Stickman's Other 2013 Garden- Brassicas and Root Crops Are Up

[holyhotpeppers]

Hi Tim
For the Sungolds, I used a system of plastic coated metal poles with snap-on horizontal stiffeners I got at Wally World last year. The poles are 6 feet long and come in groups of three, and there are enough stiffeners to space them 2 feet apart. I really needed something tall, Lol! The packet said they'd grow to 7 or 8 feet tall, and they would have if I'd given them long enough support. As it was, I cut the primaries when they got to 6 feet tall. The Tomatillos and slicing tomatoes will go into wire cages made from the heavy gauge wire mesh used in concrete.

I've always had a hard time supporting once they are loaded with fruit. I saw this one guy who would just let his tomatoes flop over on the ground and would let them grow that way. They would eventually take root similar to a water melon and keep growing.

Post some pics once your rig is up.

 

[stickman]

Post some pics once your rig is up.

Sure guy... here's a pic from last year. I'll be doing the same thing again.

The white stuff on the ground is shredded paper from my wife's office that I used for mulch. It seemed to work fine for the tomatoes, but it cooled the soil too much, and the squash didn't like it. It languished for a few weeks until I peeled it back.

 

[holyhotpeppers]

Sure guy... here's a pic from last year. I'll be doing the same thing again.

The white stuff on the ground is shredded paper from my wife's office that I used for mulch. It seemed to work fine for the tomatoes, but it cooled the soil too much, and the squash didn't like it. It languished for a few weeks until I peeled it back.

That looks like and sturdy!

 

[stickman]

We got slapped with a cold snap last night... overnight low was 35 degrees, and it looks like it'll continue through tuesday night. I've got some yard-long beans that are itching to get in the ground that'll have to wait until Wednesday at least. The darned things were planted a week ago and are already 6 inches tall! I guess they're vigorous growers for sure...

Also waiting in the wings to transplant are vegetable amaranth

Pickling Cukes

and Korean hobak squash

Last year I made a big mistake by mulching the squash with shredded white paper. It reflected so much sunlight that it cooled the soil to the point that it just languished for 3 weeks until I peeled back the mulch and the soil warmed up enough for it to start to grow. About the time it started to blossom the squash bugs found them, and that was all she wrote. This year I'm going to mulch with black plastic and make up some tobacco tea to nuke the bastiges if they show up again!

 

[stickman]

We had a sunny day yesterday, and overnight low temperatures forecast for the 50's for the next week, so I transplanted out all the things I started in the house out with the exception of the vegetable amaranth. They are still quite tiny, and will need warmer temps to begin to grow really well.
 

 
Last year's experience with plastic solar mulch was so good I decided to try another type that's supposed to be especially beneficial for tomatoes... red plastic mulch. The caged tomatoes in this pic are Japanese Black Trifele. The ones not caged are Sungold cherry tomatoes.

 
These are the slicing tomatoes... Cherokee Purple on the right and "potato leafed" Brandywine Red on the left.

 
The Tomatillo Verde plants are gonna get to be monsters so I thought I'd better cage them too.

 
These are the Eggplant. Thai Masego in front and Italian-style Black Beauty behind.

 
Pickling cukes under the black plastic in this pic, and Genovese Basil next to it.

 
Korean Hobak squash

 
Yard-Long (or Asparagus Beans) planted at the bases of the poles in this pic and bush-type French Filet beans planted between the poles.

 
I hope all had a very productive weekend!

 

[holyhotpeppers]

So Sweet! Is this like a community garden or your own private plot? I really dig the rustic looking barn in the background as it adds so much character!

 

[stickman]

Hi Tim
   It's a community garden for the people who live in our condo association. The barn belongs to the group house next door. There's about a half dozen people living there with MR and MH diagnoses, and they mostly seem to sit around smoking cigarettes and arguing with each other. One guy has Tourette's Syndrome, and he swears at the top of his lungs. At least they leave our veggie gardens alone...

 

[holyhotpeppers]

Thats good. At least his twitch doesn't involve randomly pulling stuff from the ground

 

[stickman]

Hi All!
 
We're getting blossoms on all the 'Maters here, which has me really pumped!
 
