Shots from 7-26

 Another harvest on another day (7-26-14)

A quick behind the scenes look at the
 Guilford County Tomato Tasting Festival(7-26-14)

Shots from 7-24-14

It's time to harvest! 

(7-24-14)

(7-24-14)

(7-24-14)

 Again, this same plant is struggling as was seen
a few weeks ago in a previous post.(7-24-14)

Shots from July 16,19,21 2014

One of EMGV intern project members
found two giant, forgotten, zucchinis.(7-16-14)

Oversize cucumbers(7-16-14)

 Okra is on the right and the cucumbers are along the fence.(7-16-14)

 Yellow Squash (7-16-14)

Pattypan Squash (7-19-14)

 Looking back towards the gate. (7-21-14)

(7-19-14)

(7-21-14)

(7-21-14)

 Yacon (7-21-14)

Shots from 7-14-14

Tomatoes are on nearly every vegetable gardener's list to grow. Yet, diseases are common when the tomato begins fruiting. Below is an example of a plant that seemed "fine" only one week ago.

(7-14-14)

 In this case, trimming off the yellowed leaves was our plan of attack. See NC State's handy Plant Disease Fact Sheets to find the disease that affects your plant. Or see this PDF by Dr. Gary Vallad  OR Disorders of Tomato Leaves (7-14-14)

             

Even this fruiting Sun Gold Cherry Tomato
 may have issues. (7-14-14)

Here the okra forest continues to emerge. (7-14-14)

Paper Wasp Control (7-10-14)

These Paper wasps (Polistes sp.) are beneficial insects as it says in this NC State Publication. For instance, Paper wasps feed on caterpillars. Here is a control method using a jar to capture the wasps. Either leave the closed jar in a sunny place to kill the wasps or release the beneficial insects at night somewhere else. It is essential to keep all lights off during a release. Others use aerosols, but remember Paper wasps are beneficial to gardens! (7-10-14)

Source: NON-HONEY BEE STINGING INSECTS IN NORTH CAROLINA

  

Shots from 7-9-14

The tomatoes at the NC A&T continue to thrive.(7-9-14)

 The ants are enjoying the feast that the
okra flowers provide. Will the ants keep up
 better than humans can with picking okra?(7-9-14)

Our tomatoes have really come a long way. The
 plants on the left are mostly cherry varieties, and
the plants on the right are of the larger varieties.
(7-9-14)

This bed was planted on April 12th during the Family Gardening Event, survived a frost without any protection and continues to thrive.  More folks are  talking about eating flowers. Marigolds are one of the edible species and attract pollinators. (7-9-14)

Sources: Edible Flowers
                                                              Have You Considered Eating Your Flowers?

The harvest nears.(7-9-14)

With any irrigation system, checking on it periodically is essential. The "crater" in the center of this picture was found and the break was fixed by sticking the two ends together. Simple fixes are always welcomed! (7-9-14)

Plum Heaven

             

Starking Delicious (7-2-14)

A short stroll away from the demonstration vegetable plot is the demonstration orchard, which more than makes up for any lack of harvest early in the season and then again later in the season.

Spring Satin Plumcot (6-17-14)

Starking Delicious Plum (6-17-14)

 The two plum varieties we have are the Starking Delicious Plum (Prunus salicina) and Spring Satin Plumcot (Prunus armeniaca). One of the advantages, besides the diversity in the garden, of planting two varieties is they ripen at slightly different times.

In Greensboro, NC our ‘Spring Satin’ tends to ripen a week or so before the Starking Delicious Plum. For the home gardener, this spread out ripening period translates into having fresh fruit from early to mid-June into early July. A mature plum tree can produce anywhere from 40-120 pounds a year and our two trees were in the higher range this year.

Sources:

Spring Satin Plumcot: http://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/plum-trees/spring-satin-plumcot

Starking Delicious Plum: http://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/plum-trees/starking-delicious-plum  

 Fruit Cultivars for Home Plantings:  http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G6005

  

These Spring Satin Plumcots were either not picked soon enough and are
drying or have a disease. Many were still sweet.
(6-17-14)

Shots taken around 7-2-14

The harvest is really beginning to pick up. It is hard to keep up with the cucumbers and squash.

The bees come to us. (7-2-14)

The okra is beginning its rise to the sky.(7-2-14)

The Pattypan squash has begun. (7-2-14)

Our tomatoes are coming on as well! (7-2-14)

The yellow squash attacks! (7-2-14)

Who can complain about buckets
about zinnias?(7-2-14)

Zinnias from afar. (7-2-14)