Just Terrible

 I planted like 30 tomato plants. Surely I should be awash in tomatoes, right? Nope. I've gotten tomatoes from like 2 plants. What went wrong? I think the problems are deer and chipmunks. Chipmunks chewed through the stems of three plants. Deer completely violated the plants out in the rock garden. But even with that issue, I should have gotten some tomatoes since they can't quite get at the whole plant thanks for the concrete reinforcing wire cages. But I have not see a red tomato. I think the culprits are chipmunks. I've definitely seen them scurrying away from the tomatoes. In the end, tomatoes were an utter disappointment. If I want to have some sort of tomato harvest next year I am going to need to come up with anti-deer/anti-chipmunk measures. I think I could put up some posts and wire to keep the deer at bay. But the chipmunks are going to be a bit tougher. Maybe some chicken wire around the cages?

Zucchini did pretty poorly this year as well. I got a few, but < 10. Out of like 7 plants. Only a couple of the plants did well getting started, and they're all completely gone now.

Cucumbers did poorly as well. I got basically one small harvest. They seemed to suffer from the heat and dried out way too fast even with religious daily watering.

Hot peppers did ok, I've picked a lot of them. Made some powder, froze some green chile and long hots. Probably the star of the garden this year.

Plans for next year:

• Deer proofing absolutely required 

•  Chipmunk proofing methods needed 

•  The peppers need bigger pots. Need to find a source of decent pots, maybe get a yard of compost or something to fill them. 

•  Better soil and mulching for everything in pots, especially cukes. Maybe a better location for cucumbers. 

•  A berry planter. The strawberries were good, though only got a few, and likely chipmunks ate a few. Maybe a shelter of some sort for them.

I didn't do anything with the planters out front along the driveway this year. Might plant some kale out there this weekend. 

Thinking a lot about maybe a hydroponic setup in the basement. I can afford decent lights and would be cool to get some basil, maybe strawberries or something.

As always, my battle cry is NEXT YEAR!

Current Tomato Setup aka Kiiiiiiind of Overdoing It

 I got my first tomato this morning! A little ping pong ball sized beauty hidden in the foliage by the driveway. I took a glance at the blog here to see which type it was and to my horror realized I didn't have a map. I mean, I have one, I'm not a maniac. But I didn't have it online. So I made a nice map for my self based on my sketches in the ol' garden notebook.

Couple notes. This morning's first tomato was an A Grappoli d'Invierno. Very prolific. The "hole" in the Rock Garden map between the Cherokee Purples in the front center is a little stump. Too big to get out easily. So I left it and put landscape fabric over it. Which has been a great decision! Keeps the weeds in check. The dotted green circle in the upper right of the lower section of the rock garden is actually not in the ground yet, haven't even dug the hole. But soon! It's still in the trough that I originally planted it in. Of the remaining plants, it's the biggest, strongest, most powerful one. Even already has fruit on it. Will it survive? Good question. The current 5 on the right in the lower section of the rock garden bed are doing not so great. Partly no doubt due to it being in the 90s here the last couple days since I planted them. And I waited too long to transplant. And there's a metal pot placed over another tree stump in the middle of that area - maybe that gets too hot for the plants? Unsure. I _think_ they'll make a comeback. Also the top right Roma in the upper bed is sagging a bit as if it's not getting enough water. I think they could all do with some mulch of some sort to help hold the water in. I will see about that this weekend. All told 32 plants. The odd one is a Roma in a bucket.

To Do List:

• Plant some basil somewhere
• Build strawberry bed out of salvaged 4" x 4" by 10' posts from the fenced in garden. Where to put it?
• Transplant strawberries there
• Figure out where to put Serviceberries (3) and Blueberries (3).  Blueberries seem very happy. Serviceberries somewhat less so. On got attacked by a deer a little bit. They might have a rough time of things. Blueberries also need soil modification - Sarah says sulfur maybe??
• Find a spot for the Roma in the bucket?
• Clean out the back section of the rock garden. Perhaps load that up with zucchini.
• Clean out the back left section of the rock garden. Perhaps basil? If not find some place for basil. Containers?
• Clean out 4 stone planters by the driveway. One has garlic, that doesn't need to be cleaned out. One has kale that has gone to seed. I'm gonna let it, then maybe replant with those seeds. The one nearest the house has a metal mesh surrounding it, that will contain beans. The other two will be... I dunno. Strawberries didn't see to do well there. It is hot, and it is full sun. Either need some shadecloth or need to figure out something that likes that.
• Maybe lettuce in the little side bed in the back? Neighbor put up a 6' tall plastic fence. At any rate this needs to be cleaned out and harvest the rather-unlikely-to-have-produced-anything garlic in that bed. Maybe spinach?
• Old potting shed that I never used completely rotted out and fell over. Burn the remnants and maybe build a new one? Thinking more like a shelter for tools, shovels and the like.

