BYC gardening thread!!

[Peep_Show]

Yes, they do make noise when they fly.

 

[Bugseye]

I'm following with interest, though on the road for several days. It turned out that my garden got more shade during the height of summer than I realized. I'll be researching to see if maybe there's something that will do better under those conditions. It's growing slowly, so not too much risk in leaving it for a time.

 

[Kraftcrazychick]

I am patiently waiting for my tomatoes to ripen. I have clusters of cherry to grape sized tomatoes growing on several of my plants. So far it looks like one is mutant-like and large. More like a Roma size. I swear these were supposed to be grape tomatoes....

The stupid beetles are still after my Kentucky pole beans. I think they are winning the fight. I may have to take drastic measures.

In other news nothing else seems to be doing well. My 'indeterminate' strawberries only yielded a pint. My onions are shoving themselves out of the ground. My garlic I think is dead. I don't even have stalks on them anymore. Any my pumpkin and eggplant haven't shown real growth.


My Hungarian wax peppers are thriving, though. They are short but producing several peppers. So I guess I have some figuring out to do with my garden next year. Peppers and tomatoes, yes. Everything else.. meh. I had such high hopes.

 

[lazy gardener]

Did your garlic send up scapes? It goes dormant after that, dies back to the ground. That's when it's typically harvested.

 

[hippiestink]

I second @lazy gardener . You really need to harvest that garlic, it's probably way past needed.Mine sent up scapes, I cut them off because I wanted energy to go toward bulb growth, and they began browning and the plant died so I harvested. Onions are supposed to be showing the top 1/4 above the soil, watch out for flowers because then it's bolted and needs uprooted. I'm weirdly proficient at growing alliums (despite the fact that more than a few cloves makes me dreadfully ill) so I know exactly what to look for when they grow.

 

[Kraftcrazychick]

Did your garlic send up scapes? It goes dormant after that, dies back to the ground. That's when it's typically harvested.

I only had about an inch or so of green growth at the top and then it disappeared. I guess I should dig it out and take a look. This is my first year planting garlic so it's all new.

The onions have not produced flower but the stalks are so tall that falling over and breaking. They are very long. Hopefully that means the onions are doing well.

 

[lazy gardener]

When did you plant it? It needs to be planted in the fall. If you planted it this spring, just leave it in the ground. It will come back in the spring and perform well for you unless your ground is too wet. Good top growth on onions usually means good bulb growth as well. But, you have to know which varieties to plant. There are varieties that are "day neutral" as well as varieties that are not. I forget what they are called. One variety is for northern gardens, while an other variety does well in southern gardens. Same with garlic. Stiff neck is more hardy for us northern gardeners.

 

[Arielle]

I'm following with interest, though on the road for several days. It turned out that my garden got more shade during the height of summer than I realized. I'll be researching to see if maybe there's something that will do better under those conditions. It's growing slowly, so not too much risk in leaving it for a time.

There are several vegies that might work for you. I've been trial some set up that have a bit of shade but nothing I can be certain about yet. THe kale likes morning sun and afternoon shade and is thriving even in mid summer here. I triaed to put lettuce south of the peas to off shade but the peas shot up twice the hieght f the package description.

A well educated friend ( gardening wise) said I would need to clear 100 feet in all directions from the garden edge to have full sunlight. A bit more than I can do.

 

[Arielle]

I am patiently waiting for my tomatoes to ripen. I have clusters of cherry to grape sized tomatoes growing on several of my plants. So far it looks like one is mutant-like and large. More like a Roma size. I swear these were supposed to be grape tomatoes....

The stupid beetles are still after my Kentucky pole beans. I think they are winning the fight. I may have to take drastic measures.

In other news nothing else seems to be doing well. My 'indeterminate' strawberries only yielded a pint. My onions are shoving themselves out of the ground. My garlic I think is dead. I don't even have stalks on them anymore. Any my pumpkin and eggplant haven't shown real growth.


My Hungarian wax peppers are thriving, though. They are short but producing several peppers. So I guess I have some figuring out to do with my garden next year. Peppers and tomatoes, yes. Everything else.. meh. I had such high hopes.

Hang in there!!! I tried my hand at gardening last year-- totally loss on ALL tomatos, but had a few sucesses like kale. So tried again this year and have had a better year if not quite to the level that I had hoped for. Lots to learn I guess, so trying to remember everything and will try again next year. Like. Give heritage squash LOTS of space between plants because they are NOT bush types. lol

 

[hippiestink]

When did you plant it? It needs to be planted in the fall. If you planted it this spring, just leave it in the ground. It will come back in the spring and perform well for you unless your ground is too wet. Good top growth on onions usually means good bulb growth as well. But, you have to know which varieties to plant. There are varieties that are "day neutral" as well as varieties that are not. I forget what they are called. One variety is for northern gardens, while an other variety does well in southern gardens. Same with garlic. Stiff neck is more hardy for us northern gardeners.

Agreed. Stiff necks are definitely best for more northern climates. The soft Asian varieties don't do well anywhere that isn't similar to the climate they come from. Plant either in November or (if you don't get frozen ground) plant around January or February.