How does your veggie garden grow (v.2011)?

Things are going slow here in the Ohio Valley. Torrential rains the last few weeks have made planting difficult. Fortunately we had some spinach "winter over" so have been harvesting that all Spring. Some of the leaf lettuce is almost ready. If things stay dry, I may finally get tender annuals such as tomatoes and peppers in the ground this weekend, however May 7-10 is the average last frost in my area so I'm in no big rush. Plenty of straw is on hand for mulching just in case we have a repeat of the 2010 drought.
We started our tomatoes and peppers from seed and they have stubbornly resisted getting more than 2" tall. Perhaps they didn't like the starter soil mix? Regardless they are now in trays outside to harden off. ..hope the warmer temps. expected this week will motivate them.

I bought a grow light this year and so my tomato plants are 8-10 inches tall now. I have a pretty small garden -three different kinds of tomatoes, some herbs (mostly basil and parsley), some squash, pumpkins and sun flowers. The grow light seems to have been a good idea. I planted everything outside about a week or so ago. We have mid 60s for highs and high 40s for lows now.

I planted 11 tomato plants 2 weeks ago. My Sungold Cherry has 3 green tomatoes on it, the rest of the plants are flowering. I also planted seven chili peppers, the Cubanelle was the first to flower, the rest are following. French tarragon is up and has doubled in size from last year, and I have a nice crop of German, English and French Thymes. Chives, parsley, rosemary, marjoram, sage, mint, all wintered over and are doing well. The Cattawissa onions have taken off since I put the little bulbs in, they were ready to sprout, for sure. I planted Chinese Long Beans 8 days ago, they have sprouted and growing fast. This year I put them in very large pots next to the raised beds, with tomato cages over them so they can start to climb. I will string twine from the cages to the PVC framework around the tomatoes so they can continue their climb and shade the tomatoes later in the summer. Maybe we won't have to put up as many shade cloths. I have one jalepeno chili pepper and the rest are sweet, such as Banana, Carmen, and the Cubanelle, I mentioned. I don't plant cucumbers, zucchini, or any of the large leaf, trailing vine type veggies as I get a crop of white flies that wipe them out. I also planted Watermelon Radish, and a type of baby spinach. The spinach is not doing so well, but the radishes are growing. A leafy mix of tatsoi, arugula and another type that escapes me right now, is growing well and I had my first pick yesterday.
Temps are all over the place from, high 40's to mid 50's in the morning, and low 70's to 91 during the day. We are in thunder storm season, which is all right as long as it does not hail or rain so hard as to damage the plants.

Where our pool used to be is awaiting some top soil, and we are awaiting our order from Johnny's.

Planted 9 tomato plants and flowering annuals in the pots located on our deck.
We are not going to plant more in the way of vegetables this year, but we are asking for a cash reimbursement from the federal ag bank via the federal govt for the crops we didn't plant (Called the soil bank) I believe we will be paid for the remaining portion of our yard that we will allow to stay fallow this year.

My two tomato plants are approaching the second rung on their cages. Planted from 4" nursery pots about 3 weeks ago. My two bare-root apple trees are looking good. The Gravenstein had a bunch of blossoms on it and it might actually set some fruit. The Gala (needed to pollinate the Gravenstein, supposedly) didn't blossom, but it looks strong.
As it's a new house to me, I've been busily planting rosemary, oregano, thyme, Italian parsley, and basil. The basil has been feeding the bugs mostly, but there's plenty of plants and I hope a couple will survive. I stuck in some marjoram and a Russian tarragon. I hope the nursery will get in some French tarragon this week. I also planted half a dozen sweet onions, which do seem to have taken.
I'm still digging out old rental green-don't-care stuff, and I hope to plant some lettuces in a week or so.

John

[Jenise]

I've got little baby lettuces coming up, and my chard's about 3" high so far. Tomatoes have been purchased but not put in, in spite of local nursery's saying it's uncharacteristically still too cold to plant them yet. I have the crowns to plant more asparagus in my spargel bin. I'm picking chervil and tarragon right and left. My blueberries have bloomed but one of the three got zapped by cold (I guess) and 75% or so of it's buds are 'burned'. These are all cold-hearty northern varieties, so I'm quite surprised by this.

[Robin Garr]

At this point, Mary's garden(s) are lush with flowers - we've gone from crocuses to jonquils to tulips in early weeks, then on to azaleas and now peonies, irises all over the place, and, um, a bunch of other things.

The veggie garden lags, with the theoretical last frost around here falling toward the end of April (Derby season), but our asparagus bed has come and gone, and we've enjoyed spring lettuces, arugula and lots of spinach already. Mary waited on tomatoes to see if we got any volunteers from last year's ox hearts (Italian heirloom) and San Marzanos, and that's looking good. She's also out there with a friend today building an awesome open cage where they plan to grow a lot of veggies up the walls - tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, green peppers, okra - to maximize production. Things should be looking good in another few weeks, with most veggies starting to harvest around the end of June to early July.

