Seems the gardening enthusiasm on here peaked a few years back, but I saw Trinity's comment about her tomatoes & was reminded I'd been wanting to ask.

Anyhow, I'm still going.

-------
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avy by buckshot_defunct

Up to 7 4x8 beds, one 8x8 plus my asparagus bed & the berries.

Bad year for the asparagus, think my plants are on last legs or are young seedlings. Ah well.

Bad year for berries too, not sure why I didn't get any raspberries. Birds eat the blueberries of course. I even missed the mulberries entirely this year, which is particularly weird.

Great year for greens, though. Had lettuce all the way up into mid-July. Kale kicking butt now. Couple random chard plants.

Radishes came early and strong. Wound up having to compost a lot of them once they bolted, it was just too much for me to eat before they started getting woody.

Cukes are producing large quantities and for the first time in the past few years aren't really dying back (yet). I had already planted my second round though so we'll see if I'm in over my head in a month.

Tomatoes are coming along super slowly. Normally we have ripe tomatoes by mid-July but here we are in August and I've gotten I think 3 ripe ones off my 20+ plants. Plenty green ones still one the vine, just not turning red. Varieties this year include Copia, Kellogg's Breakfast, Big Beef, Genuwine (yes), Pink something or other, Belarussian Heart, Orange Strawberry, Dad's Sunset, Flame, Mary Robinson's German Bicolor, Blue Beauty.
Doesn't help that a raccoon has been raiding my tomato bed at night. I caught her in the trap overnight last night and she was just so cute. Of course when I let her go she made a beeline for under my shed. *shrug*

Have peppers in too, only 3 came for me this year. Belgian Red and Antigua Long Sweet. Two plants have fruit, probably September before any are big/red enough to pick.

Eggplants (another variety named Antigua) germinated very well so I have way too many. Stuck 8 in a bed, and have another 6 or so still in pots after giving away a bunch.

Pulled my garlic a few weeks back. Not a big harvest but I can't complain since I haven't even planted garlic in three years. Still every year from leftover cloves or shed bulbils, I get at least a couple bulbs worth pulling.

Very good year for carrots, growing cosmic purple and dragon (purple skin and yellow interior). Finishing up the bed within the next week or two and planning to resow with more carrots, plus some beets. Maybe a few radishes too.

Not sure where I'll put my fall lettuce yet. Might have to build a new bed for that.

Tried zucchini as usual, got NO seedlings this year. Didn't worry about it too much since at least I don't have to worry about battling the root borers.

I can post some pics if anyone's interested & won't clown me for using photobucket in 2016.

Plus, good year for flowers in the spring. Tried to get some of my daffodil clumps divided, but there's only so much we can do.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

so not enough space, really
im so jealous of your garden

lets see... basil and arugula
so far these have been the easiest thing to grow. been having amazing arugula salads- finally they flowered (i wasn't harvesting them right) and so i had to start new plants
same thing with the basil, so now im actually taking the time to go through youtube vids
i have a tomato plant that i got at the farmers market and have harvested 2 tomatoes (too excited about this!)
and waiting on a few more tomatoes to ripen- I tried to grow from seed but that didn't work out, might try again
also failed at growing corriander :o(- they grew about two inches then i dont know what happened.
im growing purslane! i love this weed. i cant wait to be able to harvest and cook this. i also saw some purslane growing at a sidewalk near my house, so im watching these too.

besides these im also growing miniature roses, lavendar, jasmine, wandering jew, slowly killing a sunflower :o(

i dont necessarily have a green thumb but im all about trial and error.

.
http://perspectivesudans.blogspot.com/
i myself would never want to be god,or even like god.Because god got all these human beings on this planet and i most certainly would not want to be responsible for them, or even have the disgrace that i made them.

