What are you harvesting? Spring-Summer, 2015

[Peter1142]

Taiji, those look like maybe Red Norlands... I grew them last year. They did not flower and they mature a harvest like that pretty early. I made the mistake of buying them from Home Depot, they were disease ridden plants and a few looked like they had a virus.

My Sugar Snap Peas did not mind the hot Spring at all... though they are finally starting to fizzle out.

[Taiji]

Yes, they are either Red Norlands or Red La Sodas I can't remember which. They seem to do better around here than some others. I got mine from Wal-Mart....worse yet huh? They started out looking great, but as time went on the leaves got millions of little pinholes...Thrips maybe..? When I would go to water, hundreds of them, would fly out, barely visible, almost no see ums! Tried everything, garlic spray, cayenne pepper spray, insecticidal soap, nothing worked. I think they'd even be able to get thru window screen if I were to try that, don't know. I think the pests had something to do with the disease issue. Anyway, that's why I was so surprised to find actual potatoes down there.

I was thinking, with the potatoes maturing that early, was wondering if I took the small ones I harvested, put them in a dark place to start sprouting, and planted them in 2 or 3 wks, if I could actually get a second harvest yet this year? Might try. Right now it's unseasonably hot for mile high elevation, mid to high 90's with no relief in sight.

[Taiji]

BTW nice red ace beets. I had some of those a couple of yrs. ago, they are really great, but couldn't remember the name of them til now!

Yes, Steve, I don't know why I'm thinking those potatoes in the ground will even make it to fall anyway!

[Francis Barnswallow]

Nothing. Just way too hot with way too many bugs. I have a few bell peppers going but that's about it.

[j3707]

So far it's been kale and chard and a bowl of cherries. Looking forward to our first Asian plums in a few weeks.

[digitS']

. . . It is interesting. A lot of you were writing about late frosts in June. I know planting dates are different in different parts of the world, but you are also harvesting in June a lot of things which I cannot grow until October. . .
Since some of you are still getting frosts what zones are still in Spring and what zones in summer? ...

Imafan', there isn't much of the populated US that is likely to experience frost in late June. The USDA hardiness zones don't tell us very much about growing season climate since winter cold is what defines the zones. A number of factors go into growing season climate. Things like latitude and elevation are important.

Let's just consider Taiji at a mile high in central Arizona. Let's say he is in Prescott. You can look at the average and extreme temperatures in Wikipedia for that city. It is south of 35°N.

Let's look at Casper in Wyoming at about the same elevation. Casper is at 43°N. At least there is no record of a frost in Casper in one month out of 12 ( August), 1939-present.

Let's stay in the same state at about the same latitude but go up another 1,000 feet to the Jackson Hole Valley. Jackson has had frosts every month of the year! Severe. In fact, the average low during June is 37°. That means that there are plenty of June mornings with frost, every year.

But, that is Jackson in very high Wyoming. Personally, I like to look at Stanley in Idaho at about the same elevation as Jackson Hole but another degree further north. The average daily low in June is only 33°! But, only about 100 people live in Stanley.

At 48°N, I live at 2,000 feet elevation, not 6,000 feet ... thankfully. I don't know too much about Maine or Minnesota. I just drew a skewed line and examples between my location and Taiji. There are other climate factors than elevation and latitude. Those two are just easy to quantify.

Happy Summer!

Steve

[Taiji]

Hah, looks like my secret is out... I am just north of Prescott, AZ!

The one thing I can add to this discussion is that whenever I travel north, even only to central or northern Utah, where Jal-ut lives, is that I notice the brightness, the healthy look of all the flowers that are in gardens and flower boxes in those towns. I think it has to be the length of the days in summer, so many more hours of daylight. For example, lilacs will grow here, but are much larger, have more blooms further north.

[imafan26]

Thanks for the explanation. There are differences in micro climate here too especially with elevation. It is why lavender will grow on Haleakala on Maui. Since I am nearer the equator, the days only vary by a couple of hours throughout the year so I cannot get giant cabbages or pumpkins or even really big tomatoes. I have a wet season and a dry season. I still sort of have a cool and a hot season.

[j3707]

Harvested more kale and chard and a handful of blueberries!

[MichaelC]

This weekend's bounty, minus what's already been eaten:

Peas are slowing down quite a bit, beans are heating up.

[applestar]

Very nice! I keep checking but my cukes are still only growing male blossoms. Soon, though....

No vampires here

[MichaelC]

Very nice! I keep checking but my cukes are still only growing male blossoms. Soon, though....

