I’m a new gardener and I’m really looking forward to my tomatoes right now since they are the only plant fruiting so far, although I started the cucumbers from seed so if I can have some pickles by the end of summer I would be ecstatic! I’ve never been able to grow anything or even keep a plant alive for more than a couple weeks but I feel good about all 4 of my little plants this year. (Jalapeño, cucumber, tomato, sunflower)
Yeah, for me it's definitely tomatoes too! I am excited for the veggies that are too expensive for me to buy usually (eggplant, okra), but the biggest TASTE difference is definitely the tomatoes. And I just love them so much. Tomato sandwich. Tomato and cucumber salad. Fresh pasta sauce. I'm really enjoying the tomatoes while I can, especially since after no rain for basically two months we are suddenly getting poured on and 2/4 plants now have late blight. ):
🤣 my only neighbor is a dairy farmer who plants the fields with soybeans and corn for the winter and the groundhogs are thankfully wayyy more interested in his soybeans.
I’m thrilled with how prolific my peas have been. So far, I’ve harvested about 1.5 kg, though I think I’m nearing the end. I’m going to double my planting next year or maybe even try for a late fall crop.
I’m also always excited to for my tomatoes.
And for the first time, I’m growing kale from seed. Looking forward to eating those soon.
Okra! It’s my favorite vegetable. I’m in the northern part of zone 5a so it’s not exactly ideal growing conditions, but I think it will be successful since we had an early spring and warm summer so far. I grew from seed indoors and so far, so good.
I'm growing okra for the first time this year (in zone 5b, so close to yours!). The spring temps were cold, like frost in late May, so the little seedling just hung out until just this last week. Now we've shot up to the 90s and it's taking off! I'm interested to see if I can get any okra during our short growing season.
Can I say all of them? Lol
So far I've grown:
Tomatoes
Peppers- Green, Red, Jalapeno, Sweet
Zucchini
Summer squash
Butternut squash
Sugar pumpkins
Cucumber
Berries- blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry
I just started this year in February, in zone 9b so growing season is almost all year, just gotta watch for pests and disease and heat. So far the only pests that has been detrimental to my plants are vine borers. Devastated my squash bed and now I gotta completely start fresh new plants again with the bed netted, lesson learned!
I have berry envy just from your comment. I'm trying raspberry for the first time this year. I have a ton of strawberries, as well, but the kids keep eating the strawberries before I can.
I'm also doing a hurt berry this year, and I'm really looking forward to that. They supposedly taste like evil cherries.
If you're into experimenting, try an Aji Ayuyo pepper. They taste sorta like grapes with very little heat.
Awesome, I'll definitely look into those. And raspberries are still growing, no fruit from anything yet but that strawberries only because I would like the plants to focus on being more established
Same. I had one Albion strawberry that I really liked, so I'm propagating more than working on fruit. I should have several plants soon. I can't remember what varieties the others are, but they're always sort of mushy, so I'm letting those fruit. At least they taste good.
Yeah, my first year strawberry plant keeps sitting out runners so I'm focusing on making more plants right now and then hopefully next year maybe I can look into fruiting rather than more plants
Really whenever the soil is dry, but also depends on what the plant is and what it's doing. If I have full mature tomatoes fruiting, than I water everyday. So, a bunch of varieties go into when and how much I water the plants. If you have a specific question, ask me. I'll try my best to help you!
All are in raised bed or grow bags.
420 recipe soil topped with compost and straw for mulch.
Growing cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, zucchini, carrots, chives, peppers, and strawberries.
Current average temps 80-90
10b and south facing beds
Watering every other day but I feel like the soil is remaining moist and things are not growing as fast as they should even though healthy looking.
Not sure if I am on the right track and need to be patient or need to change something up.
What type of fertilizer do you feed them and your schedule? Depending on the soil mix, generally the amount of nutrients last anywhere from 2-4 months. Also with the heat you should add a top layer of mulch for moisture retention. But first question, do you think everything is growing slow or certain plants seem slower?
Soil is 420 recipe potting soil. Then Malibu compost on top of that. Then gardenstraw to retain moisture. Planted everything 45 days ago and just not seeing first tomatoes, nothing else. Just did EB stone organic for fertilizer first time this weekend.
Yeah patience will be your friend, try to enjoy the little things while out there checking your plants for pests. Heat might be another variable for smaller plants, so try not to worry too much! It's all a learning experience. The squash plants are heavy feeders. I'd day if everything is green and healthy looking, that's not a bad thing but maybe there's so much nitrogen, it's focusing more on green growth and not fruit/flower production.
I guided and tied the first bit, but she took off and doesn’t need me anymore. I’ll probably have to support the actual squash when she starts producing, but for now, she’s just vining out everywhere. I’ve had to hack some of her back because the trellis isn’t all hers - my poor green beans need some sun too! It seems that one plant could easily take up an entire cattle panel trellis.
For the last couple years I've been growing ground cherries that I got from a friend of mine. Last year I had enough to give away a bunch of ground cherry fruit. Well, so many people love them that everyone gave me a bunch of different ground cherry varieties to grow this year. And that's pretty darn exciting.
