Today's harvest

[pepperhead212]

I harvested at least 15 more eggplants today, to add to the ones I still had left after making that ratatouille flavored dish a couple of nights ago. Most of the varieties have totally stopped flowering - just what was already formed was maturing, and the ones that stopped are almost out of fruits. The Asian String eggplant is the only one that doesn't seem bothered by the high heat, with a bunch of new blossoms, and all different sizes of fruits. The UH Green Long had 2 new blossoms, but only one full sized EP, and only one blossom on the Choryoku Green, and and again, only one full sized. The others - Ichiban, LA Long Green (mis-named, since they are 5" max!), and Batac - I couldn't find a single blossom on, but hopefully I'll get some cooler days (and nights), that will trigger some blossoming, before it gets back up again. Surprisingly, fewer tomatoes have been doing this so far, due to the heat.
A bunch more eggplants today, at least 15 more, plus 7 or 8 from 2 days ago. Time to dehydrate again! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also harvested the cherry and other smaller tomatoes today. I'll be cutting up some of those for the dehydrator, as well, since I still have a bunch of those from before, as well.
Smaller tomatoes, harvested on 7-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[Kathleen]

My cucumbers produced enough for 7 pints of dill pickle slices. I hope they are as tasty as I am hoping!!!

 

[pepperhead212]

There have been a few ripe peppers, but they are really starting to ripen fast now! And I noticed that the Aruna and Datil peppers are like the Thai Vesuvius - indeterminate types, that are LOADED with peppers, almost all full sized, and very few open flowers on them now. Here are the ripening ones today:
Thai Vesuvius, 7-26 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

One of the 2 Superchili plants, ready to pick the ripe ones. 7-26 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The Thai Vesuvius, and a smaller number of Superchili and Thai Dragons, above. 7-26 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here's the first ripening Kajari melon.
First ripening Kajari melon, with a bad spot on the upper right, that maybe triggered the early ripening. 7-26 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[pepperhead212]

I went out for about 40 minutes this evening (at least it was breezy, in that disgusting heat!), and a few of the larger tomatoes, but mostly the smaller ones - cherries, and a little bigger ones. Also harvested a bunch of eggplants, mostly Asian String, and a few UH greens, and a few small LA Long greens. The strings are the only ones I see a bunch of blossoms on; others none, or just one more. A lot of the larger tomatoes have no blossoms, but the cherries are still producing. The okra is producing, though not like usual, and they usually like the heat, like the peppers. A couple more kajari melons ripened, but just one snowy cucumber; only the county fair seems ok in the heat.
Mostly eggplant, but a few tomatoes, 2 more Kajari melons, and a snowy cucumber. 7-28 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Almost 4 qts of the smaller tomatoes. 7-28 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Okra - Big Buck, Little Lucy, and Star Of David. 7-28 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[larry_stewart]

my string eggplants ( first year im growing them) are dong well also. I will definitely grow them again next year . Smaller tomatoes doing well, larger ones slim Pickens.

 

[Kathleen]

What are string eggplant?

 

[GotGarlic]

What are string eggplant?

Pepperhead mentioned he harvested Asian string eggplant above. They seem to be the skinny ones in the picture.

 

[dragnlaw]

Hey pepper!
Are String Eggplant different than Asian Eggplants?

 

[larry_stewart]

I got a free package of string eggplant seeds from Bakers creek seeds with my order. This was my first year trying them. The pic on the seed packet is deceiving. I thought they would be smaller, similar in size and shape to a hot pepper. Turns out, they grew about 1 foot long and about an inch or so thick. They are very productive. I think they are a Chinese variety.
(Picture from internet. I have the same seed packet)

 

[pepperhead212]

@Kathleen, @GotGarlic , @dragnlaw Yes, one place I saw them call them Asian String eggplant, another place Chinese String eggplant. Very similar variety is Ping Tung - a little thicker sometimes, and sometimes longer, but the reason I only grew that for only one season was that they weren't as resistant to the heat - would just stop flowering, just like many varieties.

 

[pepperhead212]

The early part of the day is when I went out and picked a bunch of peppers, mostly ripening Thai peppers. A few Big Mic and Jalafuego peppers, just starting to ripen.
3 different types of Thai peppers, ripening quickly. 7-31 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Big Mics and Jalafuegos, 7-31, day after uncovering. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[larry_stewart]

Harvested som Black Popcorn. Haven't popped it yet.

