Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Careful what you wish for...
Just sayin'.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

True that. Let's just say we could use a little rain, weekly, spread out over the summer.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Great advice, thanks!

I need some advice on my herb rack though on the form of a heat problem. i made a wooden rack, its open air, with a tin cover over it to keep rain from beating down on my herbs. Its on my back deck, which gets afternoon sun from mid-day on. I put some netting across teh front so to difuse the sun some. Most of herbs have sprouted, but i htink the heat we've gotten is building up and hurting them a bit. My established mint plant definitely is noticeable downward slide since the past two 95+ degree days.

Should I move the rack to where its in a more shaded area, or should I try to put a fan or something under there to move teh air under it more since im afraid the tin roof is holding in the heat and causing the temps to go that much higher.

Thanks again in advance, as you can tell I am new to all of this plant stuff. Just something the wife and I got a wild hair to try and do.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I'd remove the tin roof. I've always planted my herbs in full sun, full rain. When they're first sprouting, the rain may be a little hard on them, but within a week or more, they should be able to handle themselves. Babysit them - bringing them in during rain showers until they get big enough. The oppressive heat can also weaken them. The problem with putting them in the shade is they grow leggy and lose rigidity.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Its just pouring rain here! We have not seen a full couple of days of sun in weeks. My plants look like runts.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I had them in full sun first time around, and it killed all the sprouts within a day. Thats why i built a shade type rack.

Im stumped as to what I should do.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Pretty much the same here.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

My peppers are doing well. So well I have started freezing every day! Cucumbers and squash have been devastated by the heat. They don't like this 100 degree weather. Tomatoes have been holding full size green tomatoes for almost a month now. Nothin happening with them.

I think year 2 of Alabama gardening will just be peppers. I think I'll grow enough to have them frozen for year-round treats.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I generally plant large pepper crops no more than every 3 years. Takes about that long to use up all I have frozen from last big crop. Lots of tomatoes, but I can a lot, plus salsa most years. Thinking about making my own tomato sauce and canning it this year. Most peppers I grow seem to freeze whole just fine!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

beans beginning to sprout!

http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...3C532%3Bnu0mrj

http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...3B932%3Bnu0mrj

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Still no rain, not a drop, not even a cloud hinting of rain. It's been 7 weeks since we last got rain and that was 0.25 inches. Strangely eerie in the neighborhood, hardly any lawnmowers on the weekend. All the grass is brown in non-watered areas. The grass boarding the highways is dead. It's the saddest I can ever remember. Just to save my grass investment, I've been watering with a manually sprinkler twice a week and I've cut my grass once in 2 months. It's crazy.

The squash are all done. The vine borers finally got them. I'd had my share of squash anyway. Still lots left in the frig. Starting to get tomatoes and cukes. Peppers aren't far behind. I've got some GIANT jalapenos maturing. I'll take a shot of the first I pick. It's gonna be a burner!

Nice looking beans, Hugh. Soy?

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

We have been getting sun for a change. Still not warm. I took some pictures.
Zukes, mellons, yellow onions, leeks, a tomoato and some cukes in the fore.
White onions, beets, carrots, bok choi and cukes next box back.
Heirloom tomatoes in the back box.
http://fracstar.com/pics/20110613a.jpg

Beans, radish, sugar peas, lettuce, beets and stray stuff that just grew.
http://fracstar.com/pics/20110613b.jpg

Potatoes!
http://fracstar.com/pics/20110613c.jpg

Corn, berry box to the right, star squash in the fore, and 'chokes.
http://fracstar.com/pics/20110613d.jpg

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

You can almost hear those taters growing, aye, Lance. They look good. Should have a nice haul!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Its about the same here too.
We just had a few thunder clouds come through and it only drizzled for less than 5 minutes.... I have my garden on a 20min daily timer in the afternoon and the green beans are withering away due to the heat. There is a big Pecan tree shading them some, but not enough. The Cucumbers have died off or something got ahold of them, all but one is dead. May replant.
All of the soybeans are done, got all i needed. Planted some lima beans I had left over to see if they would come up; some are. A few of the dead green bean plants i pulled up and replanted more. The seedlings are about 6" tall in a few weeks.
Its going to be a hott summer down here!!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Yup, soy beans! I like corn better, it creates a really nice fence, but, oh, well. Soy beans get almost knee high!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Nice pics Lance. Thanks for sharing. Things are slow going here. All that late rain got a bunch of my tomato plants looking kinda funky. The sun is finally shining and the veggies are liking it. Will try to get pics soon.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Just this morning I finally got my garden ready. It's a 40'x3' piece against the house between the house and the sidewalk.
The big holdup was the sidewalk. We just poured it yesterday. :D
The plants are out there waiting, and I'll have them all in this evening. I'll be a bit behind, but not bad at all. I gathered some really nice plants at the co-op that will put me right about where I should be.
The weather this year has been far less than stellar. Really good grass growing weather, but not good for plants. I've got the grass doing really well, and put in three really nice beds for hedges and bushes and stuff, so the time wasn't wasted.
I'll try to get some pics when I get all planted and finished up. :tu

