# The 2021 Gardening Thread - what's going on in your yard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** gardening\ **Created:** [March 20, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321 "2021-03-20T20:36:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/181 "2021-07-22T16:24:11Z")
All right - I am convinced my seeds were mispackaged. (Burpee never did me wrong before.) I really don’t think these are Roma tomatoes. Any clue as to what I’m about to have a bumper crop of? [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51328903334_506ebe7678_b.jpg "2021-07-22\_11-21-43") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/190534151@N04/51328903334/) This is the first one of these, and I’m keeping an eye on it to see if it turns red. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/182 "2021-07-22T18:06:16Z")
Maybe this? > **[Tomato, Chef’s Choice Orange Hybrid](https://www.burpee.com/tomato-chef-s-choice-orange-hybrid-prod022789.html)** > > All-America Selections award winner. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/183 "2021-07-22T18:52:13Z")
There are thousands of varieties of tomatoes. That one looks rather like Persimmon to me, but it could be any of lots of things. Determinate or indeterminate or somewhere in the middle? Potato-leaved or the more usual type of tomato leaf? How big is the fruit? What’s the flavor like? – not sure why I’m asking, answers could rule out some things but there’d be lots left. I agree that it doesn’t look like any of the Romas! ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/184 "2021-07-22T18:59:17Z")
Definitely not Roma. That is the first of many I have coming in. (I was planning on crushing them and making sauce out of them.) I’ll leave this guy on until Saturday and see if it reddens up any. I’ll report back with flavor then. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/185 "2021-07-22T19:06:43Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > There are thousands of varieties of tomatoes. But a much more limited selection offered by Burpee. Going under the assumption that Burpee might have mixed up one of its other seed varieties with Roma, that particular orange hybrid looked like a possibility (Burpee does not sell seed of Persimmon according to a website search). ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/186 "2021-07-22T19:18:12Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > But a much more limited selection offered by Burpee. That’s a good point; while they might well have some other seed around besides what they sell, it is more likely to be a mislabeling or accidential mixture of something that they do sell. They probably get a lot of their seed from other sources, though – almost all seed companies do – so the question’s not only what they themselves carry, but what their sources carry; which is likely to be a wider range, though it still might not include Persimmon. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2021, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/187 "2021-07-24T00:32:57Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > All right - I am convinced my seeds were mispackaged. (Burpee never did me wrong before.) I really don’t think these are Roma tomatoes. So I’m not the only person out there whose “Romas” aren’t! Can’t say what you did get but I hope you can still find a use for 'em. Is it really hot where you are? Because even a tomato that’s supposed to be red might not get there if the temps are high. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2021, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/188 "2021-07-24T09:36:25Z")
Getting regular servings of chard, green beans (well, green, wax, and purple), lettuce, and parsley from the balcony container garden now. Somehow it’s surviving all the weird heat/cold/monsoon/drought/smoky haze conditions. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2021, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/189 "2021-07-24T12:30:08Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Even if they didn’t bloom all pretty, peas are nitrogen fixers (like other legumes) and their presence should hopefully help your soil a bit. I forgot to plant the peas in the early spring, and planted them at the beginning of June, but not all of them. The ones I planted in June are starting to flower, and, based on your statement, I think I put the remaining peas in the planting bed, which we will replant next year. We have two roses that are too damp (especially this year), so they are great for providing support for pea vines. I won’t be eating those peas, so I’m not worried about any contamination. Let’s see what comes. My Roma (which I didn’t want, but the gardening center didn’t have much left) finally hasa few fruits on it, plus a few flowers. The Strongboy yellow tomato is a lot more promising, and we might have something to eat next week. And it has a lot of blooms. We’re thinking about moving the tomato plants before tonight’s weather, as the chance of hail seems to be high. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2021, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/190 "2021-07-24T17:04:25Z")
