Vegetable Garden

[Joe Pelonio]

I went up to see my Mom this weekend, she's recovering very well from the back surgery, scooting about with a walker. Meanwhile I did some work in the garden that I planted for them back in May. They are at 1,000'
elevation on the east slopes of the Olympic Mountains, so it's still getting down to 40 at night while 85 during the day. The tomatoes, even in the greenhouse are not ripening yet but they are loaded up. Probably 200 lbs of them in there, more in the outside garden. This cabbage is 13" across.
I came home with lots of cucumbers and zuccini, and made a nice boysenberry/marionberry cobbler with berries I picked there.


http://members.aol.com/bisjoe/garden.jpg

[Don Baer]

Looks like a very productive garden. The other day I was in the Orange Borg and saw Tomato plants for sale then the next morning I saw an article in the loacl paper that now is the time to start the garden. I know I'm gonna like having fresh garden tomatoes in December...:D

[Greg Koch]

My main garden is 24 x 40 and the extension garden is 10 x 20. I really enjoy working it and having fresh, chemical free veggies...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_SugarPeas1.png (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/SugarPeas1.png)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Radish8.png (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Radish8.png)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Gardenwide8.png (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Gardenwide8.png)

Sugar peas, Winter squash, cucumbers, turnips, carrots, radishes, green onions, zucchini, bell peppers and tomatoes.

Greg

[Doug Jones]

This has been my worst year to date for a garden.

[Greg Koch]

Weather related? I have some friends in Ohio that have had one heck of a bad year. This has been one of the best for us in the Pacific Northwest. We've had high 70' ~ low 80, mostly sunny for weeks and weeks.... I'm on my second crop of sugar peas and radishes, 3 or so zucchini off of 8 plants just about every day or so, tomatoes are ripening... I live just a few miles north of Joe..

What I got this morning, including some nice native Blackberries
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_PJRun.png (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/PJRun.png)

I have tons of these coming, and working on a second crop
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Cuc-2.png (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Cuc-2.png)

California Bell
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Bell1.png (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Bell1.png)

Winter squash
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_PNG24_Kabocha.png (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/PNG24_Kabocha.png)

Tomatoes in the extension garden
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_PNG24_tomato.png (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/PNG24_tomato.png)

[Doug Jones]

Yeah, mostly weather related.

I am also inclined to think a new family of rabbits may have a small role in it as well. This winter I'll be enjoying bunny stew.

[Greg Koch]

This is what usually drives me crazy....:eek:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/slug.png

But as you can see from the slime trail....it's toast! (Only non orgainic stuff I use is a little "slug bait". It's been so warm and dry, we've had very few,. compared to earlier years..

[John Bailey]

This is what having a garden is all about.

This, 45336 to this!! 45335:D

I can't take credit for the garden, I hate working in it, but I do my share of eatin' from it. My wife does the majority of the gardening, with a little help from me. This morning, my wife was gone for the day, I went to the garden just after sunrise and got what I wanted for breakkfast. Chopped up the veggies, through them in the ol' cast iron skillet, added spices to suit, chunked in some tofu, smothered it in cheese, threw some Black Swan sauce on the side and you got the best breakfast there is. All fresh from the garden.


John

[Joe Pelonio]

Greg,

A few miles away yet for some reason, maybe the altitude difference, we're way behind you. We're at 800', above Sahalee. We just picked our first tomato this weekend, first cuke any day now. The only thing we've regularly harvested is beans. Biggest zuc is just 6". I brought back these
16-18" zuccinis from my moms and took one out and showed it to my plants in the hope of embarrassing them into growing faster!

[Robert Mickley]

Gotta love fresh veggies, I sent the first batch of cherry tomatos to my brother last week for the market. He just called me I took him a peck basket that wasn't quite full, he divivded that up into 11 containers and sold them all for $2.75

The wife cooked down a 12 quart container of Peach tomatos yesterday.She is going to make yellow spaghetti sauce. These have a lower acid level than regualr tomatos.

Been pulling taters out of the early row of mulch for a couple weeks now.

Peppers, they aren't doing hardley anything yet :confused: I have the worst luck with them.

Wife has all ready canned 16 pints of green beans and 25 of yellow beens. I'm gonna have dry beans coming out my ears. Planted Navy, Black Cocoa, Stueben, Jacobs Cattle, Kidney and red mexican. We eat a lot of soups and stews.

My early peas didn't do well or my carrots. The late peas are just now coming up and the late carrots are looking a lot better.

