Garden Update

[Blueflint]

It's early July now and we were wondering how everyone's garden is doing???

It has been very dry here. We are around 8" shy so far since May1. Recent rains have helped but watering has been needed every couple days otherwise.

We have been picking summer squash (various kinds) for quite some time now and actually are over run with it. We have captured 4 Squash Vine Borer Moths in the last 3 weeks...hopefully before they laid many eggs. Last week We also planted another row of "late" zucchini plants...just in case the early plants fall to the SVB.

Peppers and Tomatoes are doing well, all setting fruit heavily. We picked our first Tomatoes today (Matina). Wisconsin 55 tomatoes will be ready in less than 2 weeks looks like. The Old Ivory Egg and Yellow Pears should be turning any time also as they are full of fruit of proper size. Black Mountain Pink tomatoes are growing good and setting lots, many are tennis ball size now. The Grant County Ky. tomato heirloom is doing good (have 4 plants here plus others at family members homes) and are setting fruit well. These are an un-named potato leaf variety. We look forward to trying these. All others are likewise doing good.

Our bean grow-out this year is good sized...strictly for seed, we have about 120 feet of bean trellises. These are from a short 4' long to an average 12' long trellis, each 6'+ tall. All beans plants are full of pods with the largest (most mature) pods going to Price's Cherokee...a large beautiful purple pod (also has purple stems and a dark cast over the green leaves. Flowers are an unusual intense purple color too). Short season beans will still go in yet this year (maybe a couple...not decided yet).

Garlic harvest overall was good...considering the dry spring. About 40% were very large, some of the biggest we have ever grown with the balance being average to small...all good cooking size though.

The early crop of short season Bear Island Chippewa corn is being picked as husks are yellowing down nicely (first was picked mid June). We planted some Morgan County White Dent corn this year with no germination, a second planting resulted the same. We had a second batch of seed (same source) that was planted late (June 14)and all came up fine. This planting is about 12-14" tall and growing well. This is a late planting for a long season corn as it should have been in by mid May. Corn is day-length sensitive and some varieties will actually accelerate their tassel time to complete their life cycle. We hope this corn will do exactly that. If not, a larger planting will be scheduled for next year.

On another topic...this past winter/spring as we were starting tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in my little greenhouse, we grew a few Mustard Greens and let these go to seed. This was ideal as wild mustards had not thought about growing. Once these flowered, we would lightly pass a finger across the flowers to complete pollination. Pod set was very good and we now have a fresh supply of pure seed to use for many years.

So...how is your garden growing?

Blueflint

[rodger]

Our garden is looking good after the dryest spring on record. Ever since tropical storm Barry came through first week in June we have had plenty of rain almost daily thunder storms. The Garden is right at an acre all grown organically and all Heirlooms. Here are several pictures of the garden this year.
sweet potatoes 6 varieties, peas , Bull Horn Okra and a few Brown Cotton plants in foreground and flanked by tomaotes

Far left a row of beans and limas under cages for seed. Basil cucumbers Dill Late peas and some Black Greasy beans center at end flanked by tomatoes

A few of the 26 varieties of peppers
White Bell pepper

Yellow Cayenne

Anaheim

A few eggplant I have 6 varieties planted
Asian long

Listada d' gandia

Some peas under cover for seed I have 9varieties under netting and 15 varieties total growing in isolation

Inside the netting peas are blooming

Some sweet corn almost ready to break and some Tenn crowders in the foreground with pods

Tomatoes are coming in strong I have 238 plants and 150 varieties.




Melon patch 6 varieties for eating and two isolation patches for seed


Melon covered to allow bees to pollinate an Isolation patch

Some beans in cages. I have 12 varieties of common beans and 9 limas all grown in isolation.

Childers cutshort



Black seeded greasy

Black greasy


Black cornfield

Georgia house Lima

Tenn cutshort
Willow leaf Lima

SC red seeded Stick bean

White hull pink tip


Ruth Bible

Red striped greasy

Butter peas

Me and the wife having fun with some red stripe yellow hominy corn in background well over 12ft high.

The evolution of the garden
Mid April note poles for limas

Tomatoes in April

Limas in May

and now
Lynches Butter Bean and buckwheat on left

[bluelacedredhead]

Blueflint, How do you trap for Squash Vine Borer moth?
I've heard others say that their garlic is large this year. Mine is just starting to die back. I'll know soon how mine did.
Even though you've had a dry season so far, it sounds as if you are having a successful garden regardless. May it continue to do well for you.

Rodger, the pics are wonderful. I looked them over last night and again and again this morning. I'm sure I'll have questions later. Thanks so much for posting them.

[bunkie]

those pics are wonderful rodger! i especially like the one of you and ma!!!)

blue, our garlic is really big this year also...almost ready to harvest...we had more rain than usual that usually accounts for the size.

[flowerpower]

Rodger, awesome pics! What a great garden!

[Blueflint]

Rodger, the pics are great! We look forward to seeing you and Karen again this fall at the AHSC Conference. Your red stripe yellow hominy corn looks like it is doing great. Did you plant your white dent this year also?

As far as "trapping" the SVB, I was lucky enough to see them and catch them with my hands. I snatched another one last night so now I have managed to eliminate 5 moths (saw another but it got away). I pass thru the garden at least twice a day, once in the morning before work, then once right after work. Most nights about 7:30 I then go out and do some work. Usually I see the SVB moths just sitting on a leaf late at night or very early in the morning. They can be fairly fast but can be grabbed up.

I am real happy with my garlic this year and have the best heads set aside for planting this fall.

This year we didn't plant any winter squash or melons of any type, we just didn't have the room. But next year...

Blueflint

[bluelacedredhead]

The time of capture works for me! I'll have to keep an eye out when I'm out before chores at night. Thanks Blueflint!

