snowNH Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Anybody know if I should be cutting the flowers and runners the first year? Anyone with experience? I've heard you should and I've heard you shouldn't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzucker Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 My garden's going insane now...grape tomatoes turning red, huge clusters of Lemon Boy tomatoes ripening, green beans uncurling as they mature, first eggplant almost ready. Incredible year for gardening, just the right mixture of warmth and rain. BRING IT ON. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowNH Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 My garden's going insane now...grape tomatoes turning red, huge clusters of Lemon Boy tomatoes ripening, green beans uncurling as they mature, first eggplant almost ready. Incredible year for gardening, just the right mixture of warmth and rain. BRING IT ON. Nice... my garden is still exploding.. I might have to put another fence/trellis up for the cucumber vines to grow up. I have 2 tomato bee bees now and about 20 flowers total. Just put fish fertilizer on the plants today. Is it bad for the female flower to die on the end of a cucumber? its only about a half inch long right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ineedsnow Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 WTF i was just outside and there are huge black bugs coming out of my lawn never seen anything that big and they fly what could they be!! Theres tons of them!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
free_man Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 We have a few tiger lillies coming out (dozens ready to pop), as well as red/yellow roses. Lots o things blooming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baroclinic Zone Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 And away we go! Here's the setup. First batch of compost tea is underway. Should be ready by tomorrow night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Torchey Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 veggie gardens look great guys! Bob good luck with the tea I hear its magic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Bob, that looks like a bomb....lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzucker Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Nice... my garden is still exploding.. I might have to put another fence/trellis up for the cucumber vines to grow up. I have 2 tomato bee bees now and about 20 flowers total. Just put fish fertilizer on the plants today. Is it bad for the female flower to die on the end of a cucumber? its only about a half inch long right now In all the curcubits (cucumbers, squashes, zucchini, melon, watermelon, pumpkin) it's pretty common for some of the flowers to wither and die. I'm not sure why this happens but there always seem to be some that either form too early, aren't pollinated correctly, or whatever. I wouldn't worry at all, though...these plants produce tons of flowers, so it's not a big deal. I have a couple tiny cucumbers starting to form, really cool to watch. Pictures coming tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowNH Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 In all the curcubits (cucumbers, squashes, zucchini, melon, watermelon, pumpkin) it's pretty common for some of the flowers to wither and die. I'm not sure why this happens but there always seem to be some that either form too early, aren't pollinated correctly, or whatever. I wouldn't worry at all, though...these plants produce tons of flowers, so it's not a big deal. I have a couple tiny cucumbers starting to form, really cool to watch. Pictures coming tomorrow. Should I worry about self pollinating with the zukes and cukes? I've been noticing little flies around the zuke and cuke plants. That could be enough to pollinate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baroclinic Zone Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Bob, that looks like a bomb....lol. Lmao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dendrite Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Should I worry about self pollinating with the zukes and cukes? I've been noticing little flies around the zuke and cuke plants. That could be enough to pollinate It sounds like you really want to self pollinate these things. I say go for it. Bend one over and romp away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzucker Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Should I worry about self pollinating with the zukes and cukes? I've been noticing little flies around the zuke and cuke plants. That could be enough to pollinate They should take care of themselves...I have a ton of flowers on my zukes and cukes, and it already looks as if fruits are forming. Your plants might be a tiny bit behind given the climate difference, but not that much. You've got yourself some really nice mature plants that will produce a lot...just watch out for slugs in wet weather and powdery mildew, two pestilences upon most forms of curcubits. I'm amazed by how big your cucumbers and zucchinis are; mine have grown a ton in the past 10 days with the rain followed by sunshine this weekend, but they still don't rival those goliaths that you are cultivating. Have patience with the flowers...I find the first round never produces that many fruits, but then subsequent rounds seem to almost all turn into fruits. I think you're