Re: pepperhead212's 2020 garden

[pepperhead212]

Normally, the only thing I would be harvesting at this time of year would be my indoor plants - the herbs, in pots, and the hydroponics. However, it was so warm here today (68°) that I took the cover off of my raised bed - I was going to leave it off a couple of days, but it is supposed to get very windy tomorrow, so I put it back. I harvested more than usual, since I usually just lift one section, and snip a few things, and put it back. As usual, those things with the huge leaves are senposai and komatsuna, and I've gotten a lot from those this season - they just grow back! Those light green cored greens (not sure what they are, as they are not tatsoi, the seeds they were supposed to be) are just starting to get some small flower heads, the only ones, so far; I pinched them off, and cut a bunch of lower leaves off. I'll see if they keep growing. And I tried something new with the scallions - instead of pulling them out of the ground, then cutting an inch or so off with the roots, then re-planting it, I just cut them off just below the soil line. I figured that this would save time, as the roots are still intact, and it's basically the same thing I re-plant, which does grow again! All of the scallions out there are from replanted cut-offs.

The kohlrabi was the only thing that didn't grow well. Unfortunately, I was out of my favorite varieties - Kolibri and Grand Duke, which I have now gotten for next season. These were Winner and Korist - two new ones I tried this year, which didn't do as well in the spring, either.
End view of the covered greens 1-10-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Covered greens and scallions 1-10-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Shogoin radish, greens, and scallions - 1-10-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[TomatoNut95]

Looking good, @pepperhead!
I could never grow Kohlrabi.

[greenstubbs]

I think it's a little cold for Kohlis.

[pepperhead212]

I think it's a little cold for Kohlis.

Yeah, but it has been incredibly warm in there, and it's gotten well into the 70s many of the days, due to the sun, and really not very cold, even at night. Seems they should have grown better, given the growth of all those other brassicas.

[imafan26]

I harvest green onions the same way. I don't use that much of the stalk so I cut them 2 inches above the soil line. The onions will start to grow back within days. I keep my green onions in pots since they adapt to pots well and I like to keep the main garden space open for short term crops or things I need to plant in blocks. Large plants, herbs and plants that live more than a year, I prefer to keep in containers. I think I have about 8 containers of green onions now. Some are replacements that are young and the leaves are not fat. Younger onions are better for garnish and saimin. Older fatter onions are better for hekka and cooking.

[pepperhead212]

I got a bunch done today, despite the heat...it must not have been very humid, since the first hot day like this (got to 87°, plus intense sun) usually stops me in my tracks, until I get used to the heat! Before I knew it, it was late afternoon, and getting cooler (though it's still 83° out there!). I would have done more, but it's going to be dark soon, and I'll have a better day tomorrow.

I got 7 of my eggplants planted - 5 in SIPs, and 2 in that new raised bed. I still have 2 to plant - seedlings that were the slowest, but are growing quickly, now!
Ichiban eggplant 5-15. The one on the left grew considerably in the few days that I hardened them off. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Neon eggplant, from saved seeds 5-15 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Rosita and Rosa Bianca in SIP 5-15 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Rosita and Rosa Bianca, in the new raised bed. 5-15 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here are the two eggplants that will be planted in a couple of days - the Hari green one, and the Neon, from old seeds.
Hari and Neon eggplant seedlings 5-15 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I got most of my cucurbits planted today, though the two bitter gourds have still not germinated, despite having them in a seed sprouter! They are always the slowest, I guess because of the very thick seed shell. 3 of the 4 butternuts got planted, 4 of the 4 cucumbers, 1 each of the two bottle gourds (I'm planning on planting more a month from now), and both of the 2 Tinda gourds (a new one for me). All of these are in SIPs, except the butternuts, which are in a row with a new variety of moschata squash that I got from Baker Creek - Yuxi.....Gua (I forget the other two parts of the name!), which supposedly can be harvested immature, and used as summer squash, which is why I had to try it! It didn't germinate well, the first time, but it said the packed was overpacked, because of low germination! Second try, I put some in my sprouter, with the bitter gourds, and got 2 sprouts in less than 2 days, and they are on the way!
Cucurbits - butternuts at top, then cucumbers, bottle gourds in the middle, and Tinda gourds the smallest on the bottom. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Garlic is doing well, and I hope that we don't get the rain we did last year, in the month before harvest.
Garlic, and on the right 3 just planted butternut seedlings. 5-15-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And asparagus are coming up, though I haven't harvested, since I knew I wouldn't have much the first year, and I've read that it's best to leave them be, the first year or so.
Largest asparagus, so far. 5-15 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[imafan26]

Looks nice. I usually only put one eggplant in a pot because they get so big and they live a long time.

