How's you garden doing midsummer?

PanchoHambre

New member
Earlier I posted on my spring massacre where I fried the majority of my starts so this is an update on the survivors/additions

Here on the East Coast we have had a brutally hot summer. Dry in the start but we have been getting periodic heavy rains which has helped.

I have limited space being in a small rowhouse with some gradual occupation of the vacant lot next door which I am trying to gain title to but this spring was totally crapped up by the builders of the fugly new "green" houses on what was a defacto park next door (IMO they are more green in $$ than anything else)

the rundown for me...

The grape vine planted last year has grown wonderfully and is producing nicely and covering my back fence.

The hardy Kiwi flowered but no fruit.. maybe next year.

Tomato plants have great growth but not so much fruit. They are too dense as I got a bunch of near dead plants sort of late for free and re-hydrated the suckers and planted them deep but still expected many to die.. but they all lived and now are crowded. The main problem is they were unlabeled and I lost the labels to the ones I bought so I have no idea what is what.

Planted a bunch of peppers which are producing nicely but not very big (all in pots)

One of the seed started artichokes survived and is growing nicely in a container so if I over winter it well it should produce next year.

My sunflowers which I did not water are blooming but shrimpy.

Tomatillos the plants are lovely and flowering profusely but no fruit set yet

I all but killed a flourishing pot of lavender by thinking it needed more sun.

Squash started late but growing well hopefully will mature before frost.

Basil and other herbs that survived my seed start massacre are doing well

a few pics:

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So how's everything going for you this summer?

don't even ask about my poor cilantro.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Holy SHIRT, Pancho! What a save! I thought you had absolutely nothing going for you!

Your garden looks great!

Mine is going gangbusters, very early this year! So far, only one tomato has had blossom end rot and one Black Prince tomato split, but no other disappointments so far.

I have most of my pictures in the Container Garden thread ( I am pretty sure that I am only one who reads that thread, LOL!) http://www.netcookingtalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=189473&postcount=28

My herbs are fantastic! I've harvested jalapenos, a few Sun Glory (yellow) cherry tomatoes, a bunch of squash blossoms (I am experimenting with fried squash blossoms, with great success!), baby zucchinis, and Japanese eggplant.

Just waiting now for my sunflowers to bloom and the rest of my tomatoes to ripen!

Lee

Lee
 

PanchoHambre

New member
ha Q thanks... more like a spend then a save! OMG tomatoes though! ate the first picked today and wow.. I had forgot what real tomatoes taste like. Supermarket tomatoes have sold us a bill of goods.

your containers look great... squash blossoms... tips? I should have a bunch soon.
 

leolady

New member
Turnip, mustard, swiss chard -- picked and frozen small amounts before I pulled plants. They weren't mulched until late and were hampered by weeds

Broccoli bearing well

Peppers, yellow squash, & cucumbers bearing very very well

Tomatoes are tall and lush with only green ones as of yet

Cabbage is doing very well but planted late

Okra and pole Kentucky Wonder beans are lush & should start bearing any day now

Asparagus bed is healthy and vigorous

Walking onions were eaten mostly by rabbits and will need fall re-planting

Potatoes and onions ready to dig

Carrots doing well

Corn planted late but all has tasselled now

Sage looked at me and died and so did my cilantro, savory, and dill -- don't know why

Chives, fennel, oregano, salad burnet, thyme, spearmint, peppermint, basil, tarragon, bay tree, and rosemary are lush

Lovage & marjoram is slow but making progress

Concord grape vines holding their own and so are the raspberry bushes. One grape vine died due to being cut down by the lawn mower & will be replaced by a Niagara this fall.

My tiny little twig trees are doing well: 3 apple, 4 cherry, 2 crabapple, 2 pear, 2 peach, 2 pecan, and 2 walnut. I accidently weed wacked my three plum trees but one is still living.

Haven't had any luck with my wild stawberry bed and will do a fall planting of more along with more plum trees.

36 out of 50 roses are doing well, the rest died due to neglect on my part. I have a survival of the fittest mentality. The ones that do the best will be used for starting cuttings next spring.

My yellow waterlily is blooming regularly and the goldfish aren't dying.
 
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VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
three weeks ago I bought one 18inch basil plant, transplanted it into soil that hasn't been turned in about 75 years. So far, it's doing very well.

I get the opinion I can do some more planting in September. We'll see.
 

SilverSage

Resident Crone
Mine's done. Just a few herbs left. I had the last of my tomatoes in June. It's just too hot and too wet here in the summer. Like Vera, I have to wait to plant a fall crop.
 
K

Kimchee

Guest
My garden is 3 containers and 1 zucchini plant in the front yard. The zucchini plant is lovely but my blossoms aren't making zucchini... I think I need another one for pollination.
My tomato plants are producing but are pretty scary looking... yellowing leaves. Either it's too hot (we've averaged in the high 90s with 60-80% humidity most of this month), or I'm watering too much... or too little. OR they have a disease.
My pepper plants... the jalapeno made a nice crop until it got HOT. The bell pepper plant.. ditto. The long red peppers plant is going like gangbusters. Wish they had some HEAT.

A successful experiment in container gardening in the front yard, all in all. Next year's will be bigger and better planned!
 

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
Mine's done. Just a few herbs left. I had the last of my tomatoes in June. It's just too hot and too wet here in the summer. Like Vera, I have to wait to plant a fall crop.

