progess pics and oh boy, where do i start...

Ok, I thought I would just post some progress pics and make comments on what seems to be working, whats not working and my thoughts for next year. Any advice is welcome. I do have to say, was discouraged after visiting my brother and seeing his garden looking so much better than mine, and not a pest in sight!
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it took forever for the carrots to come up. picked the radishes and spinach (see blank spots). yum. onions already going to seed so I just cut the seed part off. still not sure what to do with the kale and absolutely will not plant the lettuce mix again, or at least not next to the carrots. i don't think I have enough carrots to can. should i put the whole 4x4 in carrots for canning? the eggplant is flowering! I have never grown one of those before.

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finally the beets are growing. i was just about ready to give up on them and whats worse, my brother has already picked his.
the celery looks ok and the peppers ok as well. not sure if they seem small yet or not. might just be getting too anxious

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oh boy, do i have potato stems/leaves. not sure what is in the ground. they must tower a good 2' or so above the box. they started to flower but something ate them and now i see a few holes in leave. i don't see potato bugs but do see grasshoppers. planting 4 eyes per square seems like an awful lot. really need advice on planting here.

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this might just be my pride and joy. Asparagus! spears are still coming up. a friend planted seeds in the ground so he always comes over to check out my plot. i have some surface weeds but very easy to pull.

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here is where i am most unhappy. cabbage and broccoli and cabbage worms. ugh. i have tried picking and using BT but still not much luck. and way too crowded. i won't plant them in the same box again and i won't plant one cabbage per square. only a few are actually getting heads. i think only 2 per row would be better/8 per box. i am still trying to research this one. i also realize i should have covered them. next year for sure! in fact, i am thinking about pulling the broccoli and giving the cabbage more room. the broccoli doesn't even look good as seen in the second picture. i don't think i have ever grown them before so i really can't judge.

ok, enough said. thanks for looking. any suggestions are welcome.

Jodi
1" of downpour this morning, now getting humid. highs expected near 100 coming up this weekend into next week.

I think your garden is looking good. I love seeing so much green!

1.) Your brother may have a different micro climate or may have planted a different kind. I don't usually compare because of the difference that can be found in just one yard.

2.) If you cover your cabbage, broccoli with tulle or netting so the moths can't get in you won't have the worms. Looks like your broccoli needs picking bad! Starting to bloom.

3.) The pests may not have found his garden yet!

4.) Carrots take FOREVER to germinate. The amount you need to plant would depend on the amount you want to can.

5.) Beets are a funny picky veggie. I am lucky, if they don't grow, great! No one in my family likes them but the grandkids They like to eat them raw!

6.) I only plant potatoes 5 per 2x2 box. Mine are huge so waiting to see how that experiment worked!

Your garden looks great, a few bugs... eh, everybody has something and you probably look at your garden with a much more critical eye than anyone elses. If it makes you feel better my broccoli still has never started broccoling, same with cauliflower, and the catepillars are in my cabbage. live and learn! Eat that broccoli!!! Way to go!

My 8 Yukon potatoes in 2 squares took over 6 and 1/2 squares after growing tall then flopping over. Tying them up seemed to make them madder and more determined. Crazy things. Next year they get their own box. Yours look just fine to me.

too funny that you say i am being too critical! were you talking to my hubby? he wasn't happy when i expressed disappointment to him. ran out between rain drops and picked the broccoli. chomped on it a bit - yum! do i take out the whole plant or leave it for additional heads to come? i notice tiny ones on the sides.

now my eggplant is leaning. time to stake it up. the wind/rain tonite was hard on it.

thanks for all the comments

Jodi

Jodi, you wouldn't mind sending the rain clouds back to the west of the metro would you? Only got about a 1/4 inch here so far. Looks like a little more is coming but we really need at least an inch. Tomorrow is supposed to be 90 and clear again.

By the way, your gardens look really good.

If your not needing the squares and don't mind the little heads I would leave them to continue! If you want to start warm weather crops then destroy

I have enough squares but mine were not making heads because of the heat I had. So into the compost they went and I will start beets there in a couple of weeks.

Time for fall garden planting for me already! I am replacing the garlic with kolhrabi this weekend. Maybe some turnips and carrots also.