How is everyone's garden coming?

[crothmeier]

Havent seen any talk about this, i was wondering if my plantings were on par with everyone elses. So far this weekend i picked my first tomatos, i got about a dozen, mostly early girls, one better boy and a few Romas. I canned my second batch of green beans also this weekend along with pickles. Kohlrabis have been picked, and my carrots arent too far behind. I should add im down in SW minnesota.

Peppers havent done much. And sweet corn is still coming slowly. I planted 5 weeks worth and havent harvested any yet, although the wind storm over the 4th laid it down.

hows everyone else look?!

[Steve Foss]

Up here in the northeast, my first tomatoes have just begun to turn yellow (cherry tomatoes). Brandywine tomato fruits have not yet reached full size, so they'll be a few weeks. Beans are now ready to harvest. Snap peas started a couple weeks ago. Radishes all are harvested. First kohlrabi (Kossack giant variety) will be harvested in about a week, when they are tennis ball sized, to thin the rows a bit an make room for the rest to grow big. Garlic is just about ready to harvest. First cuke will be picked tomorrow. One squash is yellow, but the rest are green and small. Carrots are about half to 2/3 max size.

It's been a very goofy summer up here. Lots of weather systems moving through with little stable weather in between. Makes for not much watering, but also not so much sun.

Late summer/fall radishes will go in in a week or two.

[mainbutter]

It's been crazy wet up in Pine County, but that hasn't stopped our garden from flourishing.

Our lettuce/spinach/etc were pulled up after that freak heat wave ruined things.

We finished our final harvest of cilantro, and ended up with many pounds that still need to be processed. The basil is still in the ground and we've gotten many pounds from it already, I don't know how much longer we're going to leave it in.

The tomatoes were green as of Sunday, but there are lots and they are getting big.

We had our first harvest of bell, banana, and anaheim peppers, along with our first harvest of cucumber and zucchini. The latter two had to be replanted after our first seeds failed from too much wet, leading them to rot.

Whatever variety of sweet corn my girlfriend picked out is ridiculous. They're a good three feet taller than all the corn fields nearby, but that might be field corn.. I know nothing about corn and this is my first year trying it. We can see little baby corn ears at a couple inches long, growing well it seems.

We harvested a few baby potatoes for a dinner and are letting the rest get bigger.

[Nainoa]

Green Beans got off to a slow start, since I grew them in 3 sisters and the corn got a slow start.

Had several pepper plants and all but 1 water melon completely wiped out when storms used my shed as a bowling ball through the patch.

Other than that things are going well...

To date I've harvested:

12 poblano peppers (Another dozen on the way)

2 pounds of jalapenos (Rest are bushing out)

5 pounds of Rosa Bianca Eggplant (I'm a sucker for Eggplant Parmesan)

11 pounds of pickling cucumbers

17 green bell peppers (One plant has given me 7 in the time that the other 9 have given me 10!!!!)

Tomatoes:

I actually had a Glacier tomato cross pollinate last year with a Yellow (It's normally red) and so I've decided to name it "Pony Boy" because it always "Stays Golden."

Glacier: 7 pounds (Pony Boy and standard red)

Black Krim: 3 (Only have 2 plants left after storm damage)

Cherries (Black and Rosalita): 8 pounds

San Marzano: 12 pounds and about to start MASSIVELY producing

Brandywine: 2

Went back on my lunch break to dig red potatoes for the first time... Hoping to get some baby reds for the dinner table. And it's my first time planting potatoes in the back garden. Turns out they're all an adult size already... 2 plants gave me 4 pounds!

I have 45 plants total between reds, kanabec and russets!

As for the early crops... Spinach, Mesclun greens and snow peas did very well... Indoor greenhouse is growing the second summer crop which will be ready for harvest any day now... And then this weekend I'll be putting the fall crop into the ground... Hoping I can produce peas and spinach all the way into early November with the new greenhouse.

Had a bird peck into my first Bhut Jolokia pepper last week... So I ate a piece... Had an electric experience there that did not sit well with my guts at all!

