Spike's dirt patch 2022

[Spike]

Granted my husband has had some health issues that has kept me from finishing planting and caring for the garden but dang it. I planted 40' rows of 3 types of Lima beans, 2 rows of wax beans, 2 rows of green beans, row of tongues of fire, purple podded and Beurre De Rocquencourt. Plus 2 rows of peas and my tepee tower of pole beans. Out of all of that, planted 5/25 about 7 seeds have germinated and they were all new seeds. I have a few potatoes coming up. So far the tomatoes and peppers are doing great as are most of my carrots. I did try a purple dragon carrot for fun and not one seed germinated. OH my cukes and Baby Butter squash so far are okay. But everything doing good is in raised beds or tubs. I have a HUGE in ground patch of dirt. So very sad.

[GoDawgs]

Spike, that's a load of disappointment! How hot has your weather been? I've had trouble before getting beans to germinate when the soil temp is too warm. Or soil still too cool? Too dry? Too wet? Sown too deep? Just runnin' down the checklist I ask myself when stuff like that happens.

[bower]

That is a shocking amount of new seeds to fail. It's the kind of thing that stacks up against the vendor... unless they came from different sources.
I have to admit, I had a similar disappointment one year with purple carrot seed. Perhaps it loses viability faster than the others. Or perhaps it is sold less often and more often gets old in the pack....
I'm glad you're getting some success in the raised beds and tubs, at least.

[Gardadore]

When it comes to peas, beans, squash, cucumbers and edamame I find I have better results when I germinate them in a mix and transplant. No more worrying when they will sprout and how many. I rarely get the soil temp right for the seeds in the garden. Cucumbers do the best if nothing eats them off first. Sympathize completely with your dilemma!

[Spike]

Lord have mercy @Gardadore I can't imagine trying to start as many seeds as I planted!!

My bean seeds were all new seeds purchased from different vendors. But in our little corner of NE Ohio, the weather is always a crap shoot. So many rains, they scorching heat, chilly, cloudy, humid . . . rinse and repeat. Planted during my usual planting time and everything. I can never ever find fresh Lima Beans here but the Amish always grow beans and peas.

I just needed to whine as the garden is my baby and I do it all myself. So all that planting just wore my 65 year old arse out.

[bower]

I have pretty much given up even trying to grow beans here, because the weather is such a crapshoot even in the middle of 'summer'. I did start some favas this year and they are holding their own, seemingly impervious to cold days or hot.
Germination was great on the freshest seed, but the ones I bought last year only produced two plants out of 12 seeds, and the ones from the year before that produced zero plants.
IDK @Spike if the other kind of beans seeds keep better. I just know that there are too many things that kill em or ruin the beans.

[Spike]

It is just really strange @Bower. Last year my Provider bean seed, was new seed and only about 3 germinated. This year barely no bean seeds germinated. In the past I have canned what we needed and have given away bushels of fresh beans. There have been years where we have used snow shovels to clean up empty Lima Bean pods so I am at a total loss here. Plus with the hubs about to have surgery, I really don't have time to investigate

[Spike]

Curiosity got the best of me. I started doing some digging. The few seeds I actually found were rotted. Gonna call this year a bust for beans. Have high hopes for the peppers and tomatoes.

[worth1]

Not for sure what your soil temperature is but many beans hate cool and cold soil.

[Spike]

Not for sure what your soil temperature is but many beans hate cool and cold soil.

Totally agree but even the peas rotted and they tend to like cooler temps We had beautiful weather when I planted but that changed, to rain, cooler and more rain. So normally I would just replant but with a sick hubby, I don't have time for that. Hopefully the Amish won't let me down!

[pepperhead212]

@Spike You have plenty more time this year to try beans again, if it was just a temp problem. I had some not germinate that I direct seeded, and just replanted them, and most are doing fine. Good luck, with veggies, and with hubby. He's lucky to have you!

Edit - you posted right when I did!

[Spike]

On a side note . . . If Satan lost his hair there would be hell toupee.

[Spike]

So on an amusing side note, I decided that I would try and grow potatoes like a dear friend instead of in tubs this year. So I attempted the straw thing. Well, now I have a mini flock of chickadees trying to nest in my potatoes. It is hysterical. Not sure my potatoes are gonna make it but these silly birds are bringing me great joy.

[Spike]

So my brother, bless his heart, saw my garden growing. WEEDS >,< I have weeds! So he came up with this amazing plan to hook up some sort of water pump to my 275 gallon water totes, that I collect rain water in for the garden, so it would be easier to water. Now if my beans had germinated, it would have been amazing but not gonna water weeds! He was all insulted that I wouldn't use his contraption but eventually realized there was no point. Now next year is a different story!

[Spike]

My peppers have gone wild!! This is a small second picking and I am just tickled!!

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[Spike]

This gardening year has been such a disaster on so many levels. I didn't even get my beets or turnips planted BUT never forget to stop and giggle!!

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[Spike]

At least I have peppers. Just a couple but I have peppers galore!

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