Garden update 2016

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dlrcpa
Posts: 1546
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:45 am

Re: Garden update 2016

Post by dlrcpa »

Discovered 2 large zucchini Sunday. More on the way. Eggplants and okra and jalapenos on the way. A rabbit has been in and eating the bean leaves. Not too much damage but I got some more fencing and need to figure out where to apply it. Yellow squash and zucchini all seem to have stem borers. They are still producing but seems to be less than last year.

Tomatoes I started are not looking good and I will pull them up soon. There are 2 volunteer tomatoes that I have left alone. There is some variety that has adapted to that area and volunteer everywhere throughout the plots and are very prolific.

Sadly the Swiss chard looks terrible. Some sort of bacterial blight. Trying to decide if it can be saved or not.
dlrcpa
Posts: 1546
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:45 am

Re: Garden update 2016

Post by dlrcpa »

I now have frozen 4 containers of pesto, very happy about that. I make it, we eat some with pasta for supper and I freeze the rest. I have decided I need to buy compost at Home Depot and incorporate into the beds as I am clearing and replanting them. The best spot in the garden is where the former tenant's compost pile was. That is where the basil is flourishing now for example. I removed the compost pile because I wanted more space for planting. I take all the weeds and spent vegetation home and put out with the yard waste for county pick-up. So I don't have my own compost.

The yields are not what I hope for. It is a small plot and I want as much production as can be coaxed from it. There is an interesting article on techniques to maximize yield at this link:
http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garde ... ble-garden
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Jackielou
Posts: 13395
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:51 pm

Re: Garden update 2016

Post by Jackielou »

Starting to pick lots of tomatoes right now. I noticed however that there are no more flowers forming so I think once these are all picked the season will be over.

The eggplant are starting to produce, but once again the little tag that came with them lied. I got the globe shaped ones, really hard to make into slices to fit in the tinfoil containers for eggplant parma.

Onions are getting really big, pretty soon we will be able to pick them, dry and store for the winter.

Not a whole lot on the cukes anymore, I think the hot weather has gotten to them.

We have been eating corn (plant just enough for meals and not for freezing) and are finding the cobs are smaller than usual.

Potatoes are sort of good, at least we have potatoes to dig. We were worried how after the hail storm they didn't continue flowering and wondered if we would have any at all to harvest.

The storm pretty much set everything back, and I really don't think we will be getting the amount we are used to from this years garden.
Jackie
http://inthelandofthelivingskiesii.blogspot.ca/
dlrcpa
Posts: 1546
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:45 am

Re: Garden update 2016

Post by dlrcpa »

New tactic - hang around the plot and wait for others to offer out their excess - ha ha.

Someone gave me 2 large yellow squash yesterday. She is a very experienced gardener. My squash look pitiful by comparison. I expect a couple more zucchini and am keeping any eye on them. Cucumbers just starting to produce, 1 every few days so that is OK. Green onions available to pull and use as needed. I hope the parsley thickens up as I was eating that quite late in the year last fall. Pole beans have a few but not impressive yields. Bush beans were all pulled up as they were finished producing. Okra yields 2-3 every few days. I have 1 pumpkin, 1 spaghetti squash as each vine only produced 1 fruit! Overall not too impressive. I hope adding new / purchased soil will improve things next year. I did apply fertilizer when planting, byt apparently that is not the trick needed.
dlrcpa
Posts: 1546
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:45 am

Re: Garden update 2016

Post by dlrcpa »

One cucumber is planted next to the okra. It is quite happy to wind itself around and on the okra plants (which are about waist-high.) That works so well I need to write down to do it that way again next year.

The zucchini are apparently getting blossom rot. When they are just 3-4" long they start rotting on the vine. Frustrating. Also the marigolds are huge and just overwhelm whatever they are planted next to. So next year must not plant marigolds directly in next to vegs. They need to be on the perimeter instead or none at all. Zinnias are very tall and the bees and butterflies love them but they are taking up a lot of space.
Saw a hummingbird around the garden several times. The rufous female I think. Internet says this variety is pretty fearless and it did not seem concerned that I was standing there spraying with the hose.
dlrcpa
Posts: 1546
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:45 am

Re: Garden update 2016

Post by dlrcpa »

I think I will quit trying to salvage the garden. We had 0.87" rain this month and it has been very hot. Nothing is producing and most of the vines are dying. I have watered several times but apparently it's not enough. I got a few okra today and a very small cucumber. I am ready to pull everything up and call it done. Back to shopping for vegs at the store.
If we do get some rain in September I may plant lettuce.
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