-
hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
Plan is going very well so far this summer. Squash vines are about spent, but four replacements are growing vigorously, ready to bloom in a week or two. Tomatoes keep dying, giving up to disease, by the ones and twos, but my stock of replacement plants remains quite healthy and as a plant dies another goes into the ground as a replacement. The replacement plants are taking hold and growing well, to provide for an extended season. Cucumber vines are slowing a bit, but two vines are just about ready to move into production. Will plant another few vines this week. Beans have been producing continuously, with the last batch now coming into bloom. Will plant another batch this week, but am not confident as temperatures remain in the 90's. Second wave of corn is now filling out and should extend the corn harvest to five or six weeks of continuous sweet corn. The corn this year has been simply outstanding. Last planting of arugula is continuing to produce in spite of the heat.
Alex, you are so far ahead of me, I'm a little shy about responding.
It has been about 6 weeks since the last frost. I replaced the bok choy with . . . more bok choy
. The first bok choy was started in the greenhouse and set out. The 2nd bok choy was from seed sown in the garden, thinned and the extra plants moved to that bed. I harvested the first of those plants yesterday.
Lettuce starts have gone out just about weekly for about 2 months. That might continue for another week . . .
More zucchini seed was started and the seedlings transplanted out. I've done this a number of times and begin getting fruit from those late zucchini plants about the 1st of September. Usually, I set those out between the early cabbage but this year I decided to put them in with the kohlrabi.
The kohlrabi are just now coming off so the zukes should be able to make use of that space quickly. In the early cabbage, I've planted cucumbers. I'm not terribly optimistic about this but the cukes that I set out in May don't look so great. They took one 35°F morning a month ago and dang near died! (Some of the melons DID die and had to be replaced.)
None of my sweet corn will be "knee-high by the 4th of July" this year for about the 1st time, I'm sorry to say. Four staggered sowings were made. Too much cool June weather this year . . . If you have had sweltering weather there in the Southeast maybe thinking of this will help: Here in the interior of the Northwest, the 85° we had yesterday was the warmest so far this year . . . 300 miles from the Pacific - maybe we need some taller volcanoes in the Cascades
!
Steve
who had better be careful what he wishes for . .
It has been about 6 weeks since the last frost. I replaced the bok choy with . . . more bok choy
. The first bok choy was started in the greenhouse and set out. The 2nd bok choy was from seed sown in the garden, thinned and the extra plants moved to that bed. I harvested the first of those plants yesterday.Lettuce starts have gone out just about weekly for about 2 months. That might continue for another week . . .
More zucchini seed was started and the seedlings transplanted out. I've done this a number of times and begin getting fruit from those late zucchini plants about the 1st of September. Usually, I set those out between the early cabbage but this year I decided to put them in with the kohlrabi.
The kohlrabi are just now coming off so the zukes should be able to make use of that space quickly. In the early cabbage, I've planted cucumbers. I'm not terribly optimistic about this but the cukes that I set out in May don't look so great. They took one 35°F morning a month ago and dang near died! (Some of the melons DID die and had to be replaced.)
None of my sweet corn will be "knee-high by the 4th of July" this year for about the 1st time, I'm sorry to say. Four staggered sowings were made. Too much cool June weather this year . . . If you have had sweltering weather there in the Southeast maybe thinking of this will help: Here in the interior of the Northwest, the 85° we had yesterday was the warmest so far this year . . . 300 miles from the Pacific - maybe we need some taller volcanoes in the Cascades
!Steve
who had better be careful what he wishes for . .
-
hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
First bed of bush beans has been pulled. Second and third plantings are still flowering and setting pods. Just planted a third planting, they are just now sprouting. Probably will plant two or three more batches. I am also going to plant some climbing green beans on the northeast side of some rows of corn. The beans will give a little nitrogen back to the spot, will run up the corn stalks, and will receive shade from the brutal south west afternoon sun.
I'm still getting a trickle of cucumbers from my first two plantings, but have now made a third planting which has now sprouted. I placed two hills on the east side of a shade cloth barrier, which will help protect them from the late afternoon sun.
Last week I pulled up the last of my early squash plants, but still have a few squash in the fridge. The replacement plants are just now setting fruit and are looking good. I've planted yet another planting which is just sprouting. They are located on the east side of a row of corn, so they as well will be shaded from the afternoon sun.
Tomato plants continue to succumb to various wilt or disease but remaining plants are making lots of tomatoes. My store of replacement plants is still around a dozen, so as a plant dies, a replacement goes in the ground. So far things are looking good for a long season of tomatoes.
I'm still getting a trickle of cucumbers from my first two plantings, but have now made a third planting which has now sprouted. I placed two hills on the east side of a shade cloth barrier, which will help protect them from the late afternoon sun.
Last week I pulled up the last of my early squash plants, but still have a few squash in the fridge. The replacement plants are just now setting fruit and are looking good. I've planted yet another planting which is just sprouting. They are located on the east side of a row of corn, so they as well will be shaded from the afternoon sun.
Tomato plants continue to succumb to various wilt or disease but remaining plants are making lots of tomatoes. My store of replacement plants is still around a dozen, so as a plant dies, a replacement goes in the ground. So far things are looking good for a long season of tomatoes.