Tomatillo Verde

 
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes

 
Black Trifele

 
Brandywine Red

 
Korean Perilla is starting to come up. It's what they call Kkaennip. They make kimchi of the leaves and use them fresh to wrap tidbits of food at picnics (ssam).

 
Over-wintered Scallions are looking good... I've started to harvest them for cooking.

 
Korean Radishes are growing strongly too... I'll thin them to 2 inches apart and when they're bigger, I'll thin them again to 6-8 inches apart and use the thinnings to make spring radish kimchi (yeolmu mulkimchi).

 
Have a great day all!

 

[stickman]

Just a few pics from the veggie garden... I'm amazed at how quickly the Tomatillo Verde has grown. It was waist-high this morning!

 
Yard-Long Beans are growing slowly in the cool temps that we're having ATM, but they are growing.

 
And the Hobak Squash are looking really happy too

 

[Scarecrw]

Hey stick, did the toms arrive safely. I was hoping to see them on your glog My apologies for the late arrival. I took a spill in my greenhouse while trying to open my vents and fell on my potting table and broke 2 ribs. I hope they survive. I threw some seeds in just in case.

 

[stickman]

Hey stick, did the toms arrive safely. I was hoping to see them on your glog My apologies for the late arrival. I took a spill in my greenhouse while trying to open my vents and fell on my potting table and broke 2 ribs. I hope they survive. I threw some seeds in just in case.

Hi Jeff, they just came today. Thanks so much! The Black from Tula was in rocky shape... the stem snapped a couple of inches above the root ball but the other one was just fine. I'd call us square guy if you're happy with the hops. Did you get them in the ground, and how are they growing for you? Mine are 8 feet up the trellis,
 
Sucks that you had that fall... I'm glad it was no worse and hope you feel better soon... bending down to work with your plants is pretty painful with broken ribs.
 
Take care!

 

[Scarecrw]

I just got out to my garden today to check how helpful my son was. He planted 5 of my toms for me and snapped a pic of my hops. Looks like your are doing a lot better.

and the other

hope they come back strong next year.
I will save you some black from tula seeds this fall.
thanks

 

[stickman]

Oh, they will! Lol! They look like they like where you have them, so they should come back for you every year. If you want them to get established quickly you could give them a side dressing of organic fertilizer or water in a couple dilutions of fish emulsion. They're very low maintenance... just give them a pail of compost and cover with mulch every spring before they come up and give the vines a trellis that's 15-20 feet tall. Cheers!

 

[Scarecrw]

I like the fish emulsion but it attracts cats and coons. I tried Milorganite and my dog loves it. It gives him very black stool. I use both now at a very low rate. Thanks for the tip.

 

[stc3248]

Glad I found your "other" grow Rickster! Carry on!

 

[stickman]

Boy, it's been awhile since I've been here... lots going on.
 
The red plastic mulch under the Tomatoes has kick-started them tremendously! The plants outgrew their Tomato Cages a few weeks ago and I had to hammer in some 1x1 inch by 5 foot hardwood stakes to tie the vines onto. I think the mulch doubled their growth rate, and the slicing tomatoes on these plants are huge!

 

 
Yard-long Beans just languished for about 3 weeks in May while we endured below-normal cold weather, but perked up immediately when it finally warmed up.

 
Flower is very orchid-like, and much more purple than shows in this pic.

 
It's set bean pods that are about 18-20 inches long ATM... I'm gonna start harvesting them when they get about as big around as a pencil, and by then they'll probably be 2 feet long.

 
Vegetable Amaranth is also looking great! I've been picking off leaves when they got to the size of the palm of my hand, and it only takes a couple/three days to get enough for a meal. I have 2 kinds planted here, and both are tender and mild enough to use uncooked in salads, or can be cooked like Spinach. If you ever wondered what the Jamaican greens called Callaloo were... this is them.

 

[stc3248]

Love your use of space. A lot to be learned from folks like you and Bonnie that are forced to grow in confined spaces. 

 

[Scarecrw]

2 more plants for next year. My son planted beans and ran string up a 4x4 and they turned out to be bush beans.
I think the amaranth will be a good substitute for lettuce in the summer.
Thanks stick.