[pepperhead212]

I got a lot done yesterday - I heard that today was going to be an on and off washout, so I tried to do everything then. I planted my last two eggplants - Hari, and the Neon, from the old seeds, which were the slowest.
Hari and Neon (from old seeds) eggplants, last ones to go in, 5-21. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also started planting the peppers, but only the stronger ones, that I had re-potted, and had hardened off longer - I think that I only got 9 planted, but the rest are out of the seedling room; in fact, everything is now, and the lights are out! I also got the last of the squash planted, and the okra.
Emerald okra, planted 5-21 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

One of the EBs of Little Lucy okra, planted 5-21 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also uncovered the greens in the raised bed, and harvested some of the kale and senposai, to make dinner with. The kohlrabi will be next. I'm surprised that the napa has shown no signs of bolting under the cover, as those outside bolted when small.
Rex Dragon Napa, and some large scallions, 5-21 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Bolted purple napa, 5-17. That under the cover is MUCH larger, and not bolting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A good sized komatsuna, some kohlrabi, and some small leeks, 5-21 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Red Bor Kale, 5-21 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And I started getting my basil clones planted in my Jr EBs - the first of the Seratta and Geco Fure. Still one more of each, and a couple of Thai Basils:
My first basil clones, 5-21-20. Had to wait a little long to plant them, due to the cold. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[TomatoNut95]

Wow! Looks great!

[pepperhead212]

Well, it is no longer dry out there! This is the third evening in a row of storms, this one much slower, so it may result in a lot more rain. It's raining now, so I'm in for the night!

I went out earlier, and buzzed the blossoms on my tomatoes, and found my first tomato, and it wasn't even a cherry! A lot are set, but just not a tomato visible yet on them.
First tomato set, 6-5 Prime Rib. I have not even seen seen any cherrys yet. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A couple of Ichiban eggplant blossoms have set, too, and one is just starting to show. I buzzed 3 more open ones today - I can see a puff of pollen when I buzz those, so they definitely get pollinated!

The gourds were some of the things I was having trouble with this season. Something ate two of the seedlings, shortly after planting, so I had to restart them, and the bitter melons were not germinating, though they are always the slowest. The tinda gourds - a new one to me - just didn't grow after transplant, so I direct planted some. Every one germinated the first time, so that shouldn't be a problem. The bottle gourds (the ones that were eaten) have already germinated in the SIPs, and hopefully, that was a freak occurrence.

Finally, one variety of my okra is lagging behind, while the other is going crazy! This makes no sense, as all 3 EBs the okra is in was treated the same way, replacing about 1/4 of the mix with the identical mix, with some of that organic mix added. The Emerald is the one that is wilting when it gets really hot (and I pulled one that was really bad, and direct seeded some, which have come up already), but when the sun goes down, and early, before the sun gets to that side, they look fine, but much smaller than the Little Lucy plants, in the other two EBs. I'm thinking of starting 6 more Little Lucys, and if these don't soon get better, replace them!
Emerald okra, still not looking good. 6-5 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Little Lucy okra, 6-5, going crazy! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

No peppers yet, of course, but some of those under cover are getting surprisingly large, in a short time.

[TomatoNut95]

I have an okra question. What is the most compact/bush variety of okra do you know of?

[Gary350]

I have an okra question. What is the most compact/bush variety of okra do you know of?

I never saw bush okra. The stuff I grow gets 7 ft tall. They can be planted 8" apart. Plants loves hot blistering 100 degree sun all day. The hotter and dryer it gets the better it grows. Once it starts making pods 10 plants will make more than you can eat.

