Last updated on June 14th, 2013
HOW ARE YOUR VEGGIES PROGRESSING? Any troubles to report? My own Kitchen Garden, above, has received record rainfall this spring (at least 17 inches since May 21). Still, the cool season lettuce and peas are trotting happily along, while the warm-weather crops are…well, waiting for warm weather to arrive. My “farm-report,” followed (I hope) by yours:
The Kitchen Garden, facing north. As you can see, I placed a pot of lavender-blue Calibrachoa at the center of the garden. Flowers in a veggie plot are necessary in order to attract the bees, butterflies and other insects which pollinate the crops.
To my eyes, the Calibrachoa makes an inviting focal point as one peers through the garden gate.
In case you’re wondering, planted on each side of the gate is Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll.’ A more more floriferous rose doesn’t exist.
I can tell you that Miss Jekyll emits an intoxicating perfume.
And speaking of intoxicating…shall we sip a little something while prowling through the Kitchen Garden?
The cocktail du jour is a sensibly-sized Cosmopolitan. I make it this way.
Thus fortified, we can look at the veggies (before it starts raining again):
The Brussels sprouts are quite small now, but believe me, they will achieve a height of 5 feet by August. They will also fall over then, unless staked. I stake mine right from the get-go.
Although I’ve cherished my Joan Crawford-Approved tomato trellis, this year I’m keeping the plants corralled via the “Florida Weave.” This support system, which should not be confused with the Michigan Weave, the Idaho Weave, or the world-renowned Upstate New York Weave, is based on a simple theory: that vines will grow upright when braced between lengths of string.
As you can see, I tied twine to 7-foot-tall poles that I attached to each end of the tomato-bed. As the plants grow, I’ll add more string higher up the pole.
Do you remember the leeks I planted in deep holes? Mercifully, Nature re-filled the holes by providing abundant rainfall.
And to capture the moisture, I recently mulched the leeks with chopped straw.
Note: If you wish to mulch with chopped straw, make sure the straw is weed-free. I use heat-treated straw that my local, independent garden center sells. It’s an expensive product, but one bag goes a long, long way.
Another bed is devoted entirely to potatoes. Growing with gusto just now are ‘Yukon Gold,’ white ‘Superior,’ and red ‘Norland.’ These varieties do particularly well in my Hudson Valley, New York region. Not sure how to grow potatoes in a raised bed? Here’s a refresher course.
Smothering the arbor at the rear of the Kitchen Garden are hardy Kiwi vines.
As I mentioned during last week’s garden tour, the vines– after 6 years! — have finally produced flowers. And what gorgeous flowers they are.
In another 8 x 4 bed is a single zucchini plant and a pair of Butternut squash. The latter subjects will be trained up the wooden tripod at the rear of the bed.
Meanwhile, the strawberries are ripening…
And the white currant shrub (Blanca’) is groaning with fruit. Actually, “groaning” isn’t the right word. But you know what I mean.
And here’s some great news — the autumn-planted hard-neck garlic is sending up its curly scapes. As most of you know, I use these scapes to make the very best pesto in the world.
There are even more veggies growing “downstairs” in the Herb Garden. We can look at those beds at a future date. Meanwhile, what I really want to know is…how are your own veggies coming along?
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Related Posts:
Creating a Raised Bed Garden
From Wild Patch to Woodland Garden
From Hellish Hill to Woodland Garden
Suzanne Bennett says
I live in NC and enjoyed my first tomato today. We live in a very shady neighborhood so I have an elaborate whiskey barrel garden in the one spot of my yard that gets sun. One tomato plant (early girl) and a sickly cucumber vine that nearly drowned in the recent rains. I so envy you! It was 91 today so the trees are much appreciated but I would love to try raised bed gardening. I will console myself and try the Cosmo.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Suzanne – Wow – 91 degrees. Definitely time for a Cosmopolitan!
Ute Stults says
Thank you for such a wonderful website. I love to see your helpful hints and really enjoy your recipes and your garden. You are such an inspiration.
Diana C says
Hi Kevin, I live in South West Florida, and my veggie growing season is pretty much over. I have my herbs of course which grow well all year. For the first time back in Feb. I planted a sprouting sweet potato that I had in my kitchen..and wow! what a beautiful plant it is! So far it is taking the intense heat (the only plant that has survived it) I am however jealous looking at your pictures and the beginning of life in your garden! I am orig. from Up State NY, and have lived here in Florida, and I am still trying to figure out the growing seasons.. lol. In NY there was absolutely nothing I couldn’t grow in my 20×30′ garden. Now I have a few raised beds.. and three earth boxes… and growing tomatoes are a challenge! Enjoy your garden.. I will begin mine again at the end of August. In the meantime, I will live vicariously through your pictures 🙂
Paula says
Here in the Monadnock region of NH we have been tourtured with heaps of rain and wild temperature swings…. in one week we saw 37 and 96.5 degrees. One week too cold to plan, the next too hot.
All my veg are in now, albeit late, and snuggly mulched with salt marsh hay. Makes me think I live near the ocean as I spread it over the beds, and a great weed and pest deterrent. Like your straw, it is pricey, but it holds up all season. Should harvest some lettuce this weekend.
Happy Growing!
Jennifer Stafford says
I live in Brunswick, NY (near Troy) and we’re loving the beginnings of garden season. We have a 60′ by 60′ garden on a suburban corner plot that was just grass for years and years until we moved in. This is our 3rd year gardening, our 2nd year with mostly raised beds. Let’s see…we have a peach tree that has lots of baby peaches. Last year we had the same, but animals knocked them all down. So this year I’ve hung empty soda cans and old CDs from the branches in the hopes that the critters are scared away from the peaches. We’ve already harvested about 4 gallon ziploc bags with rhubarb, 3 gallons of strawberries, tons of oregano and thyme, 20 or so radishes (I don’t like radishes for the flavor, but I love how fast they come up, so I plant them and then give them away to friends at work), several meals worth of spinach, and dandelions (yes, I cook with dandelions). I’ve pulled up all the radishes and spinach, and put in cucumber seeds – pickling cukes and eating cukes. The 2nd planting of beets are in – and it looks like I’ll be harvesting my 1st planting of beets in the next week or so. No sugar snap peas yet for us…the woodchuck enjoyed them, as well as the broccoli, cabbage, and kohlrabi seedlings. Grrr. Replanted the sugar snaps, broccoli, and kohlrabi, and I’ve been using cloches this year as an experiment. Also planted are celery, carrots, lima beans, peas, bee balm, sunflowers, nasturtiums (which are surprisingly popular with the critters), stargazer lillies, pansies, potatoes, several different varieties of tomato, green, red, and yellow peppers, and TONS and TONS of marigolds in coffee cans spread all over the garden. We also have a pair of baby apple trees, a pair of pear trees, a cherry tree, and access to neighbors’ apple trees and mulberry trees to pick from whenever I want. I’ve been keeping up nicely with weeding and planting, and so far nothing has gotten away from me. But…it’s still early in the season. Happy GARDEN SEASON Zone 5!!!
