7/25/10 Garden update

I trellised this zucchini plant because it was in danger of growing over the wall and it is producing the most (with hand pollination, more on that below) and I just wanted to try it : )

Not sure when I should pick this lettuce. I'm hoping it doesn't get bitter. Any advice on when to harvest it would be appreciated.

I replaced the wooden 4 ft. stakes on my my taller tomato plants with vinyl coated 6 ft. stakes. I think I will no longer use the wooden stakes after this summer because they are prone to rotting, getting moldy and encourage fungal growth. I've been using a stretchy, plastic "tape" for staking, training to vine to a trellis, etc. and I really like it. It doesn't rot, get moldy or cut into the plants.

I really like the Bayer Natria Disease Control Spray. It is the only spray I am currently using. It can be sprayed on all the plants in my garden and is very effective. I have been using the same bottle (attached to your hose and mixes as you spray) all summer.

I have been pruning my tomato plants aggressively (pruned them again after these photos). I think my tomato plants were falling victim to late blight last month and was picking off all signs of disease daily along with the suckers. I am finding that the indeterminate variety that I have is more work but is much easier to keep disease free. You can take off quite a bit of the branches and leaves and they will continue to produce new growth. I had a couple of plants that had a diseased main stem early on and either a new main stem grew in its place or I was able to take a sucker (I leave one sucker below each tomato cluster) and make that the new main stem.

My cukes are doing really well. I am pruning off the suckers by cutting them after the first leaf and cucumber.

My other row of lettuce.

The summer squash plants are doing well but the squash they are producing are pretty small but still tasty : ) I've harvested 4 so far.

My zukes have been giving me some trouble. I started noticing that they were turning yellow and dying at 1-2 inches in length. With some internet research I decided the problem was that the female flowers (they become the zucchini) were not opening at all and therefor not getting pollinated by the male flowers (these were opening but the pollen was not able to be transferred to the female via bees, wind, etc.) So I have been forcing open the female flowers when they are about 1-2 inches long and still green and taking a wilted closed male flower, ripping off the petals and sticking the stamen into the female flower. I have been able to grow 2 zukes to full size and harvest them by doing this. I currently have 1 (below) that is on it's way to becoming mature. None of the female flowers are opening. I have not had this problem with my cukes or squash (they are equipped with male and female flowers and are from the same plant family called cucerbits)

I trellised this zuke plant to see what would happen : )

The green beans are producing well. We have already eaten two harvests this past week.

I planted another row where I had been trying to grow cauliflower unsuccessfully. I tried transplanting the pumpkin plants to a garden below the wall. The female flowers have not been opening on them. I ripped out one and planted gourds and will be taking out the remaining pumpkin plant and planting gourds.

The cabbages are finally forming small heads. I ripped out the broccoli and Brussels sprouts. I will be using this empty area as a nursery to grow my fall crops of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, spinach and cauliflower (maybe more cabbage).

I would really love to see garden updates from you all!

7/10/10 Garden update

As much as I hated this recent heat wave, it was great for my veggie garden.

Organic Fungicide/bactericide/pest control I am using

I use Natria Disease Control on all the plants (I use the big bottle that you attach your hose to). I have found that using it during the heat wave after the sun went down was a great way to not only prevent disease but cool off the plants after they baked in the sun all day. I am no longer watering my plants overhead except when I use this product. When temperatures are normal I use it in the morning so the plants have a chance to dry before they are subjected to direct sunlight which can burn the leaves if they are wet.

I used Natria Disease, pest and mite control which contains sulfur before the heat wave on my tomatoes and a few cabbage and broccoli plants. This product cannot be used when temperatures are going to be 90 degrees and above because it can burn the plants. It also is not recommended to be used on cukes, zukes and squashes because they can be burned. I notice a lot of brown and dying leaves on my tomato plants after using this product on them. I was seeing this before using the product also which prompted me to use it because I was worried it was Late Blight. this spray also changed the color of the cabbages and broccoli I used it on and I have not seen the plants improve much since using it so I'm not really sure I will use it again.

I used Ecosense Fungicide on my cukes, zukes and summer squash which contains copper. I really liked this product and how the plants responded to it. I have read that copper sprays are the most recommended for preventing/treating Early and Late Blight. The two major drawbacks this product are price and availability. It is $10 for one small spray bottle which I have only been able to find at ACE hardware.

Compost

I used my oldest tote of compost as a mulch after I side dressed my plants with composted cow manure. I don't think it was completely finished but I had read that if you put it on top of the soil it will continue to compost without hurting the plants and will help feed the plants and protect the soil from moisture loss.

Other products

I am still using Miracle Gro Shake and Feed. I am using as soon as I no longer see in when I turn over the soil. I am finding that because my soil is very sandy and rocky that I have to water more lightly and frequently because it is draining too quickly and the plants don't have enough time to feed if I only water once a week more deeply. I just started using Epsom Salts sprinkled on the soil around the plants. This is supposed to be done once a month but because of my soil issues I will be doing this more often.

To be truly impressed by these photos you need to look at the last garden update I did. I looked at it before doing this post and couldn't believe how much everything had grown in just a couple of weeks!

Lettuce

Here is the row that is in between my tomato plants. I planted the two in the front a few weeks after the top three to help give my an ample supply. I transplanted the other younger ones to a row in between the cukes and summer squash.

Tomatoes

Cukes

I pulled out the 4 ft. stakes and replaced them with 6 ft. stakes and put up another panel of coated rabbit wire. It's a good thing I did because they are almost half way up already.

More younger lettuce transplants

Summer squash

Zukes

Pumpkins

I'm very tempted to transplant these to the upper lever of my back yard because I just don't care enough about growing them and I've already had one little pumpkin die. I would much rather plant another row of green beans in their place.

Green beans

I think I might put up some kind of support for these because they are starting to bend down and I really don't want them in the dirt. I would love some suggestions.

Cabbages, Brussels sprouts, Broccoli and Cauliflower

Still not expecting too much out of these. I am planning on doing a fall sowing all over again because they really prefer cooler/cold weather. I didn't even bother taking photos of the cauliflower because they are still tiny and not very impressive.

Hope everyone's gardens are thriving. I would love to see some update posts!