Garden Question

[Hound dog]

I've never grown broccoli before, never even seen it in the garden. Mine seems to be flourishing. Only thing is..........it's not looking a whole lot like brocolli. I've got long spindly shoots instead of the thick broccoli plant that you see in stores when you buy them. I dunno what to do with these long spindly shoots. Know what I mean?? Are they supposed to be there, am I supposed to trim them?

I already know the garden will be organized differently next year. It's just small this year with me utilizing the flower beds I don't have flowers in as well. But hey, a lot of these plants I've not grown before so......live and learn. Any squash family plant will be given a LOT of space. holy moly It's not just pumpkins that like to spread out. LOL I keep having to guide the spaghetti squash out of the garden plot so that its not smothering everything else.....it's doing fine by the way. Cabbage will also have it's own area. I forgot how big the actual plant gets. Strawberries are producing ok for the first year but they will be transplanted out of the raised garden bed into an area of the yard because they're perennial and then they can spread out if they want. This heat, lack of rain is not being kind to my blueberry bushes. They're just barely making it, but I hope they come back good next year. (I have flowers that have done that to me) The corn and zucchini got a late start due to me not feeling well. They're what I just gave up and stuck in the flower bed. LOL But although they are behind......they're now doing great since they're in the ground. Not really too worried about harvesting them........figure with this current heat ect we'll probably be seeing summer temps through most of Oct at the least. Tomatoes are ok in the buckets, even have a few growing now.

But it's the darn broccoli that has me stumped. I'm thinking I should've trimmed at some point or other. hmm

 

[witzend]

Cut them back and you'll grow more flowers. It will get pretty spindly and tall eventually, but for now if you keep on top of it you can snip it back and get more veggie growth.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Blueberries... like the "coolest" part of the garden. Wild ones grow on the forest floor, with only dappled sunlight. So... if they are out in the blazing sun, they probably aren't too happy!

I haven't done this - only "seen" it on a couple of other gardens...
You can build fairly low ladder-trellises over plants that like less sun, and grow your vine plants around them, training them to grow over top of the trellis. Works great with zuchinni... not as good with giant pumpkins! Pole beans can be done that way too.

 

[donna723]

I've never tried to grow it either but I always thought that broccoli was more of a "cold weather" crop. I think if it's planted in warm weather it grows too fast and gets spindley. I used to see people growing it in their gardens in Florida and they would either plant it in the very early spring or in the fall when it wasn't quite as hot any more.

 

[hearts and roses]

I used to grow broccoli every year. Do what Witz said and cut it back...eventually you will get some decent stalks of broccoli to eat. With little spindly florets you can throw those into a sauté or salad or soup.

 

[Hound dog]

I'll cut it back tonight then and see how it does, cuz it's certainly got long and spindly going on.

And evidently once it cools down I'll replant the blueberries and treat them with some miracle grow to reduce the trauma of transplantation. (I don't like to use the stuff unless for something like that) Because they're not by any means in full sun.......but they do get the hottest sun of the day, so maybe I can move them to where they'll get morning cooler sun then shade. I have nowhere in the yard that is all shade. easy child is having the same issue with hers........and I know hers are mostly in the shade. So it just might be as much transplantation as location. I have not used miracle grow this year because I wanted more organic.......which meant during taking them from the pot and putting them into the ground they didn't get a good amount of miracle grow to reduce the trauma (and give them a boost) .

Garden will be much bigger next year if I have to buy a tiller to get it started and spend days digging up rocks to use it. I like too many veggies for a small garden. LOL I'll even haul in dirt by the truck load if necessary......have sister in law remove a section of the privacy fence so they can back up into the yard.

But this heat.......and that intense sun..........whew man! Honestly? I think the plants are a little confused.

 

[AnnieO]

We plantred blueberries in our "jungle" a few years back.

They have gone poof. Never saw a one. Wild black raspberries, yes. Everywhere. But the blueberries just kinda died. And they were in full shade...

 

[InsaneCdn]

Part if it is the kind of soil... if I remember right, they need more acidic (used to being under pine trees and such).

 

[ThreeShadows]

Love your enthusiasm!

 

[Hound dog]

Oh, IC I have acidic to the ultimate...........between the pine tree and the dog doo. LOL But I'm going to move them up closer to the pine tree, I bet they do better there.

Thanks 3 S for the link

 

[DammitJanet]

here in the east, blueberries grow in rows in the sun. Some are low to the ground and some are waist high for easy picking.

Also the strawberries will spread and be around forever so make sure you get them to wear you want them. They come up in the early spring about the time memorial day would be for you. I think. Its earlier for us. It depends on the weather. we have tiny native strawberries that are growing in a field but they only grow for a week or two and then they are gone.

 

[witzend]

Our blueberries were in sun about 8 hours a day near pine trees. They bore fruit like crazy! But only on 2 year old stock, so cut the new growth back every fall.

 

[Hound dog]

Good to know.

Ok, easy child has a question for her broccoli.............hers came in like you see at the store, but due to her working and not being able to check.....have bloomed. So? Now what should she do? Just cut them off lie she would normally? And will she get more broccoli?

Good news, we went to check her garden tonight...............and I spotted that she had green beans ready, so we picked them.........two big handfuls with more growing.

 

[Tiapet]

Can I hijack this thread a second please? I have a garden question since our tiny garden isn't doing well. Oldest difficult child planted peas and they aren't surviving and for the life of me I don't know why. They grew the plants and sprouted the peas but didn't complete fully growing the peas. I mean there are peas in the pods and they are smallish but down by the base of the plant of them all they turned yellow! Now all the plants are dying and all the pea pods are drying up. They have plenty of morning sun into mid to late afternoon. We've watered them since we're not really getting rain and they needed it. Now the squash is dying off too after growing the plant but not completing to buds. All the rest of the plants in the garden never came up.

Any thoughts? I'm wondering if it's a soil problem, though we added in a soil mix when we tilled.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Tiapet - do you have an agricultural college around somewhere? Ours will test your soil for free, and tell you what is missing that would cause this in plants...

 

[Malika]

Your climate may be too hot, Tiapet. Peas like warm but not excessive sun - a British summer is ideal, maybe a Tennessee summer less so? They also like phosphorous and potash dug in with the soil.

 

[Hound dog]

Tia, if it makes you feel any better..............my peas aren't doing so hot either. I don't even have pods yet, but mine look better than easy child's. I think it's the blasted heat wave for ours.......mine we doing great until that hit. Now they seem to be struggling to stay alive even though I try to water a bit each day. That sun is downright beastly hot.

 

[DammitJanet]

Tia, you may have simply planted the wrong type of peas too. Those could be the type that are meant to be dried peas. You could just pick them now and freeze them until you use them by soaking and making pea soup.

I made that mistake one time.

Did I mention I hate gardening. Farmers markets are much better in my book. I can go get produce without the work. Pole beans are fairly hardy. They like to climb fences. They are also called Kentucky wonders.

Your broccoli got in the ground late I think. Normally it is a colder weather plant. Did you look at the back of the seed packets when you planted them? They show when you should plant them for each region and with the winter we had plus the fact that our summer came on like a blast oven, I think they just got hit too hard. You may have to try again in the fall. I would try planting collards or spinach in the fall for harvesting towards November and December. Im telling you, you can sell fresh collards for 2 dollars a head all day long between thanksgiving and New years eve. And you should put in hills of sweet potatoes. Once you pull those veggies up, put a ton of collards in, as many as you can because you can make quite a bit of money. Just put a sign up in the front yard. Can you have a couple of chickens where you live? If so I would get 4 egg layers. That would keep you and easy child in eggs year round.

 

[Hound dog]

Hmm. I think I'm gonna give sweet taters a whirl come like Sept. Am I too far north? I just extended the garden by 10 feet yesterday. (yes, I'm a little nuts because it was in the beastly heat) Would carrots have time to grow? Have to look into that. easy child only had one carrot plant come up.....but she doesn't like them anyway. LOL (boys are crazy for them though) I on the other hand love carrots.

The broccoli was "technically" in the ground very early........I bought them as starter plants, rather biggish ones. But I'll pay attention and get them in earlier next spring, along with the potatoes, carrots ect. However easy child's potatoes are going nuts.........and she planted them somewhat late.

I'm going to plant some green beans and onions in the extended part, to see if I can get a late harvest with this heat/sun. Not going to cost me much to give it a whirl.....just a packet or two of seeds. Because I plan to extend the garden at least another 10 feet. (can use that part to try the sweet taters ect)

Farmer's markets are great, but expensive.........even more expensive if you want enough to can the items. Once in a while we can get a great deal that way.....but only once in a while.

I got a good laugh on the phone with my Mom last night. Got to talking about the garden and she says to me "Now how on earth do you know anything about a garden?" I said, "Gee, Mom I only helped Dad do that sort of thing from the time I could walk until my late teens when I started working. So I dunno." Spend that much time helping/watching someone and it just sort of sticks whether you want it to or not. But I'm trying a lot of plants Dad never grew. He only grew what he knew for certain we'd eat.........and Mom wasn't much into variety. So it was basically corn, green beans, spring onions, raddishes, cucumbers, and lots of tomatoes.

As an adult, my tastes have broadened so I'm trying new plants. Shoot, I'm still debating on a peach tree. LOL

 

[AnnieO]

Interestingly about the peas... One of my fondest memories as a child was pea picking with my Grandma.

In the Desert Southwest - New Mexico - near Las Cruces.

And they were, to date, the best peas I've ever had.

Now if it's too dry for peas... It would be there, too.