# Show me your garden!



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Harvest pictures and flower garden pics are also extremely welcome 

We do all of this work in our gardens and no one but us and our family/friends gets to see the results, which is just not right. What do you have going on right now?


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Things are finally happening! Everybday this looks more ane more lush. And I am about to be harvesting cucumbers anybday now. I'll be canning my first pickles!


----------



## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

dmm1976 said:


> Things are finally happening! Everybday this looks more ane more lush. And I am about to be harvesting cucumbers anybday now. I'll be canning my first pickles!
> View attachment 77200
> View attachment 77202
> View attachment 77206
> View attachment 77208


looks great


----------



## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

I will be planting my garden this weekend. I know it seems late for most of you, but we don't plant here until June 1st.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

dmm1976, your garden looks so green and lush! Beautiful!

hiddensprings, hope we get some pics when it goes in  

I've tasked my in-house photographer with getting me some decent garden shots, hopefully she gets it done today but it's been gloomy and she's picky about light, so we'll see. Might have to put up with my terrible picture taking in bad light conditions.


----------



## GeneV (Nov 28, 2015)

Good idea for the thread! 

Here's our ducks posing next to the raised bed, we got various stuff growing in there. The trellis (converted from the pigs' old enclosure) has a couple different grapes on it, and the 2 funny-looking beds behind the barn is watermelon. And then we got some other stuff planted here and there.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

GeneV said:


> Good idea for the thread!
> 
> Here's our ducks posing next to the raised bed, we got various stuff growing in there. The trellis (converted from the pigs' old enclosure) has a couple different grapes on it, and the 2 funny-looking beds behind the barn is watermelon. And then we got some other stuff planted here and there.
> 
> ...


Beautiful!


----------



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

One of our spots. 6 rows of potatoes, couple rows of corn to the lower side, row of tomatoes to the upper side.









Hoop house (corner barely showing in upper right), we're picked out the peas and pulled plants. Green beans are ready to pick for canning, had some fresh last week or so.
















Strawberries are about done....she ended up with 30 gallons picked, might get a gallon or so in last picking or two before it's time to mow off the beds.


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

all I have is flowers and herbs this year. i'll get pics when the rain stops. if it ever does.


----------



## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

my catnip


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

still raining so I cut a couple tulips and took a close up. sun is suppose to be out tomorrow. that white one is weird. never had any like that before.


----------



## GeneV (Nov 28, 2015)

dmm1976 said:


> Beautiful!


Thanks! We like that trellis you did out of pallets. What's growing on it?


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

GeneV said:


> Thanks! We like that trellis you did out of pallets. What's growing on it?


Cucumbers


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

TnAndy said:


> One of our spots. 6 rows of potatoes, couple rows of corn to the lower side, row of tomatoes to the upper side.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I want to plant strawberries so bad! I just never feel like i know the right place for them.


----------



## alida (Feb 8, 2015)

I'm enjoying these pictures very much! In mid May I planted my tomatos (2) in large containers, and then had to bring them in at night for the first two weeks because the night times temps dropped to close to freezing. Now they're back on the balcony permanently and the geraniums I hoped to plant two weeks ago are ready to go into more planters this weekend.

I expect the first ripe cherry tomato sometime in mid August.


----------



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

dmm1976 said:


> I want to plant strawberries so bad! I just never feel like i know the right place for them.


Anyplace that gets a reasonable amount of sun & rain works. You almost can't mess them up the first year. IF you can mulch with wood chips to keep the weeds down, that helps, but they will grow pretty good with zero weeding, just mow the weeds off 6-8" high before picking time.

We like them in raised (by raised, I mean knee to waist high) beds because it makes them easier to weed and pick. 1st pic is driveway into our hoop house. Retainer wall is waist high, we work/pick from below behind the rose bushes.

2nd pic is below the hoop house lower wall, bed is about mid thigh high, again easier to pick/work. Wife took runners from these beds last year and planted 200 row-feet of ground level over in one of our garden areas. (The one in the far back where the small shed is) Harder for us to get down to, but very productive.....probably 20 gallons off those 200'.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

First harvest! Also been harvesting will and basil for awhile!


----------



## ticndig (Sep 7, 2014)

well you have dill and cucumbers so I thought I'd share a great and easy pickle recipe
if you make them be sure to read the part about the salt. one brand is way too salty .
these keep in the fridge way longer than they claim and stay very crisp . 
https://awaytogarden.com/dan-koshanskys-refrigerator-pickles


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

How long do pickles last in the fridge. I make them every year but they are usually gone within 6 months. But i found a jar in the garage fridge yesterdaym they look ok. Smell fine...but i told dh we should probably toss them. They are at least 1 year old .


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

This year I bought a big pot for canning. I can water bath those right? Usually i just do the refrigerator pickles.


----------



## SLADE (Feb 20, 2004)

dmm1976 said:


> This year I bought a big pot for canning. I can water bath those right? Usually i just do the refrigerator pickles.


Yes you can.


