Gardening 2021

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Tubes
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Tubes »

Ivygirl wrote: Sat Jul 24, 2021 11:27 pm Grew a variety of tomato called Celebrity this year. Big beautiful fruits, and the vines are disease free. Unfortunately I don't care much for the taste. Bland. I tried to give them away at my workplace but nobody wants produce.
Isn't that so true, though? These tomatoes grown for looks frequently have no taste!

We've been giving our excess away with personal goodie bags. People swear they love them. I suspect quite a few end up in the bin. That's OK, we tried. :)
Faith20879
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Faith20879 »

We bought our pepper plants from Home Depot back in April, specifically asked for the sweet kind (anything not hot). But, look, these peppers that just came out look mighty spicy to me. Can someone tell what kind it is? Is it spicy?

If it is, I am pepperless this season. Sigh...

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Elsebet
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Elsebet »

I had a few cherry tomatoes but the deer got into them, not sure if they will produce any more now. The ones I did get were good, hopefully with some better fencing we now have the deer issue controlled.

I have a few beefsteak tomatoes turning orange, lots of green ones I'll be keeping an eye on. We had a dry stretch, then a rainy stretch, and now are back in a dry stretch so it makes keeping the plant moisture optional very challenging. Our 2 50 gallon rain barrels help but we are almost out by the time it rains.

Have had two zucchinis already. There are a few green sugar pie pumpkins on the vine as well. Had about 6 cucumbers so far and more to come.

There are tiny jalapeno peppers on the plants but no bell peppers yet, just blossoms.

Raspberries and blueberries had a small but tasty yield their first year.

Seeing lots of bees in the yard and garden, we are putting in pollinator friendly plants and I may try to get my property certified as a pollinator friendly garden by PSU.
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by LadyGeek »

Faith20879 wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:53 pm We bought our pepper plants from Home Depot back in April, specifically asked for the sweet kind (anything not hot). But, look, these peppers that just came out look mighty spicy to me. Can someone tell what kind it is? Is it spicy?

If it is, I am pepperless this season. Sigh...

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Mr. Rumples
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Mr. Rumples »

For crying out loud as my mother would say...we haven't had rain (been all around but not here) in two or three weeks so I am watering and what do I see more tiny baby bunnies running out from under a juniper as I water. Meanwhile, Lowe's is starting to mark down their shrubs 50% on many of them. Not having a lot of room, I am moving to growing shrubs as standards; so far forsythia, rose of sharon and elaeagnus (silverberry), but will get one of the marked down Salix integra 'Hakuro-Nishiki' (Dappled Willow) they have on sale for $12 and train that as a standard. Am growing some Ricinus Communis Carmencita Bright Red (Castor Beans), not as big as the green variety and they are bolting to seed too soon, but still a striking color and plant to go into the iris bed where the iris have of course played out for the season.

My guess is that the bunnies are going to have trouble finding food this winter there are so many of them so to ensure they don't naw on some plants, I'm making collars out of hardware cloth to protect the best plants.
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Tubes
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Tubes »

LadyGeek wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 1:22 pm
Faith20879 wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:53 pm We bought our pepper plants from Home Depot back in April, specifically asked for the sweet kind (anything not hot). But, look, these peppers that just came out look mighty spicy to me. Can someone tell what kind it is? Is it spicy?

If it is, I am pepperless this season. Sigh...

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Faith, you are just going to have to nibble on those peppers to find their flavor. My guess is that they are mild. Look up a few posts (July 23), and you'll see my mild banana pepper which have almost the exact shape as yours. Ours our sweet and mild, but their shape looks hot, but it is all bluster. Their shape is very similar to yours, but the color is more pale.
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peppers
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by peppers »

Faith20879 wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:53 pm We bought our pepper plants from Home Depot back in April, specifically asked for the sweet kind (anything not hot). But, look, these peppers that just came out look mighty spicy to me. Can someone tell what kind it is? Is it spicy?

If it is, I am pepperless this season. Sigh...

