Garden 2022

[Magpie]

Lifted one full bed and one 8 ft row of potatoes, picked a huge basket of peas and put them and courgettes / zucchinis into freezer. Weeded everything else and tided in veg garden, have to tackle the polytunnel now. Ordered my winter onion and garlic sets last night, and have done out my rotation plan for spring.

 

[Ozarks hillbilly]

Had to leave the state for about 6 weeks due to work and just got back. Drought and high temps knocked out corn, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, peas and tomatoes while I was gone. A few zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers coming back now, we'll see. Had a bumper crop of okra and peppers though. Time to try something new--fall garden. Going to start some seeds in the house under lights tonight. I know I'll be bumping up against a first frost, but I've got clear plastic to cover.

For those who have done this before, I'd appreciate any advice/tips you've had to help restock the jars from last year.

 

[UrbanHunter]

Had to leave the state for about 6 weeks due to work and just got back. Drought and high temps knocked out corn, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, peas and tomatoes while I was gone. A few zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers coming back now, we'll see. Had a bumper crop of okra and peppers though. Time to try something new--fall garden. Going to start some seeds in the house under lights tonight. I know I'll be bumping up against a first frost, but I've got clear plastic to cover.

For those who have done this before, I'd appreciate any advice/tips you've had to help restock the jars from last year.

What plants are you planning to grow in your fall garden? Here is a list of fall crops 14 Best Vegetables to Grow in Fall

It all depends on what zone you are in, I am in 6b and we usually get our first freeze around mid October. I use a plastic cover on my raised beds and can keep lettuces and spinach going well into November. I've found that a good fully closed plastic top will increase your daytime temperature by about 25F and the night time temperature by about 10F.

As with most things in life it all depends on your location.

 

[LadyLocust]

Finally had a good harvest today, my tomatoes have finally started ripening. Looking forward to sampling them!

I've only had 6-7 ripe ones so far. Some nice looking ones on there but still green. I think I have 15 or 16 tomato plants in all.

I’ve been having trouble with my butternut squash. Little butter nuts form start getting a little bit bigger and then all of a sudden the bowl end turns black and soft and it falls off the vine.
Any ideas?

We've had squash bugs something fierce this year! Similar - fruit begins then they begin to rot.

Had to leave the state for about 6 weeks due to work and just got back. Drought and high temps knocked out corn, cucumbers, eggplants, green beans, peas and tomatoes while I was gone. A few zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers coming back now, we'll see. Had a bumper crop of okra and peppers though. Time to try something new--fall garden. Going to start some seeds in the house under lights tonight. I know I'll be bumping up against a first frost, but I've got clear plastic to cover.

For those who have done this before, I'd appreciate any advice/tips you've had to help restock the jars from last year.

Welcome back! I'm needing to get some more beets in the ground (just need time.)
@UrbanHunter Not sure if this would be of interest to you, but Leigh and her husband have done a ton on their place and water catchment is part of their plan. Rainwater Catchment (At Last)

Everything is still super late here - even at farmers market so I don't feel like a complete failure but it is a little worrisome. I'm wanting it on the shelves.

 

[Amish Heart]

Some of my cucumbers took a hit from desperate squash bugs. Guess they ran out of squash, since they killed over 30 plants. So I sprayed Neem oil and threw down some DE. I'm thinking of treating the area with dormant oil this winter since the squash bugs were so bad this year.

 

[Magpie]

I'm inclined not to suggest anything in case it's wrong! I don't know your area/ weather etc, but leeks grow here all winter, and hardy cabbage like savoy. We also have quick-growing carrots. I'll be planting onions, garlic and potatoes under cover. Best of luck to you!

 

[UrbanHunter]

@UrbanHunter Not sure if this would be of interest to you, but Leigh and her husband have done a ton on their place and water catchment is part of their plan. Rainwater Catchment (At Last)

Thanks @LadyLocust, they have a nice system, if I had the funds I would replace my 55 gallon barrels with 4 of the tanks like they are using.

About 7 years ago I made a similar catch system at my house, my garden area against the house is almost 6' below the grade level where the downspouts are, I made a 4" dia 5' tall catchment system with a 2" overflow and a 2" extraction connection about midway down the collection pipe (a lot like what they did) and I have threaded plugs on the bottom of the 4" pipe and the extraction connection used a U with a threaded pipe connection that goes to the water barrels, I made the U extend back to the storm drain divert where it is sealed with a 2" threaded plug. When it is raining I have about 3 feet of head going into the top of the barrel distribution lines.