>so not enough space, really
>im so jealous of your garden
>
>lets see... basil and arugula
>so far these have been the easiest thing to grow. been having
>amazing arugula salads- finally they flowered (i wasn't
>harvesting them right) and so i had to start new plants

You can also eat arugula flowers, they're really tasty.\


>i have a tomato plant that i got at the farmers market and
>have harvested 2 tomatoes (too excited about this!)

Perfect! You know the variety?

>and waiting on a few more tomatoes to ripen- I tried to grow
>from seed but that didn't work out, might try again

That's tougher and also a matter of timing. Then of course I get two hundred volunteers from my compost pile. *shrug*

>also failed at growing corriander (- they grew about two
>inches then i dont know what happened.

Just pitch more seeds, you can sprout coriander anytime up into the fall

>im growing purslane! i love this weed. i cant wait to be able
>to harvest and cook this. i also saw some purslane growing at
>a sidewalk near my house, so im watching these too.

I think I've tried this one, lessee... yep, it grows as a noxious weed in my vegetable garden. I didn't like it enough to make a habit of picking it.
The weed I've enjoyed more is wood sorrel (looks like a clover, but with heart shaped leaves and yellow flowers that are uncloverlike: http://www.wildedible.com/wild-food-guide/wood-sorrel) - we still put it in salads sometimes and I've used it in beer brewing as well.

>besides these im also growing miniature roses, lavendar,
>jasmine, wandering jew, slowly killing a sunflower (

nice nice and nice! Sounds like you're making good use of the fire escape. Sunflowers can be tricky too since a lot of insects like to eat them. I was lucky and got a volunteer that's about 5' tall with a 12" flower this year, but it goes straight from glorious to kind of ratty in about a week.

>i dont necessarily have a green thumb but im all about trial
>and error.

That's the way to do it, nobody has a green thumb without learning a few things or figuring it out for himself along the way.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>Perfect! You know the variety?

not this particular one - they are slightly larger than cherry tomatoes but the same
im also growing an 'early girl' - i think thats the name. no signs of flowering yet
the one i tried growing from seed is a black krim - which looked interesting (dark purple/ black skins!!)

>Just pitch more seeds, you can sprout coriander anytime up
>into the fall

did! waiting for them to sprout.

>I think I've tried this one, lessee... yep, it grows as a
>noxious weed in my vegetable garden. I didn't like it enough
>to make a habit of picking it.

i dont think id eat it raw, but its excellent cooked with lentils - try it
i wish i could find it growing in abundance somewhere. i want to freeze enough to last through winter.
never tried sorrel. will try and find some

.
http://perspectivesudans.blogspot.com/
i myself would never want to be god,or even like god.Because god got all these human beings on this planet and i most certainly would not want to be responsible for them, or even have the disgrace that i made them.

http://www.thekitchn.com/seasonal-spotlight-arugula-blo-83963

They're nice & peppery, a little more, um, floral than arugula proper.

Also, arugula seeds in easily - I usually let my spring crop go to see and then I have some start back up by mid-August. It takes a while to go from flower to setting & releasing seed, though.

>not this particular one - they are slightly larger than cherry
>tomatoes but the same
>im also growing an 'early girl' - i think thats the name. no
>signs of flowering yet

So much for the 'early' part. Then again tomato season just seems really sluggish across the board this year.

>the one i tried growing from seed is a black krim - which
>looked interesting (dark purple/ black skins!!)

Don't know that one but there are a bunch of black or blue varieties that have come out over the past few years - whatever that pigment is that makes it blue or black is supposed to be really good for you; my understanding is that it is naturally present in to mato stems but historically not the fruits, so there was like a race to breed darker and darker varieties, get that pigment from the stems into the fruits.

I grew Blue Beauty last year, pretty good, and Indigo Rose i think it was called, which produced really well and was if anything darker than Blue Beauty.

Black Krim looks interesting - the fruit's darker than some of the other blue/black varieties I've tred. Gotta keep that one in mind, thanks for the tip.

>>Just pitch more seeds, you can sprout coriander anytime up
>>into the fall

>did! waiting for them to sprout.