Marilyn says
I really enjoyed seeing your garden Kevin. Here in southeast Michigan it has been very volatile weather wise. Everything seemed to be dragging along due to the unseasonably cool nights and days at the last part of May. Now things are growing much better. We had to leave for 11 days and I came back to nubs of bush beans and pole beans and most of my snapdragon plants had disappeared as well. I guess the rabbits knew that the dogs and cats were gone! So, the nubs are growing leaves and I stuck in some 2011 bean seeds that I had saved. We’ll see…The perennials are going crazy and saying “See! You should have divided us but you were too lazy!”. Still pulling up tiny tomatoes from last year, but the three real plants are doing fine. One of them even has some tiny tomatoes forming. The peppers are also picking up speed and the salad vegetables are good as well. We can eat kale tomorrow night froma a nice volunteer kale plant from last year.
Marilyn says
Thought I would share pictures from yesterday.
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjFYPKTi
Trevor says
Hi Kevin! Love your site and tips. Your Cosmo looked amazing. I live in St. Albert, AB Canada. Far from you out east! My peas are just starting up the trellis, while my lettuce has finally peeked through the ground. Bunches of new radishes (loved the micro greens), and a couple rows of carrots!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Marilyn – What a nice set-up you have. My area has had the same wacky weather as you, and that Paula described in comment #5. Heavy rain predicted today and tonight — up to 2 inches. Oy.
Laura Bremer says
Kevin, thank you for your tour. Up in Northern Michigan we have had a late start to our growing season, but finally things look promising. Three years ago I removed my front yard with the help of my very patient husband, and replaced it with raised beds and a developing cottage garden. It definately is a work in progress. I enjoy seeing what you have done with your lovely place and look to your tours for inspiration. Thank you
Annie B says
Thanks for the tour and the cocktail!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Trevor – Things are on the poky side here, too. Good luck with your garden!
Laura – Cottage garden and raised beds? In a front yard? Sounds like my kind of yard.
Annie B – You’re welcome. So glad you could join me.
Melissa says
Well lets see, here in Midcoast Maine its been the same record rainfall! My cukes, zuchini, summer, and butternut squash are in and looking good so far. The garlic is growing nice and tall, though I have yet to see any of those beautiful scapes. I can’t wait to make that delicious looking pesto! Broc, kohlrabi, chard, spinach, beets, all shooting up nicely! My snow peas about to flower. Sadly, I lost my Bok Choy this year to the wild temp swings early on and what didn’t bolt was muched to nothing by the slugs 🙁 Grape and Cherry Toms also looking good. -Along with the ground cherries, they have had quite the run in the last week or so! -I also planted some Cucamelons this year for something different and I am still babying them under the heat and light with my mini eggplants. Also I am trying to grow Sweet Potatoes for the first time, hope that works out! Oh, and all the Peppers (Hot, Sweet, Cherry, Bannana, Bell) are doing good too, but I sure hope we get some heat and sun soon!!
I Absolutely LOVE your site, please keep up the great work! I hope to someday visit your beautiful gardens!!
-Btw I started just about all my seeds this year using the winter sow method! (in addition to the veggies I started all my own annuals and a ton of perennials -which made friends and neighbors happy as I sent all my many extras on to new homes!
Sharon says
Will it ever stop raining in the Northeast? My Central NJ gardens are saying “enough already!” Sent my fiance out to mow the shaggy lawn yesterday evening since it was sunny all day and I don’t know when we’ll have sun again. We mow high (to the consternation of our eldery neighbor who insists that chemical fertilizer and mowing shorter is what you’re supposed to do) with a mulching mower and it gets unruly if we don’t mow often.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Melissa – So glad your winter-sowing project worked out well. Have fun with your cucamelon — I’ve seen pictures of the fruit. Adorable!
Sharon – I had to chuckle when you mentioned your neighbor. There is a generation of gardeners (my parents, for instance) who were taught to spray or dust every ornamental and edible plant with chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Lordy!
badger gardener says
I just ate the last of my radishes for lunch. Swiss chard was utterly wiped out by a pesky rabbit. Other greens were starting to bolt so pulled them up and added some more eggplant ( winter-sown) and bush beans (seeds) in their place. All the rain had left my tomatos and eggplants w/ browning leaves but they seem better now. Crossing my fingers. The peppers seemed unaffected. Trying watermelon again but if I couldn’t get a ripe one in time last year not holding out alot of hope w/ the cool start to this season. But I promised my 6 y/o I’d try.
Watching the progress of my raspberries and blueberries w/ anticipation as these are my only fruits. Speaking of “fruits”, I’ve never found a spot to add rhubarb and never seem to find it at the farmers’ market. But yesterday the family of someone I was seeing through healthcare work gave me about a dozen beautiful stalks. I am so excited w/ this lovely gift. What a perk! Beats a big fat Wall St. bonus any day. I went straight to your recipes and I’m making crisp tonight and your mom’s custard pie this weekend.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi badger – So happy that you will use your gift rhubarb to try one or two of my recipes. The crisp is especially easy to make. Enjoy!
Maren says
Love your site Kevin, and I’m envious of the space you have. Here in Chicago I have a small balcony which doesn’t get much of sun. I mainly grow herbs and greens on the balcony. I also have a 5X5 community garden spot in a park nearby. Everything is doing well this year, except my radishes, which I don’t think like my soil. I picked some kale and garlic scapes last night. I’m going to make a kale salad tonight, and I’m planning on trying your pesto this afternoon.
Theresa says
Hi Kevin, my Ottawa, Ontario garden is coming along slower than usual due to a late and rainy spring. Have harvested lettuce, arugula, radishes ad green onions and the peas look happy. My heat loving peppers, tomatoes and eggplant are waiting ….. patiently…..for summer. Looking forward to the French chanterais canteloupe started from seed. It was a big hit a few years ago.
KimH says
My vegetable garden is growing well but its in total disarray and is super wet.. I keep thinking rice paddy.. sigh… The good news is that the plants that are actually planted are doing really well.. they’ve been enjoying that rain..
Here at my home, I dont have a formal garden, I just tuck stuff in here & there.. Everything here is doing great except the garlic.. I’ll get some.. but much of it has rotted. I have loads of chard and cherry tomatoes that have self-seeded and they are all doing great.. Soon, I’ll have cherry tomatoes coming out my ears..
Maria says
Hello Kevin my small garden is looking good, I live in Ottawa, Ontario and the weather has been crazy lately… I have herbs, Kale, Bokchoi ( a few stir fried lately ) pole beans, lettuce, carrots, Swiss chard, hubbard squash , strawberries, raspberries, garlic and onions, few tomatoes, red clover, buckwheat, millet , amaranth and sunflowers for the birds . I planted some Asclepias for the butterflies but they did not survive the winter, I will try again this year. I will follow your advise on blanching ! Do you know if it is better health wise to dehydrate Kale or to freeze it? I have two young cherry trees and are covered with aphids how do you eliminate them?