For storage I am using an array of 12 plastic 55 gallon drums (I added bottom bungs to, each so I move water directly in/out of the bottom, they are vented at the top) feeding a 2" manifold that goes to my irrigation pump that is run by my inverter, which is powered by my battery bank and the solar array in the garden area. This year I hope to add another 4 barrels to my system. The 2" manifold has a ball valve at the lowest point that can drain all the barrels in 15 minutes. In the late fall I remove the 2 threaded plugs at the collection station and open the ball valve and the system is "Off". I do make sure that every valve in the system is "open" as closed valves have collected water in the past and burst due to freezing.

One thing that I noticed is that the system that Leigh and her Husband have is about 800 gallons and they have a 5 acre homestead. My current system is just over 650 gallons usable and I have trouble covering the water needs of 1/32 of an acre of growing space. I use about 100 gallons of water per day on my little patch and after a week without rain I am forced to use make up water from the tap. I currently can collect much more than I can store.

Many places say that a agriculture/gardens needs 1/2" of water per week, that would be 13,577 gallons of water per acre per week (1,900 gal/day).... That's a lot of water to try to store.

 

[elkhound]

heavy fogs and rain next 10 days here so i cut top portions of corn off to get any sunlight and all wind in and around ears of corn to help dry it down faster. pulled shucks back to see how its doing. looking pretty good i think. i never dried down sweet corn for seed.only dent corns for cornmeal and grits etc.seed security in the making..not to mention the value of not buying seed. top hat sweet corn this is.

 

[elkhound]

planted june 30th. this was on aug 14th i could see tassels just forming on corn down in leaves and this morning i am seeing tassels starting to emerge now. on right side you can see the little patch of corn i recently planted. its doing fantastic and rolling right along. its the 70 day old heirloom corn. that was half ounce seed at $3.50. it would cost something to put a patch of it out of any size. its only sold in half ounce lots too. the big corn is silver queen and silver king. the queen is out growing and looks better than the king.fall garden is going to be better than summer garden 6 weeks or so of no rain really hurt things.

 

[jishinsjourney]

Colorado weather! We got 2.5“ of rain in 36 hours. The zucchini is mad about it, but everything else looks okay. I picked most of the “Summer Sauce” tomatoes yesterday. They’re a yellow sauce tomato, which I haven’t tried yet.

The little green tomatoes are Green Doctor, so they’re supposed to look like that. They’re good — not Aunt Ruby’s German Green good, but good. (Aunt Ruby’s is the best beefsteak tomato I’ve ever tasted, and finding starts is hard. I’m not sure if they’ll do well here but I may have to start some for next year.)

 

[Ozarks hillbilly]

What plants are you planning to grow in your fall garden? Here is a list of fall crops 14 Best Vegetables to Grow in Fall

It all depends on what zone you are in, I am in 6b and we usually get our first freeze around mid October. I use a plastic cover on my raised beds and can keep lettuces and spinach going well into November. I've found that a good fully closed plastic top will increase your daytime temperature by about 25F and the night time temperature by about 10F.

As with most things in life it all depends on your location.

Thank you Urban! That article is a good one. I started the seeds last night before I read the article, but am stoked that I put about 10 of those. The only long shot is the tomatoes and cucumbers (maybe the hot summer will continue) and I did some winter squash based off of some comments on here. I was planning on the plastic over the raised beds, but didn't know when would be the time to put them in. I believe I'm in 6b as well (middle Missouri).

 

[Ozarks hillbilly]

I've only had 6-7 ripe ones so far. Some nice looking ones on there but still green. I think I have 15 or 16 tomato plants in all.

We've had squash bugs something fierce this year! Similar - fruit begins then they begin to rot.

Welcome back! I'm needing to get some more beets in the ground (just need time.)
@UrbanHunter Not sure if this would be of interest to you, but Leigh and her husband have done a ton on their place and water catchment is part of their plan. Rainwater Catchment (At Last)

Everything is still super late here - even at farmers market so I don't feel like a complete failure but it is a little worrisome. I'm wanting it on the shelves.

That is a cool water catchment system. We have a well and wet weather creek, that said, I've done rain barrels and will be adding a greenhouse to the mix this fall. I'll be "borrowing" some of those ideas for sure.

 

[LadyLocust]

planted june 30th. this was on aug 14th i could see tassels just forming on corn down in leaves and this morning i am seeing tassels starting to emerge now. on right side you can see the little patch of corn i recently planted. its doing fantastic and rolling right along. its the 70 day old heirloom corn. that was half ounce seed at $3.50. it would cost something to put a patch of it out of any size. its only sold in half ounce lots too. the big corn is silver queen and silver king. the queen is out growing and looks better than the king.fall garden is going to be better than summer garden 6 weeks or so of no rain really hurt things.


