Pics of Your 2014 Vegetable Garden

[kenny]

This thread is the sister thread to Gypsy's Herb thread.

I'm not a big gardner, but I planted six Tom plants this year from those tiny 6-pack trays.
It's only been a week or so and the plants are already over a foot tall.

No tomatoes yet … but no tomato worms either.
Glob! I HATE those things.

I love cherry tomatoes and Sweet 100 is the variety I'm trying this year.

What veges are you planting?
Got pics?

 

[Gypsy]

Re: Your 2014 vegetable garden … post your pics

Ohhh. I love tomatoes plants! We're only doing two pots this year. One is a cherry and one is a grape. I strongly prefer grape tomatoes but most of them are sun loving and won't work with the coastal weather we have here.

 

[monarch64]

Re: Your 2014 vegetable garden … post your pics

I'm in zone 6 and won't plant tomatoes in the ground until about 12 days from now. Our frost date is April 20 and it is recommended to wait 2 weeks after that to plant warm weather crops.

I have sugar snap peas, spinach, beets, 4 types of lettuce, garlic I planted last fall in the beds right now. I'm currently hardening off seedlings--4 tomato varieties, 3 basils, cucumbers (those already got some frost damage, oops), zucchini, 4 pepper varieties, and I can't remember what else. I'll post and play along later (like in June!) when we've got some real growth going on! My sugar snap peas are only about 6" tall right now.

In the meantime, here is what I like to do with my cherry toms, Kenny. You know even though I'm not planting any this year they'll probably pop up tenfold anyway.

 

[eh613c]

I don't have anything planted yet but I wanted to ask, how do you keep your tomato garden 'neat'? I planted Roma and cherry tomatoes 2 years ago and they were out of control! I did use cone shaped wire to guide the branches but the plants just took over the side of the house. My husband just laughed and called it my little shop of horrors and that one day it's going to talk to me. Anyway, I love having a tomato garden because they taste more tomato-ey (?) and the kids love to pick them.

 

[monarch64]

I don't have anything planted yet but I wanted to ask, how do you keep your tomato garden 'neat'? I planted Roma and cherry tomatoes 2 years ago and they were out of control! I did use cone shaped wire to guide the branches but the plants just took over the side of the house. My husband just laughed and called it my little shop of horrors and that one day it's going to talk to me. Anyway, I love having a tomato garden because they taste more tomato-ey (?) and the kids love to pick them.

You can plant them further apart and that helps the dreaded "jungle" look and makes for easier harvesting. Or, you can plant a determinate "bush" variety that will bear fruit all at once (great for canning if you like to do all your canning in a weekend) but won't grow like a vine and get so out of control.

 

[Ninna]

Yep, Tomatoes need space and leaving them go wild can cause foliage disease and damage while harvesting. I'll take a pic of the tomato bed later. I think it's a bit early to post corn happenings on the other hand, Alpine strawberries are going nuts. Two neighbors are coming to pick a few plants from the bed this weekend.

 

[eh613c]

I don't have anything planted yet but I wanted to ask, how do you keep your tomato garden 'neat'? I planted Roma and cherry tomatoes 2 years ago and they were out of control! I did use cone shaped wire to guide the branches but the plants just took over the side of the house. My husband just laughed and called it my little shop of horrors and that one day it's going to talk to me. Anyway, I love having a tomato garden because they taste more tomato-ey (?) and the kids love to pick them.

You can plant them further apart and that helps the dreaded "jungle" look and makes for easier harvesting. Or, you can plant a determinate "bush" variety that will bear fruit all at once (great for canning if you like to do all your canning in a weekend) but won't grow like a vine and get so out of control.

Thanks! I'll make sure to plant them further this time.

 

[kenny]

I'm not very concerned about things looking neat.
I actually like the messy nature look.
I only put up a wire mesh to keep the toms off the ground.

If your plants are a variety that gets very large you can get a larger trellis and keep guiding the growth tips back and forth in the trellis.
I assume no harm is done by pruning the plants if you want them to stay more in control.

 

[monarch64]

I'm not very concerned about things looking neat.
I actually like the messy nature look.
I only put up a wire mesh to keep the toms off the ground.

If your plants are a variety that gets very large you can get a larger trellis and keep guiding the growth tips back and forth in the trellis.
I assume no harm is done by pruning the plants if you want them to stay more in control.

Kenny likes his plants like he likes his men--wild and untrimmed.

 

[kenny]

 

[FrekeChild]

I've never been much of a gardener, but we bought this house last fall and the old owners left this terrible corner of our yard that had nothing growing in it and no watering system. So I bought a bunch of pots, my husband installed some individual bubblers and now we have:

Seeds planted but not yet sprouting:
Cherry tomatoes
Heirloom Beefsteak tomatoes

Sprouts:
Cucumber
Chives
Summer squash
Bell peppers

Full grown plants:
Omar's Lebanese tomatoes
Quinalt Strawberries

I had another bigger squash growing, but it got eaten by snails. I think I finally have the snails under better control. I wish my neighbors would take the same care...

So far I have had a bunch of strawberries, and one giant tomato. I will need to get more pots, but I need to figure out how to further amend the watering system, because the sprinkler they are on is fully extended as far as water pressure goes.

Oh yeah, and we have one each of tangerine, orange and grapefruit trees in the rest of the yard. They already have baby fruits on them.

 

[NTave]

Beautiful!! We don't start gardening in my zone until after Memorial day. Im still looking at grass turning green and waiting for my daffodils and tulips to bloom. It makes me a lil jealous of the beautiful garden starts here.
Good luck with your Sweet 100s, Kenny. I think they are the perfect cherry tomato..great tasting and a hundreds and hundreds of cute little fruit.

 

[Mia16]

Probably disesteemed but right now turnips are doing splendidly, the seeds were sown 44 days ago [Tokyo cross hybrid] and already started pickling some.
Golden beets were a bit disapointment. I waited longer for larger bulbs and sure thing, they were tough! Still very sweet for juicing, last picture is from the first batch. Lesson learned

 

[minousbijoux]

Yay for all the gardeners! Mia: your turnip plants look gorgeous, like every garden should (though can't say that I like turnips really well ) and Ninna: your strawberries are beautiful. What type are they ever bearing or another variety? I love strawberries!

As to tomato plants - by middle/end of summer, no self-respecting indeterminate tomato plant would be held up by one of those cages - the plants get so big, and so heavy that they start to lean and eventually keel right over. The solution are strong stakes, wood or otherwise, sunk far into the ground with the plants tied periodically as they grow up, if that makes sense.

 

[armywife13]

I do not have a garden but I really want to post some awesome vegetable and herb gardens I have seen so far in Korea. Land is a premium here, so most people build their homes several stories high on small lots or live in apartment/condo complexes. As soon as the ground thawed, I started seeing gardens pop up everywhere - and I mean everywhere! There is a wide grassed median by our home that has become a garden(top picture in the collage), empty lots where homes haven't been built yet, grassy areas in between the home and sidewalk. These gardens are not just for those who have put the work into making them, but for everyone in the neighborhood to use! I love how resourceful and generous everyone is, that is definitely something I will be taking back with me when I move back to the States! I can't wait to walk through neighborhood and see all of the wonderful vegetables and herbs when they are ready!

 

[minousbijoux]

AW: thank you so much for sharing. Imagine if we all acted like that here how much better off, loving and supportive we could be?

 

[monarch64]

Love seeing all these pics! Armywife, the Korean gardens are lovely, and it's so cool the concept has been successful. There is a big push towards community gardens in inner city areas here in the U.S. as well; the cities to which we are closest all have them.

Here are 3 of my raised beds so far. The straw-covered greens are garlic I planted last fall. The cloves should be ready by June and then I'll plant something else in their place. My wonderful husband built all of these for me and he's been paving them in this spring and it's looking beautiful! You can see sugar snap peas, spinach, and beets so far, and there are a few rows of lettuce in there as well. I have to wait until 5/5 to plant everything else because that will be two weeks after our last frost date. Better safe than sorry--it's no fun having to start all over.

Yesterday I bought and potted several chocolate mints and Kentucky Colonel mints. The latter will be used this Saturday at our friend's Kentucky Derby party, where we will place bets, watch the race, and drink fresh mint Juleps!

