How does my garden grow

[Dog Dancer]

Veggie garden that is. First the tomatoes, next the garlic and cuc's and lettuce (round two for the lettuce) and lastly the beans and peas.

We're having a good garden year and have been eating lettuce and cucumbers for a couple months now. We're hoping the plastic over the tomatoes will help to prevent rot and make them red up quicker.

[CearaQC]

Wow what an amazing garden! I'm envious. We've barely had any sun since the beginning of June so everything is sooooo slow.

When you talk about tomato rot are you meaning the bottom/blossom end rot? Give a light application of wood ash on top of the soil around the plant but not on the plant itself and water in. That will help a lot.

[Dog Dancer]

Wood ash?? Is that just what it sounds like? Have a bon-fire and then spread the ashes? Never heard of that, but can certainly give it a try. I guess in the past we've called the rot blight - most people say it's from the rain, so we're trying with them tomatoes covered. It also helps to keep the heat in for them. We've had pretty good weather so far this spring so hopefully they'll ripen well. Lots of green tomatoes so far.

[hazelrunpack]

Oh, wow! I can barely manage to keep 2 or 3 tomato plants a live...you, on the other hand, could supply a small army! I'm in awe!!!!!

So do you can a lot of veggies, DD?

[Dog Dancer]

Well I do some. We have banana peppers that I normally pickle, and I do a lot of green tomatoes (part of why we have like 40 tomato plants). Really most of the rest we eat fresh - and give away to the neighbours. My neighbours love us!! A huge garden just for the two of us. My son likes to visit on grocery day - before he shops. We have herbs as well and I dry a lot of those and I make pesto with our basil. Eggplants never make it past the BBQ. We've got potatoes going out there somewhere also, that's a first this year so we'll see how that goes. My pear tree is not pearing but my plum tree is fairly well endowed although still green. The garden is hubbies baby - I just get to do the work of canning and stuff - and tending the bee's who polinate the garden. We have several friends who always seem to drop by at harvest time, so if they can pick the beans at the top of the 8 foot stalks they can have them...

[CearaQC]

Yes regular wood ash. I learned that trick from a video series called Victorian Kitchen Garden that features an old timer that learned gardening from a young age and was a head gardener at one of the old large British country estates with walled gardens. He talks about all the old trusted methods of growing veg.

It's the potassium in the ash that does it. Calcium helps too from egg shells.

[hazelrunpack]

I've never tried canning....could never grow enough veggies to make it worth while ...but the way things are going economically, now might be a good time for hazel to learn I'd need your green thumb for growing, though!

[Winston]

Hazel you dont always need fresh veggies! YOu can make your own corn relish from frozen corn, even homemade oils or vinegars! theres so much! have you ever tried it?

Awesome garden by the way!

[Dog Dancer]

CearaCQ, I'll have to try to wood ash thing one day. Sadly I can't recall the last time I had a campfire to get it from. Will have to hunt one down - but it's so dry here right now you can't even smoke in the parks let alone build a fire!

Hazel, I never used to can, but the Italian hubby and his Italian neighbour ladies got me busy with it. They're promised to make an Italian out of me yet! Oh yeah, we bottle lots of hot peppers too - make your scalp burn.

You know, with the price of fresh produce now there is a definite benefit to growing your own, plus it just tastes soooo much better.

Notice the bee hives at the back of the 2nd pic??

[CearaQC]

Well if you can't get wood ashes try to find in the plant food section, some potassium chloride. Might be in tomato specialty food.

I agree, definite benefits to growing your own, even if it's just baby lettuce in a window box. My absolute favorite tiny lettuce is one called "Tom Thumb." It makes fan-shaped size leaves that are absolutely perfect size for sandwiches. There's also a good mini romaine type lettuce called "Little Gem." I'm growing both for seed supply increase for a seed bank. Hopefully there will be enough to share.