Gardens vegetable, flower or other?

[Missy Hellfire]

We had a very early spring so some of my garden is doing beautifully now although we're having some strong winds that are threatening my beans and I am having a problem with the blackbirds eating my peas so I am thinking of investing in a net. I put my cucumbers in the greenhouse a couple of weeks ago but they are turning yellow, I don't think that I've been over or under watering them, any ideas?!

 

[jamespowers]

I hear ya.
I'm about to put the netting over the blueberies- or I can kiss them all goodbye.

Meanwhile the veg garden is all in. This year I'm trying out the purple kohlrabis.

Birds and squirrels are big pests here. I am planning to send a shipment out to Long Island this week.

My garden is in as well. I heavily seed the bush beans as they are a variety that has a poor germination rate. Nothing so far but I am sure because I used plenty, all will sprout and cover the area.
What do you do with kohlrabis? [huh]

 

[jamespowers]

I've got a good size vegetable garden. We've been eating peas, cabbage, lettuce, onions, and turnip greens out of the garden already this year. I have squash and tomatoes blooming, and the beans and okra are all up and doing well.

The corn is another story. I've planted twice and the #$%& crows have all but destroyed it all. They pull up the corn just after it's sprouted and out of the ground to eat the seed. I've had "bird problems" before, but this year is especially bad. I despise those worthless birds.

You need to use bird medicine out there:

 

[jamespowers]

We had a very early spring so some of my garden is doing beautifully now although we're having some strong winds that are threatening my beans and I am having a problem with the blackbirds eating my peas so I am thinking of investing in a net. I put my cucumbers in the greenhouse a couple of weeks ago but they are turning yellow, I don't think that I've been over or under watering them, any ideas?!

If they are turning yellow then you likely are overwatering or there is a fungus problem developing. I would back off on the water and see what happens. I would also use some Actinovate fungicide powder on the dirt. That stuff worked wonders saving a small amount of my peach and nectarine crop.

 

[Big Man]

You need to use bird medicine out there:

I like sitting on the porch and picking them off with an old .22 I've had since I was a kid. Unfortunately, the dang crows are eating the corn faster than I can kill them.

 

[jamespowers]

I like sitting on the porch and picking them off with an old .22 I've had since I was a kid. Unfortunately, the dang crows are eating the corn faster than I can kill them.

It's like a shooting gallery then where they just keep coming around and around. :eusa_doh:
I have a .22 colt woodsman that I would never get rid of so I know how such a thing can still hold sentimental value.

 

[RBH]

Everything is doing good but my okra.
Been too durn wet!

 

[Wally_Hood]

We have the lemon tree, about 30 plus years old, the dwarf lime tree, the orange tree that's only about a year old, and Mrs. H planted zucchini, bell pepper, avocado, and tomato earlier this year. Grilled zucchini is a summer favorite around here.

 

[rumblefish]

Grilled zucchini is a summer favorite around here.

Here too. It also makes a great base for a dip and/or salad dressing. Tahini, soy, miso paste, garlic, lemon, and a few other things... Nice way to use up the fresh zucchini when it comes in like gangbusters.

 

[Tatum]

James and Big Man, wanna come over and pick off the bird that likes to sit on top of the beehive and eat my bees?

I finally built my raised beds! I got my herbs and peppers in. Later this week I will get the other filled with soil for veggies...

And a couple of gratuitous shots of hydrangeas, since they are doing pretty well and still blooming beautifully!

 

[BoPeep]

While you're all waiting for the zucchini to come in, try grilled asparagus. Won't eat it any other way.

 

[Old Rogue]

We'll probably be harvesting our first yellow squash and zucchini within the week. We've been picking lettuce for over a week now, and there are lots of buds on the tomato plants, and even several tiny green tomatoes on the cherry tomato plant. The bell pepper plants are coming along great, though no sign of little peppers yet.

 

[Wally_Hood]

While you're all waiting for the zucchini to come in, try grilled asparagus. Won't eat it any other way.