[pepperhead212]

I have an okra question. What is the most compact/bush variety of okra do you know of?

Two I can think of that didn't get tall - maybe 3-4 ft - were Evertenter and Jade. However, they also weren't very productive at all, since they didn't branch, and I never grew them again. Others I've also had stay small like that, and just stop growing - like determinate tomatoes.

I took a photo this morning showing that Emerald okra - it looks fine, if you didn't know how much better the Little Lucy is doing, planted at the same time, and how it looks in the afternoon, in the heat. Hopefully, it will eventually get its strength.
The Emerald okra, looking fine in the morning, before the sun and heat hit it. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[Gary350]

I grow Clemson Okra it does not branch it grows straight up like a pole with leaves. Every place there is a leaf an okra pod will grow. Plants start out growing slow it takes a whole month for plants to get 1 ft tall, another month to get 3 ft tall, then the 3nd month plants get 6 ft tall. Plants make okra slow at first 1 pod ever week, then 2 pods, then 4 pod, then 6 pods, then 10 pods, then 20 pods every week. 10 plants x 20 pods = 200 pods per week. Okra is a crazy plant it grows very well in terrible soil with no rains for months in 100 degree hot sun. It does not do well in clay soil hard as cement but it will grow it stays small 3 ft tall. I have done experiments water & fertilize 1/2 of a 20 ft row and see no improvement. If you save seeds each pod makes 75 to 80 seeds let 1 or 2 pods dry on the plant. 1 year I saved 6 lbs of seeds from a 25 ft row we tried to eat seeds like beans in soup but seeds are crunchy like eating tiny egg shells, not soft like beans. Nothing wrong with eating crunchy seeds in soup they taste ok nothing to brag about you won't starve to death in the next virus pandemic if you have lots of okra seeds to eat.

[TomatoNut95]

I have two kinds of okra, Clemon Spineless and Gold Coast. C.S says 3-4 foot, G.C. says 5'. I didn't get to plant any this spring, ran out of room with all the peas, tomatoes, peppers, squash, Basil, potatoes, and onions. Okra can be grown for the fall, right? I may not even get to grow it then, I'm already trying to figure out everything I want to do for then: more zucchini, peas or beans, maybe another tomato or two.....then later, broccoli, cabbage, sweet peas...okra may get pushed off again. if I force room, I may just do like 5 or 6 plants. I didn't even do the foot-long beans I wanted to try this spring, the place I wanted to plant them in got covered in squash.

[pepperhead212]

Be sure to pick Gold Coast @3" or less. It's one of the many that has gotten fibrous on me at much over that. And warning: it gets tall! I had mine planted next to the front porch two seasons ago, and eventually it got to where I couldn't reach it from there - about 2 1/2 ft above the ground, so about 1 3/4 ft above the EB. So I would bend them over, but eventually I still couldn't pick them, so I cut off the top. Unfortunately, it never branched out, which is the problem I've had before with okra - they just stop growing, and no side shoots, when trimmed.

[Gary350]

I have two kinds of okra, Clemon Spineless and Gold Coast. C.S says 3-4 foot, G.C. says 5'. I didn't get to plant any this spring, ran out of room with all the peas, tomatoes, peppers, squash, Basil, potatoes, and onions. Okra can be grown for the fall, right? I may not even get to grow it then, I'm already trying to figure out everything I want to do for then: more zucchini, peas or beans, maybe another tomato or two.....then later, broccoli, cabbage, sweet peas...okra may get pushed off again. if I force room, I may just do like 5 or 6 plants. I didn't even do the foot-long beans I wanted to try this spring, the place I wanted to plant them in got covered in squash.

Soon as you harvest a crop of something and plants are gone you will have space to plant Clemon okra. If you plant in July or August in 100 degree you will need to water every day to germinate seeds & water every day until roots can take over with no help. I have planted okra in TN in Aug when we lived at the other house with a small garden, no frost here until Nov 7 plants had 4 months to grow.

