What are your garden plans for 2021?

[pepperhead212]

So I ordered 2 Broccoli, 2 cabbages and 2 brussel sprouts by mail. Already picked and ate the broccoli and cabbages. Im having my suspicions about the brussel sprouts. Usually they grow relatively tall stalks. These guys haven't grown high at all ( maybe a foot) and the base looks like its starting to swell a bit. You think its kohlrabi and not brussel sprouts ? I got them as small plants and they've been in the ground since April 6th.

I wouldn't think that they are kohlrabi, simply because most kohlrabi (except for the larger ones) is ready for harvest well before broccoli and cabbage. This is why I gave up on BS, even for a fall crop - it just takes way too long, and I'm impatient! That also has far more leaves than the kohlrabi that I grow.

My kohlrabi is late this year - I tried direct seeding kohlrabi this season, since it seemed warm, back in March, so I thought that I'd save the trouble of the trays. No success - only a very fw seedlings, so I planted some in my usual 72/tray pots, and transplanted them, in 3 weeks, as usual. A few weeks later, I started getting those direct seeded ones coming up! So now on one side of the dripline I have the larger ones, and on the other side, the direct seeded ones, less than half the size! Sort of a succession planting, by accident!

Glad your peas weren't bothered by that cold, bethzaring. When I used to plant spring peas, they were always the first thing out, and packets still say to plant "as soon as the ground can be worked". I can't remember the last year the ground was still hard in mid-March - the usual time to plant here, back then! And it would often get to freezing, after planting, but it didn't bother the peas I planted at all. Now, it's the early heat waves that does them in. Crazy weather.

I noticed my earliest non-cherry tomato today - June pink, up to a little over 2". Not full grown, and of course I have no idea of the ripening date, but maybe it will live up to its name! All the rest of the non-cherries have either no tomatoes yet, or just barely formed. Amazingly, I have over a half dozen cherry varieties with fruits forming on them, but not a single one on my Sunsugars - usually my first tomato.
June Pink, earliest of the larger tomato to appear, largest one over 2 inches. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[taxlady]

It appears that I'm growing an unplanned crop of wasps on my front porch rocker. I found this when I was returning the throw to the porch after it was in the house for a couple of days. [emoji44] Thankfully, I haven't seen any unwanted guests in the house.
View attachment 47277

Are there any wasps in it, or is it just an abandoned nest? I do not like finding wasp nests, ever since the time I got stung enough times that my whole face puffed up.

 

[larry_stewart]

Ive had people tell me how easy Brussel Sprouts are to grow, ive never had much luck. once I got a stalk that never quite matured and had many marble sized Brussel sprouts. I did grow Kohlrabi years ago with no issues. Whatever this is, its getting too hot for it, so its days are numbered. Maybe ill just cut it down to the ground, peel and eat the stalk.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Are there any wasps in it, or is it just an abandoned nest? I do not like finding wasp nests, ever since the time I got stung enough times that my whole face puffed up.

Thankfully, it was already abandoned.

 

[taxlady]

Thankfully, it was already abandoned.

Phew!

I have read that people have had good luck keeping wasps away by hanging fake wasp nests in likely places. One fake was just a brown paper bag full of something lightweight and tied with a string. Lightweight, like wads of crumpled newspaper.

 

[pepperhead212]

Larry, Here's a photo of my kohlrabi - the purple kolibri variety, which is the best variety I have grown into the summer. You can see the smaller plant above, that is one of those direct seeded plants, from much earlier! Kohlrabi doesn't bolt in the heat, like most brassicas, as it is a biennial, but many varieties get fibrous, or spongy, when they get too large, which is why it is recommended to harvest them at only 3" or so. But I harvest kolibri much larger - 4-5" - and it is still delicious. Grand Duke is my other favorite - a green variety, that I also grow larger. The "giant" varieties I've tried (gigante and supershmelz) took much longer to grow, and were tough.
Kolibri kohlrabi, 6-10 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Here's my patch of spearmint, which choked out just about every weed, like it usually does. The larger leafed ones on the bottom are peppermint - not as good as the spearmint, but I can grow it in the hydroponics, come fall, when I root a cutting. Unfortunately, spearmint is an aphid magnet, every time I tried it indoors, yet never a hint of them outside!

I wish I had more people to share this with! Only one lady I know that uses it, probably even more than I do.
A little bit of mint, 6-10 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[taxlady]

I used some homemade insecticidal soap (Dr. Bonner's liquid Castille soap diluted in water) to deal with aphids or something else tiny and white. It seems to work. How long will insecticidal soap stay in the soil? Does anyone know if it breaks down? Do I have to worry about the a build up of the soap in the soil?

 

[caseydog]

My garden is doing great. We've had so much rain that I only need to water the newer plants once or twice a week. I have fruit on both pepper plants, cayenne and jalapeño. My oregano, which is the only thing that survived the "Big Freeze," is trying to take over the yard. I have to trim it back with a weedeater.

My basil is full and healthy looking, but is not growing in size much, and the leaves are somewhat "tough." I'm not sure what that is all about. It tastes good, but the leaves are not tender, as usual for basil.

CD

 

[blissful]

Pepper, my peppermint grows in tight mounds, my spearmint spreads amazingly, growing in tall stems throughout the container (raised bed in miniature), more like oregano in growing habit. I dry both for tea and give bundles to the young neighbors.


Casey, we are just too dry, and hoping for rain again, watering like crazy.