This has been the 3rd straight year of difficulty with my garden. I finally got my bay laurel tree under control (cut it down to the ground and allowed it a new start), when my Japanese Hydrangea (Kiyosumi), bit the dust this year. My sage plants and french tarragon did not return! We have been too cold and wet to plant the vegetable garden yet and I am beginning to believe there will be no vegetables from my garden this year. Nonetheless, I am going to plant tomatoes in the hope that I will get to eat at least one perfect tomato this year. I will be looking for all the help I can get to get better results from my tomatoes this year. Stay tuned!

Jo Ann, I have never grown French Tarragon but I recall reading somewhere that it isn't easy.

Advanced here, due to mostly dry, warm weather (so much for drip drip drop little april showers ). Within that a bit hit and miss, but carrots and spuds coming along v fast, aubergines doing nicely and just a couple of tomato plants going ok. Strawbs nicely advanced and Cherries as well. Something overwintered very well, but I'm not quite sure what it is! Best bet is parsnips, which if true might be a little on the large side now. A few other little things dotted around - most of which won't yieled enough for a whole meal

She's also out there with a friend today building an awesome open cage where they plan to grow a lot of veggies up the walls - tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, green peppers, okra - to maximize production.

Cage free veggies, the next foodie craze.

[Jenise]

This has been the 3rd straight year of difficulty with my garden. I finally got my bay laurel tree under control (cut it down to the ground and allowed it a new start), when my Japanese Hydrangea (Kiyosumi), bit the dust this year. My sage plants and french tarragon did not return! We have been too cold and wet to plant the vegetable garden yet and I am beginning to believe there will be no vegetables from my garden this year. Nonetheless, I am going to plant tomatoes in the hope that I will get to eat at least one perfect tomato this year. I will be looking for all the help I can get to get better results from my tomatoes this year. Stay tuned!

Strange year up here too. I mean, the tarragon (well really, all my herbs) survived just fine but a well-positioned fern--the last plant I should have lost--bit the dust as did a four-year plant I have three of in a row. It makes no sense! It's so arbitrary, it's like some kind of garden version of russian roulette goes on. Sorry to hear about your bay laurel, mine has done fine (though some of the new growth got burned in the more-recent cold snaps) and I planted it largely based on your success and encouragement.

Speaking from one of those places where you stick a plant in the ground and jump back quickly before it bumps you in the nose --

French tarragon isn't all that hard to grow, however it is a bit weird. If you plant a new one, it'll be fine for two years. Then you have to dig it up, divide it into (about) two clumps and replant them. The clumps want to be about fist-sized, so there may be lots to give away.

John

Thanks for the insight, John.

[Jenise]

Speaking from one of those places where you stick a plant in the ground and jump back quickly before it bumps you in the nose --

French tarragon isn't all that hard to grow, however it is a bit weird. If you plant a new one, it'll be fine for two years. Then you have to dig it up, divide it into (about) two clumps and replant them. The clumps want to be about fist-sized, so there may be lots to give away.

John

You HAVE to? What happens if you don't, or is that still neccessary in climates like mine where it dies off every winter (whereas, for you, I'm guessing it grows year-round?)

It died back in the winter in Santa Clara, too, so I expect it'll die back here. It came back fine the first year, but the second year it just put out a few shoots and then disappeared. I found out the hard way, then Googled around to get the recommendation for dividing it every two years. It seems to work.

John

[Jenise]

It died back in the winter in Santa Clara, too, so I expect it'll die back here. It came back fine the first year, but the second year it just put out a few shoots and then disappeared. I found out the hard way, then Googled around to get the recommendation for dividing it every two years. It seems to work.

John

Good to know. I got my start from someone who divided hers, so she clearly knew to do this. (She's a much better gardener than I, my friend Susan.) Mine is second year now, so next year I'll have to divide, too. I guess fall's when you do this.

I only divided once before I moved, and it was after it died back but before I forgot where it was. I think the ideal time would be rose-pruning time.

John

The weather has turned cooler (mid 60F.) so worked in the veggie garden this morning. Planted another short row of spinach and another of leaf lettuce. Prepared the area where we will plant the squash, basil, peppers and tomatoes. My seedlings of peppers and toms are still off to a very slow start so I've pretty much decided they don't like the soil I used. Will transplant to new mix probably tomorrow as the few seedlings I did transplant a few days ago seem to be doing much better. Fortunately, It is still early in the growing season here and no need to panic.

On a non-veggie note, NJ has been keeping busy establishing a hosta bed (80 planted and counting) in the wooded area to the east of the homestead.

Eight yards of much should arrive on Monday morning, so I'd best be conjuring up some sudden shoulder ailment.

Deer got most of my almost ready to harvest leaf lettuce. Think it may be time to get a BIG outside dog.

Deer got most of my almost ready to harvest leaf lettuce. Think it may be time to get a BIG outside dog.

Have you checked with Jenise for the best venison recipes?
Where we live some areas the deer are not present but a block away they are in regular attendence. First area mentioned they are those "cute, delightful creatures the second area mentioned they are those "F---ing animals. Perception with reason is everything.

Can't plant any plants yet. We had frost last night.

Deer got most of my almost ready to harvest leaf lettuce. Think it may be time to get a BIG outside dog.

We could lend you Robert R, who would gladly help out