Gardeners

[harley]

Travel is a big problem for gardening.

I've mostly given up on gardening, mostly due to our constant travel between homes. But I also have a lot of problem starting plants in planters, due to the tremendous winds we have here at the shore in the spring. This year I've just got a couple cherry tomato plants, and a couple jalapeno and poblano peppers. And my herbs. The cilantro has bolted and I just cut it down, but if anyone needs any basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary, let me know. They're all growing out of control.

 

[Taco]

Our garden is behind this year. A late start with planting due to travel is partly to blame, and a somewhat cool spring probably is also. The tomatoes, peppers, cukes, okra, are all still getting going. I'm waiting impatiently.

The wall of green beans is the one thing that is producing heavily.

 

[Gumby]

...The cilantro has bolted and I just cut it down...

We gave up on cilantro because it bolts so fast. I guess we could have more than one serving if we just successively planted one after another about a week apart, but that's a lot of work.

 

[simple girl]

We gave up on cilantro because it bolts so fast. I guess we could have more than one serving if we just successively planted one after another about a week apart, but that's a lot of work.

That's typically what happens to us, too. However, this past year (or maybe it was the year before?), it sprouted up nice and early and just kept producing new shoots over and over again for about 3 or 4 months in the winter. I harvested only the biggest shoots down low, and new ones came out after I did that. So it kept producing, much like lettuce or parsley. I've never had success like this before - hoping it was my harvesting method, but it may have just been dumb luck on the timing. I threw old seeds in the ground and forgot about them, lol.

 

[TrvlBug]

I just ripped out my 6' tall Sun Gold cherry tomato plant (the only food item I grow, this year being my second year) due to serious psyllid infestation. I kept blaming it on the weird weather we've been having but after the second time seeing what looked like granulated sugar on the leaves, I googled it.

Got another cherry tomato plant (really small one was all they had) at HD and will plant it as well as dousing it with 'Take Down Garden Spray'. No infestation of any kind last year, so I was not expecting trouble this year.

The plant guru at the local nursery also gave me some pointers on watering as some of the other symptoms pointed to overwatering rather than the psyllid. I blinked and missed our 3 days of summer this year (weather feels more like late October), however, kept watering as if it were summer .

 

[street]

First two tomatoes yesterday. They tasted so good and will be more ripening everyday day now.

Temps will be in the low forties again for this week. it really slows up the process.

 

[Gumby]

I spent 6 hours in my garden today (beginning at 6:30 am), removing almost the last of the weeds that had grown up over the 2 weeks we were away in Maine. It looks like a garden again. I also harvested all of our garlic - 140 heads of it. We'll save 35 heads to plant in November (they usually have 4 cloves each) and the other 105 heads need to last us until next year. This year is the first we didn't run out, so I think I've got the amount down.

Also picked the first of the bush beans, our first beets and our first bell peppers. The seed package for the last of these said they were poblanos, but they aren't. It's the second year in a row I've order some seeds marked as poblanos that were not. They were from two different seed companies, so I don't know what the problem is.

 

[EastWest Gal]

We gave up on cilantro because it bolts so fast. I guess we could have more than one serving if we just successively planted one after another about a week apart, but that's a lot of work.

I had cilantro that went to seed. I had so much seed it supplied all the coriander seed I needed for months. I also decided to plant some of the seed in the fall. It wasn’t a cold winter and the cilantro grew nicely and didn’t bolt. I was able harvest it well into winter. I think the cooler temperatures prevented bolting.

 

[CincyDave]

I had cilantro that went to seed. I had so much seed it supplied all the coriander seed I needed for months. I also decided to plant some of the seed in the fall. It wasn’t a cold winter and the cilantro grew nicely and didn’t bolt. I was able harvest it well into winter. I think the cooler temperatures prevented bolting.

I have the same issue with cilantro bolting. I'll have to try a fall planting. Great idea.

 

[JoeWras]

Got permission from my neighbor to clean up the area that straddles our property line. I haven't messed with it for 5 years or so. My neighbor said he lost control on his side and doesn't have time (young father). I agreed to nuke the thorns.

This turned into a huge project! I thought there were just a few blackberry plants. Nope, these buggers were everywhere. Mostly single canes that grew among the azaleas, some up to 8 ft. tall.

I really don't mind doing this, but while I was, I wondered if I had lost my mind to agree to this.

My arms were a bloody mess when done. I had many thorn hits through my gloves. Tough work.

 

[Pellice]

Came back this week from a family vacation and discovered that a deer had gotten into my garden! The mesh fencing is jumpable, but the small 10' square space inside, backing up to the house, usually discourages them - too little space. I think what happened is that I had it really cleaned up and neat inside, which gave a deer more confidence.

Devastation, of course, particularly the pole beans. Every leaf eaten. Chard mostly eaten. Cherry tomatoes less popular, but all the little ripe ones eaten. Bolted lettuce eaten. Leeks and cabbage ignored.

However, these summer plants are resiliant. Beans putting out new leaves, more cherry tomatoes ripening. Many spring veggies had reached their end anyway. Harvested the BEST cucumber I've ever tasted.

I am due to leave again at the beginning of August, and I think I'll leave some containers scattered about to discourage the deer.

 

[JoeWras]

Sorry to hear that. Deer are crazy this year.

