2011 Vegetable Garden & Backyard Garden Thread

We are still so wet here....

My corn has been up for a month but is just sitting there not growing and just looking kinda yellowish.

Been thinking of planting rice.

My corn is up too. The doctor gave me this:

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Our spices have really taken off. Mint, parsley and delicious basil!

Cucumbers are growing by the dozens ... soon to be cut and jarred as kosher dill and bread & butter pickles. Some though, will find their way to the top of my salads.

We've got cluster upon cluster of grape tomatos. I can't wait for those to ripen!
 
Our spices have really taken off. Mint, parsley and delicious basil!

Cucumbers are growing by the dozens ... soon to be cut and jarred as kosher dill and bread & butter pickles. Some though, will find their way to the top of my salads.

We've got cluster upon cluster of grape tomatos. I can't wait for those to ripen!

The heat here in Oklahoma is killing us. so far something like 27 days over 100. We have 3 tomato plants that have finally started to produce a few tomatoes. I think we might have 5 tomatoes between the 3 plants. My son works for a nursery and they say that no one is having luck with tomatoes this year due to the heat. To bloom and produce fruit, the night temps need to be cooler. When it stays around 85 overnight, the tomatoes just won't produce.

We harvested our onions about a month ago and have quite a collection hanging in a mesh bag in our garage.

Many of the herbs we planted did great, but have really started struggling in the heat. We have basil, chives, dill and parsley. We've harvested quite a bit, but they were mainly grown for the butterflies.

My peppers, they're doing great. I have an 8x8 area planted in green chilie, jalapeno and ancho. Mostly green chilie that I started from seed. The plants are so loaded that we have actually pulled some of the newer, smaller peppers so the older peppers can grow larger.

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Our spices have really taken off. Mint, parsley and delicious basil!

Cucumbers are growing by the dozens ... soon to be cut and jarred as kosher dill and bread & butter pickles. Some though, will find their way to the top of my salads.

We've got cluster upon cluster of grape tomatos. I can't wait for those to ripen!

The heat here in Oklahoma is killing us. so far something like 27 days over 100. We have 3 tomato plants that have finally started to produce a few tomatoes. I think we might have 5 tomatoes between the 3 plants. My son works for a nursery and they say that no one is having luck with tomatoes this year due to the heat. To bloom and produce fruit, the night temps need to be cooler. When it stays around 85 overnight, the tomatoes just won't produce.

We harvested our onions about a month ago and have quite a collection hanging in a mesh bag in our garage.

Many of the herbs we planted did great, but have really started struggling in the heat. We have basil, chives, dill and parsley. We've harvested quite a bit, but they were mainly grown for the butterflies.

My peppers, they're doing great. I have an 8x8 area planted in green chilie, jalapeno and ancho. Mostly green chilie that I started from seed. The plants are so loaded that we have actually pulled some of the newer, smaller peppers so the older peppers can grow larger.

View attachment 14280

View attachment 14281

Like the photos. I should take some too, if I can bring myself to go out in the heat today.

Here in New England, our pepper plants aren't doing as well. Mr. masq is growing jalepenos, serranos, bell and Italian-style peppers. They are not growing and producing as abundantly as they did last year.

Now chives I love! In fact, I'm going to have to suggest chives for next years growing season.
 
My cucumbers are dying.

There's some kind of white "spots" on them

But the carrots and onions are doing great and my cherry 'maters are coming along fine.

fukken squirles killed all my seasonings except my basil.
 
Picked up my chicks today, Bufforpingtons, 18 of them. Now I are a farmer.

dont forget to get a government subsidy [-1sp] :lol:



I have a few things coming out of the ground. The tomato plant I started indoors at the start of winter isn't doing so well outside. might have put it out to soon.

Tomatoes don't like it when the temps go above 95. They also need at least a Gal of water per day. Cherry Tomatoes produce better then Beefeaters and all the other big tomatoes.
 
I love garden tomatoes!
I like them best when I peel off the skin after they have been in the fridge for a bit, gotten nice and cold.
Then I slice them, and salt and pepper them, and eat'em :)
 
Our spices have really taken off. Mint, parsley and delicious basil!

Cucumbers are growing by the dozens ... soon to be cut and jarred as kosher dill and bread & butter pickles. Some though, will find their way to the top of my salads.

We've got cluster upon cluster of grape tomatos. I can't wait for those to ripen!

I've been picking my Cherry Tomatoes for a few weeks.

So neener neener......pffffft!
 
I really, really love the sweet taste of my Boxcar Willies.

They look like the grapes of wrath, but they really are good, deep red, delicious fresh tomatoes.

See if I can find a pic for those who haven't had the pleasant experience of Boxcar Willie tomatoes:


 

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As I said in an earlier post, we are going on something like 30 days of 100+ temps and little to no rain. It's been brutal. The garden looks wilted most days even with regular watering......which has become a daily task. I took the plunge this weekend and built a sun shade for the garden and deep mulched everything with 3 to 4 inches of cotton burr compost. We'll see if it helps. It certainly can't hurt.

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Our spices have really taken off. Mint, parsley and delicious basil!

Cucumbers are growing by the dozens ... soon to be cut and jarred as kosher dill and bread & butter pickles. Some though, will find their way to the top of my salads.

We've got cluster upon cluster of grape tomatos. I can't wait for those to ripen!

