How is your garden doing so far?

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi jlmann,

Thanks for the encouragement & the info. I will try to get more seeds & then try a few d1fferent experiments. It will be useful for the years to come, especially if they really are as good as everyone says! I'VE GOT TO TRY THEM ---I'm CRAVING THEM!! GIVE me BRANDYWINES.......!!!!!

Well, seriously, I will try a cold frame, floating fleece. reflective foil & MAYBE all 3 together ---I will SUCEED....................eventually!! WHEN ???? I'll keep you posted!

Happy Gardening

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[Southern Gardener]

My garden was looking good until Sunday. We had 2 1/2" of rain and it was under water. My brandywine tomatoes flopped over so I'll stake those tonight. We have more rain in the forecast this week. We don't need anymore rain right now!!!

 

[jlmann]

Hattie - Best of luck to you with the brandywines! Really the only way is by , like you said , experimenting. You'll have to figure out what works best for them in your garden. For years I tried to grow potatoes in our hard-as-rock clay soil with no luck at all until finally I dug a ditch, layed seed potatoes in the bottom and filled it with compost/mulch. POTATOES!!!!! Only way to grow them here! I do have one idea for you with the tomatoes though. If you have an old storm window or any old window you could lean it against a southern facing wall and plant the seeds in a tray behind it. On warm days you could move it, leave it in place on cold days and it would be really easy to enclose the ends on cold nights. Just a thought. Good luck with the Brandywines! and definately keep us posted on how they do.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi jlmann

Right, I can do that -- got an old window -- just have to get the seeds now. Thanks for the suggestion. Any more suggestions out there??? My great Brandywine experiment MUST HAPPEN :tools :watering :coolsun

WISH ME LUCK !!

HAPPY GARDENING EVERYONE!!

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[warmfuzzies]

I have potatoes coming up! I am very excited, this is my first time growing potatoes. I am also growing peas for the first time. I was outside planting onion sets and some flowers, but it is SO hot today, I thought I would go back out tonight and try it when it is cooler. I am also going to try some Cold Set tomatoes direct seeded.

 

[digitS']

Well, Hattie, you asked for help one too many times:

Consider growing Prudens Purple. Johnny's describes it as an "early Brandywine type" but I don't know for sure how closely it compares to Brandywine. I've never grown Brandywines and gardeners don't seem to grow it around here.

Prudens isn't really purple, it's pink. It is a real fine tomato. I grew it for a couple of years but it ripens just before frost here so about half the crop has to ripen on the kitchen counter instead of out in the warm, Summer sun. Honestly, it isn't as quick as 67 days but it should be a good deal earlier than just about any full-sized beefsteak heirloom. And, I've never seen or heard anyone with an unkind word to say about it .

Steve

edited to add: I'm just going to give a "plug" for a favorite heirloom beefsteak - Thessaloniki. It is just a few days earlier than Prudens but since it is from sunny Greece, I have a feeling it wouldn't do as well in the UK. And, Thessa is quite a bit different than Prudens so must be different than Brandywines, also. Good choice for us folks out here in the Wild West, however!

 

[obsessed]

Thank for the replies guys. Puzzling only one corn stalk has tassels so far. I think they will grow soon.

As for the zukes and cukes I am almost positive it is a pollination problem. Even if I don't grow anything at least I have a beautiful garden and something to do with my time.

 

[gone 2 seed]

My seeds are starting to come up... and it is raining after a long dry spell. so now I watch, weed, feed and wait...

HOwever, I walked out before it start to rain and half my strawberries had been eaten by rabbits or some critters. I am so getting a bag of human hair from my DIL the beautitan.

 

[jlmann]

RAIN - We need it and I like it in moderation but this just ridiculous. Almost a week straight! My grass needs cut, there are weeds in MY garden I have things I need to do!!! The chickens' run is so slick with mud I almost fell going in yesterday. Enough with the rain already. Is anybody else waterlogged? come on :coolsun

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi jlmann,

Re:- RAIN, nope!! We were promised a lot last night -- NOTHING! Promised showers today -- NOTHING! It's getting serious here -- we will have water restrictions posted very soon.

My earth is beginning to crack already!! I try to mulch with anything I can get hold of (for free, of course). I'm so mean (& grumpy) I won't pay!!

Now a nice thing I have noticed this year! Lots more bees! :bee :bee :bee Well in my garden at least! I do have a lot of native plants that attract them & I'm on a campaign to get people to plant lots more of them & for them to leave more of their gardens "wild". The British have a fetish about their lawns. I don't know why -- It's a man thing -- the big mower!

I grow grass for my chickens only & only in scrubby patches. I grow them patches of lovely succulent weeds too, but then I have deliberately made them a woodland garden. It's a great joy to me as it is like living in a wood -- the birds appearing out of the greenery like something out of an 17th or 18th Century painting. It's why I have so many male birds rather than layers-- they are so beautiful (and anyway I don't eat that many eggs). I know this is a very eccentric point of view but that's me & I love the unexpected.

Meanwhile I have tracked down more Brandywine tomato seeds & they are on their way to me. I have sorted out the old windows & I have a sturdy high-ish solid fence that faces South -- so I am all set to go!! Plenty of fleece at the ready!!

I've been out in the garden for most of the day patching up a very cheap portable plastic greenhouse that a kind friend has lent me so I can harden off my seedlings. It's hideous to look at, but I wont have to, as I have hidden it in a sheltered position (from the high winds we have at the moment) that can't be seen from either the house or main part of the garden

So tomorrow I will go to a local market to buy my provisions & treat myself to more plants, no doubt.

I'm very tired so I should have an early night --I'm just having a glass of wine now! So goodnight everyone! It has been a very productive day.

I hope your's has been as good! Happy Gardening!

:rose Hattie :rose