----------



## ticndig (Sep 7, 2014)

they last well over a year and are very crisp . I'm a heat freak so I add hot peppers to the batch too. the secret to crisp is they are not ever heated or cooked. they are done on the counter top until they start to ferment then into the fridge.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

I was thinking about canning sliced and spears and refrigerating the whole dills.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Because soon i will be swimming in cucumbers. We planted twice as many this year....and we always have so many.


----------



## ticndig (Sep 7, 2014)

I do six 1 gal jars of pickles each summer . most I leave whole so they stay crisp better .
well you can't have too many cucumbers , fresh cucumbers are great hydration on these hot summer days


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Is this normal for corn? I'm guessing so because alot of them are doing this.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Todays harvest


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Grandpa called them "suckers", Perdue calls them "tillers". Supposedly not a problem and may even develop full size ears:
https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/articles.03/Tillers-0623.html
If they just develop tiny ears you have your own baby corn for Chinese stir fry. Just pick and cook them while the cobs are soft.


----------



## ticndig (Sep 7, 2014)

nice looking cucumbers , I love them sliced with onion and rice wine vinegar like served in some asian restaurants.


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

a few more pics from my garden.


----------



## ticndig (Sep 7, 2014)

that's very pretty


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Everyone's gardens are so gorgeous!


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

newfieannie said:


> a few more pics from my garden.
> View attachment 77358
> View attachment 77356
> View attachment 77354
> ...


I love this sooo much!


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

What a diffetence a month makes


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Beautiful!


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Swimming in cucumbers and basil. Some will go to work for coworkers. Finally have some red cherey tomatoes. And lots of green brandywines and husky girls. My romas are limping along. Granted. They were an expirement. I had a store bought that was getting wrinkly. I sliced it and layed tje slices in a single layer on a bed of about 10 inch soil. Then covered the slices with another layer of soil about 1/2inch. Just enough to cover and allow for settling. I kept it watered and a couple weeks later I had maybe a 3rd of the seeds sprout. Then I pricked apart the seedlings into their own seperate pots and then transplanted them on May 25th.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

dmm1976 said:


> Swimming in cucumbers and basil. Some will go to work for coworkers. Finally have some red cherey tomatoes. And lots of green brandywines and husky girls. My romas are limping along. Granted. They were an expirement. I had a store bought that was getting wrinkly. I sliced it and layed tje slices in a single layer on a bed of about 10 inch soil. Then covered the slices with another layer of soil about 1/2inch. Just enough to cover and allow for settling. I kept it watered and a couple weeks later I had maybe a 3rd of the seeds sprout. Then I pricked apart the seedlings into their own seperate pots and then transplanted them on May 25th.


Yum! And why have I never thought of planting tomato slices instead of doing it the hard way? Genius.


----------



## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Mish said:


> Yum! And why have I never thought of planting tomato slices instead of doing it the hard way? Genius.


With a companion planting of mayo!


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

I got this bunch of green tomatos from a so called "cherry tomato" plants from lowes. Label said husky girl cherry tomato. these are the only store bought plants this year other thab the seeds. Youd think theyd be accurate? No these are big as baseballs. And all on the same stem! Lots more on the way . picked these to make dh fried green tonight.

Brandywine tomatos are moving along nicely . lotsa nice sized green ones right now. I like how they look like little pumpkins.

The 4 stalks of corn i moved after they were the only ones to survive the cold are doing great! The little side stalks are even getting ears!

My romas are looking better. 

My peppers are woeful.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Heres some pics of my potatoes the ones in the bag wete planted about a month before the bucket. 
Some wrinkly red potatoes from a store bought bag. My first try at potatoes. MIL gifted me the potato grow bag several years ago lol.

I finally got more corn and pumpkins planted! 5 rows each of popcorn and sweet corn. They are seperated by only 20 ft of pumpkin patch. Not sure if that will be ok but it is what it is. Fingers crossed.

Oh and I got 5 jars refrigerator pickles done so far. Im going to do some slices and spears in my first attempt at water bath canning tonight with a heavy stock pot i picked up at the thrift store. 

Wish me luck.


----------



## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

Mish said:


> Yum! And why have I never thought of planting tomato slices instead of doing it the hard way? Genius.


Are y'all talking about growing them from store-bought tomatoes? 

If so, I have two questions:

1. If they are hybrids, will they yield tomatoes that are true to their variety? I didn't think so. And my understanding is that virtually all commercially sold tomatoes are hybrids.

(By the way, commercially grown tomatoes tend to be chosen by the growers for reasons other than taste. Commercial growers choose the variety for long-term storage, high yield, resistance to disease, ease of transport, appearance, and other non-taste reasons. And lots of tomatoes sold in stores have been ruined by being refrigerated. That's why I grow my own.)

2. How do you know what variety of tomato you bought in a store? Around here, they NEVER label the variety on store-bought tomatoes.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

NRA_guy said:


> Are y'all talking about growing them from store-bought tomatoes?
> 
> If so, I have two questions:
> 
> ...


You're right, hybrid offspring usually won't grow true to type. I think though, with something like a Roma tomato, you're likely to get a Roma-like tomato from it. I'm assuming most of the hybridizing of those is Roma x Roma at this point - they're not selecting commercially for new shapes or tastes, just things like resistances and production. I could be wrong, but that would be my guess. It'd be fun to find out. 

