KayJay's Garden, 2016

[applestar]

Last year, I took a cutting from the sweet potato I had growing, rooted it and kept growing in the house like a houseplant. During the cold winter months it didn't do much, but took off in spring so I buried the vine midway in a 2nd pot. So I had TWO plants that I *could have planted* much earlier... But didn't.

I planted them just a couple of days ago along with new slips from this spring, and the overwintered one had peanut sized tubers crowded in the bottom of the tall 4"x4" square container....

I intend to do the same with all three varieties I'm growing this year. (For me, doing this justifies buying slips for unusual varieties -- once you get a variety there's no reason you can't keep it going from year to year). If I can keep up with the project idea (I always have too many) I would have several started plants earlier in the spring to plant under a low poly tunnel/plastic mulled/raised mound bed OR a large tub SIP.

[kayjay]

Oh, that's a neat idea. I bet I could do that in my kitchen window, as long as the plant can tolerate cool temps. If not, at least I know it'll only cost me a dollar or so to go buy another organic sweet potato.

Here's my late July update. It's week 9 since most of the plants went out.

Speaking of sweet potato, here we go - the slips were planted 4 weeks ago.

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The container peppers:

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I got a 5.5-oz green pepper off the bigger 'cute stuff' this morning. They clearly like the bigger container. Note for next year: don't even bother putting them in the ground. The 3 in the ground are barely flowering.

The 'mini orange' bell: I love this little plant and the Nutella bucket I saved from work. This is getting overwintered, for sure!

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Here's everything in the ground against the fence. The cukes were slow this year, and the zucchini didn't produce too well. The yellow plant is still going strong, the green one wasn't as good. They're both sick with powdery mildew and I'm fighting it with H2O2. I need to mulch and weed better next year, but the arthritis in my back was really bad this spring.

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Oh, as you can tell by that brown grass, we have had practically NO rain this summer. It's been one of the driest summers on record.

I was lazy with covering the cabbage, so it's gotten pretty munched up by the $#%@ing cabbage butterflies. It's just heading up now. I think I'll cut off the head and see if it forms a few more little heads.

The pumpkin has the powdery mildew, too, but I have one pumpkin so far and one more female flower opening soon. I can't believe how fast it grew - I only stuck the seed in the ground at the same time I planted the other seedlings, and it's already past the fence and growing sideways through the mulberry tree.

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I think that's about it for now. My "inventory" so far:
- a few cups of lettuce
- no spinach because it bolted, but lots of seeds for fall/next year
- 4 huge outer cabbage leaves that I turned into cabbage rolls
- 2 small cukes
- 3 lbs of zucchini
- 3 green peppers
- a handful of mini tomatoes from the 'Red Robin' plants, which are just about done. I'm pleasantly surprised at how early they were. My other tomatoes are taking their sweet-edited time.

Dollar value so far = $7.81, or $13.94 at organic prices.

**Another note for next year: start more Red Robins in late May to replace the ones that are finishing up.

[kayjay]

A few more pics.

The containers:

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This was supposed to be a shot of the first ripening Rutgers tomatoes, but they don't look pink in the pictures. They are.

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The pumpkin hanging by a pair of nylons, LOL

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The sweet potatoes

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... and everything along the fence.

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I had to severely cut back the zucchini, but they're both still producing. I had two tiny rotten fruits on the green one, but two new ones now that look good. The yellow one has healthy-looking zucchini, too. The powdery mildew is crazy... but the new growth looks good so far.

I only have that one pumpkin. Two female flowers died since. I assume it was the heat and humidity? That happened last year with my butternut squash. The first and last blooms survived. The mid-July/early-August ones... caput.

Can't wait to dig into those Rutgers tomatoes this week!

Because I'm a hopeless hoarder, I found some seeds at the discount store for .50. Early jalapeno, cucumber 'Talladega', and two Burpee tomatoes, 'Supersteak' and 'Tasty Treat.' Never too early to think about next year, amirite?

[applestar]

Looking good! I love the pumpkin in the nylon Be sure to keep checking that the weight of the fruit hasn't made the vine sag to the point that it might be pulled off or kinked.

I can see the color-break in the Rutgers fruit on the left. Not long now.

[kayjay]

Thanks for popping by. I tried to keep the pumpkin vine in its natural position; the way it was before the fruit started growing. It's hanging off a metal rack that would normally have a hanging basket on it, but the basket's hook broke and now it's on the ground, heh.

Here's yesterday's haul:

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The cabbage was barely bigger than a softball, but that's not bad for my first time and the crappy spring we had. Maybe next year will be better.

One of those tomatoes is the mystery tomato - the one I can't figure out if it's a Brandywine or something potato-leafed that came in the Rutgers seed pack.

I've saved 4 batches of Red Robin seeds and I'm doing a germination test on them right now. I goofed not once but twice when soaking them in OxyClean - I forgot about them and they were in there for hours. I further screwed up by forgetting that the mature seeds sink to the bottom, and I should have removed the floaters. Whoops. Oh well, if I participate in a seed exchange, I'll just be generous with the seeds so the recipient can plant lots of seeds to make up for a poor germination %.

[kayjay]

Happy Saturday!

It's now 9 weeks before our average first frost. I don't like thinking about fall. I'll be back at work full-time, and last year, I completely neglected the garden once I was back to work. I think I'll be working the early shift when I go back, so I want to make a rule for myself that I'm not allowed to settle in after work until I've checked up on/watered the garden. Heh heh. Last year, I was 10:30 am - 6:30 pm, so I barely had any warm daylight time to be out there.

I started some more lettuce the other day. I might do some radishes today.

[applestar]

Is it getting cooler where you are? You have to subtract 7-14 days for shorter days in the fall. Radish and Lettuce (endive, arugula, escarole, too), definitely. Maybe spinach and Asian greens, Japanese turnip (do you like turnip?).... Consider building a low or medium hoop tunnel to extend the fall season.

[kayjay]

Yep, the nights are cooler and I'm losing the intense sun at soil level.
---
Everything's doing pretty well. I've got a couple of batches of tomato puree in the freezer, plus quite a few tomatoes to go. Lots of cucumber chips, too. I'm much more impressed with the Chicago Pickling plant this year. Last year, it went horribly bitter in late July (I'm pretty sure) and this year, the cukes are still very good.

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The pumpkin is ripening.

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The peppers are, too.

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