The cucumber plant is dying down, looks like it is getting to end of life. We found the ideal useage for all the cucumbers and made multiple batches of spicy gazpacho soup with just a bit more cukes than the recipe called for. Honestly we could have poured it in a glass added a shot of vodka and had a good bloody mary type drink as well. Habs are taking their time ripening ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2021, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/191 "2021-07-25T07:20:53Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Getting regular servings of chard, green beans (well, green, wax, and purple), lettuce, and parsley from the balcony container garden now. I spent way too much time trying to figure out what “well beans” were. ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/192 "2021-08-03T13:31:30Z")
Everything is producing nicely. The guys canned 42 quarts of hot pickles (spears, sandwich slices and “hamburger” slices). They also did 4 pints of pickled Jalapenos just to use up the brine. Bad news: my Black Plum tree bloomed spectacularly this Spring. The tree had been knocked over by last Fall’s derecho but Mistermage propped it back up. As the fruit grew the tree leaned over. Sadly, it will be chopped up this Fall. We’ll keep some of the wood to use for smoking. [http://mistymage.com/straightdope/plumtree.jpg](http://mistymage.com/straightdope/plumtree.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/193 "2021-08-03T18:56:48Z")
> [@mistymage](#): > > my Black Plum tree bloomed spectacularly this Spring. The tree had been knocked over by last Fall’s derecho Putting out one last flush of potential offspring, perhaps? It’s kinda cool looking as-is. Sorry it has to be chopped up & burned. ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/194 "2021-08-03T19:44:14Z")
I had a sinking feeling when I took the in bloom picture: one last flush like mushrooms do. I haven’t taken a pic of what it looks like now… the top branches are sitting as low as the in bloom low branches. I might get a pic later today of it when I head out to pick tomatoes. I just got back from PT and want to enjoy being pain free for a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/195 "2021-08-04T14:33:04Z")
From Tales of Near-Neglect: Last year I sowed seed of ironweed (Vernonia novaboracensis) in a pot, hoping to enjoy those deep purple fall flowers in the garden rather than glimpsing them on roadsides. I got tiny seedlings (ironweed? something else?) which went dormant or died after frost, so I stored the pot in an unheated bedroom, giving it occasional water. Come spring something was sprouting up in the pot, later transplanted to individual pots and, a couple of months ago, into the back of the garden where they were watered in and then largely forgotten. Yesterday I checked to see if anything had survived. There are _three-foot ironweed plants_ back there, not only surviving but thriving without any supplemental water or fertilizer. Now I’m wondering if I’ve introduced something out of “Little Shop of Horrors”. _“FEED ME!”_ ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/196 "2021-08-04T14:55:53Z")
Stop fertilizing it! It’s called “ironweed” for a reason! ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/197 "2021-08-04T15:13:56Z")
I pulled out a _ton_ of potatoes this weekend. I kept the big ones and replanted the small ones. We’ll see what happens. The carrots turned out all right, except for the right angle bend in each one at the three inch mark. The joys of having bedrock right below the surface. The rabbit is enjoy the greens right now. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/198 "2021-08-06T23:00:13Z")
My first round of bush green beans flowered, produced, and fell over dead. I pulled them and replanted, I likely have time for another crop. May do it all again for the other pot of beans. Likewise, the lettuce is starting to bolt. I may give it the same treatment. The high heat damaged the parsley but I’ll still wind up with more than enough for the next year if nothing else happens. The chard is, as usual, managing to thrive despite all adversity. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/199 "2021-08-07T01:33:03Z")
The cucumber plant has died . Next year I am going to try starting from seeds so I can stage 2 or 3 plants through the season. Our 14 yo is autistic and everyday has a cucumber and tomato salad as a side for his lunch so we go though a lot of cucumbers , just need to find a way to even out the supply. And figure out so.e more pickling g for peak loads. Habernero producing well so this weekend ill be making habernero jelly. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321/200 "2021-08-07T17:02:57Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > My first round of bush green beans flowered, produced, and fell over dead. I pulled them and replanted, I likely have time for another crop. May do it all again for the other pot of beans. At least yours flowered. The bush beans here never took off, and the pole beans grew like weeds, never flowered and are now wilting. Didn’t have any luck with the beefsteak tomatoes, either. But the peppers and cherry tomatoes are still cranking out the fruit and the watermelon are approaching the size of bowling balls. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-2021-gardening-thread-whats-going-on-in-your-yard/938321.md?page=11)