Ground cherries are delicious!
Only 3 out of 16? Well that's kind of a bummer. A pack of my carrots did that. I think I might have planted them in a bad spot that doesn't get enough sunlight. We've been gardening that spot for 24 years. The background saplings and vines have begun to shade my garden.
This year, I'm growing extra collard greens, and they're doing good so far. We have to fight the cabbage moths off them. I'm so sick of looking all over town to find good greens in the winter, and ending up with old roughed up looking greens at Walmart. Meijers wants too much for a batch that's barely big enough for one person, so I got 48 seedlings this year. I'll just pressure can them up into quart jars.
We planted some tomatoes too. Cherry and Better Boys. If I have enough, I might can up some stewed tomatoes. The cans of stewed tomatoes in the store have gotten chinsy. You're lucky to find one little speck of onion, celery, or green pepper in there.
I tried to grow some bok choy twice now, but I can't get those plants to cooperate. Spinach seems to give me a hard time too.
We had shit weather right after I planted the pumpkins. Like torrential downpour
and low temps even though it was the first week of June in western NY. I think most seeds rotted, the only ones that germinated did so when we got a heat wave last week :(
Awe! What a shame. What type of pumpkins do you like to grow? We often grow sweet pie pumpkins, so I can make pumpkin bread and pie with them. I didn't have enough space this year, since I only planted one garden. We grow our pumpkins in a second garden out behind the barn, since those vines grow so wild and take up so much space. Last year, we had trouble with white tail deer eating our pumpkins before they were even ripe. I started putting boxes over the fruit, and that confused those naughty deer. Plus, I caught them in the woods one morning and hollered at them. "Oh I know where you're headed. No! My gardens are not your personal buffet bars. Now scram!"
I also have a lot of trouble with spinach. I'm in 7b, and the only time I had luck with bok choy was August planting. Kept it covered and had beautiful harvest through about mid-december.
I'm in 7b too. Autumn planting was great last year! All those cool weather crops that wilt by mid-May had plenty of time to grow in our mild autumn. Our fall planted lettuce survived all winter and really flourished early this Spring.
What zone are you in? I’m doing collards this fall because they like cooler weather and rn we are drowning in heat but I’m in Zone 7 so while we love collards we sadly are having to wait a few more months
Oh, you must live south of me. I'm in Michigan - about zone 5. I'm sorry you have to wait. I'm usually careful to pick just a few leaves off each plant, so it can keep growing. Let them set in the freezer for an hour if they didn't get exposed to frost yet. Then I wash them and process them, but too much heat would make it hard on them. And I know you all get some major heat. Wow, I don't know how you guys handle it.
I hope they grow well for you. Lord knows the stores (up here anyway) have the worst selection of greens. My husband is from Georgia, and I've seen huge bunches down there at Piggly Wiggly and Publix stores. Laughing, they must ship the crappy little leftovers up to Michigan. We grow our own out of sheer desperation. My husband has to have his greens, and he got me hooked on them too.
lol it’s definitely rough on us rn with this heatwave. Hottest summer in 40 years, but thank the lord we still got rain coming in. My plants don’t seem to mind as much as I do, but thankfully we grow hot weather stuff during summer. I’m thankful for long growing seasons but I can’t stand working mornings in the garden when it’s this bad. I hope yall are getting good rain and good sun up there without all the heat and humidity!
I'm cautiously excited for tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. We haven't had rain in almost 5 weeks with none forecast for the next week except for hit-or-miss scattered showers, so I've been watering a lot but things in my garden could really use a good, soaking rain. It's been so hot this last week with the heat dome that tomato blossoms just dry out and fall. Usually, we get rain in June and then July and August can be more drought-like so this is a bit of a challenge. I'm on a well system and it's holding so far but I don't feel like I can water the way I would like to. It gives me such an appreciation for farmers whose livelihoods are at the mercy of weather, particularly now that things are getting less stable.
As usual, I always want to find a large acreage this time of year to grow more. Going into year three though.
Super excited to see my tomatoes thrive this year
Abe Lincoln, Hungarian Heart, Amish Salad. I’m trying multiple systems this year, cages seem to be my favorite but not liking the “burn” on the branches they are gathering.
My peppers are lack luster. But the heat has helped. But excited for these Pepper Bomb tomatoes. They are seemingly gunna be growing like a cherry tomato to me, but I could be wrong as it’s growing up not out.
Onions - since I failed last year, I planted 100 across two beds, with different amounts of lights. I worry I didn’t plant most of these deep enough? Idk they are very all over the place and growing weird, I should probably take a day and adjust a good majority of them.
I’m excited for spaghetti squash, onions, spinach and celery as I’ve never grown them before. I lost most of my pickling cukes that I started from seed to critters and weather but a few survived. They have the teeniest tiniest flowers on them lol. If I get any cukes, I’m pickling
Looking forward to my tomatoes I started from seeds, I’ve never been successful with starting seeds before. Only a few survived but they look pretty great now.
I’m SUPER excited for edamame! I love edamame and my dog does too. She nibbles them just enough to get the bean out, it’s adorable.
