Pulsegleaner's Garden 2019; The Uphill Battle

[Pulsegleaner]

One potato flower must have taken, we have the beginnings of a berry.

The watermelon has flowers now as well (well a flower and a bud) We'll have to see if any of them take (or indeed, if the female flowers show up before the male ones are done).

This also leaves me with a conundrum. I was all prepared to move the watermelon in time to the railing so that, when the fruit showed up it would have the railing to hold the vine up (and hope that the baseball sized fruit meant it could stand unsupported). But the vine isn't even long enough to make it out of the POT! On one hand that means any fruit will be supported by the pot's soil. But now I have to worry about ants and mold.

 

[flowerbug]

One potato flower must have taken, we have the beginnings of a berry.

The watermelon has flowers now as well (well a flower and a bud) We'll have to see if any of them take (or indeed, if the female flowers show up before the male ones are done).

This also leaves me with a conundrum. I was all prepared to move the watermelon in time to the railing so that, when the fruit showed up it would have the railing to hold the vine up (and hope that the baseball sized fruit meant it could stand unsupported). But the vine isn't even long enough to make it out of the POT! On one hand that means any fruit will be supported by the pot's soil. But now I have to worry about ants and mold.

a tripod with a sling?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Watermelon, especially that small, should not break the stem from its weight. It's not like cantaloupe where the stem separates from the fruit when it is ripe, that stem is firmly attached and pretty strong. The risk is that the vine is not holding onto whatever it is climbing on and pulls the vine loose from the support.

I've never tried trellising watermelon. I've heard of slinging them but my first thought would be to build a "stool" out of scrap wood to put under it if I thought it needed support. I think whether or not it needed support and how to do it would be a judgment call.

What variety did you plant, one of the short vine ones? I knew they had developed smaller watermelon but baseball sized? That's really small.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

It's called a Costa Rican Fine Rind. I was a Joe Simcox discovery that he offered on his site (back when there was one).

Sounds like I am probably good, though putting something under the melon when it's about to hit the ground might not be out of the question; just to keep the ants off it (I lost a melon (or maybe a gourd) on year to ants biting a hole in it and hollowing it out.)

 

[Pulsegleaner]

7/14

Pepper flowers have now opened, and the fuzzy looking plant in the pot with the watermelon (which I have tentatively identified as a member of the genus Jaltomata* has the beginning of buds

*What species of Jaltomata I have no way of knowing. Joe had a LOT of members of this genus up, and I bought and planted several. Will probably know when the fruit ripens (since I think one had orange fruit and the other black)

 

[ducks4you]

Wow!! That Karachaganak(sp?) bush bean is very pretty!!
I applaud you for your efforts to sustain heritage beans!!!!
I cannot help at the moment, bc all I want for 2019 is a good green bean harvest to store and eat over the winter. Everything is a learning curve.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

7/18
1. Fuzzy plant flowers now opened (in fact, opened and fallen, we had workmen outside for the last week so I couldn't check on the patio) Look like it is Jaltomata bohsiana , the flowers are simple white things (as opposed to Jaltomata ventricosa [the other one whose seed I had] whose flowers are far more complex)

2. Watermelon has LOTS of flowers, including at least one female.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

we have the start of a pepper

 

[Pulsegleaner]

7/30

Watermelon still has a lot of flowers but none of the female ones are taking

Same situation with the Jalotomato; lost of flowers none taking (maybe you need two to get fertilization)

The tomato in the pot has turned red, so obviously they gave me the wrong plant. Have to hope the other one is correct.

Peppers are covered with fruit. Don't know how close any are to ripening (Joe described the origin and shape of the peppers, but not their size)

A surprise showed up in the mint pot. Evidently, one of the innumerable tomato seeds I planted there actually made it through. What I have no idea (I literally emptied my file cabinet in there, more or less).

 

[flowerbug]

7/30

Watermelon still has a lot of flowers but none of the female ones are taking

Same situation with the Jalotomato; lost of flowers none taking (maybe you need two to get fertilization)

The tomato in the pot has turned red, so obviously they gave me the wrong plant. Have to hope the other one is correct.

Peppers are covered with fruit. Don't know how close any are to ripening (Joe described the origin and shape of the peppers, but not their size)

A surprise showed up in the mint pot. Evidently, one of the innumerable tomato seeds I planted there actually made it through. What I have no idea (I literally emptied my file cabinet in there, more or less).

read up on hand pollinating and give it a try...