The 2014 Get Dirt Under Your Fingernails Thread

[88GT]

We've been eating cherry tomatoes and cucumbers...a bit early for us actually in the northern part of the state. Zucchini are a couple inches long so need to keep an eye on those so they don't turn into baseball bats. Need to dig the garlic too.

Ha, that made me laugh.

Had one last year that was well hidden in all the foliage, and only some of the beds all for 360* access. So I was limited in ability to see. This is what I found:

18" long and about 14" around at the fattest part.

 

[mom45]

Ha, that made me laugh.

Had one last year that was well hidden in all the foliage, and only some of the beds all for 360* access. So I was limited in ability to see. This is what I found:

18" long and about 14" around at the fattest part.

I had one that hit the 24" mark a few years ago. It wasn't even edible. The goats enjoyed it though. I like to pick them small now unless I plan to stuff them or use them as lasagna noodles or for bread.

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

2nd picking of green beans today, and 1st good haul of sugar snap peas. cherry tomatoes are really coming on. finished with early spinach, green onions, and radishes.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

My garlic's ready to dig soon. I planted beans late, so they're just now blooming (big time). Tried quinoa this year and it's doing surprisingly well.

 

[mom45]

My garlic's ready to dig soon. I planted beans late, so they're just now blooming (big time). Tried quinoa this year and it's doing surprisingly well.

I left the scapes on longer this year and harvested the bulbils a week or two ago. Those are all in olive oil and/or honey and ready for use. The ones I put in olive oil go in the freezer, and then I just put them through the garlic press into whatever I am cooking. I still haven't made it out to dig the garlic but am hoping to do that tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Fargo]

Anyone else having trouble with their peppers this year? Mine are growing very slowly and have been dropping leaves. Only the yellow pepper varieties are fruiting as well. Last year I had more than I could handle, this year is looking like a bust.

 

[88GT]

Anyone else having trouble with their peppers this year? Mine are growing very slowly and have been dropping leaves. Only the yellow pepper varieties are fruiting as well. Last year I had more than I could handle, this year is looking like a bust.

Are the dropped leaves still green or did they change color?

I know peppers like heat, we haven't had much of that, but I wouldn't think that would be a cause for dropped leaves. Slow development of fruit, maybe, but not dropped leaves. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a nutrient deficiency.

 

[BigMatt]

Are the dropped leaves still green or did they change color?

I know peppers like heat, we haven't had much of that, but I wouldn't think that would be a cause for dropped leaves. Slow development of fruit, maybe, but not dropped leaves. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a nutrient deficiency.

I second that emotion.

Here is a link that shows symptoms of pepper plant nutrient deficiencies - pepper plant deficiencies: yellow leaves, defective plant development

I like a good mild fertilizer to cover all my bases like 10-10-10 or 12-12-12. You can also use Miracle Grow (10-10-10) and foliar feed. Once the blooms start and the fruit starts to develop, pour the 6-24-24 to it.

 

[hooky]

I put in a new raised bed and everything in it is growing slowly and peppers are stunted with yellowing leaves. Just in casual conversation with my dad about how his crops looked, he mentioned herbicide residuals in manure and topsoil. That got me thinking about my new bed. tons of stuff that can be googled and lots of anecdotal evidence. It's an issue with row crops, so I don't know why it wouldn't be with vegetables.

Killer Compost - Growing A Greener World TV

Tigers & Strawberries » Persistent Herbicides in Commercial Compost = Stunted Vegetable Garden

Stuff in the existing bed is growing well.

 

[bwframe]

Anyone else having trouble with their peppers this year? Mine are growing very slowly and have been dropping leaves. Only the yellow pepper varieties are fruiting as well. Last year I had more than I could handle, this year is looking like a bust.

I've had this issue for the last three years. For me, it's mainly in the jalapenos, but slightly affects the others. The first year the jalapeno plants died. Last year they looked peaked early to seemingly outgrow the ailment. Showing the same issues this year with spotted falling off leaves.

My SWAG is that it has a lot to do with cool nights inhibiting growth. Growth that would make for a large healthy plant that more readily resists the elements in the environment. Plants attempting to put on fruit before thorough foliage has developed are also somewhat fighting themselves.

Similarly, the tomatoes are slow to ripen this year reportedly due to temperature variations and cool nights.

It's the global warming.