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Looks to me like they are Melrose peppers, considered a sweet pepper.
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CouponJack
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by CouponJack »

eob616 wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 6:18 am
CouponJack wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:02 am i'm in zone 7B (Charlotte NC) and i grow all vegetables in containers and 5 gallon buckets on my deck (since my backyard does not get full sun).

...

Also, growing bush type cukes in a bucket and they have done well...

No diseases (yet) for any of my containers/buckets but always checking for hornworms!
@CouponJack, could you please share more about your cucumber setup? What varieties have you grown, and what size container do you have them in?

My vining cukes in my raised bed are all but finished up due to disease--people in my community garden say they tend to struggle here, although I don't know why--so I'm thinking about trying them in containers with fresh soil next year. I may even throw a few seeds into a pot tomorrow to see whether I can eke out a late crop this season. I've just barely scraped together enough to can 6 pints so far this year.
sure, basically i started the Patio Champion Hybrid from seed in a 5lb bucket. put 8 seeds (plugged 4 holes and put 2 seeds in each about an inch deep. Used Sta Green Potting mix, and oh yeah, put 3 holes near the bottom of the bucket for drainage. I did a bucket on my deck and a bucket off the deck (with a square cage around the bucket). I have to say the bucket using the square cage did better since the vines had something to hang on to. I'm going to start a fall crop soon and for my soil going to mix 50-50 potting soil and peat moss to keep the moisture in better...(I noticed that during the summer I couldn't keep up w/all the watering the containers needed...)
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by CouponJack »

Tubes wrote: Fri Jul 23, 2021 6:46 am
CouponJack wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:02 am i'm in zone 7B (Charlotte NC) and i grow all vegetables in containers and 5 gallon buckets on my deck (since my backyard does not get full sun).

Cherry Tomatoes and Bush type tomatoes (determinate) have been doing well. my biggest issue is not using tomato cages and now I'm holding up tons of vines by string so they don't crack/fall to the ground. I tried strawberries this year but they didn't do well (i guess the hot weather did them in pretty early, and I also was clipping runners left and right!)

Also, growing bush type cukes in a bucket and they have done well...

No diseases (yet) for any of my containers/buckets but always checking for hornworms!
I just discovered this thread. I'm up the road from you in RTP, also 7b. I'm using the same techniques as you, although I also have a lot of 2gal plantings. I find I can still grow tomatoes in 2 gal, and the stress actually works to my advantage to keep the plants manageable, and they push fruit fast. ("I'm dying, I need to reproduce!")

I had good luck with cherry and small plum tomatoes. I'm growing a sweet banana pepper with a thin shell that works well in containers. The taste is great. I also grew container cukes with really good luck, although they are about done today.

Although I love a good slicing tomato, I find the small varieties are just easier to grow. It is difficult to grow large tomatoes in NC without running into all the problems such as blossom end rot, tobacco mosaic virus, and bacterial wilt. Splitting is a problem due to heat and water management, and is always easier to handle with the smaller tomato.

I had one container get bacterial wilt. I threw away the plant and soil instead of trying to do anything with it. Get it out of here!
yeah, agree with alot of what you said above. I've been in NC for 15 years (orig from NJ) and the big difference here is the long stretch of hot weather and not getting cool fronts often to cool things down. From basically late May through August, its constant heat, which really stresses out alot of the veggies I plant. Where i need to get better is retaining moisture in my containers (by either adding peat moss and mulching. My cherry tomatoes are doing much better than my container bush tomatoes.
golfrgirl
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by golfrgirl »

Faith20879 wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:53 pm We bought our pepper plants from Home Depot back in April, specifically asked for the sweet kind (anything not hot). But, look, these peppers that just came out look mighty spicy to me. Can someone tell what kind it is? Is it spicy?

If it is, I am pepperless this season. Sigh...

