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Mid-Atl - Jun 2016 - From Winter to Summer
+5
moswell
zackshea
Judy McConnell
BeetlesPerSqFt
sfg4uKim
9 posters
Page 1 of 1
Mid-Atl - Jun 2016 - From Winter to Summer
How has everyone handled this crazy weather?
We basically went from March cold to July hot seemingly overnight.
Have your gardens suffered or is everything doing well?
We basically went from March cold to July hot seemingly overnight.
Have your gardens suffered or is everything doing well?
I have seen women looking at jewelry ads with a misty eye and one hand resting on the heart, and I only know what they're feeling because that's how I read the seed catalogs in January - Barbara Kingsolver - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
sfg4u.com
FB: Square Foot Gardening 4 U
FB: Square Foot Gardening 4 U
Re: Mid-Atl - Jun 2016 - From Winter to Summer
I haven't been gardening long, so I don't have much to compare to and I don't know if the plants are doing what they should be this time of year... I will say the heat/sun decreases the time I can spend outside in the garden right when I need to be out there building stuff and transplanting. The warm humidity has meant extra slugs - but also means it's moist enough I can go out early in the morning to 'harvest' them. They, maybe with the help of sowbugs and flea beetles, have taken a toll on the komatsuna, cilantro seedlings, mustard, turnips, and radishes - while mostly ignoring the lettuce?! I have tiny grasshoppers this year; I don't remember seeing them last year. No Japanese beetles yet.
Some of my plants (spinach, arugula, mizuna, radish) have bolted, likely due to the unseasonal heat - but not all the varieties or successions. Since I harvested some spinach and radish, I feel I'm doing well. Last year none of my radishes last spring radished, and I didn't sow spring spinach. None of the lettuce has bolted yet. Most of the peas are flowering. I don't know how the broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are doing because I haven't grown them before. I think the heat was partly responsible for carrot germination issues -- too much heat for too little watering, plus year old, poorly stored seeds (they were free.) The tomatoes*, tomatillos, okra, and peppers are in. *Except for the two impulse purchase plants.
The eggplants need to be hardened off but it's been windy or rainy or blazing so much it's been hard to time. The ground cherries are in pots that are too small so I may just transplant without hardening them off. My squash/melon/cucumber seedlings are ready to go out. Half the garlic have scapes. The poles are up and I've sown some of the beans to climb them - Orient Winder and Uganda Bantu beans. I'll plant the rest of the pole beans soon (Snow Cap, Lazy Wife Greasy, Non-Tough Half-Runner, Neckargold, Big Mama Limas, and Pinkeye Purple Hull Cowpeas.) My planned source for sweet potato slips (which I have not grown before) ran out before I could get any; I haven't heard back to see if they're going to get more in, or whether I should just start some more squash seedlings before it's too late.
I'm going to be growing melons in a SIP (self-irrigated planter). Two of the four planned melons didn't germinate. What to do? Start another two Sugar Baby Watermelons from seed, or try to purchase a pair of Moon & Stars Watermelon seedlings?
Some of my plants (spinach, arugula, mizuna, radish) have bolted, likely due to the unseasonal heat - but not all the varieties or successions. Since I harvested some spinach and radish, I feel I'm doing well. Last year none of my radishes last spring radished, and I didn't sow spring spinach. None of the lettuce has bolted yet. Most of the peas are flowering. I don't know how the broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are doing because I haven't grown them before. I think the heat was partly responsible for carrot germination issues -- too much heat for too little watering, plus year old, poorly stored seeds (they were free.) The tomatoes*, tomatillos, okra, and peppers are in. *Except for the two impulse purchase plants.
The eggplants need to be hardened off but it's been windy or rainy or blazing so much it's been hard to time. The ground cherries are in pots that are too small so I may just transplant without hardening them off. My squash/melon/cucumber seedlings are ready to go out. Half the garlic have scapes. The poles are up and I've sown some of the beans to climb them - Orient Winder and Uganda Bantu beans. I'll plant the rest of the pole beans soon (Snow Cap, Lazy Wife Greasy, Non-Tough Half-Runner, Neckargold, Big Mama Limas, and Pinkeye Purple Hull Cowpeas.) My planned source for sweet potato slips (which I have not grown before) ran out before I could get any; I haven't heard back to see if they're going to get more in, or whether I should just start some more squash seedlings before it's too late.
I'm going to be growing melons in a SIP (self-irrigated planter). Two of the four planned melons didn't germinate. What to do? Start another two Sugar Baby Watermelons from seed, or try to purchase a pair of Moon & Stars Watermelon seedlings?
