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Posted: 4/23/2014 8:57:25 AM EDT
This is the 3rd year with my gardening experiment.  The first year I put in shallow raised beds made from recycled material that was supposed to last forever.  I made 2 vertical beds on each side of the patio, and one horizontal bed in front.  Apparently in the south forever is about 1 season provided you don't hit them with a lawnmower, so year 2 I rebuilt them in concrete using the "go large or go home" theory.  The new beds are about 30 inches tall and a heck of a lot less work to plant.  They also seem to hold heat a lot better in winter.  

This bed still has the spring lettuce in it.  I have t posts in and this weekend I will pick up cattle panels.  The plan is for tomatillos, butternut squash, and melon in the front of the bed, and green beans and cucumber to use the cattle panel trellis in the back


Cabbage still going from spring.   I planted the okra seeds already in the bed, I will cut the cabbage once it has matured.


A stalk of the asparagus I planted last year next to my thumb.  I'm 6 feet tall with fairly large hands; This may be the thickest asparagus I have ever seen, and it's only it's second year!


A block of asparagus from last year with raspberries planted last month.  Since the asparagus comes up before the raspberries (thornless) leaf out I hope to harvest both.  We'll see how it goes.  If it fails dismally I will see if the asparagus can live on the north side of the house.  


The center bed over-view.  Asparagus down the middle, with blackberries and raspberries along the outside every 4 feet.  The strawberries that were in part of the bed are now resting in planter boxes on the lip.


Spring broccoli coming along nicely.  Once they come out sweet potatoes are going in here
Link Posted: 4/23/2014 9:02:50 AM EDT
[#1]
This corner has beets from spring and summer squash just starting.  I used tree compost for the summer squash seedlings and it was apparently missing some nutrients since they are yellowish.  Hopefully they will perk up now that they are in the beds.


Spinach from spring interplanted with peppers and herbs for the summer garden.  I should be able to cut the spinach in the next week or so.  All of my spring crops grew really slowly this year, and are a good bit behind based on last year.  


Sweet yellow onions.  We have a  long season in SC so I hope to let these finish (however long that takes) and still get a half-season of something else, such as butternut squash.
Link Posted: 4/23/2014 9:52:40 AM EDT
[#2]
Awesome!



I really like the concrete raised beds vs. the wood... I'm going to have to keep an eye on CLIST to find me some of those affordable :D
Link Posted: 4/23/2014 10:19:17 AM EDT
[#3]
Thanks!  They work pretty good at just 1 block tall as well and it's a lot cheaper to build.  They're also cheaper to fill up that way.  I'm lazy and liked the easy-access height.  
Link Posted: 4/23/2014 1:25:02 PM EDT
[#4]
How many beds do you have?

Interesting pics.

TRG
Link Posted: 4/23/2014 1:48:07 PM EDT
[#5]
Nice.  What's the lowdown on your drip irrigation?
Link Posted: 4/23/2014 5:47:49 PM EDT
[#6]
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Quoted:
How many beds do you have?

Interesting pics.

TRG
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I have 5 - all that will fit in my little suburban lot.  4 are for annual veggies, the 5 is for perennials and holds asparagus, blackberries, and raspberries.  The beds are 4ft x 16ft.
Link Posted: 4/23/2014 5:52:57 PM EDT
[#7]
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Nice.  What's the lowdown on your drip irrigation?
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I have 2 rain barrels, one on each downspout.  I raised them with 2 sets of blocks and they are gravity fed to drip lines.  The whole thing was cobbled together from stuff at Lowe's.  Here are some pics from last year when I set them up.






Link Posted: 4/23/2014 6:28:16 PM EDT
[#8]
Wow. I really like the concrete bed idea. I may have to try this with some berry plants.


