Garden Geeks thread

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Don't get stuck! My favorite bean is a French filet bean called Fortex. It's a pole bean, which means the vast majority of picking is done standing up (yay). The beans are thin and long and absolutely never get tough or stringy. We get the seeds from Jung's, and they cost about twice what other bean seeds cost, but man they're worth every penny.

I'll have to check those out next year. The Masai also come from Jung's.

I was sinking a bit when I went out to stake them, but I put grass clippings on my garden as a weed barrier/mulch, so no mud to get stuck in. The lawn is quite squishy though.

[FreshFish]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Don't get stuck! My favorite bean is a French filet bean called Fortex. It's a pole bean, which means the vast majority of picking is done standing up (yay). The beans are thin and long and absolutely never get tough or stringy. We get the seeds from Jung's, and they cost about twice what other bean seeds cost, but man they're worth every penny.

Hmmm, I just looked up Masai and they too are a French Filet bean. Maybe we're on to something here.

Sounds like it. Our favorites are "Haricot Vert" which also fits your description except it is a bush bean not a pole bean. Thin, long, never stringy, only tough if they aren't picked on time.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

I've never had tough or stringy beans when eating the ones my mom grows in her garden. And I'm pretty sure she buys the little packets of "Green Beans" you can get at any hardware store or Wal-Mart.

[Bob Gray]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Our green bean plants have been disappointing. They grew quite well, but have only produced a handful of green beans, and they were a bit tough and stringy. And with 118 degrees coming on friday, they probably won't last much longer. The success stories have been the carrots, beats, and tomatoes, for our spring planting season. Onions and potatoes did ok, but not prolific.

[leswp1]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Nickel green beans and Soleil wax beans- also French Filet beans. Plant once and they bear beans until hard frost. Plant them about 2 inches apart. Never thin them. They just go nuts.

[FreshFish]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

First raspberry of the year today. Later than usual, looks like another bountiful harvest pending. The bird netting has increased yield enormously.

Strawberries too. Having more strawbs than know what to do with.

Best pea harvest ever so far.

Radishes, had about a dozen then the rest bolted.

Picked a purple pepper.

Eggplants have first flower.

Too humid to move. Even typing is an effort.

Tomatoes are growing by an inch or more each day. Tying them up two or three times a week they are growing so fast.

...

at least, tying them up on days i can move.



it is so very humid.

[walrus]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Rain,Rain and more Rain. Couldn't get into the garden if I wanted to

[jen]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Does anyone grow bok choy? Mine bolted pretty fast. Is it done now? Online discussions were confusing. Some said you need to re-sow every week. Not likely to happen.

[FreshFish]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Rain,Rain and more Rain. Couldn't get into the garden if I wanted to

Glug glug gurgle glug.

Know what you mean.

pretty soon, we'll have to use a scythe to mow the lawn, it's been too wet to use a mower and all the rain is helping the grass grow better than it usually does.

[walrus]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Hot weather makes tomatoes grow, tied up again, must have grown 6 inches this week. weeds like this weather also. I planted squashes in a plot 400 ft from my regular garden , full of cucumber beetles, hasn't been planted in 10 years anyway. Planted some in my regular garden, no beetle, What the heck?

[FiveHole12]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Hot weather makes tomatoes grow, tied up again, must have grown 6 inches this week. weeds like this weather also. I planted squashes in a plot 400 ft from my regular garden , full of cucumber beetles, hasn't been planted in 10 years anyway. Planted some in my regular garden, no beetle, What the heck?

Waited 10 years for you to return. Now that's patience.

Picking and eating summer and zucchini squash.
Have some green, sweet 100 cherry tomatoes on the vine, waiting for them to ripen.
Other plants (eggplant, peppers, potato, tomato, beets, basil, cucumber) all looking very healthy. Probably will be eating cukes soon.

In my box rotations this year, I have saved room for fall crops. Will be planting more summer and zuke squash, and a large crop of spinach. Beets are planted regularly every 2-3 weeks.

[leswp1]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Peas have some type of bight again this yr. Rotated to different place They get flowering, start to pod and then yellow up and die. Grr.
Groundhog camping under the shed. Had been away for a few days. Came home the waist high hibiscus I had on the porch dragged off and completely denuded of all leaves with just a few buds left. Have to find a way to kill the little ba5tards. They are eating everything. The under the shed thing is very problematic

[Carter]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Peas have some type of bight again this yr. Rotated to different place They get flowering, start to pod and then yellow up and die. Grr.
Groundhog camping under the shed. Had been away for a few days. Came home the waist high hibiscus I had on the porch dragged off and completely denuded of all leaves with just a few buds left. Have to find a way to kill the little ba5tards. They are eating everything. The under the shed thing is very problematic

Ah yes, woodchucks, the bane of my existence. I can tell you for certain that shotguns work on 'em. I hadn't whacked one this year until last week when our young golden retriever saw his first, and promptly treed it. Yup, they climb trees too, as well as digging up and under just about anything on your property. We were also told by our veterinarian that they can do a lot of damage to a dog, so it's best to avoid that confrontation if possible. As to the garden shed, if you're ever out this way I can show you a .22 hole in the door and a matching hole in what had been a good 100' hose. (I missed.) And then there was the one who tunneled under the concrete footings of our sunroom addition to make his home beneath the floor, tearing out the pink insulation and gnawing incessantly on the sills and joists. Kill 'em all, I say, and let God sort 'em out.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Peas have some type of bight again this yr. Rotated to different place They get flowering, start to pod and then yellow up and die. Grr.
Groundhog camping under the shed. Had been away for a few days. Came home the waist high hibiscus I had on the porch dragged off and completely denuded of all leaves with just a few buds left. Have to find a way to kill the little ba5tards. They are eating everything. The under the shed thing is very problematic

Set out bowls of ethylene glycol (anti-freeze). It is sweet tasting, so animals like to drink it, but it is poisonous. Just make sure no pets or neighbors pets are around.

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Just starting to get some produce...

Cucumbers, snap peas and peppers.

Had a great Szechwan stir fry last night with the peas and peppers. Probably have to eat peas again tonight... bummer!