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These look similar to my Anaheim peppers which are mild. I like to use them as a substitute for bell peppers in dishes that call for sautéed peppers. My DIL makes stuffed ‘poppers’ with them and they are delicious.
mancich
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by mancich »

mancich wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 5:05 am Zone 5 here in Upstate NY. Already added compost to our raised beds and can't wait to get the veggies planted..
Over 3 months later and the raised beds are producing nicely. The Sungold cherry tomatoes are 6 feet tall and cranking out tons of new fruit almost daily (8 total plants). Lettuce round 1 is nearing is the end, and we're going to plant lettuce round 2 from seed and spinach as well. Cukes are coming in nicely too. Can't wait to retire and spend more time building out the garden enclosure with more beds! P.s. check out this guy on YouTube, he has a great channel (it is not me):

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9V_-g ... 4v_HqbRz3w
Faith20879
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Faith20879 »

Thank you, Tubes, peppers, and golfrgirl, for your input. Instead of yanking them out, I guess I will keep them a little longer just to see if I get lucky.
eob616
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by eob616 »

Any brainstorming to share for waterproof hand tool storage for outside?

I have a community garden plot and keep a small selection of garden tools on site there. I store them in variations on a tupperware/rubbermaid/etc. plastic storage bin, usually around 24" x 18" x 18" or thereabouts, but I'm now on attempt 4 of plastic bins *just this year* because the lids keep breaking or they otherwise prove not to be watertight. Duct tape repairs on the lids and even stacking multiple lids aren't preventing rain leaks, so my tools are rusting and any amendments or fertilizer I've been storing in the bins are getting ruined. I even tried adding extra weatherstripping to the lid of one bin--didn't work.

I haven't located anyone who sells only replacement lids. The bins are all fine.

I hate having to keep buying these. Any other suggestions, preferably cheap? I'm eyeing large coolers on craigslist at this point, but maybe there's something else I'm not thinking of. I suspect that a large outdoor storage bin designed for a patio or deck--or maybe truck bed storage?--would take up too much space in my plot and probably be more than I'd like to spend.
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Tubes »

First, I want to say that fertilizer storage is tricky, especially chemical fertilizer. The reason is because it is hygroscopic (attracts water). If a container gets sun, the box will expand and contract -- basically "breathe," and hence ingest moist air. Keep containers out of the sun if possible. In essence, over time you can get ruined fertilizer even in a water-drip proof container. You should keep all fertilizer in a separate box from any of your tools!

I have no experience with the following product, so YMMV. This looks promising for you. I searched on "marine grade storage containers" and this pops pretty high. It is affordable too. In this case, your guns and ammo are hand trowels and cultivators. :) Be aware this one is small. Perhaps you can find something similar in a larger box, if needed.

https://www.amazon.com/Sheffield-Plasti ... UTF8&psc=1
Mr. Rumples
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Mr. Rumples »

Rooted pruned shrub cuttings. My approach is very lax: cut them, put them in the moist soil around the HVAC unit on the north side of the house and see what happens. About half the cuttings from the Beautyberry, Acuba, Rose of Sharon, Abelia, Snowball viburnum, hydrangea (don't know what kind, a friend let me have her shrub which had a lot of rooting branches on it) and forsythia rooted. Some I will train to a standard and keep to fill voids in the perennial beds others I will pot up and give away. Gave up on the veggies...too much trouble to haul water out to field in this heat. (The back field was used to grow tobacco which ruins soil; even with 5 years of adding compost, straw, green manure, lime and fertilizer the soil is still exhausted.)

Mike's Backyard has a video on how to take cuttings, but perhaps its because I am further south than he is, just sticking them in the ground works well for my purposes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyXSNzywqvw
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by LadyGeek »

eob616 wrote: Fri Aug 27, 2021 7:06 am Any brainstorming to share for waterproof hand tool storage for outside?
How about putting those bins inside a good quality (thick) trash bag? They're waterproof and air tight if you seal them correctly. Point the opening away from vertical to avoid water collection. You can also double-bag for extra protection.
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InMyDreams
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by InMyDreams »

Something is putting holes in my tomatoes. Presumably grasshoppers or perhaps crickets, maybe some sort of caterpillar. Most tomatoes are OK, tho. Maybe birds, but I haven't seen any birds around them.

