I have often thought that if heaven had given me choice of my position and calling, it should have been on a rich spot of earth, well watered, and near a good market for the productions of the garden. No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden. Such a variety of subjects, some one always coming to perfection, the failure of one thing repaired by the success of another, and instead of one harvest a continued one through the year.
Had one serving of Swiss Chard last week, then the flea beetles moved to town.
LOL.
They found my Swiss chard, mixed Greens, Choi sum, kohlrabi, kale, spinach, eggplant, peppers, green bean plants.
Theyâre leaving my tomato and fava beans alone.
Cutworms took down half my new Saskatoon bush. Iâm guessing itâs cut worms that killed my tarragon and have hurt my cucumber.
I am covering all my delicate vegetables with a white cloth to keep flea beetles out, and have sprinkled diatomaceous earth and coffee grounds around my berries, and planted some marigolds in addition to my perennial rue to dissuade visitors.
Northern California, half way between San Francisco and Sacramento. It gets very hot very fast here; usually by May first, but that is not the only problem I have growing garlic.
I hope to have done it justice, but I wondered if there was something wrong. It seems to have struggled for months, but I think itâs going to make it! Itâs still in a solo cup, and I think I see flower buds! What would you do next?
I found this sort of journal that might represent what to expect over a few years.
Iâd put it in a larger pot, at least a gallon size for now, and provide good nutrition. Yours looks normal for this time of year. Theyâre very small at first, but accelerate, like most C. chinense, when the weather gets hot. In the field, they get a large, strong root system. Iâd guess it will eventually need a 4-5 gallon container.
It should be cranking out peppers by August, but the highest yields here were Sept.-early Oct. Hereâs some in early Oct., 2019, which were about three feet high:
In 2019 the plants did fine without support. I didnât support them in 2021 and 2 of the five ended up laying at an angle, propped up by their branches; they had more fruit per plant last year. It didnât hurt them, but they were in-ground, didnât have far to drop/lean. In containers, it may be wise to use stakes and hoops kind of a â˘O⢠(looking from the top). Where the bullet⢠is a stake and the O is a loop tied to the stakes. Like many C. chinense, they spread out and become wide plants. So, a hoop support system works better than tying to a single stake.
In garden row plantings, tomatoes and peppers can be supported using the âFlorida Weaveâ. Hereâs a good video about it. Tomato cages may also work with Aji Charapitas.
I donât recall if thunderstorms caused the two leaning Charapita plants, both by wind-rain and turning the soil to soft mud.
I planted an assortment of garlic last fall but failed to label any of them. I cut scapes from a lot of the plants as they looked familiar (curvy and bendable) but a few have different looking scapes-tall straight with a bud on the end. Pic below.
Am I supposed to cut them off as well?
Interesting! Iâve read that garlic scapes might straighten out after they coil. Whatever those are are about to flower. Something has flowered to the right. I canât see the bottoms. Are those definitely garlic?
. Might be my smallest garlic heads ever!