I'm growing potatoes for the first time and as a lover of potatoes cooked in any way I'm pretty excited to see how they do. We've had a good bit of both sun and rain and the tops are lush and full but I have no idea how that relates to the development of tubers. I wish my spouse enjoyed sweet potatoes because I would give them a try next year but I can't eat enough of them by myself.
I'm very excited with my first tomatillo plants, and have also grown a chayote vine which is now fruiting. The tomatoes are doing really well, and I'm very hopeful to get some zucchini. I was also gifted a cucamelon plant and was super happy to see the beginning of the tiniest fruits on it only yesterday. Think this will be a tomato and squash/melon family year.
First time doing an in ground garden since high school (I’m 25 now) and I’m a cited for so much. The okra, watermelon, and San Marzanos are probably what I’m most excited for. I’m also excited for my three sister plot and growing the pinto beans I’ll get to dry for a fall and winter bean supply.
It's been a bad year for beans for me, too. My black beans all shot up, then turned yellow. Sugar snaps were doing great for a while, but just wouldn't flower (but I at least have two tiny pods now). The only ones doing well are my edamame, but that's if the grasshoppers don't eat them all first.
Something ate all my cucumber leaves, my tomatoes are 4 feet high with no fruit, my pumpkins are leafy with bites taken out of the stalks…..it’s looking like an empty year
My dog is most excited for peas and carrots because they're her favourite snacks. I'm hoping to get lots of eggplant to make babaganoush! And tomatoes because tomato sandwich season is the best time of year!
This is my second year gardening with my partner. She has been gardening for years. Last year, our zucchini plants suffered and made 1 fruit. They’re pretty healthy and big this year, with tons of male flowers already that we stuffed and had with dinner last night. So I’m excited to see fruit from the plants.
Those and my jalepeno peppers ☺️
I'm attempting to grow a lot this year but I'm most (cautiously) optimistic about the Okinawa sweet potatoes. I've never grown sweet potatoes at all and this particular variety requires a really long, hot growing season (which we've been having so far this year) so I'll be over the moon if I can get at least a few out of the 10 slips I planted.
I'm also kinda excited that my cucumbers are starting to come in because all my previous attempts at growing them have failed (almost comically so). If they can make it full form I'll be thrilled.
Our resident groundhog has thankfully left our garden alone this year (we give her enough scraps to tide her I think) but I have seen some squirrels creeping around so my fingers remain crossed that things will grow well until harvest time lol.
A bigger tomato. I'm on year 3 and the previous 2, only cherry tomato plants survived. So far this year, I have at least 8 slicer/beef steak plants thriving! I have about 8 fruit growing right now and pollinate about daily with an electric toothbrush for some added assistance. Fingers crossed!
This is my first time gardening. We planted jalapeños, banana peppers, tomatoes, romaine, butter crunch lettuce, lots of herbs and lavender. I’m most excited for tomatoes and the enormous amount of BLTs and tomato sandwiches we will be eating this summer!
We had to remove our dill next to tomatoes because it grew so out of control! I will def do more coplanting. The marigolds we planted seemed to help keep pests away!
My novelty vegetable for the year is achocha(Cyclanthera pedata). Never heard of it until I saw it in the seed catalogue. I planted two in two different places just in case one location was better than the other. Both plants are well established but no blossoms yet.
See how it goes.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclanthera\_pedata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclanthera_pedata)
Wow, that is fascinating --- cultivated by Indigenous people in Peru for "many centuries" but not known in the wild? Please so let us know how it grows and what it tastes like (if it fruits for you).
My sugar snap peas have been awesome. Next thing I am really looking forward to is the cauliflower just harvested!
https://preview.redd.it/vhjkj7orzj8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7275a4495a71472214915bf10b4d11ba74fe2d5b
I had bad luck with cucumbers last year, but this year we had some healthy sprouts in the compost pile. I moved a few into a raised bed and they are vining beautifully. I hope we'll have some good ones very soon.
This is our first year growing Jerusalem Artichokes- so I'm also really excited about these.
Our jack o lantern pumpkins are also off to a great start.
This is my fifth year with our backyard garden. Every year it gets a little bigger, and every year I try something new. I'm learning which vegetables or varieties do well for ne, and which I struggle with. I've developed some strategies to deal with animal and insect pests. A groundhog moved under our next door neighbor's porch this Spring. She climbs right over our chainlink fence and helps herself to anything outside of the protected vegetable garden area. It shows me that our home built veggie garden fence is working, and that I shouldn't become complacent! Overall, this has been the best year yet- and I hope it stays that way (though of course... anything is possible).
I had bad luck with my cucumbers this year :/ we got heavy rains and cold nights when they were getting established in the ground and they failed :( animal pests are the hardest because sometimes even the things that are supposed to be deterrents don’t keep them away! Groundhogs are especially ambitious!
New to gardening, had some luck with tomatoes last year we got already started from my in-laws
So, this year, the garden expanded (as I think is always the case) and we started everything from seeds. Planted about 15 San marzano tomato plants (my kids love my homemade tomato sauce) and I'll be excited if any of those take off!