View attachment 92795

What zone are you in Elk? (Sorry if I've asked before and can't remember.) Also, I'd not thought of topping corn to help it dry, but that sure makes sense. Corn is not something I typically grow due to lack of space, but I like to know such things.

 

[UrbanHunter]

hey @Ozarks hillbilly thanks for your discussions, you made me think about my fall outdoor garden and I realized that my extra bush cucumbers are at the right size for transplanting right now and that I could plant them in containers in my outdoor space. I have 3 varieties that I am trying to evaluate for growing inside the basement. I am also hoping to create a greenhouse area at my basement walkout, so I might be able move the containers there as the winter rolls in. I have a fixed rule that once the plants go outside it's a one way trip, but the green room would be a gray zone.

 

[elkhound]

What zone are you in Elk? (Sorry if I've asked before and can't remember.) Also, I'd not thought of topping corn to help it dry, but that sure makes sense. Corn is not something I typically grow due to lack of space, but I like to know such things.

by the old 1990 usda map i was zone 7a...by the updated 2012 usda map i am zone 6b now. i seen it down to -15f before. my areas last frost is average may 10th and first frost october 10th. if i can dodge a few early frost i can keep going till snow flys. i have harvested buckets of peppers on thanksgiving day and pulled tomatoes with snow on them.

 

[LadyLocust]

by the old 1990 usda map i was zone 7a...by the updated 2012 usda map i am zone 6b now. i seen it down to -15f before. my areas last frost is average may 10th and first frost october 10th. if i can dodge a few early frost i can keep going till snow flys. i have harvested buckets of peppers on thanksgiving day and pulled tomatoes with snow on them.

Thank you - that's about the same zoning as here - so could be applicable.
I'm hoping to get some beets in the ground tomorrow morning.

 

[Ozarks hillbilly]

hey @Ozarks hillbilly thanks for your discussions, you made me think about my fall outdoor garden and I realized that my extra bush cucumbers are at the right size for transplanting right now and that I could plant them in containers in my outdoor space. I have 3 varieties that I am trying to evaluate for growing inside the basement. I am also hoping to create a greenhouse area at my basement walkout, so I might be able move the containers there as the winter rolls in. I have a fixed rule that once the plants go outside it's a one way trip, but the green room would be a gray zone.

Glad I could be of some help. I'm only on my second year of doing this and having to leave sure did hurt the veggies I was planning on canning. I would eventually like to grow the place (10ish acres) into a veggie/fruit haven. Add another place for a few cows/pigs (if I could find more land). Then I'd like to never see a grocery store again...wife's on board, not sure we'll get there...but a man can dream right?

 

[UrbanHunter]

Given Half a chance I would be right there with you @Ozarks hillbilly . Usually I have to travel for several weeks at a time in June, July, and August which usually decimates my garden. I could use timers to control some of my watering issues, but if thing need to be harvested I was dead in the water so to speak. We have been able to greatly reduce our grocery store vegetable needs but meat, eggs, butter, cheese and milk still have us going weekly...

Animal wise I would love to have some chickens and rabbits, pigs and cows are just a little large for my management style. I have had the "opportunity" to milk a cow in the past and it became a chore, has to be done every day and on a schedule...

My goal is to be able to have complete salad makings year round, if I can achieve that in Zone 6b I will feel I have accomplished something.

 

[Wingnut]

Even though my garden is wholly experimental at this stage, I am learning so much by reading posts here! Kudos to all of you for sharing your efforts! Elkhound, that corn looks delicious! Reminds me of an incident on the road... better sit back for a moment while I break out another anecdote from my "trucking daze!"

I was pulling a reefer wagon early in my 'trucking career' and my dispatcher sent me to pick up a load of white corn in a mountain valley near Delta, CO. I wound up hauling TONS of corn ears (still in the husk) to L.A., which meant I had to roll through the "bug check" near the CA line. An ag inspector walked out to the truck, handed me a 5-gallon bucket, and asked me to pick 20 ears of corn from various bins (or large cardboard boxes on pallets). So I climbed aboard, made my way to half a dozen different bins, and returned with a bucketful of ears, right?

