panels aren’t big enough & there are no trees nearby!
Great to hear of your beautiful weather.
We have been getting some much needed rain lately. One inch a couple of days ago, but I didnt check the gauge today when I was out. We did get a short rain shower today though. Nothing left here but peppers of various kinds, bananas and various hot peppers, all doing good.
The reason I gave my cucuzza away was because the person called, and wanted to see it, and as soon as he saw it got really excited..
"Where can I get seeds?"
"How do you cook them?"
" Never seen anything like it."
"I'm going to grow some of those next year"
Garlic drawback is that it is not selective. I usually don't spray anything. If I can't pinch it off and squash it or trap it and drown it (slugs in beer) I don't do much.
Hubby sprays a promethium(not sure of spelling) spray in the evenings that is gone by morning so as to avoid the main time the bees are out.
My organic book indicates that if the soil is good, and the crops are interspersed, then damage will be minimal, with plenty for all. Tomatoes like basil and carrots and basil has a bonus as a mosquito deterrent. Garlic is stinky and deters some pests.
You might want to do a web search on organic pest control and companion planting. If you know the name of the pest throw that in too.Check out www.GardensAlive.com they have a good section in their main catalog that has pictures of plants damaged by insects or dieseases and advice on treatments.
Nice. Thanks for the pictures.
Will harvest the sunflowers in a week or so. Tobacco going very slow. Tomatoes finally taking off. Peppers may be a flop for the spring planting. I'll start some more next week.
Too many cukes, and they are never ready when the daughter is around to take them. grrr....
/johnny
Thanks, greeneyes.
Congrats on getting the agreement for more beds.
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