Harvested most of my elephant heart plums. Yum - but I was competing with the birds, and pulled them down slightly earlier than I had planned - fortunately I like sweet-tart and firm plums. Squirrels had NOT found them :)

The birds are definitely into the apple trees, too. :annoyed They must be laughing at the plastic owl.
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by golfrgirl »

Just taking a guess here, I'd bet it's birds that are poking holes in your tomatoes. (I'm assuming you're talking about the fruit and not the plant leaves themselves. That I think would be a worm, most likely on the underside of the leaf.)
I notice here in the heat in Zone 9, the birds love my little cherry tomatoes and sometimes the larger tomatoes as well.
eob616
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by eob616 »

Practical suggestions, LadyGeek and Tubes, thanks.
Mr. Rumples
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Mr. Rumples »

This week at Home Depot, I saw they were selling Rose of Sharon "standards" for $59.95. The hydrangea and viburnum standards are even more expensive at the nurseries.

What? I give these out as gifts. (I'm trying forsythia this year, so far it seems to be developing a very thick main stem/trunk.)

These all root easily; for the Rose of Sharon, I literally take a branch about 1/4 in thick of hardwood, put it in compost and it will root. For the others a branch touching the ground with a brick on it will root. Then make a standard and use it in a formal garden setting or set out in a perennial bed. This time of year, the Rose of Sharon is blooming while most of the perennials have peaked. Zone 7a.

(A "standard" is when the shrub is pruned to one central leader - a brutal procedure - and then "encouraged" to branch out. For the shrubs listed above, it is only a two year process; some others require more time. Rose of Sharon seems the easiest.)
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Mike Scott
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Mike Scott »

Tomatos and okra are the only things still going in our garden with the sweet potatos left to dig before the first frost in a month or two. It's about time to plant garlic for next year and start cleaning up the odds and ends of stuff that get left scattered around the garden. My prairie patch is turning to fall flowers and a few leaves are falling in the woods. After a slow start in the spring with a late freeze, the wetlands area has turned out really nice and my native bamboo is doing well. Our most enthusiastic native plant is posion ivy and it has been turning the prettiest colors for a couple of weeks. The new ornamental trees I planted this spring survived and are starting to fill out. We did not get any fruit from the orchard this year except black berries and a few grapes. I don't think I have ever mowed as much grass as I did this summer. It usually slows down if we have a hot dry late summer but not this year.
pshonore
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by pshonore »

Question on Winter Squash (Butternut). Planted a few hills. After a few months the vines and leaves closet to the original hills look bad (yellowed, shriveled and dry). Yet the ends of those 8-10 ft vines are lush. Also noticed lots of tentacles along those vines the acting as "anchors". Do those tentacles provide nutrients or is it all coming from the original hill ?
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Ivygirl »

pshonore wrote: Sat Sep 11, 2021 9:13 am Question on Winter Squash (Butternut). Planted a few hills. After a few months the vines and leaves closet to the original hills look bad (yellowed, shriveled and dry). Yet the ends of those 8-10 ft vines are lush. Also noticed lots of tentacles along those vines the acting as "anchors". Do those tentacles provide nutrients or is it all coming from the original hill ?
Squash roots as it runs along the ground. This ensures it can survive and bear fruit even when the original stem is killed by a vine borer, which generally happens. Butternut is fairly resistant to borers, they don't like its stem.
Faith20879
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Faith20879 »

Thanks to fellow BH's tip, we did not yank out the suspicious hot pepper plants. Have harvested about a dozen so very nice peppers, absolutely not spicy, actually sweet as the red bells. The ripe fruit remains green with a slight yellow tint, perfect for a garden salad ensemble. Still don't know what it is called though.

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peppers
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by peppers »

Faith20879 wrote: Sun Sep 12, 2021 5:27 pm Thanks to fellow BH's tip, we did not yank out the suspicious hot pepper plants. Have harvested about a dozen so very nice peppers, absolutely not spicy, actually sweet as the red bells. The ripe fruit remains green with a slight yellow tint, perfect for a garden salad ensemble. Still don't know what it is called though.