And I've got onions coming out my ears.

How many of you guys are doing this organic?

[Joe Pelonio]

I'm not sure what the definition of organic is, or what the specific rules are for selling as organic, since we grow just for ourselves. My parents have llamas. When I planted theirs I tilled in a lot of llama "fertilizer"
and brought bags of it back for my own garden. We have not used any pesticides or herbicides, weeding the hard way, putting an animal safe slug bait in trays so it's not getting into the soil, and for the leafy veggies we place screen "tents" over them to keep out bugs.

[Greg Koch]

John, Man, that looks good! I make "PJ runs" each morning myself...nothing like taking a look at what happened overnight in the garden...in your pajamas! LOL

Here's todays "PJ run"...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_8_21_PJ_Run.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/8_21_PJ_Run.jpg)

We also have blackberries growning wild. They're great with vanilla yogurt, or over cereal.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Blackberrybowl.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Blackberrybowl.jpg)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Berrygroup.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Berrygroup.jpg)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Lotsofberries.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Lotsofberries.jpg)

Greg

[Greg Koch]

Robert,

I also have problems with peppers. They just don't like me very much...LOL The ones I do get are nice, but few and far between.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Bell-2.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Bell-2.jpg)

I would consider myself an "organic" farmer in the sense of not using manmade chemicals to kill pests and only use "Whitney Farms" brand 100% natural plant food.

I do use snail bait (killer) but only a light amount around the parameter of the garden to stop them from getting in....never between rows.

Joe,

I think getting "certified organic" is more of paperwork, inspection and testing....and using certified organic seeds. I had a subsidiary company making pasta and sauces, and we were certified "organic" as all our ingredients came from certified suppliers, and we were inspected to keep out cert.

To me, organic has two meanings... One is chemical free, and therefore safer and tastier for you. Second, is $$$$$$$$$$ if you buy at places like Whole Food! We do buy a lot of organic fruits and veggies at our local supermarket chain, that has a section for organic.

[Greg Koch]

Joe,

We are literally miles apart. Are you off Sahalee Way? We used to live on 216th Place, a few yards above the "Round About" in Inglewood Hills Rd/216th Ave. Now we live on Union Hill, just above the Albertson's off of Redmond/Fall Cty Hwy.

Our tomatoes just started ripening a couple of weeks ago and we started picking last week. We still have tons left, as they are still green. I have tall evergreens to the South, so it keeps the sun from shining as long as the tomatoes really need.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Tomato8_21.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Tomato8_21.jpg)

Our "Health Kick" tomato plants are very heavy with fruit, but need more sun to ripen up. I'm a bit worried about these, but we do have a couple more months.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Health_Kick.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Health_Kick.jpg)

Cucumbers are about 3 ~ 5 inches now...these were planted a bit late, but should all be harvested well before the first frost mid/Nov.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Cucs-1.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Cucs-1.jpg)

Zucchini has done very well again this year...it really seems to like our soil. We've probably taken 50 ~ 60 so far this year of of 8 plants, and they still keep comming!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/th_Zucs.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Garden/Zucs.jpg)

[Robert Mickley]

Robert,

I also have problems with peppers. They just don't like me very much...LOL The ones I do get are nice, but few and far between.
No you don't understand,,Peppers HATE ME!!
Out of 70 some odd plants I've only gotten about 8 peppers so far this year. :( Heck one of my chili pepper plants is as high as my belly and I'm 6' 1" or is it 6" 1' either way you get the idea



I think getting "certified organic" is more of paperwork, inspection and testing....and using certified organic seeds. I had a subsidiary company making pasta and sauces, and we were certified "organic" as all our ingredients came from certified suppliers, and we were inspected to keep out cert.

To me, organic has two meanings... One is chemical free, and therefore safer and tastier for you. Second, is $$$$$$$$$$ if you buy at places like Whole Food! We do buy a lot of organic fruits and veggies at our local supermarket chain, that has a section for organic.
EXACTLY!! My brother is certified by the OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association) Raises Pork, Chicken, whole grains and veggies.

He took some of my Cherry tomatos to the market in Pittsburgh last week. I took him a peck basket that was 2/3 full. He divided that up into 11 smaller containers and sold all of them for $3 apiece.

The paperwork is a real pain, but its worth it. For you guys using fresh manure, don't. Compost it for a year. It will keep about 90% of its nutritional value without shocking the ground if you get too much on. We have to compost all manure for a year before using it.

another thing you can do that gets your organic matter up is to plant a winter crop, like wheat, or rye. Then till it under in the spring. preferably 3 or 4 weeks before you plant.

