Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Hot weather will cause them to bolt. The best thing I can recommend is to pinch the flower stalks before they set blooms.

Still cranking out tomatoes and peppers. Stuffed two dozen jalapenos Sunday night. Absolutely delicious! My gut took a pounding for it. My dad's garden is rolling in watermelons, cantalopes, and pumpkins. Never have planted pumpkins before and these things grow like wildfire.

Heat index in Charleston at 7 p.m. - 109F. The grass could grow knee-high and it wouldn't bother me.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

We had our first banana peppers and tomatoes tonight. I had to spray the broccoli with Sevin, there were more cabbage moth worms on the broccoli than I have ever witnessed in my life. That must be the way it is around here?

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

This was a month ago...

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

This is now...

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/ac42aad4.jpg

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/a...a/11518cee.jpg

Sure is a big difference in a month. Yow!!!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I still haven't put any lettuce in. I oughta do that real soon. It's so hot over there it may be a waste of time, but I suppose it's worth a shot. :tu

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Very nice, clean and organized Scott. Good job!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I took some pictures a week ago and haven't had time to deal with them. I was just looking at the pictures and could see how much smaller everything was then.
I get about two zukes a day and a couple of other squash too. The snap peas have slowed down a bit, we have a lot of eating to do to catch up. Corn is starting to bloom. Pumpkin is starting to produce female flowers and grow over the fence. I have to keep pruning side shoots off the tomatoes or they would already be gigantic but they are not setting fruit much. The onions are starting to grow bulbs. No peppers yet. The watermellons look feeble even though everything else around them looks great. I think I will try a different variety next year. The musk mellons are just starting to take off. I may put in more carrots cuz I like them and don't think I have enough.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Lance, sounds like we are on the same track. Been eating Zuks, raddish and lettuce. Tom's finally getting some height and mass but only started producing green tom's a few weeks back during the heat. Now all of a sudden we are in another cold spell. Fog at night that does not burn off til 10-11 am. Highs in the 70's.
I like the cool but the plants sure dont.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Cool?? I'd trade with you guys right now. Just copied from Intellicast:

Charleston, SC 29414
97°F
Feels Like: 118°
Wind Chill: 97°
Heat Index: 118°
Dew Point: 81°
Humidity: 60%
Pressure: 29.83"

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Hauling in the stringbeans and loving it. lots of small tomatoes not ripening. First corn should be ready soon. A lot better than last year but still not there yet. We will have to add more compost and other stuff this winter and hope for a warmer spring/summer next year.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

My garden is winding down quickly. Have sweet potatoes to dig when I feel like it. Okra just hitting stride, greenbeans still producing every other day. Cucumbers still putting out new fruit. I planted 2 weeks before Good Friday, and pretty much everything made it and I was a good 4-6 weeks ahead of the curve. Have all the peas, butter peas, squash, greenbeans, corn, tomatoes, pickles (cucumbers), onions, red potatoes and peppers I need for the next 12 months already canned or frozen or otherwise stored/processed. Only thing I will be putting up now is okra, and won't need much more to reach the needed level of okra. Veggies that are still producing are being used fresh and/or given away to family and friends. My corn was harvested 6 weeks ago. Thought about planting a second crop, but no where to put end product, and already have more than I will use! Actually plan on plowing all but okra under this weekend. And then, getting efforts underway to take part of the garden area into a herb garden, and another section into an asparagus bed. Will definitely go for a raised bed for these projects. Plan on planting some greens and other cool weather crops in coming weeks.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I'm thinking about asparagus myself.
I plant six corn plants at a time, 10 days apart. I did this four times. I hope to harvest them that way. We had a long cold spring and a late summer here.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Our garden is a disaster this year. Seems like it has been 100 degrees for a solid six weeks. We water and water but the heat and humidity is brutal. Except for my Asian Peppers. Those suckers have been picked 3 times and keep growing back.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

We're getting tomatoes and cukes pretty regular. Had one big tomato, and there's three more great big ones just about ready to pick.
I've been killing tomato hornworms and grasshoppers regularly. The only other pests were some cabbage moth worms which I'm used to. These plant eating grasshoppers and hornworms are all new to me. The white mold fungus on the cucumbers and zuchini is all new, too.
It's been amazing how moving 150 miles west changes everything. The soil is totally different, the amendment process is all different, the bugs are all different, the diseases are different, and the complte lack of presence of plain old worms freaks me out.
It's made things a lot of fun, and I'm all smiles every time I look at the garden because I was able to make it all work so well in a real short amount of time, and the garden is doing great. I've already let it teach me lots of stuff that I'll keep in mind when I plant the big garden next year. :tu

