Garden 2012

[KEN W]

Well,how is everyone's garden doing this year?

Mine is doing well considering we have had little rain this year.I am watering it at least once a week.Especially the past couple with all the 90+ temps.The vine crops love the heat.I have melons set from golfball to softball size.

My early corn should be ready to eat the last week of July.We had a very early spring.My fall raspberries are in full bloom.This is really early for that.

I picked the first tomatoes 2 days ago.Great taste after living off of supermarket tomatoes.

Fertilized my onions last week.They are bulbing now.....Some are baseball size already.

My strawberries were a bust this year.The night in late April when it got down to 15 degrees killed the fruit buds.Luckely I have some day neutral berries and they are starting to ripen now.

From now till Sept is the best time of the year for gardening.Lots of fresh fruit and veggies to eat.

[Dotch]

This has been a Jekyll & Hyde gardening year so far. The March 18th radishes were awesome and I just pulled up the last of the snow peas planted the same day that the bunnies didn't get. Cool season veggies planted in mid-April were a disaster. Poor emergence, cold temperatures, frost, wet feet, bunnies. Well drained small garden Pontiac & Norkotah spuds are awesome, wetter main garden Norlands & Yukon Golds are also rans. Potato leafhopper dealt them a blow early on and it's been an uphill struggle ever since. Vine crops look great aside from the constant barrage of striped cucumber beetle pressure they're under. On about a once a week spray schedule which I don't like but there are few alternatives. The positive in that is the squash vine borer has been kept in check better although there are some in the buttercup and Moregold. Onions are starting to mature. They are a nice size for cooking, a lot of 3" - 4" diameter bulbs. Have had some yellow pear tomatoes and there are a few Sweet 100 cherries ripe too. Looks like we may see a repeat of last years late tomato crop although the vines are more modest in size so far. Sweet corn is starting to move after an application of N being watered in. Is 18" and grew 6" in the last 4 days. Variety is Cameo this time around, a synergistic version of Delectable. 84 day planted early June so it should be ready late August-early September. Indian corn is just about ready to tassel so it shouldn't cross up the sweet corn this year. String beans are flowering like mad and the carrots look about like last year-great. Tilled under the ugly bolted lettuce & bunny chewed snap peas s couple days ago. There will be plenty of space for winter radishes and a late pea planting there in late-July. I kinda like this double crop thing where it fits. We were lucky to get 12" of rain between May & June but July has been very stingy. Only .14" in 3 rainfall events and there have been several 100 degree days unofficially here the past 2 weeks. We have 11" - 12" of water holding capacity in the top 5' but it's getting tapped out in the top 2'. Watering has become necessary if we plan on getting anything substantial.

[harvey lee]

Radishes were wonderful.

Bell peppers and Jalepenos also coming along very nicely.

All 14 of my tomato plants including the cherry and grape are almost a total loss.

Next to no fruit. Had ton's of blossoms but they almost all died. never nefore has this happened. Sad day for the tomato's and there will be no canning of tomatoes for the first time for us in 35 years.

The other day I started to heavily fertilize the tomato's with Tomato food high with pottasium and also gave them some gerden lime and sulfer.

next spring I will be testing the soil to see what I am lacking.

[KEN W]

Wow.....no tomatoes.That would be tough.I planted 30 plants this year.7 new for me heirlooms.They all have tomatoes on them.My first ripe Cherokee Purple will be ready in a day or two.

Supposed to be hot all week and maybe even triple didgets next weekend.I have a pretty high waterbill.But I'm not going to let it all go at this point.

This year I planted an augmented yellow supersweet corn called Vision.Can't wait for fresh corn.....the supermarket stuff just doesn't cut it no matter how I make it.

[harvey lee]

Never happened to me before Ken. I do not know what I did or did not do but as I stated above, it has to be a soil issue.

I know it never got dry in the garden and everything is doing fine.

Looks like we will be looking for tomatoes from friends as we typically can at least 30-50 quarts plus salsa. I have enough for maybe 5 quarts.

[Dotch]

Harvey, I don't know how far you are from me, not that far I don't think. If you can't find some closer and the 22 or 23 plants here produce anything like they're capable of you're certainly welcome to some of them barring a catastrophe of course. It may be later though, Sept. - Oct. if this weather doesn't change its tune. There are typically several 5 gallon buckets full looking for a home. We don't can or freeze, just supply relatives and friends with fresh.

[eurolarva]

Saw the first Squash Borer today. Not happy but I am starting to get sick of zucchini. I will probably replant new ones soon. Onions are mostly done. Awesome basil crop for me. I am getting close to 6 cups a week and making pesto and freezing a lot as well. Tomatoes are starting to ripen but they are getting brown and yellow leaves from the bottom going up. This normally happens but not this early in the year. Wish I had a bigger garden so I can rotate better. Japalernos are doing great. First batch of salsa should hit the table in about a week. Fishing is terrible this time of year here in the metro. Thank god for the garden.

[harvey lee]

If you have any extra and are not to far from Arlington, 20 minutes west of Waconia, please keep me in mind.

Thanks.

[KEN W]

eurolarva.....sounds like you have blight.Get after it with daconil.I have it this year on my potatoes.

