How Does Your Garden Grow??????

Cucumbers are still putting out and there are a few dozen small ones on the vines but I think they're about done. It's getting down into the fifties at night. I wish I could replant like some but the growing season here in Portland isn't long enough. It's not the daytime temps but the cool nights that are the problem. My Siletz tomatoes are done. They are a determinate variety so they only have one crop. My mortgage Lifters which are an indeterminate variety are producing and are full of tomatoes in various stages of ripeness.

This mornings harvest

socaljoe said:

I've been noticing some damage to leaves on my new cukes, two of which wilted and died. I attributed the dead leaves to heat and not getting watered. I was checking the plants, and sure enough I found clusters of stuff under the leaves. I can't make an identification, but I'm thinking whiteflies. All the plants got a thorough spray down with insecticidal soap, tops and bottoms. Will have to keep an eye on them.

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I found a little worm on a cuke plant today. {also saw a tobacco worm on the tomatoes} Had planned to BT them, but it rained most of the morning. Clear weather coming on Thursday they say.

Roger A. Shrubber said:

if it's not going to rain overnight, put out a pan or plate of beer, i got a whole damn plate full 2 days in a row, about half the third day

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It's been raining everyday, but there is a cold front pushing through that should dry things up a bit. I just need to bum a beer off my buddy.

too larry said:

I found a little worm on a cuke plant today. {also saw a tobacco worm on the tomatoes} Had planned to BT them, but it rained most of the morning. Clear weather coming on Thursday they say.

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Knock on wood, I've only seen a few caterpillars this whole summer. But this time of year I'm especially vigilant, those budworms are a pita. I'd prefer not to spray anything on the buds, but I've got the BT on standby. Rather spray the plants than lose them to caterpillars.

Poontanger said:

Too Larry, is that pine needle you've mulched with,...…….if so & im not sure it is , but bad idea , the oil in the pine gets into the soil , & its not good for a lot of plants , ,stick to straw , or lawn clippings ,if possible, you cue looks burnt not nesecelliary eaten (imo)

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It's a mix of pine straw and oak leaves. It's not thick enough to do any damage. I don't have a good source for straw. I've used old hay, and had really bad roach problems with it. I do want to start collecting my grass clippings. I brought the old hay rake up to the house, just haven't cut the big part of the yard yet this year.

socaljoe said:

Knock on wood, I've only seen a few caterpillars this whole summer. But this time of year I'm especially vigilant, those budworms are a pita. I'd prefer not to spray anything on the buds, but I've got the BT on standby. Rather spray the plants than lose them to caterpillars.

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I sprayed BT on my cultivar de gorille for two weeks when they were just starting to twist. Haven't since then. But I will use it on them again if I'm forced to. The only bud worm I have seen this year was when I took down the Ass Cheese Blues. Knock on wood.

xtsho said:

Cucumbers are still putting out and there are a few dozen small ones on the vines but I think they're about done. It's getting down into the fifties at night. I wish I could replant like some but the growing season here in Portland isn't long enough. It's not the daytime temps but the cool nights that are the problem. My Siletz tomatoes are done. They are a determinate variety so they only have one crop. My mortgage Lifters which are an indeterminate variety are producing and are full of tomatoes in various stages of ripeness.

This mornings harvest

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Man that looks good. I wish there was some way for me to grow green beans through the summer.

I spread another load of mushroom compost in the area the squash had been in. {also mowed the corn, after eating the last few nubs raw in the garden} Planned on changing over to the boxblade on the bigger tractor to get more compost moved faster, but the rain kept that from happening.

The Mini Sweets in the kiddie pool are blooming. {I saw peppers on some of the culls still in pots. I really need to find a spot for them}

socaljoe said:

I have a new experiment going on in the garden. I have some tomato seedlings that I've decided to grow hydroponically with no media in a Kratky style tote. For those unfamiliar, the idea is to fill the reservoir (tote) with nutrient solution to just where the bottom roots are. As the roots grow they will absorb water, nutrients and oxygen from the water, as the water level drops the exposed roots will absorb oxygen, having greatly reduced the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. The method requires no electricity (airpumps/airstones) and is meant to be "set it and forget it".

Here we have two totes set up with 2 plants each. Toronjiña f1 on the left, Red Brandywine on the right.

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This is where the seedlings are right now.

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So here we go.

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Day 1 update: They're not dead. A rousing success so far.

socaljoe said:

Day 1 update: They're not dead. A rousing success so far.

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I think you need to temper your expectations. lol

too larry said:

Man that looks good. I wish there was some way for me to grow green beans through the summer.

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I wish I could do multiple plantings like you do. Different growing regions. I'm happy with my garden but still envious of yours.

this has been a crappy year for gardening here, the last frost was almost a month later than usual, then when it finally warmed up, we got a month of heavy rain and very little sun. everything is behind, a lot of it is stunted, but it's still trying, and i hate culling a plant thats trying. i like animals and plants better than people, and am willing to put up with a lot more from either of them than i am from people
my one eggplant so far....and my poor little basil plants that never got over a foot high
mutant two headed squash flower
the wall of beans is doing ok, once i started spreading slug bait around
my container cucs are doing better than the ones in the ground.....
i'm going to re-locate my beds next summer, and add a large one. if the weather cooperates it'll be a good year....

A few shots from this morning



Not sure what this spider is high on lol


Cheers

Roger A...…….your potted cuce is doing better coz of soil temperature , all our summer veg needs a miniumn of 12C (soil temp)before the sap sarts to flow , & carry the goodies to the plant , how often do you see an early planted tomato , just sit there & do nothing , that's coz of soil temp , were as your pots will warm a lot quicker , especially when placed near a tin fence were the sun can bounce of .
IMO soil temp is very overlooked

I successfully grew Okra here in Portland Oregon. It's not well suited for growing here but I thought I'd give it a try. The results are not that great but I learned quite a bit. I made many mistakes.

Next year I'm confident I'll be able to get a worthwhile crop. I have a very short window of adequate day and night temperatures for it to grow well so next year I'm not even going to bother with it until those temps are warm enough. I planted too early and incorrectly so the plants just stayed stunted and many just died. If I can get enough next year for a couple batches of Gumbo I'll be happy.

i liked that for your persistence, not for the okra

Roger A. Shrubber said:

i liked that for your persistence, not for the okra

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I take it you don't like Okra?

one of the very few things i actively hate (as far as food goes, anyway)