Ahh, indeed, asparagus on the bbq... on another thread somewhere I went on and on about grilling veggies right on the grill. Mrs. H just a couple of days ago bought a sort of shallow mesh basket and we loaded it with zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, and what not. Grilled it along with the tri-tip~

 

[jamespowers]

James and Big Man, wanna come over and pick off the bird that likes to sit on top of the beehive and eat my bees?

I finally built my raised beds! I got my herbs and peppers in. Later this week I will get the other filled with soil for veggies...

And a couple of gratuitous shots of hydrangeas, since they are doing pretty well and still blooming beautifully!

Nice. I should have taken some pictures of my French Lavendar earlier this year.

 

[Tatum]

Thank you, James!

Has anyone tried asparagus on the smoker? Oh my goodness, it's heaven.

 

[LocktownDog]

Its snowing. I have walls-of-water and cloches on all the temperature sensitive plants, but if it stays like this all day there's going to be problems. This is the 2nd year in a row we've gotten snow on Memorial Day weekend. I think next year, I'll start the garden around the 4th of July and try harvesting on the 5th.

 

[jamespowers]

Its snowing. I have walls-of-water and cloches on all the temperature sensitive plants, but if it stays like this all day there's going to be problems. This is the 2nd year in a row we've gotten snow on Memorial Day weekend. I think next year, I'll start the garden around the 4th of July and try harvesting on the 5th.

Oh geez!:eusa_doh::eusa_doh:Again with the snow! Good luck. I hope everything works out ok.
Next year I would certainly start out in June.
It has rained more days here in May than it has in recorded weather here. We usually get a few days but not at least once in every week in May. :eusa_doh: It works wonders with mildew and fungus sensitive crops like peaches, nectarines and apricots.
I sprayed for white fly yesterday and then it rained.:eusa_doh:Well at least I knocked them back for a few hours.
I suppose it was ok for the chives that I set out earlier. The beans, swiss chard and tomato seedlings seemed to be ok with it as well. I think I have only had to water the garlic and tomatoes just a few days so far too. [huh]

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I've just started planting out (in the ground) since the weather's been so changeable. It wasn't reasonable to get anything planted into pots until mid-March as the winter hung around for so long. However, I planted a bunch of courgettes and squash/pumpkins (all very high yielding varieties) over the past couple weekends and the Baroness's tomatoes are coming along well - just about ready to get them out of the greenhouse - as mentioned above, one of those collapsible plastic ones. before the frosts were past I did get in some garlic and shallots. The first crop of shallots is due to come up in about 2 weeks, and looks to be doing quite well.

Since last year's experiment (our first summer of owning this house) was a success, I've dug up a serious portion of the grass that once infested my garden and turned it to vegetable growth use. I am looking to grow more veg that I can store over winter to reduce my reliance on supermarket veg during the colder months. Any suggestions?

I don't know if they've been mentioned here yet, but I'd recommend (particularly for those with minimal or no garden) patio planters. My potatoes do very well in them. Pic to come. Basically just a polythene bag with drainage holes. I have a crop of Anya potatoes (a salad potato apparently bred, and sold, exclusively by Sainsbury's … until now) just about ready to harvest, and another bag started with some red variety the name of which I can't remember. These bags produce an absolutely massive yield and are very space minimal for those who are restricted.

EDIT: The Guardian today suggests food prices set for further sky-rocketing. No surprises there, but makes me ever more grateful for my small plot of England which means that, at least during the summer, I can avoid the high food prices. The price of supermarket courgettes has at least doubled in the past 2 years, even for the "own brand" option. Add to that the fact that they're shipped from Africa who have some serious water issues once more, and we have a vegetable that it's cringe-worthy to purchase.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

tattie bags

Here're a couple pictures of the patio planters I am now using for potatoes. The first pic is of the red potatoes I planted approx 1 week ago. They had sprouted in the dark indoors. The second photo is of a different type of potato about 8-10 weeks after planting. The soil is up to the brim of the bag, which should be full of potatoes! You add soil to the bag as the stems grow higher, similar to the bulking up of the haulm that you would do to normal potatoes in the ground.

 

[Puzzicato]

Those are serious tatties!

My pumpkins are about to flower, everything else seems to be starting slowly this year.