Have a good week.
Allison K says
My garden in Southern Minnesota has been slow getting started due to a lot of rain and cool temperatures. The peas and greens love it, but my poor tomato plants just glare at me! This past week we had some lovely sunny days and it was amazing to see how fast things grow in just a short time. I’ve already had a dozen or so French breakfast radishes, and will likely be able to harvest my first baby bok choy and peppercress in a few days. I’m starting to see a lot of tiny peppers setting, and most of the direct-sown seeds have sprouted. Now I just have to keep my (unhappy) boy cat indoors until the tiny seedlings are big enough to not be uprooted by him rolling around in the dirt!
Cathy says
This has been a bittersweet season for me. The first time in many years I did not plant a full out garden as we are moving from a historic bungalow in Denver to a highrise-yikes! Think what you wish but I wasn’t exactly a slacker: garlic looks the best it ever has; peas will be harvested before we move; spinach has already been harvested and done for the season. Perennial herbs lunch and gorgeous. Planting boxes already planted and ready to be moved to our new, west facing balcony: mixed micro greens, peppers, herbs and tomatoes. Yep, it’s container gardening at its best!
Angie says
Here in Southern Indiana, my garden is growing well. I have beautiful tomato plants which I will use the tomatoes to make salsa and pasta sauce. I also have several types of peppers, beans, cucumbers, watermelon, corn and zucchini. My zucchini plants are beautiful. However, the two small fruit that have started to grow, have turned black on the end. Any suggestions on why this is happening? I always seem to grow big beautiful plants, but no fruit.
Thank you!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Angie – Your zucchini issue sounds like Blossom End Rot. Usually the condition is caused by uneven watering (dryness followed by saturation).
MaryAnn Quinn says
You’re warmer in the Hudson Valley than where I am in NH. Your tomatoes and potatoes are bigger than mine. Most is just sitting there waiting for sun and warmth but my broccoli and cauliflower are growing and lettuce is great!
I’ve only got half my deer fence up but they seem to be staying away (or have been since yesterday). The soy beans aren’t up yet and they are a great attraction! I have a busy week and hope to finish installing my fence. It will take near 200′ to surround my entire kitchen garden.
Kevin, do you have tours? I plan to head out your way in July to visit cousins and would love to see your gardens.
Arden Brink says
As always, my *ideas* for gardening exceed my *actual* gardening by a good margin, but I do have one tomato plant growing along pretty well, another that just sat there for an age but is starting to show signs of life, and mixed lettuces that are finally about an inch tall! We did eat a lovely salad last night with romaine from a friend’s garden and my sage plant is looking great so we use a lot of fresh sage! We’ll have cherries, apples, apricots, and grapes later, luckily without much of any attention from me!
Joan C says
Kevin, You are always so much of an inspiration. I put together raised beds using the “Square Foot Garden” method but my plants look absolutely anemic. What combinations of soil did you use in your beds?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
MaryAnn Quinn – Tours and Special Events listed here: https://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2013/02/kevins-2013-events-schedule/
Arden Brink – I’m with you on sage. Love it!
Joan C – The soil I use in my raised beds is described here: The Easy Kitchen Garden.
Sharon says
I have relocated from South Beach to rural TN near Johnson City and the Great Smokies so this is my first veggie garden. Had a friend help me and we planted tomatoes, two kinds of squash and green peppers and strawberries. We started them in great veggie soil in cardboard boxes from my recent move and then surrounded them with salvaged wood stacked up log cabin style and filled it in with garden soil. Everything looks very happy today so we will see how my first attempt to do veggie gardening goes.
Anna Lapping says
We have had record rainfall this spring as well, and my garden is running a good two or three weeks behind. I pulled out my sugar snap peas yesterday, and will fill that spot with zucchini and yellow squash. I have one planting of beans about 10 inches tall, and some Italian flat green beans just germinating. The tomatoes have set fruit, and there is on fairly good sized one, but I don’t think I’ll have ripe tomatoes by July 4, which is always my goal. Lettuces are winding down, eggplants are waiting for some warm weather, carrots are starting to form roots.
Lois says
Kevin, I relish receiving your website notifications! Unfortunately, they arrive when I SHOULD be outside getting ahead of the lush (weed) growth before it starts raining AGAIN here in farther-Upstate NY! (I must have enough discipline to avoiding pouring over your website until AFTER I’ve done what needs to be done; oh, it’s so hard!
Not only the rain, but the late cold snaps discouraged early planting in my small raised-bed vegetable garden. When outside, I will formally apologize to my trapped tomato plants, promising them future generations will not be strangled–as they currently are–by cages!
Beverly, zone 6 eastern PA says
My “kitchen garden” is interspersed among perennials, shrubs, vines and annuals and all over the back yard area. I grow lettuces in large pots or long trays to be able to wrap the outside edges with copper netting, bought on a fat roll. This anti-slug element has allowed me to reap great crops of lettuces from March through October. (Copper causes a reaction with the slug’s slime and deters them from crossing it.) This has been so successful that I no longer put lettuces directly into the raised beds.
For the rest of the crops, everything is prospering, leaping up with more than ample rainfall, and looking delicious.
Last night I covered the raspberry patch with netting supported by bamboo poles and two crossbars. Black raspberries are turning pink, a trigger for thieving catbirds and robins, and now I can sleep easy since the row is under netting.
I made Garlic Scape Pesto, two batches already, freezing the majority in cubes (for winter pasta dishes) but eating it fresh within moments of its completion each time. Yow! WHAT F L A V O R !!!!!! A third batch is coming soon.
Today I’ll be desuckering more tomatoes. I used suckers from my tallest plant (on June 2nd), the heirloom Red Calabash, and placed 4 in water. In 8 days there were enough roots to pot up the suckers as extra tomato plants. Amazing!
I sold four bunches of my Rhubarb at our yard sale 3 weeks ago. It has now recovered enough for me to reap my own harvest for sauce.
So much to eat, so little time!
paula K says
Southeastern PA –Rain like everyone else….sadly the lettuce bolted in the early heat wave so it had to be pulled out…Peas have the root rot (fusarium?) and could potentially mess up that row for future beans we had planned to put in the same row….not sure–
tomatoes are holding their own but not growing very fast—hope to stay ahead of the early blight with good pruning —thanks Kevin for good advice on pruning tomatoes!
We got strings of solar lights at Harbor Freight and strung them around our garden fence–they blink in random patterns and so far no deer have tried to get in the garden! Our visiting daughter called it a Landing Strip–too bad!
Love your site, your encouragement and humor are inspiring!
