Garden Thread 2012

[Tornado2dr]

I don't know where the old Garden Thread went, I looked

I've got lettuce coming up, tomatos growing, beans going, etc...i'll put a picture up later. Show your veggie gardens and your home-grown produce!

[deepspeed12]

We have got 6 large cedar raised beds this year with a ton of stuff planted. There isn't really much to show yet, but when everything starts coming up I will post some pics.

[Surf Green]

Our setup. 7' x 25'. Have seeds starting inside.

Tomatos, Radishes, Cucumbers, Beets, Stringbeans, Peas, and some other stuff.

Mint and Parsley from last year in the small planter. Winter didn't seem to bother it.

[Egilbe]

I just mowed my lawn for the first time. It's not quite garden time here

[Tornado2dr]

here we go:

[Kameirocco]

here are my starters

nothing on the garden yet, still gotta build it well... wait till it's warmer!

[unimogken]

Too much work to do in the garden! Argh!
I need to build a couple more boxes and get many loads of dirt to fill them up.
The starters we have going will be outgrowing their peat pots here soon!

My hops are growing like crazy already!

[Kameirocco]

My hops are growing like crazy already!

this was a few weeks ago, need to get an updated pic

[unimogken]

Looks good!
Mine are over 2 feet tall with no support yet! Argh!
I hated my trellis last year and haven't made one yet!
I need to get motivated.

[Tornado2dr]

I just mowed my lawn for the first time. It's not quite garden time here

haha. I always forget how lucky we are here with the long growing season - plus, it has been unseasonably warm for weeks and weeks. That lettuce to the left of my bed is only 1.5-2wks from seeds.

[nobbyv]

Bought my own tiller this weekend and tilled the garden last night. I returned the $200 Powermate from Home Depot; that thing didn't have enough power for even my already-established garden. Bought this instead:

http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-Ou...&storeId=10051

The Cub Cadet works great; wish it went a little deeper (8" max) but churned through my garden no problem. Will make mixing in compost, fertilizer, etc. much easier.

Also (finally) picked up a soil test kit; this year I'm going to actually see where my pH and N/P/K levels are. If anyone's interested, this one was tested by some grad students out at UC-Davis and was quite accurate compared to pro labs. Only cost $18 at my local Ace Hardware, and includes 40 tests for that price.

http://www.amazon.com/Luster-Leaf-16.../dp/B0000DI845

Trying something new in my garden this year: trellis's galore. I'm going to trellis my cukes, honeydew and cantelope. Hoping it leaves me some space to walk in between, rather than having 200 square feet of vines where I'm in danger of crushing something with each step.

[Kameirocco]

finally grabbed some new pics of the hops

cascade


northern brewer

[DesertJets]

I did a round of planting at the beginning of April on a gorgeous 80 degree day, only to have it snow two days later. Luckily everything was in containers -- however two of my three tomato plants fell victim to my cats in the middle of their second night inside . I was pissed.

But got some more stuff and did another trip to the nursery last weekend.

In my 3'x'4' planting bed I have 4 broccoli plants from the first planting in the beginning of April, 4 new green beans that will trellis up the courtyard wall and a Big Jim green chile. In containers I have a big boy tomato, black cherry tomato and Kellogg tomato. Up on my courtyard wall I have two window box planters one with dill and oregano and the other with garlic chive and cilantro. And in two 6" containers I have basil.

I have more space to play with, I build platforms for the block wall to place planters on. But I'll avoid going to the nursery for a few weeks.... it is an awfully easy place to spend money you don't have.

[smittyATL]

Lettuce (4 varieties), beets, kale, parsnips, and Swiss chard are still kicking from Fall.

It got a little too hot for Brussels sprouts and collards, though this spring was the best Brussels (planted in September) harvest I've ever had. Turnips have been gone for a couple months now.

Got three colors (green, yellow, purple) of pole beans on a fence attached to 4x4 posts, about 24 feet of fence. Plants are a couple inches tall now. Got about 10 feet of fence growing snow peas. They're flowering now. Sugar snaps have yet to flower.

For the summer, I've got 35 tomato plants I started from seed in mid-February. Three 67' rows already planted. Next three 67' rows have a variety of summer squash, winter squash, cucumber, and melon.

I've got about 6-7 varieties of eggplant and pepper I started in mid-March from seed that are already transplanted into 4" pots. These will go in the ground by mid-May.

Anyone want to buy some heirloom tomatoes or peppers/eggplants in ATL?


