23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
3"? From this day forward, keep a daily eye on them. Don't look for 8-9" heads -- you may not get them. Look for the florets starting to separate. Just a bit of separation, harvest it. Don't cut TOO low on the main stalk as the nodes below the harvest cut is where the sides shoots will form. Once they start to separate, that's it -- it's actually a little past it's prime. So, from there, you know that you want to harvest the other heads just a bit sooner.
Once separated, they'll start to bolt. .I've never noticed a drastic change in taste on bolted broccoli, but the stalks will become woody. Flowers? Well past picking time.
The smaller shoots are just like the main head. They do tend to bolt quicker, so every few days, go out and harvest or check.
After a while you get the feel when a head or shoot is ready. Nice and tight--- good. Separation--- bad.
Side shoots will continue. Just harvest before separation. I've had broccoli go all summer and fall with side shoots. Water well and mulch heavily when it really heats up.
Kevin
This post was edited by woohooman on Tue, May 6, 14 at 12:58
Broccoli needs to be harvested when the individual florets start to separate and before they start looking like they're going to split open. Don't wait for them to reach a specific size. That way lies bolting.
The taste of broccoli depends on the weather. Heat will make the heads and sprouts strong-tasting. Production of side shoots depends largely on the variety. The plant should start to produce side shoots, if it does, after the main head is cut. Production will fall off in the heat of summer. If you leave some varieties until fall, they start up again.
Zuchini -probably bush style, will give you the huge leaves that you are looking for. The bush style will look fuller. In that size pot you should also get some harvest.
There is also an early white bush scallop (its an heirloom) that would be full sized with big leaves by July if planted now-and the squash is delicious.
Mary think about Sweet Potatoes, even the ornamentals. Many different color leaves than mix and match quite attractively. Bright Lites Chard is another attractive one in a mixed arrangement tho I'm not sure if you can find transplants for it still.
Good luck with the display.
Dave
Same here - 16-18" in the gardens. I have planted 2 much closer together in a 15-20 gallon container but they didn't produce nearly as well. Of course that may have been partly the fact they were in a container too.
I don't know if sun scald is as beg an issue in Ohio as further south but if the plant gets the proper nutrients it should shade itself.
I have had occasional sun scorching here in N Ohio, but it's not a problem as it only hits a couple peppers every few years. And I have never had a disease problem with peppers.
Lately, we have gone to growing the small, sweet chilies and only a few bell peppers. We save the seeds every year. They have thick walls like a bell pepper and taste sweeter. They average 2" to 3" long, are early and prolific, and the small ones can be eaten like gum drops as they are uvirtually seedless. We have red, yellow, and orange, and use them just like bell peppers except for stuffing. If I'm activee enough this winter, I will try to offer some on the seed exchange.
What I actually like to do with beans, squash and cukes is start them in styrofoam or plastic cups with holes poked in the bottom. Throw them on a heat mat until they sprout then immediately move them outside for a few weeks until they have a few sets of leaves on them. Then I transplant them to the garden. I find a bulb planter works great for creating a cup-sized hole.
Apparently beans etc don't like having their roots disturbed, but I've never had a problem with this method. Probably helps that I don't let them get large enough to get root-bound. I find that I get much better results doing this than direct planting seeds, especially in the spring when germination can take much longer outside. By moving the plants outside as soon as they sprout I avoid having to harden them off.
Since the plants that did well actually like or at least tolerate a high pH, I'd suspect you have a pH issue. Usually, southwestern soil is quite alkaline.
Also, did you fertilize? The yellowing leaves could be iron, which goes along with high pH, or nitrogen.
Soil test or at least a soil pH would really help.
Soil ph test read 6-7 range with a few areas registering 4-5. This was done on an electric ph and moisture meter. Since I last posted, my tomatoes have been doing much better. In fact, everything except the pepper plants, which are still very yellow (they are blossoming though) has improved. the green onions have new growth and this time the tips of the leaves have not burned off. They are staying green. The top 12 inches of soil still dries up quick and the clay soil below still is very wet. Thanks for all the assistance guys.