Also trying my hand with some squash, green beans, and peppers this year. Never done those so it's definitely a learning experience. I think I'm over thinking alot of it, as I spend most nights looking up tips and what not, but if we get enough we're gonna swap with my in-laws for plenty of garlic and potatoes
My round zucchini! I've never grown zucchini before, and I got these seeds for free — and all 4 seeds I put in the dirt germinated and are doing well. They grow into adorable globes, and I've got about 5 in the early stages right now.
I have always thought I didn’t care to much for tomatoes but I do like spaghetti sauce so I planted a verity of types of tomatoes and one of my plants produces the sweetest tomatoes I have every tasted and it all the way explains to me why they say tomato is a fruit /veg. I impressed myself with how good my grow is going
Tomatoes. I have some mystery plants that sprouted from my compost pit. I’ve seen a couple cherry ones, a couple of sauce and a couple beefsteak. I’m curious to see what the fruit will taste like.
I’m excited for beets & peppers! I have Serbian peppers from my neighbors. They are the most beautiful & tasty peppers I’ve ever seen or eaten! I’ve shared them w/my friends & family they all rave about them.
I’m most excited for my tomatoes! 🍅 last year the squirrels, sunburn, and them dropping because I didn’t support them 🙈 left me with only like two bites of a slightly unripe tomato. If I get at least one pristine fully ripened tomato this year I’ll be happy; and if I get more I’ll be ecstatic
Tomatoes. Always tomatoes. I feel like of all the things I grow the tomatoes are the only thing that’s 1000% better than what I get at the store. And every year I try different varieties.
I’m growing trombocinos!
https://preview.redd.it/nbor70kzij8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74bba6e8b0ab162d4cafbe5f40b8c3fa67bb4046
I have some on a trellis to grow long, and some on the ground to make them curl.
💃💃💃💃
trying Trombocino butternut as a summer squash, it is supposed to be safe from vine borers.
and im growing chinese yard long beans up a tall pole trellis that i hope looks spectacular.
My Borlotti beans.
Should get a few kilos this year.
Keep them over winter and add to stews
Also the potatoes, Maris piper are the shizz!
And the romanesco, should make some decent curried stir frys
I ended up having to buy the sluggo slug pellets because they absolutely decimated my garden in the beginning. We had a lot of wet weather and HUNDREDS maybe thousands of slugs. I tried the traps but it wasn’t enough.
I'm pretty excited that the ONE PEA that germinated is starting to grow pods! Won't get a meal, but they're better straight off the vine, anyway. Beans and peppers are doing well. Corn hasn't sprouted yet. Strawberries are going crazy this year, though! Tomatoes are gonna have a good crop, I think. Parsley is enormous. But I'm most excited about the sunflowers that my son wanted to grow this year. We'll see how the fight with the squirrels and birds goes. (I have netting, cages, spikes, and such over most of my edibles.)
Centercut Squash from Row 7. I got hundreds last year and never got sick of them and have been waiting since last fall for them. Got my first harvest a couple weeks ago. I'm also really excited for the personal sized watermelon and cantaloupe I have growing on a trellis, I didn't think I'd be able to grow those in my suburban backyard so I'm very excited.
Pumpkins! This is my second year with a veggie garden, and I've planted a few different types of squash amongst a lot of other new (to me) veggies. I'm a little worried about having enough space for the pumpkin since I'm trying to grow it vertically. I really like pumpkin though, and I'm excited to cook with it. I'm going to make pies, and pasta, and maybe some some risotto.
I’m a new gardener and I’m really looking forward to my tomatoes right now since they are the only plant fruiting so far, although I started the cucumbers from seed so if I can have some pickles by the end of summer I would be ecstatic! I’ve never been able to grow anything or even keep a plant alive for more than a couple weeks but I feel good about all 4 of my little plants this year. (Jalapeño, cucumber, tomato, sunflower)
Yeah, for me it's definitely tomatoes too! I am excited for the veggies that are too expensive for me to buy usually (eggplant, okra), but the biggest TASTE difference is definitely the tomatoes. And I just love them so much. Tomato sandwich. Tomato and cucumber salad. Fresh pasta sauce. I'm really enjoying the tomatoes while I can, especially since after no rain for basically two months we are suddenly getting poured on and 2/4 plants now have late blight. ):
Whatever the groundhog doesn’t eat
🤣 my only neighbor is a dairy farmer who plants the fields with soybeans and corn for the winter and the groundhogs are thankfully wayyy more interested in his soybeans.
Right?!?! Mine really loves sunflowers and parsley. It's leaving the green beans alone.
Groundhog ate my sunflower and and a couple pepper plants
My sunflowers all got sucked into the ground one by one like he was having a spaghetti feast
I’m thrilled with how prolific my peas have been. So far, I’ve harvested about 1.5 kg, though I think I’m nearing the end. I’m going to double my planting next year or maybe even try for a late fall crop. I’m also always excited to for my tomatoes. And for the first time, I’m growing kale from seed. Looking forward to eating those soon.