Tag for future pics.
Link Posted: 4/23/2014 9:41:09 PM EDT
[#9]
very nice.


did you fill the blocks with concrete? or how are they held in place?
Link Posted: 4/23/2014 10:41:43 PM EDT
[#10]
How long does a drum last you and how much does it need to be elevated to get enough pressure?  That may help me avoid 200 feet of dedicated hose or trenching a line in.
Link Posted: 4/24/2014 8:16:04 AM EDT
[#11]
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Quoted:
very nice.


did you fill the blocks with concrete? or how are they held in place?
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Thank you.  We filled every other block for stability for the beds that are 3 blocks high, and dug them about 1/4 block into the ground in order to level them.  The perennial bed is only 2 block high (+cap block).  It does not have concrete in the holes but it's only filled about 1/2 way.  The leveling was the pain in the butt part, after that it went quick and easy.  I have plans to glue the caps down with masonry glue in the future.
Link Posted: 4/24/2014 8:23:50 AM EDT
[#12]
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Quoted:
How long does a drum last you and how much does it need to be elevated to get enough pressure?  That may help me avoid 200 feet of dedicated hose or trenching a line in.
View Quote


I get about 2 good waterings out of a barrel, and each barrel is set to cover 2 4ftx16ft beds.  The water will flow until the level in the barrel matches the level of the soaker hose.  For me that leaves about a foot of water in each barrel, which helps keep them from being blown over by the wind.  

I got my barrels already set up with mesh covers on the top and spigots on the bottom from the local feed store.  I think they ran me about 75$/ea.  I think they are 50gal old olive barrels.   I don't know how much pressure you would lose in a long run, since my beds are only 16ft each.  

I also used quick-connectors so I can unclick everything and flip it out of the way when mowing the grass.  There are quick connectors to the barrel at the bottom for the drip line, and at the top to match the hose connector if I choose to refill them manually.

Link Posted: 4/24/2014 9:39:02 AM EDT
[#13]
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Quoted:
very nice.


did you fill the blocks with concrete? or how are they held in place?
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From what I can tell is that the blocks are landscaping bricks. They are already solid. They have grooves cut on the top and bottom so the rows fit nice and snug. Masonry glue can be used but is not necessary. Something like this.

Edit: Just saw the OP's post, nevermind
Link Posted: 4/24/2014 3:52:07 PM EDT
[#14]
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Quoted:



From what I can tell is that the blocks are landscaping bricks. They are already solid. They have grooves cut on the top and bottom so the rows fit nice and snug. Masonry glue can be used but is not necessary. Something like this.

Edit: Just saw the OP's post, nevermind
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Quoted:
Quoted:
very nice.


did you fill the blocks with concrete? or how are they held in place?



From what I can tell is that the blocks are landscaping bricks. They are already solid. They have grooves cut on the top and bottom so the rows fit nice and snug. Masonry glue can be used but is not necessary. Something like this.

Edit: Just saw the OP's post, nevermind


-I did cap them with solid blocks to dress them up a bit.  That is probably what you are seeing.
Link Posted: 4/26/2014 6:10:47 PM EDT
[#15]
Are the beds filled to the bottom with dirt, or something else?  What did you line the bottoms of the beds with?
Link Posted: 4/27/2014 6:29:44 PM EDT
[#16]
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Are the beds filled to the bottom with dirt, or something else?  What did you line the bottoms of the beds with?
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I left the bottom of the beds open - we get a ton of rain here and I wanted them to drain out the bottom.  Since it was so deep I didn't worry about weed fabric either, and haven't had any problems in the last 2 years.  If it had been shallower I would have added weed fabric at the bottom.  I filled them with compost from the dump - 25$/cu yard, and that got a bit expensive.  If I had to do it again and wanted to take the time I would have filled the bottom with yard waste, shredded paper, etc, and allowed it to compost in place.  The nice thing is since it's really high in hummus from the all compost it acts like a sponge to hold a ton of water between rains, and drains beautifully once it has absorbed all it can hold.
Link Posted: 4/27/2014 6:48:24 PM EDT
[#17]
Update - The blue, yellow, white and black strawberry seeds all have germinated.  I just got the seeds for the blue ones in and planted them a day or so ago, so we'll so how that goes.  So far germinating is taking a week or two for all varieties.  I don't know if the different colors will taste different, but if I'm going to grow something I might as well grow something I can't get otherwise.  Wish me luck!  If they do well they will have a permanent home in window boxes along the top of bed 5.

The rhubarb is still alive on the north side of the house.  If it survives the summer I will dig a small bed beside the house and plant it permanently.  The artichoke seeds I got haven't germinated yet but if/when they do I will try them over there as well.  I am trying to avoid having the potted plants take over the patio by finding homes for anything that proves itself worth it and getting rid of the ones that fail.  It's a tough kind of love, but I only have so much space.  