Andy
Pull it. Most people only grow kale for one season. You could get some more pickings off those plants but there will be diminishing returns. Better to stick them on the compost heap, dig over the soil, add amendments and grow something else there. (Not another Brassica). Put the next lot of kale elsewhere. I don't know when you'd need to sow it in your climate. Here I sow in early June and plant out in July to overwinter.
Fertilizers are like cleaners/soaps. They take the same cleaner and market for various uses. So goes for the fertilizers. Add or subtract from a given NPK and market it for orchids, tomatoes, roses et cetera. The trace elements shown in the analysis is not going to harm anything in small amounts.
I would use the one in question in 1/2 strength, occasionally on just about anything I want until it is all gone.
I'm over here in Portland, and not sure exactly how similar and different our weather is, other than the very basics.
About a week ago we went from our typical spring, wet, cloudy and cool weather to two days of really hot blazing sun in the upper eighties/ low nineties. Gah....felt hotter that it really was, I didn't adapt well either. LOL
Your second photo looks like that might be what happened. Sun burned because the change was so sudden and drastic. Same as if one brought new seedlings out of a nice humid, coolish green house, plopped the babies in hot sun and just left them there. This is the part where reading about harding plants off is the correct chapter.
Obviously with plants growing outdoors already, the solution there is noticing ( being there in the middle of the day) and putting up a shade cover temporally, since once the plants have a chance to adapt slowly, they would be fine with most weather changes.
The 'hot flash' that happened in my back garden dropped several established perennials and my hydrangea on those days . They were still to new after the winter dormancy and freshly emerged so couldn't keep water pumped up in their leaves. This happens in this particular spot each year we get an unusual heat spell too early. So I did remember to grab all the babies in pots ( lucky I happened to have that day off ) and move them to the shade, and they came through just fine. The plants that did get the worst of it are fine now, a little damage on the edge of a few leaves, but we have a whole season for new growth and now everything will have more time to adjust to sun increases gradually. Our clouds are back and the auto-watering system from the sky is working just fine. ;-)
If that's what happened to your cute little lettuce there, I would expect the new growth to be fine and no long term concerns on this front..
The first photo looks like something is munching on the leaves ( more that the more minor sun damage). Baby slugs ?
Or what are your more common garden munchers over on your side of the state ?
This post was edited by plaidbird on Sun, May 4, 14 at 23:14
I am on the edge of zones 6a and 5b, and I just started my sugar baby watermelons and cantaloupe in pots indoors. They sprout quickly in my plant room. My last frost date is April 30. I usually plant them outside in containers at the end of May. By August I get melons. I agree that you have time to reseed. Melons are very sensitive to root disturbance. They need to be transplanted into the garden before they start to vine. If they are too big when you do that, they will be permanently set back.
OK, guys, you convinced me) I dig the seeds that I jut planted yesterday out of the big pots and seeded them again in the small ones, like last year. Reseeding is not an option - I am out of seeds and do not want to pay $5-10 delivery charge for a pack of the same seeds, and I do not want to risk a different one. To tell you the truth, I only had success with melon last year. Year before it was eaten by cucumber beetles. So last year I seeded three pots, with intention to use 2 in my cucumber chamber(insect screen over 7' high greenhouse like structure with net trellis ). And one should be just unfortunate and go to grow in a compost pile(most likely upside down). I was already walking to compost pile, when my husband (plant rescuer) stopped me. He said, it is unfair to throw it away and I should plant it. So I asked where EXACTLY I should plant it, and looked at the garden, where paths between beds are not more then a foot wide, and all beds are full. So he looked at turnips we already started to eat and said - here, here is an empty spot! I started to laugh, right, melon would grow between turnips! But to make him happy I made a hole and planted the poor melon. I covered the bed back with insect cover against cabbage flies(to save my turnips) and forgot about it. I eventually took the cover off when turnips were all gone to find a lot of female and male flowers on the melon.I left it open and forgot about it again. 11 melons, around 2 pounds each - sweet, as it can be from late July to start of September - I guess it was its way to say thank you)
Two other melons were overtaken by cucumbers, produced one apple size melon in august(despite my hand pollination, I guess I am a little too heavy for a bee) ), got sick and died quietly.
