Harvest Time Knives!!

[treefarmer]

Steve, that's a new one on me. Had to look up Nutrient Patch, very interesting. Can't beat the home grown tomatoes and peppers.
Our last rain was on Mother's Day and things are getting very dry. Today we were blessed with a wonderful shower around 2:30 this afternoon. At 1:30 it was 94 degrees, at 2:30 the temperature had dropped to 75, lots of wind then the wonderful 0.8" of rain!
Things are growing, Sweet Banana peppers and Bell peppers are doing well. Jalapeno is beginning to bloom. Tomatoes acted like a sail and had to be stood back up. The wind blew hard enough to move the stakes and the cages. The peas are doing well also. A few pictures to show what's happening at Starvation Plantation:

Wonderful, welcome rain shower this afternoon!

Sweet Banana peppers for making pickled peppers, stuffing with venison sausage and cream cheese and used fresh in salads.

Market More cukes for lime pickles and salads. Growing them on a trellis made from cattle panels for the 1st time.

The tomatoes were vertical before this afternoon's little storm.

Treefarmer

[Steve Warden]

Coming right along there, Treefarmer.

The nutrient patch is part of a Grow Box kit.
www.agardenpatch.com

[313 Mike]

Nice set up Steve, those raised boxes should make it easy to maintain your crops as they grow, looking forward to seeing how they progress!
Phillip glad to see you got some much needed rain. I have watched a few YouTube videos on using cattle panels to make an arch style trellis, and was really tempted to give it a try! Maybe next year

[DM11]

Some fresh radishes.

[Dinadan]

Very cool photos, fellows!

[313 Mike]

Lincoln Peas finally taking off, planted in April 1st, and my Dragon's Tongue Bush green beans pushing through having been planted one week ago.

[WillyCamaro]

Beautiful gardens guys! I loooove to garden myself. Just been way to sick with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome to do any these last few years.
To bad, kind of sad...
But looking at yours makes me feel all good inside. Wonderful stuff guys!

[zp4ja]

Lincoln Peas finally taking off, planted in April 1st, and my Dragon's Tongue Bush green beans pushing through having been planted one week ago.

Hey Mike,

So straw to keep weeds down and retain moisture I assume?
I planted my first garden in several years in last couple weeks. I have a seed bed going along with some starter plants.
We have a couple of rabbits here that were pets and escaped a few years ago. Those two were oddly joined by a stray rabbit. They hang out and chase each other around and are a joy to watch. So I had to rabbit proof everything by which took some time. The cages double as trellis support for vining stuff. Have welded wire cages around my pepper and tomato plants and a chicken stuck his head through the 2" x 4" gaps and pecked my pepper plants pretty good first day but they will come back.
I always enjoyed this thread. First time posting.
Your gardens look great all.

Going to have my first attempt at canning this year also. Never done it.

Jerry

[313 Mike]

Thanks for the comments Willy, good to hear from you Jerry!
Yeah, heavy straw mulch to retain moisture, keep the weeds down, and act as a.natural soil amendment as it slowly degrades and works into the earth. You gotta watch out for those bunnies, they can ruin the best laid plans real quick! In my experience they have never bothered my tomatoes, but beans, peas, pepper plants most definitely.
Post up some pics when you get the chance, would live to see your set up.

[zp4ja]

Thanks for the comments Willy, good to hear from you Jerry!
Yeah, heavy straw mulch to retain moisture, keep the weeds down, and act as a.natural soil amendment as it slowly degrades and works into the earth. You gotta watch out for those bunnies, they can ruin the best laid plans real quick! In my experience they have never bothered my tomatoes, but beans, peas, pepper plants most definitely.
Post up some pics when you get the chance, would live to see your set up.