Next week the sweet potato slips should arrive, and it will be the first year for trying those;  I am planting Bush sweet potatoes - both Vardaman and Porto Rico.   If they do well I will probably plant them again next year.  I will try to update the pics every 2 weeks or so on the garden progress.
Link Posted: 4/28/2014 10:12:49 AM EDT
[#18]
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Next week the sweet potato slips should arrive, and it will be the first year for trying those;  I am planting Bush sweet potatoes - both Vardaman and Porto Rico.   If they do well I will probably plant them again next year.  I will try to update the pics every 2 weeks or so on the garden progress.
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Mine went in last week.  About 85% of mine seem to have begun rooting properly.  Where did you order your sets?

TRG
Link Posted: 4/28/2014 11:23:19 AM EDT
[#19]
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Mine went in last week.  About 85% of mine seem to have begun rooting properly.  Where did you order your sets?

TRG
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R.H. Shumway.  They have a bush sweet potato combo of the 2, and the smallest quantity of more than 1 variety I could find.  Since I don't have a ton of room (I love the amount of space you have, nice job!) I didn't want to order too many.  How easy did you find it to carry them over from year to year?  I am hoping to only buy them once, and re-seed next year from this years crop.
Link Posted: 4/28/2014 11:28:44 AM EDT
[#20]
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Quoted:


R.H. Shumway.  They have a bush sweet potato combo of the 2, and the smallest quantity of more than 1 variety I could find.  Since I don't have a ton of room (I love the amount of space you have, nice job!) I didn't want to order too many.  How easy did you find it to carry them over from year to year?  I am hoping to only buy them once, and re-seed next year from this years crop.
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Mine went in last week.  About 85% of mine seem to have begun rooting properly.  Where did you order your sets?

TRG


R.H. Shumway.  They have a bush sweet potato combo of the 2, and the smallest quantity of more than 1 variety I could find.  Since I don't have a ton of room (I love the amount of space you have, nice job!) I didn't want to order too many.  How easy did you find it to carry them over from year to year?  I am hoping to only buy them once, and re-seed next year from this years crop.



I stored mine, unwashed, in an old fridge.  Rats or mice found them and removed 25% of the tubers.  

I did not have too many problems starting them from the leftovers.  The main problem for me was timing the growth of the sprouts to my outdoor soil temps.

I had sprouts ready to go in March, and since I thought I knew better than science ... I planted too early in soil that was too cool.  It stunted the crop and the weakened plants just languished.  I had a pitiful harvest as a result.

I plan to carry over a crop this winter and try again to restart my plantings next year from my own sets.  

So, easy to store, easy to regrow, pay attention to soil temps to time your sprouts properly.

TRG
Link Posted: 5/7/2014 9:42:00 AM EDT
[#21]
The garden is coming along nicely.  I have 4 16'x4' beds that I generally plant in blocks of 4'x4' for ease of planning.   I also have a 5th bed I use for perennials.  With 2 beds on each side of the patio and the 5th in front it forms a kind of inner court-yard in the summer right outside the kitchen door.  Okay, I admit, in a quarter acre lot EVERYTHING is right outside the kitchen door.  I still can't decide if the effect is a brilliant piece of privacy in the suburbs or a little confining, but it is definitely convenient and peaceful.  Anyway, on with the update pics!

The first 2 blocks of bed1 were planted in onion sets back in March; they are just started to form bulb shapes.


Bed 1 block 3 is a variety of different peppers, and block4 is a bunch of herbs (basil, thyme, terragon, sage & dill)


Bed 2 block 1:The beets should be ready to come out about the time that the summer squash starts to really spread.  There is a volunteer purple potato that I am still deciding whether to leave or pull.


Bed2, block2&3 - Sweet potatos!  Vardaman (left) and Porto Rico bush variety (right).  It's my first year trying these so we will see how it goes.


Bed2, block4:  Zucchini.  This got off to a slow start but is finally starting to pick up.


Bed3, block1.  The cabbage should come out by the end of May, and Okra is going in.