On the taste part, I'm not sure Romas are usually grown for taste, more for texture - more meat, less juice/seeds. At least that's why I grow paste tomatoes (although I do prefer San Marzano to Roma, I get better results with them), to thicken up my tomato canning. It seems like a fairly safe grocery-store growing experiment.

I can't speak for dmm1976, but here I can get my grubby little fingers on all sorts of weird stuff at the grocery store and roadside farm stands/farmer's markets. Most of it is labeled because then you can charge a premium for the weird stuff. I'm definitely going to plant some tomato slices the next time I see a variety I've been wanting to try but have been too lazy to order seeds


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

dmm1976 said:


> Heres some pics of my potatoes the ones in the bag wete planted about a month before the bucket.
> Some wrinkly red potatoes from a store bought bag. My first try at potatoes. MIL gifted me the potato grow bag several years ago lol.
> 
> I finally got more corn and pumpkins planted! 5 rows each of popcorn and sweet corn. They are seperated by only 20 ft of pumpkin patch. Not sure if that will be ok but it is what it is. Fingers crossed.
> ...


Oh, please do update when you get your potato harvest in. I've been wanting to grow some but I'd have to do the bags because I have zero room in the ground, I always wonder how those would do.

Good luck on the corn and canning!

My husband is jealous, he's been dying to get some cukes to do his refrigerator pickles. Mine are _just_ starting to climb the fence. It's amazing how chilly and cloudy days put a garden so far behind...we've only had a handful of sunny days and only about 4 above 80 since last year and my garden is sure showing it.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Eh its an expirement. I dont really are too much about variety. But its pretty easy to tell a Roma from other tomatos.


NRA_guy said:


> Are y'all talking about growing them from store-bought tomatoes?
> 
> If so, I have two questions:
> 
> ...


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I'm so envious of all your gardens . just beautiful! no veggies here this year. likely because I never put any in. took a couple pic today.

I divided my iris last year into small pieces. I was trying to fill up my new perennial bed. never thought they would bloom this year if ever.i don't know much about Iris.

my snow ball tree is so nice this year. usually it gets rust or something and the flowers are so unsightly. not sure what happened .maybe cool weather. the columbine is just a volunteer but lovely. I just let them grow wherever they decide is best. 

should be lots more blooming this week. oriental poppies and roses are just about ready. I see the hardy pink geranium is out this morning. I have lots of blue but it's difficult to find pink around here . I have my own now though and can divide

I set some yellow perennial allysum again today for next year. usually set seed every 2 years because they look good in the rock garden.



~Georgia


----------



## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

I love seeing everyones produce


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

newfieannie said:


> I'm so envious of all your gardens . just beautiful! no veggies here this year. likely because I never put any in. took a couple pic today.
> 
> I divided my iris last year into small pieces. I was trying to fill up my new perennial bed. never thought they would bloom this year if ever.i don't know much about Iris.
> 
> ...


Your flowers are stunning! I wish I had the eye for flowers. Every time I try it's just a jumbled mess, probably why I like veggies so much, no one expects pretty


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Recent plantings of Popcorn and sweet corn are sprouted!

Have 1 jack I lantern pushing through!

And a "pretty" area my dad put in for my mom at the corner. She always had a nice garden flag here and flowers. I didnt do anything with it last year and this year DH threatened to tear it out if i didnt plant something. 

Got the American flag because im a patriotic gal. Hope no one ruins it.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

So pretty!


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Please. Oh gods of backyard gardens...please let these beautiful tomatoes ripen and dodge disease and pests...

I have rotten luck with big tomatoes.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Oh amd every single pumpkin plant has sprouted.hopefully they survive mr. Rabbit. Like my zucchini seemed to.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Your tomatoes look so healthy and green! Sending my prayers to the garden gods for you too 

Your garden is so green and tidy looking, it's just lovely. Your corn is looking really good from what I can see, have any ears forming yet?

Mine is getting into the later ugly stages where disease and pests have had their way. I don't have a smart phone so it's been difficult for me to get any decent pictures (my photo girl hasn't been up to it), but I will make a concerted effort to get out there this afternoon and get whatever terrible pictures I can.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

All of my corn had at least 2 cobs!!! The 4 transplants have 3-5. Crazy. Those are getting fat and im hopimg to harvest this weekend... I pulled back the husk on one and the corn is white. But the silks are brown and beginning to dry at the ends. They are kinda all matted together now.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

dmm1976 said:


> All of my corn had at least 2 cobs!!! The 4 transplants have 3-5. Crazy. Those are getting fat and im hopimg to harvest this weekend... I pulled back the husk on one and the corn is white. But the silks are brown and beginning to dry at the ends. They are kinda all matted together now.


Holy cow! The garden gods are smiling on your corn  That seems really fast for ears, or am I just getting to the time is flying stage? How long between when you planted/transplanted to getting ready to harvest this weekend?


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

OK here goes. Sorry in advance for the poor pictures, I am definitely not a photographer.

