Vegetable Gardening

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I knew the end of the summer was going to be harvest-overwhelming, but reality is worse than I imagined! Luckily, goats and chickens love overripe/spoiling fruits and veggies - so nothing truly goes to waste....

And don't forget the compost pile (gasp!!) But nothing really goes to waste there either.

[Jolt]

Well, the pear canning is going to start sooner than I had anticipated. My roommate and I picked a huge basketful of pears off one of the trees today and there's probably another basket's worth ripening on that tree. Then there's another tree that is also loaded (the ones on that tree aren't ready yet). Looks like there will be some work happening tomorrow! We also just got a bunch of beets and beet greens ready to go in the freezer.

[tulip]

That reminds me of a funny thing. My father has pear trees that are very old (the house was built in 1878, but they aren't that old). The trees produce some decent pears, but my father doesn't do anything to or with them. His dog, however, loves pears and eats all that fall on the ground, which is alot this time of year. The dog also eats the tomatoes off the vine. I've never heard of a dog that does that.

[GLC1968]

That reminds me of a funny thing. My father has pear trees that are very old (the house was built in 1878, but they aren't that old). The trees produce some decent pears, but my father doesn't do anything to or with them. His dog, however, loves pears and eats all that fall on the ground, which is alot this time of year. The dog also eats the tomatoes off the vine. I've never heard of a dog that does that.

Then you haven't met our dogs!

One of ours loves the fallen pears and apples. He also picks blackberries off the vine to eat. The other one would be a menace in the garden if she had free access. When we lived in NC - she would steal the fruits as they ripened. She ate all our strawberries! She'd pick them without disturbing the plant and we had no idea why we weren't getting any fruit until we caught her in the act one day. She also ate all of our watermelons & canteloupe - when they were only about 3-5 inches long... She also loves beans and tomatoes. AND, she LOVES zucchini - but she won't pick those. She just begs me for the ends when I'm prepping them.

Honestly, our dogs would be perfectly happy to be vegetarians as long as they could still have their goats milk. This is also why our dogs are confined to our immediate back yard unless we are with them. They would be more damaging than deer!

[tulip]

I transplanted my leeks today! The first of the Winter Garden is in. I've been growing leeks in pots from seed all summer. They are still skinny, but about a foot tall. They will be happy to be in the garden now, and I expect they will grow thicker pretty quickly.

When I lived in France, I loved that nearly everyone had leeks growing in their gardens in the winter--big, fat leeks. Plus, I love leek soup. I'll post some photos after they fatten up just a little bit.

I did not start my collard and kale seeds in time, so I'll have to buy the plants this year. I am getting a greenhouse this fall, so by next year, I hope to start all my plants from seed.

[OakLeaf]

Oooh, leeks!

I've never had much luck with onions - my soil is clayey even after years of building up more and more organic matter. It will drain enough for most vegetables when I dig out beds - but it drains very poorly if I don't dig beds, and in any case apparently not well enough for onions. Leeks probably do best in sandy soil too, eh?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I transplanted my leeks today! The first of the Winter Garden is in. I've been growing leeks in pots from seed all summer. They are still skinny, but about a foot tall. They will be happy to be in the garden now, and I expect they will grow thicker pretty quickly.

When I lived in France, I loved that nearly everyone had leeks growing in their gardens in the winter--big, fat leeks. Plus, I love leek soup. I'll post some photos after they fatten up just a little bit.

I did not start my collard and kale seeds in time, so I'll have to buy the plants this year. I am getting a greenhouse this fall, so by next year, I hope to start all my plants from seed.

I have leeks growing from seed too in my new garden- but they are still like thin threads and about 3" tall.
I can't wait to hear about your greenhouse soon!

Today I started pulling out the tall bitter bolted lettuce from my old little garden (remember when I planted it?)...clearing some bare ground here and there. Once the tomatoes are done, I can pull those out too, hoe the area again and fertilize it, and plant some new spinach and lettuce seed along the shed wall there where it can be protected from frost with draped clear plastic this fall perhaps. Might as well get another batch of stuff from the spot.

[tulip]

My strawberries are producing again, but so far a critter has been taking them before I can get them!

In addition to the leeks, I will plant these for the winter garden next weekend:
spinach (seeds)
lettuce (seeds)
collards (plants)
kale (plants)
peas (seeds)
garlic (cloves)

--what am I missing--? I don't like cabbage or cauliflower, but I do like broccoli, so maybe I'll try some for the fall.