Denise in NJ says
Here in South Jersey the abundant rain wiped out my strawberries, which are now totally consumed by blight and gray mold. Blueberries and raspberries are doing well, but not sure about the apples. They suffered fire blight last year and I’m not sure if I pruned it all out since they are my first fruit trees. Bush cherries have formed but don’t seem to be growing. Tomatoes are doing well, but peppers are slacking big time (last year it was the other way around). Peas & beans are climbing but no blossoms yet. Potatoes are looking good. Harvested garlic scapes for the first time ever – I’ve been growing garlic for years and never knew you could eat the scapes – and the garlic is just starting to bend over so I’m thinking I should probably pull them before they rot from all of the rain. Carrots are ready to be dug. Lettuce ended up being munched on by rabbits, but since they left everything else alone, I figure it’s a fair trade.
Deborah Rosen says
Here in WV, my radishes are gone, the peas are going insane, it’s time to harvest the last of the spring broccoli rabe (and plant seeds for their fall crop). I had to replant all the summer veg since we had two days of hard frost after our frost-free date, and most everything is growing as it should…except the tomatoes. They’re kind of just…there…and I don’t know if they’re going to make it or not. Waiting for warmer weather, I suppose.
Anna says
We live at 52″ – the hight of Saskatoon and Calgary, but with a sea climate (in the Netherlands). But we had a very cold spring. Our garden is currently best described as “slug repellant research center” as we try to protect our little lettuces, kales and zucchini from the slithery hordes.
Slugs don’t appear to like strawberries, though, so those are doing great! I really like reading your posts. I’m now on a mission to convince my partner we should try raised beds next year.
Lori G. says
Hi Kevin!
The weather in central Nebraska has been wet and cooler than usual so my hot weather crops are also still waiting. My tomatoes are positively TINY. Hoping for some heat and sun this week to wake them up. Thanks for the tip on staking the brussels sprouts. This is my first try at growing them and I had no idea that they would get so tall. I’ll have to improvise a staking system soon as they are flourishing in the cool and wet. I found some tiny little green worms which I quickly dispatched eating one of my plants. I think it will recover okay. It is also my first try at growing garlic which I planted this spring and it seems to be growing okay. I’ve read conflicting reports on when garlic should be planted so I will plant some more in the fall and see how they compare next spring. Meanwhile the onions and shallots are going gangbusters still. It’s the year of the allium apparently. My third new-to-me plant is tomatillos. My husband loves green chili sauce (okay, so do I) so I thought I’d try growing the tomatillos as well as the chilis. Not sure what to expect so I put them in small tomato cages. They seem viney but pepper plant like. Guess time will tell.
Zola says
Finally got Rid of Gophers in my little orchard ( I Hope)
Now to keep them from killing my Garden !!!
So Very much enjoy your wonderful advice & Pictures
Dawn Hill says
I live in the NW corner of CT. Season has been slow-things were put in late, it still has not warmed up much and it has been very very wet here. Lettuces are doing ok, onions that I overwintered will be ready in a couple weeks and beans are up. Potatoes are in but not doing anything above ground at the moment. The flower gardens are looking wonderful other than the rain beating down the poppies and peonies.
Only troubles are the bugs this season-had flea beetles for the first time ever and there are a few other beetles that need to be taken care of. Birds do not seem to be doing their job this year!
Deborah Triplett says
My four 5’x5″ veg gardens in Charlotte, NC are doing wonderful so far. Had plenty of lettuce but then it bolted. Wondering what I can plant in the interim. And my tomatoes, cukes and peppers are all doing fine and dandy with the heat and rain we’ve had. Keeping a close eye on the “maters”.
Joyce Spindler says
Here in the Atlanta area my garden has lots of stages of growth. Broccoli, Spinach and English peas are all history. Lettuce and cukes and green beans really good right now.
Tomato plants loaded but not ripe yet. Okra still slow because we too are way above normal with rain and cooler weather. The peppers are just starting to set and the blackberries should be ripe this week. Yum.
Carol Durusau says
Hi Kevin,
Here in the suburbs near Atlanta, GA, we have cherry tomatoes and cucumbers coming in. We harvested red onions and elephant garlic earlier this week and this morning we dug half of the big bed of yellow gold and red Pontiac potatoes. We’ve had several jalapeno and bell peppers. My okra is only about a foot tall and not flowering yet and the same goes for my zucchini. They were planted later than normal but will be coming on soon. I’m going to plant yellow wax beans where I took out the onions and garlic and blue lake bush beans when we get the potatoes out of the way. We have figs and pears and blueberries that are progressing well. That’s about it for now. We are also working to double our vegetable garden space for next year. I am getting French Black Copper Maran eggs today to put under a broody hen. I love those dark brown eggs. Things are looking good.
Cindy says
Good Morning Kevin!
How I look forward to your Sunday morning posts! My one chance in an otherwise chaotic week to sit and enjoy a leisurely hour reading of your garden adventures… We here in North Central NJ have also been inundated with tremendous amounts of rainfall this Spring and I count on your posts to see how you are dealing with it… Thanks to your creative “overwintering” project I was able to plant most of my veggies quite early and they’ve actually benefitted from the rain… I’m already harvesting tomatoes thanks to you! We’ve been eating chard, peas, bok choi, cabbage, spinach and other greens for a month or more already and so look forward to the rest of the crops maturing…The Asian eggplants have taken off and we should be enjoying those in another few weeks, can’t wait! (My husband thanks you for the early treats however does NOT thank you for the 40 or so gallon milk jugs still littering our deck waiting to be cleaned, recycled and planted yet again! He thinks you’ve created a monster!!) He does truly thank you for his spectaular pumpkin patch which is currently taking over the rear of the garden!
My one question for you today is how do you deal with slugs? That’s the one thing all this rain has brought me that I cannot fix… I have tried every homemade idea out there and yet I cannot combat these slimey little buggers! Any good suggestons?? For some reason they adore my cukes and peppers this year much to everyone’s dismay… Would love ideas, I’ll try anything! I’d also like to know how anyone out there feels about Black Swallowtail Butterflies… I find them beautiful and just love having them follow me around the garden as I work but many folks feel they are a pest… Reason I ask is I’ve recently “donated” my crop of carrots to a dozen or so larva who moved in a few weeks ago… As the carrots were already well established (I planted them last fall in a hoop house, yes another wonderful online project I found!) they’re doing no damage but eating the green tops… Am I crazy to leave them there?Just curious to see how you and your followers may feel about that…
Again, just wanted to say hi and thank you for your overwintering project… I don’t care what the husband says, I think you’re a GENIUS!!! And thanks again for making my Sunday mornings so relaxing and ejoyable! Enjoy your day and Happy Gardening!
Cindy says
Ooops! Meant to say “winter-sowing” project! See? All this gardening is making me goofy!
Barbara Bruneau says
Here in southwestern Wisconsin, I’m about to re-write the Animals song to say House of the Falling Rain! With my busy schedule and the strategically timed rain storms, most of my garden is still in their nursery pots or seed packets. But today promises to be 85 and sunny, so I should be able to get some things into the ground this afternoon. Now I’ll start praying for a (very) late first frost.
Your weekly email is always waiting to greet me when I get home from church on Sundays. Thank you for being so faithful with your reports, and for all of the photos that give me some great ideas for my own gardening.
Sandy Hutchison says
On the other side of the Hudson from you, I think I”m in the same situation, except further behind with the neatening-up. My peppers and eggplants really look miserable, and since they had to sit in their seedling containers too long waiting for the weather to steady, I’m not sure they’ll ever recoup. But then again, plants often surprise me with their resilience. The “Iron Lady” tomatoes from High Mowing seeds certainly look contented. I’m very excited to see last year’s planting of raspberries setting some serious fruit.
I’ve started two hugelkultur beds, mostly because I have an ugly barren hillside and a lot of dead wood to get rid of before we put our house on the market next spring. I can only hope a gardener will want to buy it, because anyone else might be scared away by all the beds. It’s very weird tending a garden when you know this is probably your last year with it.
Joan Sullivan says
Hello, Seacoast NH here and with the over abundance of rain lately, my garden is beginning to look a tad overgrown. I have Yukons, Red Pontiacs and Kennebecs growing in round wire cages and the plants are about a foot tall. My Yellow Spanish and Candy Apple Red onions are all standing at attention. My sage bush has gone to vibrant purple flowers which, together with my purple tansy and borage, are keeping my two bee hives well-fed. I am already seeing the tiny black potato beetles and yellow and black striped (squash?) beetles on my pumpkins and potato plants, as well as, caterpillars on my cabbage. Today I laid down a mulch of spoiled hay throughout my beds to keep the soil moist, keep away pests and keep down weeds. I also planted several zucchini “trap” plants in a remote part of my garden. Once the adult vine borer lays her eggs there and infests the vines, I will dig it up and burn it – then plant the new zucchini plants elsewhere. The vine borer only lays once per season, or so I read.
I’ve over-seeded my grass with clover and am preparing for chickens in the spring.
Caitilin says
Hi Kevin,
I enjoyed your garden tour! Out here in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, our garden season has just started really kicking off. I’ve got a few tomatoes on my vines, and have been using yellow squash already (for squash fritters…the only way I can get my husband to eat it). My basil plants are doing beautifully, and we’ve been enjoying it with goat cheese on crackers. I harvested my cilantro, which was bolting (as usual…), and made cilantro pesto with it. It was great! You should try it! I also harvested my garlic, but this is my first year growing it and I’m not sure if I’m doing things right. The cloves look good, but I honestly don’t know if I planted hardneck or softneck, so I’m experimenting with the harvest process.
Still waiting for the butternut squash to flower, but it’s trellising up very well, alongside some cantaloupes. Peppers have flowers, but no actual peppers yet.
I am once again trying to grow okra. I’m from Alabama originally, and I miss fried okra like nobody’s business! I put it in my sunniest, warmest spot, but it is just sitting there looking pitiful. I think it might not be possible to grow it here, as it’s relatively cool in the summer. Sigh….
Thanks again for a great blog!
Lynne Hammes says
The weather here is much like yours. Damp, cool, overcast. I did get the first radish from the garden a couple of days ago. Can one say that a radish is tender? Not at all like the woody wonders from the grocery store. I have lots of leaves and blossoms on the zucchini and spaghetti squash, but none are forming fruits. Sigh. Beets are improving, but the tomatoes, peppers and beans are slow slow slow.
The North Coast needs sunnier, drier and warmer days.
Lyn says
How I enjoyed your column today, Kevin. You do a wonderful job with writing, growing, and photographing your beautiful property and hard work! Look forward to your columns always. I’m in Kansas and have had tons of snow peas this year along with Red Russian Kale, lettuce, beautiful and plentiful Cilantro, Tarragon, Pak Choi, Swiss Chard, Spinach. And my peppers, tomatoes, zuchinni, cukes, beans, basil, dill, beets and okra are all growing with gusto. My Buckwheat for mulch has been plentiful. Replanting for the 3rd time. I love gardening. Also, my Bells of Ireland and Zinnias are beautiful. I have had significant health problems this year with shoulder surgery, knee replacement last year, and testing for rheumatoid arthritis or lupus (hands are balloons). But you wouldn’t know it by my garden! I did winter sowing for first time and it’s a Godsend….thanks so much!!
Constance Clark says
Having mix results. two of my tomato plants is doing great and already starting to bear fruit, while the other two looks thin and light green…..I think it is the different soils. One egg plant is flowering and the other just seems to be taking its time to grown. my corn (first time growing them – so not sure what to expect) intermixed with sunflowers and various squashes and beans, some are sprouting at the top (my blog shows the pictures). green beans are flaking again, so planted some newer seeds and they are already sprouting after less than a week. Strawberries are doing alright. One cucumber vine is growing….
I gave up on the lettuce and spinach. got aphids again and…well I talked to my local garden center and the suggested to try them indoors since we are having 90 + weather already. Plus i can get rid of the aphids that way. Beets, turnips and green onions are plotting along… my leeks never materialized which I intermixed with my celery (not too good there either).
It is just plain hot here in Sacramento, CA!
Henrietta says
We are eating strawberries and freezing the pie cherries for future eating. About next week we shall be picking peas and kale from the garden. The buttercrunch lettuce that I transplanted in with my hostas are doing well All the rain that we received has been a boon to their transplanting. My red and white potatoes did well unfortunately the yukon did not We thing that the seed was not good.We are going to try something new with the tomato plants We are tying them to metal panels Friends of ours did this and had good results. My black krim tomatoes have blosooms The garden looks good but we could use some more warmer weather
Kate Wilson says
Here in Montana we had a hailstorm the other night . I did lose a bit of my veggie garden. Fortunately me herbs are in pots on my porch and doing wonderful!
Pam Rodgers says
Not much in my SW Florida garden now. 🙁 I will have to wait til September or so to plant. Your garden looks beautiful!!
vickie says
Here is Michigan my vegetable garden is flooded unfornately -what plants are there look very stressed but I think I might try some beans again next week when it dries out hopefully.
I am blessed with a great crop of strawberries this year- I see yours are ripening also.
Caroline says
Hey Kevin,
I really did try to grow hardneck garlic this year after reading about your garlic pesto. Unfortunately, even after putting them in the fridge for 2+ months to give them their cold time, I can’t grow them in 10B. I guess garlic pesto will just have to be something I dream about 🙂
Dori says
I can’t believe you actually read all these posts. But in case you get to this one, I gotta tell you, the reason your hot weather crops are waiting is because of the straw mulch. You should wait till the soil heats up thoroughly before mulching. You can speed up the process by using plastic sheeting. Clear will heat fastest but black is almost as fast and it kills weeds. Then when the soil is thoroughly warm remove the plastic and add the straw to keep it warm well into the early fall. I mulch my cool weather crops that are not harvested early (brassicas mostly) with white cardboard boxes, flattened’, to keep the soil cool . It also multiplies the light in our cloudy pacific northwest.
Christine Zipps says
Hi again, Kevin –
Your garden looks amazing!