So this is my garden area on one side I was able to wrest away from everyone else. We're on a mountainside so the left raised bed is actually a retaining wall about 3-4 feet deep on the back side, even though it's level with the right side.

Left bed: pole beans in the back (messed up on the closest empty trellis and accidentally planted bush beans instead of pole, soon as those are done I think some Purple Podded Pole beans are going in) and bush squash in the front. Middle section is a triangle bed that widens out on the far side, 2 squash in the front and the rest is 18 (I think) tomatoes crammed in there. To the back right are my two really tall raised beds, peppers all.










Foot wide x length of fence bed along the back of the above pic, sunflowers, zinnias and cucumbers on the back to climb the fence. Usually the cukes are further along by now, but the cool weather has not been kind and I'm afraid the flowers are going to choke them out before they can get high enough up the fence. Some peas decided to hang around in the mulch walkway, can't bring myself to pull them.










Waist high pepper beds, pretty proud that I got like 90ish peppers in there. Now that it's warming up they're doing much better. Little bit of my orange tree to the far right, lemon bush in the far back.










Other side, on our low side of the mountain. We built terraced beds to keep the hillside where it belonged. Not much going on a the left, empty bed on the ground is for my fall tomatoes, and herbs toward this end. Lower terrace is almost always my lettuce/greens, and there are a few struggling eggplants and tomatillos in there toward the far end. Winter squash on the top shelf (couple of huge spaghetti squash in there). Avocado trees in the very back. And a chicken photo bomb to the far left.










Very tippy top of the terrace, another long narrow raised bed on the left with just sunflowers and zinnias. Winter squash climbing tomato cages experiment on the right which is actually going really well, I will most likely continue to do this, saves a BUNCH of space. Crazy old hippy neighbor photo bomb in the back 










Hopefully I don't blow anything up with the pictures.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Love it all!!


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

My garden is too small and evertthing is smashed together. Definately not tidy. 

My corn was planted May 8th. So the transplants were in April sometime. These were a 60 day to harvest variety. 

The 2 I just planted are 90-100 days.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

dmm1976 said:


> My garden is too small and evertthing is smashed together. Definately not tidy.
> 
> My corn was planted May 8th. So the transplants were in April sometime. These were a 60 day to harvest variety.
> 
> The 2 I just planted are 90-100 days.


I wonder if there's anyone that doesn't say their garden is too small  I think your garden looks wonderful, and tidy lol

Ah, so the corn was that fast, that is crazy. Looking forward to harvest pics!


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I really like that arrangement you have under the flag DMM! is that 3 tubs. 2 set into the ground or something interlocking like brick? looks a lot like what fred did along my driveway but I think they would be too heavy.

I'd like to do that in a spot on my property. my Canada flag would look good in a setting like that also. ~Georgia


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Its just interlocking bricks. No tubs just filled with dirt. My mom had a fancy wrought iron trellis against the wood post. Which is a leftover from some utility.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Pumpkins!!!

And my tiny garden lol 10 x 20 in guessing
With 4 different variety tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, polebeans, zucchini , bell peppers, basil and will.


Also thus is what my corn silks look like...how much longer you think they will need?


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and basil are a tangled mess 

My corn rows do look tidy though


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Sorry for the double post but to clarify the pumpkins and newest corn are in a different part of the yard. It is also about 10×20 maybe 30. Has 10 rows of corn and 6 pumpkin mounds with 3-5 plants each.


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

You want sweet corn, right? Pull back the husk just a bit. Are the kernels all filled out? If so poke a kernel with your fingernail. It should break easily. If you want to really make sure just pull an ear off and try it.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

dmm1976 said:


> Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and basil are a tangled mess
> 
> My corn rows do look tidy though


No, no, the correct term is "lush"


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

couple more pic. the red and white peonies are out . likely all the rain we've been having. pink oriental poppy. I love those. only have one plant. can't seem to find another. hardy pink geranium and sunshine yellow yarrow look well together. course I planned it that way. sorry I got 2 pics of one but I'm afraid to delete in case i lose it


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I must have forgotten the red one.


----------



## alida (Feb 8, 2015)

I love peonies. I have a black jug, that was a wedding gift to my parents 60 years ago, full of pink peonies, sitting on my dining room table. Mine are from a farmers market,and fingers crossed, I'll be able to get more this weekend just as the current ones lose their petals.


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

i bet that jug is beautiful Alida! if I'm not mistaken. you can't post pics right? i have a beautiful jug also that's very old. i forgot to take that out this year to display my flowers. now that you've reminded me i'll take it out. i put it away winter time. I've posted a pic of it here before. ~Georgia


----------



## alida (Feb 8, 2015)

you're not mistaken, I can't post pictures...yet. I'm determined to change that before summer is over. 
That jug is a prized possession of mine; I'm the oldest and the only sibling who remembers my parents using it, so I got it when my mother passed away. I fill it with fresh flowers almost every week.


----------



## jen32245 (Jun 29, 2019)

newfieannie said:


> couple more pic. the red and white peonies are out . likely all the rain we've been having. pink oriental poppy. I love those. only have one plant. can't seem to find another. hardy pink geranium and sunshine yellow yarrow look well together. course I planned it that way. sorry I got 2 pics of one but I'm afraid to delete in case i lose it
> View attachment 77832
> View attachment 77832
> View attachment 77838
> ...