Getting warm out

Finally getting warm out. A bit before the first frost date, but weather.com suggests we're not gonna have any temps below about 50 in the next few weeks, so I think we're in the clear. I've been hardening off the seedlings for two days now. Yesterday was just for a couple hours, today was most of the day - they seemed happy enough. Last week I planted zucchini.

They're coming up already, woot woot! Winner for first sprouts is Fordhook.

I also planted a few tomatoes outside. Cherokee Purple in front, Black Cherry in the back.

Lots of tomato seedling left to go. Gave away 5 to Jill. May see if the neighbor wants any, I think I promised him a Cherokee Purple.

All of em!

Batch 1

Batch 2

Batch 3

Couple kale plants still left over from last year. I pulled a few that were moldy in the middle. The stems are like 2" across, huuuuge.

Kale

Garlic is looking amazing.

 

I bought some landscape fabric. The weeds in the rock garden can be insane. Going to put out some tomatoes up there, hopefully the deer don't feast on them.

Like 10% done

Got the fabric at the local mom and pop hardware store. They also had strawberries (Honeoye) and long hot peppers (maybe a local Philly thing?? I never find seeds for these.)

Junebearing Strawberries

We're off!

 As usual I have procrastinated, but since I targeted starting so early, I'm actually right on track. I guess that counts as a life hack! Anyway, I have started quite a number of different tomatoes and peppers. I've got seven fiberglass tough planters (like a long window planter) under the fluorescents right now and they're doing very well so far. One planter has a ton of weeds in it, but the rest seem good so far. I used clear packing tape to stick labels written in sharpie on the side of the planters. Will they stay stuck on? Will they fade? Who can say!

Seeds starting under lights

Have I mentioned garlic? I have 55 garlic bulbs and they look great so far! I'm optimistic for a nice haul of garlic this year.

One of the hardneck garlic beds

Some tomato seedlings already putting on extra sets of leaves.

The soil I have the seedlings in is somewhat sandy and seems to dry out pretty quickly. I need to keep on top of watering.

Gardenfest 2023 review/2024 preview

Update from 6/23/2023 - My prep this year was decidedly lacking. Rather than beat myself up over it, I decided to just roll with it. Last year I was very aggressive about bringing in pepper plants - 28 of them made it into the basement. Whereas last year things went swimmingly, with almost all plants making it through, this year it looks like only 8 made it. And whereas last year they really took off within a week of being put outside, these 8 survivors seem to be a bit less vigorous. Last year the overwinter leaves kind of fell off and new leaves popped up everywhere. This year the regrowth seems much more subdued.

Today, 03/10/2024 - Last year was unimpressive. I got a few zucchini (planted late, did not keep up with them well). Tomatoes were pathetic. Definitely focusing on other things. This year, as I perpetually say, will be different. There is at least some hope that I may do a better job. I've already started some peppers and I'm working on tomatoes today. I've cleaned out some of the spider webs in the basement (lol, what a metaphor!), and I've got my first batch of peppers under lights. 

The hot pepper selection was interesting. I dug through my last 12 years of seed packets and came up with the following that I started last weekend:

• Poinsetta - None sprouted.
• Hungarian Hot Wax - None sprouted.
• Caperino - None sprouted.
• Pablano - None sprouted.
• Habanero - None sprouted.
• Sweet Banana - None sprouted.
• Pepperoncini - None sprouted.
• Tabasco - None sprouted.
• Buena Mulata
• Cayenne
• Datil
• Korean Dark Green 

So only the last four sprouted. Maaaaaybe I'll get some of those. I think my problem is that I have a lot of old seeds.

Today I also planted 

• Serrano
• Jalapeno
• Anaheim/Big Jim - a New Mexico type of chile

Went a lot heavier on these than the other types, these are the ones I enjoy the most. I really, really hope the New Mexican type of green chiles do well, I'd like to get a big enough harvest to justify getting a roaster. A hand cranked, propane fired roaster would be really fun, and a great way to prep them. 

Spent some time today deciding which types of tomato to plant.

