What Did You Do In The Garden?

[ninnymary]

Cat, I can't do consecutive planting. I have no room. The only way is to pull the old zucchini out and put in a new plant. I should have done that but the old plant still had a couple of zucchinis growing. Last weekend went back to the nursery and they didn't have any more plants.

Mary

 

[Smart Red]

I had a disappointing potato harvest today. Didn't even fill the bottom of the wheelbarrow with one layer of spuds from my 5X10 foot bed. Not worth the time, trouble, or space, IMHO, but they are delicious and they are mine.

On the other hand, check out my very first attempt to grow sweet potatoes -- at the top next to my small but largest potatoes. It is a very good sized tuber and that's only the first one we dug up. I'm going to enjoy that baby with supper tonight.

I'm not sure how it will taste with the half of my breakfast that I ordered at lunch and saved for supper, but I know I'll enjoy the sweet thing. Getting tired of only getting to breakfast so this will be special.

 

[Beekissed]

I had similar but much worse results with my spuds this year, Red...they all look like they were grown at Chernobyl. Don't resemble in any way the original taters planted and I even have some that are white with red tubers growing off them...all mixed up, lots of scab, distorted and misshapen.

But, like you, I'm saving each and every one and will make sure they all get used.

If I grew nothing much else this year, here at the end I realize I've got a good little crop of Black-eyed Susans...I LOVE this flower and always have. I'm moving them today to where I want them to be and hope they will continue to multiply until I have large beds of them around the house and such.

Between those and intentions to plant plenty of zinnias next season, I should have plenty of color around the house and the perimeter of the garden.

 

[Smart Red]

Beekissed, I started Black-Eyed-Susans in one garden bed this year. Also started some new colors of Cone flower and some Monarda -- as well as some other seeds. I think I spent more time on flowers this year than on my veggies and they show they appreciated my efforts. These have all done super this summer and I will have quite a few plants to move next spring to their forever homes if I don't get it done this fall. With all I have to do, these perennials are not near the top of my list.

In trying to decide why the spuds did so poorly, all I can figure is the ground was too rich and the energy went to fantastic plant growth with little going to produce tubers. Of course, they SHOULD have been harvested a couple of months ago, but nothing was eating them and there were no rotted tubers so storing them where they were planted wasn't the problem.

It certainly was with the onions. I started pulling onions then left them in the garden. Both the pulled ones and those still grounded started a new growing cycle and are mostly rotten.

Fortunately, the garlic is still dormant. It will probably get another growing season in the same place as last fall with only a few pulled for use unless I find a lot of extra time for garden work this fall.

 

[Beekissed]

Red, everyone in my area had the very same problem, so I know it wasn't isolated to my plot....lush, long tater vines(most were 5 ft. long), very little bloom and hardly any spuds underneath. Mine were planted in some mighty rich compost, so it could account for the scab and they were also attacked by tons of tiny slugs early on, which could account for the low yields...but the weird shapes and sizes? No telling.

My Monarda was a no go, as was many of the other perennials I planted but these BES did better this year than they did the last, so I'm hoping they just keep going.

 

[Beekissed]

Split off chives and relocated to other locations. Pulled up the last tomato...a volunteer that had taken over the front flower bed, a huge monster of a plant. Transplanted some strawberries...still getting berries on the ones that have a red flower.

Didn't get my cold frames finished but I have the area cleared now where I want to place them. Got all the nonessential garden tools put up, mended some fence around the garden.

Dumped annuals out of pots, transplanted a gardenia to a larger pot and will see how it does on my windowsill...yes, NY, I'm going to take a plant inside. I've got serious doubts about doing it, but this one was a gift from a dear, dear friend from down south, so I want to at least try to keep it alive. So far, my track record with indoor plants is pretty grim.

Just end of season chores that niggle at your mind until you get out there and just get them done.

 

[Nyboy]

Good Luck with the gardenia

 

[Smart Red]

Good Luck with the gardenia

Ditto! I've not had good luck overwintering them. Keep copious records so I can copy your success with it this winter. I love gardenias, 'course you couldn't tell by the number of them I've killed.

 

[Nyboy]

Ditto Red They look so good in garden center.

 

[Beekissed]

This one has bloomed a total of two blossoms...the rest would bud but then drop off. Not sure what it needs as I've never even seen one of these before. I think they are more of a southern plant.

The two blossoms smelled really good, though, so at least I got to smell a real gardenia. I don't have high hopes...I've never been able to keep a plant healthy indoors for very long. Just not that dedicated.