 

[larry_stewart]

harvested / ripped up my spring greens to make room for the sweet potatoes ( mustard greens, a few varieties of leaf lettuce mix, arugula and the radishes went last week). Second planting of Kirbies germinated , hopefully this round will be more predictable. Also got string beans and a few summer squash started in cells . getting ready for round 2 . So far, as far as early crops go, greens, peas, radishes , spinach, chard , strawberries, Rhubarb all doing exceptionally well. Asparagus disappointing to the point where I think I'd rather have the bed for something more predictable than a one trick pony ( that has a really crappy trick, which is not producing). Its been years, and just not worth it. to its defense, its not in a prime spot of the yard, but I know other stuff can thrive there. Still early enough in the season to plant other things. See ya asparagus, nice knowing you.

Tomatoes, peppers eggplants, string beans, pole beans, okra, squash, potatoes appear to be doing well. Or at least on track. Jury is still out on the cukes/ kirbies. Can go either way.

Got another shipment of leaf cutter bees yesterday . Buzzing around doing their thing. Cant wait for the sunflowers to open . The bees love them.

 

[blissful]

Larry, my carrots and beets ARE coming up, after that horrible 90+ deg F weather, we suffered through here....at least we have carrots and beets! How are yours?

 

[larry_stewart]

Carrots are doing ok. Still have a few more weeks to mature aa bit ( dug up aa few to see how they were progressing. Look healthy, just need to bulk up a bit).

Beets, I just never had luck with them. The greens do ok, but when dug up, usually a big , or I should say little disappointment. Without joking, my radishes are usually bigger than my beets ( especially this year). Its to the point that I dont even know why I grow them

I poked around at the base of the greens to see how they were progressing, and I didnt see/ feel much. I planted by seed in late march, then I got some cells of already started plants in early may . Both doing the same, crappy. Soil is loose, plenty of sun, watering regularly, feeding as required. Just not one of my better crops. Ive tried multiple varieties over the years with the same lack of success.

Does anyone else have a crop that they just dont have luck with ??

 

[blissful]

Larry, you could amend the soil for phosphorus? https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/beets/beets-small-or-deformed.htm maybe it says bone meal.


I have a problem with indoor plants. I do fine with transplants each spring, but nothing usually makes it through the winter in the house. I've never grown a good crop of melons or squash. I've gotten a few but they are always small.

 

[pepperhead212]

I don't have good luck with melons, either musk melons or watermelons. I finally gave up on them - they are cheap in the summer, anyway, and canteloupes and honeydews are normally in the "clean fifteen" list, so I don't have to worry much about them. I've also given up planting non-moschata squash, due to SVBs.

Spinach is something that I gave up on for the spring, since I almost always get some hot spells in spring, causing it to bolt.

And cilantro is something that I have never been able to figure out! Since it is used in tropical areas, as well as others, I think it has something to do with the length of day, not temp., that causes the bolting. Fortunately, it's available everywhere, now.

 

[larry_stewart]

I always say im not going to grow melons, but when im in the nursery and pass one, I always pick one up anyway ( as I did last week). The plants grow vigorously and look healthy, but every attempt Im about 1 or 2 weeks shy of it fully ripening.

This year I picked up sugar baby watermelon plants. One is off to a good start. Lets see if I can get one to ripen this year.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

larry, I remember reading in Mother Earth News decades ago that you can help ripen melons by setting the fruit on top of a half submerged 3# coffee can. Those are scarce as hens' teeth these days, but a large metal can of any kind (like tomato juice) could probably work.

 

[Bitser]

The greenhouse is going well: several kinds of tomatoes, good start on pole beans and cukes, bell peppers transplanted and springing up. Mixed rdishes and arugula just about ready to eat. Just planted some Genovese basil and it's already sprouting after 2-3 days.

The Russian heirloom tomatoes (Moskvich) are really putting on fruit.

The outdoor garden is slower, given a local climate with 45 frost-free days. But it's all planted except for the last row of peas.

The plastic grid is to keep the bird and critters from digging out the sprouting peas. We get really nice potatoes, beets, carrots, and various greens: lettuce, spinach, kale, pac choi, scallions. I've been trying to grow garlic, started in the greenhouse, but it hasn't done well.

 

[pepperhead212]

All of my basil clones are planted, and a few rao ram clones, which have quickly started growing.

Still no ripening tomatoes - day 48, for the 42 day tomato, but we had a cool May. I have found two peppers forming - Hong Gochu, and Giuzeppi Numex. Not full sized yet, but they are starting to grow fast.
I found my second variety with a pepper on it today - the Giuzeppi Numex. It's over 3", but gets a lot larger.
First pepper of the year, 6-15, Hong Gochu by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Giuzeppi Numex, second variety starting to produce! Over 3 inches long, 6-17 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[pepperhead212]

49th day for the tomatoes - still no ripening, but many of those sunsugars are full sized. We'll see if those are the first ones to ripen, or one of the others. The 42 day tomato keeps getting more and more full sized ones.

Those Giuzeppi Numex are growing really fast - this one is even larger than the first one I found. I'm glad I have 3 of them - they were one of them that I had extras of, to fill up pots where seeds didn't germinate. I'll soon see how well they taste, how large they grow, and how productive they are (and they look quite productive).
Another Giuzeppi Numex, already 6 inches long. 6-19 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[GotGarlic]

49th day for the tomatoes - still no ripening, but many of those sunsugars are full sized. We'll see if those are the first ones to ripen, or one of the others. The 42 day tomato keeps getting more and more full sized ones.

Those Giuzeppi Numex are growing really fast - this one is even larger than the first one I found. I'm glad I have 3 of them - they were one of them that I had extras of, to fill up pots where seeds didn't germinate. I'll soon see how well they taste, how large they grow, and how productive they are (and they look quite productive).
Another Giuzeppi Numex, already 6 inches long. 6-19 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

What's the white stuff on your plants?