What did you do in the garden today?

[Silviaschicks]

instead of trimming you could also stake them up, put a cage, or plant wind-blocking plants around it because pruning peppers does slow down their growth and fruition

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Space=tons. Time, well only when it's not muderously hot. And yes, you are correct there are two seasons. I'm actually getting everything set up for the second season right now. I suppose it could be argued there are three really, if you put up cold frames and grew cold weather crops over the winter. Which...I might do.

Depending on what area of Texas you might not even need cold frames. I’m in zone 7b and haven’t had any troubles growing cabbage, broccoli, collards, hardier lettuces, and carrots. I usually plant between mid October to mid November and harvest from February to late March depending on the year and when I get the plants out.

Today I found some oops cucumbers, a bit big but they all barely fit in the pickle pot so they are pickling away. Bush beans are producing. First early girl tomatoes are turning. I see a few spaghetti squash. I suspect I bought mislabeled corn seeds because these plants are red! They were supposed to be Kandy Korn, a hybrid yellow that should have green husks.

Out of curiosity how do you like Kandy Corn compared other varieties? They sell it here but I’ve never tried it since the rest of the family is obsessed with Silver Queen.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Going to plant some black mustard seed I have. Ground is wet enough hope the temps are high enough in couple days they said they will be

 

[vall]

Out of curiosity how do you like Kandy Corn compared other varieties? They sell it here but I’ve never tried it since the rest of the family is obsessed with Silver Queen.

This was the first year I grew it, so unfortunately I can't say. I've been looking for a good yellow corn to grow - most of the corn in the store here is white.

 

[oldhen2345]

Parden the finger in one .. Morning gardeners it is still raining but no need to water right . The big huge green outside the garden is old Rose we call her Joanna.
The clematis was like a foot tall when BF bought it for me.
I plant in tires but it is two stacked so roots have somewhere to go.
View attachment 2709662View attachment 2709665View attachment 2709666

Beautiful honeysuckle. A bird started some around my crepe myrtle. I let it go one year and spent 2 yrs trying to kill it back- there was more honeysuckle than crepe myrtle leaves. I love the smell though. Gonna put in some tire gardens next year, I think. Maybe under my pecan tree. I think I will plant 4 oclocks there.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I went down to the garden this morning to hand pollinate the hoop house veggies (squash & tomatoes). I noticed the watermelon is flowering but only appears to be male flowers. Saw ONE female but I missed the bloom. I can only hope that it was insect-pollinated since the watermelon are NOT in the hoop house.

It looks like I'm going to get a good tomato harvest this year. I did mix up a spray of Neem & Peppermint Castile Soap to spray for the white flies & aphids that I saw in the hoop house. It rained pretty heavily last night so I will probably have to spray them again. I'm a little disappointed in my Sweet 100 cherry tomato. I think maybe I put it in too small of a pot. It is producing but not as well as I'd hoped. The other tomatoes (Bradley, Cherokee Purple, and Yellow Brandywine) seem to be doing decently well. The Cherokee is doing the best....

I still need to harvest the garlic. Haven't done that yet....

Also, I reached out to Springhill about two plants that didn't make it. They are giving me a merchandise credit for both. I would have rather just had replacements shipped but none available. I need to stop getting taken in by the garden porn and just shop locally.

 

[Elyrian1]

Depending on what area of Texas you might not even need cold frames. I’m in zone 7b and haven’t had any troubles growing cabbage, broccoli, collards, hardier lettuces, and carrots. I usually plant between mid October to mid November and harvest from February to late March depending on the year and when I get the plants out.

Out of curiosity how do you like Kandy Corn compared other varieties? They sell it here but I’ve never tried it since the rest of the family is obsessed with Silver Queen.

Zone 8, so you just answered a ton of questions in my mind, thanks! Might still put up hoops over the rows so I can frost cloth them in case of severe freeze though.

 

[Wolfie2]

Gettin hot now that the rain has stopped. Early 90's today! with a heat stress level of 100+. Felt every bit of it. Bought more corn seed for a maybe second crop and Black eyed peas for a cover crop (yeah, it's about that time here). Be lookin for some alfalfa seeds for another CC.

 

[WthrLady]

We've been over 90 for days with no rain, and will stay that way for at least another week, no rain in sight. And the pollen and humidity are already JULY crazy. I dread going outside.
I'll do a cutting of hay Sunday. The weather will be too good to pass up. So cutting one will be almost three weeks early due to amazing spring rains. Then if the weather DOES allow us later to get in cutting 2 3 or 4. Great, if not, we're covered with feed for the boys for another season. We're just starting to use the stuff we cut last summer, so yay.

I should feed the garden tonight. We'll see.

I watered the boys today and had to douse myself in baby powder to keep the biting flies off me! Little *^*&%s

 

[TJAnonymous]

I felt like we were below normal on the rain in early spring but the past month has been heavy rain on top of heavy rain.

I just checked weather underground. Their data says we had 2 inches of rain in April. In may, we had 4.48 inches. So far in June, we've had 2.95 inches.

I call BS. I've had to dump my rain gauge at least twice in the past 2 weeks. My rain gauge measures up to 6 inches of rainfall so we've had at least 12+ inches where I live. I know they always try to provide themselves a loop hole by saying that amounts may differ by localized thunderstorms but this still seems to be a huge discrepancy. Most of the rivers are having minor flooding and I've lost track of how many flash flooding alerts I've received.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not really complaining. I know the west & SW are having a record drought. Everything here is growing really really REALLY well, but I'm also battling mold, mildew, and swarms of mosquitos & flies the size of rodents. Pretty sure Beelzebub moved into my barn....