So from now on, turnips is only place where I grow melons))
This post was edited by galinas on Sun, May 4, 14 at 21:04
I had this type of land when I lived in SW OK. When I bought my 5 acres the soil would crack so wide in the dry summers that you could fall in. When it rained you couldn't walk around because it was a slippery mess and stuck to your boots until they fell off.
After a couple of years of piling up tons of stall cleanings from the horses on every part of the property it was fertile and had beautiful top soil. I literally dumped wheelbarrows full everywhere and let them compost in place. My peach trees were amazing!
What I'm saying is that if you want to start a garden area for the long haul, starting with a truckload of horse manure and wait until it's fully composted to use that area of the garden. In the meantime a small, raised bed with bought soil and compost should do great. I'm not sure you even have to dig down. In fact, digging down may cause your drainage to be far worse.
I have my current raised beds on the surface of extremely compacted clay and after four years of amendments I'm finally starting to be able to dig down into the surface of the soil.
Thanks for the replies!
My plan now is to wait for the rain forecast for this weekend to wet my dirt, which usually makes it crumbly, then mix it with the garden soil I've bought.
Oddly enough, I've encountered a lot of earthworms while digging this trench. I wonder if they are related to the batch of nightcrawlers that I dumped in my compost heap the first year? They are on the other side of the yard, most of which is covered by plastic sheets and dirt on top of the sheets.
Since these things are said to grow from a tuberous root that can be overwintered, I brought mine indoors in its pot for the winter, I think (!!!???)
Well, I lost it -- literally. I can't find where in the house I stashed the pot, which is pretty large (about an 14" diameter tub).
I know I brought it in for the winter -- it's a fairly distinctive pot, and it's nowhere to be found outside.
And, I swear I remember hauling it indoors on a cold, blustery Sunday in mid-October with a hand truck.
I was sneaking things in the house that day -- I had emergency abdominal surgery the week before for a hernia, and wasn't allowed to lift anything over 8 lbs. But, you know how guys are .... so, whenever I had the opportunity and the family wasn't looking, so they didn't yell at me, I brought stuff in by dragging, pushing, shoving, etc.
But, it's been a real mystery and puzzle to me what happened to my big pot with the Chayote root in it.
Oh well, I picked up 3 more sprouty looking fruits at the grocery store the other day!
I'm in Idaho and decided to try growing Chayote/Mirliton this year. Our summers are rather hot in the summer...I'm talking 110*F in the shade sometimes, but our winters and springs can be surprisingly cold.
It took me forever to get some Chayote squash. Local stores had none even though we have a good sized ethnic group living here... yet none of the stores had these. I finally found some sprouted fruit on Ebay of all places. I bought 2 and the seller sent me 3. I'm having to make do with the containers I have so I used a used pot for the largest chayote. Because I was setting this in my window sill I didn't want it to drain water all over the place so I stuck the pot in a plastic folgiers container... and used a plastic bag from a thing of dog treats as a make shift green house. The other two chayote I just stuck in paper beverage cups. Well hmmm the chayote in the big pot nested in the plastic folgers container is doing really well! btw.. I put the fat sprouted end up and the pointy end down. The other two... not so much. I got online to see why this might be. I read where Chayote should be placed in the ground AFTER the soil reaches 65*F. I suspect that the reason the one did so well is because I basically made a greenhouse for the roots by sticking the pot in the folgers container. Today upon inspection I see that one of the 2 in the beverage cups is not doing anything... the other is trying to bud. I recently planted an azalea so I used it's pot and some more soil... and another Folgers container... If my thinking is correct this baby should be going bonkers soon.
I plan to plant mine on the south facing side of my house and garage in big containers and allow them to grow up and over to help shade the place. If I get fruits it would be a bonus. I'll try to report back with results.
You might want to ask over on the Fruits and Orchards forum and see if the growers there have experience with them. Like Wayne said I would speculate the winter cold is the issue since GG is normally a temperate zone variety for further south growing.
Dave
That what I was trying to do - post it in fruit and orchards... But some how it posted it here two times in a row( Sorry for the spam)