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Cliff, reading your post reminds me of my dad and most of my immediate kin. All are rural or semi-rural and have big gardens with freezers and cabinets full of veggies. My mom keeps me in constant supply of field peas, corn on the cob, corn off the cob, butterbeans, pickled beets, canned tomatoes, and canned string beans. Our stand up freezer in the garage is full of garden goodies. Nothing like butterbeans and okra in January!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Wait until 4 p.m.! It miserable feeling outside already! I'll water the garden about sunset.

Clear
91°F
Feels Like: 111°
Wind Chill: 91°
Heat Index: 111°
Dew Point: 81°
Humidity: 71%
Pressure: 29.95"

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

A big advantage I got this year from planting early, and harvesting early was (except for tomatoes) an amazing lack of pests on the plants. I had probably less that 5% of my corn with worm damage, almost no pea or butterpea damage from bee/wasp stings, and had zero tomato worms. The only problem I had in large scale was a heavy aphids covering on my tomato plants about half way in. A couple applications of home-made "soap insecticide" took care of that! It used to be that you could buy soap insecticide from stores. Now, aphid control comes in a multi-pest spray that isn't really that veggie friendly, unless you have two weeks to wait to harvest!! So I fall back to an age old remedy told to my mother in the early 1970's. Wash a sink full of greasy pots and pans in a sink full of water. (The way things were done before built-in dishwashers) Take the resulting soapy, greasy water and apply it to the affected plants. If one application doesn't do it, try a second.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

That sounds great! And your tomato's have a hint of BACON!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Late summer garden. Still few tomatoes. Been harvesting carrots and potatoes. Lots of greenbeans and zukes. Cukes here and there. The first corn should be ready soon.
http://fracstar.com/pics/20110815.jpg

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Our cukes have just about finished dying back. Tomatoes are hot and heavy. The broccoli will be ready very soon. We've been eating stuffed banana peppers like crazy. Had a great big pile of stuffed Jalapenos yesterday. I have never, ever, ever had nice, sweet jalapenos. They are totally delicious, although my suffering hasn't stopped since, and I'm afraid of the end. :D

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Guess the deer can get a bit.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

The END IS where the jalapenos git ya.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I had a friend that had a pair of Jackson's Chameleons that he would turn loose in his garden for a few days a week.
NO WORMS, and they always had very healthy babies which he sold. I always thought they would immediately bolt
for the treeline, but apparently a steady source of food and the few days a week treatment was enough to keep em local.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I've also been pulling the occasional beets and onions out of the ground as needed. Even with the colder summer, this year has been a LOT better than last. I can hardly wait to add another truckload of manure compost and other stuff for next year.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Hey Guys,

I have looked and looked over at gardenweb and I can't seem to find an answer. Some say that you can some say that you can't. Here is my problem.

I just went and got 2 yards of compost on Saturday. This is my first time getting compost and I am not sure how it's supposed to smell or look really. However, I do know that while I was unloading it, it seemed to radiate heat. Now it could have been the scorcher we had Sat. but it stunk pretty bad and I could swear it was hotter near the pile. Should I go ahead and fill my raised beds (4' x 8' x 10") with it and go ahead and plant. Or should I fill my beds and wait till Spring, when it no longer smells to plant?

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

If it's in a pile now it should be finished with whatever activity it has in a month. I think it will always smell when it is moist and stirred up. I took fresh, right from the stall, manure and overwintered it in a heap and added it this spring and planted right in it.
It should look like potting soil. It could be two years old but never turned and it wouldnt compost correctly as it is an aerobic process.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Still cranking tomatoes and peppers. I've grown the biggest Jalapenos I've ever seen this year. I made bacon poppers with 3 dozen this past weekend. Been seriously thinking about my winter garden, which I plan to put in the ground near the end of Sept.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I've been thinking about an autumn crop. What are good things to plant?

