I'm growing yard long beans for the first time. They are fun just because of their appearance... not really a yard long but definitely over a half yard and very eye catching. They taste different than regular bush and pole beans and we have been experimenting to see what cooking method we like the best. So far, stir fried with some oriental seasonings is my favorite, but I will eat them as a steamed veggie, also. Just gotta remember, they are not a replacement for "real" beans. The plants have overgrown their trellis and are now hanging down from it and still producing well. Our summer has been hot and they thrived in the heat. I'll probably continue to grow a few each year, but I'll be sure to keep my other beans, too.

Well its time for another update. Just got done making some Bread N Butter and Kosher Dill Pickles out of the Boston Pickling cucumbers. That was roughly 15 pounds of cucumbers, hopefully I will be able to make one more batch. The straight 8's and burpless variety are coming on fairly strong now. I have picked 1 bell pepper so far and a few more are coming. Been picking the Jalapenos and Cayenne peppers for awhile now (anybody have any good salsa recipes also looking for some good things to do with my cayennes already made some pepper sauce with it). Getting ready to start pickling some of the Banana Peppers that have come in so far. The green beans are coming along quite well and have been picking them for a few weeks now. The tomato plants have all pretty much overgrown the tops of the cages except for the cherry (but they're trying their hardest). Have gotten some Rutgers and quite a lot of the Black princes picked and eaten. I picked 2 Lemon Boy's and I have to say I really like the taste. The 2 Zucchini plants went nuts and I must have picked around 25 - 30 so far. The yellow squash (straight and crook neck) have produced pretty good have gotten about the same number from them. I think they are all getting pretty played out now. I may try planting a couple more of each (anybody got any good recipes for them?) The cantaloupes are doing pretty good and I have several that are getting pretty big.My watermelon is coming right along have the sugar babys on a trellis. Has anybody had any luck growing them that way and not using something to support the melons like stockings? (as I have 12 melon plants and 12 cantaloupe plants and that could get a little on the costly side). The Charleston Grey and Jubilee plants are running right along and are starting to flower up. The pumpkin I planted also seems to be doing quite well. The Eggplant is coming right along and have lots of flowers and I am getting ready to pick the first one. There's probably something I've missed but thats all for now. I may take some pics and post them later as I have to say that being a first time gardener I am rather proud of the way its coming along. I hope everyone is having the same luck I am.

Northerner, I'm a southerner here in Georgia, but I can give you some guidelines that may help: 1. Minimim soil planting temp: 60 degrees. 2. Optimum growing temp: 65 to 75 degrees. (they don't like it cold at night, so row covers and/or black plastic mulch are probably helpful for your climate) 3. Transplant out after 3-4 weeks max following germination. 4. Grow transplants in 3-4 inch pots from the beginning to avoid root disturbance at all costs! (don't use those peat pots, though, and expect to plant them directly in the ground, because they don't break down quickly enough and you'll wind up with root bound plants!) So depending on when you started your squash seed, you may want to start over, so your transplants mature at the right time, but you haven't lost as much time as you thought, casue they don't grow indoors as long as tomatoes and peppers. Take heart, it can be done, so go for it! Best of Luck! Susan

Not sure of a good book but a great resource I have is the planting guide from Eden Seeds. See the attached link and go to "planting guide". I find it hard to print off but it may be our old printer. Visit this forum regularly. There are a lot of knowledgeable people who normally let you know when to plant what, and are always willing to give advice. Pay particular notice of those in Vic and Tas for timing and cooler climate plantings. There are good books out there and others on this forum will advise. Most of the ones I've seen are written for the northern hemisphere and not always useful for us; not just timing, but also diseases, temperature variances etc. Here is a link that might be useful: Eden Seeds