Just wondering – is it organic (started with organic (non-GMO) seeds and plants and treated without chemicals of any kind?
My step-daughter is wanting tips on how to start her organic garden – I’ve sent her some info, but love the photos and inspiration of yours – would love to send her if yours is planted without the pesticides, etc… — yes?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
I plan to make your strawberry souffle that I will “healthify” a bit (non-GMO/non-dairy, etc.) for my hubby’s birthday dessert – he’s so looking forward to it! Will let you know if it turns out as well given my ‘tweaks’ if you’d like….
Smiles,
Christine
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Dori – My hot-season plants (tomatoes, zucchini, etc.) are always poky in June, with or without mulch. They explode in July when the heat arrives!
Christine Zipps – Everything here is organic. I don’t use poisons or chemical fertilizers of any kind.
cyndi says
i had to be out of town for 3 days. my outside garden is okay…….i guess. tomatoes got out late and look pathetic. the plants on the deck got so soaked that by time i got to them this morning, the pots were up to there rims in standing water. i guess i need to drill some holes in the bottom of the pots. well, I’m praying for dry days and some sunshine.
Mary Ann says
My cool season plants: Spinach, four lettuces, radishes, and spring onions are starting to bolt now. Potatoes are all blooming, both German Butterball and Norland Red. It looks like we will have a great yield in potatoes this year. Tomatoes started indoors have set fruit and are growing! I planted Burpee “On Deck” hybrid container corn in two places… one, in an old horse trough, the plants are 8 inches high already. The other, in a raised bed, looks like it has been attacked by the resident cottontail, but I have hopes for it.
cyndi says
opps ….forgot to say I’m in SW Pennsylvania near pittlsburgh
Cheryl Balzer says
Really having a great late spring/early summer garden going. Only two problems we are seeing this year, lots of aphids showing up, and a very pesky raccoon eating my vegie plants and my birdseed! We lost an entire tray of tomato and pepper plants Memorial Weekend.
So we are doing a lot of “caged gardening” this year. We planted two fennel plants, the raccoon ate one down to the ground, the other is now in a chicken wire sleeve and surrounded by a tomato cage. The first fennel is making a recovery, sending up small shoots. It may be ground-worthy in about a week. We’ll cage-plant it too!
Our raised beds look like they’re ready for a siege. Thank goodness for chicken wire! Wish that raccoon would find something else to do.
Nikki G says
In NW Arkansas we have been blessed with lovely rains and now weather in the upper 80,s and low 90’s. We started out unusually cool, and maters and peppers and corn were on hold. They are growing like crazy now. Picked my first cucumber and zucchini for lunch today! Thanks for the tour and cocktail, always enjoy our times together!
Darrylynn says
My garden… This year ( in NE Tenn) I added 2 raised Beds, In 1 of the beds I planted Cherokee Purple tomatoes & a grape tomato. The other I haven’t planted yet. In the rest of the garden I have 3 varieties of onions – red, yellow & white, Zucchini, yellow squash, beets, carrots, red cabbage and this year I’m trying corn. I also have an OLD cast iron tub in which I grow brandywine tomatoes. In 3 earth box jrs. I have celery & purple carrots. In a couple of earth boxes I have garlic (soft neck) and shallots. In some large Pots I have red & green lettuce. Oh I almost forgot… I have 3 sets of semi-size tires in which I planted purple potatoes & russet potatoes.
terri akin says
I live in east county San Diego, with lots of sun and warmth. Tomatoes and tomatillos are about 4 ft. high now and have dozens/hundreds of blossoms and fruit. Canteloupes seem to be growing at a snail’s pace…the ones not eaten by giant (4″ long) grasshoppers. I put plastic strawberry baskets over 3 small vines, which have outgrown them. I hope they are too tough for the critters. Fingerling potatoes are growing very fast also. Squash is slow, like the canteloupe.
Sharon Coleman says
This is my first year to plant Brussels Sprouts. Thanks for the heads up on needing to support them. i have some wonderful bamboo tripods over my tomatoes. Think I’ll get a few for the Brussels Sprouts.
Wendy Borders says
Here in Kansas City we have happily not had the tornadoes that have gone thru areas south of us, so the tomatoes are safe. We picked our first ones on June 14th, pretty early for this area. I planted my garden to the philosophy of “Food4Wealth”, as described by Jonathan White. He says consider your garden like a rain forest- everything mixed together, and with multiple layers/storeys. So, the swiss chard is in with the green beans which are climbing up the sunflowers. The watermelon is in there too, climbing up the wire fence. The peas and carrots are all mixed in with the tomatoes, and the other watermelons are in with the roses and shallots. Onions are tucked in everywhere. I like the method so far, as long as the sun-lovers get what they need.
Theresa says
I’m working on my first-year garden since moving to West Virginia. So far the seasons have been perfect and I’m loving how the garden is doing. Potatoes plants are huge, onions are looking really nice, have put in at least three-dozen tomato plants so that I’ll be able to can and freeze plenty for the rest of the year. They have small fruit on them already. Cucumbers are big enough to pick. Just put in okra and squash and I’m still working to get in pumpkins and melons. Started participating in the small local farmers market and really enjoy getting to know other local farmers there. As you recommended, to suppress weeds, I put down several layers of paper with straw on top of it. That has been a huge help. And I didn’t know Brussels sprouts would grow as tall as you say, so I’ll need to use some type of support for them. I’m interested in the system you’re using for your tomatoes. Maybe I’ll give that a try too.
An existing plum tree is loaded with fruit, cherries are nearly ripe. Tiny grapes are forming on the vines. And blueberries should be ready very soon.
Marlyn says
Here in central Minnesota, my leaf lettuce is finally showing some growth. It was planted over a month ago. Tomatoes are just sitting there, wondering when it’s going to stop raining, get warm out and sunny. My pole beans took over a week to germinate and show themselves above the soil in their raised bed they share with some tomatoes. I hope the fence I have around my raised beds keep out the deer. The deer around here are fearless, as I live within the city limits and they are safe from harm from people. I saw one eating leaves from a tree right by my compost pile last week at 10:30 am!
Someone was asking about ways to keep the slugs out. Some of my friends use crushed granite- called turkey grit, to spread under Hostas. I’ve tried crushed egg shells = didn’t work, by the way. I don’t have any mulch in my shade gardens. That seems to work the best for me and trying to grow thicker leaved varieties which claim to be slug resistant.
Marlyn says
Does anyone have any ideas of how to keep squirrels out of my vegie beds? They climb the fence I put up and last year climbed my Purple Raspberry trellis and ate all the berries ( a couple quarts) before I could go out and pick them. Liquid Fence doesn’t seem to keep them out at all.
Phyllis says
Here in Kansas we’ve had the same rainy and cool weather as everyone. Some of the plants love it, especially the flowers. My spinach, Swiss chard, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, Japanese egg plant, and herbs look great. Lettuce has bolted and radishes almost big enough to eat. Can’t wait! Nothing tastes as good as veggies from your own garden!
