Garden Update--Photo heavy

[DoubleDogFarm]

Not much to show, but here is my garden a few days ago.

Copra onions

Belstar broccoli ( little on the purple side- nutritional deficiency)


Broadcast beets with tomatoes down the middle

Red Russian kale

Etna beans

Hooker's blue corn

Ruby's German Green tomatoes

I believe these are Black Krim tomatoes

Scarlet Emperor runner beans and cucumbers east and west.

Summer Squash

Borage


Eric

[stella1751]

Very nice! I thought the onions were garlic at first; they look extremely vigorous, as does everything else. The corn is especially lovely!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Thank you. I still have garlic, as he dangles it like a carrot, if you are interested Stella. Just saying.

How are the pictures on your end? I'm using a borrowed monitor and it's not very good.

Eric

[stella1751]

Thank you. I still have garlic, as he dangles it like a carrot, if you are interested Stella. Just saying.

How are the pictures on your end? I'm using a borrowed monitor and it's not very good.

Eric

The pictures are quite clear, with good detail. There's a bluish tint to the broccoli, kale, and tomatoes, like you took them in a different light.

You are too nice about the garlic, Eric, and I felt like a heel for turning down your generous offer. When I talk myself into a certain variety, I become obsessed. I'll probably find out that the Northern White and Northern Giant hate my soil, hate me, and hate Casper, Wyoming. I will then come weeping to you, begging for another chance at those Music

Seriously, I am too excited about growing hardneck next year. You and I think Gix got me started planting garlic for the first time in fall 2009, when I planted those Albertsons bulbs. I simply had no idea how excited my friends would be to receive organic garlic. The second year with those bulbs was really quite successful. My friends tell me they are the best garlic they have ever tasted.

I feel like I have graduated from grade school, trying a porcelain, and I can't wait to see these scapes you have been posting photos of. When I first saw your photo of the onions, I was leaning into my monitor, looking for the scapes

[lakngulf]

Photos are great, Eric. Plants and produce look good. Amazing how different our growing seasons are. How many varieties of tomatoes do you plant?

[DoubleDogFarm]

Thanks, lakngulf.

Golden Nugget
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Cherokee Purple
Fantastic
Italian Roma
Black Krim
Speckled Roman
Cuore Di Bue
Stupice
Manitoba
San Marzano
Taxi
Celebrity
Siletz

I've been laying on a heavy grass mulch, so most of the tags are buried. As they ripen I hope to figure them out.

I've only eaten 6 Golden Nuggets.

Eric

[Moley]

Borage is taking over my garden, tis OK, everyday when i trim it back some, my hands end up smelling like cucumber, kinda awesome, plus edible blue flowers.

[gumbo2176]

Ditto what Lakngulf said. Different climates, different growing seasons. I can't even think of broccoli or kale just yet and my tomatoes have been removed from the garden for weeks now since they totally played out.

Everything looks great and I can't wait till I can finally get back into the garden to prepare it for my fall planting. It rained here daily for a couple weeks straight and it finally slowed down enough for my ground to start drying out. Once I can dig without clumping my soil, I'll be out there getting the rows and beds ready.

[jal_ut]

Looking good.

[soil]

that borage is beautiful. do you use the borage?

[garden5]

Wow, you photos look like everything is so lush and doing great. I especially like the one of the onions.

I planted like 200 of them in a grid like that this year, but the are starting to die back for harvest now and many of them aren't as large as last year.

Perhaps I planted them too close, or maybe it was because the soil was very sandy? Also, the area they are in isn't very developed (rich in organic matter) so I'm sure that has something to do with it.

[stella1751]

When do people plant onions? Spring or fall? What are the best kind for the north country, with a short growing season? Are they susceptible to wire worms? Occasionally, I see a wire worm.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Stella,

Here's a couple post, take a look. I started my onions late Jan.

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... 437#182437

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... 827#191827

Eric

[stella1751]

Hmm. I took a look, thanks. I don't think I'm ready for onions yet. They look incredibly complicated. I'll keep playing with garlic for now

[DoubleDogFarm]

Stella,

All the years growing onions in Washington, I've had zero pest problems. There is a onion maggot, but I don't think wire worm is a problem.

For us northerners I like Copra for a long storage onion.

Eric

[jal_ut]

Posted: 08 04 11 Post subject:
Hmm. I took a look, thanks. I don't think I'm ready for onions yet. They look incredibly complicated.

Onions complicated? Not so. They are one of the easiest things to grow. They are pest free here. Locally I can get sets or plants in the spring. I plant them in April. Right now my Big daddy onions are weighing 15 to 16 ounces each and still growing. I can recommend Yellow Spanish Onions for your area.
I grew loads of green onions from seed this year. (direct sown)

[DoubleDogFarm]

Those are some big onions James.

Just another bunch of pictures.

Baby Straight Eight Cucumbers.

Black Krim tomato

Hooker's Blue corn, a few ears forming

Scarlet Emperor runner beans flowering

Italian Roma tomato

Speckled Roman tomato

Etna beans, They look promising

Looks like a flush of zucchini, patty pan and crookneck are coming on.


Eric

[jal_ut]

You have some great produce coming on there.
Wish I could get a pepper to do something this season.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Thanks James.

I have pretty much given up on growing peppers. When or if I build hoophouses then maybe I'll be more serious about it.

Eric

[jal_ut]

Usually peppers do well here, but for some reason this year they are not producing. I have one rather puny looking fruit on one plant I noticed the other day, but not much of anything. Even the jalapenos are not putting on fruit. Usually they are loaded. I haven't seen any show up at our farmer's market either, maybe its just going to be later this year because of the cool spring? I can hope for a late first frost I guess.

About beans: I have tried several types over the years, and keep coming back to Jade Bush Beans. They are just hard to beat.

[DoubleDogFarm]

About beans: I have tried several types over the years, and keep coming back to Jade Bush Beans. They are just hard to beat.

James
Jade looks good as a green bean. Etna is a dry storage bean. Do you have any suggestions for this type.

2012, I will be concentrating on larger harvest of potato, squash, dry beans and flour corn. My new Acona ducks should be laying also.


Eric

[jal_ut]

Dry storage beans: I have grown Pinto Beans for storage. That is the only one I have tried with dry beans in mind. Any of the beans will go for dry if left on the vine long enough. I harvested some Jade dry beans last season. Oh, forgot, Scarlet Runners make good dry beans too. Are you letting your Scarlet Runners go for dry?

[garden5]

Great pics, Eric.

Your garden seems to be ticking along nicely.

My onions did not get as large as they did last year. I'm not sure why exactly. I did plant them in an area that was very sandy and was not amended much, so they may not have liked that. Also, I planted then in a grid formation and Perhaps I planted them a little too close. However, I'm inclined to think that the sandy soil played a larger role in it, though.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Dry storage beans: I have grown Pinto Beans for storage. That is the only one I have tried with dry beans in mind. Any of the beans will go for dry if left on the vine long enough. I harvested some Jade dry beans last season. Oh, forgot, Scarlet Runners make good dry beans too. Are you letting your Scarlet Runners go for dry?

James, I believe Etna is a pinto bean, red speckled anyway.

I will be eating some of the Scarlet Emperors as small green beans and let the rest go for dry. I had a soup dish a few weeks ago with runner bean seeds in it. Very good.

Eric