Picked my first ripe tomatoes today this is the earliest ever. This was a new to me variety Sweet 'n' Neat Yellow it has lots of fruit that will ripen soon. This plant only gets around a foot tall and is potted up as are all my other tomatoes which are all setting fruit.

Hurray Betty!

Wow! That's great, Betty!

My largest fruit is on a plant that's still growing in its 4" pot. I'm not holding out much hope that we'll actually be able to eat that one.

Chelle when I got the plant I did replant it into a much larger pot than it came in adding purchased compost to fill the new pot. This tomato said on the label that it would have fruit in 45 days and it sure did, that is why I got it love those fresh homegrown tomatoes.

Chelle, i don't feel so bad now, I still have some plants in 4" pots and I have a couple of coleusin plug pots that I never got put into a planter.

Got 30 bales of straw today and managed to get 1/2 row (double row) of peppers mulched before I had to leave to get a load of manure. Tomorrow is harvest day then Saturday, market so I won't get back to it until Sunday. I was able to get all the daisies picked and started the rudbeckia but the humidity was so bad and the thunder was rumbling so I'll have to finish in the morning.

I have some nice looking beets but they aren't getting big. Beautiful tops though. I guess it's a good thing people buy them for juicing.

Arlene, I think you got a lot done.

Thanks. Days just aren't long enough. And today was the hottest, most humid so far this year. Some rain which just made the air heavier. So between the rain and humidity, I was soaking wet by the time I got done.

LIke I said, you had a very productive day. I can't work much out there if it gets much too hot. And I have to get my seeds planted up on the new root veggie area.

Sunflowers will germinate hot, won't they? I still have many of those to toss out.

We picked some nice beets, carrots and the first of the squash today. I never knew beets were so easy to grow! I'm the only one that will eat them, but I sure don't mind...'cause I love 'em!

Pictures later.

Chelle, beets are easy. I grew them years ago and now I am growing them again. Don't know if sunflowers grow in hot weather as I do mine in spring but I think they will do fine of you plant them now.

I'm headed out there right now...seeds in hand. It looks like they'll get watered in by rainfall if I act fast!

Hurry.

Seeds planted. I planted the parsnips, rutabagas, Kolrabi and golden beets. Before I planted anything I finially read all the package directions. Seems I am too early to plant the turnips. And I was worried that it was too late. But reading the directions it said turnips turn bitter and woody planted too early. Should plant 60 days before frost. So these need to be planted in August. Carrotts also.

As therefore I had empty short term room I put in four rows of radishes. They will be done and harvested before turnip planting time.

I was dreading this project thinking it was going to be really hard to do but wasn't really hard to do. Now I think I will water those seeds just a little for now as we are expecting rain again on Saturday.

I see from working up there that my bed arrangement has a major flaw in that you really can't get around it from the side that has the Tall Bearded Iris garden. It needs an end path. So I plan on moving at least afew more iris to get this the way I want it to be. Not today though as I need to weave my tomato plants again and want to do that after watering.

The rain/storm went around us, but the sunflowers are planted.

I'm holding off on my parsnips too, Rita. I'm thinking a few weeks yet, maybe.

If I pull the Lacinato kale, I'll have room for a new patch of beets. Might give that a go, too...but not today. I'm mulching the flowerbeds and planting out the last of the mess sitting around on my deck. Then, I really need to mow!

I did plant my parsnips today. I hope I have things timed out correctly. But by August 1st or so I will plant those turnips. And turnips were the main reason I even made this new root veggie bed.

Great about finially getting the sunflowers in. Kale, well I don't like kale so I am definately in the pull that kale and plant beets camp.

Newyorkrita said: Kale, well I don't like kale so I am definately in the pull that kale and plant beets camp.

It was really good while it was still cool out, but now I'm thinking what's left will make great mulch. I'll definitely plant more for fall though; I find it easier to grow than some other things...and I have a huge package of seeds!

I had to put TWO more rows of Florida Weave on my tomato plants just now. I can't believe how much they are growing. All this rain we have had. It rained yesterday and it is supposed to rain again tomorrow. At this rate my plants will be 10 feet tall by September.

Took pictures of the porch tomatoes this morning. Those are in cages that a only 48 inches tall. I remember last year they grew to the top of the porch railings then we had a storm and they flopped over some. But they just continued growing.






I am looking at these Texas Tomato cages that are 6 feet tall and you can get extentions to eight feet. I might need these next year for my WILD BOAR INTROS. Take a look on his website where he shows his tomato plants growing. They are giants! But the Texas Cages are very expensive.

Texas Tomato Cages
http://tomatocage.com/

If I'm not mistaken, parsnips do better if soaked before planting. I could be wrong. I was alwaus told to plant in fall and don't harvest until after frost. I actually oberwintered mine.

Rita and Chelle, you both got a lot done today.

I had to do market stuff but a oung girl who was at market last Sat. had asked to come help do bouquets so I let her. She was good and fast so we got 36 bouquets done in about 2 hrs. Plus I have loads of flowers left for do it yourselfers. I'll try and take a picture of the inside of the cool-Bot loaded with produce and flowers!

Arlene, the directions did say to soak the parsnip seed for 24 hours for faster germination. I figgured it would be hard to plant after soaking and besides I wanted to get stuff planted today. Tomorrow more rain is predicted. I figgure the rain will soak them for me.

Besides my garden work I ordered these pepper and eggplant stakes from Gardeners supply. I have bamboo poles but these will be better and best of all they will fit into my pots that I am growing eggplant in. They were on sale which sealed the deal for me.

Sounds as if your new flower bouquet helper is a good deal. Yes, please do take pictures of the col bot full for market. Even if you don't have time to post till after market, at least you have the pics then in your camera.

Yep, I forgot to soak my seeds last fall and I had great germination so with rain coming your way they'll probably do just fine!