Gardening 2022: Lettuce Begin

[NorthLoop 14303]

Lawn stuff needs it's own thread. Different animal.

[miguelito 11337]

19 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Watch out for the Copper sneks.  They love them some frogs

Nuts.

 

I saw a fat and happy checkered garter snake last weekend.  Hopefully that's the only garden snek I have. 

[BabaYaga 15377]

11 hours ago, NorthLoop said:

Lawn stuff needs it's own thread. Different animal.

Agreed.  Guy tried to start one yesterday and some cock bag shit all over him for "duplicate threads".  

[BabaYaga 15377]

37 minutes ago, miguelito said:

Nuts.

 

I saw a fat and happy checkered garter snake last weekend.  Hopefully that's the only garden snek I have. 

They are most active when the sun starts to set.  They also tend to chill in areas that are cooler.  So if you have any old stuff lying around to shade/protect them, maybe police that up?  But yeah, they love them some frogs!

[NorthLoop 14303]

Cucumber plant has doubled (tripled?) in size in about 10 days time

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by NorthLoop

[NoName 16621]

10 hours ago, NorthLoop said:

Lawn stuff needs it's own thread. Different animal.

 

49 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Agreed.  Guy tried to start one yesterday and some cock bag shit all over him for "duplicate threads".  

yup, i tried that and a drunkass who doesn't even post on this board got super cunty about "duplicate threads"

[4th and 5 4926]

Herb garden  Basil, purple basil, lavender, Mexican heather, penta, sage, rosemary, oregano, more basil, mint, cat nip, variegated oregano, variegated Sage, mums onion radishes wildflowers lambier

 

Big garden update, potatoes and tomatoes are thick, blackberries are taking off

 

[miguelito 11337]

Those jar lights in the herb garden are pretty cool.

[NorthLoop 14303]

10 minutes ago, miguelito said:

Those jar lights in the herb garden are pretty cool.

Agreed. 

Also your tomato cage game is strong. 

[NorthLoop 14303]

Something has been digging holes at night. The fencing isn't disturbed, and the stray cat that was shitting in my yard was killed by a coyote this week (chronicled on the neighborhood fb page). I'm thinking some sort of bird. Or maybe just toads? 

 

 

[miguelito 11337]

Armadillo?  I think I have some digging in my flower beds, but they probably wouldn't mess with your netting. 

Could be birds, maybe digging for grubworms?  You should get your camo on and sit out there all night to find out.

[4th and 5 4926]

Armadillo 

[NorthLoop 14303]

100% not an armadillo with my netting.  I moved my owl to the area where the holes appeared. If they're there again tomorrow I'll put a camera up.

[NorthLoop 14303]

Owl seems to have done the job for today (it needs a name btw). I also added a new friend. 

 

 

[NorthLoop 14303]

One week later... the rain really blew up my tomato plants. 

I definitely made some mistakes on my plant positioning. These tomatoes have already gotten as big or bigger than I've ever had them get in pots - but they are starting to swallow up my pepper plants. Next year I'll stick all the 'maters in the back and peppers in the middle, with strawberries, onions, and herbs in the front. 

I may change my tune in a couple months if the summer sun changes the dymanic. But for now, I may need to prune a few branches of my tomato plants just to give my peppers some breathing room. 

Also, next year that cucumber gets his own section to himself. What a huge asshole. Had to tie some strings off so his feelers wouldn't molest anyone. 

 

 

[Eugene11 379]

Damn April snow ‘storm’ killed my cucumber starter. The tomatoes survived but just. They were on the struggle bus for a couple weeks. One should be good.  One may not produce much. 
 

at least the mountain has some killer snow for the rest of the late ski season here.  All the way through may! Hell yeah. 

[SimonBolivar 10961]

Hello Mr First Blackberry of the season.

 

[miguelito 11337]

Nice!  My blackberry vines are pretty full of baby berries like that.  This is my first year with them, and I'm wondering if the birds are going to fight me for them. 

 

I have one bed that the strawberries took over.  I had like 3 or 4 plants last year, and they sent out runners everywhere, and I just let them go.  So this year they are producing pretty well, but most of the berries are rotting where they sit on the dirt.  I think I need to provide some pine needles or other mulch to prevent rot.  Y'all have much experience with that?

But damn, there's nothing like a fresh sun-warmed strawberry.