 

[Winemaker]

Today is early transparent apple harvest day. I will start picking shortly, and DW, DD, and DGD will be processing the harvest. Bumper crop this year, no late frosts, dry weather,(hence no black mold, rot). Apples for pie, applesauce, apple butter, jelly, and juice for wine and apple cider vinegar. There will be one "mell of a hess" to cleanup this evening!

 

[Pellice]

Today is early transparent apple harvest day. I will start picking shortly, and DW, DD, and DGD will be processing the harvest. Bumper crop this year, no late frosts, dry weather,(hence no black mold, rot). Apples for pie, applesauce, apple butter, jelly, and juice for wine and apple cider vinegar. There will be one "mell of a hess" to cleanup this evening!

Cider was THE colonial drink. I'll bet you have some good recipes.

 

[Taco]

... deer had gotten into my garden ... I think what happened is that I had it really cleaned up and neat inside, which gave a deer more confidence.

I am due to leave again at the beginning of August, and I think I'll leave some containers scattered about to discourage the deer.

Ugh - sorry to hear about the deer.


Did you see the post earlier in the thread about a psychological deer fence?
https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/gardeners-117517-7.html#post2948632

It has a link to a site with a video showing how a small rope, around the inside of the garden, keeps the deer out.
https://growfoodwell.com/build-a-deer-fence/

Very interesting!
Based on that video, I think you are right to think that by cleaning things up, you gave them a landing zone and confidence to jump on in.

In addition to scattering containers around, you could might tie a small rope back and forth across your garden before you leave. Create a visible net that the deer won't want to jump into.

 

[JoeWras]

Nice pointers, Taco! I'm not a fan of the fishing line for my neighborhood fence, however, I might give the interior clothes line a try. I think they would find this very irritating and might move elsewhere.

BTW, have you ever heard of or seen streets named "Deer Path"? Between our various yards and fences, the deer are actually creating paths. It is obvious where they walk.

 

[DayDreaming]

Came back this week from a family vacation and discovered that a deer had gotten into my garden! The mesh fencing is jumpable, but the small 10' square space inside, backing up to the house, usually discourages them - too little space. I think what happened is that I had it really cleaned up and neat inside, which gave a deer more confidence.

Devastation, of course...

How tall is your deer fence/mesh?

 

[street]

Haven't seen the sun in 5 days now. The smoke has been dense and I'm sure not having the sun shining will affect garden produce ripening and maturing.

 

[Pellice]

How tall is your deer fence/mesh?

It's only 4 1/2', way too jumpable for deer - but it's a small enough plot, backing up to the house, that they've never jumped it before, probably because it was fairly full of containers and plants and made them nervous about landing. I'm going to scatter more containers around. Haven't had any incursions since my return.

 

[Gumby]

I harvested most of my onions late yesterday after 2-1/2 dry days in a row. I'm happy with the Spanish yellow onions, but the Red Zeppelins are quite small. I think the Walla Walla's have another 4 or 5 days to go. I'm hoping the thunderstorms we're having today will pass and leave me a couple dry days this coming week to do that.

The first tranche of my Silver Queen corn is starting to tassel out, so I'm happy about that.

 

[street]

I harvested most of my onions late yesterday after 2-1/2 dry days in a row. I'm happy with the Spanish yellow onions, but the Red Zeppelins are quite small. I think the Walla Walla's have another 4 or 5 days to go. I'm hoping the thunderstorms we're having today will pass and leave me a couple dry days this coming week to do that.

The first tranche of my Silver Queen corn is starting to tassel out, so I'm happy about that.

Your garden is coming along nicely!!

Sweet corn will start to be ready here in about 2 weeks. We been eating a lot of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers..

A few pictures from this last week. The MN Midget cantaloupe are doing great. Still pretty smokey and the buttercup and pumpkin patch at ranch are out of control. There is a lot of squash and pumpkins produce on.

 

[CincyDave]

Lots of zucchini and cukes this year. Something ate most of the green beans and collards. Had to replant corn as something ate first seedlings when they came up. Tomatos are finally ripening. Made 4 loaves of chocolate zucchini bread and 6 quarts of refrigerator pickles, with lots more pickles to make.

 

[JoeWras]

After 3 great years, the deer and my being away for 12 days have contributed to total crop failure.

I've harvested 10% of what I have had at this time in previous years.

 

[Gumby]

Your garden is coming along nicely!!

.....

Thanks, so is yours.

You were sure right about those Minnesota midget cantaloupes. The are running riot in my garden. The largest fruit is about baseball sized right now (still green) and there are many smaller ones following. I'm really looking forward to eating one.

The strong thunderstorms that came through on Friday night blew some of my corn over. I always tie a rope around the bed where I grow it, so it's not all the way flat, just leaning on the downwind rope. Not sure what or if I should do anything about it. I guess it will either make ears leaned over or not. Maybe it will straighten back up on its own.

I harvested my first slicing tomato yesterday (an "Early Pick"), which we will have in a BLT for dinner tonight. There are several others close behind. I can see the tomato avalanche coming in the next two weeks, so I have to get the canner and the mason jars out from the garage.

 

[simple girl]

After 3 great years, the deer and my being away for 12 days have contributed to total crop failure.

I've harvested 10% of what I have had at this time in previous years.

I'm so sorry to hear this! It's so disappointing!