These are quite lovely


----------



## jen32245 (Jun 29, 2019)

dmm1976 said:


> Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and basil are a tangled mess
> 
> My corn rows do look tidy though
> View attachment 77778
> ...


Awesome!!


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I cut one of my roses to keep me company while I'm trying to beat the heat on the deck. this is my favorite . it smells something like pineapple. has a pale pink tinge certain ways that you look at it. never did know the name

I prefer yellow roses anyway. the climbing red ones are starting to bloom today. heat must be good for them +40C on my deck right now. ~Georgia


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

one of my climbing roses is blooming. smells like the old fashioned roses. the one on the opposite side is pink. not started yet


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Your flowers are just so beautiful.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

This is how it begins.


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

looking at all these veggies I now wish I had put in a few. I think i'll buy some field cucumbers when they get in at the supermarket and make some bread and butter pickles and mustard pickles. not much local stuff in the store yet. I believe I saw strawberries today.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Romas! From that store bought tomato!

Mish- those look so good! When did you plzmt? None of my big tomatos are red yet


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Ive also learned that the pallet trellis thing did not work as planned. Lost some space and some cukes. Next year I will just prop them up at the back somehow so we can access the other side better. A frame did not work. All that space in the middle was just gone and cukes growing in the tunnel got missed or couldnt be reached . I also will plant a couple plants ebery few weeks into late June. I already used every jar I own ( that was big enough) to make pickles. I definitely dont need so many at once. and they are already starting to die off since some have had cukes that I couldnt get to that turned orange. 

Ive also learned some things about beans and tomatoes. 

I'm excited for next year. 

Im also planning a fall planting. Onion. Garlic. Greens. Goimg to do a tiny hoop house.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Your tomato plants look so healthy. Mine are all brown and sunburnt/disease ridden. 'Tis the most wonderful disease/bug/sun time of the year lol

I planted this group of tomatoes sometime around the first week of April. Usually I'm able to plant in late February-ish but this year was just too cold so these guys are really late and I don't think I'm going to get as good a harvest as usual. This is the time of year that disease usually kills off my plants or the aphids/thrips just become so uncontrollable I can't get fruit to set. Looks like that is continuing as normal. I did start some new tomatoes in June (indoors to avoid the disease/bugs) so that I can hopefully plant them in a month or two when the worst of it has passed but we still have enough heat to get some good growth. We should get another flush of tomatoes with the new plants in the later fall/early winter unless the weird weather continues.

That's too bad with the pallets, it seemed like a good idea that would work. I don't know if you've seen them, but I've been dying to try the cattle panel arches (bunch of them on YouTube if you haven't - love what a channel called "Roots and Refuge" has done with them in her garden). My problem is the way our yard lies and the sun, I have nowhere to put them that would run north and south and not permanently shade one side. I love the idea of walking under your plants and harvesting them, and they're so pretty. Or even just stringing some cheap/old welded wire or chicken wire fence in a row in your garden and letting them climb that. 

I _still_ haven't gotten a dang cucumber. Succession planting is a good idea. I usually have to do that with my cukes and squash as the powdery mildew knocks them down, squash is the worst for it here. Not complaining, I'd much rather deal with powdery mildew than squash bugs, the thought of them exhausts me.

What kind of things did you learn about the beans and tomatoes this year? I think that's what I love about gardening, every year is different and you learn something.

Next year I've decided I'm going to forgo the CRW tomato cages I've been using so long and try growing half on a row of welded wire fence (being more diligent about pruning to a single, or maybe double stem, and tying them up), and the other half in a Florida weave and pruning just as much as I need to not to get a jungle. Going to experiment with it and see if it's easier to spray for disease and bugs if they're not in a tangled mess inside a cage. Just worried about not having enough leaf cover to protect the tomatoes from the sun, I always lose quite a few to sunburn which turns them into stewed tomatoes on the vine. Gotta try it to know, though.

Picture updates on your fall garden, please


----------



## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

From 10 years ago; my granddaughter picking beans from my pole bean arbor, which I made out of a stock panel.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Ohmygosh where do I get an adorable garden gnome like that? 

That arbor looks great, I so wish I had somewhere to put one.


----------



## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

I dont dare to post my garden right now...
Just tow words...Japanese Beetles...i could cry a river how bad they hit me...
Even with Bag a bug traps around the parameter...(safe distance of course)


----------



## jen32245 (Jun 29, 2019)

Meinecke said:


> I dont dare to post my garden right now...
> Just tow words...Japanese Beetles...i could cry a river how bad they hit me...
> Even with Bag a bug traps around the parameter...(safe distance of course)


I feel yaThose pesky beetles are attacking our apple trees. Me and the hubby go out every few hours to knock them off into a big jar of hot soapy water.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Planted to two left most rows of popcorn with 10 bean plants each. I bought a stringless pole bean 62 days till harvest. The popcorn will be ready to harvest first week of October but I want to let I dry on the stalk so I should have plenty of time for beans....little does dh know I will have a pressure canner by then. 

