Plot 206
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DriftlessRoots
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Re: Plot 206
120+ peppers and tomatoes back from the babysitters and starting their hardening off process. Big thanks to all the MMMM participants who made this diversity possible! 
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A nature, gardening and food enthusiast externalizing the inner monologue.
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MissS
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DriftlessRoots
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Re: Plot 206
I've not been to religious about keeping this up but then again I knew I wouldn't be when I started. 
Anyway here are some update images from this morning. I spent a couple of hours there doing a deep water first thing this morning before it got warmer.
Flowers on the tomatillo! I hope this one isn't like last year's it got enormous but produced a paltry number of fruits for its size. The beans have settled in and are looking pretty good. Only grew pintos and black turtles this year plus some winged beans I picked up on the share shelf to try for fun. Tomatoes have started the "let's go nuts" phase so next trip up to the plot will be focused on starting pruning and training. The variation in growth of the different varieties is interesting to observe. Garlic is starting to get brown tips. Still should be at least a couple of weeks until harvest so I watered them, too. Onions, the ones that survived the initial transplanting, are doing well. I think adding some mulch would be a good idea, here and in some other spots as well. Still have some chard in the fridge from the co-op so of course ours is now getting harvestable size. We're not pros at timing. First and second (or third?) planting of beets look good. I'm sure we'll eat the grocery store ones in the fridge long before these are ready. Natural pest control was hard at work in the plot next door. They payed me little attention while I was working only a few yards away from them.
Anyway here are some update images from this morning. I spent a couple of hours there doing a deep water first thing this morning before it got warmer.Flowers on the tomatillo! I hope this one isn't like last year's it got enormous but produced a paltry number of fruits for its size. The beans have settled in and are looking pretty good. Only grew pintos and black turtles this year plus some winged beans I picked up on the share shelf to try for fun. Tomatoes have started the "let's go nuts" phase so next trip up to the plot will be focused on starting pruning and training. The variation in growth of the different varieties is interesting to observe. Garlic is starting to get brown tips. Still should be at least a couple of weeks until harvest so I watered them, too. Onions, the ones that survived the initial transplanting, are doing well. I think adding some mulch would be a good idea, here and in some other spots as well. Still have some chard in the fridge from the co-op so of course ours is now getting harvestable size. We're not pros at timing. First and second (or third?) planting of beets look good. I'm sure we'll eat the grocery store ones in the fridge long before these are ready. Natural pest control was hard at work in the plot next door. They payed me little attention while I was working only a few yards away from them.
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A nature, gardening and food enthusiast externalizing the inner monologue.
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PlainJane
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Re: Plot 206
Wow, love that natural pest control!
“Never try to outstubborn a cat.”
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DriftlessRoots
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Re: Plot 206
Got to spend a couple hours by myself in the plot this morning early. When my husband and I go there together he feels "done" before I do so we end up leaving sooner than I'd like more often than not. That's OK. But then I feel rushed and forget to take pictures. I think of them as references from year to year but they also give me something to look at and look forward to in the depths of winter. Anyway, here are a few of the hundred or so shots I took this morning.
I'm only going to show a few of the better looking tomatoes. This is Brandywine Cowlicks. I like working with the PL plants because they are so open I can see what's going on.
Daniel Burson has some nice sized fruits coming on. I'm looking forward to tasting this one (and all the others, of course) after all the good things I've heard about it.
Joya de Oaxaca looking good. Will of course make some Oaxacan recipes with these.
Yay! Juliet turned out to actually be Juliet and she's a huge plant already and promises to be productive. Got this because my sister raves about it. This is the only F1 tomato in the garden this year.
Lithium Sunset looking groovy.
Mikado Rozovyi. I planted two of these so I must have been thinking canning/sauce when I did that.
Estler's Mortgage Lifter here. Looking forward to saving seeds from these and passing on this historic variety.
Rebel Starfighter is the tallest non-cherry so far and a franky gangly looking plant.
I can't wait to see these Thorburn's Terra-Cottas when they are ripe but for now I'm just really pleased with the shape and smoothness of the fruit.
Looks like Ukrainian Purple is going to have a nice, slightly pear-shaped fruit.
I was going to do one big mega-post today but I think I'll follow this with the non-tomato updates.
I'm only going to show a few of the better looking tomatoes. This is Brandywine Cowlicks. I like working with the PL plants because they are so open I can see what's going on.
Daniel Burson has some nice sized fruits coming on. I'm looking forward to tasting this one (and all the others, of course) after all the good things I've heard about it.
Joya de Oaxaca looking good. Will of course make some Oaxacan recipes with these.
Yay! Juliet turned out to actually be Juliet and she's a huge plant already and promises to be productive. Got this because my sister raves about it. This is the only F1 tomato in the garden this year.
Lithium Sunset looking groovy.
Mikado Rozovyi. I planted two of these so I must have been thinking canning/sauce when I did that.
