Well, I have followed the instructions and my potatoes are still looking good in their grow bags. Fresh potatoes are lovely, so I have high hopes!
Garden 2023
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Planting wise: Runner beans are in. Sweet peas are potted out. Astonishing amounts of Begonias are trying hard, but growing VERY slowly. (It's been a very cold, wet spring). Some good sun over the past few days though, so hopefully things will start to sprout! My Bay tree - which last year was at death's door, has staged a major recovery, but I am noticing curled leaves on some of the new growth so I suspect some sort of insect invasion. The Photinia, planted only the year before last is looking stunning. I have bought a tiny young version to try out at the front (very dry, stony and poor soil). Anyway, this is the current state of what I laughingly call my "courtyard" garden. (When I arrived 6 years ago, it was a concrete square, with only 1 living plant - a very tough Lavender - which still thrives in the far right corner.)
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Oh, and does anyone know what the tall green plant is on the extreme left? Every year it does this (completely straight), no flowers. And every year, it dies down again. Seems like a small tree, but no branches. It looks okay when it is in leaf so I leave it alone. ;-)
Your lavender looks amazing, I'm very jealous. I can't begin to count the number of plants I put in and they don't even make thru the summer!
Could you take a close up of the leaves on your mystery plant?
Have fun at the show!
When I think of my feet and back, I'm not jealous - but really I am very jealous. LOL
Could you take a close up of the leaves on your mystery plant?
Have fun at the show!
When I think of my feet and back, I'm not jealous - but really I am very jealous. LOL
blissful
Master Chef
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Well, Wisconsin is letting us put in our onions! Mr bliss and I put in over 500 onion sprouts to a long day winter keeper, yesterday and today. We grew the sprouts from seed we grew, winter sown. About half of our landscape fabrics are pinned in place for the tomatoes and peppers.
Our garlic is looking strong! Another month and 1/2 and I can't wait to see the results.
We're hoping to get the rest of the garden in this week.
Our garlic is looking strong! Another month and 1/2 and I can't wait to see the results.
We're hoping to get the rest of the garden in this week.
blissful
Master Chef
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Plant ID app said vetch of some type for the first picture, and Ash for the second. A spike like a tree, I'd guess Ash. Guess only.
pepperhead212
Executive Chef
Here's one of those set fruits on a Oaxacan Jewel. Earlier than any other non-cherry tomato I've ever had before.
First set fruit on any tomato this season - a Oaxacan Jewel, which is not a cherry! First saw it 5-28, this photo 5-29. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Today I sprayed some more Surround on the new growth on the tomatoes, and most of the other plants. It has rained so little here that I haven't even gone through the first 2 gallon batch of it, since I just have to cover the new growth. It doesn't wash off easily, but it hasn't been raining much at all - only about .19" in all of May.
First set fruit on any tomato this season - a Oaxacan Jewel, which is not a cherry! First saw it 5-28, this photo 5-29. by pepperhead212, on FlickrToday I sprayed some more Surround on the new growth on the tomatoes, and most of the other plants. It has rained so little here that I haven't even gone through the first 2 gallon batch of it, since I just have to cover the new growth. It doesn't wash off easily, but it hasn't been raining much at all - only about .19" in all of May.
I know I've asked this before, pepper, but where do you get your Surround?
Is it premixed and if not how do you go about it?
Does the kaolin clogs the nozzle often when you spray?
Is it premixed and if not how do you go about it?
Does the kaolin clogs the nozzle often when you spray?
pepperhead212
Executive Chef
Funny you should ask that, @dragnlaw - someone on a garden forum asked me some questions about the Surround, which I answered for her.
I buy it at Peaceful Valley Farm, because have 25 lb bags (this lasts me 5 or 6 years), and they offer a flat rate shipping, though I have no idea what shipping to Canada would cost. Most places charge more for the shipping than the item, for things like this!
www.groworganic.com
I use about 2 c of surround/gal for the first sprays. And I do add some potassium bicarbonate to the mix, as a prophylactic - about 1½ tb/gal. And what I do is take a fine strainer, about 3" in diameter, and put the KHCO3 in it first, then put a half cup of Surround in on top, and take the hose fitting on "shower", and wash it through the strainer through the top of the sprayer. I then add more Surround in, using the same method, adding a half cup at a time, until I have 4 cups in, for the 2 gal sprayer. This breaks up the particles, so the sprayer won't clog up, while spraying.