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Glad to hear it Scott

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

The garden is in. I still have to plant lettuce and other salad stuff. Beans and snow peas would be nice, but it ain't gonna happen.
I took pics, but I'm shot. I gotta grab some couch. I'll try to remember to post pics tomorrow. :tu

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

That's what happens when you're old...:D

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Okay, here's some before and after shots. I wish I had pics from before I started working the dirt. It was awful.

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/187140a0.jpg

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/b22c9c1c.jpg

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/27173731.jpg

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/f8b47195.jpg

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Way to go, Scott!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Lookin Good Scott!!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Read the paper - front page - the lack of rain. The airport has gotten 4.03 inches since March 15. That's 3 months! The normal level is a little over 11 inches. I know my house, which does not have an airstrip, hasn't gotten 4 inches in the past 3 months. Seems all the corn, cotton, and soybeans in the local farming areas are starting to kill over. Another week or two and it's a complete lose. The paper said much more and we'll be on par for the drought from 1986. Don't remember that, I was chasing teen-aged girls and probably damn glad the grass was dying and I didn't have to mow it. I've got two left feet, so I don't think a rain dance is in the equation.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Hallelujah!!! It's raining right now...right now!!! Thunder and lightning, too. What a joyous sound!! Thank you, Lord!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

How long before tomatoes ripen? I have this two fruit (for lack of better term) that showed up maybe 3 weeks ago. The size has remained the same for two weeks now. A few more fruit showed up since. I think I have about 20 of various sizes in my two plants showed up the last couple of weeks.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

It can take weeks before they ripen. If you like the size, you can just pick them now and let them ripen off the plant. I can't tell a difference in taste.

BTW, I have abandoned my garden for the summer. Yesterday was triple digit heat. Only cactus grow in that type of weather. So I am seed saving and collecting more seeds for August, when I plan to do SFG.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Wayne, I wish I had some peyote seeds to send ya. ;)

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Fruit is right. Maters are fruit. You're right on the money, brother. Anything that flowers, is fertilized, then has a body that covers the seeds is a fruit. Beans, peas, punkins, melons, tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant, cucumbers, apples, oranges, bananas, they're all fruit. It's the biological action I described that determines whether something is a fruit. (I simplified it a bit, but that's the gist of it.)

The first thing I'd say about the tomatoes you have is to just be patient. Two tomatoes on a plant is really nothing, comparatively. If there were 20 or so, that'd be something. I'm guessing the plant has to be real small, too. I don't know how long they've been in the ground, either.

That said, I'll tell you guys a trick that's super awesome...
If you've got a loaded, well-established plant and you want early tomatoes on the table, all you need to do is push a shovel through half the roots. Use some sense not to get the main leader (stalk). When you do that, it will stress the plant. It's immediate reaction will be to ripen the fruit in order to save it's species future by readying the seeds to drop, thus assuring it's survival through it's progeny seeds.
It works great, never misses so long as you make sure to get enough roots cut off.
I've never tried it with a small plant with two fruits, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work, theoretically. Being so small, with such a small root mass, I'd say it's more likely to just die before anything ripens.
On the other hand, if it survives (and it probably will with a little extra care), it'd probably catch right up to the other plants in a short time.

What I usually do with early greenhouse fruit is pick them off and chuck them. They just stall the plants cause it isn't time for fruit yet. I just picked all the little peppers off my pepper plants last night or the night before, cause they very much hold a plant back from growing. That's bad. :tu

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I got my first harvest: radishes.
The bok choi is still small but it's starting to flower. :( I planted it in succession so I will see how later crops do.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I'm at work - I know my garden is wilted. Too damn hot for June!! Wind chill - 100F. August is going to feel like Venus!

