Weekly Garden Thread - June 24-30, 2023 [Talkin' Tomatoes Edition]

June 24, 2023 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.

If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located.

This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.

It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. Planting, Harvest to Table Recipes, Preserving, Good Living - there is no telling where it will go - and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our New & Improved Ping List.

NOTE: This is a once a week Ping List. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time!

[daniel1212]

Greetings from southern New Hampshire!

Greetings from rainy southern New Hampshire? Thank God anyway.

[Bob434]

Wa8ting eagerly for yellow squash and zucchini- we use them before they get huge, slice and boil, then add butter salt and pepper- I’m not a big veggie person but do love yellow squash this way. (Green beans and carrots too). Summer is the only time I get any real veggies

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

ABUNDANCIA! TO RETURN TO THE JUNE 17- 23 2023 WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD!
CLICK ON ONE OF THE TOMATOES IN THIS PICTURE OF A HAPPY GROUP CANNING PARTY!

Pollard's F/R profile page is the location of his Prepper links and Data Base and contains the Gardening Resource files. Click on the Open Book in the picture to link to his homepage to escape Valencia and LaTomatino!

[Bon of Babble]

I've found the best tomatoes to grow in my hot, dry climate are cherry tomatoes - the volunteers seem to be especially good. My uncle tried to grow beefhearts for years with poor results, they prefer the midwest climate to ours.

Our hot weather hasn't set in yet - Thank God. But we know it's coming so I've been busy putting down mulch - my city has piles of it for free (they no longer deliver) - either a coarse or fine grind. That is my gardening chore (a big one) for the week.

Meanwhile, we are getting good results from all the rain we had this past season:

Grapes are setting on, more than I've ever seen:

Same for figs - which ripen all at once:

This pink angel's trumpet is blooming for the first time in a decade:

I have so many lemons I recently sent a box back East where they're very expensive:

I bought a bag of rotting lily bulbs at the local garden store - for I think $1.00 - I ended up planting them anyway and was surprised they came up (I haven't had much luck with them in the past):

And my helper, taking a break - the other one was in the house hiding under the bed:

[Qiviut]

Made it to the garden this morning - everything is growing like crazy after the 1.5 inches of rain we got from 4 am Wednesday (rain most if the day Wed/Thur), ending with a T-storm downpour yesterday.

All the plants in the new herb bed look happy. My spaghetti squash is growing - a couple have gotten stripes. Dragon Egg cuke is loaded (here, there be dragons!). Jalapeños have peppers - might have enough for a batch of poppers. The dark purple dahlias are blooming like crazy - still waiting on other colors (they do have buds).

My dad’s tractor & his hunting clothes left for a new home today - mixed emotions for sure. Waiting for word/pics they arrived safely.

Got to finish cleaning out the PU bed today. I shoveled a yard of dirt last Saturday & while I had a tarp in the bed, dirt escaped. I had a bit of heat exhaustion & parked the truck in the horse barn aisle so the escaped dirt wouldn’t turn to mud in the rain. Today is the day to “deal” with the situation.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Aw! So Sorry about your Suzy!

[metmom]

This is the first year in about ever that I have not planted tomatoes.

I have so many canned that I didn’t need to, so I am focusing on other veggies.

And it looks just as well with the weird weather we’re having. With all this moisture, the blight would destroy the crop anyways.

[Pollard]

My Chadwick Cherry that was 42" tall last week is now as tall as the cattle panels, 50" and has a couple of clusters of little green maters.

But here comes the heat!

I'll be putting the 40% shade cover over the garden.

[Pollard]

1. Blossom End Rot
2. Blossom Drop
3. Fruit Cracks
4. Sunscald
5. Poor Fruit Set
6. Catfacing
7. Leaf Roll
8. Puffiness
9. Early Blight
10. Viral Diseases
11. EXTREME HEAT ???

That misting with water idea is starting to sound good.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“I have a big crop of tomatillos on two plants. Any advice on trellising or trimming them back?”

I’ve only grown them a time or two, but as I only had one plant at a time, I just let them flop.

Three ways to do it, with just a basic wooden stake/support as the cheapest and most efficient. They say tomato cages are good for support IF you get them on when the plants are small.

https://www.bountifulgardener.com/do-tomatillo-plants-need-cages-ways-to-support-tomatillos/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

So sorry for your loss. 18 years is a long time to have a pet - lots of fond memories, I’m sure. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks, Pete!

[waterhill]

A good life. We just lost Oscar at 17 and 6 months. She was my hunting buddy at the farm. She would follow me to the tree stand and go up with me.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Grapes and Figs and Lemons! Nice! That how California is supposed to be! (Angle trumpet...Nicotinia?)

[Qiviut]

The tractor has arrived safely - had to traverse some mountain foothills & the last couple of miles were over very curvy, hilly roads with one lane bridges & barely room for two cars, much less the truck/trailer & other vehicles. The torch has passed - got a pic of my dad’s great-grandson (2 yo), sitting on the tractor. One day, he & his little brother, who is named after my dad, will be driving that tractor. 💕

[hoosiermama]

I’m back. Garden is doing well. Picked first cauliflower, peas, kale, spinach, lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

[DuncanWaring]

Any thoughts on good companion plants for squash/cucurbits, aside from corn and beans?

[FamiliarFace]

So sorry for the loss of your Suzy! Sounds like she lived fully!

[daniel1212]

I bought a bag of rotting lily bulbs at the local garden store - for I think $1.00 - I ended up planting them anyway and was surprised they came up (I haven't had much luck with them in the past):

Nice. I planted some flower seeds but do not know what they were. Slow growing:

[numberonepal]

Thanks for the ping Diana. My harvest is in. All I have going now are Seminole pumpkins, watermelons, bush beans and okra.