 

[88GT]

My SWAG is that it has a lot to do with cool nights inhibiting growth. Growth that would make for a large healthy plant that more readily resists the elements in the environment. Plants attempting to put on fruit before thorough foliage has developed are also somewhat fighting themselves.

I had to buy a couple of pepper plants because it looked like the ones I started from seed weren't going to make it (due to a variety of ill-timed--read: all at once--shocks). They were only about 8" high and 4" wide and already starting to bud. I spent a month pinching buds off of those darn plants to allow them to grow sufficiently to support the fruit. I even did it to a few of my own starts this year, knowing the cool weather was going to slow growth.

Similarly, the tomatoes are slow to ripen this year reportedly due to temperature variations and cool nights.
.

Mine are too. This was first year I was timely in getting my seeds started and in the beds. First time I have ever had actual fruit on the plant in June. But they have been green/yellow-green for a month and a half now. If I wanted to, I could almost convince myself that the yellow-green was starting to turn a bit orange-ish, but nobody else would be able to see it.

 

[CindyE]

We're getting some peppers and tomatoes. Cukes are slow. A few beans, some lettuce. One of my husband's co-workers is already bugging us for tomatoes, I don't feel like being that generous yet, when we barely have enough for us! I usually get peppers and cherry tomatoes until sometime in Oct., so I'm not disappointed yet!
I ordered 4 different lavender plants online, since the past winter killed the 2 I had for awhile. I started to miss them too much, and couldn't find what I wanted locally. They arrived quickly, very nice healthy-looking plants. They came from Garden Harvest Supply in Berne.

 

[eldirector]

Put up 9 jars of pickles today, and 7 of green beans. I have more Jalapeno peppers than I know what to do with. Broccoli is doing well, too. Tomatoes are REALLY slow here. TONS of Romas are on the vine - all still green.

Our little sweet pea has been going like gangbusters, too!. It is very obvious we put stuff in later than normal. I just hope they all hang on a bit longer than usual, too.

 

[teddy12b]

Had a nice grilled chicken dinner tonight with zucinni and green beans from the garden. We're just loving having a garden and next year we'll have a better idea on what we want to plant than we did this year.

This is our fourth year/attempt at a garden and the first year its really produced a lot of food for us. The kids are loving it. Tonight my 5yr old girl wanted to take a look at the watermelon in the garden. She went hysterical when I told her to check out the other 3 that she didn't know were there

 

[bwframe]

What kind of planting schedule are you fall gardeners following? I have some space to fill.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

What kind of planting schedule are you fall gardeners following? I have some space to fill.

My garden log shows that I planted some Romaine lettuce, beets, and spinach in the first week of August the last two years and they came out pretty well.

 

[88GT]

My tomatoes are turning!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What kind of planting schedule are you fall gardeners following? I have some space to fill.

I back calculate based on the estimated days-to-harvest for the crop and the first frost date for my area. I use October 10 as the first frost date. I plant fall crops to be ready to harvest about 2 weeks before that date. If they take longer than the stated time, I still have plenty of time to harvest. Plus, for most, I can extend the season a bit with covers if necessary. So I will be planting mid-August for most fall crops as they are 45-60 days until harvest, at least the ones I am planting.

 

[bwframe]

Thanks for the info folks!
What about late planting of those frost tolerant items like broccoli, peas and spinach? How late can you temp fate and sneak in a late harvest risking a hard freeze? What about other fall veggies? Onions?

 

[teddy12b]

Anyone here have any experience with Watermelons? I've got four decent sized water melons that are on track and they're doing good, but the rest of the plants aren't really producing anything. At one time there was a bunch of yellow flowers that I assumed were going to turn into buds and then into watermelons, but so far it hasn't worked out that way. I've got four watermelons and it looks like that's all I'm going to have and I'm fine with that, but there's a lot of vines that have run over and out of the raised bed and I was wondering if I could cut those off without hurting my prized watermelons. I'd at least like to trim them back if possible. I'll see if I can't get a picture of my mess and post it up later tonight.

 

[GLOCKMAN23C]

I picked and canned my first batch of beans over the weekend. I've been enjoying tomatoes for about 2 weeks, now I'm waiting on my beefsteak and German Johnson plants to turn. Potatoes look good, I even have some potatoe seeds on a plant. The bad, crabgrass and nightshade are beyond control this year.