[eurolarva]

eurolarva.....sounds like you have blight.Get after it with daconil.I have it this year on my potatoes.

Can daconil be used to treat the soil before and after growing season? I hate using any kind of fungicide, insectiside or chemicals other then miracle grow.

[flipper]

I have never heard of using daconil any other way then applying it to the foliage. It is the one chemical I use on my tomatoes because they would all succumb to the blight if I didn't. I am not nuts about using chemicals in the garden but this one I feel safe about using.

Other ways of preventing or at least slowing down blight would be not

to plant the tomatoes in the same place (I am on a three year rotation), Plow the ground deep, (I don't do this), use a mulch to prevent dirt from splashing up on the tomato leaves (I use straw and newspaper), use cages to keep the plants off the ground, and space the plants far enough apart so the air can circulate through them.

I am convinced that some of the spores that cause the blight are airborne. I had problems with the blight the first year I planted tomatoes in a spot that had not been gardened for 100 years. (I can't remember back any further).

I would not have much luck growing tomatoes without using a fungicide.

Just my experience.

[KEN W]

Daconil is a leaf spray.There aren't many alternatives.I am spraying mine after every rain or watering.I've managed to slow it down enough to keep the plants alive.

[Dotch]

Someone said to ask Dotch about treatment options. I'll be the first to admit I'm a poor one to ask when it comes to controlling fungi on solanaceous crops such as tomatoes and such with fungicides. I rely on rotation whenever possible in addition to some of the cultural methods of control/prevention others have mentioned. They are very effective. No yellow leaves on my 'maters! I did run across this little ditty though so thought I'd share it.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo/diagnostics/vegetable/tomato/index.html

Fun to play around with and learn about various insects and diseases in different fruits and vegetables. For those wondering, Daconil is a brand name of chlorothalonil.

BTW, got my winter radishes planted on July 31st. Only managed to get about .18" of rain last night so I'll be out there watering them in tonight. That oughta make it rain!

[pushbutton]

As mentioned in another thread this is my first year gardening since my son was born. In the past I waged a war of attrition with the critters and over planted a large area "sharing" the bounty with them. This time around, starting Memorial Day, I started fencing and making beds in small part of the yard by the house. Was pretty brutal at first with the heat and being in rather terrible middle aged shape, ......pounded in dozens and dozens of fence posts, and hundreds of wheel barrow loads of top soil and compost.....but he garden is finally taking some form, and I as well and most importantly am not having to share my bounty

These were the first few beds. Loaded with maters and hot peppers. Was given these so really do not know what most of them are, but definitely heirlooms for the tomatoes and a nice mix of hots including jalapeños, bananas, poblanos, habanero, some sort of small asian, cayenne, and I think pimento. All are doing well except the pimento are having leaf curl and some of the maters blossom rot......thinking the soil is a little calcium deficient, and will have to add some lime next spring. Also, climbed some cukes and pole beans along the fence in the background and have some more room to get some more beds in this area next year.

A few weeks later tore up most of the landscaping around two sides of the house and incorporated that into the garden as well. Basically have small trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, herbs, and veggies all incorporated. You can't see it real well with the pics, but it is pretty sweet! The biggest problem with this area was changing the path the dogs were used to traveling and some of the herbs on the fringes took a beating.

A few weeks after that, put in some more beds, and planted some root vegetables and greens along the fence. On the outside of the fence ended up removing a small mountain of brush, vines, and small trees and transplanted about a 100 raspberry plants. Will have to go in later this fall and next spring and painstakingly hand weed it, but after that the thicket should take over. While semi wild, these berries are large and plump and really looking forward to them in the future. While a lot of work, really am liking the raised beds because a majority of the weeding has been mowing....even more fun watching the kid mow

Certainly a great time of the year for the garden crowd....walking out each day for a good portion of your meals is just a great feeling.....and quite tasty!!!

Forgot about the canning though....seems like a good idea before doing it, but not so much of a good idea while doing it....but then again a good idea late winter. You know your getting old when the boss and kid is out of town and you take advantage of it, not by going out.....nope, stayed home and canned instead

[KEN W]

Wow.....for a first year,you really got into it.100 raspberry plants is a lot.My everbearers are in full fall production now.

[B17]

Here are some of the carrots I pulled a couple weeks ago

[Rip_Some_Lip]

Dug up the last of the potatoes last week. Some were over a pound each.

[pushbutton]

Nice pics guys!!! Was working on cleaning up today and made a great "garden reject stew" with all of the things that were planted late, did not freeze, and not quite reach full maturity........ you know it's a good gig when you actually can find something to make turnips desirable

[KEN W]

Dug the potatoes last night.Tilled in 4 inches or so of leaves before the rain came.....ready for the winter.Have to wait until the ground freezes and then cover the strawberries.

[Rip_Some_Lip]

I have a new strawberry patch and was wondering if I should cover them or not. What do you do with yours Ken? I did take down electric fence and put up snow fence to keep deer out.

[KEN W]

I cover mine with straw.Then put this years corn stalks over them.With no snow last winter,I lost some of my plants even though they were covered.In the spring I remove the corn stalks and leave the straw.I'll help the plants come through.Keeps the berries clean next year.

Make sure you don't use hay.....full of weed seeds.