Weather Report
Charleston, South Carolina
As of 3:15 PM on Monday 20 Jun 2011 (Local Time)
Clear Clear
100°F
Feels Like: 105°
Wind Chill: 100° Ceiling: Unl
Heat Index: 105° Visibility: 10mi
Dew Point: 66° Wind: 8mph
Humidity: 33% Direction: 270° (W)
Pressure: 29.87" Gusts: 16mph
Today's Forecast

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

That weather would be normal for us here but we haven't seen 100s yet.
You know, Jamie, there is such a thing as irrigation. Water is expensive here but everyone is used to it.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I thought I could save mine by upping the water, but it's still too hot for the plants to do well around here. Sweet potatoes, field peas and crop cover is about all that is growing well right now in this heat/drought.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I watered deeply yesterday evening. The garden is good and wet (and mulched). It's just this stifling heat and humidity causes stress on everything. Plants have problems transpiring under these conditions. Irrigation - whew! - I've spent more trying to keep my grass alive this year than I have in the last 8 years combined. We got 0.87 inches of rain last Wednesday night, but that's been it in 2 months.

I think I have 2 or 3 more squash to gather and it's it for them. I picked the biggest jalapeno I've ever grown (or ever seen) yesterday. Will post a picture of it later. Insane!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Here's the last couple of pics before the borers set in on the squash. Last nice haul.

Also, the last pic is that giant-azz jalapeno I just picked. I can't wait to bust into it.

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...P1040823-1.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...P1040824-1.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...P1040826-1.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P1040829.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t...9/P1040830.jpg

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Holee sh1t, Jamie. That jalapeno is a monster!!!
I'd stuff that mammajamma with sage sausaage and cheddar cheese and go to town. Maybe wrap it in bacon, too. Geez, I gotta quit talking, I'm gettin a chub.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

This is from a "normal" plant. I bought 6 of them. I bought 1 plant labeled "Monster Jalapeno" and it has some freakin' monsters on it, too. I know I didn't mix them up, the Monster came is a special pot. I bet I could fit an entire string cheese stick in it. Almost like eating a stuffed bell pepper, but with some heat. I'm saving the seeds from this plant!!

That big pepper is in the middle picture on the bottom right side of the plant (prior to picking). You can see I'm gonna have some damn fine peppers this year.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Wow, that thing is amazing.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

That Jalapeno is a Donkey! I had some nice big ones last year called "Mucho Nacho". I forgot when I was buying peppers this year and just got the regular ones. Those big mamas are great for stuffing.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Things are starting to pickup here.
Pulled some beans and a head of lettuce this morning. Peppers are squash and Tomatoes are starting to look good.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...y/IMAG0194.jpg

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I'm getting zukes, squash, peas and bok choi now. The tomatoes will start bearing now that night temps have risen above 50. I have to find my camera and shoot some pics. The pumpkin plant is turning into a monster.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

All of my tomatoes are still green. I think any day now they will begin to turn red. Patiently waiting to make some fresh salsa. :D

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

If they are the size you want, go ahead and let them ripen on the counter.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Oh they are just the little things not anything big. The only plant that appears it may produce anything with size hasn't began to pop out any flowers just yet.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

A couple of tomatoes are changing colors. Any day now.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Beans coming up!

http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...83532%3Bnu0mrj

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Geez that makes my little 20x20 garden look like nothing :p

I did get some cucumbers and tomatoes today. Heat is killing my tomatoes so I picked them green so id have a chance to use them before they split.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Spent the better part of a couple days creating new raised beds, then dismantling a couple I already had. Needed the space behind the garage for my sled trailer. Ended up with more actual planting space. :tu

Didn't plant anything other than garlic this year due to work travel. However, I have 4 tomato plants that reseeded themselves and doing ok. A couple have tomatoes on them already. One is actually growing in my compost heap. Guess which one is the biggest?

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Seeing all o this makes me green with envy. LOL! I just didn't have the time or money to get anything started this year. There's always next year! Then again, there are two little tomato plants coming up out of the compost pile. I may see if I can do something with those. We also still have most of our herbs from the past two years along with a chili plant that's still producing from last year. And there are plenty of flowers that have stuck around!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Hey guys, what do you do to keep your Cilanto and Italian Parsley from bolting? Mine will always grow for about a month than go straight to bolt.
Any ideas? Right now they are in mostly full sun in my raised bed w/ my other veg.
I have thought about shading them w/ some screen??