[TomatoNut95]

In that case, if I do actually find room for okra this fall, I think I'll do Clemson. Maybe just a few plants. But sounds like I better not place it it my old/first raised bed; the okra roots would hit the concrete clay almost right away, so Ill preferably plant in one of my new, taller sandy beds. Wish I had more planting space, but when you've got concrete trash for dirt, space is highly limited. Most of what I grow are tomatoes and peppers, so anything else I'd like to grow gets pushed aside. But this fall I need to cut back on tomatoes to make room for other stuff. I have two new new kinds I wanted to try this fall: Marglobe and Giant Pink Belgium.

[pepperhead212]

I got a lot more done today, since I wanted to finish a bunch, before the heat that's coming, in the next several days. I mowed the lawn, and I uncovered my raised bed for the last time, and harvested some kohlrabi, that had gotten very large. Still 3 of the smallest ones left (though still large, for kohlrabi).
Kolibri kohlrabi, 29.1, 28.3, 28.1, and 27.7 oz. 6-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

My first Ichiban eggplant is forming, after I buzzed that blossom a while ago:
The first Ichiban forming! 6-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I pulled out a number of things that have bolted, but I got a generous number of harvests from (cut and come again!), like leaf lettuce, bok choy, and mizuna. A few days ago, I pulled those purple napas, that had just barely started to flower, and I had to make something with all of that at once, and still have some of that salad in the fridge. The senposai and komatsuna are just starting to bolt, so I have to use all that soon!
Senposai, just starting to bolt, 6-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Komatsuna, just starting to bolt. Leeks on the bottom, and scallions in the middle. 6-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The kale shows no hint of bolting, and this is one I've gotten a number of harvests from, with a good kale flavor. I'll definitely grow this again.
Red Bor Kale, with mo hint of bolting yet. 6-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The leeks are still small, but some of the scallions I'm growing are forming onions. I've tried to harvest them as soon as I'd see a seed head statting on them, or the largest ones, every time I'd pull the cover up, to harvest.
Some onions, originally planted as scallions, but larger now. 6-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I took a couple photos of my herbs on deck, which I took out a couple of weeks ago. They definitely like the sun!
The curry tree, showing the areas of new growth, 6-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

All those areas of new growth on the bay laurel, 6-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And today, the Emerald okra finally went a day without wilting, despite intense sunlight! There was no overcast at all, and they said the UV index was 10, and were warning people about going out without sunscreen, so this was a very good sign. Maybe the Surround, that I applied a couple of nights before, was a sunscreen for them!

[pepperhead212]

I didn't do much again today - the weather has been nice, so I did as much as I could the last several days, and sort of ran out of things to do! Nice to have weather like this, as soon, it will be summer, and it will seem like it out there, according to the forecast. Still no tomatoes ripening yet, but a lot of varieties have fruits set already. Last year, by this time, the plants were already getting fungal diseases, due to the excessive rainfall, but I've been lucky this season, KOW. One of the few things I did today was train many of the tomatoes along the trellises, and I had to use that plastic tape for all those that were getting far away from the trellis, but couldn't be eased over to it, just directed to it. In a few days they will hopefully be through the holes. I had to do this with a lot of the stems from the largest tomatillo, which is just starting to set fruit!

That Little Lucy okra is growing great, and today I saw the second flower - an okra is forming on the first one, and is about 1½" long - really early, for okra! Emerald has recovered well, and I snipped the smaller of the two direct seeded ones, in the spot where one had died, and it will be interesting to see how it catches up with those ones that were delayed. I also saw the first peppers, this time on Jyoti, not Superchili, as usually happens. I haven't picked that first Ichiban, but it is almost ready.
Second okra flower of the season, 6-18-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

First peppers of 2020 - Jyoti, 6-18 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I went out briefly this morning, to plant some of those sprouted beans I had, but that sun was intense, so I didn't stay in it long! I probably wouldn't have gone out much more, but later I had a bad storm, with some several cells converging right over me! Only 1.37", but there was some damage to a few tomato plants, and one EB of okra was over on their sides, yet the ones in the other containers are barely over at all! I put stakes in the ones over, to put them back up, and no harm done.
Okra blown over slightly, by storm. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And this one has okra on it!
The okra plant, staked back up again, with okra starting to show up! 6-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I actually went outside and did what I could later today, because the power went out around 5:40, and came back around 7:15. So I did what I could, handling as little as possible, and removing a few tomato branches broken at the base, and the ones bent away from the trellises, I carefully used the plastic tape to pull the branch back to the trellis. The ones that are pulled away, but not too bad - I'll wait until it's dry, as I don't want to be spreading diseases.