I then add a tsp of the spreader/sticker ThermX70; I don't know how adding oils would affect it, but we know it quickly becomes too hot to be applying oils, so I usually don't mix these.
Later in the season, I reduce the amount to 1½ c/gal, partly because I am often re-spraying, after heavy rains, and there is still some on them. And as soon as the cherry tomatoes begin setting fruits, I stop spraying those, as it is a pain trying to get the Surround off of those small fruits - it doesn't just rinse off, like DE, or sand. Large tomatoes, eggplants, and other larger vegetables wipe clean easily, but not small peppers and tomatoes, or irregular surfaces on some vegetables.
The Surround works well against flea beetles, as well as other beetles, and aphids. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to affect those spotted lanternflies, that are becoming more of a pest around here every year.
I just saw 2 more set fruits on those Oaxacan Jewels this morning! I'll buzz some more blossoms when I go back out, to set them faster - other varieties should be setting soon.
I buy it at Peaceful Valley Farm, because have 25 lb bags (this lasts me 5 or 6 years), and they offer a flat rate shipping, though I have no idea what shipping to Canada would cost. Most places charge more for the shipping than the item, for things like this!
Surround WP (25 Lb) - Grow Organic
Derived from kaolin clay, a natural mineral, Surround WP is labeled to control insect pests and disease, while protecting against sunburn and heat stress.
www.groworganic.com
I use about 2 c of surround/gal for the first sprays. And I do add some potassium bicarbonate to the mix, as a prophylactic - about 1½ tb/gal. And what I do is take a fine strainer, about 3" in diameter, and put the KHCO3 in it first, then put a half cup of Surround in on top, and take the hose fitting on "shower", and wash it through the strainer through the top of the sprayer. I then add more Surround in, using the same method, adding a half cup at a time, until I have 4 cups in, for the 2 gal sprayer. This breaks up the particles, so the sprayer won't clog up, while spraying.
I then add a tsp of the spreader/sticker ThermX70; I don't know how adding oils would affect it, but we know it quickly becomes too hot to be applying oils, so I usually don't mix these.
Later in the season, I reduce the amount to 1½ c/gal, partly because I am often re-spraying, after heavy rains, and there is still some on them. And as soon as the cherry tomatoes begin setting fruits, I stop spraying those, as it is a pain trying to get the Surround off of those small fruits - it doesn't just rinse off, like DE, or sand. Large tomatoes, eggplants, and other larger vegetables wipe clean easily, but not small peppers and tomatoes, or irregular surfaces on some vegetables.
The Surround works well against flea beetles, as well as other beetles, and aphids. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to affect those spotted lanternflies, that are becoming more of a pest around here every year.
I just saw 2 more set fruits on those Oaxacan Jewels this morning! I'll buzz some more blossoms when I go back out, to set them faster - other varieties should be setting soon.
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I went to the Chelsea Flower Show on Saturday. The weather was uncharacteristically excellent - sunny and warm and, incredibly, no rain! Apparently, this year's show was quite different in character to most previous events - "weeds" (aka "wild flowers") were in abundance. So was broken concrete, items being "re-purposed" as planting tubs and a general loosening of the usual gardening "rules" about where plants should be placed. Also, don't think I saw a single lawn! All of which is great for me - it very much suits my own gardening style as I am not a fan of the traditional English lawn with borders. Not so much my companion, who found the show less impressive (he has been a number of times before and appreciated the more styled and I suppose, "ordered" displays of previous years).
The crowds on Saturday were huge. It made it pretty difficult to take pictures, or even to properly see and enjoy the gardens. (I had been watching the highlight shows on the BBC during the week though, so really, it was just an opportunity to see some things in the flesh, so to speak.
I think my personal favourite part was visiting the rose display in the indoor area. The variety of colours and styles of roses was simply amazing, but the SCENT! Absolutely heady! I adore the scent of roses, so I was in heaven and almost had to be dragged away.