The guy proceeded to partially strip the husk from each ear so he could check for bugs... there were none. When he was done, I asked him what he was gonna do with the ears of corn, which were now in a clear plastic bag; he said they'd probably go into a dumpster behind the building. I never liked to see food wasted, so I suggested that he take 'em home and put 'em on the BBQ! The guy looked around to make sure the big boss wasn't nearby, then he walked over to his vehicle and put the ears behind the front seat. We parted in accord, and each of us went on about his business.

I must admit, that hand wasn't the ONLY non-paying customer to sample that delicious white corn, lol. In those days, when I knew I was on the way home to San Diego for time off, I'd cadge a few samples to bring home with me... call it theft if you wish, I called it "the perks of the job." I once pulled a wagonload of Haas avocados from SoCal to Washington State, then picked up a frozen load bound for the company yard in Iowa. By the time I backhauled an IBP meat load to San Diego (a roughly 5000-mile triangle), the avos I "borrowed" were perfectly ripe! I still call that trip the "Guacamole Run!!!"

For those who wanna get all judgmental, I should add that the company LOVED me, and they often relied upon me to deliver "hot loads"---I was known as a "hard runner" in my day, lol. Not above "comic book" falsification, which meant doctoring the 'Driver's Daily Log' on a regular basis. Just the way it was back in those days, and as long as you got your sleep, you were okay. A gal in 'Safety' called me in to discuss one trip... I told her I had a "fast truck" (all fleet trucks were governed at 65 m.p.h.), and she told me I had a "fast logbook!" BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Maybe she was right...

 

[joel]

It s still a little hot for seeds here, I will plant seeds in September, with my garlic.

 

[Bacpacker]

More reply later. But I wanted to share abpic of my first ever pear harvest. 5 gallon bucket full. Varying sizes

 

[joel]

More reply later. But I wanted to share abpic of my first ever pear harvest. 5 gallon bucket full. Varying sizes

I remember my first time like it was yesterday, I watered it all summer for six years before it had any pears. My MoonGlow has beared every year after that first year, it is the first plant I planted on my land.

 

[Bacpacker]

I remember my first time like it was yesterday, I watered it all summer for six years before it had any pears. My MoonGlow has beared every year after that first year, it is the first plant I planted on my land.

About the same here. I've had pears on the last 2 years but waited too long to pick. Had a good crop this year so I studied up a little. Seems like I was right track.

 

[Ozarks hillbilly]

Given Half a chance I would be right there with you @Ozarks hillbilly . Usually I have to travel for several weeks at a time in June, July, and August which usually decimates my garden. I could use timers to control some of my watering issues, but if thing need to be harvested I was dead in the water so to speak. We have been able to greatly reduce our grocery store vegetable needs but meat, eggs, butter, cheese and milk still have us going weekly...

Animal wise I would love to have some chickens and rabbits, pigs and cows are just a little large for my management style. I have had the "opportunity" to milk a cow in the past and it became a chore, has to be done every day and on a schedule...

My goal is to be able to have complete salad makings year round, if I can achieve that in Zone 6b I will feel I have accomplished something.

I think that is completely doable. I know my great grandparents and even grandparents were able to make it and we can too. (per my favorite saying) Those hard times made strong men, the strong men of those days made easier times, which made weak men, which are now making harder times. They adapted, we will too.

On a plus note, picked about 8 cucumbers, 1 giant zucchini and who knows how many peppers yester day. Tomatoes are making a comeback (!) about 10 new ones showed up yesterday and the plants are looking good. Green bean vines are looking good and flowering (maybe some late life yet).

 

[Tacotom]

Finally dug the rest of my blue potatoes

 

[UrbanHunter]

I got word that Burpee had garlic, so I ordered a couple of pounds for fall/winter planting. The shipping date is the end of September. Just wanted to share in-case you were planning on adding some for spring harvest.

Last year I was able to have garlic and onions come off just in time to free up the beds for my late spring planting.

 

[Bacpacker]

Filaree Farms had most of their types in stock a couple weeks ago. Of course they have so many i have a hard time picking out a few

 

[elkhound]

4 hot banana pepper plants yield was 64 peppers yesterday...at least that many green ones still on planting and blooming to put on more. not first harvest either.walking onions are regrowing now so plenty of green onions for table.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Hold the horses ma, thars a bean in the garden. We gonna be eating real good in a week if nothin gets it.

 

[Peanut]

Elk got me curious so I went and checked my peppers. My jalapenos are turning red. My cayenne's are still blooming, some peppers there. I got 3 banana pepper plants and they are loaded.

The surprise was the watermelons. I thought they'd all died in June during the drought. I might actually get a melon this year. I found 2 little ones.