[KEN W]

My garden is doing well.Although blight has been a problem for the tomatoes.My early Roma types are finished.Eating Black Crim,Lemon Boy,Taxi,Carbon,Legend and Yellow Pear tomatoes.

Beans are done,Peas are done....second crop has blossoms.

First Northern SS corn is done.Eating white Mirai 421 now.Bi-color 277A next week and yellow Vision in 3 weeks.

Had a bumper crop of strawberries.

Lots of Zuchinni and yellow squash.

Both bell and jalapeno peppers are producing.

Been eating new red potatoes for 3 weeks.

Pulled my softball sized Candy onions yesterday to hang and dry in the garage.

AND.....Picked my first 5 lb. ripe Goddess Cantalope yesterday.....Outstanding.

[BobT]

Green beans, onions, cucumbers, swiss chard, and carrots have been doing well. Tomatoes, peas, brussel sprouts, peppers not so good.

[Dotch]

We got a lot of the garden later than we like so it has been hit and miss.

Onions, lettuce and peas - miss. Late planting on early season crops doesn't work in the southern part of the state when we get 100 degree heat and high dewpoints. May try to plant the winter radishes and more snap peas this weekend.

Carrots - hit. The tops are taking off and the carrots are nice underneath.

Potatoes - hit, so far. Norlands have been very nice even tho the potato leafhoppers hit them just prior to the vines starting to dry down. Pontiacs & Norkotah's look fantastic above ground.

Tomatoes and green peppers - hit/miss. Look great, nothing ripe yet but here again, late planted and Sept. is usually our month to be overrun by both.

Sweet corn - hit. Early planting of Protege is awesome, heat has pushed it faster than I'd like but great flavor. 2nd planting (Bodacious) hauling freight, brown silk. No N on it so it's living on mineralized nitrogen and shows no sign of deficiency, yet. Some rain or irrigation will be needed for it to reach its potential.

Indian corn - too early to tell. Just finished pollinating. Reputedly 100 day variety, should make it before 1st frost.

Muskmelons - ?. Lots of vines and lots of bee activity so Sept. should be their month. See frost comment above.

Gourds and pumpkins - hit, so far. Both are climbing all over everything and setting plenty of fruit.

Zucchini & crook neck squash - hit. We are thinking of starting a biofuels plant powered by zucchini.

Squash - hit and miss. Squash vine borer hit the buttercup and Mooregold while leaving the Heart of Gold alone. Plenty of squash set just need some rain or to start the sprinkler up.

Cukes - hit. Have had a dozen so far and there are plenty more where they came from. Late planted so not surprising it took them awhile to get their act together.

Green and yellow beans - hit, I think. Foliage over knee high and setting pods like mad as of last night. Planted in late June so they're on track given the planting date.

New rhubarb - hit. Canadian Red. Amazing what a 5 gallon bucket of 15 year old sheep dookie will do for a plant.

[Down Deep]

Here in Duluth. Banner crop of several types of lettuce; carrots are a week out; radishes & green onions did well, but long gone; cabbage is going to be a banner crop in about 3 weeks (had some attrition due to bugs), pumpkin plants doing well, but not much in the way of fruit; green beans a couple of weeks off (planted late); green red & yellow peppers doing well with medium sized peppers on all plants; spinach did well and just about done; herbs doing well and have been picking daily; picked about a dozen small ripe early girl tomatoes; in a week or so cherry tomatoes by the thousands; Big Boy tomatoes are 6 feet tall and have some small tomatoes on board, but I don't think they will have time to ripen before time runs out; zucchini squash never emerged ( might have been bad seed); perennial landscape planting have had a banner year with the heat and rain; annuals doing so-so; I'm sick of cutting grass every five days.

[reinhard1]

interesting on the zucchini comment. mine grew well[the plant] but the squash started to grow but soon rotted away. i've been told here on the threads that it was due to too much rain. tomatoes were the rock stars this year. cherry tomatoes just keep comming. this year i did something different on my upside down tomato deal. i put one plant on the bottom as usual and filled it up with good soil and put another plant on top. this seems to be the ticket with these things.

my ground tomatoes grew like yours did, tall and full of fruit. jalapenos went great and still have some growing. cucumbers [pickle size] are excelent and still growing. celery not so good. poor results with romaine lettuce, and corn is tall and doing well. my first garden so lot's to learn. next year i will add green beans and peas. good luck.