Coriander itself also goes to seed very quickly, so you want to re-pitch seed every few weeks anyhow.

>i dont think id eat it raw, but its excellent cooked with
>lentils - try it

May do!

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

..for anything that doesn't thrive in a tropical environment.

heat + humidity + very little water.

irrigation isn't an issue, but time is limited.

and please don't get me started on these mufukin' squirrels.

fortunately, i'm not growing food (flowers/plants only).


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

>..for anything that doesn't thrive in a tropical environment.
>
>
>heat + humidity + very little water.

July was so dry here, I thought my hydrangeas were gonna kick the bucket. Fortunately last two weeks have been cooler nights and some good rain.

>irrigation isn't an issue, but time is limited.

Yep

>and please don't get me started on these mufukin' squirrels.

Yep. And chipmunks. And deer. But probably hte most destruction (this year) has ben done by my own chickens. Those little fuckers scratch and scratch and scratch. I've stopped letting them out of their run at all.

>fortunately, i'm not growing food (flowers/plants only).

Do tell

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

..hydrangeas, petunias, coleus, primrose, celosia, salvia (red), hastas, day lillies, velvet centaurea, and a rose bush.

the hydrangeas take a beatin' in august, but always survive.

the squirrels seem to be drawn to the petunias & salvia.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

>..hydrangeas, petunias, coleus, primrose, celosia, salvia
>(red), hastas, day lillies, velvet centaurea, and a rose bush.

sounds like a good mix of annuals & perennials, depending on where you are. Coleus are Strict houseplants for winter here (philadelphia burbs), at least the stained-glass ones I grew for a year a while back.

>the hydrangeas take a beatin' in august, but always survive.

good good. I try not to panic when i see them wilt (which they do every year).

>the squirrels seem to be drawn to the petunias & salvia.

weird.
Reminds me this has been a good year for rabbits around here, they've munched a bunch of stuff. Nothing like coming out one morning and seeing a bare stalk where that hosta you just planted three weeks ago was.

>*skatin' the rings of saturn*
>
>
>..and miles to go before i sleep...

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>Reminds me this has been a good year for rabbits around here,
>they've munched a bunch of stuff. Nothing like coming out one
>morning and seeing a bare stalk where that hosta you just
>planted three weeks ago was.

these squirrels are savages. they don't even hide anymore. might have to make an example out of one of 'em.

*also: i almost forgot that i have mint & basil growing as well. i rarely count them because they grow like weeds every year.



*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

I dunno if I could catch the rabbits as easily, but I get groundhogs and raccoons in traps every year. I could be eatin' em. Went so far as to call a butcher shop once a few years back but he just laughed.
One year I also caught a bunch of squirrels since they repeatedly pulled down my bird feeders. I would spray paint them then dump them a half mile away. The spray paint was so if they came back I could tell it was a returnee.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

>One year I also caught a bunch of squirrels since they
>repeatedly pulled down my bird feeders. I would spray paint
>them then dump them a half mile away. The spray paint was so
>if they came back I could tell it was a returnee.

you just gave me a GREAT idea!

WINTER IS COMING!..


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

I keep seeing that son of a bitch every time I go outside to check on my garden. And at night my dog wakes up and starts barking at him. I'm gonna buy a trap this weekend.

But yeah, lots of water melon, okra, some peppers, whatever tomatoes that asshole groundhog hasn't eaten, and some butternut squash.

>I keep seeing that son of a bitch every time I go outside to
>check on my garden. And at night my dog wakes up and starts
>barking at him. I'm gonna buy a trap this weekend.

My Havahart trap gets a lot of use.

Unfortunately, I havahart. I haul 'em about a half mile away but my dumping spot is getting developed now

>But yeah, lots of water melon, okra, some peppers, whatever
>tomatoes that asshole groundhog hasn't eaten, and some
>butternut squash.

Haven't tried okra... my wife doesn't like it.