going to see an explosion from your tomatoes soon...your plants have a lot of leaves, and with that amount of flowers, it can't be long until you get some more fruits. I would say each of my hybrid tomatoes has 10-15 fruits at this point, with a couple of them starting to ripen. The Lemon Boy is really leading the pack with these massive clusters of young tomatoes, which will develop into beautiful yellow, round fruits. I also am having good luck with the Better Bush beefsteak...it's got 2 big fruits and maybe 10 smaller ones...looks like they're going to be classic striated beefsteaks, maybe 1lb or so each, maybe more if I get lucky. The tomatoes that are turning red right now are the Bonnie's Grape; those will be the first I eat of the season. Mid-week, I will be fertilizing the main garden with fish extract...the yellow squash, zucchini, cauliflower, Lemon Boy tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, and eggplant will all be receiving their share. This should accelerate the growth of fruits and prepare for the above-normal temps expected in early July. Here is a pic from Burpee of the Lemon Boy variety...I've grown it for three years with excellent results. High yields, delicious flavor, very juicy: I will post detailed pictures from the garden tomorrow when I whip my digital camera out. You'll see this one renegade eggplant that's developed earlier, the nice clusters of Lemon Boy tomatoes, the 4-foot tall corn stalks, and the meandering Chioggia heirloom squash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzucker Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I have this huge Marina de Chioggia heirloom squash plant that's meandering along the driveway. I'm worried it is going to start choking out beds of Brussels sprouts and greens if it keeps going. Does anyone have success with training heavier squashes upward on a trellis? I was thinking it might be possible to grow it like a cucumber, but I'm concerned that it won't work given the weight of the fruits. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skierinvermont Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 two pestilences upon most forms of curcubits. cucurbits I will post detailed pictures from the garden tomorrow when I whip my digital camera out. You'll see this one renegade eggplant that's developed earlier, the nice clusters of Lemon Boy tomatoes, the 4-foot tall corn stalks, and the meandering Chioggia heirloom squash. I just got a renegade pepper too.. peppers and eggplants in June?? I picked it early so as to not slow down plant growth too much I have this huge Marina de Chioggia heirloom squash plant that's meandering along the driveway. I'm worried it is going to start choking out beds of Brussels sprouts and greens if it keeps going. Does anyone have success with training heavier squashes upward on a trellis? I was thinking it might be possible to grow it like a cucumber, but I'm concerned that it won't work given the weight of the fruits. Any ideas? I've had pumpkin plants grow up fences before and butternut squash up stone walls. I read about how you can do watermelons on a trellis but you have to support the watermelon. It's probably possible... does this squash send out tendrils which would hold the vine steady on a trellis? You can support the fruit, the fruit would not be my concern (although it could be a PIA).. I'd just make sure the squash variety has tendrils which will hold it steady and climb on a trellis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzucker Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 cucurbits We New Yorkers have a funny way of saying things. Just kidding, I had the spelling wrong, thanks for the correction, would have gone on saying it for a long time, too, since it's not easy to find someone who will notice. I just got a renegade pepper too.. peppers and eggplants in June?? I picked it early so as to not slow down plant growth too much I've had pumpkin plants grow up fences before and butternut squash up stone walls. I read about how you can do watermelons on a trellis but you have to support the watermelon. It's probably possible... does this squash send out tendrils which would hold the vine steady on a trellis? You can support the fruit, the fruit would not be my concern (although it could be a PIA).. I'd just make sure the squash variety has tendrils which will hold it steady and climb on a trellis. Yeah I am noticing some of my plants have a lot of fruit compared to leaves this year, maybe because of all the fish fertilizer/phosphorous I've been using? I have an Early Girl that's probably a bit less than 2 feet tall but has two large tomatoes and a few smaller ones. The plants with excessively early fruit seem not to look as healthy; this eggplant with the nice fruit has some withered leaves and has been growing MUCH more slowly than the other eggplants which just have flowers...I wouldn't say it's in bad shape at all, but I am definitely considering picking it soon to take off the burden. Yeah the Marina de Chioggia has tendrils..it's just a total monster that looks about ready to swallow up my Brussels sprouts and then occupy the family driveway before heading to Miami Beach for a romp. I know these fruits can be like 5 pounds so I was initially worried about using a trellis, but you have reassured me I have three beautiful wooden trellis as well as an old wooden ladder I may be able to use. Although I was thinking of slipping this creaky, mangled ladder into your