2020 Garden Thread.

[Fish24/7]

Just one reason why I love Belgium tomatoes. They grow BIG! This plant is only 8 weeks old and the vine is already HUGE! May have something to do with  the quartz crystals and Moss agate I put in the soil to "energize" the plant 😉, oh yeah bb ,it works!!

I also use crystals in my water, using a clear watering  pitcher I put crystals in the water and set  it in the sun to charge the crystals and water , then water the plants with it. Sounds silly but if you've  seen my tomatoes the last couple years I've posted  you get the point 😁 It works for pretty much any plant too.

And these are growing bigger every day, cocktail and Belgium's. Look at the previous pic from last week on page 24, same plants shown below and they have doubled in size practically! 

[ness]

This pic was earlier in the week. Tomatoes are really taking off now. Peppers looking like they're going to finally shape up. All that lettuce you see to the left is harvested now. Bumper crop this year thanks to the cooler weather. Pulling a few snap peas now too. The second lettuce planting done in late April is coming on now. Succession planted more bush beans where the lettuce was and started more radishes.  

Tried a new lettuce this year -- Tom Thumb butterhead. Really good stuff that I'll do again. Very tender and sweet smallish heads. 

[rps]

My sugar snaps are done and the plants pulled. I have a second shift of tomatoes nearly at the replant stage for the flat. Both tomatoes and cucumber have flowers out. Basil has decided to really get going. I pulled up the bolting parsley and planted new seed. I would complain about the labor, but it's a patio garden.😁

[BilletHead]

               Its nice to see everyone's garden updates! I am with @Fish 24/7   The tomato stalk thickness this season is unreal.  

I have plants now over three foot tall and over and inch thick in across the stalk and branches as thick. I don't' put rocks around my plants but go out and talk to them once and awhile. Maybe that is why they are growing well for me? I actually watered today. The plants were getting plenty of rain from the heavens but three non rain days. I took the hose and watered through the tubes into the bottom wicking tub I would bet a gallon and a half each.

     Wildflower patch looking nice. Well basically wildflowers someone and it wasn't me put some blackberry lilies in there. There are pale purple coneflowers, coreopsis, butterfly milkweed and ox-eyed daisies.  .  

        I lost my two beehives this past winter. I like bees. Never did get much honey from them. Just enough for us last year. I was sad to loose them. Two people told me about long hives. My buddy up near Herman and the doctor the Mrs. works for husband Paul. Paul had me come over and check them out. We got into the hives that day to look at the bees. I decided I wanted to build one. He told me he would try to trap me a swarm in town or at his house. Then he gave me a swarm trap to put out here. Somewhere close there is a wild swarm. Surely out of three swarm traps we would get me a swarm. So I started the hive with Pat's help on the heavy stuff. The frame is built out of 2x12s . The top is insulated. Guys are having success farther north and bees are surviving some pretty cold weather. Three entrances when needed. I am only using one now. Time will tell if and when I will open up another. They will be easy for me to work. I don't bend well at the waist. There is no bending over to work these or lifting to rotate standard tall type hives. @jdmidwest can correct me or add to this if he wants. I am a very novice beekeeper and go to him for answers. The deal with this hive is the bees moving laterally instead of vertical building. I worked a bit each day until I had enough. Just about the time I got the first one done I got a call from Paul. He said I have you a swarm! I was pretty excited. We got it finished and put out (one in center). Paul brought the swarm trap out one night. Next morning I introduced the new colony to the hive. A few days later Paul calls again. I have some scouts looking at my swarm trap here at home. You want another swarm? Weather and covid deal keeping me from other activities Pat and I start another hive. Plans are free online by the way. Second one was going quicker. We went one night to get that new colony. No hurry as they were happy building in the swarm trap. Got them home and set that trap where the new hive would be put (far right). When we completely finished that hive one night I closed up the swarm trap and we slid it to the side. Then got the new hive in place. Next morning pulled the switcharoo and new colony had a home. Then I started watching my trap here at home. I seen bees going in and out. I just figured it was my bees checking out the lemongrass oil and the frame of dark drawn out comb that was in there. Well soon more bees there and then a bunch. Could I have lucked out into a swarm I had actually trapped? Then pollen was being carried in. A sign there was brood in there. I had did it! So a third hive would be built. This home caught colony needed to be taken miles away. Seems the bees have a homing instinct to go back to one place if not taken miles away for some time. Well we took that colony about eight miles away. A farm friend let me put it there. Closed the swarm trap at dark thirty one morning and moved it. Then I opened the entrance and left. Checked back later in the day, they were there and doing what bees do. Acclimated to the new surroundings and began to work. So we built third and last hive. Again no hurry. It was finished last Saturday and Sunday morning was my birthday. I asked Pat to paint it which she did. Best gift ever it was a great day! Great wife, truly blessed,

                   So we got that hive placed and after dark went to retrieve the last swarm.  Back home and placed them next to hive. Then yesterday morning before Pat went to work we put them into new hive. They had been gone long enough they did not go to where I caught them! 

     Right now I have a follower board that is keeping the colonies to the right side of each hive. As they fill frames and expand I will add a frame and move board so as to give them room. Don't know if I will succeed in this endeavor but it is a fun and easy hobby for us to do together.

[Fish24/7]

Looking good! Talking to plants... Absolutely yes yes yes, they listen and don't talk back 😃 

Lots of flower blooms about to open, any day now, will post when they do

Transplanted a few more Belgium and 2 cocktails today. That makes 19 Belgium ,6 cocktails. After the next rain will be digging more holes again. Had more plants than I thought lol!

Planted some marigolds about 3 weeks ago, they just aren't growing much, still tiny, I figured it's because of the 14' long raised bed they are in and they are just rooting out big time before the foliage starts, at least I hope that's what happening..tbc

[Quillback]

Neat deal there Marty - I love peanut butter and honey sandwiches!  

Got my first brussels sprouts today.  Snap peas are coming on strong, but the broccoli is fading.  Got a mix to sauté in olive oil, butter and garlic.

 

[Johnsfolly]

52 minutes ago, Quillback said:

Neat deal there Marty - I love peanut butter and honey sandwiches!  

Got my first brussels sprouts today.  Snap peas are coming on strong, but the broccoli is fading.  Got a mix to sauté in olive oil, butter and garlic.

 

Looks like a nice saute in the making buddy! We have only picked lettuce from our patio plants. Mostly geared towards summer harvests.

[ness]

1 hour ago, BilletHead said:

               Its nice to see everyone's garden updates! I am with @Fish 24/7   The tomato stalk thickness this season is unreal.  

Yeah-stem a foot up is thicker than the stem at just above ground level. Goes against common sense! 

[BilletHead]

12 minutes ago, ness said:

Yeah-stem a foot up is thicker than the stem at just above ground level. Goes against common sense! 

      Exactly and the branches thick too. Crazy.

[MOPanfisher]

Maters are absolutely loving this weather, I only have a few but they are really growing now with warmer weather.  Second crop of lettuce is pickable but getting ignored in favor of strawberries.  Sizes are trending down to what we used to call jam berries, same great flavor just smaller.  Looks like I will be stemming and processing some tomorrow if the recliner doesn't call my name too loudly.  Two days of IV infusions have l taken the top off of my energy level.  But sliced and sugared berries will put it right back, and the rest into another batch of jam.