And I'm not a big squash fan, so considering how much room it takes up I'm happy passing. Grew watermelon last year with inconsistent results, decided not to both this year.

Good luck with the groundhog... my folks have caught 7 so far this year. I only got the one raccoon.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

*excited*

I'll take vid for the OKP massive

****
pink toes: http://i.imgur.com/WN7DPL1

but the Mrs. doesn't want them and id worried about our kids and the neighbors.

The neighbors have bitched in the past about our compost pile, so that'll give you an idea.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

Put Marigolds, Sweet Pea and a bunch of herbs in the balcony planers then got a puppy just as the warm weather came and they've been criminally neglected in favour of walkies and poopscooping. I think I might've revived the Marigolds and a Sage plant... but everything else looks pretty much fucked.

_______________________________

))<>((
forever.

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so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

the children water them daily
and there's plenty of sun
but still nothing but height...

as long as the soil is appropriate, and the containers are large enough.

It could just be when they were planted - most tomato varieties are about 90 days from germination to ripe fruit, some faster, some slower. And there are lots of variables, including weather/temperature, etc. We usually plan on the seeds planted inside in mid-March to bear fruit around July 4.

This year just seems particularly slow. Of my tomato plants, I have 8 that were started indoors in mid-March and they're just starting to show color in the fruits, so we're running three weeks or more late. The ones I started outside in mid/late April are still quite a way from having anything ripe. So with about 10 varieties, I'm still getting more like 120 days this year

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Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

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avy by buckshot_defunct

caged or staked?

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avy by buckshot_defunct

Im waiting until they're stronger
no?

The classic round metal cages have to go on when the plants are small, before they need the support, simply because they won't fit over the plant without breaking a lot of branches as the plant gets bigger.

If you're staking, you can stake as it grows, but you have to watch out - a branch can break easily just from being long or (hopefully) as the fruit grows. I don't like staking myself.

I prefer different cages:
-The folding doohickeys: basically a 3- or 4-panel screen that you can unfold into a triangle or square. These can also go onto a larger plant, but carefully.
-I've bought a lot of the 'ultomato' cages over the past three seasons and find them superior - though at $10/cage a little pricey. Also the actual cage tends to be too small as the intended triangle so I buy extra stakes to make them squares. They're still a little small - if I didn't mind spending the extra money I'd buy a lot more and just set them up as grids, which is what I actually do with cucumbers now.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

and flowers. I thought I did a good job of clearing it but one bush is coming back with a vengeance. It's so pretty and green I almost want to let it win...but it's in the perfect spot near the kitchen door.

Any suggestions on how to get the bush out permanently? Or any nice smelling herbs I should plant? So far I have sweet basil, sage, chives, rosemary and thyme.

>and flowers. I thought I did a good job of clearing it but
>one bush is coming back with a vengeance. It's so pretty and
>green I almost want to let it win...but it's in the perfect
>spot near the kitchen door.


>Any suggestions on how to get the bush out permanently?

Digging something up by the roots is always the surest way to get it out.
If that's not an option, you can cut it off with loppers/shears or a pruning saw, and poison the stump with Roundup (which is not advisable if you're growing food there.)
Or any
>nice smelling herbs I should plant? So far I have sweet basil,
>sage, chives, rosemary and thyme.

For an aromatic in the garden, I love mint, smells great every time I walk by and step on some leaves by accident, but it runs like crazy so you might be better with that in a pot.
I also like nasturtiums; they don't particularly smell but you can eat the beautiful flowers, makes a great garnish.
Tarragon is good, also cilantro, curry bush (can get big), lavender (can get big)...

Also you might want to consider trying different varieties of the ones you already have, like Thai basil, lemon basil, creeping or carpet thyme (can make a GREAT ground cover), lemon thyme, some of the prostrate rosemaries (lies on the ground instead of being upright), etc. There can be very wide divergence in taste, flavor and aroma in addition to different appearances.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct