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I have only a small yard, so my vegetable garden unfortuntely must be much smaller than I would like. Therefore, I only grow tomatoes and cucumbers in the ground, and must grow peppers and herbs in pots.
This year, my tomato plants are having significant issues, which makes me sad. I've always had a prolific tomato crop, but this year the plants have either died or are sllllllllloooooowwww to grow. Oh, well.
I also planted cucumbers this year. I originally planted one standard cucumber and two bush cucumbers, but a cutworm or some other "garden friend" severely damaged some of the plants, leaving me with only one plant.
Then, mysteriously, another plant began growing where I had planted one of the damaged cucumbers. It looked like a cucumber when it first emerged, but as it has grown, its leaves have begun to look more like a gourd or possibly a pumpkin. I'm still not sure what it is.
Last year, I did throw a Halloween pumpkin into the corner of my garden to let it compost down, but I didn't work the soil in that area this year, and the area where it is growing is about six to eight feet from where the pumpkin rotted down. I did not move soil around this year, so I doubt I moved a germinating seed to the current location, but it is possible a bird or other "garden friend" did. It could also be something entirely different that a bird pooped out and has gifted me.
So, now I get to watch this plant and see what kind of surprise it will deliver. I'm excited to see what I get, especially because it might be all I get from my garden this year (the peppers and tomato plants are all REALLY struggling, and the cucumber is iffy).
I have only a small yard, so my vegetable garden unfortuntely must be much smaller than I would like. Therefore, I only grow tomatoes and cucumbers in the ground, and must grow peppers and herbs in pots.
This year, my tomato plants are having significant issues, which makes me sad. I've always had a prolific tomato crop, but this year the plants have either died or are sllllllllloooooowwww to grow. Oh, well.
I also planted cucumbers this year. I originally planted one standard cucumber and two bush cucumbers, but a cutworm or some other "garden friend" severely damaged some of the plants, leaving me with only one plant.
Then, mysteriously, another plant began growing where I had planted one of the damaged cucumbers. It looked like a cucumber when it first emerged, but as it has grown, its leaves have begun to look more like a gourd or possibly a pumpkin. I'm still not sure what it is.
Last year, I did throw a Halloween pumpkin into the corner of my garden to let it compost down, but I didn't work the soil in that area this year, and the area where it is growing is about six to eight feet from where the pumpkin rotted down. I did not move soil around this year, so I doubt I moved a germinating seed to the current location, but it is possible a bird or other "garden friend" did. It could also be something entirely different that a bird pooped out and has gifted me.
So, now I get to watch this plant and see what kind of surprise it will deliver. I'm excited to see what I get, especially because it might be all I get from my garden this year (the peppers and tomato plants are all REALLY struggling, and the cucumber is iffy).
i just love these volunteer kids that come from nowhere and make us wonder if we are going nuts or just getting forgetful. I had a similar thing last year. I never did figure out for sure what it was. It was either a cuke I had planted the year before that did nothing or it was a kind of squash i didn't plant. I think it was a hybred type of cuke, that really wasn't very good but different.
I have vines all over the place, mixed in with my tomatoes and I have no idea what they are. I think they are cukes, wth lots of blossoms but no fruit yet..I will keep watching and see. If they are cukes, they have grown over the top of the raised garden and are beginning to climp the chain link fense, with some of the plants running along the ground. I didn't plant them, whatever they are...at least I didn't this year and with all the top soil and mulch I use I am stunned to think they could find their way back from last year.
i just love these volunteer kids that come from nowhere and make us wonder if we are going nuts or just getting forgetful. I had a similar thing last year. I never did figure out for sure what it was. It was either a cuke I had planted the year before that did nothing or it was a kind of squash i didn't plant. I think it was a hybred type of cuke, that really wasn't very good but different.
I have vines all over the place, mixed in with my tomatoes and I have no idea what they are. I think they are cukes, wth lots of blossoms but no fruit yet..I will keep watching and see. If they are cukes, they have grown over the top of the raised garden and are beginning to climp the chain link fense, with some of the plants running along the ground. I didn't plant them, whatever they are...at least I didn't this year and with all the top soil and mulch I use I am stunned to think they could find their way back from last year.
Nita
It is fun, isn't it? I don't like it when these volunteers choke out my desired plants, but it is fun to have surprise crops.
BTW: Last yr I moved to a townhome where I too have little space....and have always had a lg garden.
Well, to my surprise, the tomatoes and cucumbers that I planted in POTS have done MUCH better than those planted in ground yrs ago!
No weeds, easy to water, less pest attacks. Now I have all my plants in pots...eggplant doing incredible...jalapeno peppers too... and all herb in pots. Going to plant pole beans soon...
On year we had seed packets in a storage area in the yard. The pumpkin seeds got away and blew all over the yard. That year we didn't have to worry about grass or much of a garden. We just had a pumpkin patch. I think we got over 50 pumpkins and did everyting you could with them.
We tried chopping it back but it just grew more determined. We ended up keeping one area clear for the official garden and letting the rest go to pumpkins. If only cantalopes would grow that easy...
i just love these volunteer kids that come from nowhere and make us wonder if we are going nuts or just getting forgetful. I had a similar thing last year. I never did figure out for sure what it was. It was either a cuke I had planted the year before that did nothing or it was a kind of squash i didn't plant. I think it was a hybred type of cuke, that really wasn't very good but different.
I have vines all over the place, mixed in with my tomatoes and I have no idea what they are. I think they are cukes, wth lots of blossoms but no fruit yet..I will keep watching and see. If they are cukes, they have grown over the top of the raised garden and are beginning to climp the chain link fense, with some of the plants running along the ground. I didn't plant them, whatever they are...at least I didn't this year and with all the top soil and mulch I use I am stunned to think they could find their way back from last year.
Nita
Oh wow!!! This year I must have had a gazillion "volunteer" Sunflowers, I just thinned them out and got an extra row for this years' garden
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Oh, well.
I'm excited to see what I get, especially because it might be all I get from my garden this year (the peppers and tomato plants are all REALLY struggling, and the cucumber is iffy).