That's one reason I grow mostly parthenocarpic cucumbers (they also happen to be my favorites). The bulk are English telegraph and Persians, with a bit of lemon and National pickling. Though my bees seem fairly busy anyway.

I want that garlic, it looks so good!!

[digitS']

I have a garlic harvest for the first time in decades. But, I always have onions!

These are white sweet onions, grown from seed. I started them way back in February before I'd even turned on the heat in there to grow the other garden starts.

For some reason, immature sweet onions aren't common in our supermarkets. And yet, they are great - a special treat for gardeners. I'll soon begin harvesting bunching onions (scallions, non-bulbing) as the sweet onions grow on to maturity.

In another garden bed, my beets didn't quit in all the heat we are experiencing this year. I'm pleased about that since the young beets are about my favorite veggie .

Steve

[applestar]

Berries

image.jpg (69.6 KiB) Viewed 273 times

...handed the basket to DD... By the time I came inside --

[digitS']

These are Red Devil onions. The name isn't appropriate . I'm not sure if they are classified as a "sweet" but they aren't demonic ... Just young and tender for right now. They will begin to develop bulbs, soon.

IMG_20150626_162334.jpg (40.52 KiB) Viewed 273 times

Picked the first 2 cucumbers of the season!

Steve

[applestar]

They look so pretty when cleaned up like that. But they don't last long. I usually freeze my extra green onions.

Some my onions are actually starting to fall over. Some of those are still tiny but I didn't take care of them as much as I should have... Again.

[GardeningCook]

These are Red Devil onions. The name isn't appropriate . I'm not sure if they are classified as a "sweet" but they aren't demonic ... Just young and tender for right now. They will begin to develop bulbs, soon.

IMG_20150626_162334.jpg

Picked the first 2 cucumbers of the season!

Steve

Those onions are to die for!!!!! Unfortunately my husband would be making the sign of the cross at them since he's not a allium fan, but I still love them!!

[imafan26]

Corn. Unfortunately, I did not water enough so there aren't that many ears and they aren't as big as they usually are. But, I take whatever I can get. They are still sweet.

The birds got two more of my beefsteak tomatoes but left me two smaller ones and some sungold cherries. I have a lot of chili peppers now that I have to harvest before the birds do.

[GardeningCook]

I feel like the wallflower of the party here, since all we just enjoyed was the first couple of golf-ball-size tomatoes from our deck "Patio" tomato plant. Halved them, sprinkled them with a little fresh-ground Himalayan Pink salt, & enjoyed the sweetness.

[imafan26]

the "Patio" tomato was one of the first tomatoes I ever planted a long time ago.

[GardeningCook]

I know they don't have as many fans as they used to (heirlooms being all the rage now), but I still find that they have a lot going for them & always grow one or two. They don't need humongous containers, don't need staking/support, are very compact & bushy, & have a nice balanced tomato flavor. And, around here anyway, they're nearly always the first ones to ripen.

(Oh - & I've also found that Patio is quite resistant to the various pests & problems that so easily infiltrate the rest of the tomato gang. )

[lexusnexus]

On the patio we have tons of herbs (sage, several types of basil, tarragon, and flat parsley).

And in the garden so far:

1. Radishes (French breakfast and cherry belle)
2. Swiss chard (bright lights)
3. Beets (Detroit dark red, Burpee golden, and gourmet blend)
4. Scallions (Evergreen bunching)
5. Onions (candy cane)
6. A few grape tomatoes (not growing next year, like sugar cubes with no tomato taste)
7. Zucchini (Burpee hybrid)
8. Yellow squash (early prolific straight neck)

[applestar]

Sounds like a nice mix -- my yellow squash are just getting set -- about 2-3"

6. A few grape tomatoes (not growing next year, like sugar cubes with no tomato taste)

What's the name of this variety? I'm growing a whole bunch of sweet cherry varieties this year to try.

[pepperhead212]

My brassicas and other greens are pretty much gone, but I still have quite a few kohlrabis to harvest. But it's time for the summer things now! Tomatoes are starting to ripen - not just the cherries - and countless full sized but green chiles, and even a few of those ripening, along with some chinense peppers I started VERY early, and are beginning to ripen more than 2 months before usual! And eggplant, okra, and cucumbers are starting to come in big time! No green beans yet - had a delay with those, due to a problem with rabbits.

