Garden 2022

[Neb]

We had heavy rain and high winds last night into today, my corn is leaning at about a 45 degree angle. I am debating going out and bringing it upright and the providing some sort of support, first thought are to use 2 or 3 strands of garden twine tied to supports at the end of the 4' row, kind of like a wire fence with a set of strings in between each row of corn..... is it a waste of time or not... trying to think this thing out some of the corn is starting to show tassels.

My Roma tomatoes are now about 3' high and half the plants are showing lots of blooms. I have a few volunteer plants that came up and I have 6 "spare" Roma Tomato plants that I may need to dispose of. I staked my bell pepper plants, I have lots of blooms and about a half dozen peppers moving towards harvest.

The wind really messed with my sugar peas, I don't know if they will recover. The pole beans and the beets on the south side of the house were protected from the wind and they needed the extra water, so all good there.

I grew corn in 4x4 raised beds. Usually inside frames to keep the deer out. The year I did get corn blown over I just ran a string around the bunch to pull them up straight. Corn did fine.

Ben

 

[Bacpacker]

I've had rows of corn blown over. It usually will stand back up on its own, if the roots weren't pulled out

 

[Woody]

A smile for the gardeners!

 

[Neb]

Finally!

The bush beans have sprouted. Two previous attempts failed. I suspect some critter got into the cage and ate the sprouts. I moved to another box that is in better shape. I really need to remove all of my boxes and replace them with new boxes that are better. That may happen for next year.

Ben

 

[UrbanHunter]

This evening I went out an put in support lines for my corn, found a bunch of small ears, I ended up having some surplus wood (son wanted me to deliver it to the dump) and I used that as uprights to tie strings across. Everything is at least a little restrained now.

 

[Neb]

This evening I went out an put in support lines for my corn, found a bunch of small ears, I ended up having some surplus wood (son wanted me to deliver it to the dump) and I used that as uprights to tie strings across. Everything is at least a little restrained now.

Have grown corn previously?

How do you judge if an ear is ready ?

Ben

 

[Tommyice]

Everything by me is in and growing beautifully. We've been getting heavy winds and rain, then a beautiful day. It's been cool enough at night to sleep without ac but gets hot in the afternoons. All that's left to do is weeding and eating. Been getting handfuls of strawberries every other day. Dad's up at the cabin and is telling me everyday during the welfare check that I need to leave him some. I think he's going to be out of luck. LOL

Lidl's had a potting bench that will fit perfectly at the back of my little greenhouse. That's this weekend's project. Clean out the greenhouse, assemble the bench and get it setup. Still trying to convince Dad he needs one of those Harbor Freight greenhouses in his backyard.

 

[Mel]

I'm trying the 3 Sisters in one of my beds this year. You know corn, squash, and beans. I have a variant of it. Blue jade corn, lime beans and pumpkin.

 

[UrbanHunter]

Have grown corn previously?

How do you judge if an ear is ready ?

Ben

I have no idea, I was just surprised to see them. I was expecting to see ears in a month or 2, these little guys were just cute to see.

 

[UrbanHunter]

Last night I made plans for the containers for the sweet potatoes, they are 3' long, 1' wide, and 1' deep. I am planning to place 3 in a line between the yard and the grape vines, so they will be facing out to the public. I am planning to bottom water each container using 4 drip irrigation emitters in the bottom of each container and routing the lines so they siphon between each container, I am a little short on 90 degree fittings so I am having to do some tricky routing using Tees and Plugs. I plan to pre-assemble the whole thing tonight on my pavers and then move it to the yard under the cover of darkness in the morning. I am trying to make sure that the containers will be equally watered and drained and I need to include an emitter at the delivery point so I don't create a siphon between the planters and the irrigation system. It's really simple in a complicated sort of way.... I may try to grab a couple of pictures as I do the pre-assembly.

 

[Amish Heart]

One of these days, Urban, I tell myself that I'll put in a watering system. Until then, I just attach hoses to a hydrant near the garden and lug them around. At least I guess I could use a sprinkler. Ha.