As for the greenhouse, I don't think it will be a true greenhouse this year, but rather a tower of shelves covered with thick clear plastic. I've seen some that have either 4 or 5 shelves. Hopefully that will work well enough, and then next year (after my real house is finally finished) I can invest in a true greenhouse, say 6'x6' with a door and a louvered window and such (like GLC's!) Whatever it is, I will certainly let you know and post photos.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

In addition to the leeks, I will plant these for the winter garden next weekend:
spinach (seeds)
lettuce (seeds)
collards (plants)
kale (plants)
peas (seeds)
garlic (cloves)

--what am I missing--? I don't like cabbage or cauliflower, but I do like broccoli, so maybe I'll try some for the fall. That's funny- to grow collards in there in the Fall- not something I could do here! I used to grow collards in Puerto Rico long ago....and pigeon pea (gandules) bushes.

How about radishes?- they like the cool. And maybe beets? Swiss chard likes cool too and can survive mild frosts.

As for the greenhouse, I don't think it will be a true greenhouse this year, but rather a tower of shelves covered with thick clear plastic. I've seen some that have either 4 or 5 shelves. Hopefully that will work well enough, and then next year (after my real house is finally finished) I can invest in a true greenhouse, say 6'x6' with a door and a louvered window and such (like GLC's!) Whatever it is, I will certainly let you know and post photos.

Yes, I hear you about a makeshift greenhouse! We spent so much on the new garden this summer, that this Fall I will be draping/rigging up some clear plastic tarp as makeshift cold frames to continue harvesting lettuce and spinach etc after the first frosts. Of course we get MUCH colder here in NY than where you are- plus lots of DEEP snow and ice too, so my tarps will be a bit different I suppose, sturdy and slanted to hopefully shed heavy snow.

Fall seems along ways off today at 90f degrees out. But I know it's just around the corner!

[Photoflygirl]

I will plant lettuce, maybe try some leeks. But will probably plant next month. We are having a cool spell right now, it tends to get warm again in the first of September. We'll see what happens!

Oh, and we have a new stinging insect in the garden. Bit two of our friends as we were touring the garden last Saturday. Fairly big, skinny and black, he attacks swiftly then is gone. His venom stings like when you feel the liquid from a shot going under your skin. I scraped my skin to remove any stinger that might be there. Just a hurtful little beggar!

[badger]

I'm pretty sure I read in this thread somewhere about treating mould on the plants? I had forgotten that this happened last year and never got to harvest more than one zucchini. Never clued in that it might be some sort of mould - all white-ish on the leaves and withering the more affected ones. It's now widely affecting my zucchini, snap pea, beans, and some tomatoes.

Could someone who posted a natural remedy for mould post it again, please? I think it's too late for me now, but it would be good to know how to deal with it. thanks!!

[Photoflygirl]

We have located a yellow jacket nest underneath one of our organic raised beds. Does anyone know of a natural remedy to kill them? Or, should I use the pesticide and not plant there for a few years? Or, does it not matter because the roots don't go deep enough to matter? I lined the bottom of each bed with chicken wire so chipmunks couldn't burrow into the beds and eat stuff. any suggestions would be appreciated.

[smilingcat]

Its called powdery mildew.

Seriously affected leaves must be cut off and thrown away carefully so that the dust does not go flying around.

If you live in an area where it rains a lot and the soil can tolerate sodium, then you can mix some sodium bicarb out of your kitchen in water then mist the affected area. Better solution is potassium carbonate, (potash).

You can also use sulphur powder on the leaves. Don't buy the sulphur pellets for acidifying the soil. Powdered sulphur will be referred as organic fungacide. Any half way self-respecting gardener would know what it is.

Another thing you need to do is feed the soil with high potassium fertilizer. You could also feed some potash.

Last item, when watering the plants, try avoid getting the leaves wet or watering late in the evening.

hope this helps.

[badger]

thanks, smilingcat. Two of the things I often do/did was to water at night and get the leaves wet...

I'll try the baking soda route, though I do believe it's too late for my plants. Even with no mildew I think it's getting too cool now. I shall remember for next year and fertilize it properly. They all started out so beautifully, it's such a shame to see them go downhill like that.

[OakLeaf]

The Mildew Cure I posted the link to earlier, works really really well on powdery mildew on squash. It's what I bought it for originally. There's baking soda in it, also garlic and some other things. Squash grow so vigorously that I've never lost a plant that I've treated.

Hoping my plants can hang in there until I get back into town - they needed sprayed before we left on Thursday, but it was pouring down rain -