Estler's Mortgage Lifter here. Looking forward to saving seeds from these and passing on this historic variety.
Rebel Starfighter is the tallest non-cherry so far and a franky gangly looking plant.
I can't wait to see these Thorburn's Terra-Cottas when they are ripe but for now I'm just really pleased with the shape and smoothness of the fruit.
Looks like Ukrainian Purple is going to have a nice, slightly pear-shaped fruit.
I was going to do one big mega-post today but I think I'll follow this with the non-tomato updates.
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A nature, gardening and food enthusiast externalizing the inner monologue.
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DriftlessRoots
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Re: Plot 206
Part two of today's update:
A few peppers are forming fruits. Here's Aji Colorado This is Hinkelhatz. I've got three plants and I hope it's prolific so I can pickle some. A wee Poblano. We use a lot of these in Mexican cooking. These and Serranos. The tomatillo plant is getting big and I picked a couple little ones this morning. Maybe I'll make a tiny portion of fresh salsa. The first of the Straight Eight cucumbers was harvested at the straight five stage. I like crunchy immature cukes. The Chinese cabbage is not heading up. Heat? Day length? I'll try again for a fall crop. My plan for this one is to harvest some of the inner leaves and make a batch of kimchi. The last celtuce is bolting and I hope it's self-fertile. This was my first experience with it and I really like the flavor so I'm hoping to save seeds. Looks like I need to get a bag on it soon if that's going to happen. Likewise the garden cress is bolting. I'm on the fence as to whether I will save seeds. It was a nice addition to salads. First tiny broccoli flower is forming. The winged beans are poking along and finally starting to climb a little bit. I thought being a more tropical plant they'd like this heat and take off sooner. Another new-to-me crop I'm looking forward to trying. Loving these big marigolds. Would be nice if they were still putting out blooms for el Dia de los Muertos but I'm not holding my breath. I planted cosmos in the areas where the squash is intended to sprawl but they're getting wide and not just tall so I've started reining them in. Only after I left all the cut stalks laying in the garden and got home did it dawn on me I could have had a nice little bouquet on the table. Too late now! The Tub o' Calendula dries out too fast but they seem to spring right back from a wilting. I need to research what I can add to the mix to hold more moisture next year. I'm pretty sure all these plant stems in the bee hotel had pith in them when I put it up this spring so it's been seeing some action. You can even see a couple are mudded shut. Don't know whether the critter on that top one there is nesting or a parasite but I'm glad to see it's not being ignored. This is something I hardly ever do but I accidentally took this selfie while trying to get a shot of some tomato flowers and thought I didn't look to haggard. The gardener at work. The cap says "Happy Camper" and that is me when I'm camping and when I'm tending my little plot of food and therapy.
A few peppers are forming fruits. Here's Aji Colorado This is Hinkelhatz. I've got three plants and I hope it's prolific so I can pickle some. A wee Poblano. We use a lot of these in Mexican cooking. These and Serranos. The tomatillo plant is getting big and I picked a couple little ones this morning. Maybe I'll make a tiny portion of fresh salsa. The first of the Straight Eight cucumbers was harvested at the straight five stage. I like crunchy immature cukes. The Chinese cabbage is not heading up. Heat? Day length? I'll try again for a fall crop. My plan for this one is to harvest some of the inner leaves and make a batch of kimchi. The last celtuce is bolting and I hope it's self-fertile. This was my first experience with it and I really like the flavor so I'm hoping to save seeds. Looks like I need to get a bag on it soon if that's going to happen. Likewise the garden cress is bolting. I'm on the fence as to whether I will save seeds. It was a nice addition to salads. First tiny broccoli flower is forming. The winged beans are poking along and finally starting to climb a little bit. I thought being a more tropical plant they'd like this heat and take off sooner. Another new-to-me crop I'm looking forward to trying. Loving these big marigolds. Would be nice if they were still putting out blooms for el Dia de los Muertos but I'm not holding my breath. I planted cosmos in the areas where the squash is intended to sprawl but they're getting wide and not just tall so I've started reining them in. Only after I left all the cut stalks laying in the garden and got home did it dawn on me I could have had a nice little bouquet on the table. Too late now! The Tub o' Calendula dries out too fast but they seem to spring right back from a wilting. I need to research what I can add to the mix to hold more moisture next year. I'm pretty sure all these plant stems in the bee hotel had pith in them when I put it up this spring so it's been seeing some action. You can even see a couple are mudded shut. Don't know whether the critter on that top one there is nesting or a parasite but I'm glad to see it's not being ignored. This is something I hardly ever do but I accidentally took this selfie while trying to get a shot of some tomato flowers and thought I didn't look to haggard. The gardener at work. The cap says "Happy Camper" and that is me when I'm camping and when I'm tending my little plot of food and therapy.
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A nature, gardening and food enthusiast externalizing the inner monologue.