If you have soil thats kind of hard and has a lot of clay, Plant buckwheat as you take things off. Then turn it under just as it starts to blossem. Then plant your winter crop behind that.

all this and I still can't grow a decent pepper:D

[Joe Mioux]

Joe:

What variety of cabbage do you grow?

For that matter, I would be interested in hearing about all the varities....tomatoes. cucs, Kole crops etc.

Let me know what varities you like

Thanks
Joe

[Joe Pelonio]

Joe,

We are literally miles apart. Are you off Sahalee Way? We used to live on 216th Place, a few yards above the "Round About" in Inglewood Hills Rd/216th Ave. Now we live on Union Hill, just above the Albertson's off of Redmond/Fall Cty Hwy.


Ok, continue up 216th Ave from the roundabout, to the flashing red lights, right on NE 16th, L on 219th to corner of NE 18th and there we are. So yes, we were just a few blocks apart. Those 100' fir trees are nice but they do shade the yard too much. Our corner lot is only 12,000SF and the house is big and placed in the center of it. The trees around there keep the sun from the front and one side all day, the back gets just some afternoon sun, only other side gets a lot of it and with the trees and lawn there's not much space, plus that's where the deer eat the rose leaves.
I do have my tomatoes there with netting over them though I've never had trouble with deer eating those.

Quote:

Joe:

What variety of cabbage do you grow?

For that matter, I would be interested in hearing about all the varities....tomatoes. cucs, Kole crops etc.

Let me know what varities you like

Thanks
Joe

It's hard to say all the varieties at my Mom's since she bought the plants/seeds that I planted there. My tomatoes are 4 different varieties, I always plant "early girl" and my favorite "black prince", then try a few others to see how they do. At my Mom's we planted both of those two plus some romas and the larger cherry tomatoes. That cabbage is King Slaw from Burpee. The cucs are lemon and English, those are coming in over 12" long. I tried Condor zucs because they are early, my Mom's place we planted black beauty. Those, if neglected, have gotten to 18". The spinach that does really well is Springer. Really nice big leaves and slow to bolt. I remember when making breakfast, beat the eggs and went out to pick spinach to put in them. Those are about the only ones I know. We
planted several varieties of lettuce, plus collards, kale, swiss chard, rhubarb, and brussel sprouts.

[Robert Mickley]

I do have my tomatoes there with netting over them though I've never had trouble with deer eating those.


Don't let my dogs near them, they will pick out the best ones and pluck them right off the plants

[Joe Pelonio]

Dogs that eat tomatoes?

I have trouble with squirrels picking off my apples, but nothing has bothered my tomatoes. Well there was one time that I had 3 nice big ones dissapear. Turned out that the owner of the adult family home where my mother in law lives had stopped by with her to say hi on the way back from an outing. We were not home and he saw the tomatoes. My mother in law told him we wouldn't mind if he took a few. I'd been watching them for weeks, they were the first ripe ones of the year. :(

[Robert Mickley]

Dogs that eat tomatoes?


And potato's, and green peppers, and cucumbers, not to keen on beans, I have to keep a close eye on the strawaberries.

Basicly If I eat my female lab will, in fact she loves hot peppers. And if she eats it, well the other two can't stand to be left out.

[Joe Pelonio]

And potato's, and green peppers, and cucumbers, not to keen on beans, I have to keep a close eye on the strawaberries.

Basicly If I eat my female lab will, in fact she loves hot peppers. And if she eats it, well the other two can't stand to be left out.

That's even stranger. My Golden will eat just about anything but not tomatoes. Even eats lettuce. He LOVES green beans and peas. The vet told me that frozen beans are a good treat, especially if your dog likes to much grass in the yard. Now that you mentioned the strawberries I'll have to consider that, too, I thought it was the squirrels taking those.

Our other dog's a mix and she won't eat any vegetables but carrots. They both like to catch bugs from the air and eat them, but crawling bugs they just play with until dead.

[Robert Mickley]

They both like to catch bugs from the air and eat them, but crawling bugs they just play with until dead.

That brings back a fond memory, we had a rot shepard mix that used to nail flys right out of the air, We lived in one place where there was this mark on the wall. At least once a day he snapped at it like it was a fly. Then he would get a look on his face like I can't believe I fell for that agian :D