 

[minousbijoux]

Love seeing all these pics! Armywife, the Korean gardens are lovely, and it's so cool the concept has been successful. There is a big push towards community gardens in inner city areas here in the U.S. as well; the cities to which we are closest all have them.

Here are 3 of my raised beds so far. The straw-covered greens are garlic I planted last fall. The cloves should be ready by June and then I'll plant something else in their place. My wonderful husband built all of these for me and he's been paving them in this spring and it's looking beautiful! You can see sugar snap peas, spinach, and beets so far, and there are a few rows of lettuce in there as well. I have to wait until 5/5 to plant everything else because that will be two weeks after our last frost date. Better safe than sorry--it's no fun having to start all over.

Yesterday I bought and potted several chocolate mints and Kentucky Colonel mints. The latter will be used this Saturday at our friend's Kentucky Derby party, where we will place bets, watch the race, and drink fresh mint Juleps!

Very nice! I met one of the culprits who has kept me from a garden this year - a baby possum. Last year, I had a huge garden with corn, tomatoes, kale, leeks, shallots, carrots, beets, peppers, cukes, broccoli, radishes and a bunch of other things I can't think of right now. What was harvested? All of the above. What did we humans get to eat? only the things that grow underground - oh, and the hot peppers which apparently were too hot for the little criminals. This year, garden is fallow pretty much (except for herbs and tomatoes) because I'm tired of feeding the possums/roof rats/mice/skunks/raccoons. If they want a garden, they can plant their own, Gosh darnit!

Oh, and do you really drink the Mint Julep out of metal cups?

 

[monarch64]

Love seeing all these pics! Armywife, the Korean gardens are lovely, and it's so cool the concept has been successful. There is a big push towards community gardens in inner city areas here in the U.S. as well; the cities to which we are closest all have them.

Here are 3 of my raised beds so far. The straw-covered greens are garlic I planted last fall. The cloves should be ready by June and then I'll plant something else in their place. My wonderful husband built all of these for me and he's been paving them in this spring and it's looking beautiful! You can see sugar snap peas, spinach, and beets so far, and there are a few rows of lettuce in there as well. I have to wait until 5/5 to plant everything else because that will be two weeks after our last frost date. Better safe than sorry--it's no fun having to start all over.

Yesterday I bought and potted several chocolate mints and Kentucky Colonel mints. The latter will be used this Saturday at our friend's Kentucky Derby party, where we will place bets, watch the race, and drink fresh mint Juleps!

Very nice! I met one of the culprits who has kept me from a garden this year - a baby possum. Last year, I had a huge garden with corn, tomatoes, kale, leeks, shallots, carrots, beets, peppers, cukes, broccoli, radishes and a bunch of other things I can't think of right now. What was harvested? All of the above. What did we humans get to eat? only the things that grow underground - oh, and the hot peppers which apparently were too hot for the little criminals. This year, garden is fallow pretty much (except for herbs and tomatoes) because I'm tired of feeding the possums/roof rats/mice/skunks/raccoons. If they want a garden, they can plant their own, Gosh darnit!

Oh, and do you really drink the Mint Julep out of metal cups?

Oh, no! I'm sorry your garden was eaten by intruders! I don't blame you for not planting much besides herbs and tomatoes; it's heartbreaking to find your work stolen before you even got the chance to enjoy it. I haven't had any trouble with nuisance wildlife so far, knock wood. We have skunks and opossums but they enjoy the neighbor's cat food and leave my stuff alone.

It's traditional to drink mint juleps from a silver or pewter cup, but we just put ours in highball glasses. I'm 2.5 hours north of Louisville, I ain't THAT southern, so I can get away with using glass! My friend's family breeds Arabians in Ohio, so she can get away with it as well, being a Midwesterner.

 

[kenny]

No tomatoes yet … but no tomato worms either.
Glob! I HATE those things.

Lots of flowers but no toms yet … BUT some visitors … UGH! …

I guess those frigging moths must have smelled my tomato plants to lay their eggs on.
I read they can hatch in as little time as 2 days.
My garden is tiny so I just pick them off instead of spraying poison.
Actually I can't bring myself to touch them so I just snip the leaf off that they are holding onto, then bring em inside for their 'close ups' before giving them a burial at 'sea'.