 

[Neb]

I have no idea, I was just surprised to see them. I was expecting to see ears in a month or 2, these little guys were just cute to see.

What little I know... subject to corrections by those that know better.

Feel the cobs. When early the will feel pointed. As they ripen up they will feel blunted like a ripe cob.

Look for all of the tassels to brown off.

When seems it is close open the ear enough to see the kernels. If it looks good bite off a few kernels. If ready boil the water before you pick it for best results.

Only pick what you will eat. The ears (to a limit) keep best on the plant.

That is all I can offer.

Ben

 

[Bacpacker]

I always start by looking at the tassels. Keep a close eye once they start turning brown. And feel the cobs, once tassels start turning seems like the kernels fill out.
And for me, the crows and coons know exactly when ots ripe. Lol
Hopefully you don't have that problem

 

[UrbanHunter]

Tonight I skipped dinner and went to the garden, I did the layup for the sweet potatoes, I harvested a #10 can of potatoes and replanted some more plants, and it was still light so I moved the sweet potato containers into position, filled them, connected them to the irrigation system, and watered them.

 

[Bacpacker]

The beans I planted last weekend are already up and look decent.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I see tomato blooms and the corn is caged.

 

[Peanut]

Sweetcorn for supper, haven't had any this early in several years. Peas, watermelons, cantaloupes all blooming. Got the first little tomato today also. Something strange happened to my early peppers, couple plants, they just died for no apparent reason.

 

[Bacpacker]

Sweetcorn for supper, haven't had any this early in several years. Peas, watermelons, cantaloupes all blooming. Got the first little tomato today also. Something strange happened to my early peppers, couple plants, they just died for no apparent reason.

View attachment 87767View attachment 87768

Well I am envious. Sweet corn is awesome. first of the year even better

 

[LadyLocust]

Wow! And I was excited because we finally get to eat salad from the garden. Hardier produce is still a little ways off. Rained most the day, but I did get out and was able to do some weeding. I pulled my garlic my mom gave me last fall. What kind of garlic looks like an onion (yes it's garlic)? It has a purpley outter layer/skin but white flesh. They are huge, about the size of a tennis ball. I will probably chop and dehydrate it. I like cloves of garlic for fresh cooking.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

I had to bring my herbs back into the house. Its too cold for them at night. Nothing is growing. Even the tulips have refused to grow.

 

[Amish Heart]

I've been getting salad greens for a good while, now, and the geese get the extra. No corn here yet, but it will absolutely be knee high by fourth of July. Squash and tomatoes have blooms, but no fruit yet. It'd be pretty early. I would have beets by now, but had to replant after the rabbits. Our neighbor, though, was selling big bunches of beets today for $2 a bunch. I boiled a big pot of them for husband, and the geese got the beet greens. Usually if someone has bad luck with something, someone else around here had good luck. Green beans all have flowers, so pretty soon. Snap peas soon, too.

 

[LadyLocust]

I've been getting salad greens for a good while, now, and the geese get the extra. No corn here yet, but it will absolutely be knee high by fourth of July. Squash and tomatoes have blooms, but no fruit yet. It'd be pretty early. I would have beets by now, but had to replant after the rabbits. Our neighbor, though, was selling big bunches of beets today for $2 a bunch. I boiled a big pot of them for husband, and the geese got the beet greens. Usually if someone has bad luck with something, someone else around here had good luck. Green beans all have flowers, so pretty soon. Snap peas soon, too.