Bed3, block2-4:  Tomatoes!  A mix of roma and beefsteak.  I had some decent success last year using 6 ft fence posts and tying the main stem to them, so I am doing it again this year.  I also planted in a zig-zag pattern for better airflow and harvesting this time.  The big round leaves you see are mustard that I am leaving to see if I get seeds out of it.



All of bed 4.  The lettuce is still going strong (buttercrunch down in the front, salad bowl in the back).  This will become tomatillas and melon on the ground and pole beans and cucumbers up the trellis.  I used cattle panels from Tractor Supply (20$)  and some 6 ft fence posts I am re-using from last year.



Bed 5 blackberries.  I have decided to try interplanting asparagus with the blackberries - we will see how it goes next year:

Link Posted: 5/11/2014 12:27:32 PM EDT
[#22]
Well, so far I have pulled 3 stuffed grocery bags full of spinach, and a lousy half-bag of turnips out of the garden.   The lettuce grew so well I ended up composting most of it.  Of the spring planting the cabbage is still in the ground but doing decently, and I have a pitiful amount of beets that are almost ready to pull.  Next year I will plant a lot less lettuce.  

Does anyone have any decent recipes for turnips?  This whole gardening endeavor started out as a way to try to eat more veggies, on the logic I was more likely to eat something really fresh than choke down crap in a can.   That being said so far I still haven't found a way I like turnips much, although the only way I know to cook the silly things is boiled and mashed.  They grow well here and they are pretty good glycemic-wise, so I'd like to find a way to make them palatable but if I don't come up with a way soon I am just going to give up on growing the silly things.  Any suggestions from the hive?
Link Posted: 5/11/2014 5:36:05 PM EDT
[#23]
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Quoted:

They grow well here and they are pretty good glycemic-wise, so I'd like to find a way to make them palatable but if I don't come up with a way soon I am just going to give up on growing the silly things.  Any suggestions from the hive?
View Quote



Dice them.  Pan fry in bacon grease like country style potatoes.

I am not a huge fan of turnips, but, they are one of the things that I can grow like crazy around here.  

Shred them.  Add them in to egg/chicken/tuna salad in lieu of carrots.  

TRG
Link Posted: 5/11/2014 7:16:19 PM EDT
[#24]
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Quoted:



Dice them.  Pan fry in bacon grease like country style potatoes.

I am not a huge fan of turnips, but, they are one of the things that I can grow like crazy around here.  

Shred them.  Add them in to egg/chicken/tuna salad in lieu of carrots.  

TRG
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Quoted:
Quoted:

They grow well here and they are pretty good glycemic-wise, so I'd like to find a way to make them palatable but if I don't come up with a way soon I am just going to give up on growing the silly things.  Any suggestions from the hive?



Dice them.  Pan fry in bacon grease like country style potatoes.

I am not a huge fan of turnips, but, they are one of the things that I can grow like crazy around here.  

Shred them.  Add them in to egg/chicken/tuna salad in lieu of carrots.  

TRG


I will try to dice and fry option.  They usually grow like crazy and are supposed to be pretty good for you.  Thanks for the suggestion.
Link Posted: 5/18/2014 10:18:54 AM EDT
[#25]
Giving this a bump since I'm considering a cinder block garden. Any lessons learned about using that material? I'm in Texas, so heat & water are concerns, but I've also heard cinder block can make soil more alkaline which would be bad since I'm already pretty far in that direction (pre-ammendments).
Link Posted: 5/18/2014 8:06:10 PM EDT
[#26]
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Giving this a bump since I'm considering a cinder block garden. Any lessons learned about using that material? I'm in Texas, so heat & water are concerns, but I've also heard cinder block can make soil more alkaline which would be bad since I'm already pretty far in that direction (pre-ammendments).
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On lessons learned, concrete raised beds drain well.  In SC this is good.  In Texas you may have water issues and may want to consider putting something in the bottom to reduce drainage, and if you are making it more than 1 block deep putting non-pressure treated scrap wood in the bottom to serve as a hugelculture-esque water sponge.  

I live in a nice neighborhood and don't have a high expectations of break-ins, but you may want to consider that concrete blocks can be used to break windows were someone inclined to larceny, and plan to glue them down with construction adhesive.