• YES - Rutgers - These are reliable.
• YES - Black Vernissage - See how they stack up to Cherokee Purple
• YES - Brandywine - Low output but maybe do 1.
• YES - Beefsteak - Low output but maybe do 1.
• YES - Spoon - These are fun.
• YES - Black Cherry - Pretty, good flavor. Get loads of tomatoes.
• YES - Yellow Pear - Yes, looking for a nice range of cherry colors this year.
• YES - Roma - Doing sauce mostly, so yes.
• YES - A Grappoli D'Invierno - Got a lot of these.
• YES - San Marzano - Mostly using them for sauce, so no brainer here. 
• YES - Cherokee Purple - My favorite!
• YES - Napa chardonnay - Yeah, doing a rainbow of cherry tomatoes.
• YES - Green Doctors - Yeah, doing a rainbow of cherry tomatoes.
• YES - Red Cherry, Large Fruited - Yeah, doing a rainbow of cherry tomatoes.
• YES - Sungold - A great cherry variety.

Decided against these.

• NO - Brandywine Pink - Low output.
• NO - Gezahnte - I don't think these fared well.
• NO - Mortgage Lifter - Never get much from these

The two major themes this year are cherry tomatoes - I want a nice variety of colors, and tomato sauce, so somewhat of a preference for paste types. I also am being less tolerant of varieties that produced poorly. I want to make up for my lack of tomatoes last year and see if I can have a great year.

Other things on the agenda for... soonish... eggplant, ground cherries, and huckleberries.

Another big theme this year is berries. I had elderberries for a few years, but they got lost in the backyard jungle and never saw them again. The black raspberries that used to be everywhere in the back are largely gone. I think the jungle swallowed them up as well. Last fall I hired a landscaper to clear the back yard. Expensive, but the change is very dramatic. I will definitely have some extra space for plants.

Another berry project - I took cuttings from a blackberry bramble at the community garden and put them in water. They're sprouted nicely, I will see if I can start them in soil soon. I also put some blueberries and blackberries from work and put them in the freezer. Will defrost them soon and see if I can grow plants from the seeds. And finally will need to hit the nurseries in the area to see what else I can scrounge up. Strawberries would be awesome, but I think I will try a variety of things if I can find them.

Some scavenged photos of the mediocre attempt that was 2023...

Peas

Got some peas at least

Tomato seedlings. NONE came up.

Baby zuke

Zukes always give me something for my effort

Yum

My one tomato. Miserable! Got a few at least.

Lotta kale.

Okra flower. I got some pods but I think I left them on the plant too long.

Non-Pepper Post

 This was a big pepper day so I think I will separate out non-pepper content.

Tomatoes are still coming along, but have slowed down dramatically. I picked a couple today, along with eating a few black cherry tomatoes off the vine. Once again I saw a nice Hungarian heart tomato coming along right outside my bathroom window. Yesterday it was reddening, but I thought, heck, one more day. This was a mistake, because I looked today and someone ate half of it. Not sure who the critters are, need to get my trail cam up. Black Cherry tomatoes are a real superstar this year. Every time I go out there are a dozen ready to pick, and there must be over 100 left on the vine. Never see any pests bothering them. The Roma and the A'Grappoli D'Invierno (right beside each other) appear to be suffering from Septoria leaf spot.

Septoria Leaf Spot I think

Herbs are starting to do very well. Dill and Oregano are really springing to life. Basil is VERY happy, and I've already made a pint of pesto with it. More to come soon!

Dill

Oregano took its sweet time, but looking good now!

Starting to flower, boo!

Big leaves on the Lettuce Leaf Basil

Zucchini had been struggling. Last one I got was 8/23, but pulled this one today. I may get a few more, they're like gold now.

Long Beans done. Not a huge fan.

The new cuke setup.

Chuggin' Along

 Ho-LEE-Cow. I have been watching a nice tomato for days now as it slowly ripens. Yesterday I thought, huh. Maybe I should pick it. I did not. This morning I looked and it looked like something had eaten like half of it. I'm not 100% sure who took the first bite, but caught this beastie dining tonight.

Slug :-(

The offender was capture and I executed summary judgement immediately. But one less tomato for me. Seeing a lot of my ripe ones getting eaten. Not sure what the culprit is, but maybe slugs, chipmunks, mice.