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Nice to see you stayed with them. As your growing season continues some of the peppers can turn red in color. Not to worry, they get even sweeter.
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homebuyer6426
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by homebuyer6426 »

It's peach harvesting week here. Eating some of the nicer ones and going to make wine with the rest.
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MP173
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by MP173 »

Here in NW Indiana there is a noticed change as the days get shorter and the garden starts its annual retreat. We have had enough rain this year to make this quite the productive summer. Still, we could use more rain as the grass is going dormant.

Tomatoes are just about finished. The pole beans are producing, but are tapering off. Some sort of beetle has been attacking the beans (actual fruit, not leaves) and our production has diminished. Still we were able to freeze about 12 quart bags.

We have had a great harvest of potatoes. Reds have usually had one or two HUGE potatoes plus a few smaller ones. One such potato weighed in at 1.5 pounds. Russets are small, but plentiful.

I harvested popcorn over the weekend. Pulled about 50 ears, the top ear is well formed, the bottom ear usually smaller and not as formed. Still have about 10 plants to pull. Should be enough to last us thru most of the winter...after it dries. I grow "Purdue Hybrid". Indiana is a big popcorn producing state.

Simpson Elite lettuce is producing...it is planted numerous times during the summer. Last week I planted more...probably the last planting of the year. Also have planted fall spinach, not much luck yet as the weather has been too hot for it to germinate. I used a Golieth seed last fall and kept it overwinter...had great spinach in March...probably the same this year.

Peppers are doing great, particularly the Gypsy and banana peppers. We also have yellow peppers, but right when I was going to harvest (fist sized), a mold was discovered. Disappointing. We have red bells turning. DW used seeds from store purchased small peppers (Costco?) and we planted two plants, which have grown to be healthy plants and big producers of tiny peppers. One turns red...surprise -quite hot, when the other is a mild red about 1.5" in size. Always fun to grow the seeds from store purchased vegetables and see what the result is.

I rescued a spaghetti squash today. The plant went wild (grew into pine trees) and also expanded to tomato patch where a nice sized fruit grew and lodged in a homemade (industrial strength) tomato cage. I tried to dislodge it a month ago whenit was green, but it secured. It was determined by the Chief Gardening Officer (CGO) to save the squash regardless of damage to the cage. It took 15 minutes of effort with a wire cutter (used it almost as a saw) but the squash was saved. Soon it will be consumed with roasted tomatos, garlic, and homemade marinara sauce, topped with cheese. We harvested 5 squash from the one plant...one out of the aforementioned tree.

Carrots are still in the ground, used as needed...very good this year.

Sweet potatoes vined quite well, should produce. Will harvest in a week or so.

Kale going strong, as are brussel sprouts. Radishes are flavorful.

All in all, quite a summer and not quite finished yet.

Ed
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by LadyGeek »

As noted by others, my tomatoes are just about finished. I have a few on the vine waiting to ripen. After that, it's done.
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InMyDreams
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by InMyDreams »

Elephant heart plums, a variety of Satsuma plums. Yum. The birds were after them a while ago, so I took down all but a few. Quite tart at the stage, but still so good.

But even better now! I think I've grabbed the last of them. Four or five didn't even make it into the house.

Tomato inundation starting up again.

Oh, and - apples are starting: The birds have been picking at the Gold Delicious for a little while - I tried one today, and good enough to start apple sauce and pie filling for the freezer. Fujis will be better in another couple of weeks. Could be a big apple year.
kd2008
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by kd2008 »

Our night time temperatures will dip below 50F later this week signaling end of growing season for us.

This was my first year gardening.

For the first time in my life I got a tomato plant at a local spring herb festival. Friends and family rolled their eyes at my two-leaf sapling I got for $4. I chose a sungold variety and planted it in a container. We got a late frost April 21st - typical for us is March 31st. I babied it through that and many cold nights, bringing the pot inside. First fruits set in three weeks. It got aphids, hornworms. It got blight, spider mites. Blight was especially bad in our area this year - many experienced gardeners gave up on their tomatoes.

I continued mine with a single stem method.

