2012 - What's Going On In Your Garden Today?

[texasrockgarden]

This year has been a little strange in that I have a lot of double and triple fused blossoms that set fruit. While they are somewhat interesting they are really are not that great when you slice into one, IMHO.

Photo one is a JD's Special C-Tex, a triple, that was set out January 17th in a Kozy Coat. Most of the double and triples are on the plants that were set out Jan 17 and Jan 23. Must be a weather thing.

Photo 2 and 3 - The 1st ripening tomato for this season in my Secret Garden is what I am calling a miniature or dwarf Rambling Red Stripe F1 in a hanging basket. The seed came from a pack of Rambling Red Strip F1 and when it germinated the seedling was extremely healthy in every way except it stayed small and tightly compact all its life. It is why I decided to grow it in an overpriced hanging basket.

Photo 4 - Tomato Muriel that last year had tomatoes till frost so I did her again this year.

Photo 5 an 6 - Tomato Indian Stripe

Photo 7 - A six-pack, 4 Tasti-Lee F1 and 2 Principle Borgese

Photo 8 - Tomatillo, I bought 3 yesterday at HEB for $1 each. I read on here that you need two plants for them to set fruit. Got these for some Tomatillo Salsa Verde.

Photo 9 and 10 - 1st cucumbers this season that will be ready to pick in a day or so.

Photo 10 - One of my cucumber patches that was planted in three staggered stages.

Photo 11 - Corn sown March 1 is starting to tassel.

Photo 12 - 1st jalapeno pepper of the season.

Photo 13 - Lots and Lots of dill for pickling cucumbers, okra and jalapenos.

Photo 14 - Texas Early White onions.

Photo 15 - Potato plant with new potatoes breaking the soil beneath.

Photo 16 and 17 - Every garden needs a little color, right? This 16 year old pot of cacti has bloomed every year at about this same time of April. Notice how all the little yard critters gang around to observe and celebrate this special occasion knowing it will only be in bloom a day or two at most.

[PA_Julia]

Very nice!!

After it stops raining I'm tilling in manure and some other amendments then I'll wait just a few days after that to plant everything early next month.

I'm planting 16 tomato plants. peppers, bush beans and a giant pumpkin.
I belong to Big Pumpkins.com and obtain a large amount of advice and knowledge from that site.

[Crandrew]

Looks amazing!!!!

[coastal bend]

That's a good looking garden. Keep us informed on the Indian strip. Couldn't find any down here(close to Corpus) to plant. I have Cherokee Purple, there looking good , loaded with fruit.

[roper2008]

Looking very good. I love dill in cucumber salad. Trying to germinate
some seed now. I will be planting everything out the first week of May.
Even taking a week off of work to do it. I did plant 6 tomato plants
3 weeks ago and they are doing very well.

[texasrockgarden]

Roper, Once you get dill going it reseeds like crazy. I sowed lots of seed last year that produced a good stand of dill. This year I have more dill plants spread out all over the garden than what I had last year and it's all volunteer.

[texasrockgarden]

Today the tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplants and peppers got watered. The corn silk got a dose of Dipel.

And, the cucumbers are starting to come in. My neighbor who is in their mid 70's gave me a sour brine counter-top pickle recipe a couple years ago. It's one I use every year and it's quick and easy. All you need is salt, vinegar, water, dill blooms and a glass container. I use a large Pyrex bowl or a used 5 quart pickle jar.

Here is todays haul.

[BruceinGa]

Planted two trailing red raspberries, three hills of charentias melons, watered my 100 tomatoes, about 150 Virginia Pine seedlings and labeled some plants. I also ran my first level of Florida Weave on my Rutgers and installed 6 concrete reinforce wire cages on 6 other Rutgers planted in another row. I then removed the suckers on all tomato plants.
We could do with a little rain!

[texasrockgarden]

Originally Posted by BruceinGa

Planted two trailing red raspberries, three hills of charentias melons, watered my 100 tomatoes, about 150 Virginia Pine seedlings and labeled some plants. I also ran my first level of Florida Weave on my Rutgers and installed 6 concrete reinforce wire cages on 6 other Rutgers planted in another row. I then removed the suckers on all tomato plants.
We could do with a little rain!

You had a good workout. And yes, a little rain would be good.

How does Rutgers do for you? Is it a regular for you?

I know it's been around for a time but have just never tried it.

[BruceinGa]

Originally Posted by texasrockgarden

How does Rutgers do for you? Is it a regular for you?

I know it's been around for a time but have just never tried it.

I've grown Rutgers, along with Big Boy, Better Boy, Early Girl, and Celebrity, for the past 20 years. I can remember visiting my grandmother in Illinois back in the 1960's and her fantastic tomatoes. Before she passed away I asked what kind they were and she said Rutgers.
For the past seven years I haven't had the best location for a garden, only about 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. This past July I purchased a home that I rent to my daughter and her family. It has the perfect spot for a large garden and I hope to harvest great tomatoes that I remember.

[sprtsguy76]

Oh you southerners are so lucky! Really enjoyed your pictures eveything looks great!
Good luck the rest of the way.

Damon

[feldon30]

texasrockgarden,

Thanks for the great pictures. Everything is looking fantastic.

I'm to the point where I generally pick off overly large fused blossoms. Sure it's nice to have massive tomatoes, but as you say they don't slice all that well. And I wonder if the plant spends a lot of extra energy growing that one misshapen tomato.

[ginger2778]

Texasrockgarden,
Thanks for the pictures of your plants and your beautiful property.
I am jealous because my growing season here in zone 10b is almost over, and I have to wait until Sept to start seeds again.
Thanks for letting me live vicariously.....

[roper2008]

Originally Posted by texasrockgarden

Roper, Once you get dill going it reseeds like crazy. I sowed lots of seed last year that produced a good stand of dill. This year I have more dill plants spread out all over the garden than what I had last year and it's all volunteer.

Maybe they would if I didn't pick the flowers to eat with the cucumbers.

[peppero]

Originally Posted by texasrockgarden

Today the tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplants and peppers got watered. The corn silk got a dose of Dipel.

And, the cucumbers are starting to come in. My neighbor who is in their mid 70's gave me a sour brine counter-top pickle recipe a couple years ago. It's one I use every year and it's quick and easy. All you need is salt, vinegar, water, dill blooms and a glass container. I use a large Pyrex bowl or a used 5 quart pickle jar.

Here is todays haul.

would you mind sharing the recipe with us? my mother used to live in alice and it sounds similar to one she used. jon