Garden 2020

[Buster Highmen]

All I gotz is a wad of wild buttonberry blooms in the natural part of the west garden.



We've got 11 tomato plants in, around 40 onions, 6 rows of peas, 1 snarl of arugula. The 30+ basil plants are still in pots until the slugs diminish.

On the other hand, got a slew of dahlias, gladiolas and delphiniums started, mostly in pots.

[Mr. Mike]

All I gotz is a wad of wild buttonberry blooms in the natural part of the west garden.



We've got 11 tomato plants in, around 40 onions, 6 rows of peas, 1 snarl of arugula. The 30+ basil plants are still in pots until the slugs diminish.

On the other hand, got a slew of dahlias, gladiolas and delphiniums started, mostly in pots.

30 plus? damn, that's a lot of basil.

[Mr. Mike]

@gravitylover: are those tomatoes growing out of those bags? Never seen that technique. Have you tried it before?

I think I probably have close to 30 tomato plants myself, but 8 are cherries, 6 are paste or plum types, and 4 are dwarves, so a lot of variety. And I mostly grow heirlooms, so they are fussy. You plant 3, 1 goes wild, 1 dies after producing limited fruit, and another is around for months, but only gives up 1 or so per week.

@Norse: beautiful pics.

@ tomato growers: FWIW, to those working tomatoes, read this article today. Have no personal experience: https://www.highmowingseeds.com/blog...omato-trellis/
@ sweet pepper growers: don't give up on them just because of one bad year. Those are some prissy little bitches. I have had years with 4-6 plants yielding a handful of fruit and years with the same number of plants yielding many dozens. If you have the space for it, it's worth trying a few every year. The good years are fun.

[Buster Highmen]

30 plus? damn, that's a lot of basil.

It's the PNW, we get wimpy basil.

[gravitylover]

@gravitylover: are those tomatoes growing out of those bags? Never seen that technique. Have you tried it before?

I think I probably have close to 30 tomato plants myself, but 8 are cherries, 6 are paste or plum types, and 4 are dwarves, so a lot of variety. And I mostly grow heirlooms, so they are fussy. You plant 3, 1 goes wild, 1 dies after producing limited fruit, and another is around for months, but only gives up 1 or so per week.

@ tomato growers: FWIW, to those working tomatoes, read this article today. Have no personal experience: https://www.highmowingseeds.com/blog...omato-trellis/
@ sweet pepper growers: don't give up on them just because of one bad year. Those are some prissy little bitches. I have had years with 4-6 plants yielding a handful of fruit and years with the same number of plants yielding many dozens. If you have the space for it, it's worth trying a few every year. The good years are fun.

I have. Twice it went really well, last year was terrible for the hangers but decent for the ground planted till the squirrels found it. If you use indeterminate varieties it works better because they are supposed to be viney. When the plants are growing they turn up towards the sun but then the tomatoes weigh it down and they're flexible enough to not break off, bush styles are too inflexible and just break off rather than turn down and hang nicely. I gave up on heirlooms, too finicky.

Peppers are a pita, some years are good so I always put in some but always go into it with low expectations.

edit: another 2 hour bug patrol this am, almost no slugs but caterpillars, lotsa caterpillars so I sprayed a whole bunch of this https://www.bonide.com/products/gard...-bug-brew-conc

[Thaleia]

I had mentioned me chasing a rabbit here a week ago.

Just found a nest (hole in the soil with twigs placed on top) with at least four baby bunnies. In the new vegetable garden. For a suburban house our backyard is a bit bigger than most. Tons of space to nest in the grass, various raised flower gardens, bare dirt tract all along the fence, in that shit spot no one goes to behind the tree too close to the fence etc. Nope, right into the veg garden.

[muted]

^^^ Purdy!!


They're small sweet peppers that look like a wrinkled jalapeno. Awesome flavor, very productive plants and easy to grow compare to, say, bell peppers which never seem to get to full size in UT. I've had them as appetizers in a bunch of different Asian restaurants. Not sure I've ever seen them in a grocery store but ethnic places would be a good bet.
We pickled ours with pearl onions and carrots from the garden, it was glorious.