I also sprayed the okra and eggplants with the Surround and potassium bicarbonate again - most of it washed off the plants, of course, at least the top parts, and I wanted to get them coated again, and it gave me something to do before the AC came back on! I sprayed everything else but the tomatoes - many had new growth since last weekend, so there was nothing to wash off. And except for with heavy rain, like today, it stays on well.

While the power was still out, I decided to do what I could outside, and I uncovered one of my pepper containers - the one with the Pepperdew, and 3 of the Aji peppers in it, which are growing nearly to the top - and snipped off the tops of all those (some of those you can see in the pot!). This should make them branch out down below. They all have generous flower buds, but only a few flowers, and no peppers yet, but it's early.
One of the pepper covered EBs uncovered, 6-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I didn't harvest anything today, but two cukes are getting close, and a number of eggplants are close to harvest time (more Ichibans).
One of first two cukes, 6-23, a Wisconsin 58, new to me this year. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Second of first two cukes, a County Fair, 6-23 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And that one bottle gourd plant has at least 5 vines on it! The second plant in this SIP is only a few weeks old, and just getting started.
Bottle gourd, almost all one plant, with the smallest one started a few weeks ago, 3 leaves behind. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The bitter melons were the slowest gourds to germinate (as usual), and I had given up on a few seeds, and re-planted, and some of the early ones germinated! I'm really not in need of more, but I don't want to lose these seedlings, so I dug them up, and planted them in one of my raised beds! I figure I can always trade them at the Indian place - that guy likes getting things from my garden! And I want to save seeds from at least one variety.

Still no tomatoes, as even the cherries are dragging their feet ripening. Growing great, and, KOW, unlike last season, no sign of any fungal disease - by this time last season, most had come down with something, due to the non-stop rain. Here's one row, which in I just trained a bunch through the trellis.
One of my rows of toms, after training the vines into the trellis, 6-24 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[Gary350]

pepperhead212, how do you cook & eat bitter melons? Oriental people use to sell bitter melons at farmers market but I don't see them for sale anymore. I would buy 1 if I knew how to eat it. The oriental people not speak good enough English to learn how they eat them.

[pepperhead212]

Gary, I usually use bitter melons as one of the flavor components of some of the Asian dishes I make. That's how they are usually used in Chinese and SE Asian dishes, while there are many Indian dishes where they are cooked almost by themselves, and served as a side dish. I have also made chutneys, and once I pickled some diced bitter melons, which turned out really good. I made a raita with it once, but wasn't too impressed with it.

Usually, bitter melons are peeled, and de-seeded, and diced, or cut into half-moons, and often cooked in salted water, before being cooked briefly to serve as a side, or being added to a soup or curry. This gets some of the bitterness out, but I rarely do this, since I don't serve them on their own. I've also seen recipes that the Indians have for using the peels - the most bitter parts! I don't do those - they go into the compost. lol

The varieties with more protrusions, and darker skins, are the Indian varieties, and the slightly smoother, lighter skinned ones, are Chinese and SE Asian varieties. They all turn orange ripe, at which point they are too bitter to eat. Though I have never done it, the greens are something that is also eaten.