I've been picking my Cherry Tomatoes for a few weeks.

So neener neener......pffffft!

How dare you! You cherry tomatoe-pickin' bombastic bastard!

:poke:

Sitting outside yesterday, I noticed that one of our grape tomatoes is turning red. One. Not a cluster, but just one. The cherry tomatoes are lookin' good ... still waiting on those too.

We've harvested lots of cucumbers which are now jarred as pickles. Mr. masq picked some green beans yesterday. He steamed them on the stove and the two of us gobbled up that harvest. A handful of blueberries ... a handful of raspberries and some peppers completed yesterday's harvest.


Hey kwc57 ... I hope your weekend project helps your crops.
 
fukken squirels are eating my carrots now. They ate all the strawberries except 2, killed all my seasonings except the basil [thank gawd] and dug up my garlic.

Any ideas, short of rat poison, to keep them out? [fencing can't be done]

And anyone know why my tomatos are splitting down one side?
 
Our spices have really taken off. Mint, parsley and delicious basil!

Cucumbers are growing by the dozens ... soon to be cut and jarred as kosher dill and bread & butter pickles. Some though, will find their way to the top of my salads.

We've got cluster upon cluster of grape tomatos. I can't wait for those to ripen!

I've been picking my Cherry Tomatoes for a few weeks.

So neener neener......pffffft!

How dare you! You cherry tomatoe-pickin' bombastic bastard!

:poke:

Sitting outside yesterday, I noticed that one of our grape tomatoes is turning red. One. Not a cluster, but just one. The cherry tomatoes are lookin' good ... still waiting on those too.

We've harvested lots of cucumbers which are now jarred as pickles. Mr. masq picked some green beans yesterday. He steamed them on the stove and the two of us gobbled up that harvest. A handful of blueberries ... a handful of raspberries and some peppers completed yesterday's harvest.


Hey kwc57 ... I hope your weekend project helps your crops.

Thanks, me too! I told my wife that our garden efforts remind me of hunters. They are so proud of their kill and putting meat in the freezer for free. Of course they have a $500 rifle, $200 in hunting clothes, $150 in boots, a 4 wheel drive SUV or truck with giant wheels, hunting lease, gas and butcher fees for that free meat that probably ends up averaging $50 per pound. But it's a hobby just like gardening. We can all actually go buy veggies for pennies on the dollar of what we spend on our gardens.
 
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This isn't on the subject of gardens, but I feel the need to mention it now that Two Thumbs has brought up his squirrel issues.

We have issues with a fox ... or two.

Sighting a fox in our yard or the woods behind our yard has been rare, up until now. 5:10 on Saturday morning we were jolted awake by one of the scariest sounds I've ever heard. The screeching of the fox. Mr. masq got downstairs and outside to scare the fox, just as the fox was about to take a bite out of my cat. He ran a bit, the fox that is, and stopped. It took a few more attempts at yelling before said fox disappeared into the next yard. Over the course of the weekend, we saw the fox several more times.

I don't blame the fox ... he's just doing what fox do and I imagine there may be babies to feed. But I sure as hell don't want one of my cats or my bunnies to be his next meal.
 
This isn't on the subject of gardens, but I feel the need to mention it now that Two Thumbs has brought up his squirrel issues.

We have issues with a fox ... or two.

Sighting a fox in our yard or the woods behind our yard has been rare, up until now. 5:10 on Saturday morning we were jolted awake by one of the scariest sounds I've ever heard. The screeching of the fox. Mr. masq got downstairs and outside to scare the fox, just as the fox was about to take a bite out of my cat. He ran a bit, the fox that is, and stopped. It took a few more attempts at yelling before said fox disappeared into the next yard. Over the course of the weekend, we saw the fox several more times.

I don't blame the fox ... he's just doing what fox do and I imagine there may be babies to feed. But I sure as hell don't want one of my cats or my bunnies to be his next meal.

My son works for a nursery and I was in to pick up some stuff (he gets a 40% discount!). Over on the shelf where they have all sorts of repellents, they have a powder made from coyote urine. Now, I don't know if that will repel or attract a fox, but there might be some sort of repellent you can mark your territory with that would keep them out. I'm not sure how your kitties or bunnies would react.

A little googling turned up the idea of human urine. I've never known a guy who isn't up for a little backyard pee. It's a great excuse for consuming mass quantities of beer.
 
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I've been doing about 1200 sq ft, a variety of veggies, put it to sleep with peat, manure, lime in the winter, try something new every year.

when i had chickens i found their manure downright nuclear for some plants

i'm planning another chickenhouse, a really big one. this time i'm thinking along the lines of a barn septic tank, pump it out to the garden every year....

The chicken shit need to be mixed well with decent dirt and composed for several moths. Then it's great.
We make cow shit soup at 2 of my places. Fill yourself a container ( 5 gal bucket, trash can 55 gal drum. No matter). Fill a sack ( like an onion sack) with broken up dry cow shit . Fill the container with water,drop in the bag,and stir it a little every day until it no longer has any odor.About 3 weeks.It's ready. A packed full onion sack makes 35 gallons so adjust accordingly.
200 gallons of fertilizer, 3 weeks time. Cost $0
Dilute six to one and apply.
I pump it through my drip systems.
Good chit !
 

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