Sweet corn will be late september. Will freeze for winter consumption. 

Can you can corn after its been frozen?

Id like to try making creamed corn for dh. He loves that stuff. 

All my pumpkins are doing great. 3 mounds of Jack o lanterns 2 mounds sugar pie and 1 big max. Hoping to get our first at beginning of october.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

I didny post all my dang pics lol

If they are in the order I added em it should be
Jack olaterns, sugar pie, big max ,sweet corn, and rhen a pic of the whole 3 sisters patch.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

I got corn!! And its perfect!!!  

Also my first red tomato. Also the reason I haven't had any till now...dh can't keep his hands off them.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Oh boy that corn looks good!

I wonder what kind of husband repellent would work on tomatoes?


----------



## jen32245 (Jun 29, 2019)

dmm1976 said:


> I got corn!! And its perfect!!!
> 
> Also my first red tomato. Also the reason I haven't had any till now...dh can't keep his hands off them.
> View attachment 78142
> ...


Right on!!! Looks absolutely yummy


----------



## tiffanysgallery (Jan 17, 2015)

I've really enjoyed this thread, everyone's garden pictures are so beautiful. The work you all have done is amazing.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Well. Mid summer garden overhaul starts sunday evening. Hopefully theres enough sunlight to work an hour or so when I get off work at 8. 

Pulling up the cukes. Taking out the pallets turning the dirt.
( eventually id like to be no till but our yarf is straight up clay. So for now we "condition" it.) 

Planting broccoli , spinach, carrots. 

We will trim back the cherry tomatoes too. They are out of control. I have several jars fermenting already. 

Im letting my first planting of beans go dry on the vine. See if i can capture some dry beans for storage. 

I need to harvest the rest of my corn and clean up that area. Which is a decent portion of the garden. Maybe onions amd garlic there. I should actually probably figure out what would be the best plants to plant after corn and cuke. 

Off to Google. And the clemson extension site....


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Oh and i also learned...unless you are super fond of pesto...dont plant a whole packet of basil at the same time as your tomatoes. I have to prune the tops off this patch daily to keep it from flowering so i can use it when i can my sauce....for tomatoes that arent red yet...ive been pruning like 2 months. No one needs that much basil lol.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Phew I got tired just reading your plans.

Are you fermenting the cherry tomatoes for seeds or for food? Do tell more if for food, please, I'm getting over run and they're mostly Sun Gold so don't last long once picked. It would be nice to use them for us instead of feeding them to the chickens.

I did the basil thing once. Since then I've realized two plants are more than enough for 4 people  Really one is, but two makes me feel better in case one gets killed somehow.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

My potato plant died...so I harvested. Not much. And tiny little potatoes. But I'm guessing because its been so hot. Something I should start earlier in the year I suppose. Oh...and maybe plant them properly instead of so deep lol. Seed packet for size reference.









Got the cukes cleared out. And ready to direct sow my first try at carrots. 

I figured out what it was that kept eating my brandywine tomatoea. Id go out there to perfectly healthy big green tomatoes looking like something took a big bite. Turns out its my damned chickens. Chased 5 of them out of the garden this morning. So they are flying back and forth over their fence ...time to get the scissors out.










My older hens never try to fly out. Its all my pullets. Ugh. I was hoping once they started layinh theyd stop trying to fly but most of them are laying now . 

Got lots more corn. About 36 ears in my freezer from 30 plants. Each had 2 ears but some were gonners. Some went to chickens. I waited too long to pick so some were wrinkly... Lesson learned. All in all im super pleased. And looking forward to my slower growing corn.









Some of my romas develeoped blossom end rot. Is the whole plant a gonner or just those tomatoes? I just pick the bad ones and leave the good ones. 

I will be starting broccoli spinach and cabbage.


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Trim the flight feathers on one wing of each pullet. 

Blossom end rot can be treated. 
https://youshouldgrow.com/blossom-end-rot/


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Your potatoes look wonderful.


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Tomatoes usually outgrow blossom end rot. Just pick off and feed the affected tomatoes to the chickens. In the fall or next spring you can add some bone meal or crushed oyster shell to the soil where you want to plant tomatoes next year. There is a huge debate about if it can be treated or not. One theory is that in the spring the needed calcium is not available because the soil is too cold and wet. Another theory is that if you add more calcium to the soil the plants can better use what is there.


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

got a few pics of some of my Asiatic lillies. I saw this cloud coming and hoped it would block some of the sun just long enough . sure enough it did. I have quite a few more of these to come yet. the day lilies will soon be open also. ~Georgia


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Beautiful!


----------



## GeneV (Nov 28, 2015)

Mish said:


> This is how it begins.
> 
> View attachment 78022


Ooh that nice! Are the really dark ones the siberian? I have some of that planted if it is.


----------



## GeneV (Nov 28, 2015)

Watermelon coming in, yey!


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

GeneV said:


> Ooh that nice! Are the really dark ones the siberian? I have some of that planted if it is.