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I've planted Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, collards, mustard, and various lettuces for my fall garden. I'll probably just stick to collards and mustard this year. I love fresh greens in December and January.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Wayne, I've seen the same thing. Often compost is mixed with horse or cow manure that may still be a little green and breaking down. If it's still generating heat, I'd give it time to finish working. Get a thermometer and insert down in the pile to check, especially at night once the sun is down. Compare temp to surrounding beds. The smell verifies it's still working, too. It may be a little too strong for plants right now. You can always get a 6 pack of marigolds pretty cheap to test it out. Search the net to see opinions.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Now that's cool. :tu

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

My garden got taken by the great flood of 2011 better luck next year!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

My Garden, starting two days ago! A small stand of okra remains on the right side of the pix. Otherwise, it's all history. I had, without a doubt, the highest yields I've ever had. Don't know why. Maybe because I got a two week jump on planting? Heck, at least half the seeds I planted were from 2 seasons ago, and I've kept them frozen between uses. Will have to replenish green beans and purple hull pea seeds next season. Had a nice 1 hour shower this afternoon, so I'll hook up the disc to the tractor, and turn it under tomorrow, getting it ready for 2012.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Finally have some flowers. More than just this but here's my favorite shot:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6086/...9519100d_b.jpg
echinacea by mmblz, on Flickr



Still improving the soil on the north side. This year's buckwheat crop was the best yet.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6071/...5a23eafe_b.jpg
buckwheat by mmblz, on Flickr

Now tilled in, winter rye will be spread tomorrow, ahead of the storm.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Cool pics mmblz.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

The Coneflowers look great, Julian. I love them, but have always stuck them in a corner. I never thought to line a path with them. I love the color, too. They look great with your house and sidewalk.
You just did a great job, period. Thanks for the idea. :tu

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Thanks Scott.
I have to admit though, they are more in a corner than anything else... What you see there is a drip edge :)
Don't have a good pic of the path here - it is blue stone with creeping thyme in between the stones.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I'm dieing under an avalanche of greenbeans. We've been eating, freezing, canning and giving them away but they won't stop.
Corn is finally ripening. Mmmm.
Root crops are done but we leave them in for now.
Last night we had steamed shrimp & greenbeans with corn on the cob for dinner. Life is good.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

My wife's the gardener, but I like to grow a few plants in patio pots each year.
Here's my first pick of the hot stuff:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...f/DSCN4453.jpg

We also planted a nectarine tree this year and, while small, it sure produced:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...f/DSCN4450.jpg

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I finally got the SFG completed. I did a combination of compost, perlite, pine mulch and potting mix. The bottom 6" is compost and the top 4" is a mixture of perlite, potting mix and pine mulch. I am really excited to see how well it does. The mix provided me with something that if a bird landed on it, it might sink in. Which is exactly the type of fluffy aeration I am looking for.

I'll try to get a pic up tonight.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Slow season out here huh Lance. I have only picked a handfull of Tomatoes, jalapenos have done decent. Everything is just way behind. Cool days and foggy nights.

Nice pics Jeff

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Yep, slow. Even the zukes. Next year I think we'll plant less heritage tomatoes and look for more cool growing varieties. We had a volunteer Roma come up late that passed the others up and looks great. Our onions and carrots are fantastic. Melons sucked. Japanese cukes did great, pickle cukes not. Corn was slow but ok. Potatoes used up all the nutrients and dropped but made a good amount of tates. Eggplant never did anything but grow and bloom, no fruit. Bell peppers still haven't ripened.
This year may not be good for the vineyards out here.

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Let me guess what's for supper tonight, Lance???

Greenbeans??

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Want some? :D

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Maybe try Hops next year Darrell :sh

:D

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

And barley!

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

we have insane zucchini here. We pulled two bushes they were running away. Broccoli is coming in nice, peppers are okay, cucumbers are also nuts. Tomatoes are okay. Green beans has been a learning experience. The ones that grew best kids didn't like

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

Here's my unintentional water garden. Wish I had harvested the last of the beets before this hit. You can see some of the tomato stakes and the remnants of corn on the left. Squash on the right. Everything else is underwater. If you're wondering, Buttercup squash does not float.http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=6159

Re: Let's see those '11 gardens!
 

I wouldn't have to water for weeks.
Seriously, I hope your house is all right.
Won't the beets be good, still?