[Iambjm]

This is the first time in my life I have planted a "veggie garden" (64 years old). Started off looking good, has gone downhill since.

Hanging tomatoes are giving me some, but the leaves are all yellow and falling off.

Snap peas not good, did a second planting, so so

Broccoli plants got off to a good start then worms started eating it, I am getting some heads though.

Cucumber plants are going wild but no cukes yet

Green pepper plants have a few, they are almost ready

Raspberries good but small

cabbage got hit by the worms too but do have softball sized heads.

Brussel sprouts may be my biggest success even though they were also hit by the worms

green beans I planted real late, crossing my fingers

Beets - dismal, the first seeds I planted came up and then just died.

Strawberries, first year plants, some berries but pretty small

I built a bunch of raised beds and just used some topsoil I bought at Home Depot, I think I need to amend the soil for next year. Not sure if I want to do this again next year, it has really cut into my fishing time.

[Jaspernuts]

Tomatoes are in full swing here in the southern part of the state. I will be canning salsa tomorrow, picked 30 tonight. Plants have late blight and all my neighbors have it too so might not get many late tomatoes this year. Catalopes and watermelons got a late start with the cold, lots of blooms but not much fruit, but I will get a few of each.

[KEN W]

lambjm.....you have the cabbage looper butterfly larvea eating your cole crops.Next year go to a fabric store and get some fabric netting to put over them.It will keep the white butterflys from laying eggs on your plants.For now you will have to spray with an insectcide to kill them.

[Dotch]

Not trying to be a wise guy but just a little point of clarification:

Those white butterflies are imported cabbage worm or cabbage butterflies. Cabbage loopers are a different animal. The worms have a faint white stripe on the side, 3 sets of prolegs and make a loop when they move. The larvae come from moths that migrate into the upper midwest from the south. A couple websites that explain who they are and how they can be controlled. Bt is effective on both and is very safe. The main downside is it needs to be applied frequently during rainy weather.

http://www.vegedge.umn.edu/vegpest/colecrop/cabbworm.htm

http://www.vegedge.umn.edu/vegpest/colecrop/looper.htm

[KEN W]

Thanks for clearing that up....I propably have both.All I know is that small mesh row covers keep them off so I don't have to spray.

[Dotch]

And I did like your mesh suggestion Ken, enough so that I filed it in the memory bank for future reference when growing cole crops next year. Finding Bt at Edna's hardware store locally isn't always the easiest thing to do and while I have access to about any chemical I'd care to use, I'd rather not use them unless warranted. In a world where we want to press the "easy button", frequently the simple, common sense things or use of preventative measures like you suggested are overlooked. I did have to chuckle though this morning while watching a TV segment filmed at the MN Arboreteum. They were extolling the virtues of planting certain plants next to others as a means of keeping pests away. The camera panned to one of those lovely white cabbage butterflies landing on a broccoli or cauliflower plant. Apparently they have some work to do on that yet.

[KEN W]

I think my wife gets the netting fabric from a fabric store.Works really well on strawberries to keep the birds off also.

[eurolarva]

The blight issue is a lot earlier this year then I have seen it before. I have 14 tomato plants mostly early girls a few cherries and two brandy wine. I have past peek production and figure a month more and it will be over. Getting a 2 gallon pail full each day now. Onions did not get big this year. Cold wet spring put a halt to that. Still got 300 of them but the biggest is only going to be 6 inch diameter. Jalapenos did real well around July but have really slowed down. Gave up on the pea pods. Rabbits won that war. Carrots were plentiful but not very flavorful.