[miguelito 11337]

Here's a shot of my blackberries this morning.  There are hundreds of them on just a few vines:

 

 

And I think I mentioned these little wheeled seats before.  It's a little cart you sit on and can wheel back and forth along your raised beds.  There's even a little tray below the seat where you can hold tools. 

 

 

[JesusSweatDuck 17814]

Anyone have any idea what might be causing this on my cucumber plants? No obvious insects. Fungus?

[NorthLoop 14303]

I've got a little of that too. Hopefully nothing serious. 

[heso 2822]

What is happening to my tomato plant’s stem? Of the 8 plants I have they all seem to have been affected by this to some degree. On some it’s just a section of the stem with no hairs. This was the strongest of the plants other than this section.

[miguelito 11337]

Not sure, too much water?  How does the rest of the plant look?

I don't think that's a sign of nematodes. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

Perhaps a fungal pathogen as the culprit. If so, a fungicide may help. I use a spray on mine once in a while but I will need to go look up the label as I cannot recall the name. 

[heso 2822]

9 hours ago, miguelito said:

Not sure, too much water?  How does the rest of the plant look?

I don't think that's a sign of nematodes. 

I don’t think it’s too much water, but I’m not sure. The rest of the plant is great, growing fast and strong. 

8 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

Perhaps a fungal pathogen as the culprit. If so, a fungicide may help. I use a spray on mine once in a while but I will need to go look up the label as I cannot recall the name. 

Thanks, I’ll give that a shot. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

2 hours ago, heso said:

I don’t think it’s too much water, but I’m not sure. The rest of the plant is great, growing fast and strong. 

Thanks, I’ll give that a shot. 

It's worth a try. It's good that the rest of the plant is doing well, and that was why I mentioned a potential fungus. Look up Southern Blight on tomatoes because I think that is one that sometimes affects the stem first. It is a soil borne pathogen if I recall, and there are remedies one can take to reduce it in the future. I treat my tomatoes terribly--I put them too close together, don't give them enough support, and forget to trim the lower stems to keep the water off the plants. So my plants don't always reach their potential. But I do try and keep the soil in good shape because soil diseases get out of hand quickly and once begun may require sterilization to render it fit again. Ugh.

Hopefully that is not the case with yours and maybe it was just a small critter taking a nibble or something.

[miguelito 11337]

3 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

I put them too close together, don't give them enough support, and forget to trim the lower stems to keep the water off the plants.

LOL, it's good to know I'm not the only one.

[NorthLoop 14303]

Yup I waited way too long to prune my tomatoes. I got in there with the shears last week and I felt like I was murdering them. 

[JesusSweatDuck 17814]

On 5/10/2022 at 11:57 AM, NorthLoop said:

I've got a little of that too. Hopefully nothing serious. 

I treated with a bit of liquid copper.  Looks like it could be bacteria or a fungus.  Bacteria is bad and not super treatable but copper can work.  If it is a fungus, copper should help as well.

 

I'm trying this - https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-02901-Liquid-Fungicide/dp/B007PJRPKW/

[Eugene11 379]

So my starter trey got flooded and all mixed up.  These sprouted and keep going but not sure what they are. Any help? 
possibilities are cucumber, santium tomatoes, basque hot pepper, beets, basil or arugula.  Not likely those last two.  

[NorthLoop 14303]

Don't look like cucumbers, tomatoes, or peppers to me. I guess that leaves beets. 

[miguelito 11337]

It looks like it's about to flower, so you might find out.  It doesn't really look like any of the plants you mentioned, except maybe a different kind of arugula. 

 

Spoiler

 

[NorthLoop 14303]

Oh hai lil cucumber babies

 

[NorthLoop 14303]

Also does anyone have any good basic pickle recipes? 

I've never pickled anything before and I want to try some cucumbers this year. The problem is that Google results are mostly mommy food blogs that tell you more about what Caiden, Aydyn, and Maxxtyr wore to church on Wednesday than providing a decent how-to. 

[NorthLoop 14303]

So I guess I fucked up and let the first cucumber sit on the vine too long. It went from green and white to yellow in one day. The whole reason I didn't pick it was because it wasn't fully green yet but it went yellow in a split second. Google says I can still pickle this but it will taste like shit if I try to eat it as is. 

Am I good to pick these before they get fully green? 

 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

I can't say for sure, anytime I've tried them when they're not the usual darker green, the flavor is poor. You'll likely have to slice it, taste one and then decide if you want to pickle.