[rodger]

I didn't plant the white dent this year, I do have a secound planting of an orange seeded dent called stubs orange. The yellow dent with red stipping is Hickory cane. I bought the seed for both corns from Sandhill Preservation Center. We ground our own corn into flour and grits and I also do a vegetable display at the state fair each Oct. So I like to use some of the whole dried ears in the display and I liked the description for the red stripped and orange dent corns so I thought I would try them this year. I will be setting out my winter squash and pumpkins this week. I started the plants two weeks ago in peat pots and they are ready to transplant. Hopefully with my sons wedding over I can get them planted. They are going in two different patches that I have planted in Buck wheat. I will till a 5ft wide row down the center and set out the plants and let them sprawl into the buckwheat. Buckwheat attracks lots of good benificial insects including some wasps that eat squash bugs. I tried this last year in one area and had good results so I am doing it again this year. I am glad we don't have any problems with the SVB only cucmber beetles and squash bugs which have been very low this year. I am attributing this do to more benificials and habit such as the buckwheat. Rodger

[Blueflint]

Rodger,

On your Georgia House Lima, the bloom stem is quite long as you mentioned in another post. The only bean I have grown with that long of a bloom stem in a Runner Bean I got from North Carolina. This is a multi colored bean that has been grown by the Cherokee for many generations. In the past I have not had much luck growing this bean but this year it is doing OK for me. Beans are setting but at a rate of one pod per 6 to 8 flowers. Hummingbirds are coming most mornings to these which I think has helped with pollination. This year I planted these in a semi shaded area, most of the shade until late morning and then again in the late evening. I am trying to keep the plant and it's roots cooler this year to see how it responded. So far it is doing better then in the past.

On a similar note, I saw a multi colored large Lima type bean a few years ago that also has been grown by the Cherokee but was unable to get a sample nor have I found it since. Anyone have a clue on where to obtain these?

Blueflint

[rodger]

I can't wait for this Lima to ripen. The lynch's Lima I have is also a large seeded Multi colored Lima, but does not have the growth habit of this lima, mainly the long bloom stem that extends out from the plant showing the beans. This could be bad, since it makes the seed more readily available to predators such as deer. But should make for easy picking. The history behind this Lima is , I recieved the seed this past spring at the Southern Legacy SeedS 10th annual seed swap in Crawford Ga. A lady and her husband came to the swap after seeing an article in the Atlanta paper advertizing it. Her and her husband had recently purchased some property that was a homeplace. The house and several out buildings were still standing. This was not some plantation or large farm house but a very small wooden house that was fallen down. Befor the house and buildings were torn down to clear way for their new home they removed any old treasures to keep. On the back screened porch on a shelf was a paper bag in a jar that contained a large handful of multicolored Lima bean seeds. The Couple new nothing about limas or even if they were limas but thought to keep the seed. When they saw the article about the seed swap they came to give the seed to someone who could possibly want them. John Coykendal and Myself accepted the seed and we both are growing them out. Some seed was also given to Southern Legacy Seeds. If you remember John is the Butter Bean man who spoke at our conference last year,and he has a very extensive collection of Limas. I have been aquainted with John for a few years now and have recieved a lot of intersting varieties from him.. I have not spoken with him to see how his grow out is doing , he does not have a computer or access to one. I may call him this week but he stated he was planning to attend this years conference. So there is really nothing known about this Lima other than it came from NE Ga. Rodger

[Blueflint]

Another update on the garden...

O.K., we are over run with summer squash...so I took a bunch to work and it was a big hit, what an easy outlet. Today I picked another 20, rats...too many still here in the kitchen. I did notice the first signs of powdery mildew yesterday...hummm, seems a little early this year. I'm not sure what I'll do, I may trim leaves and let it go it's course or I may spray with Daconil. We use very, very little in the ways of chemicals. I'm not totally against their use but I am for responsible use. I have been removing egg masses from Squash Bugs on a daily basis. I know I killed over a dozen of the stinkers today, several were coupled up mating...easy targets. I managed to kill another SVB moth too and found another Horn Worm on the tomatoes. We had Horn Worms hit hard about 10 days or so ago. It's funny how some blocks of tomatoe plants got none while others were infested. I don't spray for these, just search them out and remove them for disposal.

I have been picking Matina Tomatoes for a while and they are really starting to come in. Today I picked several Wisconsin 55 and the first of the un-names Grant County potato leaf heirloom. This guy ripened to a nice shade of dark pink, nice shape being 4" or a little over in diameter and about 3" tall, very meaty beefsteak type. We sampled it tonight and overall flavor was good. It had both a tang and sweetness to it but with an under tone of a slight sour. It will make a good burger slicer. I look forward to trying more of these to see if later ones have the same under tone sour to them. Overall a good tomatoe but it's not as good as our Black Mountain Pinks...at least for us. I noticed the Yellow Pears and Old Ivory Eggs are starting to turn color...both are very, very heavily loaded with fruit. I am still waiting on the other to turn.

I picked green beans for dinner a week ago....fresh beans and ham. Mmmmmm Today I picked a bunch of Price's Cherokee Beans that are drying down already and the balance should be dry enough to pick in the next week. After that, I will cut the vines back some and with the rains lately, I hope they start over again. Runner Beans are looking great, the best ever. Beautiful full plants, lots of bloom stems and a decent pod set.

I put in a late crop of Morgan County White Dent Corn and it is looking good with an average height of 32" or so. All of the Chippewa Corn has been picked, even the late tiller ears and are drying down in the greenhouse.

Pic of Seneca Sunflower


Pic of experimental green scallop


Pic from 2006, bagged Arikara Sunflower head.



Blueflint