[pepperhead212]

No tomatoes ripe here yet, but I'm starting to get a bunch of cucumbers and eggplants, and today the okra started producing. Those Wisconsin 58 cucumbers are doing very well. They are a pickling variety, which was new to me, and I picked 3, so far, when they seemed to stop, at about 6", or a little longer, and the seeds were just barely forming:
First Wisconsin 58, on 6-25. 6 inches long, not at all bitter. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The Ichiban eggplants are covered with eggplants, as well as flowers. The other varieties are behind, but the hari has some fruits forming, and flowers all over it!
Two more Ichiban harvested on 6-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The Indian green Hari eggplants, starting to form. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

No flowers on the bottle gourds yet, but one variety is above the top of the trellis, with 2 more vines starting. The ones behind didn't grow straight up, but one plant has 6 vines, so far!
One of the bottle gourd vines, past the top of the trellis, 6-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And that curry tree is going crazy! I attached that Rooter-pot to the highest stem, to air-layer it, just before putting it outside, and now you can't even see it - it has grown up and around it! And it's just starting to flower - something I leave on for the bees, as that sickeningly sweet smell attracts them.
Curry tree 6-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Cluster of flower buds on curry tree, starting to open up, 6-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

First okra harvest, Little Lucy.
First okra harvest, 6-27, the light colored one left on a little long. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[TomatoNut95]

I can't wait for my squash to get finished so I can get my okra going. I've gotten so much zucchini that I'm giving it away now.

[pepperhead212]

I just got 5 more LL okra this morning, and saw the first open blossom on an Emerald! And I got my first ripe Cherry Bomb, and a number more Sunsugars, but no more larger ones.

I just saw my first Rosa Bianca formed today, which surprised me, as the only other time I grew them they were much later. There are quite a few more, too.
First Rosa Bianca forming, 7-02 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

As usual, more Ichiban early, and it's usually later July before the heat stops them!
More Ichibans, with many more to come! 7-02 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Those bottle gourds are like squash plants on steroids! I'm just starting to see flower buds, but none open yet. The Tinda gourds are smaller, and really didn't take off growing until it got hot, for a number of days, yet they already have flowers!
Bottle gourds, 7-02 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Longest vine from the bottle gourd, about 9 feet long, so far, growing over the tomato plants. 7-02 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

It's tomato time! I always consider myself lucky to get anything ripe before 7-4, besides cherries. Once they start, it's hard to keep up with them!

In this photo, there are a few Cherry Bombs with the Sunsugars, but they aren't as large asthe ones last year. Matina was the first red one; not really large, but not a cherry! I wouldn't have picked those 3 super light ones, but they were sort of stuck around the red ones, and fell off - they'll ripen, since they're blushing. And the smallest black Prime Rib had some BER, since it was sort of growing against a wire (I try to prevent this, but it's hard to see all of them!).
It's starting! The Sunsugar and Cherry Bomb are getting a few more, the first Matina ripening, and the first black Prime Ribs. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I think this is day 67, from the transplant date, so this is about right, given the delay from the cold snap.

[TomatoNut95]

What does a Black Prime Rib look like, your Flickr pics don't show up. And what does it taste like and is it an heirloom?

[pepperhead212]

I don't know why the flickr photos don't show up, unless it's blocked on your system.

Too early to know what they taste like, as they still have to ripen a little more, and this is my first year. They are actually the first of all of my tomatoes to flower, including cherries! I got it from a lady in FL, as she is always looking for heat resistant varieties, and this seems to be one. Here's the source - though they are sold out, the description is there.
https://heritageseedmarket.com/index.ph ... prime-rib/

[TomatoNut95]

When I tap on your Flickr links it takes me to the Flickr website.

Ooh, nice tomatoes, let me know how they are! It's typical that they'd be out of stock. People have grabbed up all the veggie seed.

[pepperhead212]

TomatoNut - You must be on a phone - it is doing that to me sometimes when on my phone, but the PC and tablet both show the photos. Yet on this thread, they show. Who knows with these things!

[TomatoNut95]

No, I'm on my tablet. I only use my phone to get on the forum if I need to upload photos. I can't upload photos from my tablet onto the forum.