Tomatoes include:

Black Zebra Heirloom Tomato (2-inch round fruits with a red-mahogany color and dark stripes, a fantastic sweet/acid flavor)
Blondkopfchen Heirloom Tomato (German for 'little blond girl," 1/2-inch, sweet & tangy golden cherries)
Box Car Willie Heirloom Tomato A slightly flattened New Jersey variety by Joe Bratka's father. Produces 10 to 16-ounce, smooth, bright-red with an orange tinge. These excellent tasting tomatoes are very juicy and because they are so dependably tasty and abundant throughout the season, Box Car Willie is a staple in many home gardens. Good resistance to disease and cracking.
Brandywine OTV Heirloom Tomato (1-lb, bright red, slightly fluted on top, with beautiful flavor and texture)
Costoluto Genovese Heirloom Tomato Italian, heat-loving, heirloom tomato that has been enjoyed for many generations along the Mediterranean. Large, deep-red fruits have a singularly fluted profile, are deeply ridged, and heavily lobed. Meaty, full-flavored, slightly tart, and delicious. Because of its scalloped edges, perfect for use in an arrangement of different colored sliced tomatoes. Makes a rich and pungent pasta sauce.
Garden Peach Heirloom Tomato Small 2 oz. delicate and meaty fruit. Really does have a peach color outside. Hint of red inside. Very mild-sweet taste. Light fuzz on fruit and leaves. A very pretty novelty tomato.
Hillbilly Heirloom Tomato (old 1-2 lb., W. VA beefsteak, yellow with red streaks with lots of sweet flavors)
Julia Child Heirloom Tomato (Potato-leaf plant producing lots of 4-inch, deep-pink, lightly-fluted, beefsteak fruits with robust, tomatoey flavors)
Orange Strawberry Heirloom Tomato (3-inch, bright orange, oxheart with tropical fruity taste)
Paul Robeson Heirloom Tomato (Russian, 8-oz, dark purple, big, rich tomatoey taste)
Aussie Tomato - (Large Australian heirloom plant producing big yields of (1-2 lb.) red, meaty, beefsteak tomatoes that are somewhat ribbed. Delicious, bold tomatoey flavors. Good disease resistance. A show tomato! Indeterminate. 85 Days)
Black Cherry Tomato - (Abundant crops of 1", deep mahogany-brown fruits. The only round, truly black cherry we've found. Fruits are irresistibly delicious with sweet, complex, full flavors. Indeterminate. 64 Days)
Black Krim Tomato - (Russian. 5" slightly flattened, mahogany-colored fruit with deep green shoulders. Fantastic taste. Indeterminate. 75 Days)
Brandywine, Suddath's Strain Tomato - (Prolific potato leaf plant producing 1-2 lb. large, pink fruit. This strain is believed to be the original Brandywine. Excellent flavor! Indeterminate. 85 Days)
Dagma's Perfection Tomato - (An abundant producer of 12 oz., slightly flattened, pale-yellow fruits with delicate, light red striping. Deliciously flavorful with overtones of tropical fruit. Firm, juicy and elegant in the mouth, and jewel-like in appearance. Indeterminate. 73 Days)
Flamme Tomato - (Prolific French heirloom that bears in clusters of 6, beautiful, 1 1/2-inch, round, golf-ball sized tomatoes that are persimmon-orange colored inside and out. A delicious full-bodied flavor that literally bursts in your mouth. Very decorative. Indeterminate. 70 Days)
Green Zebra Tomato - (An exquisite tomato! The 2-inch round fruit ripens to a yellow-gold with dark-green zebra-like stripes. The flesh is lime-emerald in color with an invigorating lemon-lime flavor. Indeterminate. 75 Days.)
Kellogg's Breakfast Tomato - (1 lb., deep orange beefsteak tomatoes that are thin-skinned, meaty, and have a fantastic sweet, tangy flavor. Juice and inside flesh have the same bright orange color as orange juice. Indeterminate. 80 Days)

[Tornado2dr]

Smitty - you need your own thread, you're gonna make us all look bad.

[digga_b]

I've been too busy to do much in the garden. Mostly just weeded from what has grown over the winter. Plan on tilling in some sand this weekend and get some tomatoes and peppers planted. We have been picking strawberries for the last week though, which is incredibly early for this area. Of course I have never found Morels in March here either. Almost a full month earlier than normal.

[smittyATL]

Pic with E30 and MKIV in the background.

[PintSized]

Anyone want to buy some heirloom tomatoes or peppers/eggplants in ATL?

Ummm.... Yo! I only got room for two tomato plants. Always can use some more

[Tornado2dr]

Update for today:

Um...wife has been neglecting the picking of lettuce on the left:


Cherry tomatos...soon, soon. My daughter is already asking about these. She likes to eat them right off the vine.



edit: sorry about the first pic...forgot to rotate i guess

[smittyATL]

Ummm.... Yo! I only got room for two tomato plants. Always can use some more

Sorry, all SOLD!



Tornado...

Damn, you already got cherry tomatoes?

When did you plant those things?

I thought 4/15 would be good, but probably could have planted in early March with the Spring we had.

[Tornado2dr]

Sorry, all SOLD!



Tornado...

Damn, you already got cherry tomatoes?
.

Last few days of march? I did plants for the tomatoes. If they were from seeds I would neglect, etc.
I think the first ones will be ready for picking next week. It has been so warm that I just said screw it, and got going early. We've also got Swiss chard that should be ready soon, and cucumbers that are beginning to flower.

[Tornado2dr]

Thanks to whoever fixed my pic!

[Tornado2dr]

Tomatos still not ready to pic - I don't know what I was thinking.

However- the first batch of green beans are in and were delicious. My wife planted way too many seeds, so we have tons of beans and have already given a bunch out:


They are much more "dense" than the average fresh green beans from the store. Seems more substantial and less water. I like that - i've gotta double check the variety and make sure to get the same for next year.

We also already picked a few cucumbers, but they were made into a cucumber salad and put into something else(like our bellies) before I could snap any pictures. Squash and Zucchini seem to be going along fine.

[smittyATL]

Got tons of yellow squash and cucumber now. Picked a few black beauty zucchini, acorn squash and a trumpet zucchini. Spaghetti squash and butternut are filling in. No pumpkins or melons yet. Got a volunteer squash/melon/something--can't wait to see what it turns into.

Just green tomatoes so far. We had plum and cherry to eat this time last year.

Peppers and eggplants are still juvenile looking.

Sugar snaps and snow peas are dead. Most lettuce is dead or gone to seed. Parsnips, beets, and turnips are gone. Yanked Brussels. Leaving collards to see if they come back in the fall. Three year old Swiss chard beasts are doing fine. Kale doesn't look happy.

Basil plants are doing well.

[Tornado2dr]

Basil plants are doing well.

Our basil, mint, chives, and cilantro are going crazy right now. So glad I chose to keep the mint in a pot rather than let it go wild....stuff will spread like crazy.

your plate looks delicious.

[abeR]

yum

[smittyATL]

[JeffIsLax]

I got many more tomatoes this year than last, and they are still producing. That oddball next to the bowl is from a Cherokee Purple heirloom plant. We only got two off of it, but the plant is massive. The buds just shrivel up and fall off, unfortunately.


Look at all of them 'maters by jchal, on Flickr

We also had a good bit of zucchini and squash. Basil, sage, onions, chives, and garlic are fine, but thyme, oregano, and a couple other little herbs are struggling. The pepper plants have not really grown in size much, and I've only gotten a few peppers from each plant at about half size.

[smittyATL]

FINALLY, getting some tomatoes.

Will definitely be doing a row of Wal Mart specials instead of all heirlooms next year. We had tomatoes more than two weeks earlier last year with the same plant date. And this year was warmer.



Flamme', a Black Cherry and two green Costoluto Genovese. They got fried.

[Tornado2dr]

FINALLY, getting some tomatoes.

We're getting a few. Had a beetle issue and they ate a bunch over one night, right before I was going to pick them!

Salsa=good. Waiting on my peppers.(just simple green-bell peppers)

[smittyATL]

Boo yeah!

[JeffIsLax]

I have a question for you garden gurus. My Roma plants have begun growing snowman shaped tomatoes like the picture below. If you look closely at the area between the two segments, there appears to be a brown stitch or zipper like pattern all the way around the tomato. Does anyone know what causes this, and if it is a problem or just a strange mutation that only affects appearance?

[smittyATL]

Saturday haul.

We got lots of tomatoes, though not as many as when we did more hybrids than heirlooms. Ichiban eggplant are doing well and starting to get cubanelle and pablano peppers.

[Tornado2dr]

My tomatoes have been ruined by the recent heat and way too much water.

A couple are starting to pop- but the plants look really sad.

[smittyATL]

My tomatoes have been ruined by the recent heat and way too much water.

A couple are starting to pop- but the plants look really sad.

Do you have yellowing leaves and stems with brown spots?

Fungus is a big problem for tomatoes with hot weather and lots of rain. I've been having problems too, but use a non-systemic fungicide with the trade name Daconil to control it. Spray all the stems and leaves once a week until it clears up. The badly infected stuff will die off and the rest of the plant will flourish. You can speed things up by pruning away badly infected areas.

The good part about a non-systemic fungicide, or pesticide for that matter, is you can wash it off. It doesn't get processed by the plant and transferred to fruit. I have a one gallon sprayer I use strictly for fungicides and pesticides. Herbicides go in a different sprayer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorothalonil