PNW gardener progress?

tgplp · July 20, 2011

Calling all pacific northwest gardeners!!! How are your tomatoes? Have you got any ripe ones yet? I haven't yet, but my sungolds are ripening. Is that ok, or are my tomatoes late?

Taryn

hill60 · July 20, 2011

This is going to be a brutal year for tomatoes. Its cool cloudy and rainy not good tomato weather.

My tomatoes are still in my greenhouses. I hadn't planned on keeping all my tomatoes inside its very crowded and that cause a new set of problems.

My squashes and cucumbers aren't happy either.

gtnate · July 20, 2011

I'm growing green grape, sungold, stupice, and sophie's choice. Everything has fruit set at this point, but the little greenies just aren't growing in this cool, gray summer.

I'm hoping that I can salvage my tomato crop this year if there are a few weeks of sunny, warm weather in August and early September (at least consistently above 70).

The running joke in Seattle this year is that this is the 78 minute summer, in that, we have had a total of 78 minutes so far this year of 80 degree weather. I sure am glad I set out all early maturing varieties!

On the other hand, the silver lining is that my lettuce is having a bumper crop this year!

Jeannine Anne · July 20, 2011

Hi, I didn't get much veggies in as my ground was under water till into June apart from three very high beds and the greenhouse.

I planted many of my tomatoes late as I was waiting foir dwarfs to arrive, they are doing very well in the greenhouse, flowers and great plants but no fruit yet.

I have a few Sungolds and a few Juliet in there too and they are further on but will be later than usual.

Apart from those, I got potatoes in the high beds ..late..and some in pots, and a few general veggies but not much.

We have spent most of this season using the time to raise all our community garden plot to raised beds in the hope that in the Spring next year it will help..so 18 all finished as of yesterday but still to be filled and the paths done, so we have given up on planting for this year.

It has been a dismal year for sure.

We are all going to have a great year next year...right

XX Jeannine

JoeP · July 21, 2011

No ripe tomatoes yet. Even the earlies and cherries are late. I expect this year to be a bust for corn and winter squash. I even planted melons! (I win the Polyanna award) I won't waste my garden space with melons again.

Peas and lettuce are doing well. Potatoes too. I hope?

The rest of the contry has oppressive heat and we have spring through July. I hope those suffering with too much heat are enjoying success with Okra and melons that we can't grow well here in Pacific Northwest.

tgplp · July 21, 2011

Yikes. So depressing.

my peas are growing like crazy, though, and they're very delicious. And guess what? I harvested my first Sungold ever yesterday! It was delicious despite the weather.

the 78 minute summer, now that's hilarious! Sad, though. All of my beefsteak varieties are dropping there blossoms. The largest fruit set tomato I have is Green Zebra.

Slugs have officially taken over the hoophouse. Great. :/ lol well good luck everyone, we will all cross our fingers that there will be more than 78 minutes of summer here!

Happy gardening all,
Taryn

dice · July 21, 2011

Sluggo or Worry-Free will get the slugs with no risk to the soil, pets, etc
if you can keep the squirrels from eating all of them.

No ripe fruit yet. Looks like nice fruitset on Sasha's Altai and Early Rouge,
others have mostly green marbles at this point. I have 3 or more Kosovo
set, though (big surprise, on quite a spindly little plant; I hope it is not
a chance cross with something else).

jwr6404 · July 21, 2011

I'm having good fruitset on all but 1 of my 15 plants. My German Johnson is my largest plant but if I lived 40 miles north of my location I could say it was Fruitless in Seattle. Cosmonaut Volkov,Beefsteak and Rostova are my producer of Greenies to date,not including The Cherry types.

gardenhobbit · July 22, 2011

Over here on Vancouver Island it's not much different. My carrots, beets and chard fed slugs and rabbits.

My peppers in the ground were doing nothing so I put them into containers on the Patio under cover and in the greenhouse. They are much happier now and doing well.

The toms in the greenhouse are doing about the same as last year but the ones outside are only about 18 inches tall with very few tomatoes set.

In the last couple of weeks I've replanted beets, beans and carrots hoping for a fall crop.
My squash are doing moderately well and we've been eating sugar snap peas since fathers day.

These were planted in wooden containers hanging on my fence. I tried this as they were doing nothing in the main garden.

The first ones are about done now so it's time to pull them up and replant.

I'm working on the theory that we will have a long warm spell in the fall since annual average temperatures seem to be fairly consistant year over year and we have a lot of catching up to do!

Four years ago when we started our garden we planted radishes carrots, onions and beets in Febuary, with much derision from the landlord and my father who both told us we were too early and the seeds would rot in the ground.

Seeds are cheap so we planted anyway and everything grew. Now the landlord calls me and my spouse his garden hobbits hence my handle.

This year I couldn't work the ground untill late May it was so wet.

This weekend I am going to plant cabbage, brocolli and cauliflower in seed trays in the greenhouse for transplanting into the garden when big enough to withstand the slugs.

joni · July 23, 2011

My tomatoes have set fruit, and more each day, but it's almost August and not sure if I'll get any tomatoes. My corn is waist high and looks good, beans are growing and, and I have teeny tiny peppers. We need heat and sun through September!!!!! Please, please, please!

JoeP · August 1, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwr6404

I'm having good fruitset on all but 1 of my 15 plants. My German Johnson is my largest plant but if I lived 40 miles north of my location I could say it was Fruitless in Seattle. Cosmonaut Volkov,Beefsteak and Rostova are my producer of Greenies to date,not including The Cherry types.

JWR,

Is your German Johnson still fruitless? I finally noticed a few small greenies on my GJ this past week. The plant is huge, probably the largest I have (Camp Joy is pretty huge too).

How are the peppers doing for the Mrs.? Hope the late summer is just a delay and not a bust. Are your Winter Squash producing this summer? I think my Winter Squash of yours was planted so late and the summer heat was so late that I won't have any to ripen this year. It is growing but no fruit yet.

Wishing all PNW gardeners a better/later summer to make up for the nasty spring we had.

dice · August 1, 2011

No fruit set yet on Guido, Maiden's Gold, Cherokee Green,
or O'Sena Green.

Danko seems to have verticillium wilt. It is hanging on with
a few side shoots that are not afflicted, but I expect BER
(the set fruits are on afflicted stems). Those fruits could still be
useful for seed saving, though.

Jeannine Anne · August 1, 2011

Blight has been found on our community gardens now but my greenhouse is quite isolated from ther main part so I am ok at the moment, the Dwarf tomatoes are doing reakly well, I have one very large fruit on one of the ripe when green ones,it was tucked behind a leaf and didn;t see it at first. I have small fruit on all of the others and we have had a few Sungolds and Juliets.

My assortment of Aussie blue squashes are going like crazy but the other squash in a different area are further behind ??

Potatoes in an isolated raised bed are behind but look healthy as are the ones in pots.

Garlic is now lifted and the onions I replanted for seed have good seed heads on them

The potato onins and walking onions I put in my high raised beds that are away from my main plot are doing well, The skirret is slowly coming on too. These are the start of my perennial veggies bed. Daubenton Kale is going in there at the the end of this week so I am hoping it takes off as it is quitte rare as a perennial veggie. Delaway Cabbage is going in there too.

XX Jeannine

Tania · August 1, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeannine Anne

Blight has been found on our community gardens now but my greenhouse is quite isolated from ther main part so I am ok at the moment, the Dwarf tomatoes are doing reakly well, I have one very large fruit on one of the ripe when green ones,it was tucked behind a leaf and didn;t see it at first. I have small fruit on all of the others and we have had a few Sungolds and Juliets.

My assortment of Aussie blue squashes are going like crazy but the other squash in a different area are further behind ??

Potatoes in an isolated raised bed are behind but look healthy as are the ones in pots.

Garlic is now lifted and the onions I replanted for seed have good seed heads on them

The potato onins and walking onions I put in my high raised beds that are away from my main plot are doing well, The skirret is slowly coming on too. These are the start of my perennial veggies bed. Daubenton Kale is going in there at the the end of this week so I am hoping it takes off as it is quitte rare as a perennial veggie. Delaway Cabbage is going in there too.

XX Jeannine

Jeannine,

I am so sorry to hear that the blight got to your community garden now. It hit so early this year, it is unbelievable. The cold and rainy weather is to blame, and I am hoping this year will never repeat.

The only survivor of the late blight in my container garden was Legend. It was not even affected, after all the plants died, so it must be really resistant to our local strain of the LB. I am hopeful to get a few fruits from the two plants.

Here is a summary of my garden season so far:

My squashes are growing well, but no fruit set yet.

Corn is way behind.

Cabbages and peas are doing awesome - they love this weather.

I have quite a few cucumbers in my GH, but in much smaller quantities than usual.

Garlic is not ready for harvest yet - but we are in cooler area than Jeannine's garden.

Lettuces went to seed, as expected (except Dark Lolla Rossa - it appeared to be quite bolt-resistant!) - I am hoping to collect the seeds from the new lettuce varieties I am growing this year.

Peppers are also far behind, but I harvested a few green fruits already.

Melons and watermelons - ... well... I do not think they will have a chance this summer

Tania

Jeannine Anne · August 1, 2011

Tania, the news about Legend is good. I raised blight resistant plants of a few varieties for other folks on the gardens this year,about 7 varieties but then after they had all left me apart from mineI got ill and John didn't water well so they shrivelled LOL..I managed to salvage a few Sungold and Juliet that were in the same place so that is what I am growing. I still had my Dwarf project ones at home so they were fine.Now they are in the greenhouse in Global buckets , so far the foliage has never been wet and I have two windows and half the door open to avoid excess humidity so they seem to be OK, but am very nervous.

I am waiting to hear how the blight resistant varieties have done on the gardens.

Good luck woth the rest of the garden..

XX Jeannine

July 20, 2011	#1
tgplp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pacific North West, zone 8a Posts: 510	PNW gardener progress? Calling all pacific northwest gardeners!!! How are your tomatoes? Have you got any ripe ones yet? I haven't yet, but my sungolds are ripening. Is that ok, or are my tomatoes late? Taryn

July 21, 2011	#7
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Sluggo or Worry-Free will get the slugs with no risk to the soil, pets, etc if you can keep the squirrels from eating all of them. No ripe fruit yet. Looks like nice fruitset on Sasha's Altai and Early Rouge, others have mostly green marbles at this point. I have 3 or more Kosovo set, though (big surprise, on quite a spindly little plant; I hope it is not a chance cross with something else). __________________ -- alias

July 21, 2011	#8
jwr6404 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: University Place, WA Posts: 481	I'm having good fruitset on all but 1 of my 15 plants. My German Johnson is my largest plant but if I lived 40 miles north of my location I could say it was Fruitless in Seattle. Cosmonaut Volkov,Beefsteak and Rostova are my producer of Greenies to date,not including The Cherry types. __________________ Jim

August 1, 2011	#12
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	No fruit set yet on Guido, Maiden's Gold, Cherokee Green, or O'Sena Green. Danko seems to have verticillium wilt. It is hanging on with a few side shoots that are not afflicted, but I expect BER (the set fruits are on afflicted stems). Those fruits could still be useful for seed saving, though. __________________ -- alias Last edited by dice; August 2, 2011 at 02:21 AM. Reason: sp

July 20, 2011	#2
hill60 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Vancouver Island BC Posts: 122	This is going to be a brutal year for tomatoes. Its cool cloudy and rainy not good tomato weather. My tomatoes are still in my greenhouses. I hadn't planned on keeping all my tomatoes inside its very crowded and that cause a new set of problems. My squashes and cucumbers aren't happy either.

July 20, 2011	#3
gtnate Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 88	I'm growing green grape, sungold, stupice, and sophie's choice. Everything has fruit set at this point, but the little greenies just aren't growing in this cool, gray summer. I'm hoping that I can salvage my tomato crop this year if there are a few weeks of sunny, warm weather in August and early September (at least consistently above 70). The running joke in Seattle this year is that this is the 78 minute summer, in that, we have had a total of 78 minutes so far this year of 80 degree weather. I sure am glad I set out all early maturing varieties! On the other hand, the silver lining is that my lettuce is having a bumper crop this year!

July 20, 2011	#4
Jeannine Anne Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 1,557	Hi, I didn't get much veggies in as my ground was under water till into June apart from three very high beds and the greenhouse. I planted many of my tomatoes late as I was waiting foir dwarfs to arrive, they are doing very well in the greenhouse, flowers and great plants but no fruit yet. I have a few Sungolds and a few Juliet in there too and they are further on but will be later than usual. Apart from those, I got potatoes in the high beds ..late..and some in pots, and a few general veggies but not much. We have spent most of this season using the time to raise all our community garden plot to raised beds in the hope that in the Spring next year it will help..so 18 all finished as of yesterday but still to be filled and the paths done, so we have given up on planting for this year. It has been a dismal year for sure. We are all going to have a great year next year...right XX Jeannine

July 21, 2011	#5
JoeP Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Posts: 97	No ripe tomatoes yet. Even the earlies and cherries are late. I expect this year to be a bust for corn and winter squash. I even planted melons! (I win the Polyanna award) I won't waste my garden space with melons again. Peas and lettuce are doing well. Potatoes too. I hope? The rest of the contry has oppressive heat and we have spring through July. I hope those suffering with too much heat are enjoying success with Okra and melons that we can't grow well here in Pacific Northwest.

July 21, 2011	#6
tgplp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pacific North West, zone 8a Posts: 510	Yikes. So depressing. my peas are growing like crazy, though, and they're very delicious. And guess what? I harvested my first Sungold ever yesterday! It was delicious despite the weather. the 78 minute summer, now that's hilarious! Sad, though. All of my beefsteak varieties are dropping there blossoms. The largest fruit set tomato I have is Green Zebra. Slugs have officially taken over the hoophouse. Great. :/ lol well good luck everyone, we will all cross our fingers that there will be more than 78 minutes of summer here! Happy gardening all, Taryn

July 22, 2011	#9
gardenhobbit Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Zone 8A Saanichton, BC Posts: 11	Over here on Vancouver Island it's not much different. My carrots, beets and chard fed slugs and rabbits. My peppers in the ground were doing nothing so I put them into containers on the Patio under cover and in the greenhouse. They are much happier now and doing well. The toms in the greenhouse are doing about the same as last year but the ones outside are only about 18 inches tall with very few tomatoes set. In the last couple of weeks I've replanted beets, beans and carrots hoping for a fall crop. My squash are doing moderately well and we've been eating sugar snap peas since fathers day. These were planted in wooden containers hanging on my fence. I tried this as they were doing nothing in the main garden. The first ones are about done now so it's time to pull them up and replant. I'm working on the theory that we will have a long warm spell in the fall since annual average temperatures seem to be fairly consistant year over year and we have a lot of catching up to do! Four years ago when we started our garden we planted radishes carrots, onions and beets in Febuary, with much derision from the landlord and my father who both told us we were too early and the seeds would rot in the ground. Seeds are cheap so we planted anyway and everything grew. Now the landlord calls me and my spouse his garden hobbits hence my handle. This year I couldn't work the ground untill late May it was so wet. This weekend I am going to plant cabbage, brocolli and cauliflower in seed trays in the greenhouse for transplanting into the garden when big enough to withstand the slugs.

July 23, 2011	#10
joni Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Oregon Posts: 6	My tomatoes have set fruit, and more each day, but it's almost August and not sure if I'll get any tomatoes. My corn is waist high and looks good, beans are growing and, and I have teeny tiny peppers. We need heat and sun through September!!!!! Please, please, please!