window-washing kit to knock you off when you start going on about global warming again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 snowNH, I wouldn't worry about self pollinating. I have some little cukes starting to pop out and I didn't do a thing. It should work out ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baroclinic Zone Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Took the compost bag out of the brew this morning as directed and will continue to brew for the remainder of the day. As far as the tea mix itself, it was 1lb of compost, 1oz of Molasses, 1oz Fish Fertilizer, and 4 gal of water. Pretty simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baroclinic Zone Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 snowNH, I wouldn't worry about self pollinating. I have some little cukes starting to pop out and I didn't do a thing. It should work out ok. My tomatoes are going nuts with fruit right now. I also picked about a dozen peas off the vines yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalWx Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 My tomatoes are going nuts with fruit right now. I also picked about a dozen peas off the vines yesterday. My tomatoes exploded too. Peppers are coming out as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baroclinic Zone Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 My tomatoes exploded too. Peppers are coming out as well. Peppers will be next year in the raised bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowNH Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 snowNH, I wouldn't worry about self pollinating. I have some little cukes starting to pop out and I didn't do a thing. It should work out ok. Well I've heard that female flowers and small cukes/ zukes will form, but they have to be pollinated to become huge Anyways the garden should explode this week.. mid 80s rain on Tuesday then back to sun.. Just used my fish fertilizer yesterday.. just saw another tomato bee bee yesterday.. all is good in garden world. I do not think my water melon plants will get to mature though.. I'm not sure however... gonna be close! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baroclinic Zone Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I just realized I should probably have a filter set up on my garden hoses to remove any chlorine. Another trip to HD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baroclinic Zone Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Took the compost bag out of the brew this morning as directed and will continue to brew for the remainder of the day. As far as the tea mix itself, it was 1lb of compost, 1oz of Molasses, 1oz Fish Fertilizer, and 4 gal of water. Pretty simple. Ok, I applied the first batch. Not sure if it will work but we'll see. Couple issues, The sprayer nozzle clogged, even with the filter removed. Also, it's kind of a pain in the ass to have to walk over the whole yard with a 2gal sprayer. I may have not done much to help the lawn since what I was doing was more of a topical spray as opposed to soaking it in. I'd like to do this but I need to have a chlorine filter and spray bottle setup on my garden hose to achieve this. The tea had a distinct fishy smell to it. It did not smell awful. I was also only able to cover about 3/4 of my lawn and it said that a 5gal batch will cover an acre. I have like 7,000 sf of grass. Time to start thinking about my next batch. I will probably do one in another week or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I just realized I should probably have a filter set up on my garden hoses to remove any chlorine. Another trip to HD. Is the chlorine from the city water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baroclinic Zone Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Is the chlorine from the city water? Yeah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnno Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Just flipping through another board I frequent and there was a ten page thread dedicated to killing moles and monks, the bucket method has been a huge winner for many of these people as well lol. The little suckers are starting to move in around the yard and even worse they are starting in on the snowmobiles/enclosed trailers, time to test this bucket thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowNH Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 I had WAY too many cucumber stems/branches spilling over my trellis.. So I did some garden engineering this afternoon (actually it only took 15 min) and built a semi circle trellis to make it easier to train the cukes. Here's a pic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowNH Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 On the back side... I linked them to the existing trellis so the wind shouldn't blow it over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoarfrostHubb Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Just flipping through another board I frequent and there was a ten page thread dedicated to killing moles and monks, the bucket method has been a huge winner for many of these people as well lol. The little suckers are starting to move in around the yard and even worse they are starting in on the snowmobiles/enclosed trailers, time to test this bucket thing. Don't ghet Blizz started. Last summer was awful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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