I haven't noticed any alkalinity issues with the cinder blocks so far (2 years in).  If you are concerned there are things you can add to your soil to acidify it though.  What I did for the top 6 inches was to fill it with a mix of back kow composted manure and peat moss (slightly acidic).  I did not till it in based on the no-till theory that nutrients will leach down anyway with normal rain action.  If you go this way I would suggest adding ground up tums and eggshells - my tomatoes had some problems initially with calcium deficiency.

The beds don't seem to get too hot in the summer (we get in the 90's here pretty routinely, with high humidity).  In the winter they seem to extend the season a bit.

Hope this helps.  As always, YMMV.
Link Posted: 5/19/2014 8:09:33 AM EDT
[#27]
That asparagus is amazing!

We're elated when our three yr. old asparagus get "almost" pinky sized
Link Posted: 5/19/2014 1:13:14 PM EDT
[#28]
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That asparagus is amazing!

We're elated when our three yr. old asparagus get "almost" pinky sized
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:)  Thanks!  I let that one grow just to see - it's about 10 feet tall now if you stretch it out (it kind of arcs over otherwise)
Link Posted: 5/19/2014 1:58:45 PM EDT
[#29]
Well, all the spring items in the garden really lagged this year, I'm guessing from the cold.  Once the warm weather hit they all started growing at once leaving me with way to much lettuce to eat, and a hard time even giving it away.  I gave up and pulled them.  In the line of a murder of crows and a conspiracy of ravens, here is a decimation of lettuce....


They did come out nicely, just too many of them at once:


I pulled the cabbage; they were a bit small but it was starting to get hot out.  They met a tragic fate as a swack of cole slaw and 7 quart jars of chow-chow.


The onions are  looking good:


Peppers are coming along:


Herbs:


Zucchini is coming along.  I had some stink bugs hiding on it.  I tried fabreze to no effect then tried watered down dish soap, which did the trick...haven't seen them in almost a week now.


The vardeman sweet potatoes are having issues (sorry about the crappy pic).  They have an issue with bronze/burnt looking patches, and curled up malformed leaves.  Whatever it is, it is leaving the porto ricos alone.  Does anybody know what is causing this?




Link Posted: 5/20/2014 8:24:45 AM EDT
[#30]
Harvest year to date:
12 grocery bags of lettuce (I wasted a lot of this - due to the weather it all came in at once)
2 grocery bags of turnips and greens (1 night's worth of pan-fried turnips and greens)
1 grocery bag of beets (1 night's greens plus a jar of pickled beets)
7 heads of cabbage (6 shown plus 1 harvested earlier.)  (This translated into a large batch of coleslaw, 2 nights of fried cabbage, and 7 quarts of chow-chow)
10 heads of broccoli (they were small, so only a few nights of dinner sides for my family)
2 grocery bags of spinach (shared with friends)
About 1.5 lbs of asparagus

Spring planting still in the ground:
3 large mustard plants (left them to go to seed)
16 sq ft of onions
A few beets that were undersized when I harvested the rest.

I am trying to see how much I can produce out of my 5 (4'16') beds this year, so we'll see how it goes.
Link Posted: 5/27/2014 11:47:26 AM EDT
[#31]
I picked my first full-sized onion today:  a 7oz bulb that will show up in tonight's dinner.  I have started recording the weight on what I pull out to see exactly how much produce I am using from the garden.  The plan is to use this when I decide what to plant next year based on how much it produced, how well that produce kept, and how much was wasted or given away.  Well, that and to see if next year I can beat this year's numbers.  

Is anyone else tracking productivity per sq ft? Based on casual observation last year my most productive annuals were:
tomatoes
zucchini
summer squash
cucumbers
butternut squash
pole beans
peppers - especially the jalapeños and banana peppers.  
basil
Based on this, they all made the cut this year.  

