Gardeners in the Asylum

[OLS]

You know what is funny. I am not sure, after reading that reply again, whether or not his peppers even emerged.
I imagined he meant stunted. They may not have even popped up yet.

[Mr B]

You may be right Brad. In that case, if the seeds did not sprout yet, you may be a little too late in the season to have hopes of growing and producing any peppers this season.
If you want to try again, just make sure that your seeds are only about 1/4" deep and no more.
if starting in a cup or pot, start with moist soil and only water from the bottom so as not to wash the seeds away.

[jjirons69]

Originally Posted by DPD6030

Got a question for you garden "experts". I planted 4 green pepper plants and not a single one of them has grown since planting about a month ago. Everything else is growing great (tomatos, jalapenos, beans, cucumbers, zuchini and squash). Any ideas why the green peppers are not growing?

Peppers love hot weather. Give them time. They'll hook up soon.

[Chainsaw13]

Was out surveying the garden this evening. Two days ago I was looking at the cucumber plants, all I saw were blooms and very tiny cuc's starting. Today I pull back the cover and there's a full grown cuc right there. Picked, washed, cut, salted, consumed. Gotta love stuff straight from the garden.

[Fordman4ever]

Sounds delish.

[Mr B]

Alright guys, I'm getting frustrated with my Cucumbers. Every year they taste Spicy and bitter. I pick em late and large, they taste bad. I pick em small and early, they taste bad.
I have grown English Cucs, Burpless Cucs, regular Cucs and the last 2 years Boston Pickling Cucs.
This year I have them in a barrell (grew in the ground before this) with brand new soil.
Unlike years past, I have grown everything organically this year. No chemical fertalizers or pesticides (did not use pesticides before either).
I cant figure it out. I get maybe 1 good one for every 5 nasty ones.
Its not just the skin either. I peeled a 1/2 dozen of them last night and only 1-2 were any good.
The plants are healthy and producing lost of fruit. I just dont get it.

[jjirons69]

Sorry, B, can't help you there. I know the larger they get, the more bitter they get. Other than that, I'm at a loss. Hopefully someone can help you.

BTW, I took a picture of my garden yesterday.

[Chainsaw13]

Yea, sorry B, don't know what can be causing it. I just went and picked some from my garden, plus yellow squash, a eggplant and a Indigo Rose tomato.

[shilala]

B, they bitter when they're over ripe. Size means nothing. Little ones can be over ripe and so can big ones. Try to pick them when they're nice and young and have that whitish color or sheen. Once they get real green they'll start to bitter and turn to yellow.
When I cut them up I always taste each cuke, especially if they look like they're old on the vine ones. If it's bitter I chuck it in the compost bin. It really sucks if you cut a bunch of cukes and every other bite is bitter, ya know? Blech.

I blanched all our beans last night. Got 6 or 7 gallon bags from the little patch by the sidewalk. They are SUPER tasty. Very grassy and strong and sweet.
I'm the only one who doesn't like them, but everyone else loves them. That's not fully true. I like them small, I just hate them when they get big and leathery. I think I got them in plenty of time that I'll enjoy these ones.

I saw the Ravens in the garden today. I will be raining pellet gun death upon them for the rest of the summer, God bless their little hearts. The new pellet gun I got is an absolute beast and insanely accurate. I hope it hits hard enough to wipe them out quick. I don't want a bunch of racket, I live among yuppies and they don't quite understand.

[Mr B]

Thanks guys.

Jamie, LOL sorry to hear about your desert....I mean garden.

Thanks Scott. I got a New Nitro Piston Pellet for the boys. Very nice. I wish I could take out the dang crows areound here, but I am residential and all I need is a dead crow w/ a hole in its head landing in my neighbors spa or something.

[jjirons69]

They don't land when you drop them where they stand.

I've got an old Chinese .22 pellet gun I've had 20 years, rust and all. It'll drop a squirrel at 30 ft. A raven wouldn't stand a chance. It's quiet and the neighbors never know.

[Chainsaw13]

I had such high hopes for my sweet corn. First time growing it. I waited until the silks had turned brown and picked a couple of the fuller ears. One was perfect, the other just a little under developed. Flavor was spot on too, nice and sweet. Picked a couple more earlier this week, only half developed and less sweet. Now that the silks are really brown, I picked a lot more today. Again, only half developed.

Was the underdevelopment from lack of fertilizer? They had plenty of water as we've been getting drenched this year.

[jjirons69]

Sounds like fertilization issue, Bob. My granddad always said to plant at least two rows beside each other and never one row in a straight line. The more rows beside each other, the better, as it's wind fertilized and needs to have a cross-wind source. The pollen release happens very quickly and having your corn bunched together gives a better chance of successful ears.

[Chainsaw13]

I'm thinking that was it Jamie, lack of fertilizer, particularly nitrogen. I did some searching after my post and it kinda confirmed it. I had the plants bunched together, so i don't think it was lack of pollination. The bottom of each ear was well formed, just not the upper halves. I'll just know better for next year.

[Chainsaw13]

Took this photo earlier in the week. Underneath all the tomatoes are more cuc's. I picked 8 more today. More tomatoes tomorrow.

[shilala]

My poor garden remains the most pathetic example I've ever raised.
We've finally had a couple warmer days and the peppers are rushing to put on some leaves. The tomatoes are turning, but the vines are tiny.
It was just a cold, wet year. Anything we get will be a bonus.

[bigswol2]

Mine sucked wind this year. Too much rain. My cukes did well though.

[Chainsaw13]

I just went out and picked a boatload of tomatoes, mostly my small teardrop. I'm guessing later this week my bigger varieties will start to ripen. I have one variety, a Polish Linguisa, that if I leave on the vine too long, it'll start to rot from the bottom.

[Mr B]

Nice Haul Bob!!

[Mr B]

Video Update on Pepper Garden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLDWGV0rdjE