Here Come the Veg!

[pieces o nine]

The tomato plants have up and died in the last week.

Cherry plant has been producing, slowly but methodically. Now it has suddenly pinched-off and dropped all its excess foliage. The fruiting stems look like grape bunches after the grapes have been picked -- all twiggy. Small green tomatoes are dotting the vine, but drop, unripened, to the soil below.

Regular plant, after sulking and refusing to grow or flower all summer has suddenly put forth several large, luxurious looking fruits. Also green and hard as rocks, refusing to ripen.

Weird. 

[Darlica]

Odd.
Especially the cherry tomatoes behaviour.

The regular plant probably need more warmth and sun, if it dies before the tomatoes are ripe just put the fruits on a plate on the windowsill until they ripe, or cook with them green.

[pieces o nine]

Both plants are on the west side of the house, full-sun, have received proper water and plant food. This has happened abruptly in the last week (checked again this afternoon, and the cherry plant looks like a sad green tumbleweed).

One of mom's friends two streets over is experiencing the same thing. Both have concluded that when "they" sprayed for weeds and insects, "they" over-sprayed onto the tomato plants.

So, you know, I had to ask. 

Q: Did [friend] schedule people to spray for weeds and insects?
A: no response

Q: Did *you* schedule people to come and spray for weeds and insects?
A: no response

Q: If someone did, did it drift two streets over to target just your tomato plants, and not any of the veg gardens in between or next door?
A: angry insistence that "they" must have sprayed somewhere and it drifted onto her plants


: pieces repents of her inopportune logic and shuts up : 

[Opsa]

It may be the weather, though.

Tomato plants in these parts have been having a hard time this year due to the frequent rain patterns. Apparently, tomato plants have to have a certain minimum hours of the sun's heat to produce and ripen the fruit.

Here's some more info: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48516325.tip.html

I planted Early Girl, which despite it's name, took it's sweet time to both grow and ripen fruit this year, but we have had enough to satisfy my small family (ripening about 1-2 per day, when normally we'd be over-run by now). I have heard of similar problems from other locals.

[pieces o nine]

I would happily blame the weather, but neighboring gardens have flourishing plants. (Perhaps different varietals, though.)

One neighbor came to the Tool Sale and actually returned a few minutes later with a gift of three nice large tomatoes from her own garden, because she was so touched by the pitiful sight of the spindly thorn tree mom's had become.  (Rest of her garden still looks really good, though, thanks to ... me.)

[Opsa]

Welcome to northern hemispherical planting season 2009!

I sowed some early seeds (the kind that want cold weather to germinate) on March 9th: Val D'Orges Lettuce, Iceberg Lettuce, Spinach and green onion. Yesterday the Icebergs began to sprout!

I have some early sprouts started from my windowsill seedstarter, as well. Ther I planted yellow grape tomatoes, red cherry tomatoes, Iceberg Lettuce, Delaware Sacred Nicotiana, Nicotiana Rustica, Baby Eggplant and Statice. everything sprouted except the Eggplant (cranky babaies!) and some have grown so much I have re-potted them and placed them in the outdoor mini-greenhouse on the south-facing porch.

They were all started under a fluorescent light on a timer that was set for 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. I used Jiffy pots and then moved them into potting mix with a little watered-down liquid fertilizer.

I've been learning that tomatoes don't really like to be fertilized much after they are established. Last year I used a slow-release fertilizer that worked a treat on everything else, but may have annoyed the 'maters. I will be more careful, this year.

My Master Gardening class gave us free soil analysis and I found out that my veg beds were still plenty rich enough from all the compost I put in them last year. That means it was probably a bit too rich last year. I am going to leave that soil alone this season.

[Opsa]

2011: After riotous lettuces earlier this year, they all bolted and I took them out. There's been some bare spots out there waiting through the dry season, but I started some lettuce seeds indoors (they prefer cooler weather for germination) and took advantage of this week's passing Tropical Depression Whatsisface's (Lee?) cooler temps and plentiful rain to put them outdoors. We'll see how they do. Put out some old spinach seeds, too.

The tomatoes have not been so productive, though. Guess it's time to beef up the soil, again.

[Aggie]

I'm declaring May 10th to be Produce Independence Day.  I've been eating out of the garden a lot lately, and I think I can get all my veggies from my own lot from here on.  There shall be a small dinner to celebrate.

To start with, it'll be fairly limited and be mostly greens (plus scads of rhubarb and some weeds), and I'm sure that I'll still be picking up a little bit of local seasonal veg such as asparagus, but there's probably enough growing for me to not really need to shop for veggies. It's mostly thanks to row covers, as many gardeners are just starting to plant now.



_{(edit: changed date of PID)}

[anthrobabe]

Oh poor ill tomatos.

I have been to the 2 local farmers markets twice this season.
I love it.

None of them seem to have asparagus but they have some grown only 1 state over in the grocery store so not toooooo bad.

[Opsa]

I believe I've bought my last lettuce of the season, as the garden lettuces are now ready to be eaten, and more on the way! Yeay!

The beets are beefing up, too.

The cabbage are asleep at the wheel. The basil are taking their time, too. I have some volunteer tomatoes from last year's bunch.

[Aggie]

I'm glad that my lettuces are starting to make a showing.  Most of my other greens are SPICY! - arugula, peppergrass cress, wasabi greens, mustard. 

I've been quite enjoying my incidental crops this year.  I think the dandelion is past its prime now in all likelihood, but the pigweed is delectable at the moment, and the purslane should be getting large enough to eat.

I've also got tonnes of dill that is at the edible stage. I planted quite a bit to start, and then found a huje pack of dill seeds at a bulk food store for 50 cents. I've been scatter-planting it outside the fence and anywhere else I have the whim to.  There should be no end to it this year.

[Roland Deschain]

Reading this thread is making me hungry.

Wasabi greens? You've managed to find some real wasabi? Great find! I love wasabi, but have never seen it for sale as a plant over here, but a quick search finds THIS SITE offering 2 varieties for sale. Hmmm.

The only veg I have growing at the moment is Rocket (and Basil, if you count it as one), and of course the rest of the herbs (discounted as not being veg). I've not grown it before, so i'm looking forward to seeing how it does, and hopefully it will self-seed ready for next year.

[Swatopluk]

My only experience with wasabi is that I cannot distinguish the taste from that of battery acid.
http://weltennet.de/forum/images/smilies/GreenSmilies2/smiley_emoticons_igitt.gif

[Aggie]

Wasabi greens? You've managed to find some real wasabi? Great find! I love wasabi, but have never seen it for sale as a plant over here, but a quick search finds THIS SITE offering 2 varieties for sale. Hmmm.

This is just a brassica that has gained popularity recently for it's wasabi-like taste.  I suspect that it's a type of mustard. 

I should be getting a chunk of horseradish (not wasabi) to plant, though.

One of these years, I really need to ask my ex-MIL to send over some herb and veggie seeds from Korea. I did plant mugwort this year, which makes a lovely soup, but would like some proper gaenip (Korean perilla; the flavour differs from Japanese and Vietnamese varieties). 

I did notice this morning that the shungiku is now up and about.

[Opsa]

Funny Swato!

I have to have wasabi on sushi, but I am careful to just scrape on the merest amount first time around, just to test the strength. I don't want it to drown out the sushi.