Hi Betty,

I also love to grow veggies. (I just luv2gro). This year, I didn't plant as many different things as last year. I seemed to have alot go to waste last year. It was always to wet to get into the garden, it seemed, when it was ready. But, this year, I have planted 4 varieties of tomatoes, chard, carrots, parsnips, white beets (a first), asparagus peas (another first), 3 varieties of peas, corn and brussel sprouts. My asparagus bed is in its second year, so I just left it alone again this year. It is doing great. Oh, and I have cape gooseberries from New Zealand that I started from seed my aunt sent me. They are doing really nicely and just starting to flower. This is another first for me and one that has taken me about 40 years to accomplish. (Long story) But, I have finally achieved success, I think.

I've been eating chard for the last 2-3 weeks. I'm the only one that likes it, so I don't need much more than 1/2 row. There are quite a few tomatoes that have set and the plants are doing so much better than previous years. Looks like a bumper crop, so far. Actually thinned all of my root crops (I think that's a first, too) and I may be eating some baby beets by next week. Carrots are still just thin roots and seem a bit small in the foliage, yet. Peas are just starting to flower. Asparagus peas just started to flower today. They have a really neat dark red flower that is very pretty. Very different type of plant, too. Corn, although doing nicely, seems a bit small (about 18") for this time of year. It's a long way off, yet. I've covered most of the brussel sprouts with row cover. Something in my yard is attracting a tremendous amount of cabbage butterflies this year (Gee, maybe it's the sprouts) and I really want to have my own this year at Thanksgiving. The one thing I've found with cutting back a bit on how much I was growing is that it is much easier to look after without getting overwhelming. I don't think I've ever had as "neat" a garden as this one. Hopefully, it will all be bumper crops. The weather seems to be just perfect for veggies this year, too. Not too hot, not too cold. Just enough rain at the right time, so far. I know that's not the case for everyone, but in Edmonton, it has been wonderful. Touch wood.

Happy growing!
Shauna

Over here our weather has been wet but warm, though now it seems every second day is cooler with highs of 21 or so. Fair amount of sun though.

I have green tomatoes and the cucs are finally starting to take off. Though, I sort of planted the cucs late. Had to reseed because the first seeds rotted. You can definitely notice the difference in things like melons with the warmer summer compared to last year.

Not sure about planting things in April. Maybe plants that like cool weather and germinate in cool soil would be okay (peas?).

If the soil is too cool seeds like cucumbers might just rot.

My Mother always tries to plant her garden in mid May. Some years, however, she wasnÂt able to plant it until June 4 or so because of spring flooding in the garden and yard. She always maintained that there wasnÂt that huge of a difference, because plants coming up in mid May arenÂt growing that quickly because the weather and soil were still rather cool.

Glen

I was thinking the same thing. A veggie thread for the Far North would be great. We have a shorter growing season here.
I love growing vegetables also. I had a slow start this year too. Got tomatoes on the vines now . The cucumbers and beans are flowering now. Should be picking peas this weekend. We have been eating lettuce for a while now. The pototoes look really good this year. I put hay mulch down the isles this year.
I am always trying different things. There is always something to learn.

I had to throw out all of my brussel sprouts yesterday : (

I had them covered with row cover to protect them from the #$%@^&$*#$ cabbage butterflies. The row cover was very meticulously set up, twist tied to bamboo stakes. BUUUTT, I didn't seal the bottom. Checked them yesterday and found eggs, skeletal leaf forms, several sizes of caterpillars and lots of dead butterflies. Didn't even try to salvage them. Out they went. I think I actually created the perfect environment for them to breed and hatch.

Live and learn. This was my first attempt with row cover. I think I learned how NOT to use it. : (

Shauna

I didn't plant the garden until June 1st but the plants are looking great but small. I've been eating sweet 100 cherry tomatoes for 2 weeks now and just had 2 Stupice tomatoes that were about the size of a tennis ball and the next couple will be ready in 3 days. Also picked 1 Orient Express cucumber that was 9 inches long, 1 sweet slice cucumber at 7 ". I should be eating corn in a month along with bush beans but the I thing the pole beans will get frost before the produce. Beets are small compared to my fatherÂs garden but he seeded 3 weeks before me. My biggest surprise is the Cream of the Crop acorn squash that is the size of a baseball. They should grow well as long as the slugs don't get them.
I would post pictures but I'm still looking for a digital camera. Might borrow my sisters this weekend when she isn't looking.
Andre

Too bad about your brussel sprouts Shauna, mine look a bit spindly so will see if I get anything. I just hold down the row cover with bricks down each side and both ends. I had to cut the row covers in half and sew them together to make a wider row cover as the plants push up too high and the edges come loose. Had a few cabbage butterflies underneath but everything is looking okay. I planted the first week of June and everything is motoring along.