[Big-Al]

Lettuce did very good and still is, spinach not so good for some reason, usually have a great crop. First crop of peas was terrible, second is quite good which really surprised me due to the hot weather while the second crop was growing. That would usually do them in. Both crops of beans did/doing great. Onions are about the best crop I have ever had. Very large red, white and yellow and still lush green tops. Garlic was just fabulous with about half of it still hanging. Summer and winter squash very poor, even after lots of hand pollination still not setting much fruit. Cabbage was good but split early die to lots of rain after a fairly dry spell. Worst potatoes I have ever had with no idea why. They looked good early and just quit growing. No bugs or other problems that I can see. I dug one plant of kennebecs yesterday and had two small potatoes. The norlands are better but are already full of scab. Carrots are tremendous with a 60 foot semi-wide row producing at least 30 pounds already from thinning and certainly 100 pounds to come. The tomatoes are heavy with fruit but just starting to ripen. They better get going as we could get frost any time now. Looks like I will be dealing with covering them this year. The peppers are a boon and bust as the hot varieties seem good with the biggest jalapeno, cayenne, and habeneros. Bell peppers just are not setting fruit very well at all. The "gotta have it" corn is a few days away from being ready and it is doing well. Two of my plantings had poor germination due to cold soil but my main plot is looking real good. I have that plot surrounded by an electric fence and hopefully that keeps the 'coons away.

Overall I would grade the year a C+ with the possibility of going to a B- or a B with a good harvest of corn and tomatoes.

[luckycrank]

first brandyhine second batch of early girls and romas from seed started in late april

jalepenos are going strong , habenaros are growing strong. bhut jolikia has a few peppers growing finally but wonder if they'll be mature enough for salsa by the time the last of my tomatoes are done

I never harvested any green or red peppers or even set fruit , colorodo patatoe beetles got my potatoes.

going to plant more global buckets next spring for sure easy to take care of

cucumbers never grew this year not sure why planted in the same exact spot as last year

something got my green beans and onions shortly after planting never found out what the varmit was but my garden is surrounded with chainlink fencing

[Early Riser]

Nice looking tomatoes there Luckycrank.

This year we have more of a mixed bag of results than previous years. For example our peppers were pretty much a bust. Cabbage failed miserably, as did the cauliflower. Our tomatoes are only now just starting to produce ripe fruit after wilting during the hot/wet spell we had. The one thing all these plants have in common is that they are in a lower spot in the garden and apparently to not like wet roots for too long like we had this year with all the heavy rains.

On the other hand, in the relatively high parts of the garden, the potatoes, beets, cucumbers, beans, carrots, onions, egg plant, basil, cilantro, are producing banner yields.

Apparently nothing bothers Zucchini because they are in the low spot and doing well.

[Stratosman]

My garden is hit and miss... tomatoes are doing great and we are getting some pickers now with a TON about to pop. A couple of my plants 4' tall. Peppers are okay, green was great on one plant and terrible on another. Jalepenos are doing great with the one plant I have with about 50 peppers growing. Green beans did/doing great getting some great fresh meals couple times a week. pumpkins doing better after the rot issue... corn is spectacular. We were gone for 10 days and my brother in law picked alot of it and said it was the best he's ever had. Rasperries growing good, they are great fall producers and have really spread this year (planted them two years ago).

[Nainoa]

I just totaled it up to date... I have canned 108 pounds of San Marzano tomatoes... With 40 more ripening on the vine and at least 40 hanging green still... I am officially SICK of canning tomatoes.

Now tonight I get to make jelly out of the 25 pounds of plums my parents picked for me.

My excitement for butternut squash and honeycrisp apples is growing DAILY!

[IlliniWalli]

we have had a very bountiful year. everything caught up fast after the late start due to the wet/cool spring.

have canned 60 quarts of tomatoes and they are still coming on strong despite some issues with blight and flower end rot.

good year for rabbit food (lettuces, radishes, etc), beans, peas, cukes and taters, great year for sweet corn but a down year for peppers and squash.

mmmmmm ... honey crisps. apple season comin up soon down this way.

[Nainoa]

Let's not forget that there is also stuff you can plant right now for a fall crop... Spinach, radishes, snow peas... All of mine are in the ground and starting to sprout!

[IlliniWalli]

i want to get fall stuff in, but ground is hard as a rock. we havent had a good shower for a while.