Love your newsletter and look forward to it each week!
Carole says
Here is southeastern PA we’re enjoying a bumper crop of spinach and buttercrunch lettuce. The arugula is bolting. Snap peas have been rather disappointing again this year–they will not be planted next year. Tomatoes, peppers, & eggplant are all biding their time for hotter and less wet weather. Corn is up, blueberries are still green. Radishes are all eaten. Second planting of carrots went in, as well as sunflowers yesterday. Dill, sage, thyme, rosemary and chives are all doing well. Sweet potatoes are a new crop for us this year, so time will tell. We planted 9 fruit trees last spring, and yesterday we picked one sweet cherry which had been pecked by a bird or chewed by an insect…lol. We’ll be harvesting honey in the next week or two. The wildflower mix which we thought wasn’t going to make it has begun to come alive. We hope to see some flowers erupting in the next month for our 2 hives. The marigolds and salvia were chewed down to stumps by our free-range chicken flock of eight (who are now confined to Alcatraz). Cabbage is going bananas. Mulberries are dropping from the heavens, but we haven’t had time to harvest any yet (they make the BEST jam EVER!) Wineberries are coming soon. Made rhubarb and strawberry crisp a couple of weeks ago–yum!
Donna says
On the far northern coast of California, near the Oregon boarder, has many challenges when it comes to growing veggies. I tried a square foot raised bed this Spring… So far the little birds made off with most of my seeds and the gopher found his way back in and whisked away one of my broccoli plants. I’m hoping he doesn’t want the rest of my crop. I will be digging out my bed and adding new wire mesh under it before next years garden.
This year I’m trying potatoes in a garbage can and they are doing very well and tomatoes and summer squash in my very small green house. I have one squash and tomatoes that aren’t doing much yet. I’ve harvest several lovely artichokes and have blackberries and blueberries that are coming along fine.
Sherri says
Kevin, I asked you a question a couple of months ago and I took your advice. I was switching from regular gardening to raised beds and went ahead with the extra cost and used rough sawn cedar boards to create eight 4×8 beds….well, my husband cut the boards and my 11 yr old son constructed the beds. Oh my gosh!!!! I wish I could let you see these beds! I have NEVER in 13 years of gardening had plants this lush! They are so full and green. I am getting ready for a third cutting of spinach…third! Raised beds are so easy…. Yes, start up is work, but after that is done, there’s no tilling, virtually no weeding….just watch everything grow and enjoy!
Susan L. Espersen says
It’s been 3 weeks and my poor new garden is not happy. Had I known just how much clay was in the soil before I planted, I would have brought in a load of soil before I did anything else. Now, the seeds are in and struggling to get through the surface, which has hardened into a terrible crust. The tomato and pepper plants are doing great! Why? Because they went in a week later and we filled their holes with compost! I considered replanting the whole thing, but I really don’t have time. I guess that it will be a year of learning and attempting to see what we can do to help the plants along if they can just get past this first stage! However, when fall comes, we will be adding manure, compost, and a cover crop to till in come Spring! I’ll keep you posted! Your gardens look GREAT! 🙂
Lynda says
Here in Vermont we have had the same amount of rain. Both my garden and my chicken run are “muddy muck.” I did get in a couple of tomato plants but now they are dying. I have given up on the garden this year but next year – raised beds for sure!
Karen says
Although we had a few nights of frost the week of Memorial Day and lots of rain this spring, my Michigan garden, planted later this year than last, is doing very nicely. The strawberries have the best ever. Two wonderful mesclun mixes(all different varieties) and other young greens have been providing interesting salads for several weeks. I also add the thinnings from the pak choy, turnip greens and various kales. The rabbits and I both love the young beet greens , and they have taken a liking to my edamame plants as well! Harvested all the scapes from the rows of red garlic planted last fall, and made a wonderful double garlic soup last weekend. The potatoes currently are in need of their second covering of dirt. The peas are ready to bloom any day in spite of accidently being planted too close to the onions. They are good little soldiers climbing higher each day( the farther the better from the onions). The regular radishes are almost done, but the daikon are bulking up! The various tomatoes have more than doubled in size, after removal of the suckers, and a good hilling up of dirt around them. The cucumbers, squashes and various edible pumpkins are starting to make progress. Sweet potatoes are safely ensconced in their little plot and just this morning I found the first of the trial crop of peanuts! There are always numerous chores to complete and successive plantings to be done, the bugs are a pain (literally), my hands are permanently stained from the soil, and a few meds are needed for sore joints occasionaly, but there is no place I would rather be at this time of the years than in the vegetable garden!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Karen – Peanuts? Now that’s a crop I’d like to try!
MaryAnn Quinn says
Marlyn – I was able to get the squirrels out of my shed with “Bounce” dryer sheets. Maybe if you spread those around where they are going it will help. I never used that product and when I did buy it to get rid of my squirrels, it gave me a headache to have it in the house for a couple of hours (I live an organic lifestyle). That was a few years ago and they may have taken some of the perfumes out of the product by now but it’s worth a try.
Kevin – I just realized that you’re in Valatie. Yonder Farms – those are my cousins! I wanted to go in July but just today I was thinking my calendar is filling up. I also have cousins in Pleasant Valley too where I plan to stop on this trip, Bilmar Nursery, Christmas tree farm. I shall try to plan for the weekend of your open house August 17. How cool!
anita says
Thanks for the tour. Love your kiwi arbour. And always, something to sip during the tour.
It’s a bit late in the season, but do you have any advice about asparagus beetles?
Carol says
Just getting around to reading this week’s post, as I had surgery last week. Beforehand we had planted a raised tomato/basil/pepper bed, per your inspiration. Tomatoes are flowering like crazy, and all is surrounded by winter-sown marigolds, to hopefully keep the bunnies away. Thanks so much again for your creative ideas and wonderful photos. I’ve coveted a Gertrude Jekyll rose for years, and now that I know you are organic, I just might take the plunge!
Here in NE Ohio, we’re not quite so soggy as you are in the East, but we could use a bit more sunshine!
Karen says
Kevin, I had a friend of mine bring me back a small sack of raw peanuts in the shell from down south to use for soaking (like sprouting) for snacks. I put them in the freezer. We are on the border between the United States and Canada, Southeastern Michigan. A company in Ontario years ago changed from crops of tobacco to peanuts. (They have several stores that sell all kinds of flavored potato chip covered peanuts – Yum!!) I figured if peanuts grew up towards Toronto, they could grow here. I removed the nuts from the shells leaving the skins intact, planted them 1 1/2″ deep. The first plant showed 15 days later (yesterday morning) with more this morning after several rounds of rain last evening. They grow very similar to sweet potatoes, which were successful in my garden last year. It remains to be seen what kind of crop there will be. I will keep you posted.