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DriftlessRoots
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Re: Plot 206
Turns out the first tomato to be ripening was not the first to be ripening. This coloring is caused by blossom end rot most likely the result of our severe drought and my irregular watering. A Wes fruit suffered a similar fate. Also, this was labeled as Ukrainian Purple but the descriptions say it's supposed to have plum-shaped fruit and I'd call this more pear-shaped.
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bower
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Re: Plot 206
I've seen that happen before with BER. Maybe the rot gives off some ethylene, the fruit ripens around it, what a bummer.
I missed your earlier post, but wanted to say, in my experience with napa cabbages you can get them to head up by removing some outer leaves. I had these wierd flattened heads indoors under lights, and thought it was the environment, but it turned out that they really do their thing when you pull that outer ring of leaves.
Your garden is looking amazing! Lots of gorgeous tomatoes coming on, so I hope you get some ripe soon.
I missed your earlier post, but wanted to say, in my experience with napa cabbages you can get them to head up by removing some outer leaves. I had these wierd flattened heads indoors under lights, and thought it was the environment, but it turned out that they really do their thing when you pull that outer ring of leaves.
Your garden is looking amazing! Lots of gorgeous tomatoes coming on, so I hope you get some ripe soon.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
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DriftlessRoots
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Re: Plot 206
Thank you! Was up there again today and a Jewel of Oaxaca had BER. With all the fruit so low right now the only way I’m finding them is by the color change. Otherwise I suppose I could go around and palpate all of thembower wrote: ↑Mon Jul 24, 2023 10:20 am I've seen that happen before with BER. Maybe the rot gives off some ethylene, the fruit ripens around it, what a bummer.
I missed your earlier post, but wanted to say, in my experience with napa cabbages you can get them to head up by removing some outer leaves. I had these wierd flattened heads indoors under lights, and thought it was the environment, but it turned out that they really do their thing when you pull that outer ring of leaves.
Your garden is looking amazing! Lots of gorgeous tomatoes coming on, so I hope you get some ripe soon.
And an update on the cabbage. It started heading up a while ago and is now huge. I’ll bring it home when I’m ready to make rolls and kimchi right away as the fridge is perpetually crowded now.
Next time I’ll try pulling off the outer leaves to speed things up.A nature, gardening and food enthusiast externalizing the inner monologue.
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bower
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Re: Plot 206
I have never grown the usual RL Joya de Oaxaca and always wondered what it's like. I got a PL version of Oaxaca Jewel from a place in Quebec, which became earlier every year I grew it here and a huge household favorite. I wanted to use it as a mother in a cross but it rejected all my affections, time after time, so I finally tried as a pollen donor and am really enjoying the offspring of this cross!
So far I have one plant that turned up BER on a green fruit, which I picked and discarded, but I am in fear of more. It's been a tough year for water management. First they were too cold and wet, retaining moisture too well, and now they're really being put to the test in drying out too severely in the run of a day. In the past I've managed to give BER to plants that never have it, by doing an extra watering (and feeding) in the evening instead of sticking to the once a day morning water (that is in containers, must be daily). So it's been hard not to give them extra water when I see how dry and sad they are by evening of a hot day peaking outside the goldilocks zone, but so far I'm resisting that temptation, in fear of the BER.
So far I have one plant that turned up BER on a green fruit, which I picked and discarded, but I am in fear of more. It's been a tough year for water management. First they were too cold and wet, retaining moisture too well, and now they're really being put to the test in drying out too severely in the run of a day. In the past I've managed to give BER to plants that never have it, by doing an extra watering (and feeding) in the evening instead of sticking to the once a day morning water (that is in containers, must be daily). So it's been hard not to give them extra water when I see how dry and sad they are by evening of a hot day peaking outside the goldilocks zone, but so far I'm resisting that temptation, in fear of the BER.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
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DriftlessRoots
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Re: Plot 206
The first three actually ripe or ripening OP varieties this year: Thorburn's Terra-Cotta, Daniel Burson, and Lithium Sunset. Unfortunately as I was so carefully cutting the LS off by it's stem the other three in the cluster decided to break off.
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bower
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Re: Plot 206
Lovely big fruit! I hope those others are mature enough to ripen!
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm
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karstopography
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Re: Plot 206
Thorburn's Terra-Cotta seems to get mixed reviews. What’s your take on that tomato?
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”
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DriftlessRoots
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Re: Plot 206
I only had a small piece before the balance went into a salad, but I thought it was ok. Not super tomtoey, little bit of clean acid at the end. I’ve got a few more coming on that I’ll taste more mindfully. Although, I can’t vouch for the sophistication of my taste buds.karstopography wrote: ↑Fri Jul 28, 2023 9:48 pm Thorburn's Terra-Cotta seems to get mixed reviews. What’s your take on that tomato?
A nature, gardening and food enthusiast externalizing the inner monologue.
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DriftlessRoots
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Re: Plot 206
First visit to plot 206 this year and, as expected, the garlix is up!
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A nature, gardening and food enthusiast externalizing the inner monologue.