Morning harvest

[dtlove129]

I'm laughing because my wife had to go do something this morning, and she said last night when we were getting jars cleaned that there couldn't be that many cukes out there. Well we have put up 12 quarts so far, and you can see in the picture that she will be surprised that she has at least another 10 quarts to help with when she gets home.

We put up another 11 quarts of green beans last night. This weather is bad, but the garden is still producing.

Also the first eggplants are in. I dug a couple of hills of potatoes because I'm thinking a steak, baked potato, and salad sounds good for dinner after what is going to be a scorcher of me working outside today.

I'm wondering though that when our water bill comes in if I couldn't have afforded to go to a 5 star steak house!?

[Jeremy brua]

Very nice! I cant wait to get a harvest like that.

[jal_ut]

Beautiful harvest. I saw a little zucchini yesterday. I won't have cukes for a while yet.

[dtlove129]

Thanks Jal, that bucket made 20 quarts. So 32 quarts on the year now.

[lakngulf]

Great harvest. I know you will enjoy what you have preserved. Gardening is enjoyment: Anticipation for the plants to grow, pride in what God can do with soil and water, joy in picking the harvest, and winter time enjoyment.

Enjoy

[dtlove129]

Oh already enjoying the pickles. Last year we water bathed our pickles too long and they weren't crisp. This year we have over 20 quarts of sliced pickles so far and around 10 quarts of spears, and everyone of them I have eaten so far has a snap to it. I'm actually impressed with them, and looking forward to another 30 quarts I hope.

Next will be salsa. It turned out well last year, so this year it should be even better. You know it is good when coworkers are asking if we have any salsa yet.

[rainbowgardener]

My harvest today was a small bowl of ripe tomatoes (maybe 8 or so), a bunch more garlic, a bunch of basil, the first two bell peppers of the season, and MY FIRST EVER POTATO! Last year was my first year for trying potatoes, but they just got some kind of blight and died early. This year they are doing much better and have been blooming for awhile. I just couldn't resist digging down a little to see what was going on down there. Sure enough, right away I bumped into a little new potato a little smaller than a golf ball.

I'm not going to harvest more, just leave them til the plants are finished and then dump them all out, so I can see what my yield per container is.

But my garden continues to do well in this fierce heat and drought (heat index 103 right now and only slight chances of isolated thunderstorms in the 10 day forecast) as long as I keep watering and watering and ....

[ReptileAddiction]

Awesome Im jealous of that harvest

[Northernfox]

wow well done.... I am at least 4 - 6 weeks from that kind of haul... some times I dislike living further north

[rainbowgardener]

wow well done.... I am at least 4 - 6 weeks from that kind of haul... some times I dislike living further north

Sometimes I dislike living further north... I get envious all the South Carolina folks who are eating ripe tomatoes about the time I am putting my transplants in the garden. Don't know how you do it.

That's funny, Reptile... I was laughing at myself for being excited about 8 tomatoes, 2 peppers, and 1 potato... I'm a city gardener with 1/3 acre of not very arable land (steep, wooded, etc). The real gardeners with acreage would laugh at me...

The one baby potato was exciting just because I've never grown them before.

[dtlove129]

Anyone that wants cucumbers come by my house. I'm finished with them. We have put up 45 quarts of pickles. We may do another 5 quarts for an even 50, but I don't know what to do with the rest of them that are going to keep coming on.

Rainbow, I too got a couple of bell peppers this past weekend. There are couple of more ready to be picked. My hot peppers are ready, but I'm waiting on my tomatoes to ripen (haven't had one ripe tomato yet) just a ton of green ones.

My potatoes I got out really early this year, and dug up 5 hills of Yukon Golds the other day and got 1/2 a 5 gallon bucket. I look forward to digging the rest soon.

Looks like I'll be putting up corn in the next week or week and half.

Finally my giant pumpkin plant that I was so thrilled about is looking puny. I can't find anything that could have hurt it besides the heat. The vines are really wilty. I watered good last night so we'll see if it recovers. Everything else out there around it is getting the same amount of water and heat and such, and they look fine (smaller pumpkins, spaghetti and butternut squashes)....oh well, you win some and lose some.

[Northernfox]

I'll be right over. It is only 2800km. I can do that in a day

Rainbow gardener I brew beer.... That is how I get through spring seeing everyone's gardens doing well and food coming in.... All the while my plants are huddled under a light.

[rainbowgardener]

I've never grown any pumpkins, much less giant ones. But what I read about the giant ones is that they take huge amounts of water, like over 300 gallons a week per plant... And of course in this weather it will be moreso and with no rain, it all has to come from your hose. Just put a hose there and let it trickle 24/7.... And they need correspondingly high levels of nutrients.

[cubs204]

Anyone that wants cucumbers come by my house. I'm finished with them. We have put up 45 quarts of pickles. We may do another 5 quarts for an even 50, but I don't know what to do with the rest of them that are going to keep coming on.

Rainbow, I too got a couple of bell peppers this past weekend. There are couple of more ready to be picked. My hot peppers are ready, but I'm waiting on my tomatoes to ripen (haven't had one ripe tomato yet) just a ton of green ones.

My potatoes I got out really early this year, and dug up 5 hills of Yukon Golds the other day and got 1/2 a 5 gallon bucket. I look forward to digging the rest soon.

Looks like I'll be putting up corn in the next week or week and half.

Finally my giant pumpkin plant that I was so thrilled about is looking puny. I can't find anything that could have hurt it besides the heat. The vines are really wilty. I watered good last night so we'll see if it recovers. Everything else out there around it is getting the same amount of water and heat and such, and they look fine (smaller pumpkins, spaghetti and butternut squashes)....oh well, you win some and lose some.

Youve definitely got me beat on the pickles. Ive put up 15 quarts and am hoping for a total of about 25-30 when Im done. Im still pulling off a couple of pounds every couple of days. Im also with you on the tomatoes, the darn things have been full size for what seems like weeks now. I did notice that the better bush and better boys have really gotten a lighter green/ slightly yellow tint the last few days so Im hoping for some ripe ones here soon, but my beefsteak varieties look nowhere near turning yet ( theres a couple 1+ pounders on the Mr. Stripey too). I should have the first watermelon here in a week or two and the beans are almost done.

[dtlove129]

Well Rainbow, I guess I'll give up on a giant pumpkin because that sucker isn't getting 300 gallons a week! I don't plan to eat it like I do the other things, so it will just have to be a small rotten pumpkin haha.

I may see if it has perked up any today after the water I did give it, and if it did I may try to give it some more. If it appears I have lost it then so be it.

Peter, if you want more cukes come over. I'm going to guess that I could easily put up 100 quarts this year. I mean I have only picked them 3 times and have 45 quarts and have given some to friends and family, and they don't seem to be slowing down...just like the zucchini.

Does your brandywine have any maters on it? My brandywines are huge. I have actually never seen tomatoes so big.