Lately my enthusiasm for ripe tomatoes has started to dip a bit. I've had some good ones already. My usual MO is to try to grow a zillion different varieties, which is fun for sure, but I think that's not the way to go, at least for next year. there are a couple big winners that will definitely return in 2023.

1. Black Cherry. So good! And ridiculously prolific. 
2. Sungold. Didn't grow them this year and I miss them.
3. Roma. I had all of one Roma plant and it did great. Didn't seem to suffer pests or disease so far.
4. Cherokee Purple. The best! Not super prolific, but I've had a bunch already.
5. A Grappoli D'Invierno. Super prolific. Not my favor tasting tomato, but easy for saucification.

Ones that will likely not come again next year.

1. Mortgage Lifter. Not prolific at all.
2. Gehznte. Gotten zero. Maybe something taking green ones.
3. Hungarian Heart. None ripe yet, lol.
4. Spoon. Fun, interesting, tasty, but something eats them before I do. Maybe if I can cage it completely somehow.

I got what I suspect will be my last zucchini today. Gotten 43 lbs so far, more would be a waste. Powdery mildew is rampant. Next year maybe I will succession plant so I'm ready to tear out and plant new ones. The Rampicantes are cool, but not as tasty.

Big Pick

 The older boy back from school in faraway lands, so have neglected the garden a bit. Have definitely kept up with watering, otherwise it'd be all shriveled and brown, but I'm much overdue for a pick. I think some tomatoes have gone bad and there are a ton that are at least ready to pick. So today I pick. The haul so far:

• 756g of Jalapeño Peppers
• 264g Anaheim Peppers
• 5g Cayenne (hah, just one nice and red)
• 215g Long Beans (like a foot long!)
• 1682g Roma
• 1240g A Grappoli D'Invierno
• 698g Black Cherry (minus the ones I've snacked on, kept up with these better)
• 248g Beit Cukes
• 483g Brandywine Tomato
• 921g Cherokee Purple Tomato
• 1065g Hungarian Tomato
• 972g Beefsteak Tomato

For a grand total of 1.025kg peppers (2.26lbs) and 7.061kg tomatoes (15.5 lbs). There were another couple pounds that were overripe and squishy. And there are plenty more still on the vines.

A big chunk of the harvest today

Some of the veggies I have not pictured before.

Anaheim Pepper

Hungarian Tomato

Beefsteak Tomato

Brandywine Tomato

Cayenne Pepper

Long Beans

Nice haul!

 Some very nice tomatoes coming in. The first Cherokee Purple was just about ready. In a perfect world I would have let it sit another day or two, but in the chipmunk infested hellscape that I live in, better safe than sorry.

Weighing in at 354g (12.5 oz)

I was shocked by how many Black Cherry tomatoes were ripe. I picked 330g (11.6 oz) of them today.

Black cherry, yum

Picked a few that on my map are labelled A Grappoli D'Invierno, but those are oblong and small, so they are most likely mislabelled. I think they are probably Rutgers.

Rutgers

Also pulled some more actual A Grappoli D'Invierno. A few Roma are close to ready, as are a Beefsteak or two. Some of the prettier green ones:

A Grappoli D'Invierno

Allegedly Hungarian, but can't be.

Roma

Black Cherry on the vine

Gezahntne - neat shape

As usual, there are also some problems. Starting to see a bit more powdery mildew on the zucchini. this is usually not such a problem for me, but usually the vine borers have finished me off by now. I have not been as attentive in pruning dead/yellowing leaves lately, perhaps that contributes to the problem.

Powdery Mildew

Something likes cucumbers. Mice? Chipmunks? I don't think it's one big deer bite.

Cucumber got eaten

New batch of cukes to the rescue! Most came up, if I can get them vining up a trellis or wire or something, I think they will be in better shape than the ones out front.

Herbs are a mixed bag. The Genovese Basil is doing great. The Lettuce Leaf Basil seems to be doing well, but not too many plants. Basil is ok, but some of it looks like it withered, maybe not watering in time, or maybe watering with the hose made them unhappy. It is pretty intense, they probably don't like that. Oregano I have no idea. I think some of the little teensy plants in there are Oregano. But unclear.

Genovese Basil

Lettuce Leaf Basil

I placed a small plastic tray of water down by the stems of the Rampicante, and since then no more rodent damage. Maybe it worked? *shrug* Some actual zucchini coming along, fun shapes.

Zucchino rampicante

Still getting zucchini! Thank you bt! The official tally is 27.7 lbs, but I know for sure I missed weighing some, probably more like 30 lbs.