Beet tops are good in salad (raw not cooked.)
Oh yeah, @UrbanHunter I have extra tomatoes too. They get to go in the ground tomorrow. Hubby brought home the torch so he could take care of some weeds that were where they will go. Last year had a little patch of goatheads there so didn't want those causing us problems. I'll dig up the little spot, add a little compost and get them in the dirt. It's supposed to rain tomorrow so we'll see how much I can get accomplished.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I checked on my okra that I moved out to the shelf in the screened in garden. 20 out of 21 started cups came up, that 95%! I am so excited to have a good start on the Okra after last year's hits and misses. It's raining today, which limits my activity out there. I may start another batch of Okra seeds. Last night the wife was able to water the garden using the remote control, but when talking with her about where the water was visible, it became clear how much her distance vision has gone down. I may need to make 1 more order of irrigation supplies this year, mostly 1/2" fittings. I am finding the the potatoes do just fine in a foot of soil, I am filling 17 gallon containers with old grass clippings and then topping them off with 9" of amended soil. I am finding the potatoes in the layer where the grass and soil meet. I picked up 2 more of the 3' long container because I think they will work okay for potatoes too, plus I found an unused space that will hold them.

 

[UrbanHunter]

It stopped raining just long enough to get 9 sweet potato sets out into containers, then the rain came back in. I have never grown sweet potatoes but was happy to see roots growing out the bottom of most of their cups. The 2 of the 3 regular red potatoes I put out yesterday are really looking good, the 3rd was iffy when I planted it. I did get in my order with drip depot so that a hurry up and wait type of event. I did plant 21 more okra seeds, I am only doing 1 seed per cup and I am tracking performance. My Okra has been an issue for the last 4 years, I used to only grow a North&South Hybrid because I am at about 39 degrees North and the growing season can shift a lot. But, about 6 years ago Burpee quit selling it and I have been trying to find a replacement. This is the second year of trying this variety, last year I planted too early and frost got most of my plants, this year I have delayed planting by a month.

Anyway, I should be working in the garden, but it's raining and it's driving me crazy... short trip, lots of twists and turns.

 

[Bacpacker]

I get all my drip parts from Drip Depot. Very good company

 

[Bacpacker]

Spent the afternoon weeding my beds. Then working on finishing my drip system for the existing beds.
Some early onions are getting close to done, a few tops are falling over. 1 of the 4 types of garlic is browning up the stalk so wont be terribly long for them. Found my first cuke buy tiny. Continue training the maters up the panel.. those things will get close to 10' tall before they turn back down. Lots of blooms and a few small maters.

 

[LadyLocust]

It rained most of the day. I did make it out for a short time and got my spare 'maters planted. Will see how they do. They are just stuck in a spot because I could sorta make room there. I figure if they produce anything, it will be a perk. Also finished weeding the beans and got compost put around them. I didn't amend the soil before planting them so figured it wouldn't hurt. The nutrients will leach in. I need to plant more clove garlics. Muddy mess out there.

 

[Bacpacker]

Got all the beds watered except for one. I ended up short on one fitting. So I'll have to make a stop by TSC and pick up a few. I'll water it tomorrow with a nozzle.

Picked a few shallots for supper. They are really good.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I broke open one of the heads of garlic I picked, the cloves were well formed, but the garlic was very compact and strong. The wife approves, I have them in the fridge but I am thinking I may need to store them in a cool dry place... I think the rest of them should stay in the ground a couple more weeks. I am now into the stage of production where I have new plants starting in the house, mature plants nearing harvest outside, and I am constantly moving stuff in and out of the garden.... I wish I knew more about the garlic and onions, I need to figure out how to have new sets ready to go to keep rotating my crops.

 

[Chaosdawn]

So I figured out what snipped off seedlings in my beds. I went out yesterday and saw that one of the previously snipped tomatoes (that I thought might be coming back) was cut off again and some bottom branches of other tomatoes were snipped off as well. On a hunch I put two mouse traps in that bed as well as two in the shade bed where two pea plants were snipped. This morning I had a dead mouse in each bed. I hate mice. I don't have enough space/plants to ignore them, they need to be stopped before they do more damage. Ugh.

Does anyone have suggestions on what I can toss in the empty spaces I have now? There's a couple square feet in my tomato bed and about one square foot near my eggplants. I was thinking maybe carrots but I have heavy soil so they tend to not grow good roots.

Also I planted potatoes today, I've never grown them before but one of the places I buy from had a sale so here we are. I planted four lbs of German Butterball in grow bags so hopefully they'll do well.