What can I plant then?? Never had the opportunity to do a fall planting befor.
 

smoke king

Banned
I got my garden in late this year, and its just now starting to produce. Got my first tomato this morning, cukes are coming on and I should have some peppers ready (habanero, jalapeno and bell) by the end of the week.

Ironically, its getting to that point in the summer where I've just about lost interest in it...:yum:

Oh, did I mention the weeds are doing great?
 

High Cheese

Saucier
Pancho, what variety grapes and peppers are those?

I've been getting tomatoes almost on a daily basis. The Japanese eggplant is doing well and I've harvested from that as well. I also have Japanese cucumber that tastes like super concentrated cucumber flavor. I make a tomato and cucumber salad that'll make you want to set fire to your grocery store.

I had what was labeled as peas in a pot and wound up being some sort of cucumber. lol. Oregano, chive and basil doing well....I think I could put Christmas lights on my sage BUSH. xD

Cowhorn and serrano's get harvested weekly and are hot as balls for some reason.
 

JoeV

Dough Boy
Site Supporter
Damn deer got into the garden last night and destroyed half the green beans, chewed the tops off all the tomato plants and trampled the flowers around the perimeter. I'm lurking in the shadows tonight with the pellet rifle, and remind them who owns this garden. It was young deer, based on the size of the hoof prints in the dirt. I've already popped the adults with the pellets, so these youngsters need a lesson.
 

PanchoHambre

New member
Sage looked at me and died and so did my cilantro, savory, and dill -- don't know why

....the goldfish aren't dying.

funny my cilantro always dies but I keep trying Sage though was one of the hearty survivors of my accidental early spring scorching

not dead goldfish is a feat!

three weeks ago I bought one 18inch basil plant, transplanted it into soil that hasn't been turned in about 75 years. So far, it's doing very well.

I had to chip out an long buried patio to get my quince tree planted and make room for tomatoes and squash... the soil is wretched but plants seem happy.

My tomato plants are producing but are pretty scary looking... yellowing leaves. Either it's too hot (we've averaged in the high 90s with 60-80% humidity most of this month), or I'm watering too much... or too little. OR they have a disease.

The tomato I have in a container is the one with most fruit but like yours it looks really bad. I think the heat was too much on the roots. Its a bottom water pot so I think I have been ok with the water levels

Pancho, what variety grapes and peppers are those?

The grapes are Concord. The vine was like a dead little twig when I planted it last spring. It is taking over my entire back fence and the trellis I built for it and has lots of grapes. In the fall I am going to prune it back and try to add a new vine from a cutting of my friends green grapes down the block that seems to be thriving neglected

the red peppers are Thai Chilis and the green ones were called "Garden Salsa" I think... they grew nicely and have alot of heat but not such a good taste.

Damn deer got into the garden last night and destroyed half the green beans,

Is Venison on the menu?
 

leolady

New member
I set up a new garden bed today and put up fencing on the new bed and the one I have my squash, broccoli, onions, and potatoes. I am just getting ready for fall planting. After I mulch the bed with hay I can take my time planting it.

I decided upon one more raised bed for fall veggies. I will purchase 6 more railroad ties and mulch it too within the next two weeks.

That will make a grand total of five 16 by 8 foot raised beds -- three of which have permanent woven wire with steel post fences down the middle. I will take some of my fuzzy photos soon.
 
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leolady

New member
For this year's fall garden I will be planting broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards, swiss chard, and mixed salad greens.
 

Leni

New member
Kiwi is a male/female plant as is zuchinni. Cilantro is actually a cool weather herb. I grow mine on the east side of the house under my boysenberries in the summer. Winter is no problem.

I live in the San Fernando Valley part of Los Angeles where it can get as hot as 110 or more. It is a dry heat so I really have to watch the watering.
 
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PanchoHambre

New member
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ARG meet my little "friend" the tomato hornworm.. found him and his buddy munching away. Fascinating looking creature but nobody messes with my tomatoes. I cant find any more but the things are vexing.
 

luvs

'lil Chef
Gold Site Supporter
i'li get myself window-box basil. the ex-guy let my other basil wither & wilt so i'll begin again! :)
 

Phiddlechik

New member
zucchini and tomatoes in pots... lots of flowers on the zucchini, but no zucchini forming. Tomatoes, some little green ones. It was a wet, cold spring, and then really, really hot. Grasshoppers ate my yarrow, lemon balm, daisies, hollyhocks, and a small Russian olive tree, and most of another. My husband and I were gone for a week, don't think the kids watered as much as we would have liked.
 
K

Kimchee

Guest
So according to the plant experts, my tomatoes have stress splits in them due to the excessively hot weather we have been having. They get water, grow quickly and the skin splits.
Interesting.. frustrating, but interesting!
I guess this also means I was watering them too much. Who wouda thunk growing maters was so complicated!!!! ;)
 

leolady

New member
VEGGIE GARDEN
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6 FOOT TOMATO VINES WITH NO TOMATOES
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HERB GARDEN
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WATER GARDEN
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WATERLILY
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HAY MULCHED ROSE GARDEN
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Leni

New member
How hot has it been where you are Leolady? I forget exactly the temperature but after a certain point the flowers will not set.
 

Leni

New member
The blossoms will drop without setting fruit once the temperature goes above 90. There is a product called Blossom Set that you can spray on them that will prevent that. It should be available at any nursery. Right now my tomato plants look pretty sad but I'm overwhelmed with fruit.
 

Phiddlechik

New member
awfully jealous looking at all y'all's pics... the grasshoppers ate everything here. Except for the veggies I planted in pots. But, they aren't doing great, either.
 
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