My Veggie Garden 2014 (Pics) (flowers, yard, plant, weed)

[Cambium]

Pic update... feels like beginning of May.. Clouds, Rain, Cool... Where's the heat?! Nothing but the Potatoes are growing much. I seriously doubt the garden will look like it did June 2nd in 2012



I love my compost pile! Debating whether to wait for fall and till in garden or just mulch with it now.



Tomato stakes are in... I have an idea I want to try with rebars. Short Short season this year I fear.

[beachmel]

I love the way you use those paving blocks around your garden, Cam. You know, I have one bed that's just slow as all get out. Even though it's on a southern wall, it's exposed to the wind and loses a great deal of heat, unless the sun is out.

I "walled off" one of my gardens. It's 20' x 24', with chainlink fencing around it. I used pallet "plates", stapled clear plastic to them, then mounted them to the chainlink wire with zip ties. WOW!!!!! I built all new raised beds for the center of the garden, with frames designed to support more plates overhead...with screen stapled to them. Perfect for protecting the newbies and from cabbage moths as well. The brassicas seem to be THRILLED with that filtered light, as well. That's the garden that's doing the best. Because it's protected from the wind, it needs to be watered 1/2 as often as the "open" gardens. It is, for all practical purposes, a roofless greenhouse.

If the temps get too high this summer, the East and West panels can be removed from the fencing, thus reducing the heat accumulation in the space. Because those fences will also support my "pole veggies", it will still be protected from much of the wind exposure, but will also provide a small amount of "light filter" as well.

As for your pile of black gold.....and straw....and spuds....I would be mixing some compost with straw (50/50) and using that good stuff to hill the potatoes!!! Much of my mulch this year has been in the form of last year's beauty bark, mixed with rotted horse manure. I threw that stuff around all of the veggies, we had a nice rain and holy CRAP!!.. (pun intended?....maybe )

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by Cambium

April 2014 Weather Update:

Rain Total: 7.17" (Well above normal)
Highest Temp: 70.5°F (4/11)
Lowest Temp: 28.6°F (4/6)
Mean Temp: 48.0°

High Temps:

6 days in the 40s
9 Days in the 50s
14 days in the 60s
1 day in the 70s
0 days in the 80s

Lows:
3 nights in the 20s
17 nights in the 30s
9 nights in the 40s
1 night in the 50s

Pretty average April although it's been the coldest Spring start in decades mostly thanks to March.

Few mornings with Frost in April. Mid May is usual transplant day for us here. April is still cold.

However, the Potatoes are looking VERY healthy as of May 7th.

May 2014 Weather Summary:

Rain Total: 4.39" (above normal)
Highest Temp: 83.9°F (5/26)
Lowest Temp: 42.1°F (5/29)
Mean Temp: 60.1°

High Temps:
4 Days in the 50s
12 days in the 60s
11 days in the 70s
4 days in the 80s

Low Temps:
0 nights in the 30s
13 nights in the 40s
17 night in the 50s
1 night in the 60s

Warm month thanks to the warm lows mostly. In fact it was the first time Bridgeport did not go below 47°F once in May since 1948. Not humid at all, dewpoints stayed comfortable and dry a lot. Highs were chilly and many days felt cool until end of the month.

Everything seems to be couple weeks behind recent years. Potatoes doing great!

[Cambium]

Pic Update...

My potatoes are insane this year. (no, I never added more mulch/hay)



Radish



Tomatoes slow this year as with everything else. I have 45 Tomato plants around. Bottom leaves off the ground = more airflow and less Blight problems. I have to remember Baking Soda and Water if it comes about.



2 rows of corn. Half I started inside in March. The other half the seeds haven't germinated to good. Love the Cardboard idea. :-)

[Cambium]

What the heck is going on this year. Noticeable difference of the Hot & Sweet Pepper growth compared to previous yrs this time. Nothing is growing! Some are crawling. Peppers are insane. I don't see getting peppers this year at this pace. Even last year plants were taller and bushier. wow

Clouds, Cool, Rain, Wind.. only a few heat days and countable sunny days.

[happehart]

Cambium, Sorry to hear your garden isn't doing as good as you wanted.. weather has been really weird and I didn't even start a garden this spring. Hope things will improve for you soon

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by happehart

Cambium, Sorry to hear your garden isn't doing as good as you wanted.. weather has been really weird and I didn't even start a garden this spring. Hope things will improve for you soon

Another rainy cloudy day today with temps in the 60s low 70s. 15 inches of rain in last 2.5 months.

I pulled up one of the pepper plants out of curiosity... There's barely any roots!! The seeds were started April 5th.

Is it possible the plant dies from length of time trying to survive? LOL Does that make sense? 2 months growing and the peppers are a twig.

On the other hand the Tomatoes while slow to grow also are thick and flowering.

[Cambium]

Someone make it stop! More Rain and More coming. Just got drenched with 0.60" of rain in 30 minutes. 1.50" for the day. 4" for the month so far(2 weeks).

[Cambium]

Took matters in my own hand. Covered the still small pepper plants. Usually do this for cold air, not rain, but enough is enough now.

If we had sun or wind in between its fine but I don't remember the sun for more than 3 hours in like a week now. lol

[Cambium]

First Harvest of 2014. 25 Radishes.