Things that disappointed and were not re-planted:
peanuts
acorn squash
watermelon
corn
bush beans

Link Posted: 5/27/2014 1:25:15 PM EDT
[#32]

OP, I love seeing the variety in gardens like you have.  There is always something growing or being harvested.
Link Posted: 5/27/2014 9:03:20 PM EDT
[#33]
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OP, I love seeing the variety in gardens like you have.  There is always something growing or being harvested.
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Thanks.    I try to keep something growing year round, although they don't get much larger between October and February.  I don't have a lot of space so I entertain myself trying to see how far I can stretch the space I have.
Link Posted: 5/29/2014 2:41:18 PM EDT
[#34]
This week's harvest:

Some swiss chard.  This was planted for spring and everything that came up on-time died in a cold snap.  These little suckers apparently knew better and popped up late:


I'd never had this before and cooked it up with some garlic-infused butter, and sprinkled it with some parmesean cheese.  It was pretty tasty.  The folks calling it cold tolerant lied like cheap rugs, but it WAS tasty.  I may plant this again since the pests don't seem to both it.


The first onion of the season.  This is fairly decent sized and the bulb came out to 6 oz.


I planted some red onions in the fall that didn't do much of anything all winter.  I ended up having to move them, which is probably why they are mostly stem.  I am missing the picture somehow but there were 4 decent-sized bulbs, totaling 16 oz.  I figure they will make an excellent addition to some cole slaw.


Link Posted: 5/29/2014 2:53:28 PM EDT
[#35]
Progress:

Here are the other onions in the bed I harvested the first one from; they are doing fairly well but I am leaving them in the hope they will get even larger:


The tomatillas are going like gangbusters.  No fruit yet, but based on the flowers they could end up being very productive, and don't seem to mind the heat as much as the tomatoes.  Salsa verde for all!


This is my leftover volunteer mustard from spring, getting larger than I realized they would get.  I have decided I do not like the taste of mustard greens AT ALL, so if it makes a bunch of seeds next year I will just grow one plant, in a pot.


One of the 5 tomato plants.  Some of them seem to have a virus causing the leaves and stems to curl.  Hopefully I won't lose them but we will see how it goes.  I have some backups in pots on the patio if these all die, since I over-produced seedlings this spring.


The summer squash has just started producing.  If I can keep the squash vine borers from getting them this year there should be a bounty of squash.


Something is definitely eating the sweet potatoes but I don't see them on the plant and I don't want to poison the soil since this is a root crop so I am hoping the plants will outgrow the pests.


The zucchini also looks like it should be producing shortly.  Hopefully there will be grilled zucchini planks on the menu shortly.


And, finally, the peppers and herbs are trucking right along, with the dill already flowering, so there should be seeds in short order.
Link Posted: 5/29/2014 6:48:23 PM EDT
[#36]
Link Posted: 5/29/2014 6:54:51 PM EDT
[#37]
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Looking good.  If you want to keep your chard going, you can just harvest a few leaves from each plant and they will grow back.
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Lettuce as well.  Trim them about 1-2" tall and the plant will regrow.

TRG
Link Posted: 5/29/2014 8:54:29 PM EDT
[#38]
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Lettuce as well.  Trim them about 1-2" tall and the plant will regrow.

TRG
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Looking good.  If you want to keep your chard going, you can just harvest a few leaves from each plant and they will grow back.



Lettuce as well.  Trim them about 1-2" tall and the plant will regrow.

TRG



Thanks guys!  Do either of you know if chard bolts in the heat?
Link Posted: 5/29/2014 9:54:14 PM EDT
[#39]
Link Posted: 5/30/2014 1:01:31 PM EDT
[#40]
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Its actually a pretty resilient green.  It can take a frost and survive a pretty rough summer as long as you keep it watered.  I've grown it through summer here in AZ and it didn't bolt on me.
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I may try that next year; just plant a couple of them and let them stay all summer.  Thx!
Link Posted: 6/3/2014 2:23:24 PM EDT
[#41]
Today's harvest: 20oz zucchini and 36oz onion bulbs.  
This is the first of the zucchini, and less than half the onions to bring the onion total up to 60oz so far this season.  The onions were only about tennis ball sized but I didn't want to leave them too long after the tops folded over.   Looking around we should be getting summer squash, tomatillas, blueberries and blackberries in the next week or so.
Link Posted: 6/3/2014 2:35:07 PM EDT
[#42]
About those stinkbugs... it is not Febreeze that kills them..

Mr. Clean w New Zealand Scent Febreeze is the killer.

