I'm on vacation for a couple weeks, and when I get back I will try to get back to posting regularly.
~Sarah
8.28.2008
8.19.2008
Quick Update
My vegetable garden has not been very exciting, so I haven't posted much. My flower garden did mange to perk up a bit, however I've not taken any pictures. I've also been busy planning for my vacation next week and amassing a huge To-Do list.
Anyway, I harvested my first tomatoes last week. If grape tomatoes count. Actually, they're more the size of a small roma tomato. The variety is Juliet. I did pick one mostly-ripe Brandywine and one Mrs. Benson had fallen off a plant. The Mrs. Benson tomatoes are doing very poorly. They either have early blight or alternaria canker. I'm not sure that anything can be done other than trying different varieties net year. It is starting to spread to the Brandywines, as well. I had it last year, as well, but this year it is starting much earlier.
The melons and cucumbers are dying - at least the foliage is. I'm rather disappointed that for all the flowers, there are only 2 melons and 3 cucumbers. I'm still not sure when to harvest the Asian melon, and the internet seems especially vague on the topic. The cucumbers can probably be harvested anytime.
Yesterday I was checking the garden and discovered that slugs had discovered the sweet peppers. For some reason they've ignored the hot peppers. So, I picked the peppers with holes in them and spread some slug pellets around. After cleaning the peppers and cutting out bad spots, I was able to salvage one cup of chopped pepper, and about a cup and a half of pepper strips. The chopped ones went into the freezer, and I used the strips in tonights dinner - I made Ratatouille.
After one harvest of pitifully thin beans, the rest were eaten by something. The second planting looks just as poor. The zucchini died from a hail storm, and took the lettuce with it. (The huge leaves were keeping the lettuce from bolting.)
The hot peppers seem to be doing well, although one plant turned out to be a tomato. I pulled it out, and Mom persuaded me to plant it instead of composting it. It seems very happy and is starting to produce fruit.
So, that's pretty much the sad story of my veggies. The prime suspect for such dismal failure is the excess rain over the past two months and thechilly frigid temperatures at night. (They have been in the low 50's to upper 60's for nearly two months.) I plan on posting some pictures over the next week, but don't hold me to it!
~Sarah
Anyway, I harvested my first tomatoes last week. If grape tomatoes count. Actually, they're more the size of a small roma tomato. The variety is Juliet. I did pick one mostly-ripe Brandywine and one Mrs. Benson had fallen off a plant. The Mrs. Benson tomatoes are doing very poorly. They either have early blight or alternaria canker. I'm not sure that anything can be done other than trying different varieties net year. It is starting to spread to the Brandywines, as well. I had it last year, as well, but this year it is starting much earlier.
The melons and cucumbers are dying - at least the foliage is. I'm rather disappointed that for all the flowers, there are only 2 melons and 3 cucumbers. I'm still not sure when to harvest the Asian melon, and the internet seems especially vague on the topic. The cucumbers can probably be harvested anytime.
Yesterday I was checking the garden and discovered that slugs had discovered the sweet peppers. For some reason they've ignored the hot peppers. So, I picked the peppers with holes in them and spread some slug pellets around. After cleaning the peppers and cutting out bad spots, I was able to salvage one cup of chopped pepper, and about a cup and a half of pepper strips. The chopped ones went into the freezer, and I used the strips in tonights dinner - I made Ratatouille.
After one harvest of pitifully thin beans, the rest were eaten by something. The second planting looks just as poor. The zucchini died from a hail storm, and took the lettuce with it. (The huge leaves were keeping the lettuce from bolting.)
The hot peppers seem to be doing well, although one plant turned out to be a tomato. I pulled it out, and Mom persuaded me to plant it instead of composting it. It seems very happy and is starting to produce fruit.
So, that's pretty much the sad story of my veggies. The prime suspect for such dismal failure is the excess rain over the past two months and the
~Sarah
8.03.2008
Happy Thyme
Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday; visit As the Garden Grows for more information.
It been a while since my last GTS post. This is one of my 'happy plants'. It hasn't been eaten by bugs, damaged by the hailstorm 2 weeks ago, or gotten any diseases. I'm pretty sure it's Thyme, although it does not have a strong flavor. I'm still debating about what to do about my blog template. Right now I'm playing around with creating my own.
Hopefully I can get a full veggie garden update done this week. Briefly, most things are doing well. The zucchini was hardest hit by the hail storm, and is still recovering. Something is eating my green beans, and the Mrs. Benson tomatoes appear to have early blight. I may try a different variety next year, or plant all Brandywines, as my Mom thinks she likes them better than Mrs. Benson tomatoes. My cucumbers are very happy - they've grown across the path and up the fence. One of the melon vines has a melon about the size of a baseball - can anyone tell when to harvest it? It's an heirloom Asian melon from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
-Sarah
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