I make a simple fridge pickle recipe with a cup of water, a cup of white vinegar, and a tablespoon of kosher salt. Stir til dissolved, bring to a boil and pour over sliced cucumbers packed into the jar and fill liquid to brim. Let cool prior to tightening lid. Let rest in fridge for 48 hours and then good to go. I think they keep for a month but ours never last that long. I also add a peeled clove of garlic to the jar. Really easy.

Picked my first tomato of the season. mmmmmmmmm.

Am hoping this week's heat won't kill production. I had plenty of fruit, but a lot more flowers left but temps in the nineties and tomatoes don't like it. Our swiss chard is managing, the lettuce was all consumed but our cucumbers are not as far along as yours.

[NorthLoop 14303]

That particular one was hiding on the ground in the shade. Some of the things I read said to expose the fruit to as much sunlight as possible to get them green. Maybe that was the issue.

[Texas St. Armadillos 1381]

Found some leaf feeted nymphs hanging with my tomato plants.  Got about 20 or so.  Those guys are fast.  Insecticidal soap will be here in the morning.   

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

9 hours ago, NorthLoop said:

That particular one was hiding on the ground in the shade. Some of the things I read said to expose the fruit to as much sunlight as possible to get them green. Maybe that was the issue.

Cucumbers are very good at hiding. So are zucchini for that matter--and those will grow a foot overnight I swear.

9 hours ago, Texas St. Armadillos said:

Found some leaf feeted nymphs hanging with my tomato plants.  Got about 20 or so.  Those guys are fast.  Insecticidal soap will be here in the morning.   

Yes! I do not like those pests.

[Spaulding Smails 1568]

On 5/18/2022 at 8:34 AM, NorthLoop said:

Also does anyone have any good basic pickle recipes? 

I've never pickled anything before and I want to try some cucumbers this year. The problem is that Google results are mostly mommy food blogs that tell you more about what Caiden, Aydyn, and Maxxtyr wore to church on Wednesday than providing a decent how-to. 

I think this is the recipe we used last year.  Scroll to the bottom to skip the reminiscent stories of sister Linda and Aunt Marge and eating jars of pickles while summering in Vermont or whatever these bloggers talk about.

https://www.foodiewithfamily.com/homemade-claussen-knock-off-pickles/

Pretty easy and turned out great.  

[Bevo&Pevo 5389]

As far as pickles goes, there are some recipes over the Food and Travel forum.  I put up a couple of our family secrets there.

[NorthLoop 14303]

That yellowish cucumber tasted just fine. I decided to pickle it and another one anyways. I MAY have used too many spices but we'll find out in a couple days. 

 

[mr. sunshine 2838]

What is this on my purple hull peas and how do I kill them/it?
 

[McFly 606]

Bugs?
Neem oil or insecticidal soap. 

[texasdago 7591]

How are y'all's tomatoes doing in this homicidal heat?  My Juliet tomatoes keep producing away... been good to me.  My Matt's Wild Cherry looks like crap but keeps producing... they're just tiny tomatoes.  Green Zebra growing like a weed and I have T W O tomatoes  which sucks because they taste awesome.

[NorthLoop 14303]

My cherry tomato plants turned into a fucking jungle before popping out anything. Finally seeing little green balls all over them now. My regular tomato got real big real fast, but seems to not be liking this heat. It's first round of fruit is on the vine still - 4 with no more coming it looks like. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

The Celebrity variety has produced beautiful tomatoes as it always does, but the number is down this year. I think the early heat wave stressed the plants some. The Early Girl and the San Marzano had some issues with blossom end rot--again I think with it being so warm so early I may have over watered them some. I cut back on planting the plum style variety this year-only the San Marzano. If it's going to be a scorcher of a summer then I may bag some of the other crops early and start seed indoors for fall. Usually by the end of June as tomato production ends, I take a limb from a mother plant and bury it in a pot next to the plant until roots form and then use that as the fall crop of tomatoes. But keeping it watered and happy is a bit of a chore. Lately it has been fighting on too many fronts between the yard, garden, and some of the mechanicals/appliances indoors are reaching their lifetime limits so having less 'farming' in the heat will be a boon.

 

[4th and 5 4926]

I've been getting about 4-6 early girl per day for the last 6 weeks

Purple Cherokees did little to nothing

[Celery Man 21027]

🍆🍆🍆

[4th and 5 4926]

I did not pick tomatoes yesterday so this is what I got today