The smaller dark ones are Black Krim and the larger dark ones are Black from Tula. I haven't tried siberians before, is this your first time planting them? If not, how do you like them? I run 2-3 new types every year just to see if I can find the next big thing


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

GeneV said:


> Watermelon coming in, yey!


Wonderful! What type did you plant?


----------



## GeneV (Nov 28, 2015)

Mish said:


> The smaller dark ones are Black Krim and the larger dark ones are Black from Tula. I haven't tried siberians before, is this your first time planting them? If not, how do you like them? I run 2-3 new types every year just to see if I can find the next big thing


It's my first time with them. I think black prince is their name. I plant a few different types like you. 

The Watermelon, I got sugar baby and crimson sweet planted. I'm a little worried because it's close to my pond and I got muskrats in there, but so far they left the plants alone.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

You'll have to update when you get to eat some, let us know if it's worth growing. 

Here's hoping the muskrats continue not noticing your watermelons


----------



## GeneV (Nov 28, 2015)

That goes for all our gardens...keep away wildlife, this here's ours!


----------



## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

found a beautiful pink astilbe in the garden today. I have several red and white ones but didn't know I had this one. the snowball hydrangea is blooming also. ~Georgia


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

newfieannie said:


> View attachment 78348
> View attachment 78350
> found a beautiful pink astilbe in the garden today. I have several red and white ones but didn't know I had this one. the snowball hydrangea is blooming also. ~Georgia


Gorgeous as always. I've tried and tried to get hydrangeas going here (they remind me of my grandfather's garden), no luck, gave up. Yours is beautiful.


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Sunflowers


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelons.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Oh my gosh, your melons look wonderful. I had a horrible melon year, very little germination and zero that made it past the powdery mildew and bugs.

Your sunflowers are so pretty, what type did you plant? I need to get out and take some pictures, I did have a good sunflower year, a few of them are taller than the trees behind them that are at least a decade old


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Mish said:


> Oh my gosh, your melons look wonderful. I had a horrible melon year, very little germination and zero that made it past the powdery mildew and bugs.
> 
> Your sunflowers are so pretty, what type did you plant? I need to get out and take some pictures, I did have a good sunflower year, a few of them are taller than the trees behind them that are at least a decade old


Mammoth are the yellow that are at 11 foot now, not sure of the red ones.
Hale's jumbo cantaloupe, sugar baby watermelons plus another variety.
Not sure on the honeydew.
Cucumbers went wild this year
At least 40 jars of pickles last week
Have enough for about 25 more
25 jars of blackberry and blueberry jam
Next is peach


----------



## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

Mish said:


> This is how it begins.
> 
> View attachment 78022


yummmm! lots of tomato sandwiches


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

You can grow onions in July and August.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Got the hubs to get out his cellphone and take some pictures of my giants. It's been 90-100 around here lately, that's why they look so wilty. I am wilty too.

The fence behind it is about 3.5' tall, for perspective. I can just barely see it over the top of my house from the street, that's how stupid this sunflower is 










Less huge but pretty orange sunflowers, still wilty. They look like your orange ones, elevenpoint.


----------



## Farmerjack41 (Jun 6, 2017)

My pictures are not recent, probably within the last 30 days.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Farmerjack41 said:


> My pictures are not recent, probably within the last 30 days.


You have literally just posted pictures of my dream garden. I so wish I had room to grow corn. Beautiful!

Curiosity question: What's going on with the welded wire?


----------



## Farmerjack41 (Jun 6, 2017)

I put it over the top of new seeding, to keep birds, cats, etc of them.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Lots of.pics since ive been too busy to update lately.

This is my second planting of sweet corn. And it looks pitiful. Some had barely reached 3 ft tall.

Compare that to the popcorn I planted at the same time. Crazy. Some are well over 6 ft. 

The beans I tried to plant with them did not grow. 

My pumpkins are sandwiched between the 2 corns and they are doing well.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

My basil is almost as tall as the cherry tomatoes. Which keep producing. 2 plants is more than we can eat ourselves. Even with fermenting some. 

Brandywines are still going but not as fast as at the beginning of the season.

My romas are crazy!! I easily have 100 tomatoes on 6 plants. These were from that store bought Roma I sliced and planted.

The zucchini got bushy but never produced anything. I think the chickens or rabbit ate its runners.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

My first bean plants are still lush. Ive been letting the beans dry but if i dont see it it gets like this. Is that ok. The beans inside seem ok....anything more i need to do to these for storage?

The second planting of beans is trying to gtow on dead corn stalks. 

So the corn i harvested was kind of pushy after cookrd. I thought maybe i over cooked but it happened twice once with grilling once with boiling. Maybe i left it on the stalks too long???

My peppers that havent hardley grown over a foot have exploded with fruit
Weird. I never thought theyd make it. 


Anf last is my second planting of potatoes. Store bought red. I didnt realize I was supposed to be burying thw stems as I went. But I started late and planted to close to the surface....this bucket has more in it than the first one did where I didnt bury at all. Next to a Roma for size reference. 

