What's Happening in the Garden Today?

[Earl]

It's nice to read what others are doing in their gardens, so if anyone wants to share what went on in the garden recently, please post it here.

Right now everything is taking place in my greenhouse. Today, I transplanted a couple dozen peppers, 3 Artichokes, and 15 salad greens into an HEB [homemade earth box]. Plus some other stuff as well. Starting to get a few small flower buds on some of my early tomato plants. No flowers as of yet.

I have Mano and Lime Green Salad tomatoes in an HEB in the greenhouse but they're slow to get started. My main season tomato seeds are planted and emerging.

Like everyone else, I'm wondering if this crazy warm weather will hold? But I'm sure Mother Nature has a few non-friendly weather extremes in store for us.

[johno]

My transplantables are hardened-off and awaiting the move on my back porch. That way, if there's a cold snap coming, I can move them indoors.

I am still preparing my tomato beds. I'm installing perforated pipe as an in-ground bottom-watering system. It gets mighty dry here from midsummer on. I have bone meal, greensand, and an organic 5-5-5 fertilizer that I will mix in the surface when the plumbing is finished.

[Miss_Mudcat]

My tomatoes are a bit behind this year. I potted up about 30 extra earlies 2 weeks ago (Kimberly, Taxi, Lime Green Salad). The market tomatoes get potted up this weekend.

I took advantage of the warm weather and the break in precipitation to plant the following in my raised beds: 1/2 # of sugan Ann sweet peas, 100 # of potatoes, carrots, beets, spinach and more radishes, plus onion sets.

Two weeks ago I transplanted a few trays of Broccoli rapini, onions from seeds, sowed radishes and cutting lettuces.

My indoor light stand and my garage light stand is full to the brim! I will spend today transplanting more rapini and onions, and hopefully sowing more lettuces and spinach... got to beat the rain!!

I am so tired and sore every night... waking up stiff! I'm actually glad there is rain in the forecast tomorrow so I can REST!

Hoping y'all are havin' as much fun as I am,
Lisa

[maryinoregon]

Hi Earl and everyone. I don't know if you remember this Earl, but on that site most of us don't visit anymore, you made me an honorary CHOPTAG member. Wish I could come to the tomato tasting, or at least the seed swap. Maybe some day.

I have probably finished planting all the tomatoes I can fit into my garden. The weather has been crummy, but that is the Pacific Northwest in June. Changeable. They say we're due for a week of nice sunshine. My big experiments this year are some Sun Gold F3s. I also have some seed received from a Tomatovillian that I've got growing. My biggest disappointment is that the CHOPTAG winner for taste, (last year I think it was), did not sprout at all. (Levino?) I replanted twice and nothing happened. So I will try again next year.

All the best.

maryinpnw

[mdvpc]

Earl-Nice thread. The wife and I had rucola from the garden, with sliced grushovka tomatoes. I picked some sicilian plum tomatoes (about 4oz each) and she chopped them with garlic, fresh basil (san valentino from my garden), oil, capers, dried cayenne (mine from last summer) and kalamata olives-put it over some pasta and poured a glass of good red wine. 8)

[Miss_Mudcat]

Michael, That sounds so yummy!

It is so hot and dry here, yet somehow the weeds manage to keep growing. When I till through the middle of the rows, it just kicks up a dust storm. I've been dragging hoses through the garden daily. I never thought I'd hear me say this, but I will be glad when it rains!

I've had only ripe Kimberlys so far, but surely the others can't be far behind. I ate my first mater sandwich of the season yesterday. Mmmmmmmmm......

[hunter]

I've got flowers on okra, melons, cukes, summer squash and beans. So far, only the Lime Green Salad I got from Earl has fruit near ripe. But I've got a lot of small fruit on the tomato plants. But I'm getting impatient!

Come on bonus check! Daddy needs a greenhouse!

[hunter]

Oh, and my attempt at straw bale lettuce gardening has been a bust so far. Every morning I'm greeted with a million mushrooms... and not the edible or magic kind either!

Not sure what to do with it other than wait for the mushrooms to stop and try again.

[JerryL]

My garden is coming along slow but sure. I have plenty of tomatoes with blossoms and a few with fruit set. I do have a couple of decent sized fruit on a Kimberly that I hope will be ripe soon but everything else is weeks away.

The peppers are a little farther along. Some Alma Paprika are starting to turn and the Feherozon are a nice pale yellow. I’m tempted to pick some of the Fat & Sassy and Big Early Hybrid while they’re still green but I know they will be so much better once they ripen.


The garlic is probably going to be a bit on the small side this year. I think they took a big hit when we had that really cold snap back in April. The onions are doing great however. This is the first year I have had any real success with onions. Maybe that’s because I gave them a better spot and better care.

The Zucchini should take over the yard any minute now. Several plants have set fruit so I expect to see pickable fruit in about an hour.

The cucumbers are climbing the trellis but haven’t started blossoming yet so it will be awhile before I get any fruit from them. I got these in the ground a little late this year but there is still plenty of summer left for production.

