Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Garden Update

I showed pictures a while back of our beginning garden. I went out this morning and took more pictures to update the garden. Since I belong to a Container Gardening group on Ravelry, I wanted them to see my latest pictures. I can't figure out how to post pictures on there so I am going to post them there and link from Ravelry.

Here is a view of the middle bed. The two metal trellises are supposed to be more full than what they are, but we waited too late in the season to plant the snow peas and the heat is eating them alive. If you look closely in the background you can see the vines are dying from the bottom up. I have see what happens in the past and I am debating whether or not to just pull them up and try something else. The pepper plants are skinny and look sad but I have noticed a few blossoms on them. I doubt they will yield any peppers this year but I will let them go a bit longer and see what happens. The cucumbers are small but they are going strong as well as the two basil plants I have in that bed. I am going to go and top off the basil plants and try to preserve them in a plastic bag for later this weekend.

This bed has three transplanted tomato plants. They were in the shade of our fence so we moved them about three weeks ago and they are trying but they don't look right; kind of skinny and a bit pale. I can't remember what kind they are but hopefully we will get some blooms soon. Behind the tomato plants there are bush beans. We didn't have much luck with them last year but this year they look like they are doing much better. We have some in another bed because we eat a lot of green beans. In the front is my lettuce bed. It's really too hot for the lettuce to do much more than what it is before it bolts. I am going to pinch them back for this weekend and maybe it will be enough for two portions; maybe.



This is the bed that I am most excited about. We planted more bush beans of a different variety. These are Jacobs Cattle. They are supposed to be a dry bean. We got about 1/4 cup last year. Not much to speak of and I decided that this year I was going to have enough to cook some. So we planted much more this year. Plus we planted bean in the same space we move the three little sad tomato plants from. They are coming up and I am thrilled. The bushes are full of blooms and I think this year will be the year we actually get a good yield.
Beside the beans are onions sets that are both red and white. We have never grown onions before so this is just a wait and see thing. So overall I think our little city garden is giving it a good try despite the heat wave too early in the season and the fact we were about 8 weeks late in planting. The squash and zucchini are coming along but haven't quite hit their stride but I have a feeling when the weather settles down they will be going gang busters.


Here is what the tomatoes in containers are up to. We have not done anything to them except mix in manure and water. I have not pinched the suckers. I have just let them go to see what will happen. These are supposed to be smallish tomato but I have lost the stick that came with the plant so it will be surprise. I think they might be yellow but not really sure. They are going really well and with the tomato scare going on right now, I will be glad to eat something of my own that won't make me sick.

Here is our first attempt at pear tomatoes. They are small but they are going strong. I have seen what people pay for these at the grocery store so any amount of these we get are great.
Well that's the total garden update. I will post more pictures another time when I have picked something or they are starting to show color.



5 comments:

Jenny Raye said...

I wonder if your pale tomato plants that aren't looking right are Heritage? I have one doing the same thing. My Better Boy is looking great and has tons of tomatoes already. I think the first will be ready to pick today.

Tracy Batchelder said...

Looks great! I think you will have a wonderful harvest.

vlb5757 said...

jenny raye-I am not sure what the variety is but we had to move them from one place to another because the spot we thought was going to be good, turned out to be too shady. Then while watering last night my DH said he thinks we didn't plant them deep enough and that maybe we shoud build up the beds for next year. I think in the fall after most stuff has died, we will start getting them ready for next spring. We learn something new every year.

WW-I sure hope so with the amount of water it takes to keep this stuff growing. I pray for rain about twice a week. Free water is free water.

Ria said...

those beans look great! your tomatoes look like mine did last year, but I never figured out what was wrong. i did, get tomatoes just a couple weeks after my neighbors started, so don't lose hope!

Vickie said...

Ria-I think because we moved the three little tomatoes from one place to another, we threw them back into shock. They are just now beginning to rally. I see about three or four blooms so we shall see. My romas had some black bottoms so tonight I plucked them off and hopefully the energy will go back into the ones that look good so far. I think we will get some tomatoes but just not sure when...