Lois M. says
I have a terrible problem here, 40 mins. south of Athens Georgia, with fire ants in my garden. Last year they ate the roots of my bush green beens and crawled all over the entire plants of okra. Not only did I have to contend with them destroying certain plants but the stinging and the biting is literally unbearable since I have a low tolerence for bites like that. I itch and swell terribly. Mosquitoes too! We kill them in the yard and as much of the pasture as we can but do you have any suggestions for ANYTHING I can use in the garden? Please help!! Oh, by the way, your garden is a dream, looks wonderful!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Lois M – Here’s an article from Clemson Cooperative Extension that might be helpful to you: http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/vegetables/gardening/hgic1263.html
jean says
Hi Kevin,
Well as of yesterday, my garden was doing great. Everything I winter sowed is growing great and my swiss chard that I winter sowed is twice as big as what I direct sowed. So I’m feeling good about now. THEN……….I went out to check out my garden this morning and I’ve been attacked by deer. They ate all the leaves and tops out of all of my sunflowers, the vines of my green beans and cucumbers that were growing up my cattle panel. No telling what will be next and I’m not sure how to keep them out. Any suggestions? I too am trying to do organic without any pesticides and so far, it’s been doing pretty good. I’m not sure how to keep my four footed pests out and another night or two like last night and there won’t be a garden left! Guess I’ll sit outside all night but I eventually have to get some sleep! Please hurry with your answer as I am getting frustrated. Thanks Kevin
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi jean – what a bummer! I hope that at least some of your plants will recover.
Any chance you can set up a fence around your food crops? I can tell you that inexpensive fencing (see this post) has kept deer, rabbits and woodchucks out of my two food gardens. Short of a fence, I’d try an organic deer-repellent spray or powder, such as “Liquid Fence.”
jean says
Well Kevin,
The area is kind of large as I have ten beds in this area so it would be a large fence, plus I’ve read if it is not 10 ft tall, they will just jump the fence. I will try Liquid Fence if I can find it today. Someone mentioned Scram Deer Repellent, but I really don’t want anything that isn’t safe for my veggies. I read on a website where some of the Amish use 1/2 cup brown sugar to 1 gallon water and dissolve completely, then spray all the plants with it to keep the bugs off. It seems to be helping and no harm done but of course it won’t work for deer. Also I am using your method to treat black spot, the milk and water and it has worked great. Thanks for letting me know about Liquid Fence. Guess I’ll camp out tonite. Everything is blooming and looking so good, I was just heartsick when I found all the damage this morning. Will let you know if it works. Thanks again!
jean says
Hi Kevin,
Well buddy, you saved my garden last night and I just wanted to thank you for that. I went to my local Rural King and got some liquid fence and gathered all the stones, wood and old carpet I could find to build a perimeter around the garden. It doesn’t look great but after spraying all of the perimeter, it looks like the deer did not enter last night. It said you could spray the plants but didn’t want to do that as my 6 year old granddaughter eats all the produce right out of the garden and loves it so I didn’t want to take any chances since I’m also doing organic as much as possible, no chemicals at all. Just wanted to thank you for the great tip and I will work on getting a fence up next year to keep my “sanity haven” safe. There’s just nothing like working in the garden and/or sitting there with a drink and relaxing after all that hard work. Thanks again for a quick response. I just love your website and have learned so much from it. As a first time “real gardener” I needed all the help I could get and I will never go back to anything but winter sowing as it was just amazing how well the plants responded.
Have a great weekend. Jean
Marlyn says
Deer will not jump a fence (4′ or less in height) if the area is too small for them to run some and jump back out, I guess. I still have to keep my fence away from the vegie beds with my 4′ fence or they just lean over and munch. I’ve had baby woodchucks climb my fence and eat everything that had emerged : radishes, beans, lettuce, spinach, peas. I think they left the tomatoes alone. Mama was outside the fence, since she couldn’t climb it with her bigger body.
I will try the Bounce sheets around my raspberry trellises. I usually get the unscented box, but will get the most scented for the squirrels. I’ve also heard that Bounce will keep the gnats and mosquitoes away if you stick one on your hat.
We’ve had terrible windy storms and hard rain the last 3 nights. Got 3″ last night. 1 1/2″ the night before and 1″ the night before. Straight line winds of 50 + mph. Three nights ago, one of the neighbor’s trees fell against a couple of mine, snapping off their tops 15 and 20′ off the ground. Then all came crashing down and are currently stuck on a branch of a third tree of mine. Many Hosta, ferns, and other shade plants got smashed. After those trees get cut down that area will be sunny. And I have two groups coming to tour my gardens in 16 days !! Gahhh!1
Candi says
I live out in the woods in central N.C. On a north facing slope. Shade. This winter I read a book called, “All new square foot gardening : the revolutionary way to grow in less space. 2nd edition,” by Mel Bartholomew. In it a learned how to make a growing mixture for containers, even large scale containers, that has made all the difference in my gardening. I have never been able to get squash to produce here, either in the ground or in pots. I now have two yellow straight neck squash plants, two zucchini plants, and three cucumber plants growing in a large above ground grow box. I have squash, zucchini, and cucumbers growing out of my ears now! My tomatoes in earth boxes and regular pots on my deck are 5-6 feet tall now and starting to produce. They probably would have produced sooner if I had learned about proper tomato plant pruning earlier in their grow cycle; they wasted energy growing branches I ended up removing when pruning. Also, they might not have gotten early wilt, although with all the rain we’ve had, they might have gotten it anyway. Still, looks like I will get at least one harvest from the plants before the wilt takes them. I am using a fungicide now, so maybe they’ll survive longer.
Please, share this information, especially the book title with Suzanne Bennett from NC who made comment #1 at the top of this list. Thanks.
Alberta Dugo says
Hi Kevin,
I grew ciltrano-which did really well until I picked several of the leaves to use. Now it is like bolting. Does that mean the end of further ciltrano leaves?
Alberta
jean says
Alberta,
My cilantro is bolting and getting little white flowers on top. It is changing into the spice coriander and will have seeds. I just cut the flowing part off so it will remain cilantro a little longer. Just read a blog that said it is now time to reseed cilantro for another crop.
Candi, Mel Bartholomew’s Square Food Gardening Books are awesome. This year, since we just moved to Indiana in March, I didn’t have time to find untreated wood to build his raised beds, so I used his concept but just planted right in the garden since the dirt seems to be really good here and you can pick it up in your hands and it crumbles. The garden is doing well, of course, except for the deer I wrote about in the above blog. I used his concept and made my beds 4 x 8 except for two beds which I made 10 x 10 so I could grown Three Sisters, which is an old concept where you plant corn, then when it is up 6 ” you plant green beans and pumpkins. The pumpkins grow beneath on top of straw and the beans grow up the corn stalks. Can’t wait to see how it does.
Add all of that to the knowledge that you get here on Kevin’s awesome blog and you have a win-win situation. I have learned so much from this blog, he has an amazing amount of information on gardening and is so willing to share it. Thank Kevin for all of your wonderful knowledge.