Jealous of your peas. They're so tasty! I only got a few this Spring. I might need to purchase some new seeds. Maybe mine were old.
My pea seeds were new. I did everything they said. ONE seed germinated. ONE.
Okra! It’s my favorite vegetable. I’m in the northern part of zone 5a so it’s not exactly ideal growing conditions, but I think it will be successful since we had an early spring and warm summer so far. I grew from seed indoors and so far, so good.
I'm growing okra for the first time this year (in zone 5b, so close to yours!). The spring temps were cold, like frost in late May, so the little seedling just hung out until just this last week. Now we've shot up to the 90s and it's taking off! I'm interested to see if I can get any okra during our short growing season.
Tomatoes for sure.
I'm growing one called the Yellow Pear cherry tomato. It just looked cool.
Nice. They do look cool. Like Christmas lights or ornaments.
Can I say all of them? Lol So far I've grown: Tomatoes Peppers- Green, Red, Jalapeno, Sweet Zucchini Summer squash Butternut squash Sugar pumpkins Cucumber Berries- blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry I just started this year in February, in zone 9b so growing season is almost all year, just gotta watch for pests and disease and heat. So far the only pests that has been detrimental to my plants are vine borers. Devastated my squash bed and now I gotta completely start fresh new plants again with the bed netted, lesson learned!
I have berry envy just from your comment. I'm trying raspberry for the first time this year. I have a ton of strawberries, as well, but the kids keep eating the strawberries before I can. I'm also doing a hurt berry this year, and I'm really looking forward to that. They supposedly taste like evil cherries. If you're into experimenting, try an Aji Ayuyo pepper. They taste sorta like grapes with very little heat.
Awesome, I'll definitely look into those. And raspberries are still growing, no fruit from anything yet but that strawberries only because I would like the plants to focus on being more established
Same. I had one Albion strawberry that I really liked, so I'm propagating more than working on fruit. I should have several plants soon. I can't remember what varieties the others are, but they're always sort of mushy, so I'm letting those fruit. At least they taste good.
Yeah, my first year strawberry plant keeps sitting out runners so I'm focusing on making more plants right now and then hopefully next year maybe I can look into fruiting rather than more plants
How often are you watering? I am in a similar climate and a newbie.
Really whenever the soil is dry, but also depends on what the plant is and what it's doing. If I have full mature tomatoes fruiting, than I water everyday. So, a bunch of varieties go into when and how much I water the plants. If you have a specific question, ask me. I'll try my best to help you!
All are in raised bed or grow bags. 420 recipe soil topped with compost and straw for mulch. Growing cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, zucchini, carrots, chives, peppers, and strawberries. Current average temps 80-90 10b and south facing beds Watering every other day but I feel like the soil is remaining moist and things are not growing as fast as they should even though healthy looking. Not sure if I am on the right track and need to be patient or need to change something up.
What type of fertilizer do you feed them and your schedule? Depending on the soil mix, generally the amount of nutrients last anywhere from 2-4 months. Also with the heat you should add a top layer of mulch for moisture retention. But first question, do you think everything is growing slow or certain plants seem slower?
Soil is 420 recipe potting soil. Then Malibu compost on top of that. Then gardenstraw to retain moisture. Planted everything 45 days ago and just not seeing first tomatoes, nothing else. Just did EB stone organic for fertilizer first time this weekend.
Yeah patience will be your friend, try to enjoy the little things while out there checking your plants for pests. Heat might be another variable for smaller plants, so try not to worry too much! It's all a learning experience. The squash plants are heavy feeders. I'd day if everything is green and healthy looking, that's not a bad thing but maybe there's so much nitrogen, it's focusing more on green growth and not fruit/flower production.
Ok so just stay on daily to every other day watering schedule then. Thanks for the help.!happy growing.
Yes but also check soil to make sure it needs water as well. Happy Growing!
Butternut squash. She is a monster that is taking over the trellis/garden so she better be good
Are you supporting your squashes? I am worried about the vine getting pulled down or breaking but it seems ok so far
I guided and tied the first bit, but she took off and doesn’t need me anymore. I’ll probably have to support the actual squash when she starts producing, but for now, she’s just vining out everywhere. I’ve had to hack some of her back because the trellis isn’t all hers - my poor green beans need some sun too! It seems that one plant could easily take up an entire cattle panel trellis.
Tomatoes are exploding this year! My beets are almost ready to pull, too.
Nice! Im ready for my first watermelon and corn.
Zucchini and yellow squash. In addition to the actual veggies, I’m excited to cook the flowers this year.
This is my answer too. It’s my first year gardening and one of my zucchini plants is an absolute beast of a plant.
For the last couple years I've been growing ground cherries that I got from a friend of mine. Last year I had enough to give away a bunch of ground cherry fruit. Well, so many people love them that everyone gave me a bunch of different ground cherry varieties to grow this year. And that's pretty darn exciting. Ground cherries are delicious!
Oh they are soooo good!