Attachment 330651

I went to Rancho Market today, nothing was labeled shishitos but they had a bunch of peppers that looked like this labeled as sweet peppers. Shit, thanks for the pic, I’ll go back tomorrow and snag some. Is there really only one sweet pepper out there and it’s universally known?

[riser4]

My son had the unfortunate experience of running into a nest in the tall grass with the lawnmower a few weeks ago. One got chopped.

[Thaleia]

Those peppers look like the cheap ass Italian or Greek pickled Peperoncini peppers my old man ate with basically anything.

Riser3 that is gnarly, fuck. That would leave me a bit weird for a few days. Damn.

[gravitylover]

I did that when I was a kid but it was kittens. The mower got 4 before mama jumped out and I pulled back. That sucked.

[Boissal]

Those peppers look like the cheap ass Italian or Greek pickled Peperoncini peppers my old man ate with basically anything.

Riser3 that is gnarly, fuck. That would leave me a bit weird for a few days. Damn.

Agreed, that's heinous, I'd never touch a lawn mower again. Fuck, nothing is cuter than kittens...
Re: pepperoncini, the shishitos are longer, skinnier, and sweeter, not a bit of spice to them.

And as far as sweet peppers go, there are hundreds of varieties out there so "sweet peppers" at the store could be a whole bunch of things.

[Thaleia]

Hopefully I come across some of those pepper plants or seeds, would love to try a more productive type of pepper. I'm in the Toronto area and while I still do peppers each year the yield is somewhat of a joke.

Well our bunny problem lessened by -1 overnight. I had set up a cheap camera by the nest because when we first discovered the nest we didn't know what type of animal it belonged to.

This morning I found a half bunny near the nest. Check the camera:




Our kitties are indoor (well they chill on the patio when we're out there but don't stay out unaccompanied) and I don't know this fellow. Kind of surprised he only took one (that I can tell), or maybe he's planning out his dinners for the next few days.

[Norseman]

Fave sweet pepper is the Corbaci.

https://www.rareseeds.com/store/vege...corbaci-pepper

[cat in january]

Been thick with Rhubarb and rest of garden is starting to come on the Maine Coast

[gravitylover]

It's been really wet and cool here recently and the other day the sun popped out, it shot into 80's and 1/3 of the garden wilted, nearly to the ground. An hour later it clouded over and everything stood back up and another hour later it was like it never happened. Today the same scenario is playing out but they wilted 5 hours earlier when the sun came out. WTF

[getoutside]

It's been really wet and cool here recently and the other day the sun popped out, it shot into 80's and 1/3 of the garden wilted, nearly to the ground. An hour later it clouded over and everything stood back up and another hour later it was like it never happened. Today the same scenario is playing out but they wilted 5 hours earlier when the sun came out. WTF

^^ got back from the uintas last night at 6pm, it was 96 and have a lot of romaine plants (36) and most were all wilted until out of the sun and stood right back up as well. thunderstorm this morning and 20 degrees cooler. right now, the plants must be like "you're stressing me out man". oh yea, and thanks for the captain jacks recommendation.

question for the utah folks since this is my first year, would have to think this unusually warm spring has been very good for your gardens? saw bobmc's lettuce is growing fast. my raised beds are on the west side of the house and only get over 4 hrs of direct sunlight and was curious how that would play out. appears to be dumb ass luck, driven by the favorable weather and randon luck of what i selected to grow, as my 6 kale plants are exploding and have pruned at least 30 leaves for salads. well over 50 leaves from the romaine plants. 7 of 8 cherry tomato plants already showing. no idea about the 8 bell pepper plants but seem to be progressing? carrots and spring onions looking solid. be interested to hear what others are experiencing so far. good luck!

[BobMc]

I’ve grabbed about 40-50 radishes so far, keep planting them all over the garden.



