My Garden Exploded!

15 years ago

Okay, the garden didn't really explode, but the greenery is amazing suddenly! I've recently added some fertilizer to the beds, along with a healthy dose of compost from my compost bins and WOW!

I was busy since Saturday, so hadn't been in the garden until today. When I went outside, every plant in the garden was waving new greenery at me.

The tomatoes have hit the top of their trellis and were nodding over. The collard starts I planted last week have tripled in size! And, best of all, all of my squashes (cantaloupe, pumpkin and cukes) are sending out runners everywhere.

I guess the secret to growing squashes in FL is to wait until September to plant them. I did see one solitary squash bug today and he's, well, squashed now.

This afternoon was a festival of string, since I spent most of it tying up my plants. I corralled the tomato limbs to keep them growing up the fence/trellis, laced the cukes and squashes up trellises and poles, and picked okra, onions and turnip greens.

My seedlings are now outside to harden off, although a few of them don't look so great. Once I feel they're ready, they will be joining the other darlings in my SFG.

Oh, and the best news of all...I now have little ferns growing in my asparagus bed I started! They are teeny, but they are there! YAY!

I'm sorry I don't have pictures of today's work, but I will post some after my camera charges. :)

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Comments (14)

kr222
15 years ago
I can't wait to see your pictures! I'm so glad you're having such a productive season. The same thing happened recently with my green peppers. I love it!
anniesgranny
15 years ago
Lissa, even though my garden is winding down for the season, it's nice to hear about those in warmer climates and their successes! Way to go, girl!

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden
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thanks everyone :) Pnbrown, I am in south central Montana, zone 5. I planted my squash, cucumber and tomatoes seedlings in late may, then it turned cool and rainy and I think my plants were stressed. The squash were also started way too early (mistake on my part) and were growing blossoms before transplanting. For the entire month of june they didn't grow at all, just looked sad. Finally in July they started to perk up and I thought maybe I'd get a semi decent garden. By the first of august it had taken off growing great. I mulch with grass clippings and use a soaker hose to water. I use fish emulsion fertilizer and mix some aged cow manure into my soil once a year. I only wish my growing season lasted longer so I could enjoy my pretty garden longer. Our first average frost is mid September. Here is one of my squash plants right after transplanting. I thought it was doomed. I kept pinching off the blossoms in hopes it would focus on growing.
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You had posted the five home tests awhile back, and I did those. One of those was worms. The news isn't good, although they aren't non existent. Sadly, when I was digging the soil for my testing, I think I came across a total of four worms. I only had to actually pick one out of the buckets of collected soil. I dug several shovel fulls out, then did a slice, per each test. So about 15 or so digs...I think four worms. My compost bin is right next to the veg garden, and in early March, I planted my lettuce/spinach/greens right next to it (because it gives shade). As I worked that little patch of soil with my fork, that soil was LOADED with worms. Either they were enjoying some goodies that were leeching out of the bin, or the bin was full and they were going back and forth. I remember posting about another one of the home tests, and that was smell...my soil had NO smell, good or bad. The other tests were okay, the tilth and the drainage.
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Northspruce, I hear you on the not pruning much. I haven't pruned at all the last 2 years and I get LOADS of tomatoes. All my family and friends I've had out exclaim on how many there are. So I always give pruning snobs "the look" when they insist that lack of pruning is the worst thing ever. That said, my plants get enormous, and take up soooo much room, and sprawl all over the paths between my raised beds, that next year I may actually do some pruning. :P Well it doesn't look like we got a frost last night, but it got awfully close. Still another few days of needing to cover though...sigh. I don't know why, but instead of ripening this year, my celebrity tomatoes kept getting bigger and bigger! Kind of annoying. Last year they ripened fairly early, the tomatoes were smaller, and no cracks or scars. I only have 2 or 3 that are actually turning color at this point, so I'll probably be having to pick a lot of green to tomatoes at some point. I must have watered inconsistently at some point, all the tomatoes(not the cherries) have some scarring from growing too fast.
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engineeredgarden
15 years ago
Very good, Lissa! Make sure you take care of those squash, so you can send some to the rest of us! We're stuck with growing cole crops....Oh well, they're fun too!

EG
jbest123
15 years ago
Bah humbug, I may as well go looking for a Christmas tree. Let the damn snow fly.

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal
engineeredgarden
15 years ago
Heh.
Melissa Houser
Original Author
15 years ago
EG, I'll have to look into mailing squash. ;)

Granny, thanks for the encouragement. I'm totally overwhelmed by how big everything is suddenly! :)

JB, I hope it's a good year for Christmas trees. And a light year for snow! :)
anniesgranny
15 years ago
John...SNOW? Already? What a bummer :-(

I'm glad I'm still in WA waiting for the grandbaby to be born. Any other year I would already be in AZ with 100-plus temps. But that would be preferable to snow.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden
carolynp
15 years ago
I'm so excited for you! I can't wait for the pics. I personally think squash are lovely plants, too. Waaah! I want a greenhouse! Waaah!!!

Oh granny, those last few days before the baby is born, OI!
sinfonian
15 years ago
Grats Lizza! Great to hear your garden is flourishing. Can I borrow it for the weekend so I have some green to show off my garden to my kid's teacher? Hehe

I have to agree with EG, all I've got growing are cole crops. Salad anyone? Hehe
crystabel
15 years ago
Awesome Lissa! So can you give me some info on growing asparagus in FL? I'm in the same zone and couldn't find info on it except for telling me I couldn't do it.
My squash and pumpkin are doing great now too. Love that it is finally fall and I can plant a bunch of new things :) .

Can't wait to see some pics of your green garden!
Melissa Houser
Original Author
15 years ago
Crystabel, I'd love to give you some tips, but everything I learned about growing in FL is this: Try it. If it works, it's great. My seeds have actually sprouted and I'm seeing teeny tiny ferns, so I've done something right so far.

What I did was to section off part of my side bed, planted 6 asparagus seeds to a square and watered carefully, so I didn't disturb the seeds. So far, about a third of them have sprouted half inch ferns. :)

I keep telling ya'll that I'm willing to try anything once. :)
anniesgranny
15 years ago
Crystabel, I checked my Victory Garden book, and it says no to asparagus in Florida :-(

However, I did see a post by one woman who says she grows it "Asparagus will grow in Florida. It may take a little more work depending on where in the state you are. In northern Florida it does really well in the cooler months but it seems to struggle in the heat. I live in the Panhandle. You can check with your local AG Center or Farm supply store for specific instruction for your area."

The zone just previous to yours gives planting dates (for crowns, not seeds) as Feb 1-Mar 10 and Nov 15-Dec 31. Maybe a November planting would give them time to establish before the heat gets to them. I do think you'd have to give a lot of attention to keeping them well watered.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden
Melissa Houser
Original Author
15 years ago
Granny, I'm actually planning to make a cover over the asparagus section of my bed to shade it from the sun, sort of like an umbrella, but made of dark something (cloth, plastic?). I hope that will give it enough protection, because I also read that it does NOT like the amount of heat and sun I get down here in FL.
anniesgranny
15 years ago
I'd suggest shade cloth. It lowers the temperature unbelievably! If you got it in a light tan, it might also reflect a bit of light onto it without the heat.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

My Garden Exploded!

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