Veggie Garden Update-September 09

Skeeter's Veggie Garden Update:

Since we had a late start with our Georgia Veggie Garden planting, we are still plucking goodies such as Sweet Peppers, Tomatoes and Jalapeno Peppers.

Unless a Cucumber is hiding amongst the viney mess I have in the garden, the last of the Cucumbers were taken to Virginia for the Saints parents to enjoy.

I am happy to say we finally picked our first Cherokee Purple Tomato! I am still finding it difficult to believe that I actually grew this tomato from a small seed passed along from Dan. The tomato was not as purple in color as I thought it would be as you can see in the above picture. The purple tomato is side by side to the Red Roma's. The taste was so yummy on our sandwich being juicy and mild in flavor just as we like our tomatoes. Thanks again Dan for the wonderful experience from your little gift to me!
Hopefully we will have more Purple Tomatoes soon as they continue to grow on the plant.
Another thing taking off in the Garden is the 2 Gourd plants. I have one Viney Mess in the veggie garden. As you can see, those two plants have taken over the entire garden and even trailed over the fence and in the open being vulnerable to the Rabbits and Deer.
I don't know if rabbit and deer like gourds but so far they have not touched them. I have many inside the secured fenced-in area so I know I will be making more birdhouses next spring. Yippee, as that was an awesome experience!
That Banana Tree continues to grow taller each day! It is amazing what a plant can do when placed in the correct spot.
I counted 7 baby Banana Plants popping up from the main stalk. Wow, that is one happy Nanner!

I am still plucking Basil in the Herb bed but the Parsley, Chives and Cilantro will not germinate for me. I have tried two plantings and am guessing, I have some old dud seeds... I will talk more about the Basil a bit later...

Now lets jump up to Tennessee and see what's happening at Tiger Gardens...

Tina's Veggie Garden Update:

I am not going to say this year's vegetable garden was a failure, but it was not the success it usually is either. I waited too long to plant my cucumbers and zucchini, the garden is shaded by the bananas, and I just did not keep good records on what I planted and have grown so I've been a very bad vegetable gardener. I need to fix it next year or just take it all out.

Nonetheless, we've been harvesting cucumbers. There are enough to eat fresh but I won't be making any pickles this year. I planted these on the first of July.
Here is long shot of one two of the A-frames. I am growing squash, gourds and watermelons (already harvested) on these A-frames. The other A-frame has the cucumbers growing on it. I made three A-frames and move them around as needed based on my bed sizes and how I rotate the crops. The A-frames are all sized differently and made in such a way that using them is flexible.
Here is one of the squash (possibly a gourd?) growing on the A-frames. I also have some cool white egg-shaped gourds growing here in this location. More on them later.
Here is another long shot of the bean bed. I purchased the nylon trellises and attached them between fence poles. These trellises have lifetime guarantees and are quite user friendly. I really like them for the beans. We've harvested many beans even with planting them half way through the season they are doing great. They look kind of short and that is most likely due to some shade in this garden-blame the bananas and trees. I'm not sure what I will wind up doing about this situation. Something has to give.
And finally, the first zucchini of the season. During the summer I usually eat zucchini daily and I've missed them this summer since I planted these so late. I dice these and fry them with onions in butter, then add an egg, fry it all up, and eat for lunch. It is a simple nutritious meal that my mother used to make for us kids.

I can't see any benefit in planting a late summer crop. The same diseases and the same pests still affect the plants. Next year I plan to organize the garden better so that I can get maximum benefit from just a select few crops. Either that or I am going to have find another spot for the vegetables. My trees are growing in faster than I would have ever thought they could. It will be just a few years before the entire garden is covered by a canopy.

We are still harvesting yellow tomatoes, some pear tomatoes, and tons of cherry tomatoes. The green peppers have gone crazy. We have plenty of them to freeze but not of the tomatoes. That is a strange thing. I will miss the fresh frozen tomatoes this winter but I'll adjust.

It is time to begin planting some fall crops. I intend to seed some carrots, radishes, beets, and lettuce. I've already planted starts of lettuce. I love fresh lettuce and can't seem to get enough of it during the winter, but I endeavor to work on that issue....

in the garden....