Glad to hear from you also Mike. I hope life finds you and yours well. Will like do the straw in my seed patch.
I planted seeds Memorial weekend. Weather has been odd here. We had a cold snap a couple of weeks ago and it has been raining more than usual. Supposed to be upper 80s next two days and low of 36 on Friday and Saturday. Been up and down like that but appears the warm weather is upon us locally soon.
Seed bed is 120 square feet. Beets, radishes, bush beans, bush peas and climbing peas, cucumbers (for my first pickle canning attempt) and corn. I have some 7 foot pieces if rebar I will pound in when the vining stuff sprouts. Then I use construction string or wire and run between the 2 pieces of rebar and viola, instant trellis.
I have six different peppers planted, all of the screaming hot on the Scofield scale with jalapeno s be mildest heat. Those have 2 foot high ring of "utility or welded" wire for rabbit and chicken be protection. Various tomato variety/ fruit sizes, 7 total. 5 in ground and two determinate type in containers. I have two tomato left to container plant. Also, two cucumbers (which includes a lemon cucumber, which I love). Will likely wait till next week for the two cucumber plants in case the cold snap this weekend wipes them out.
I also created some "tree rings" with that thick plastic bender board, some screws and stakes.
I use them for my vegetable garden where you see the tomatoes and peppers in the pics. Also around all my trees and most shrubs I plant. For a buck or two per plant or tree, saves me from constant digging water basins around plants/ trees from "watering erosion" and allows more water for the plants and less runoff.

Still have lots of space to plant, close to an acre if I really wanted but I will start small for now

Jerry

[313 Mike]

Pretty impressive set up Jerry, I like it. Your tomato and pepper cages look really solid, way better than those cheap wire cages that are so flimsy and way too short. I have always been a cage guy too, but this year for the first time I am using stakes, and am going to try to prune the plants to one main stem and allow them to breath a little. I got 8 foot furring strips and shaped one end into a point and hammered them in next to my seedlings. The peppers all have shorter stakes and chicken wire cages around each individual plant.
I am a fan of the super hots too, this year I have the following chilies growing:
--Naga Orange Bubblegum, which is a cross between a Naga and a 7 Pot Bubblegum, and can grow to four feet tall.
---Chocolate Bhutlah, which is a cross between a Bhut Jolokia a 7 Pot Douglah, and an unknown chocolate variety, and can also grow to four feet tall.
---Carbonero Orange, which is a cross between a Bhut Carbon, 7 Pot yellow and an orange habanero, also grows to four feet.
---And my favorite standby, regular Chocolate Habanero

For tomatoes I am growing Brandywine, Green Zebra, Mexico Midget, German Giant, Lilian's Yellow, and since those are all long season heirlooms, I also planted an Early Girl to get me some early season fruit!.

Then I have a couple kinds of Bush bean, peas, melons and mini pumpkins going, as well as some herbs, and a bunch of flowery stuff and native Wisconsin perrenials too.
Fun stuff, gotta love growing things...

[zp4ja]

Thanks Mike. I also use tent stakes on the cages due to constant wind here and will just cut some larger squares on the 4 foot high wire cages to harvest if needed.
Wow, some hot peppers you are growing there. I bought plants from Bonnie since I started late so more exotic varieties are hard to come by. As far as peppers, I am doing Mammoth Jalapeno, Habenero, Anaheim (not real hot of course), Dragon Cayenne, Fresno and Cowhorn. Most people I will share my bounty with, the ones I listed are likely way too hot.

Love doing zucchini but squash bugs are horrendous here but likely have been fine since it has been a few years since last garden and they winter over here. Just would need to figure out the rabbit proof on those. Maybe next year.

Jerry

[zp4ja]

BTW Mike I was in Hermosillo Mexico about a year ago. Went to a Buffalo Chicken Wings joint there. Told them I wanted the hottest wings they had. They were pretty warm and very good.
I finished them off and asked the guy mentioning they were good. Whether or not factual, I guess the were seasoned with Ghost Peppers. That is what he said. Good stuff.

Jerry

[jerryd6818]

I used those flimsy wire cages for a couple of years and decided I needed something a little more substantial.

Homemade. Works great.

[313 Mike]

Jerry, ghost peppers are one of my favorites, real slow burn, creeps up on ya slowly. I like them in a sauce with chipotle for the smokey slow burn

Other Jerry, that is one rock solid tomato tower you have there! What kind of tomato plant do you have in there?

