Vegetable Gardening

[GLC1968]

I finally got around to planting my garlic today! Something's been munching on the kale, and I found out what it was...green worms that are the exact same color as the kale. I picked them all off, and I'll keep doing that every time I water. I think my collards and kale and mustard would benefit from some fish emulsion, so I'm off to Southern States tomorrow to pick some up. That always makes plants happy.

I mulched the leeks and watered everything. We have not had a frost yet, and I've got a few more weeks before I'll put the scavenged storm windows on the raised bed boxes at night. I still have tomatoes ripening, although at a slower pace than before. I'll also have a big load of basil for pesto. I'll harvest that before the frost.

Green worms - kill them now or they'll turn into cabbage moths and you'll never get rid of them!

If you blanch your kale, the worms fall off and die (and turn yellow so they are easy to see). I had to do that to quite a bit of ours before I dehydrated it. It's even worse when they get in the broccoli because they have lots of tiny little places to hide!

[Photoflygirl]

We harvested about 15 one gallon bags of basil leaves over the last week. We gave several bags away and froze the rest after pulsing with olive oil in the food processor. The temps are down into the high 30's this weekend, so the basil bush is finally dying out. We were in Italy for two weeks so no one picked the flowers off. I picked the rest of the tomatoes and squash from our garden. Have to forget about the lovely swiss chard and broccoli that are out in the bed the yellow jackets are underneath.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Have to forget about the lovely swiss chard and broccoli that are out in the bed the yellow jackets are underneath.

You might get lucky- swiss chard can supposedly withstand some light frosts, and by that time the yellow jackets may have gone into dormancy in the cold. Keep an eye on the situation, you may well get the chance to harvest your chard.

[deeaimond]

Hey Lisa, just saw those carrots, indeed beautiful.

So yeah my tomato plant has had loads of flowers but no fruit. I think its the lack of direct sunlight... but that i can't help. We only get direct sun on the plants for half the year. next time i will start growing in January so when the sun comes over it'll be ready.

but i still feel kinda sad coz its really tall and looks gorgeous.

D

oh and i will try to get some heirloom seeds when i'm in the US in dec. here we have like... one kind of tomato in the markets.. and thats about it. small, mealy and quite tasteless

[tulip]

If you don't have direct sun, you'll probably have better luck growing things that don't require it. Lettuces, in particular, will grow in a bit of shade. If you have lots of shade, you might do better with ornamentals that do well in the shade, of which there are many.

[deeaimond]

Hi Tulip,

well my situation is this, i live in a ground floor apartment, so I have some green space in front of my apartment, but its public space. So we can grow potted plants but not directly in the soil. We also cannot fence up any area.
Its tall apartment blocks, so we get sun on the 'garden' for half the year then the sun moves to the other block. Also, there are two really big trees growing right on the perimeter of my 'garden'. But because they're state property we can't cut them. So they're blocking alot of the sunlight as well. But half the year there is some direct sun. so i might try to time tomatoes for that next year.

the public has itchy fingers and things get taken, including leaves torn off plants (I have some huge pots of pandanus leaves, and they're used here in making desserts so people always tear leaves off to use. without permission if i might add). I've also had small potted orchids get carried off... Mostly we just let the greenery be, we being my mum and me and the rest of the family. if they die, they die. if they thrive, great. Most are local plants. Snails are a big problem. They eat all the succulents and are everywhere. So lettuces are out, no space and snails. The tomato plant existed coz it just grew. I tried to give it what i could, but then now the sun's gone so... i guess i'll just let it grow.

I started a herb garden a few years back, but then i moved to college and only came back once a week or so, and it got infested and no one could keep up with the treatments. And my neighbour recently told me she came back one day and saw some of the plants had been yanked out of the soil... but these were non-local herbs like basil, rosemary and dill. The local herbs do great, kaffir lime leaves, pandanus, local aloe.

so i guess my garden should just stay... au naturel. and let nature be nature.

just add worm castings when i can i guess. which reminds me... i think its time to feed my worms... oh and the banana plant is bearing 2 small fruit...

I guess to have a vegetable garden one needs to plan carefully and be aware of the conditions on the plot throughout the year.

this thread is great for information! thanks everyone!! I'm still gonna keep reading it and look at everyone elses bounty!

[OakLeaf]

If I'd been more diligent about thinning, I might not have got these lovebirds:

[deeaimond]

If I'd been more diligent about thinning, I might not have got these lovebirds:

aww!! they're so cute!