Burpee’s cutting mix
Expected germination: 7-14 days
18 seeds
06/24: Planted 1 per cell in 18 cells.
07/10: 15 of 18 (83%) have shoots 1-1/2″ to 5″ tall.
07/10: Planted out.
07/18: 2″ to 8″ tall.
07/24: 5″ to 16″ tall, with foliage diameter 4″ to 14″.
07/26: Approx 5 plants pushed over and snapped off. No underground damage. We suspect a raccoon looking for seeds.
07/26: An additional 2 plants were bent over but are recovering.
08/01: 15″ to 32″ tall, with foliage diameter 10″ to 23″.
08/07: 22″ to 45″ tall, with foliage diameter 12″ to 32″.
08/15: 30″ to 62″ tall, with foliage diameter 14″ to 30″.
08/23: 56″ to 86″ tall, with foliage diameter approx 30″. 2 fully open.
08/24: Started cut flower harvest.
08/30: 54 to 88″ tall. Several very nice flowers open of at least five different kinds.
09/15: Removed several dead heads for seed.
09/22: Removed two sunflowers and trimmed squash to provide better light to melons and pumpkins.
Seattle’s Best of All
Two plants.
06/22: Bought, with a few fruit started.
06/24: Planted.
06/30: Took three cuttings, see “Tomato, Indeterminate #2″.
07/18: 41″ and 44″ tall. Green fruit lower down and new flowers above.
07/24: 48″ and 53″ tall, with foliage diameters approx 40″. Approx two dozen green fruit. New flowers at top.
07/27: The two plants have roughly a dozen vines forming a bush around the two poles. We now begin aggressive removal of all new suckers. In a few days we’ll pinch off the growing tips.
07/30: Pinched off the growing tips.
08/01: Combined bush is 64″ tall, 54″ wide, 68″ deep. Several dozen green fruit. Still many unopened buds below pinched-off tips.
08/07: Combined bush is 70″ tall and 64″ by 64″. Several dozen green fruit. Flowers at tips. We’re pinching off suckers daily.
08/15: Harvested one orange fruit for cooking. All other fruit still green.
08/15: Combined bush is 66″ tall and 66″ by 66″. Several dozen green fruit. Flowers at tips. We’re still pinching off suckers daily.
08/16: We’re occasionally harvesting green fruit for fried green tomatoes.
08/23: Combined bush is 69″ tall and 78″ by 78″. Several dozen green fruit. Still some flowers at tips. Still pinching a few suckers.
08/30: Harvested a second ripe tomato – nice consistency, mild flavor. A few more are starting to turn orange.
08/30: Combined bush is 64″ tall and 72″ by 82”. Several dozen green fruit. Still some flowers at tips. Still pinching a few suckers.
09/05: Roughly one fruit per day is ripening now. To speed up ripening we today laid some of the vines on a bed of “straw” (shredded clematis vine) with a double layer plastic tent over.
09/15: Vines under plastic have not ripened yet. Roughly two fruit per day are ripening on the regular vines.
09/22: Moved plastic cover from (a few) tomato vines to (all) melon vines.
Cornell’s Bush Delicata
06/22: Bought.
06/24: Planted.
07/18: 11″ tall with 24″ foliage diameter.
07/24: 14″ tall with 45″ foliage diameter. Several flowers.
08/01: 25″ tall with 58″ foliage diameter. Most flowers have set and first gourd has started to form.
08/04: Startled animal must have run through bush, snapping off some leaves and first young gourd.
08/07: 31″ tall and 72″ by 60″. New flowers. No gourds at this time.
08/15: 36″ tall and 84″ by 68″. Many flowers. One 2″ gourd.
08/23: 36″ tall and 100″ by 78″. Many flowers. Several cream colored young gourds to 4-1/2″.
08/29: Had become 108″ by 92″ and was over lettuce #2, celery, pepper, and melon. Major pruning.
08/30: 35″ tall and 93″ by 78″. Several flowers. Several cream colored young gourds to 6-1/2″ long and 2-1/2″ diameter.
09/09: Harvested first gourd. MJH thought it edible but that they would have more taste later.
09/15: Pruned again.
09/22: Removed two sunflowers and trimmed squash to provide better light to melons and pumpkins.
10/13: Leaves and stalks dying back fast. Harvested final gourds and cleaned up.
Harvest: 79-113 days from purchase
Yield: 6-8 gourds about 2 lbs each
Victoria
This is a green rhubarb
06/22: Bought.
06/24: Planted.
07/18: 11″ tall with 22″ foliage diameter.
07/24: 16″ tall with 24″ foliage diameter.
07/28: Sprayed with 0.001% spinosad, an organic pesticide.
08/01: 20″ tall with 36″ foliage diameter.
08/07: 25″ tall with 36″ foliage diameter.
08/15: 26″ tall with 39″ foliage diameter. Slight red coloration in stalks.
08/16: Harvested one test stalk … for a very tasty mini-crumble.
08/23: 28″ tall with 44″ foliage diameter.
08/30: 26″ tall with 39″ foliage diameter.
09/23: Harvested roughly a third of this vigorous plant, yielding four cups for MJH’s glorious sweet and tangy rhubarb crumble.
Issai (self-pollinating)
06/22: Bought.
06/24: Planted.
07/18: Three runners, longest is 42″. Many yellow leaf edges as roots aren’t able to deliver enough water yet.
07/24: Three runners, longest is 40″. Overall little changed since last week.
08/01: Three runners, longest is 37″. Half leaves are dying, presumably due to heat.
08/07: Three runners, longest is 35″. More than half of leaves are dead or dying.
08/15: Three runners, longest is dying back and now only 33″.
08/23: 17″ tall. Longest vine is 30″. Vines still dying back but some healthy new growth.
08/30: Considering only the healthy new growth: 18″ tall with longest vine 36″.
Captivator
06/24: Bought, already in fruit, and planted.
07/06: Harvested a few berries, eaten with ice cream.
07/18: 20″ tall and 35″ diameter. Straggly and lob-sided.
07/24: 22″ tall and 34″ diameter.
08/01: 20″ tall and 34″ diameter.
08/07: 22″ tall and 34″ diameter.
08/15: 21″ tall and 35″ diameter.
08/23: 20″ tall and 35″ diameter.
08/30: 21″ tall and 35″ diameter. A little new growth.
Cherry Red
06/22: Bought.
06/24: Planted.
07/18: 32″ tall and 26″ diameter. No fruit this year. Leggy but balanced.
07/24: 33″ tall and 24″ diameter.
08/01: 32″ tall and 28″ diameter.
08/07: 32″ tall and 28″ diameter.
08/15: 32″ tall and 28″ diameter.
08/23: 32″ tall and 26″ diameter.
08/30: 33″ tall and 28″ diameter.
Blackdown
06/24: Bought, heavy with almost-ripe fruit, and planted.
07/04: Harvested a few berries, eaten with ice cream.
07/08: Harvested one cup, for a crumble.
07/18: 44″ tall and 24″ diameter. Losing lower leaves as roots aren’t delivering enough water yet.
07/19: Harvested 7/8ths of a cup, for a crumble. No remaining fruit at this time.
07/24: 45″ tall and 26″ diameter. Still slowly losing lower leaves.
08/01: 45″ tall and 25″ diameter. Heat damage to most leaves in the lower two-thirds of the plant.
08/07: 44″ tall and 25″ diameter. Little changed.
08/15: 45″ tall and 24″ diameter. Little changed.
08/23: 45″ tall and 24″ diameter. Little changed.
08/30: 45″ tall and 24″ diameter. Little changed.
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