BeetlesPerSqFt- Posts : 1433
Join date : 2016-04-11
Location : Centre Hall, PA Zone 5b/6a LF:5/11-FF:10/10
Re: Mid-Atl - Jun 2016 - From Winter to Summer
Neither beets nor radishes did anything - radishes bolted. The kale plants are still OK but don't see that the cabbages will head up -- might need to wait until later for fall crops.
Just planted seeds for squash - hoping that they will have time to do something before fall.
Just planted seeds for squash - hoping that they will have time to do something before fall.
Judy McConnell- Posts : 439
Join date : 2012-05-08
Age : 84
Location : Manassas, VA(7a) and Riner, VA (7a)
Cukes
UGH!!! This will be my fourth time planting cucumber seeds. Every time they get to be about 3 inches tall, something happens to them. First it was slugs, took care of that. Then it was flea beetles. Took care of that. Last time I have no idea what got them. They were just reaching the bottom squares of the trellis netting. I got home from work yesterday and all the leaves were stripped clean. I don't know if it happened overnight because I did not check the garden before leaving for work in the morning. Can't be rabbits, I have a nice rabbit fence around the bed. Has to be squirrels or less likely deer.
Cucumbers are my favorite part of the garden since I make pickles to last the rest of the year. I hope there is still time to plant and harvest this year. I am going to cover the whole row of 22 plants with chicken wire and hope for the best. Weird thing is, NONE of the other plants have been touched by anything!?!
Cucumbers are my favorite part of the garden since I make pickles to last the rest of the year. I hope there is still time to plant and harvest this year. I am going to cover the whole row of 22 plants with chicken wire and hope for the best. Weird thing is, NONE of the other plants have been touched by anything!?!
zackshea- Posts : 79
Join date : 2014-04-02
Age : 39
Location : SE PA Zone 7a/6b
Re: Mid-Atl - Jun 2016 - From Winter to Summer
Yeah, nutso weather. I ordered a bunch of tomatoes and peppers to arrive the first week of May, boy was that a mistake. I ended up losing one of my favorites (but the company was great and sent me a replacement), and had to nurse the rest to stay alive. Then I went away for a week the first week of June and came home to tomatoes growing like gangbusters and my broccoli already bolted. So no broccoli for me this year. My shallots didn't survive the winter, but I didn't put too much care into the planting last fall, so I guess that's my fault.
I've had to replant my squash and zucchini three times myself. I suspect rabbit damage. They got smart and didn't build their nest in my yard this year, which means they're not around during the daylight for my dog to catch. I'm hoping we develop a two-year cycle: one year they're smart and don't nest in my yard and the next year one of the ones that survives nests, my dog takes care of them, and then the cycle repeats. Planning on rabbit-proofing every other year seems do-able. On the plus side, maybe my last squash planting was late enough to avoid being utterly destroyed by SVB!
I've had to replant my squash and zucchini three times myself. I suspect rabbit damage. They got smart and didn't build their nest in my yard this year, which means they're not around during the daylight for my dog to catch. I'm hoping we develop a two-year cycle: one year they're smart and don't nest in my yard and the next year one of the ones that survives nests, my dog takes care of them, and then the cycle repeats. Planning on rabbit-proofing every other year seems do-able. On the plus side, maybe my last squash planting was late enough to avoid being utterly destroyed by SVB!
moswell- Posts : 366
Join date : 2011-04-28
Age : 48
Location : Delaware County, PA
Re: Mid-Atl - Jun 2016 - From Winter to Summer
You might be able to get your broccoli this fall.
GARDENATE PLANTING SCHEDULE
GARDENATE PLANTING SCHEDULE
I have seen women looking at jewelry ads with a misty eye and one hand resting on the heart, and I only know what they're feeling because that's how I read the seed catalogs in January - Barbara Kingsolver - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
sfg4u.com
FB: Square Foot Gardening 4 U
FB: Square Foot Gardening 4 U
Re: Mid-Atl - Jun 2016 - From Winter to Summer
Zach, does it look like animal damage? Versus catastrophic bug stuff (think tomato hornworm?). Are they torn and eaten? Or snipped? I have used something called Animal Be Gone (it is a aromatic smelly thing that I think Ortho sells...with some measure of success...rain of course cancels it). You could probably make your own way cheaper, but I don't have the time nor inclination given my level of infiltration by mammals.
Moswell, Grrrr! Dang it! We had a weird and cold late spring. Nearly lost everything. My spinach went from start to bolted, and I had to put everything else in from starts. The only thing I direct seeded this year was root crops; carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips.
Take notes, everyone!
Moswell, Grrrr! Dang it! We had a weird and cold late spring. Nearly lost everything. My spinach went from start to bolted, and I had to put everything else in from starts. The only thing I direct seeded this year was root crops; carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips.