I feel your disappointment Shauna....I just don't bother with any of those crops anymore. Too much work involved for what I ever got out of it. Cabbage butterflies are all over the place here, so I know the extent I'd have to go to grow the cabbage family vegetables.

I tried white beets too for the first time, but they won't need thinning as there are only a few in each row that came up. I also have golden, chiogga, pablo and bull's blood. Carrots...lots of different kinds.

We had beets, carrots,chard and peas to eat so far. My sunburst squash is producing like crazy, so we'll eat that in a day or two. No beans yet...just flowers...they came up kind of sporadic,so I won't have as many. Some of the corn is just starting to tassel.

I finally got the tomatoes staked yesterday...a little behind I know. I bought a package of small fruit mix seeds from Stokes...almost 100% germination and they are really doing better than I expected. I'm just not sure what I will end up with...lol. Some I could tell needed staking, others are quite short or very bushy, so I'm excited to see the varieties when they fruit. Brandywine have lots of blossoms ...first time growing them. Ildi and Sugary are all in blossom as are all the other varieties I planted. I have about 150 plants altogether...hoping to sell some tomatoes!I wanted to see how some would do in my garden,so I'll be taking notes. I ordered Early Canadian Beef and not one germinated...must have been the seed because my other varieties all germinated and were all planted at the same time and under the same conditions.

Believe it or not I have to go and water that garden...we need a good rain here in our area.

Betty

150 tomato plants, oh my! I put in 46 and thought that was way too many, but your idea of selling them is a good one. I seed traded and had to try all varieties I received.

I cannot go without the plants in the cabbage family but flea beatles are worse than the cabbage butterflies here, there are quite a few cabbage butterflies floating around the flower beds but I am keeping them out of the cabbage family plants. You could give row cover a try, it is really easy, just throw it on after the plants emerge, lift once in a while to weed and that is it. This is our second year using it and it works great.

We have been watering for a couple of weeks, it is quite dry here as well.

What does a cabbage butterfly look like? I have a black thing flying around, the wing has a yellow border, and when it sits it looks like a brwon ugly locust. What is it?

I started some things indoors in Feburary - cucumber (I have been eating for 3 0r so weeks - I have dozens), zuchini (tons so far), toamtoes (still green but abundant). Peas I planted outdoors in April - got a bumper crop (had to freeze0 - the plants are almost dead now. Swiss chard is doing well. The hot weather put the spinach to seed. Brocolli (started in feb.) has harvested a small yield. Corn was planted in June and is about 4 feet high (my 1st attempt). potatoes have not shown blossoms but are about three feet high and bushy (Russet, yukon & purple blue). radish has been a steady supply. I grew Mesclun mix lettuce under row covers - yummy. I have harvested 20-25 beets so far - pretty large. I think I left them in too long.

it has been very hot, sunny and dry where we are.

Kashacres, cabbage butterflies are white (or sometimes yellow) with a little grey dot on each wing and they fly really fluttery if that makes any sense. They are medium sized. The real problem is their little green caterpillars that love to eat cruciferous (cabbage family) veggies.

What you are describing might be a kind of grasshopper. Some of them have big wings that look a bit like butterfly wings but they fold up when they land. So that kind of is a locust like you said.

The cabbage butterfly is the smallish, white butterfly that flits about all season long. They lay black eggs that are smaller than a pinhead. The resulting caterpillars are green and will be found munching away on all brassica plants - cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard, etc.

For me, some years seem worse than others, but they are always present. To be safe, I always soak my harvests in cold, salted water for about ten minutes.

Shauna

Here is a link that might be useful: Cabbage White Butterfly

DOH! Correction, cruciferous are the broccoli family! I'm wrong!

*looks at completely etted cauliflower and brocolli, denuded chard, denuded spinach - sighs* *looks over at 3" tall pole bean plant, 2" tall struggling summer squash plant, spindly green pea with three teeny pods - sighs*

But the lettuce was good. Got some marble sized tomatoes on three of my long-suffering tomato plants - now begging them to make nice edible tomatoes. Yes, these are the same tomatoes that were glaring at me and sneering at their siberian roommates after a sudden snowstorm in May, I think it was. They're still with me. I think they must be masochists.

Kashacres, what you describe sounds to me like a mourning cloak butterfly. Those are harmless to your crops but if you have a willow or a cottonwood shrub, the caterpillars will go to town on it.

Le meas
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