[Mauldintiger]

My brassicas are all gone as well, except a couple cabbages. Pulled onions first of June and still enjoying them, potatoes came out from under straw in mid June. Pulled one row of green beans and replanted five more rows where the brassicas were. Ordered and will start fall brassicas when these beans are done. Pulled and gave away all my beets, we really don't like them! Getting about 5-6 Marketmore 76 cukes a day and still going strong, fewer plants next year. Now Getting ronde de nice summer squash and the rest are starting to come in. I had to replant all cucurbits because of no germination during a cool wet spring, so they are late. Started getting early girls second week of June, rest of Tomatoes coming in now, mostly heirlooms. Here is my harvest from Sunday, pulled the butternuts in case the pickle worms show up while I'm at Fripp Island with the family.

[lexusnexus]

[quote/]6. What's the name of this variety? I'm growing a whole bunch of sweet cherry varieties this year to try.[/quote]

Hi Applestar,

The variety is simply called "Grape Tomato" from Tomato Growers Supply. They are prolific and very sweet but I was hoping to have more tomato flavor. I don't have a lot of experience with cherry tomatoes so I don't know if that is normal. Most all I've grown in the past have been main crop because of space restrictions. Next year I am planning Sun Gold and Bumblebee Pink for cherries. Maria (my partner) is thinking she might want to grow them (Grape) in a container.

[veggiegardeners]

Have not harvested yet, but I am trying to grow my own durian tree from this guide: http://vegetableparadise.com/2015/06/16 ... rian-tree/

[GardeningCook]

Where are located that you can grow Durian?

[applestar]

6. What's the name of this variety? I'm growing a whole bunch of sweet cherry varieties this year to try.

Hi Applestar,

The variety is simply called "Grape Tomato" from Tomato Growers Supply. They are prolific and very sweet but I was hoping to have more tomato flavor.

Thanks! I'm going to unearth an older Cherry tomato comparison thread as soon as I get the chance. I think I will post to it with this year's cherry variety impressions.

[applestar]

I harvested a small but firm cabbage, a couple of broccoli side shoots, A big bunch of Greek oregano, and a Donkey Ears sweet roasting pepper. -- First red ripe (well almost) one so I'm pretty excited!

Even while I was trying to decide between this one and another head of cabbage, yellow jacket and paper wasps were barreling in to land on the leaves and begin their patrol, so I had to time it perfectly to pry this one away. THEN it's so funny because they NOTICED that one was missing -- a little extra buzz and whirring flight over where the cabbage USED to be....

[skiingjeff]

We're still harvesting side shoots from our Spring broccoli and some kohlrabi and snow peas. I just picked 3 yellow squash today as well.

Love that my broccoli is still producing even with all this heat!

[pepperhead212]

I still have a few kohlrabi out there, but that's about it for brassicas. I am starting to get inundated with cucumbers (over 20 from 3 in 3 days) and eggplants. A lot of cherry tomatoes, too, but only a few varieties of larger ones starting to ripen. And I harvested the earliest and largest tomatillos I have ever grown!

[applestar]

Blueberries are still trickling in from my small patch -- DDs have been enjoying the near-daily snack of fresh ripe berries since end of May -- strawberries, mulberries, cherries, red raspberries, yellow raspberries, blueberries... And now the blackberries are starting -- two yesterday, three today. ...and do you see the FIGS?

...and don't worry that I washed the Adirondak Red potatoes -- we're eating those puppies right away

[lexusnexus]

Those taters look yummy. I just don't have room in my garden for them although I really love them. One thing that really surprised me about NJ was just how much agriculture there is! Maria (my partner) and I have been going to Sea Isle City in late July and I was shocked to see all the produce fields. We normally stop at a vegetable stand on Rt 40 just north of the Delaware Memorial Bridge and pick up produce for the beach and on the way home as well. They have cantaloupe the size of a soccer ball that are so sweet and juicy.

[sweetiepie]

I harvested my first zucchini, basil, cilantro, chives, mustard greens, lettuce, arugula.

[jal_ut]

I had a good cutting of spinach and leaf lettuce. Now getting a few turnips. The peas are on. I need to go pick them.

[imafan26]

Corn and peppers, lots of peppers hot and sweet.

[digitS']

Some of the broccoli recovered from the record heat; it's amazing what a little fertilizer and water can do.

Suddenly, there are lots of zucchini, yellow and green.

A few cucumbers have shown up. A few ripe tomatoes, they amount to a trickle.

And, green beans ..! Little French filet beans that are so tender and surprisingly flavorful.

Steve

[GardeningCook]

The French Filet (aka "Haricot Verts") green beans are my favorite too! So elegant-looking, thin, & tender, but with a full beany flavor.

[applestar]

Triple Crown thornless Blackberries, Walla Walla onions, and Fun Jen asian green seeds ...oh and first couple of Purple Podded Pole beans