First year doing potatoes, purple and russets. I’m digging the purples, lovely color to the leaves.





Most all of my boxes are doing well. Beets, spinach, successive carrots and a mint I probably shouldn’t have planted in a box.



Peas are flowering and podding up.



Planted carrots galore, the dogs like them as crunchy treats, oregano, onions, beans, beets, rosemary, chives and a nasturtium round out this one.



20 KQ onions.



The six tomatoes are doing well, two sweet 100 cherries, a Mr Stripey, early girl, marzano, and a dx52-12 (hoping that one does well if it’s hot this summer).



Cucumbers, muskmelons, and watermelons are starting to take off.



More KQs and potatoes.



Bugs have been chomping my pumpkins, probably going to have to replant some jack o lantern seeds.



So yeah, things are growing well. Just doing a lot of battling with bugs and birds.

[Norseman]

looking great, bobmc. question: is there any concern with the red dye in the woodchips leaching into the growing beds?


a few shots from tonight's neighborhood garden patrol w/ baby daughter.

[BCMtnHound]

You're easy 2wks ahead of us Bob, great looking beds.
We've got everything planted now, finally getting regular nights in the teens. The first of the wild strawberries are out for their June moon - so sweet. June monsoons so far have been gentle. Plum and apple trees show promise after their bloom, and the grapes vines are reaching nicely.

[Thaleia]

Gad damnit I was not aware rabbits eat their young. That was not something I wanted to see first hand late as hell at night.

[BobMc]

looking great, bobmc. question: is there any concern with the red dye in the woodchips leaching into the growing beds?

Never really thought about it, but the googles tells me the dye is iron oxide, harmless. Although it does seem if your mulch is made with recycled pallets chemicals could leach into your soil. I usually buy the Scotts brand so hopefully I’m good? I like it cause most of that area was grass, it made the battle to clear my pathways a lot easier.

[skifishbum]

strong work kids
nice lens work norse
whatchin drivin hail pelt our spreads not bringin the stokes
least its small diameter and short lived at this point
walls gittin built


harvesting snappers and strawberries
might harvest a few cherries if the birds dont git em all

and lookin green

[gravitylover]

^^ Damn dude that's a farm not a garden. Nice.

^^ got back from the uintas last night at 6pm, it was 96 and have a lot of romaine plants (36) and most were all wilted until out of the sun and stood right back up as well. thunderstorm this morning and 20 degrees cooler. right now, the plants must be like "you're stressing me out man". oh yea, and thanks for the captain jacks recommendation.

question for the utah folks since this is my first year, would have to think this unusually warm spring has been very good for your gardens? saw bobmc's lettuce is growing fast. my raised beds are on the west side of the house and only get over 4 hrs of direct sunlight and was curious how that would play out. appears to be dumb ass luck, driven by the favorable weather and random luck of what i selected to grow, as my 6 kale plants are exploding and have pruned at least 30 leaves for salads. well over 50 leaves from the romaine plants. 7 of 8 cherry tomato plants already showing. no idea about the 8 bell pepper plants but seem to be progressing? carrots and spring onions looking solid. be interested to hear what others are experiencing so far. good luck!

Same thing happened again today, perked back up after just a few minutes of shade and stayed good until the sun went behind the trees to the west. Yeah I had to go back and respray a bunch of stuff again this morning but with it so wet I'm not surprised. It did a pretty great job though considering how quickly it hit and how few bugs there were left by late this morning.

I borrowed a pole saw this morning and eliminated all of the low branches and gave some of the beds another 2-3 hours of sun a day. That won't be a bad thing.

@BobMc with the killer setup! Good stuff man.

[Norseman]

Never really thought about it, but the googles tells me the dye is iron oxide, harmless. Although it does seem if your mulch is made with recycled pallets chemicals could leach into your soil. I usually buy the Scotts brand so hopefully I’m good? I like it cause most of that area was grass, it made the battle to clear my pathways a lot easier.

Word.

[Norseman]

Dibs, your garden is looking great.