Last of the radishes have been pulled.

[jerryd6818]

Other Jerry, that is one rock solid tomato tower you have there! What kind of tomato plant do you have in there?

I think it was Pink Lady but don't quote me on that. Grew up and over the top of the cage and it's 6' tall. I didn't grow any last year and none again this year. I've lost my enthusiasm. These back issues just take the "wanna" right out of me.

[zp4ja]

Other Jerry, that is one rock solid tomato tower you have there! What kind of tomato plant do you have in there?

I think it was Pink Lady but don't quote me on that. Grew up and over the top of the cage and it's 6' tall. I didn't grow any last year and none again this year. I've lost my enthusiasm. These back issues just take the "wanna" right out of me.

Hey JerryD,

Sorry to hear your back is bothering you. Get well soon.

Nice looking radishes Mike. Are they "Cherry Bell"?

Jerry

[313 Mike]

.

Nice looking radishes Mike. Are they "Cherry Bell"?

Jerry

Yes they are Cherry Bell. I planted a different variety called watermelon radish, and they were a bust. Lots of leaves but a tiny tough bitter little radish end. The cherry bells are always a winner though

[cudgee]

Pretty impressive set up Jerry, I like it. Your tomato and pepper cages look really solid, way better than those cheap wire cages that are so flimsy and way too short. I have always been a cage guy too, but this year for the first time I am using stakes, and am going to try to prune the plants to one main stem and allow them to breath a little. I got 8 foot furring strips and shaped one end into a point and hammered them in next to my seedlings. The peppers all have shorter stakes and chicken wire cages around each individual plant.
I am a fan of the super hots too, this year I have the following chilies growing:
--Naga Orange Bubblegum, which is a cross between a Naga and a 7 Pot Bubblegum, and can grow to four feet tall.
---Chocolate Bhutlah, which is a cross between a Bhut Jolokia a 7 Pot Douglah, and an unknown chocolate variety, and can also grow to four feet tall.
---Carbonero Orange, which is a cross between a Bhut Carbon, 7 Pot yellow and an orange habanero, also grows to four feet.
---And my favorite standby, regular Chocolate Habanero

For tomatoes I am growing Brandywine, Green Zebra, Mexico Midget, German Giant, Lilian's Yellow, and since those are all long season heirlooms, I also planted an Early Girl to get me some early season fruit!.

Then I have a couple kinds of Bush bean, peas, melons and mini pumpkins going, as well as some herbs, and a bunch of flowery stuff and native Wisconsin perrenials too.
Fun stuff, gotta love growing things...

313 Mike. We are into winter here, so no tomato growing, but will start germinating seeds in about 6-8 weeks time. Most of my seed selection is one that you mentioned. Green Zebra-they are the tastiest tomatoes in my humble opinion, and an added bonus is the birds leave them alone. Curious about Early Girl, have not heard of them before. Have a good day and growing season.

[zp4ja]

All my seeds are coming up. Of course, tonight is expected to be 32 degrees with wind chill of 26.
10% chance of frost here 1st week of June. Will likely be latest frost I have ever seen her in over 20 years since I have lived here. It is what it is.
Gotta see what I can do to try to offer some protection.

Jerry

[313 Mike]

Jerry, hope your plants survived the late frost!

It has been getting warm here finally, the peas are flowering and should be producing pods soon, and the Bush beans are continuing to reach for the sky.
Also have some perrenial blue salvia in full bloom as well

[zp4ja]

Jerry, hope your plants survived the late frost!

It has been getting warm here finally, the peas are flowering and should be producing pods soon, and the Bush beans are continuing to reach for the sky.
Also have some perrenial blue salvia in full bloom as well

Thanks Mike. I survived as (always) forecast was not as bad as reality.

Your garden looks great my friend.

Jerry

[313 Mike]

Peas still... flowering nicely, no pods yet though...soon...

[Steve Warden]

Coming right along.

[bighomer]