These baby tomato hornworms I just caught are still tiny, shorter than a dime.
They are hard to spot, so I look for holes in the leaves or dark spots, which is their poo.

 

[monarch64]

Kenny, have you considered using Bt? It is a naturally-occurring bacteria that effectively kills hornworms. You'd have to make sure you are allowed to use it in your county first if interested (something to do with an endangered species that could be affected).

http://www.saferbrand.com/store/garden-care/5160

 

[kenny]

Thanks M64.
I'll look into it, but I really lean towards just picking them off.

A product claiming to be 'naturally-occuring' does not make me willing to use it.
Black widow and rattlesnake venom is naturally-occuring too, same with tornados, earthquakes and tsunamis.

I also feel manipulated by even the brand's name 'Saferbrand'.
Their website talks about using it on organic crops … uhm … oh never mind.

 

[Ninna]

Yay for all the gardeners! and Ninna: your strawberries are beautiful. What type are they ever bearing or another variety? I love strawberries!

Sorry for the late response! We grow 'wild Alpine' strawberries them from seed just like tomatoes. They are generally trouble-free perennials that have the most intoxicating perfume Fruit is pretty soft almost crushes when picked, main reason why are unsuitable for commercial use.
Sorry to hear about tomato troubles. We keep a prayer filled with a bit of Down, water and cayenne pepper to keep cutworms at bay. Turmeric works just as well, good luck!
Armywife, that garden in Koarea is beautiful, thank you all for sharing your pictures!
Our tomato plants are doing ok……so far.

 

[minousbijoux]

No tomatoes yet … but no tomato worms either.
Glob! I HATE those things.

Lots of flowers but no toms yet … BUT some visitors … UGH! …

I guess those frigging moths must have smelled my tomato plants to lay their eggs on.
I read they can hatch in as little time as 2 days.
My garden is tiny so I just pick them off instead of spraying poison.
Actually I can't bring myself to touch them so I just snip the leaf off that they are holding onto, then bring em inside for their 'close ups' before giving them a burial at 'sea'.

These baby tomato hornworms I just caught are still tiny, shorter than a dime.
They are hard to spot, so I look for holes in the leaves or dark spots, which is their poo.

I detest those hornworms. I've never seen them when they are babies like that, but I am often lulled into an intoxicated tomato trance only to have the wits scared out of me when I come across those Godzillas of the tomato world. I do not exaggerate - they are almost as big as a Chevy and much, much scarier.

 

[Saoirse2]

Cutworms and hornworms love cornmeal to the point of binging to death. I would sprinkle just a bit before transplanting. Now that they are there...you can meet the complete family at dusk. Hand picking is your best bet; beware-- they can actually give a painful nip.

 

[kenny]

Thanks all.
I read that cornmeal will kill tomato hornworms.
Apparently they love to eat it but can't digest it so they blow up.

This I gotta see.

 

[monarch64]

Hey Kenny, hope the cornmeal works! I just read that you can also spray your plants with a saltwater mixture (2 tbsps. to 1/2 gallon) so you could try that as well. I kind of want to see pics of exploded hornworms...but I kind of don't.

 

[kenny]

I kind of want to see pics of exploded hornworms...but I kind of don't.

Actually, me too.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Can't wait to get ours in the dirt! Cold long winter pushed back our planting season for about two more weeks. We're going small this year, just tomatoes peppers and green beans. We'll see how our artichoke fairs in year three. We transplanted one into our flower garden because they're a gorgeous thistle. Not exactly a vegetable, but we also do a bunch of nasturtiums.

We fostered a great relationship with lady bugs and predatory beetles and wasps We also use sticky traps and Bt for pest control. Oh and slugs YUCK. We manual remove them, either with a quick smashy smashy or cut in two for the birds.

We also plant lavendar to keep the fleas down and peppermint to keep the rodents away, although Mia (the dog) does a fine job on her own.

Last years photos:

 

[monarch64]

Davi, you always have nice gardens. I won some nasturtium starts during class a few weeks ago and I'm so excited to try them! I potted one with a trellis, gave another to my neighbor, and am going to plant the others this weekend although I'm not entirely sure where yet.

Kenny, how did your cornstarch experiment go with the hornworms, or have you tried it yet?