Our garden so far.

[Collector]

I havn't been posting much lately, Work has been keeping me really busy (Knock on wood). I have been trying to keep up as much as possible though.
Our garden has really been slow to take off this year, It is finally starting to grow well. First off I would like to complain about beans! What seems to be our problem with beans, we have planted beans (bush and pole0) at least 4 times, even used innoculant we still barely have any bean plants growing. The pole beans are doing much better than the bush type, So we will see what happens.
Another downer would be the corn, after 2 plantings some of it has really taken off. Now if there are enough days left to get a harvest. (I think there are)
What has been really succesful in our garden so far are, onions, radishes, head lettuce, leaf lettuce, carrots,peas, broccolli, strawberries, taters are taking off.
Rapberries, blackberries, and blueberries are doing okay. The new patch we put in last fall are growing but not producing well, We did not expect to much from it this year though.
What really is starting to take off now are tomatoes, not sure what we will do with all the tomatoes that are starting to set on the plants though, but that is a good problem.
zucchinni, cucumbers, and other squash are starting to produce also.
We have been having lots of fun in our first vegi garden! We have already been planning which trees need pruned back this fall to allow for more sunshine on our garden. Also different garden layouts to give all the different plants more of what they need, plus make it easier for us to work in and around.
Our garden has had a lot of ups and downs with the weather and my work schedule, but we have enjoyed every moment of it, and learned lots of stuff we did not know before TEG.

Thank you to all of of my gardening freinds herewho have shared their know how and experience, it has really helped us enjoy our garden adventure.

 

[lesa]

That sounds like a very successful first garden, for sure! Congrats! If you are planning on using the tomatoes for sauce- remember you can freeze them, until you are ready- or have enough to can...That is strange about your beans. I would try them again next year, in a different spot and see what happens. The first year I grew butternut squash- I didn't get any. Almost gave up. I planted them the next year, and got 23 beautiful squash. Sometimes nature just messes with you!! Enjoy your harvest!

 

[Carol Dee]

WOW you jumped in with BOTH FEET. Sounds like a BIG 1st garden! Good Luck and enjoy the rewards.

 

[digitS']

I have been really curious how you are doing, Collector. Good to know that things have been looking up for you and your garden! Of course, you know all about the record-setting cool start to the growing season around here . . .

Are you really getting summer squash right now? I was pleased to find 3 zucchini on Friday - they were all of 6" long! Good size for the kitchen but the 3 were not much more than a single serving. The plants are small but I'm hoping that this is just the start of things to come! We will see if the zucchini I set out late (in July) have enuf time to produce. And BTW - not even a sign of a cucumber yet!

On the corn sprouting issue -- I have bought nothing but SE corn for a long time. Even in that group of sweet corn, there are some that are not supposed to be very good at cold soil emergence. Nevertheless, I think that there are plenty of the supersweets that we just should NOT bother with! It isn't really so bad, many of the SE varieties are 1st rate. Bodacious is about the closest to a "sure thing" that I know about and it is a very good sweet corn.

Don't know what to say about your green beans. It could be that soil. About all I did with Palouse soil the 1 year I tried to grow things in Moscow was turn it into bricks! I've wondered whether just plain old straw would be a good amendment. Don't take MY word for that, however! It just seems that the Palouse farmers do such a good job every year but do no more conditioning than turning under the straw from their grain crops.

Please keep us posted on progress and challenges, Collector. We will be here!

Steve

 

[Collector]

Steve, We are not harvesting any zucs yet they are about as long as my finger. The cucs have just gotten the first few blooms no fruits yet though, but after watching them just sit there and idle for so long ,those few blooms have caused me to declare victory!

 

[journey11]

Even with years of experience, a crop or two can fail from time to time. Sounds like you are doing great for your first garden! Aren't you glad you went for it?

Mine got off to a slow start too, but a some frequent rains over the past week or two has suddenly turned it into a jungle. Maybe your corn needs a little side-dressing of fertilizer and water it in well? Mine did.

 

[thistlebloom]

Hey Collector! I've been wondering how you were doing, glad to hear you have lots of work, lets hope it keeps up!
I think your garden sounds fantastic, my cukes are just showing a few blooms too, but not really growing much vine.
The thing i am most excited about is my melons, they are finally growing and some have blooms. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for those babies, hoping I get some ripened before the first big frost.
My radishes bombed, but that doesn't disappoint anyone but my husband .
I think you have a lot to be proud of, and your next garden will show what you learned this year .

I think gardening must be good exercise for our brain cells as we continually try to learn how to improve our gardens year to year.

 

[skeeter9]

Wow, Collector! Sounds like you've got a great garden going, even though a few things are maybe not doing so hot. I bet in another month you be buried in home-grown goodness!