There were some stunning Hosta displays too, and exquisite Bonsai, along with staggering varieties of Chrysanthemums, Gladioli, Foxgloves - the list is endless and it was a joy for anyone who enjoys flowers and plants.
Some pics attached to give a general "flavour"...
@dragnlaw - the first pic is for you!!
The crowds on Saturday were huge. It made it pretty difficult to take pictures, or even to properly see and enjoy the gardens. (I had been watching the highlight shows on the BBC during the week though, so really, it was just an opportunity to see some things in the flesh, so to speak.
I think my personal favourite part was visiting the rose display in the indoor area. The variety of colours and styles of roses was simply amazing, but the SCENT! Absolutely heady! I adore the scent of roses, so I was in heaven and almost had to be dragged away.
There were some stunning Hosta displays too, and exquisite Bonsai, along with staggering varieties of Chrysanthemums, Gladioli, Foxgloves - the list is endless and it was a joy for anyone who enjoys flowers and plants.
Some pics attached to give a general "flavour"...
@dragnlaw - the first pic is for you!!
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blissful
Master Chef
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- Mar 25, 2008
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Yesterday mr bliss put in 60 peppers, serrano, yellow and red bell. I put in 60 tomatoes, roma, redorta, and san marzano. We have lots more to do but are waiting for the day to cool a little bit. We need to get everything in by this week-end! Cattle panel arches and more landscape fabric are next on our plan.
OMGosh, Katy, THANK YOU. You honour me. What a wonderful display! I also love the meercats (? at least I think that what they are supposed to be?)
I am of two worlds, orderly and neat but love the chaos of the "English Country Garden" which mya look chaotic but is still organized.
I am of two worlds, orderly and neat but love the chaos of the "English Country Garden" which mya look chaotic but is still organized.
blissful
Master Chef
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New bean we are growing this year. The Broad Winsor Fava Bean. We have a friend and a neighbor with parkinson's. The medical studies of fava bean consumption compared to l-dopa was excellent for parkinson's disease symptoms-which is really cool and no side effects from the beans (besides gas, lol). They are said to have unbranching stems growing 5-8 feet. We have them planted on the edge of a cattle panel arch. They may take 75-90 days, can be eaten cooked green or dried. The skins of the beans are peeled off after the first boil. The seeds are just huge, from Baker's Creek Seeds. This will be fun. We already eat a lot of beans but this is new to us. Has anyone else tried growing them or eating them?
I have had fava beans in one Greek resto. They had them in their salad bar. I'm not sure how they were prepared, but they were really yummy. They look like an oversized, albino lima bean. I have read that they are toxic if not cooked enough.
icine is an alkaloid glycoside found mainly in fava beans, which are also called broad beans (Vicia faba). Vicine is toxic in individuals who have a hereditary loss of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.
But I haven't found anything that says cooking must be done in a specific way to reduce toxin. You either are or are not, able to eat them.
I've had them canned. In so far as I'm aware they are quite common on the grocery shelves. Once while passing a neighbour way down the street, he gave me a huge bag of them. He was upset as his wife was away and he could not keep up with them growing in the back yard. LOL, I felt sorry for him - I knew how overwhelmed he was feeling.
Unfortunately, we left for the cottage later that day and they got left behind on the back patio. By the time we got back the racoons had destroyed them and what was left was rotting in the rain. Never did cook any fresh.
Very popular with the Brits living near us. I would say any of them that had a garden (and they were beautiful gardens!) grew them.
But I haven't found anything that says cooking must be done in a specific way to reduce toxin. You either are or are not, able to eat them.
I've had them canned. In so far as I'm aware they are quite common on the grocery shelves. Once while passing a neighbour way down the street, he gave me a huge bag of them. He was upset as his wife was away and he could not keep up with them growing in the back yard. LOL, I felt sorry for him - I knew how overwhelmed he was feeling.
Unfortunately, we left for the cottage later that day and they got left behind on the back patio. By the time we got back the racoons had destroyed them and what was left was rotting in the rain. Never did cook any fresh.
