Zach's 2016 Garden

[whistech]

Everything looks really good Zach.

[MissS]

Everything is looking good. Those onions did just great for you. How do they taste? Are they best in salads or for cooking?

I am looking at all of that long grass behind your property and am wondering if you could cut some of that and use it as a soil amendment. A cheap source for some great organic matter.

Thank goodness for the cool front while your air is out. It is also a great opportunity for your plants to set some more fruit for you.

[Kazedwards]

Originally Posted by MissS

Everything is looking good. Those onions did just great for you. How do they taste? Are they best in salads or for cooking?

I am looking at all of that long grass behind your property and am wondering if you could cut some of that and use it as a soil amendment. A cheap source for some great organic matter.

Thank goodness for the cool front while your air is out. It is also a great opportunity for your plants to set some more fruit for you.

We have not had a chance to use the onions yet so I'm not sure about taste. They make great green onions though. That's what we have always used them for.

I have thought about chopping the grass down using it as mulch or doing a big compost pile. It is mostly weeds though so I'm not sure if I would make a bigger problem out of it.


-Zach

[Kazedwards]

A strong storm came through last night. We had a few tomato stakes break but not to much damage to the plants. The real lost was our pear tree. It was an ornamental pear that was here when we bought the house. Around 25-30' tall. We loved that tree. It set our house apart from the others. We used it as a landmark for others to find our home. Everyday when I get home it made me smile.

It had three main leaders, not sure if that's the right term. It was one of those that broke. One of our neighbors that does trees stopped by and told us it was just a matter of time before one of the other two comes down. He said the whole tree needs to be removed. We think that is best but it gives us grief to do it. Our house already looks naked with part of it down and it will look like the rest after the tree is down. A friend is coming over to help me take it down on Saturday. I plan on taking cuttings before then. I will take as many as I can. I will put some in water and others straight into pots. We are hoping to start building a house in the spring and will plant them there, if we find a place we like. The tree will be missed.






Here's a pic from a few years ago.



-Zach

[Kazedwards]

First two tomatoes from the garden. Siletz and Betimes Macbeth. Betimes is a bit bigger than I thought it would be at 1" and 3/8 oz.

Selitz is a lot smaller at 1 1/4" and 1/2oz. It is a fruit from the flowers that were on the plant when planted out so that might have played a factor. The width is the same as my smallest fruit from it last year but the weight is less. Might be from all of the rain too. I'm a little worried it might be a cross but time will tell.


-Zach

[Kazedwards]

I forgot to put the picture up. Selitz is on the left Betimes Macbeth on the right.



-Zach

[MissS]

I'm so sorry about your tree. From the shape it looks like a Bradford Pear which do have trouble with strong winds. They do not live that long unless they have some shelter from the wind and in your situation it was just about the only tree around. I hope that your cuttings work out well.

[Kazedwards]

Originally Posted by MissS

I'm so sorry about your tree. From the shape it looks like a Bradford Pear which do have trouble with strong winds. They do not live that long unless they have some shelter from the wind and in your situation it was just about the only tree around. I hope that your cuttings work out well.

Thank it is missed. I hope the cutting work too. When we move I plan of planting then there.


-Zach

[Kazedwards]

I weeded and mowed today. There's a little left that need to be weed more but for the most part it is back up to par. The tomatoes are starting to really set.
This is Mamie Brown's Pink.

Here is what should be Selitz but I think it might be crossed. I'm thinking of starting another plant to compare. The fruit shape isn't right. Too small and should be more of a beefsteak shape.

Reisetomate

Cowlick's Brandywine


The peppers are coming along too.
Beaver Dam

King of the North

This should be King of the North but it doesn't seem so.

Ground Cherries

Cucumbers

Corn

The garlic is doing well too. I will start removing the bulbils ants at now to get true garlic seed.


Today I also pulled a garlic bulb that was started last spring from true garlic spring. This is my first plant from seed. Very excited to have a new variety!



And here is the garden today.





-Zach

[Kazedwards]

In the last few days I heavily pounded all the tomatoes. With storms and high winds we have had they are starting to break the stakes.

I have a ton of fruit set.
Mark Twain

Mamie Brown's Pink

Sunset's Red Horizon

Betimes Macbeth

Goose Creek

Sissy F2



-Zach

[Kazedwards]

Heres more.
Brandywine Cowlick's

What should be Siletz

Reisetomate

Speckled Roman

Homestead

Abe Lincoln

Tom's Paste Landrace




Bloody Butcher


The peppers are also doing well. Beaver Dam is about to ripen.

Also have a few jalapeños ready but no pic of it.
The pepper bed





-Zach

[bower]

Zach, very excited to see your garlic from true seed. It's beautiful. What variety were the parents?
Everything in your garden is looking fine - and I sympathize about the wind and the tomatoes. Wind is a big challenge.
I grew Siletz a couple of years ago, and as you said, it was more of a beef shape, mine were around 4-6 oz.

[Kazedwards]

Originally Posted by bower

Zach, very excited to see your garlic from true seed. It's beautiful. What variety were the parents?
Everything in your garden is looking fine - and I sympathize about the wind and the tomatoes. Wind is a big challenge.
I grew Siletz a couple of years ago, and as you said, it was more of a beef shape, mine were around 4-6 oz.

Thank you Bower. The parent variety of the garlic is Chesnok Red. I have more plants of it out now that I'm slowly removing bulbils from. I hopeful about getting more true seed this year again.

The wind is a pain. I even pruned some of the Det. plants to lighten them up some.

We grew Siletz last year too. It produced early and all season. We enjoyed the flavor more as the season progressed. I think the seed was crossed but I'm not sure if I used the older seed or saved seed from last year. I can't find the older seed so I think it was that. I might start another plant to see.


-Zach

[bower]

We get it very windy here also. I have around 20 plants out of the greenhouse and they really took a beating. The wind is deciding what to prune so far. We usually get pretty steady windy conditions but this year it's been strangely still and then suddenly extremely hard blow, they haven't had a chance to get used to normal windiness.

I tried for true garlic seed a couple of years ago with Chesnok Red, Persian Star, and a few Spanish Roja scapes. Didn't succeed but it was a long and interesting process. For now I'm committed to growing out bulbils to increase the stock and hopefully allow some varieties to adapt better to my conditions. When I have a better idea of which purple-anthered varieties can thrive in my area I'd be tempted to try true seed again.

Chesnok Red I'm now down to three plants - they are from rounds, so year two. The bulbils and rounds looked great but there were many misses in that bed from all varieties. I had one bulb of seed garlic to start with, got 9 plants that did pretty well the first year, then last year was a bit of a disaster weather wise and my choice of bed was not sunny enough either. The Chesnoks were really small in the bad year and not worth replanting, so I hope the rounds that survived are really adapting better than the rest, or I will have to count Chesnok out.

[Kazedwards]

I have plenty of bulbils of Chesnok Red from this year. I can send you some if you would like Bower.


-Zach