Deborah took over the garden inside our fenced in area for her flowers and some herbs. So far she has Cleome, Marigolds, Snapdragons, Zinnias, Basil and Rosemary planted. Should be very pretty once they all start blooming

[VGary]

Greetings All!
I have two Red Robin plants in containers loaded with fruit almost ready to begin turning. I have a little neighbor friend who loves plants; I passed along some Jolly Jester Mariegold plants(Old French 1790 variety grown by Thomas Jefferson); she was so excited. I left one of the Red Robin plants on her deck with "Shelby's Mater Patch" as a surprise.
Most of my plants have either blooms or fruit set on them. I am growing two each in 18 gallon containers this year. I filled them with humus and cow manure and topped them off with Lama Poo. I have a very good source for this and friend, Larry, and I hauled two truck loads home. Little or no smell and you can use it directly on the plants. Everything is so green and healthy looking! I have increased my Herb growing this season to include, Basil(five types), Chives, Garlic Chives, Rosemary,(five types), Greek Oregano, Thyme(six types), Stevia, Sage(two types), Parsley -- Italian and Curly, Tree/Walking Onions, and Catawissa Onions -- see description below. Perhaps I will cook up something good to bring to the Tomato Tasting in August!
Several times during the week I go to my friend, Bert's Garden. He died several weeks ago and we are trying to save the 155 varieties of Heirloom Tomatoes, many peppers, beans, squash, gourds for seed to establish an Heirloom Tomato/Vegetable Seed Collection at the Appalachian Heirloom Seed Conservancy in his name. Conservators will have access to these seed to grow and save seed and then return a portion to the collection.
Health wise we are doing better. Katharine has finally had a diagnosis on her Lung Problem. She is not contagious but is being treated with an antibiotic and Inhalation Treatment at Home. This has been a long and difficult process; we are hopeful that the treatments will begin to help her and improve her quality of life.
Happy gardening to each and everyone at CHOPTAG and Beyond!
Gary

Catawissa Strain (1885) This strain of onion is the tallest of the Egyptian onions, believed to have originated near Catawissa, PA and is only a slight modification of the Egyptian tree onion. The "Vegetable Garden" by Vilmorin-Andrieux first published in English in 1885 describes this American strain of onion. This variety can grow to over two and a half feet in height. Because of the large diameter of the hollow green portion of the plant, it is excellent for stuffing with cream cheese or other spreads. It's sets are reddish-brown and it has a unique habit of producing top-sets out of the top-sets that develop on the plant, which in part accounts for the plants unusual height. It is extremely winter hardy and has been grown as far north as Alaska. Egyptian Walking Onions, Top-set onions, tree onions, or walking onions are various names used to describe a family of very hardy perennial, multiplying, top setting onions. They produce table ready green onions (scallions) from top or bottom sets. They produce small bulblets on the end of the stalks in the second year of the plant's growth. Some varieties ( and Catawissas are definitely one of them) produce a second clump of top-sets out of the first cluster of sets. This type is often referred to as a tree onion because of these branching characteristics. These could possibly be used in flower arrangements. As the weight of the bulbs increases the plant stalks fall to the ground, which may be as much as two feet from the parent plant. The bulbs waste no time in putting down roots. This is why these varieties are sometimes referred to as a walking onion. If you do not want the plant to spread throughout your garden, the top-sets should be harvested. The flavor of these top-sets is somewhat spicy. They are delicious pickled. In addition to producing top-sets, the parent plant divides at the base producing an abundant supply of green scallions for salads, gazpacho and other soups or casseroles. When harvesting, always be sure to leave at least one onion in the ground so the plant will continue to multiply and keep you supplied with onions for a lifetime Gary L. Roberts

[mdvpc]

Miss Mudcat-It was great.

[bcday]

The tomato plants all have clusters of buds or open blossoms. All the white bags over the blossom clusters make the plants look like little decorated Christmas trees. Quite a few have fruit set, up to golf-ball size, but it doesn't look like I'll get ripe fruit by the 4th of July this year even from Kimberly.

The weather was very dry for about 6 weeks during May and early June and we are several inches below average rainfall so I had to water a few times. A couple of thunderstorms rolled through in the past week or so and that has helped with the watering but they also dropped hail and slightly damaged a few plants. The Day 4-8 Convective Outlook shows a 30% or higher probability for severe thunderstorms next week too. I hope they are wrong about the "severe" part. We need the rain but I could do without the hail.

[duajones]

My tomatoes are pretty much done with the exception of a cherokee purple that still has fruit and looks fairly healthy. I am currently harvesting okra (clemson spineless) and roma II green beans. My lone eggplant looks healthy but doesnt have anymore fruit on it. I have straight 8, poona kheera and county fair cukes in the ground as well. Sowed my fall tomato seeds a few days ago

[PaulF]

My twenty varieties of tomatoes are looking very good. All are in the 4-5 foot range and are either blossoming or have small tomatoes on them or both. The dang deer are raising havoc with beets, beans and unprotected peppers and cucumbers. I need a taller fence, an electric fence or a bigger gun.

Since we are in the early stages of our gardening year, I am cautiously optimistic. The only fruit eaten so far this year was the three inch long jalapeno pepper my two year old grandson picked and ate as soon as he saw it. He said, " that was good grandpa, are there any more?"

[piegirl]

just had a much needed rain, severe weather must have gone
just south of here. All toms are looking pretty good. My
seedlings are now presenting flower buds. My first two - hope
they are ready by the 4th - went down to BER. Zukes should
be blooming this weekend. Peppers are setting, egg plant flowers
are being plucked by the blue jays. Marigolds are just flowering
and the geraniums are in overdrive. Absolutely amazing - some
have 50 buds and blooms. Relocated two more squirrels. At 7:15 am
this morning it was 75 degrees, 75% humidity with 68% dew point! Happy
growing - Piegirl