I had a small cage and few stakes. The plant quickly out grew that. I finally gave it the patio column to climb. It is now at 12.5 ft, still with nearly hundred blossoms. I have harvested about 400 delicious tomatoes.

It will be sad for me to see it succumb to the weather eventually.

While I was good at controlling aphids and hornworms organically. Spider mites and blight is a continuing fight. Next year I may get MiteX and fungicide to treat them.

Had I staked it better from the start, it may have fared better. I have purchased $2 furring strips that are 8 ft tall for next year.

This will be a short growing season. Typical one is about 220 days or 7.5 months. We will probably get just 6 months this year.

I learned a lot this year. I hope to put it to good use next year.
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Mudpuppy »

My outdoor tomatoes and peppers got attacked by a swarm of grasshoppers (long with my boxleaf shrubs and daisies) this summer, but I have one tomato seedling and pepper seedling that I've kept inside on the kitchen window who are getting some good size on them. The tomato has reached the top of its 3' stake and seems intent on reaching the ceiling before setting any fruit. The pepper is about 2' tall and just set its first blooms. We'll see how the kitchen window experiment progresses through fall.
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Tubes
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Tubes »

This is my first attempt at a small Fall vegetable planting. I'm looking forward to harvesting some Romaine leaves for salad tonight. This may actually work!
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by LadyGeek »

I have a bunch of volunteer tomato plant volunteers that decided to grow on their own. They have lots of flowers, but nothing is produced. Is this normal for the end of the season? My night-time temperature is in the 50s.
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InMyDreams
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by InMyDreams »

Harvested a small number of Yukon Gold potatoes - they had not had a happy summer - too much heat, too little water.

Tomato plants gone.

Golden Delicious is down. Fujis about 1/2 down. Trying to recruit a donation site to pick up the rest (I can do the picking, they do the distribution). Holey apples all.
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Pu239 »

Tomatoes (unprotected) still hanging in here in Plant Zone 5b/6a, though the tips were killed by a close-call frost a week or two ago. I'm letting the fruits, mostly green, stay on the vine as long as possible before harvesting. Broccoli is slowly growing with a couple heads showing promise. First hard frost is looking like a week away. Raspberries are doing well and still producing. We grew little else so not much to report. Good year for apples and peaches according to neighbors. Next year will be great!
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Tubes
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Tubes »

Tubes wrote: Sun Oct 24, 2021 2:51 pm This is my first attempt at a small Fall vegetable planting. I'm looking forward to harvesting some Romaine leaves for salad tonight. This may actually work!
It's still going! I have a 3x8 raised bed with 2' mesh walls, so I can easily cover this with garden fabric. It looks like a large coffin. I've been covering it on nights below 34. On nights below 30 (only 3 or 4 so far), I plug in my seedling heat mat and put it in the coffin as a mild warming source. This upcoming week should be warm and not require covering.

The lettuce is OK, but the most recent leaves are starting to not get as green. I think after this warm streak, I'll let it be on its own.

This pic is from a few weeks ago. The main difference is the lettuce grew, and the radishes are ready to harvest.

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MP173
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by MP173 »

We had an excellent gardening season. There is still lettuce in the garden...havent harvested in a couple of weeks. Temps been down in 20s.

Also kale and carrots still available. May not use carrots until spring.

Planted over 150 garlic end of October for next year.

Received "Seeds and Such" catalog today for next year.

Ed
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Tubes
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by Tubes »

I figured I'll give one final update on my crazy romaine lettuce that won't die before this 2021 thread closes. It just refuses to die which is mostly due to the incredible above average temps we have in the southeast. We're harvesting leaf by leaf and enjoying salads every other day. The only caveat is the taste is a bit more bitter than spring, and I attribute that to lack of sun. I can't change that. :happy

Sorry for my excitement. I've had beginner's luck with a Fall crop. Next year we'll probably have a shot of early teens temperatures that will crush my spirit.

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LadyGeek
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Re: Gardening 2021

Post by LadyGeek »

ray.james has started the 2022 gardening thread: Gardening 2022
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