 

[pepperhead212]

A few tomatoes the last couple of days, too. I'm getting some of the larger tomatoes, but in a few more weeks is when I'll hit a lull, which is when the blossoms that dropped in that hot spell, would be ripening. Cherries come back quickly, if they even stop flowering.
Tomatoes from 8-5 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Tomatoes from 8-4 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[Kathleen]

I dug some potatoes from the ground today. I also picked 3 okra, several cherry tomatoes, 1 celebrity tomato, and six cucumbers. The pea-sized potatoes are destined for string beans, I think....or maybe mixed with cabbages.

I shredded my little cabbage to start it fermenting for sauerkraut. I have another small head nearly ready. The cabbages are tiny, but taste great! My sunflowers are starting to tower above the wall to block the view of the shopping center behind me. Last of all, not edible, but my little crepe myrtle is flowering too.

 

[pepperhead212]

More peppers today! Imagine that.
Those Arunas are ripening now, and there are a lot more of them out there on just 3 plants. The Datil is starting to ripen fast, too, and that's just one plant. And that Red Savina started ripening. Early August is earlier than many varieties ripen; though the reason I stopped growing many varieties was because they ripened so late, many of them they have improved to much earlier.
Ripening Arunas, with many more to come. 8-7 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Yellow Datil peppers, Thai peppers, Jalafuegos ripening, and just 2 each of Hanoi Market and Big Mic ripening. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The larger Maui Purple plant, with many peppers ripening, 8-7. I didn't pick any of those yet, as the red peppers look better in the almost black leaves! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[larry_stewart]

More peppers today! Imagine that.
Those Arunas are ripening now, and there are a lot more of them out there on just 3 plants. The Datil is starting to ripen fast, too, and that's just one plant. And that Red Savina started ripening. Early August is earlier than many varieties ripen; though the reason I stopped growing many varieties was because they ripened so late, many of them they have improved to much earlier.

What kind of fertilizer do you use, and how often with your peppers ? My pepper year is much better than last year but could be better.

 

[pepperhead212]

@larry_stewart It's varied, depending on what I've gotten on sale! Almost all of those Earthboxes that I have most of my peppers in have some Espoma organic granular fertilizers - the Garden Tone, with the green label, which I think is 3-4-4, and the Plant Tone with the brown label, with 5-3-3. I got 25 lb bags of these 2 years ago at Ocean State Job Lot for under $20 each. I was hoping the Tomato Tone would have this deal, but only those two. I use more of the Plant Tone for peppers - maybe 2:1, and also mix in some worm castings and about 1/4 c of the Espoma super phosphate, and about 1/2 c of their dolomite, for the Ca, but a lot more of that goes in the tomatoes. They also get some potassium from the potassium bicarbonate spray, that I do for a fungal prophylactic, but not as much as I put on other things. The ones in the ground I put some of the granular fertilizer around, before planting, and about 6 weeks later, I put some liquid fertilizer around the base, when it seems we won't be getting any rain - usually some lower in N, but I also add some of that Calcium Nitrate - something I add maybe once a month to the Earthboxes, but once a week to tomatoes, and a small amount of epsom salt. And something I put in the Earthboxes is that Micorrhyzae, that I think is also what makes my seedlings grow so quickly, compared to when I didn't use it.

 

[dragnlaw]

Do you have to order all these things separately? Only aids I've seen available at nurseries are pre-mixed and horribly expensive.

All my Roma's have some sort of disease/fungus. Flower rot? The tomatoes are flat and blacken on the ends.

 

[Marlingardener]

Dragnlaw, the problem with your Romas may be blossom end rot. It is caused by insufficient calcium, and irregular watering. Calcium can be added to the soil with bone meal, ground up egg shells, or limestone. The irregular watering is easily fixed. Just water so the soil stays damp, but not soupy. Mulch really helps, too.

 

[dragnlaw]

Thanks Marlingardener. I had heard of blossom end rot before, just couldn't remember what it was called.
Insufficient calcium, groan, all our egg shells go into the compost. Even get the grandkids to sit and crush them as small as possible, LOL, something I used to do on the farm while watching TV. Not for the compost but to feed back to the chickens. (my eggs had really great shells, not like the fragile thin ones you get in the grocers here, what a shock that was!).
As for the watering - I guess next year I will do all the watering myself. Son & DIL only spray the tops till all look wet. They never check the soil. I water from underneath the leaves. Two reasons but mainly because I don't want to wash off the DE powder that I've sprinkled all over them, and secondly, I often water in the mornings (evenings are not my thing), so I water under the leaves so as not to burn them when the sun comes out.