TRG
Link Posted: 6/3/2014 2:57:18 PM EDT
[#43]
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Quoted:
About those stinkbugs... it is not Febreeze that kills them..

Mr. Clean w New Zealand Scent Febreeze is the killer.

TRG
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Good to know.  I tried fabreeze alone earlier - I think I saw them washing their armpits in the stuff.  Then I followed up with a bit of dishwashing liquid in water and they died.  
Link Posted: 6/5/2014 12:19:15 PM EDT
[#44]
I harvested more onions and zucchini today, and the first of the summer squash.  If the vine borers don't get the plants we should start being buried alive in zucchini and summer squash any day now.  Has anyone personally tried any canning recipes for either of these that they can vouch for?  Most of the canning recipes I have seen don't sound very appealing, and I know enough non-gardeners I can always give away the excess if need be.
Link Posted: 6/5/2014 1:12:07 PM EDT
[#45]
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Quoted:


Good to know.  I tried fabreeze alone earlier - I think I saw them washing their armpits in the stuff.  Then I followed up with a bit of dishwashing liquid in water and they died.  
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Quoted:
Quoted:
About those stinkbugs... it is not Febreeze that kills them..

Mr. Clean w New Zealand Scent Febreeze is the killer.

TRG


Good to know.  I tried fabreeze alone earlier - I think I saw them washing their armpits in the stuff.  Then I followed up with a bit of dishwashing liquid in water and they died.  



The soapy water and Mr. Clean are both surfactants and change the surface tension of the water in the spray.  It's actually the water, in both, that kills the bugs.  Since bugs breath through their bodies, without lungs, they rely on the surface tension of the water to keep them from drowning.

Almost any Mr. Clean will work, or other homemade surfactants (like yours).  Soap, in too high of a concentration, will clog your plant's airways as well.

The New Zealand scent seems to work better than regular Mr. Clean at repelling bugs.  Avoid the Mr Clean with Gain.  Too soapy, burns leaves.

TRG
Link Posted: 6/8/2014 12:06:28 PM EDT
[#46]
My garden is coming along.  The cucumbers, peppers, and green beans have started flowering.   The tomatoes, butternut squash, and tomatillas have immature fruit forming.  The zucchinis and summer squash are starting to yield a solid 2 squashes each per day, and  the blueberries and blackberries are just starting to come in.  Overall, the productive season is at one of my favorite points - when everything is just starting to yield but hasn't started to swamp me yet.  

Bed 1 and 2 coming along nicely.  The rest of the onions should be gone by the end of the month: I think I will replace them with parsnips and fava beans.


Beds 3 and 4.  I vastly under-estimated how large mustard would get if allowed to flower for seeds.  There are only 2 mustard plants in the pic but they are swamping bed 3.  


The permaculture bed is at the awkward looking stage, since we swapped several blocks to blackberries and asparagus this year.  Even so, the blackberries that were planted prior to this spring look like they will yield well:


The first of the blackberries and blueberries for the year.  Not a lot, but it will make a nice pancake or two:


Summer squash mutant!


Link Posted: 6/9/2014 9:24:14 AM EDT
[#47]
I pulled 1 of the 2 4'x4' blocks of onions today in preparation for re-planting with something else.  Final tally = 7lbs, 10oz onions.  Not a lot money wise but this is more of a hobby for "see how much I can grow, so I am happy with it.  :)  This evening I will re-plant the block if it's not raining.
Link Posted: 6/9/2014 9:41:17 AM EDT
[#48]
Be careful when harvesting the mustard seeds. I dropped some and still have volunteers from two falls ago.

Link Posted: 6/9/2014 10:12:01 AM EDT
[#49]
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Be careful when harvesting the mustard seeds. I dropped some and still have volunteers from two falls ago.

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Thanks for the heads up.  How can I tell when they are ready to harvest?
Link Posted: 6/9/2014 10:45:51 AM EDT
[#50]
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Thanks for the heads up.  How can I tell when they are ready to harvest?
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Be careful when harvesting the mustard seeds. I dropped some and still have volunteers from two falls ago.



Thanks for the heads up.  How can I tell when they are ready to harvest?



The seed pods will be light brown and dry. Leave them on to long they will open up and spill the seeds.
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