How does your garden grow?

[TomSeller]

I'm having a bad year for tomatoes too. We planted some in pots to help with the wilt, and it is not as bad this year. But they are all splitting and rotting on the vine before they get ripe. I have to pick them as soon as they start to turn, and let them ripen in the house. They are just not as good that way.

It has rained everyday for a week straight. I'm sure that has something to do with it.

I don't usually grow tomatoes but this year I have about 20 plants and I ate the first cherry tomato today with many more on the way. The larger ones are doing well so I hope I luck out.

 

[lakngulf]

I have a few tomatoes in containers behind my house. Sun is there early in the spring so I try to get a head start. Sometimes it works. Well, there are a few plants back there that have the absolute best tasting tomatoes, in my opinion, AND in the opinion of the resident backyard squirrels. I decided to put netting around those few plants to protect my favorite tomato. Well, with 7 or 8 plants unprotected, with green fruit for the taking, the squirrels are still trying to get into my netted section for the good tomatoes. I am sure they will win the battle but so far they just knock the tomatoes off the vine and were not able to take them. Notice the tomato on the ground, and one on the edge of the container

 

[farmer2009]

Had our first picking of squash and zucchini last night. Tilled everything that needed it. Then suckered the corn. Tomatoes are coming on nicely. Non ripe yet. Starting to wonder if the cherry tomatoes are any good. Not a single bloom.

 

[Old Junk Man]

I planted some early corn in wheel rims that I use for raised beds. Its just about ready for roasting ears. Ive been eating green fried tomatoes. and I have a really good crop of kale. my lettuce is about done. ill plant more when the sign is right.

 

[Larro Darro]

I worked in the new part of the garden this morning. I got the peas plowed, and started on the watermelons. But the ground was so compacted by rain, I was having to also use the hoe. So I decided to just use the hoe on the rest of them. The Crimson Sweets from the saved seeds are coming up already. I just barely worked around them because they are still coming up. Worked the squash. I planned on plowing the corn, but a black cloud was rumbling closer all the time, so I transplanted about six Armenian cucumbers I had started in trays. There were a few more of them coming up in the rows, so maybe they are just very slow sprouters. Lightning chased me inside at that point.

Mamma went to the tomato fields this morning. She brought us about 1/3 of a 5 gallon bucket of big, perfect tomatoes. {they are $8 a bucket} I sliced one and added it to my ham, turkey and Colby Jack roll-up for lunch. It was tasty.

 

[Larro Darro]

While I was plowing and hoeing, I kept thinking of those good old songs, "Temptation Eyes", "I Can Turn Off the Rain" and "Baby Hold On". For you younger folks, those are all by the Grass Roots. If this rain keeps on, I'm going to be hip deep in grass.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

got our first harvest, a cucumber yesterday. it was good. I now have a 7' HDPE fence around the entire garden to keep the deer out.

 

[KevT]

Isn't it amazing how things from our own garden always taste better? I was lucky this year, the only thing that got into my garden were insects and weeds.

 

[Old Junk Man]

The wife & I where looking at the tomato plants. and we have tomato worms picked about a dozen small ones offthe plants. They camoflauge pretty good. very hard for me to see them. They are the Larvae of the Sphinx Moth.

 

[Larro Darro]

The wife & I where looking at the tomato plants. and we have tomato worms picked about a dozen small ones offthe plants. They camoflauge pretty good. very hard for me to see them. They are the Larvae of the Sphinx Moth.

I've been pretty lucky with worms. We found two or three about a month ago. I sprayed a couple of times after that, and haven't seen any more. The peas were not as buggy as last year either.

 

[Old Junk Man]

I've been pretty lucky with worms. We found two or three about a month ago. I sprayed a couple of times after that, and haven't seen any more. The peas were not as buggy as last year either.

sprays & poison are not a option for us. We simply pick the worms off. If you see a tomato worm that appears to have what looks like lots of little grains of white rice on it don't kill it. Those are the larvae of a parasitic wasp that is beneficial . We have free ranging chickens that eat lots of insects. However they will also peck the tomatoes even the green ones. So we have chicken proof wire around the tomatoes. there are also lots of rock lizards and striped lizards and toads. If we spray the lizards & toads might get secondary poisoned. Also we have nesting barn swallows that eat lots of bugs.

 

[Old Junk Man]

Isn't it amazing how things from our own garden always taste better? I was lucky this year, the only thing that got into my garden were insects and weeds.

Yes lots of times we have entirely home grown meals. everything on the table grown and processed by us. and it certainly seems to taste better.

 

[Larro Darro]

View attachment 431921View attachment 431922

I had planned on working the new sweet corn with the push plow this morning, but after the first row I decided it was just too darn hot. So I took up soaker hoses, clipped the last few sad looking melons and disced up the 1st plantings of melons, sweet corn, peas and cucumbers. Was going to do green beans too, but a thunderstorm chased me inside. My 2nd planting of cucumbers are looking good. I just need to do another row or two. I had such good luck with starting the Armenian cucumbers in trays that I did four more. They are sprouting quicker than the others did. The seeds were from a different cucumber, so I will put this batch of seeds to the front of the list for next season.

 

[TomSeller]

I still have some tomato plants I bought and are still in 2 gallon pots waiting to go in the ground. I have been losing ripe cherry tomatoes off of the plants and today green golf ball sized ones. I can't think of anything but rats or bushy tailed rats (squirrels), although the teeth marks look like something larger. Maybe they are bird pecks with their heads cocked to the side? I put the potted plants up on an aluminum racks spanned between saw horses. Then put cayenne pepper and and pepper flakes on the tops of the saw horses to chase off rodents. If the onslaught continues, I may conclude birds? Any other ideas?

My planted tomatoes are at a remote property in black fabric and on soaker hoses with timers. I think I will sprinkle pepper flakes on top of the fabric, although I have not seen this same thing happen there.

 

[Larro Darro]

That might be bird sign. Just not sure. We have farm cats, so no bird or rodent problems. We do lose a few plants because they think the garden is just a huge sandbox.

 

[KevT]

I am amazed at the fact the field corn around us has be harvested , and the corn I see here in OH is only 3-4 foot tall

 

[Sysop]

Tonight's garden fresh salad: Butter crunch lettuce, Spinach, Baby Carrots, Broccoli, red and white onions.

I've got some golfball sized tomatoes on several plants, and a few peppers the size of half a pinky-finger, but nothing large or ripe enough to do much with yet.

 

[Larro Darro]

Sysop, that looks like a good salad right there.

I got everything in the garden plowed and hoed this morning. You could tell from when I started til I wrapped it up, it was already drying out. I was afraid if I didn't get it soon, it would dry so hard nothing would grow off like it should.

 

[Larro Darro]

And since I had such good luck planting the Armenian cucumbers in trays, I started some regular cucumbers, and both yellow and acorn squash in trays today. My 2nd planting of all of those didn't have a great stand, so I'll put these in the skips.

 

[Tororider]

Sysop, that looks like a good salad right there. I got everything in the garden plowed and hoed this morning. You could tell from when I started til I wrapped it up, it was already drying out. I was afraid if I didn't get it soon, it would dry so hard nothing would grow off like it should. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/rural-living/432110-how-does-your-garden-grow-005-jpg"/>

I think you've said before, but you really like that high wheel cultivator, right? I'm looking at getting one.