-
hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
All of the above and more. I don't toss tomato plants into the compost pile, but kitchen scraps including tomato peels and trimmings do go there. This year that resulted in dozens of volunteer tomato plants. Though they represent pot luck as to the variety, the plants have been a useful source for replacement plants. I also pinch suckers and remove all but the smallest upper leaves, and place them in one gallon nursery pots which are placed in the filtered light beneath my lattice potting bench. Most all take root and never slow down, giving healthy replacement plants for later in the season. Also, just to have some true to name, disease free replacements, I'll usually start a few from seeds in early to mid May with the idea of moving the plants to the garden in late June or early July. None of these methods gives fool proof results, but in combination they generally provide us with more than enough replacement plants to help carry the harvest into late fall.
-
hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
It has been really hot for the past month and a half or longer, except for a couple of days always in the 90's or hotter. That heat, drought, and humidity have been tough on the tender leaved squash and cucumber vines. Most of my cucumbers are planted so that they only get morning sun, so not much trouble there as they also get watered twice per day with automatic watering set up. Still the long vines got tired and production has slowed way down.
As posted earlier, I pulled my April planted squash, after replacement plants were within a few days of production. I've now planted another batch of squash hopefully to carry me through to frost. Here are a few photos. It seems to me that young squash produce much better than old worn out vines, even when the gardener can keep the old ones alive. So I just plan on pulling the old ones whenever they look tired or have other problems that grow worse on older plants.
Replacement plants for my April planted squash. They started producing within about a week of the others being pulled. Have been giving us a steady stream of produce ever since.
These are under shade cloth and really appreciate the relief from the direct hot sun.
[img]https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6127/5958455949_c06cfec010_o.jpg[/img]
This and one other hill are planted in the direct sunlight. The zucchini seem to tolerate the sun better than the tender leaved yellow squash.
[img]https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6121/5959015282_3a20118d68_o.jpg[/img]
I have four hills of even younger plants, planted on the NE side of corn stalks to block the afternoon sun.
[img]https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6134/5958456343_57377a6268_o.jpg[/img]
This is a third planting of cucumber vines. They are under shade cloth beside the squash. I also just planted four hills of cucumber seeds in a morning sun only raised bed location.
[img]https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/5958457587_56896a8370_o.jpg[/img]
This succession of plants has kept us in a constant supply of squash and cucumbers. Without fresh plantings we would be lucky to keep the old vines producing much beyond early July. Pulling the old squash vines allowed me to get rid of the mildew and also eliminate most of the squash bugs. The bugs were very easy to find and kill on the smaller young plants of the new planting. A succession of squash/zucchini plants also helps avoid periods of SVB activity, acting as an insurance policy of sorts. A combination of planting in half day sun or under shade cloth and keeping fresh plants growing works really well for the cucumbers and most any other tender plant when planting in the deep south during July and August.
As posted earlier, I pulled my April planted squash, after replacement plants were within a few days of production. I've now planted another batch of squash hopefully to carry me through to frost. Here are a few photos. It seems to me that young squash produce much better than old worn out vines, even when the gardener can keep the old ones alive. So I just plan on pulling the old ones whenever they look tired or have other problems that grow worse on older plants.
Replacement plants for my April planted squash. They started producing within about a week of the others being pulled. Have been giving us a steady stream of produce ever since.
These are under shade cloth and really appreciate the relief from the direct hot sun.
[img]https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6127/5958455949_c06cfec010_o.jpg[/img]
This and one other hill are planted in the direct sunlight. The zucchini seem to tolerate the sun better than the tender leaved yellow squash.
[img]https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6121/5959015282_3a20118d68_o.jpg[/img]
I have four hills of even younger plants, planted on the NE side of corn stalks to block the afternoon sun.
[img]https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6134/5958456343_57377a6268_o.jpg[/img]
This is a third planting of cucumber vines. They are under shade cloth beside the squash. I also just planted four hills of cucumber seeds in a morning sun only raised bed location.
[img]https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/5958457587_56896a8370_o.jpg[/img]
This succession of plants has kept us in a constant supply of squash and cucumbers. Without fresh plantings we would be lucky to keep the old vines producing much beyond early July. Pulling the old squash vines allowed me to get rid of the mildew and also eliminate most of the squash bugs. The bugs were very easy to find and kill on the smaller young plants of the new planting. A succession of squash/zucchini plants also helps avoid periods of SVB activity, acting as an insurance policy of sorts. A combination of planting in half day sun or under shade cloth and keeping fresh plants growing works really well for the cucumbers and most any other tender plant when planting in the deep south during July and August.
Last edited by hendi_alex on Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
TheWaterbug
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1082
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 5:15 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
My corn should be ready in a few weeks, and I'm wondering what to put in its place. I have 75 stalks in 3 rows of ~25' each, with rows spaced about 3' apart.
If I plant snow peas, soybeans, etc., should I leave the corn stalks for them to climb?
Or should I just rip them out and start fresh?
Or should I plant the peas and beans between the rows now?
Anything else that's symbiotic with corn stalks?
If I plant snow peas, soybeans, etc., should I leave the corn stalks for them to climb?
Or should I just rip them out and start fresh?
Or should I plant the peas and beans between the rows now?
Anything else that's symbiotic with corn stalks?
-
hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
-
TheWaterbug
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1082
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 5:15 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
-
TheWaterbug
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1082
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 5:15 pm
- Location: Los Angeles