Take notes, everyone!
Last edited by Scorpio Rising on 6/27/2016, 9:45 pm; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : Forgot to close my parenthesis...yes, it is that bad.)
Scorpio Rising- Posts : 8831
Join date : 2015-06-12
Age : 62
Location : Ada, Ohio
Re: Mid-Atl - Jun 2016 - From Winter to Summer
Wow, this is kind of funny, everybody else's reports sounds like my garden. I guess I'm not alone.
Radish and carrot a disappointment this year. Carrots just didn't germinate well, radishes are a mix of some not seeming to grow well and others produced a decent looking "greenery", but no bulb. Looks like they tried to come out of the ground and grow on top almost.
Cucumber has been challenging this year. I got 1 out of 4 to germinate first time, got one out of 3 second time, finally 2 for 2 this last time and the newer ones look like they are coming along.
I tried iceberg lettuce this year and germination did o.k., but it just doesn't seem to be going anywhere, still small scraggly leafy looking things. I thought the cooler weather we were having would help these, now it's getting hot and I just don't see how they will make it.
I tried turnips this year, they look decent greenery wise, but bulb development doesn't look good and some are starting to bolt.
Bush Beans are doing well for the most part. I got some corn and tomatoes that look o.k.
However, part of my problem lies in two new beds I put in this year. Both generally are doing poorly when compared to other boxes. I'm pretty sure that's related to my compost component. I did a half and half mix of home made compost and some store bought stuff. My guess is that "mix" wasn't very good. Trying to nurse them along, added some organic fertilizer, planning on a compost tea this weekend. Anyway, can't blame the weather for that, that's all me.
Radish and carrot a disappointment this year. Carrots just didn't germinate well, radishes are a mix of some not seeming to grow well and others produced a decent looking "greenery", but no bulb. Looks like they tried to come out of the ground and grow on top almost.
Cucumber has been challenging this year. I got 1 out of 4 to germinate first time, got one out of 3 second time, finally 2 for 2 this last time and the newer ones look like they are coming along.
I tried iceberg lettuce this year and germination did o.k., but it just doesn't seem to be going anywhere, still small scraggly leafy looking things. I thought the cooler weather we were having would help these, now it's getting hot and I just don't see how they will make it.
I tried turnips this year, they look decent greenery wise, but bulb development doesn't look good and some are starting to bolt.
Bush Beans are doing well for the most part. I got some corn and tomatoes that look o.k.
However, part of my problem lies in two new beds I put in this year. Both generally are doing poorly when compared to other boxes. I'm pretty sure that's related to my compost component. I did a half and half mix of home made compost and some store bought stuff. My guess is that "mix" wasn't very good. Trying to nurse them along, added some organic fertilizer, planning on a compost tea this weekend. Anyway, can't blame the weather for that, that's all me.
Zmoore- Posts : 223
Join date : 2015-04-14
Location : Virginia Zone 7a
Re: Mid-Atl - Jun 2016 - From Winter to Summer
Zmoore wrote:
Cucumber has been challenging this year. I got 1 out of 4 to germinate first time, got one out of 3 second time...
Same here. The cukes, squash & peppers in my garden really really seem to want 80+ degrees, not 70s and certainly not 60s or 50s. And 80 just isn't happening yet.
Zmoore wrote:
However, part of my problem lies in two new beds I put in this year. Both generally are doing poorly when compared to other boxes. I'm pretty sure that's related to my compost component. I did a half and half mix of home made compost and some store bought stuff. My guess is that "mix" wasn't very good. Trying to nurse them along, added some organic fertilizer, planning on a compost tea this weekend. Anyway, can't blame the weather for that, that's all me.
My new boxes never do well the first year. Maybe they just want beans and peas.
CC
CapeCoddess- Posts : 6811
Join date : 2012-05-20
Age : 68
Location : elbow of the Cape, MA, Zone 6b/7a
Re: Mid-Atl - Jun 2016 - From Winter to Summer
My thought is a new bed, assuming it was made per Mel's recipe, doesn't have the abundance of microorganisms that an older bed has.
Zmoore, I feel your frustration and this is my 4th summer. I want a bumper tomato crop! (hissy fit) I was canning them last year on July 2nd. The heat is harsh, water expensive and monitored electronically by the City, and there are grasshoppers. Keep the faith. I finally have cucumbers after 4 summers!
Zmoore, I feel your frustration and this is my 4th summer. I want a bumper tomato crop! (hissy fit) I was canning them last year on July 2nd. The heat is harsh, water expensive and monitored electronically by the City, and there are grasshoppers. Keep the faith. I finally have cucumbers after 4 summers!
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