• Everything other than hot peppers. Questions, discussion, and grow logs. Cannabis grow pics are only allowed when posted from a legal juridstiction.

Downriver 2022 - Garden Adventures

Tinkerbelle099 said:
What kind of beans you growing River?
Click to expand...

Several different kinds.

Worchester Indian Red (lima)
Kelvedon Marvel (runner)
Achievement (runner)
Pink Tip Greasy (snap)
French Gold (snap)
Old Fashioned Whipporwill (cowpea)
Washday (cowpea)

I grow mainly for variety preservation, but we eat some as well.
 
Planted squash and okra yesterday. The okra is to replace seedlings pulled up by birds. I think I still have time to harvest some pods. I don't plant squash until July 1st, after the squash vine borer season. This has worked out pretty well in the past.

Need to start thinking about Fall garden.
 
I hear you about the birds!! Between the Cardinals, Robins, and occasional daring jay, we haven't had but a mere taste of our strawberries or serviceberries this year.

That's a lot of beans.. Are they all different species, or what do you do for isolation of those?
 
CraftyFox said:
...That's a lot of beans.. Are they all different species, or what do you do for isolation of those?
Click to expand...

Yes, different species, combined with varietal separation. Lima, runner, cowpea and snap. Some are more promiscuous than others, with Limas being the worst. I only plant ONE lima every year.
 
Speaking of beans, some are handling the heat better than others. Most are experiencing flower drop and not setting pods. The exception to that seems to be French Gold, which is a yellow (wax) pole bean. It is setting pods, regardless of temperature. Unfortunately, they also seem to be the Mexican Bean Beetle favorite. With all this rain, both promised and actual, its been hard to spray. Maybe today.

Old Fashioned Whipporwill cowpea in the foreground, French Gold snap climbing the trellis. (lots of weeds down the middle lol)
Beans IMG_20220722_120841043_HDR.jpg
 
Tomatillos are doing great in the heat. These are called Amarylla, a yellow variety. First year growing tomatillos, so it's kind of a learning experience.

Anyway, I was looking at the one on the ground and noticed something else. See it?
Hornworm IMG_20220728_135622558_HDR.jpg

...look closer
Hornworm IMG_20220728_135622558_HDR~2.jpg

Yup, Hornworm. This is one of the larger ones I've "caught". Strange though, no significant damage to the plant.
Hornworm IMG_20220728_140110666~2.jpgHornworm IMG_20220728_140058441~2.jpg
 
French Gold (p. Vulgaris)

This is a new-to-me yellow pole bean that has produced surprisingly well, especially given this years' challenging weather conditions. It has been terribly hot (90+), humid (Heat index 100+), and little rain. Further, this variety has been attacked brutally by Mexican Bean Beatles. Regardless, this bean continues to grow, flower and set pods in an impressive fashion. Might just be a keeper.

Seed source was Renee's Garden. Here is their description:

French Gold - Pole Filet Beans

These hard-to-find, handsome yellow filet pole beans were originally bred by our favorite French seedmen for their domestic market. French Gold are true “haricot verts” beans: classically slim, round 7 to 9 inch pods with delicate, sweet flavor and a crispy snap that makes them especially choice eating. The heavy bearing, vigorous vines yield extra-fancy, juicy pods to enjoy in colorful summer meals over a long season of harvest.

We harvested our first batch the other day. Just over 4 pounds.
Beans - French Gold IMG_20220803_165727821.jpg

We blanched and froze some, but also fixed a pot. Very good tasting bean.
Beans - French Gold IMG_20220804_165725365.jpg
 
Also picked our first tomatoes of the season the other day. They're already long gone. Made a fresh salsa and ate the whole bowl in one sitting lol. Nothing like homegrown tomatoes.

Stupice, Bloody Butcher
Toms Stupice - Bloody B IMG_20220803_165602754.jpgSalsa - first of the year IMG_20220811_183938161.jpg
 
Last edited:
Found this guy sitting on a cowpea leaf. He needs to keep moving along. Destructive little bastiage.

Two-striped Grasshopper
Grasshopper IMG_20220803_120739331_HDR~2.jpgGrasshopper IMG_20220803_120816151_HDR~2.jpg
 
Speaking of cowpeas... As I said earlier, the weather has been pretty extreme so far this year. The excessive heat and humidity has caused a lot of flower drop, but the Whippoorwill cowpea is starting to power through it and set pods. There should be plenty of time for a harvest.

Cowpea - Whipporwill IMG_20220803_120707179~2.jpgCowpea - Whipporwill IMG_20220803_120640028_HDR~2.jpg
 
Saw this guy busy at work the other day. Thread-waisted wasp. They sting their pray to paralyze it. Then, they drag it over to a hole they dug, cram it in, and lay an egg on it. I think you can figure out the rest lol. GOOD bug!

Thread-waisted Wasp

Wasp Thread-Waisted IMG_20220728_150834966_HDR~2.jpg
 
Downriver said:
Amarylla Tomatillo starting to ripen. I've read this yellow variety is kinda rare/hard to find.
Click to expand...
Those look good, DR. I'm curious about how you like them as well. I'm growing the queen of malinalco tomatillo this season, which I haven't grown before. I got a late start though and I'm not expecting a lot of production from them.
 
Last edited:
skullbiker said:
It'll be interesting to find out how they taste compared to the green varieties.
Click to expand...

CaneDog said:
Those look good, DR. I'm curious about how you like them as well....
Click to expand...

Tried these the other day. I would say the yellows are sweeter, more mellow, less tangy than the green ones. They still taste like a tomatillo though. I like them! Make a great salsa.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top