Garden Update, Early August, 2014
An update of my garden in early August, 2014, US hardiness zone 6a.
It is time for my bi-weekly garden update! I like to keep track of what is/is not working in my backyard garden.
Well, it was bound to happen. Something had to go awry. Turns out it was the earth box tomatoes. Now, since these boxes are designed for tomatoes, I tend to agree with Barbee that it is the tomato-type I purchased being container-garden-incompatible. Either that, or my growing 4 plants early to see which would survive sucked all the nutrients out of the soil, damaging all remaining plants?
While they looked great a few weeks ago, things have taken a definite turn for the worse. I’ve pruned the tomato plants, removed one, dumped the spotted leaves, and taken off any tomato that was rotting. The plants are still loaded, but I am not convinced the tomatoes will survive to ripen.
The same heirloom plants are in the ground and going gangbusters.
These are some of the tomatoes I have harvested so far (that little green one just fell off and I wanted to see if it would ripen – it didn’t).
Now the peppers in the earth boxes!? Home run!! They are loaded, and well ahead of my in-ground pepper plants.
For the first time ever I had some birds investigating my blackberries. I sent Mr. Max over to ask them to leave. They were very obliging, and did as he asked.
The roofers really did a number on the blackberries last year. It is like it is year two all over again for that bush, and I have very little fruit. Oh well, there is always next year!
Shockingly, the basil has really come along. Four of the 12 plants I planted originally have survived, and in fact flourished. I pinch the flowering heads off daily, and finally harvested and dried a load (next week’s gardening post!)
And my chamomile is finally starting to flower!! I can’t wait to harvest those.
Like most people growing a garden, mine has highs and lows. The tomatoes taking a turn for the rotting was unexpected, the blackberries not giving fruit is disappointing, although in hindsight, not unexpected.
The success of the herb garden to date has really been unexpected! I don’t use pesticides, so am thrilled with what I have been harvesting.
What are you growing in your garden this year? Tell me, How Does Your Garden Grow!?
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Stephanie B says
My large tomatoes have yet to turn red, but the plants are loaded with them, so hopefully soon. I have 3-5 cherry tomatoes ready to harvest every day. I give them to my grandmother and she gets so excited over her “treat”. I have harvested so many peppers I gave some away! 22 peppers harvested so far, with well over a dozen left. I was surprised how many we ended up with. The broccoli was so delicious in a stir fry, I can’t wait to harvest the rest. The onions I planted I thought for sure were goners because the tomatoes took over their space, but as of yesterday they are about the size of golf balls, so I’ll let them keep going. I’m pretty happy with my first year of gardening. I have fall crops planted, but I think I planted to late so I’m not very hopeful.
Ann says
I wonder if it was just fabulous pepper weather this years, Stephanie? I have not harvested any yet, but will this week. The plants are loaded, and the peppers are huge!
Good luck with the fall garden. As long as you got the stuff in with under 60 days to harvest, you should be fine (provided no killing frost at the end that you don’t cover). Sounds like you had a stellar year!
Ann
Debb F says
YAY Stephanie! And YAY Ann for the herb garden being a huge hit. I love a fresh herb garden and it is so healthy to eat and cook with fresh herbs!
Now as to your failures Ann, you must understand we are still have bi polar weather. I had one tomato plant that was doing great, gave me a couple dozen fruits, turned yellow and shriveled up and died too. I have about another dozen tomatoes I will pick from there as the plant fizzles out and dies.
First of all ,you trusted me on the herb garden, now please trust me on this. All the green tomatoes that are on the plant can be picked and ripened in a brown paper bag in a dark place when you put some apples in with it. I do this every year when I still have fruits on the plants and the frost is coming. The apples put out a certain gas that ripens the tomatoes in a few days. I don’t think you did anything wrong except it seems to me, from my experience with square foot gardening, back when I lived in the city and had a very small garden, it seemed the tomatoes in the boxes were too crowded. I read it should be just one tomato plant per square foot, so perhaps 2 or maybe 3 plants for that amount of soil would have left enough minerals in the soil. It could also be because we had so much rain some of the soil was lost. It was like I said earlier, bi polar weather. I had some flowers also that got too much rain and died. Weird.
I am harvesting tomatoes like you would not believe. I would say I have had about 50 or more so far and the 2 plants are going strong. I am loving the low acid tomatoes I got this year. Yummy Yellow does not hurt my tummy. My peppers are also going strong and I have had more peppers than ever. I made stuffed peppers with sauce from our tomatoes and it was delicious!. When I grow my own food I don’t have to worry about latex contamination! YAY! I am going to make salsa this weekend and see if I can get some more fruits in a few weeks. I say IN A FEW WEEKS because I am having surgery on the 18th. Oh almost forgot my parsley and sage is doing well and I am going for my 3rd harvest on both! This was a great yield this year!
Ann says
Apple with it!? Wow that is new, Debb. Newspaper + dark I have done before, adding apples to the mix is new. I will give it a go. We had a bush behind one of the in-ground tomato plants just die. It is in the middle of all this lush garden and shrubs, as well as next to 4 alike bushes, and it just … died. The landscapers will remove it in less than 2 weeks, and then dig up one of the 4 others and replant in that dead plant spot. I thought I’d lose the rest of those tomatoes as not mature enough to wrap, but I will definitely give your +apple idea a try!
Best wishes on your surgery! I hope it is nothing too serious, and that you recover quickly.
Ann
Marie says
Finally! Got peppers almost ready to pick. However, some insects are tasting a few. I have been harvesting the onions that surprised me by making it through winter. I have been struggling with tomato plants for years. It may be where the garden is placed next to the house, but they always grow very tall and lean all over the neighboring plants including a rose bush (fun to pick those guys!) and lower leaves yellow and fall off before any ripening happens. They always look sad but still produce. This year the birds have helped the planting process. There are 5 tomato plants in different parts of the yard–notice I didn’t say garden.
Ann says
I am impatiently waiting for my peppers to be ready, Marie. Sounds like all of us are having tomato issues this year. *sigh *
Ann
KimH says
My garden is doing ok.. I’ve been picking squash, yellow wax beans, and a few tomatoes here & there for about 3 weeks.. maybe 4.. time flies when you’re having fun. 😉 I’ve picked a bunch of jalapenos so far too.. none of my other pepper plants have done well.. my tomatillos havent ripened yet but they are loaded as always… Most of my plants around the house are doing well.. my fig tree came back kicking butt after getting beat up this past winter.. so are the roses..
Ann says
You and those figs, Kim! I am STILL jealous.
Ann