Very popular with the Brits living near us. I would say any of them that had a garden (and they were beautiful gardens!) grew them.
pepperhead212
Executive Chef
Today, I took advantage of the overcast and cooler weather, and uncovered my 3 covered pepper Earthboxes, to make sure nothing was taking advantage of the fact that I can't see under there, at least if it's something small! No aphids, or anything else growing under there, and those plants are growing faster than the uncovered ones! I think it's because they are slightly warmer, and peppers love heat. These are between 1½ and 2' - I couldn't keep the cover off well, to make the photo, due to the wind.
one of the covered pepper Earthboxes, Jalafuegos just under 2 feet tall, with a lot of buds, some just opening. 6-3 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
I'm seeing more set tomato fruits every day now, including some of the smaller ones, so they will ripen faster. The Sprite grape is just starting, as well as the Green Zebra. And the Juliet F3 plus the Prune Verte Green Plum are a little larger, but should still be faster than the big ones. And those Oaxacan Jewels are incredible - all 3 plants have at least 2 set fruits, and the stalks are probably the thickest I have seen on any variety. And here's something I did, while trimming the plants - I've snipped off an excess number of buds, in those initial clusters, on the Jewels, Hippies, and Brandyboys, some of which had 8 or more buds, some of which hadn't even opened. Last year it seemed some of these Jewels and Brandyboys would get BER on the clusters with a lot of tomatoes on them, but not when they only had 2 or 3 tomatoes, which is what I left on them. I don't do this with small varieties, but the large ones, in the beginning at least, I think this will help.
Hippie Zebra, setting fruit, 6-3. Plants just over 2 feet tall. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Prune Verte Green Plum, starting to set fruit, 6-3 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Those Oaxacan Jewels, showing the first set tomato of the season, and how large the plants have gotten. 6-3 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
I also saw a couple of set fruits on some eggplants, that I hadn't even noticed the fruits on - the Choryoku Green, and the LA Long Green, and the latter one I remember being a later than most variety! Maybe they've improved them, through the years. The blossoms on the Ichiban and String are still open.
The beans are starting to come up now - some of them seeming to not wanting to come up at all. I re-planted some different varieties, in between the uncooperative ones, and I'll see what happens.
one of the covered pepper Earthboxes, Jalafuegos just under 2 feet tall, with a lot of buds, some just opening. 6-3 by pepperhead212, on FlickrI'm seeing more set tomato fruits every day now, including some of the smaller ones, so they will ripen faster. The Sprite grape is just starting, as well as the Green Zebra. And the Juliet F3 plus the Prune Verte Green Plum are a little larger, but should still be faster than the big ones. And those Oaxacan Jewels are incredible - all 3 plants have at least 2 set fruits, and the stalks are probably the thickest I have seen on any variety. And here's something I did, while trimming the plants - I've snipped off an excess number of buds, in those initial clusters, on the Jewels, Hippies, and Brandyboys, some of which had 8 or more buds, some of which hadn't even opened. Last year it seemed some of these Jewels and Brandyboys would get BER on the clusters with a lot of tomatoes on them, but not when they only had 2 or 3 tomatoes, which is what I left on them. I don't do this with small varieties, but the large ones, in the beginning at least, I think this will help.
Hippie Zebra, setting fruit, 6-3. Plants just over 2 feet tall. by pepperhead212, on FlickrPrune Verte Green Plum, starting to set fruit, 6-3 by pepperhead212, on FlickrThose Oaxacan Jewels, showing the first set tomato of the season, and how large the plants have gotten. 6-3 by pepperhead212, on FlickrI also saw a couple of set fruits on some eggplants, that I hadn't even noticed the fruits on - the Choryoku Green, and the LA Long Green, and the latter one I remember being a later than most variety! Maybe they've improved them, through the years. The blossoms on the Ichiban and String are still open.
The beans are starting to come up now - some of them seeming to not wanting to come up at all. I re-planted some different varieties, in between the uncooperative ones, and I'll see what happens.
OP
OP
larry_stewart
Master Chef
Mushrooms keep on coming and picked 2 of my broccoli today. Everything is planted. Now it's just the waiting game and trying to keep everything alive. Something munched on aa few of my cucumbers, probably cut worms, so I have to pick ups a few more.