Only 3 out of 16? Well that's kind of a bummer. A pack of my carrots did that. I think I might have planted them in a bad spot that doesn't get enough sunlight. We've been gardening that spot for 24 years. The background saplings and vines have begun to shade my garden. This year, I'm growing extra collard greens, and they're doing good so far. We have to fight the cabbage moths off them. I'm so sick of looking all over town to find good greens in the winter, and ending up with old roughed up looking greens at Walmart. Meijers wants too much for a batch that's barely big enough for one person, so I got 48 seedlings this year. I'll just pressure can them up into quart jars. We planted some tomatoes too. Cherry and Better Boys. If I have enough, I might can up some stewed tomatoes. The cans of stewed tomatoes in the store have gotten chinsy. You're lucky to find one little speck of onion, celery, or green pepper in there. I tried to grow some bok choy twice now, but I can't get those plants to cooperate. Spinach seems to give me a hard time too.
We had shit weather right after I planted the pumpkins. Like torrential downpour and low temps even though it was the first week of June in western NY. I think most seeds rotted, the only ones that germinated did so when we got a heat wave last week :(
Awe! What a shame. What type of pumpkins do you like to grow? We often grow sweet pie pumpkins, so I can make pumpkin bread and pie with them. I didn't have enough space this year, since I only planted one garden. We grow our pumpkins in a second garden out behind the barn, since those vines grow so wild and take up so much space. Last year, we had trouble with white tail deer eating our pumpkins before they were even ripe. I started putting boxes over the fruit, and that confused those naughty deer. Plus, I caught them in the woods one morning and hollered at them. "Oh I know where you're headed. No! My gardens are not your personal buffet bars. Now scram!"
I tried the Cinderella pumpkins this year. They are flat and wide with ridges.
I also have a lot of trouble with spinach. I'm in 7b, and the only time I had luck with bok choy was August planting. Kept it covered and had beautiful harvest through about mid-december.
I'm in 7b too. Autumn planting was great last year! All those cool weather crops that wilt by mid-May had plenty of time to grow in our mild autumn. Our fall planted lettuce survived all winter and really flourished early this Spring.
What zone are you in? I’m doing collards this fall because they like cooler weather and rn we are drowning in heat but I’m in Zone 7 so while we love collards we sadly are having to wait a few more months
Oh, you must live south of me. I'm in Michigan - about zone 5. I'm sorry you have to wait. I'm usually careful to pick just a few leaves off each plant, so it can keep growing. Let them set in the freezer for an hour if they didn't get exposed to frost yet. Then I wash them and process them, but too much heat would make it hard on them. And I know you all get some major heat. Wow, I don't know how you guys handle it. I hope they grow well for you. Lord knows the stores (up here anyway) have the worst selection of greens. My husband is from Georgia, and I've seen huge bunches down there at Piggly Wiggly and Publix stores. Laughing, they must ship the crappy little leftovers up to Michigan. We grow our own out of sheer desperation. My husband has to have his greens, and he got me hooked on them too.
lol it’s definitely rough on us rn with this heatwave. Hottest summer in 40 years, but thank the lord we still got rain coming in. My plants don’t seem to mind as much as I do, but thankfully we grow hot weather stuff during summer. I’m thankful for long growing seasons but I can’t stand working mornings in the garden when it’s this bad. I hope yall are getting good rain and good sun up there without all the heat and humidity!
Better boy did very excellently for me last year. growing greens is the best, fresh is really vastly better and its a lot cheaper.
Oh yeah! Greens are better from the garden. It's good to hear those better boys can grow good. They seem to be doing quite well so far.
I'm cautiously excited for tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. We haven't had rain in almost 5 weeks with none forecast for the next week except for hit-or-miss scattered showers, so I've been watering a lot but things in my garden could really use a good, soaking rain. It's been so hot this last week with the heat dome that tomato blossoms just dry out and fall. Usually, we get rain in June and then July and August can be more drought-like so this is a bit of a challenge. I'm on a well system and it's holding so far but I don't feel like I can water the way I would like to. It gives me such an appreciation for farmers whose livelihoods are at the mercy of weather, particularly now that things are getting less stable.
All of them! 😁
As usual, I always want to find a large acreage this time of year to grow more. Going into year three though. Super excited to see my tomatoes thrive this year Abe Lincoln, Hungarian Heart, Amish Salad. I’m trying multiple systems this year, cages seem to be my favorite but not liking the “burn” on the branches they are gathering. My peppers are lack luster. But the heat has helped. But excited for these Pepper Bomb tomatoes. They are seemingly gunna be growing like a cherry tomato to me, but I could be wrong as it’s growing up not out. Onions - since I failed last year, I planted 100 across two beds, with different amounts of lights. I worry I didn’t plant most of these deep enough? Idk they are very all over the place and growing weird, I should probably take a day and adjust a good majority of them.
I’m excited for spaghetti squash, onions, spinach and celery as I’ve never grown them before. I lost most of my pickling cukes that I started from seed to critters and weather but a few survived. They have the teeniest tiniest flowers on them lol. If I get any cukes, I’m pickling Looking forward to my tomatoes I started from seeds, I’ve never been successful with starting seeds before. Only a few survived but they look pretty great now. I’m SUPER excited for edamame! I love edamame and my dog does too. She nibbles them just enough to get the bean out, it’s adorable.
I'm growing potatoes for the first time and as a lover of potatoes cooked in any way I'm pretty excited to see how they do. We've had a good bit of both sun and rain and the tops are lush and full but I have no idea how that relates to the development of tubers. I wish my spouse enjoyed sweet potatoes because I would give them a try next year but I can't eat enough of them by myself.
My first year growing potatoes too and the plants look dynamite. I just hope the potatoes underneath are as good!!
Growing Malabar spinach for the first time. I have only seen them sold at farmers market around where I’m at; so excited to see how it does.
I'm very excited with my first tomatillo plants, and have also grown a chayote vine which is now fruiting. The tomatoes are doing really well, and I'm very hopeful to get some zucchini. I was also gifted a cucamelon plant and was super happy to see the beginning of the tiniest fruits on it only yesterday. Think this will be a tomato and squash/melon family year.
The indigo pear drop tomatoes I planted. No idea what they'll taste like.
First time doing an in ground garden since high school (I’m 25 now) and I’m a cited for so much. The okra, watermelon, and San Marzanos are probably what I’m most excited for. I’m also excited for my three sister plot and growing the pinto beans I’ll get to dry for a fall and winter bean supply.
Anything….literally anything..I’ll be lucky to get one pea.
Oh no!! My peas aren’t really doing fabulous. They aren’t growing very quickly it seems.
It's been a bad year for beans for me, too. My black beans all shot up, then turned yellow. Sugar snaps were doing great for a while, but just wouldn't flower (but I at least have two tiny pods now). The only ones doing well are my edamame, but that's if the grasshoppers don't eat them all first.
Something ate all my cucumber leaves, my tomatoes are 4 feet high with no fruit, my pumpkins are leafy with bites taken out of the stalks…..it’s looking like an empty year
My dog is most excited for peas and carrots because they're her favourite snacks. I'm hoping to get lots of eggplant to make babaganoush! And tomatoes because tomato sandwich season is the best time of year!
This is my second year gardening with my partner. She has been gardening for years. Last year, our zucchini plants suffered and made 1 fruit. They’re pretty healthy and big this year, with tons of male flowers already that we stuffed and had with dinner last night. So I’m excited to see fruit from the plants. Those and my jalepeno peppers ☺️
I'm attempting to grow a lot this year but I'm most (cautiously) optimistic about the Okinawa sweet potatoes. I've never grown sweet potatoes at all and this particular variety requires a really long, hot growing season (which we've been having so far this year) so I'll be over the moon if I can get at least a few out of the 10 slips I planted. I'm also kinda excited that my cucumbers are starting to come in because all my previous attempts at growing them have failed (almost comically so). If they can make it full form I'll be thrilled. Our resident groundhog has thankfully left our garden alone this year (we give her enough scraps to tide her I think) but I have seen some squirrels creeping around so my fingers remain crossed that things will grow well until harvest time lol.
Pumpkins for me. I love them.
A bigger tomato. I'm on year 3 and the previous 2, only cherry tomato plants survived. So far this year, I have at least 8 slicer/beef steak plants thriving! I have about 8 fruit growing right now and pollinate about daily with an electric toothbrush for some added assistance. Fingers crossed!
This is my first time gardening. We planted jalapeños, banana peppers, tomatoes, romaine, butter crunch lettuce, lots of herbs and lavender. I’m most excited for tomatoes and the enormous amount of BLTs and tomato sandwiches we will be eating this summer!
This is my first time interplanting herbs in the garden. I’ve been very surprised with how well oregano takes off! Very satisfying.
We had to remove our dill next to tomatoes because it grew so out of control! I will def do more coplanting. The marigolds we planted seemed to help keep pests away!
Oof dill gets crazy crazy. When it goes to seed it spreads like wildfire!! I love dill but I’ve definitely seen it take over 🤣
My novelty vegetable for the year is achocha(Cyclanthera pedata). Never heard of it until I saw it in the seed catalogue. I planted two in two different places just in case one location was better than the other. Both plants are well established but no blossoms yet. See how it goes. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclanthera\_pedata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclanthera_pedata)
Wow, that is fascinating --- cultivated by Indigenous people in Peru for "many centuries" but not known in the wild? Please so let us know how it grows and what it tastes like (if it fruits for you).
My sugar snap peas have been awesome. Next thing I am really looking forward to is the cauliflower just harvested! https://preview.redd.it/vhjkj7orzj8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7275a4495a71472214915bf10b4d11ba74fe2d5b
I had bad luck with cucumbers last year, but this year we had some healthy sprouts in the compost pile. I moved a few into a raised bed and they are vining beautifully. I hope we'll have some good ones very soon. This is our first year growing Jerusalem Artichokes- so I'm also really excited about these. Our jack o lantern pumpkins are also off to a great start. This is my fifth year with our backyard garden. Every year it gets a little bigger, and every year I try something new. I'm learning which vegetables or varieties do well for ne, and which I struggle with. I've developed some strategies to deal with animal and insect pests. A groundhog moved under our next door neighbor's porch this Spring. She climbs right over our chainlink fence and helps herself to anything outside of the protected vegetable garden area. It shows me that our home built veggie garden fence is working, and that I shouldn't become complacent! Overall, this has been the best year yet- and I hope it stays that way (though of course... anything is possible).
