Hot Hot Hot!!!!

[slowz1k]

The 2010 gardening days are just about over for me here in NC. Had an AWESOME pepper crop this year. Threw a few on a plate for a photo Op.

I Love a hot pepper!

[rsanders]

Good looking peppers,looks like you had a bumper crop of several different peppers. How did the rest of the garden do ? The spring was so wet here this year I couldn't get my garden tilled , and after the planting season was over we had the the driest summer on record so I guess maybe it was a good thing I couldn't till it.

[slowz1k]

rsanders,

Thanks!
I did raised bed this year and last, so tilling wasn't an issue. The fact that I still don't know what I'm doing IS an issue.
I did really well on cucumbers and carrots. Tomatos were plentiful, but not as large as I would have liked. Squash did okay, but I planted too close together and they crowded each other out. Corn sucked. I don't know why, but this is the second year that has shown small slender stalks with under developed ears... The deer seemed to like what little there was though.

Next year will see an additional bed, homegrown compost, and some tree removal for better, longer sunlight.

[rsanders]

Corn being under developed could be several things 1) could be that growing in raised beds, you may not be planting enough for it to pollinate, I don't know how big your crop was but this can be a problem 2) it may not be planted close enough together to pollinate, about 12 inches apart is what I've always planted corn and had good luck. I'd wait for deer season and get my corn back then and not worry about corn on the cob.:D

[Skyowl]

rsanders,

Thanks!
I did raised bed this year and last, so tilling wasn't an issue. The fact that I still don't know what I'm doing IS an issue.
I did really well on cucumbers and carrots. Tomatos were plentiful, but not as large as I would have liked. Squash did okay, but I planted too close together and they crowded each other out. Corn sucked. I don't know why, but this is the second year that has shown small slender stalks with under developed ears... The deer seemed to like what little there was though.

Next year will see an additional bed, homegrown compost, and some tree removal for better, longer sunlight.

Congratulations on the garden. We did raised beds this year. Made several mistakes. Tomatoes don't go near green beans. Don't plant zuchinni to close together, for the reasons stated above.

We got over 75 pints of green beans from a 4ft by 8ft raised bed space. (Note: the best producer from all the varieties we planted were the Blue Lake.) More in the dehydrator. Tomatoes, not so much. Just about everything went into the dehydrator. Green peppers sucked also as did the squash. More beds going in for next year where we will probably have a few more mistakes to correct the following year.

Of note for those waiting to plant rescue gardens... Don't. Plant now and learn from your mistakes to improve the following years harvest.

[Oscar Wilde]

Very nice ....

O.W.

[Centurion]

Great peppers,
I tried to grow corn last year in my raised beds and had no luck. My neighbor said that corn needs at least six feet of earth for its roots. A raised bed is about two
feet. I believe this is the reason why slowz1k.

[slowz1k]

Thanks for the tips on the corn issues rsanders, and centurion. I think I'm looking at a combo of all of the problems mentioned above. Too little planted, and too little soil for sure. One thing that became very apparent early on after planting. Every inch of Fresh soil in a RB garden, seems to equal 1/2" after a weeks worth of weather and watering. I didn't tamp as well as I should have before seeding, so my 14 inches of "fluffy", dark, rich, all organic soil, compressed down to close to 7" I didn't line the bottom of the bed, but instead did a light turn on the soil below, which I believe was the only reason that I was able to produce anything at all.... One more lesson learned.

Skyowl,
I told my wife about your 4x8 bean garden and results. Guess what just got added to my list for next spring. I gotta learn to keep my mouth shut. :o

[Skyowl]

Skyowl,
I told my wife about your 4x8 bean garden and results. Guess what just got added to my list for next spring. I gotta learn to keep my mouth shut. :o

Our raised bed is one third compost, one third peat moss, one third potting soil. I don't think it compressed more than about one inch if at all. As an addition to previously reported numbers, we dehydrated 8 more pints last weekend. Will pick again tomorrow and will also put them into the dehydrator. I don't hink I will have problems with green beans. No tomatoes is another story...

[mrlsignalman]

Nice Peppers slowz1k!! The wife and I are still rookies as far as gardening. Last years crops turned out decent but plenty of room for improvment. Next year I'll have to bug you guys for tips!

[slowz1k]

plenty of room for improvment.

That seems to be our common theme around here. Between us all, we should have a pretty good knowledge base in a few more seasons.

Anyone doing a Fall planting? I wanted to, but I need 4 more hours in each day to pull it off.