[pepperhead212]

I hope that it doesn't make the tomatoes and eggplant drop their blossoms, but it is getting in the 90s every day now for the foreseeable future, after the last 5 days. This usually happens in late July here, not early. However, the okra, hot peppers, and all those Indian cucurbits I have out there are going crazy! I just saw the first tiny squash on one of those Tindas, and harvested another half dozen okras - still early for them. The habanero plants started getting blossoms, though I'm usually lucky to get a ripe one by 8-1. A bunch of jalapeños, but I couldn't uncover the EB today, due to the wind. The winter squash don't seem to mind the heat, either!
Polaris Butternut, showing first flowers, 7-5 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Two South Anna butternuts, even larger than the Polaris, just showing flower buds, 7-05 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here is that moschata squash that can supposedly be used immature, as a summer squash. And it is going crazy - probably the most runners of any of them. Yuxi is my short name for it, and you can see why:
2 Yuxi Jiang Bing Gua, spreading well, only starting with flower buds. 7-05 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Bitter melons, starting to take off! 7-05 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

This Tinda gourd was the slowest, at first, but it's taking off now, in this heat, with flowers and a tiny fruit on both.
Tinda gourds, starting to send out runners, and both showing the first fruits on both plants. 7-05 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

First squash found, on one of the Tindas, a tiny one, just under the flower on the right. 7-05 by pepperhead212, on Flickr



Got a couple more ripe tomatoes today, from Matina, and a few more first ripening ones. The bad ones were the Anahu and Mountaineer Pride, from which I pulled about 20 BER total. Often these are the first tomatoes, but most of these were the ones on the upper branches - like they had too many fruits on them. only a few, here and there on others.

[TomatoNut95]

Ah, I can see your pictures when I'm on my phone. Nice!

[pepperhead212]

Double post

[pepperhead212]

That's weird how it shows on your phone, but not the tablet, and sometimes it's the opposite with mine! Like I said, you never know with these things!

More eggplant today - the first Neon, and the Ichiban eggplants are still producing like crazy. However, the drawback is that the Ichiban (and many others, as with tomatoes) stops flowering when it gets very hot, and it seems to have happened a bit early this season, since it has been 6 days in the 90s, and every day in the 10 day forecast is in the 90s. Usually later than this in the season! However, all of the eggplants already formed on them will develop, and one of the Ichibans has at least 11 eggplants started that are at least 3" long, and a bunch more smaller ones - just no more blossoms. The rest of the varieties are still flowering.
The first Neon, plus more Ichibans, 7-6 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[Toxic1979]

Puts me in the mood for an Eggplant Parmigiana!

[pepperhead212]

I opened my 3rd covered pepper Earthbox yesterday (did nothing today, with this rain!), and harvested my first jalapeños! Besides the 3 jalapeños, this box also had 2 Superthai and one Byadagi - a relatively mild Indian pepper, that I figured would need protection from the pepper maggots. The Superthais have a lot of peppers, too, but they are one I ripen and dry all of the time, though I'm sure they would be good fresh, too. The Byadagi only had flowers, so far.
The 3rd covered pepper EB, with 2 Superthai, 3 Jalapeños, and one Byadagi. Uncovered on 7-09. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Superthai peppers - largest plant in the EB, and getting a lot of peppers on it! 7-09 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

First jalapeños of the year! 7-09 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also saw my first flowers on my bottle gourds today! The peduncle of these flowers is incredibly long, both males and females, though males are longer. They are night opening flowers; it was still bright out, but I didn't see any pollinators on them - this was about 7 pm, so early ones are still in, and night pollinators aren't out yet. So I did it with a q-tip - what I usually do early on.
First female blossom on a bottle gourd, 7-09 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Male blossoms of a bottle gourd. 7-09 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

These tinda gourds are another gourd on steroids! The number of side shoots is incredible on both plants. If they work out, I might try cloning them, as they begin flowering quickly after vining. On the topic of cloning, I have four cucumber clones started - I took 2 cuttings several days ago, dipped them in 2 different rooting gels, just to see, and both looked like they were dead the next day! But they recovered some by the second day, and began getting greener, and growing in 3 days, and even more today. After those first two showed that they could come back, I took two more cuttings, and the same thing happened! Here's a photo of the first two, with one that looks almost dead above them. But that one, and the other are coming back, since this photo, and the roots are over 4" long now, with just one day since these photos!
Clones, cuke in back starting out bad, like the two in front of it looked before! Those are now rooted. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Roots just started up on the cucumber clone, 7-08 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[TNCatHerder]

How do you get your pepper flowers to pollinate when they are covered from wind and bugs?