Yesterday I went ahead and pulled up the sugar snap pea vines along the fence and harvested the remaining pods. This area along the fence has always been an “iffy one”. Sometimes plants flourish there and other times not so much.
The peas that grew along the fence this year were no comparison for the peas we are growing up the tepee poles. Same peas, just different soil and more sun I guess.
So I went ahead and planted the one thing I know I can grow anywhere. Rainbow Swiss chard. Yep. This is one of those vegetables you can really have a black thumb, and it will still grow. Rainbow Swiss chard is really an amazing plant. Even if it’s not my favorite vegetable to eat in the world. 😉
And then there’s the issue I’ve been having with my zucchini plants. Let me just say it will be a miracle if I can grow 1 ton of food this year let alone 2. Last year I was able to harvest over 250 pounds of zucchini. Crazy, right? Well so far this year I’ve had to replant my zucchini starts 3 {or is it 4?} times now. In all my years of gardening, that has never happened to me before. Ever.
In years past I could neglect my zucchini plants like nobody’s business and they would still grow. But this year? Forget about it. They need contant supervision, and I’m slacking.
I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I’m starting to miss zucchini showing up on my dinner plate. So here’s to wishful thinking. Let’s hope we all have a long, hot summer and there is still plenty of time to get a couple hundred pounds of zucchini harvested.
~Mavis
Kelly says
I haven’t pulled my peas yet but I will need to soon. We have had unseasonably cool weather for Eastern WA so they are still doing ok. I have had the same issue with my cucumbers. I am on my 3rd replant and those things just won’t grow. Any suggestions? And I have to say that Swiss Chard doesn’t grow for me 🙁 I am getting baby pumpkins and winter squashes already though so I am super happy.
April Myers says
Have you tried sauteeing swiss chard up like spinach? I think it’s pretty tasty that way. We had some that made it through the winter, I was going to toss it and then decided to give it a shot and we really enjoyed it. I have had to restart a lot of plants as well. Only got one pole bean plant out of about 20 I’ve tried to get started. Weather is just so darned changeable.
Heidi says
I have never heard of zucchini not flourishing! Last year a terrible disease encompassed my garden and the zucchini is the only thing that survived. I didn’t think ANYTHING could kill off zucchini plants. Best of luck to you and your zucchini plants. I’m certain the third (or fourth) planting is the charm:)
MaryW says
I didn’t grow peas, and I got a late start on everything. Got hit with hail the other day, and that trashed my lettuce and radishes, and some of my peppers. My tomatoes took some damage, but nothing too bad…we’ll see how it goes!
Cee says
I’m having nothing but trouble with my starts this year…add to that a crazy amount of overtime and my garden is pitiful. My tomato plants are less than 2 ft tall, this time last year they were 4-5 and most of my other starts are still tiny (1-2 inches) even though they were planted over 2 months ago – we’ve had very inconsistent temperatures with it still getting cold outside and I think it’s slowed their growth (I have a tiny porch greenhouse I start my seeds in).
In 2 years I have never been able to successfully grow zucchini. We have a terrible squash bug infestation in Central NC and last year I lost all 3 of my plants. This year I’m trying 2x as many even though I don’t really have room for that many – assuming that I will lose at least 1 to the bugs.
Beth says
Mavis,
I hope your zucchini takes this time! I planted mine in one of my perennial beds because I didn’t want to have the zucchini taking up my premium raised bed space! So far the plants are growing leaves and yesterday they started to flower so I think I will have a good crop of zucchini I am battling birds and slugs in other places-I think the mourning doves have been eating my radish tops and something (birds or slugs) are eating my bush bean leaves. I went and bought wildlife netting for the first time ever- we’ll see if that helps against the birds. I do have a question- I haven’t planted radishes before- when do you know to harvest? Frome the pictures you have shared, it appears that the radish bulb is visible above ground when they are ready? Is that right?
Katie C. says
Hi Mavis! I think you said the slugs got some of your plants from another round. I learned from the prudent homemaker that you can put a glass jar (pickle jar or canning jar) over your plants to make a mini green house for lettuce until it grows too large for it. I ended up experimenting with this a bit more. Slugs got a couple of my squash starts, so I decided to try the glass jar technique to keep out the slugs. Totally works! It also made a really warm moist growing environment for the plants. I left the jars on until the squash and baby watermelon had a few true leaves. Now they’re large enough to withstand a little pest invasion.
I’d totally stick the jars on for protection! I’m amazed at how beautiful and thriving my plants are that I use them on. Just be careful about the really sunny days when the glass gets hot. It sort of sun burns the leaves. You need a big enough jar. Good luck!
Dobermom says
What’s on the other side of the fence? We once lost everything growing along the fence because the neighbor decided to spray his side of the fence with Round-Up to kill the weeds on his side of the fence. It was dead for about a foot out from the fence!!
Carol says
That’s a good point, Dobermom…..I have learned I can’t put anything along shared fence lines. If it isn’t one neighbor killing plants, it is the other.
Susan says
Something ate all of my cucumber starts, one squash plant, and one artichoke plant in one evening. They were all in the same bed. We don’t have rabbits in my area (lots of feral cats and foxes). I have seen lots of cucumber beetles on my squash this year and I suspect they may have something to do with it?
GAYLE-Buttered Lips says
I’m having the same trouble with nearly all of my squash plants, winter and summer varieties. They turn yellow and sickly. What’s up with that? Usually, they just take off. Maybe our weather has been too changeable? Strange.
Jamie says
I am glad (not really) to see that I am not the only one having trouble with zucchini plants this year. I started several indoors and they are not doing well with the transplant. They are yellow and sickly and some are just flat out not growing. The ones that are growing are only producing male flowers….I really hope they come around cause I am looking forward to zucchini!!!
Jen Hen says
I have had issues with my zucchini too. Being new to gardening, I was uneducated as to how many and how soon (or late) to start them. I had started a dozen green and a dozen yellow zucchini plants! Well, I started them way too soon and a few of them died, I gave away a few and ended up planted 3 each outside. Now I have only one left! It seems to be doing ok. This year is my experimental/learning garden, so I am making all sorts of notes for next year. So glad to have found your site, it’s a HUGE help!