My next crop of bucket potatoes will be amazing.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Mish said:


> Got the hubs to get out his cellphone and take some pictures of my giants. It's been 90-100 around here lately, that's why they look so wilty. I am wilty too.
> 
> The fence behind it is about 3.5' tall, for perspective. I can just barely see it over the top of my house from the street, that's how stupid this sunflower is
> 
> ...


This is gorgeous !!!


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Farmerjack41 said:


> My pictures are not recent, probably within the last 30 days.
> View attachment 78552
> View attachment 78554
> View attachment 78556


I love how organized and tidy this is.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

dmm1976 said:


> My first bean plants are still lush. Ive been letting the beans dry but if i dont see it it gets like this. Is that ok. The beans inside seem ok....anything more i need to do to these for storage?
> 
> The second planting of beans is trying to gtow on dead corn stalks.
> 
> ...


For the bean storage, it's a good idea to put the dried beans in the freezer for a couple of days to kill any bean worms or other creepy crawlies that might eat them in long-term storage.

Everything is just looking so great in your garden, absolutely awesome


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

We've been picking Bell Peppers here and there for awhile, but this is the first major harvest. Getting ready to chop and freeze.










Pretty happy with it considering it's off only 16ish plants in the small area of this box where the red arrow is pointing (the other 3/4 of the bed is Anaheim peppers for canning, doing that tomorrow), maybe a 4x4' area? My first experiment with peppers and high density planting, I'll be doing more of this. Saves my peppers from getting sunburnt like they usually do and shades the soil so I don't have to mulch, really like this method.










First harvest of winter squash growing vertically on my experimental cages. Super happy with that, too, other than getting a few scars on them where they were touching the metal of the cages. I'm good with that, sure is a space saver.










All done chopping peppers. Hours later, got 10 quart sized Ziplocs full in the freezer. Tomorrow the Anaheims hopefully.


----------



## Farmerjack41 (Jun 6, 2017)

dmm1976 said:


> I love how organized and tidy this is.


Thank you. My garden is usually pretty well set up for using a garden tractor for every thing. The garden tractor is used from plowing to planting, to cultivation, and in some cases harvest. Am somewhat of a machinery nut, and it makes gardening easier. Not looking quite s neat this year, been busy out on the farm and maybe too much time in the motor home.


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Peppers are loaded and producing well
Small orange and red are called lunchbox.


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

A second planting of beans, we froze countless quart bags the first round.
Onions planted in July still doing good.
Celery is good too.


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Old German tomato, my favorite and only slicing type we grew this year in addition to Roma, yellow pear and cherry.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Looking really nice, elevenpoint - your peppers look especially delicious. Old German is good you say? I have been looking for a nice yellow tomato that tastes good and can deal with my environment, might have to give it a shot.

My garden looks like the sun got too close to everything, way too hot lately. I really need to go out there and just pull everything but the peppers but I've been avoiding it. Need to put on my big girl pants, brave the heat and take care of it...


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

More of a striped tomato but it turns red from the bottom up.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Im done for the year
My sexond planting of corn got all the worms....my pumpkins....got worms. My tomatoes....got chickens. Stupid chickens. I did get a few jars of tomatos canned. 

But i learned alot this year and we are already planning/prepping for next year.


----------



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Blanching up the last of the sweet corn. We tried some inside the hoop house this year, (pic from outside garden) and had absolutely ZERO corn ear worms. Don't normally grow it in there due to space required, but it sure was some pretty stuff.


----------



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

dmm1976 said:


> My romas are crazy!! I easily have 100 tomatoes on 6 plants. These were from that store bought Roma I sliced and planted.


If you want a GREAT paste tomato (for sauce/paste/etc), try Amish Paste.....variation of Roma we switched to several years ago and love....only one we grow now...makes a great sauce.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

TnAndy said:


> Blanching up the last of the sweet corn. We tried some inside the hoop house this year, (pic from outside garden) and had absolutely ZERO corn ear worms. Don't normally grow it in there due to space required, but it sure was some pretty stuff.


That sure is some pretty stuff! Do you have to do anything special to get the corn to pollinate in the hoop house?


----------



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Mish said:


> That sure is some pretty stuff! Do you have to do anything special to get the corn to pollinate in the hoop house?



Wife hung some box fans to get the pollen to fall on the tassels (have 1/4" cables that run across the width of the house, up about 9' off floor, to help keep the outside walls from spreading....good place to hang stuff like fans)...that seemed to work....some didn't fill out fully, but heck, you get that out in the garden too.....I'd say it was as good as outside grown in that respect.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

I noticed my first ( second) plamting of corn that was in spring. Was a quick maturing hybrid. It didnt get many worms. Im goimg to plant the organic sweet corn i bought in the early spring amd see if it has a chamce to mature before worm season.


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Second planting of beans producing now, should provide plenty for the freezer.


----------



## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

Well, I didn't think to take any pictures but we are in the middle of tearing out my old tomato patch and building a sparkling new semi-raised bed area for them. Got tired of trying to walk through a jungle because I want to smash in as many tomatoes as possible, so we're attempting to build some permanent raised bed rows to constrain me and keep it more manageable. Although I do think I'll actually end up with more usable space for more tomatoes. Hopefully.

Pictures to follow once we figure this thing out. Yay


----------