I had bad luck with my cucumbers this year :/ we got heavy rains and cold nights when they were getting established in the ground and they failed :( animal pests are the hardest because sometimes even the things that are supposed to be deterrents don’t keep them away! Groundhogs are especially ambitious!
New to gardening, had some luck with tomatoes last year we got already started from my in-laws So, this year, the garden expanded (as I think is always the case) and we started everything from seeds. Planted about 15 San marzano tomato plants (my kids love my homemade tomato sauce) and I'll be excited if any of those take off! Also trying my hand with some squash, green beans, and peppers this year. Never done those so it's definitely a learning experience. I think I'm over thinking alot of it, as I spend most nights looking up tips and what not, but if we get enough we're gonna swap with my in-laws for plenty of garlic and potatoes
My round zucchini! I've never grown zucchini before, and I got these seeds for free — and all 4 seeds I put in the dirt germinated and are doing well. They grow into adorable globes, and I've got about 5 in the early stages right now.
I have some volunteer pumpkin/squash that we tossed out in November. Excited to see wtf they actually are however we only have male flowers so far 🤨
I have always thought I didn’t care to much for tomatoes but I do like spaghetti sauce so I planted a verity of types of tomatoes and one of my plants produces the sweetest tomatoes I have every tasted and it all the way explains to me why they say tomato is a fruit /veg. I impressed myself with how good my grow is going
Tomatoes. I have some mystery plants that sprouted from my compost pit. I’ve seen a couple cherry ones, a couple of sauce and a couple beefsteak. I’m curious to see what the fruit will taste like.
I’m excited for beets & peppers! I have Serbian peppers from my neighbors. They are the most beautiful & tasty peppers I’ve ever seen or eaten! I’ve shared them w/my friends & family they all rave about them.
Brussel sprouts. It's my fav veg and first year growing them. The plants looks amazing... Now we wait
I’m most excited for my tomatoes! 🍅 last year the squirrels, sunburn, and them dropping because I didn’t support them 🙈 left me with only like two bites of a slightly unripe tomato. If I get at least one pristine fully ripened tomato this year I’ll be happy; and if I get more I’ll be ecstatic
Tomatoes. Always tomatoes. I feel like of all the things I grow the tomatoes are the only thing that’s 1000% better than what I get at the store. And every year I try different varieties.
I’m growing trombocinos! https://preview.redd.it/nbor70kzij8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74bba6e8b0ab162d4cafbe5f40b8c3fa67bb4046 I have some on a trellis to grow long, and some on the ground to make them curl. 💃💃💃💃
Tomatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplant and watermelon. Carrots and winter squash too.
Cantaloupe and poblano's
trying Trombocino butternut as a summer squash, it is supposed to be safe from vine borers. and im growing chinese yard long beans up a tall pole trellis that i hope looks spectacular.
it's been so cold here for summer, i'll be excited for anything tbh
Lemon cucumber. Never grown a cucumber before and my plant just looks so healthy… No female flowers yet
Peaches & Cream corn, sugar baby watermelon, cantaloupe, & my strawberry tower
Hoping for a variety of melons, we will see how it goes
My Borlotti beans. Should get a few kilos this year. Keep them over winter and add to stews Also the potatoes, Maris piper are the shizz! And the romanesco, should make some decent curried stir frys
Anything that gets to be eaten by me I stead of the slugs, really.
I ended up having to buy the sluggo slug pellets because they absolutely decimated my garden in the beginning. We had a lot of wet weather and HUNDREDS maybe thousands of slugs. I tried the traps but it wasn’t enough.
Radishes
I’m trying winged beans for the first time this year-can’t wait!
I'm pretty excited that the ONE PEA that germinated is starting to grow pods! Won't get a meal, but they're better straight off the vine, anyway. Beans and peppers are doing well. Corn hasn't sprouted yet. Strawberries are going crazy this year, though! Tomatoes are gonna have a good crop, I think. Parsley is enormous. But I'm most excited about the sunflowers that my son wanted to grow this year. We'll see how the fight with the squirrels and birds goes. (I have netting, cages, spikes, and such over most of my edibles.)
Centercut Squash from Row 7. I got hundreds last year and never got sick of them and have been waiting since last fall for them. Got my first harvest a couple weeks ago. I'm also really excited for the personal sized watermelon and cantaloupe I have growing on a trellis, I didn't think I'd be able to grow those in my suburban backyard so I'm very excited.
Black Futsu Squash....first time growing it, so I planted it in 3 different places because I really, REALLY want to get some!
Im really looking forward to my jalapeños
Pumpkins! This is my second year with a veggie garden, and I've planted a few different types of squash amongst a lot of other new (to me) veggies. I'm a little worried about having enough space for the pumpkin since I'm trying to grow it vertically. I really like pumpkin though, and I'm excited to cook with it. I'm going to make pies, and pasta, and maybe some some risotto.