re: It's almost garden time boys!

I've picked about 20 squash so far, a few banana peppers, and have at least 50 tomatoes ripening.

Peas are coming along slowly. Sedge Hammer wasn't much help on the grass (mainly around the peas), but it will get a 3rd dose this weekend.

here is an update with my plants and corn

I also just replaced my old patio deck. I kept two stairs and flipped them upside down and planted herbs. (L to R: Rosemary, Basil, Lemon Thyme and dill)

I still have to do the bigger section of the stairs.

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Figured I'd give an update on the garden and see how everyone else is doing.

So far this season it seems like some plants are doing better than others. For instance, I've picked an ungodly amount of cucumbers and beans already. I'm starting to pick a lot of tomatoes. My watermelon plant is still small. And I was starting to think my bell peppers and pepperoncini plants weren't going to make anything. The plants look good. Normally I just glance and see if I can see any peppers on them. Today I took the time to lift some leaves and give a good look. Well, they're starting to produce!



I also picked a crap load of tomatoes and cucumbers today.






That was just from today. This was my first batch of salsa. But I've been making about 12 quarts of pickles a week for the last month. Luckily, friends and family have been buying them.

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My first attempt is shaping up for a big fail lol.

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Well, as productive as my garden has been, it hasn't been without headaches. My beans got hit so bad with rust that I pulled them and replanted. I'm going to be more proactive with the fungicide from now on. Also, early blight seems to try to take hold on my tomatoes no matter how hard I try to mitigate it. For the most part my plants are healthy, but every time we get these crazy storms that last 2-3 days and drop several inches of rain I end up having to prune a lot.

What's your salsa recipe?

Share your pickle recipe if you don't mind.

I picked lots of Green Beans and Cucumbers, but only a few tomatoes. Is the white on the Cucumbers from lack of sunlight and being shaded too much? I have that as well.

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Is the white on the Cucumbers from lack of sunlight and being shaded too much? I have that as well.

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Are you talking about the lighter colored ones in my pictures above? Those are just 2 different varieties. The darker green one's are Poinsett 76 cucumbers, and the lighter colored one's are National Pickling.

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My tomatoes are getting ransacked by birds and squirrels. Any ideas on how to keep them out of plants?? I've seen netting but it seems kind of extreme.

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I know not everyone likes them, but I have a couple of outside cats. They are efficient bird and mouse killers. They've only killed one squirrel, but they chase them off regularly. As long as they keep up the good work, they can stay.

If processed and sealed correctly it should last at least a year.

Any cucumber recipes to enjoy same day as picking them? I dont like them raw/fresh but my wife does.