2026 Gardening Growing Thread
- Thread starter Salmon123
- Start date
Looks likely to be hot and dry late in the fall because of the El Niño. I will wait another week or so before my Toms get a haircut, and a bit after that for the cherry varieties. Plants are all huge, but being a bit slow to ripen fruit this year
Cherries can go longer as ripening time is quicker of course.
When I was doing a lot of tomatoes, we had a ton of fruit, so getting an extra 20 or 30 tomatoes that ripened late wasn't a big deal.
One thing I did notice, while the late ripening (August fruit set )tomatoes eventually colored up, they were color ripe, but physiologicaly not actually ripe...taste was not all that great, I think the sugars were low and they were definitely not the same as September ripened ones (July fruit set)
These were all heirloom varieties, so might have made a difference.
When I was doing a lot of tomatoes, we had a ton of fruit, so getting an extra 20 or 30 tomatoes that ripened late wasn't a big deal.
One thing I did notice, while the late ripening (August fruit set )tomatoes eventually colored up, they were color ripe, but physiologicaly not actually ripe...taste was not all that great, I think the sugars were low and they were definitely not the same as September ripened ones (July fruit set)
These were all heirloom varieties, so might have made a difference.
Another thing...really hot weather can slow ripening, and Tomato pollen goes sterile when daytime temperatures exceed 85°F to 90°F or when nighttime lows stay above 70°F to 75°F ...so a really hot early August can yield nothing by leaving the flowers on anyway.
For container growers, Tomatoes dislike soil temps over 80⁰, easily hit with black pots in the sun on days like today. Shading the plants and pots helps the soil temps, when the temps get that high lycopene production stops. Temperatures above 85°F block the formation of lycopene and carotene, the vital pigments needed for a red or orange color.
Fruit may stall at a pale yellow-green or "breaker" stage, or turn an odd yellow-orange instead of deep red.
Fruit may stall at a pale yellow-green or "breaker" stage, or turn an odd yellow-orange instead of deep red.
This is a 'U' shaped raised bed. the 2x10's for the base are starting to get a bit rotten. i am thinking of replacing the 2x10's next spring, but wondering if i should line the interior with something ??? i dont know how old this current structure is, as we bought the house with it 2 yrs ago
An update on my garden. It generally was a poor year for our berries, the strawberries were ok both the blue berries and raspberries were poor, and the Marion berries were great. The zucchini has been zucchini though this year I experimented with growing them vertically; will be repeating that next year. My Walla Walla sweet onions were the best ever; just pull them today and the ranged from 4 to 6.5 inches in diameter - by far the best onion crop ever. My corn is forming ears and should be picking some in another couple weeks.
Cherry tomatoes have been getting ripe for a couple weeks but the larger heirlooms are still green. Started them from seed this year and I was a couple weeks late getting started. Last year had a great crop and let them to continue to bloom. What the weather and picked the green tomatoes just before the first frost. Kept them in a large cardboard box with newspaper on the bottom. Separated them so they did not touch each other keeping in the cover box in a cool area in the house. Would check them every couple days and discard those that were starting to spoil. Eventually about 1/2 ended up ripening and we had BLTs at least once a week until the first of the year. And yes they were not quite as good as vine ripen fruit they were significantly better than any store bought.
As with every year in my garden there are winners and losers.
Curt
Cherry tomatoes have been getting ripe for a couple weeks but the larger heirlooms are still green. Started them from seed this year and I was a couple weeks late getting started. Last year had a great crop and let them to continue to bloom. What the weather and picked the green tomatoes just before the first frost. Kept them in a large cardboard box with newspaper on the bottom. Separated them so they did not touch each other keeping in the cover box in a cool area in the house. Would check them every couple days and discard those that were starting to spoil. Eventually about 1/2 ended up ripening and we had BLTs at least once a week until the first of the year. And yes they were not quite as good as vine ripen fruit they were significantly better than any store bought.
As with every year in my garden there are winners and losers.
Curt
That’s pretty cool looking! I rebuilt new beds this year using rough cut Alaskan yellow cedar. Only slightly more expensive than the hemlock boards you would get at the big box store and should last a lot longer. I’ve never lined my beds with anything but it seems like you’d be dealing with moisture issues no matter what.
yeah, i was lucky, the previous owner did a nice job. i figure i will replace the 2x10's after this growing season. i have a landscape and his son, that can help deconstruct, and dig out the soil. i spoke with a guy in woodland who seems to have decent prices on cedar. thx for your info on your experience.
Cucumbers for the food bank and neighbors. Tomatillos almost ready as some are shedding the husk, tomatoes are turning red so now she has to get ready to make the sauce. 
Lots of blossom end rot on only one plant.
Lots of blossom end rot on only one plant. 
O clarkii lewisi
Steelhead
I stop watering by this point if I want tomatoes to ripen. I know this sounds dramatic but I learned this from a friend who has planted/sold plants in the NW for decades. Currently, I have stopped watering in one bed and will keep some water on the other one. For me, this produces a LOT of ripe tomatoes at one time and I have to be ready for saucing, freezing, roasting etc! Also, I would cut off any new blossoms at this point. Plants gotta know that it's time to ripen fruit. Good luck!
I started getting super mean to my tomatoes last week--no water and heavy handed pruning--and FINALLY this week some fruit is starting to blush.
Most Westside tomatoes planted in late May or early June are fully vine ripe in very late August to very late Speptember...this goes for most of the old varieties and heirlooms.
The newer bred for PNW and cool climate long day length ripen a bit earlier.
Our best crops were 2nd and 3rd week of September, with decent harvests into mid October, weather permitting. We planted Memorial Day weekend.
The best flower set was always early to mid July, and fruit set a week or so later... so given hot temps can slow ripening about 45-60 days to full vine ripening for say a Cherokee Purple, tending to the long end of that window.
Once the fruit reach full size, ripening typically takes about 3 weeks for that particular variety, and inderterminate plants like that put out fruit over a long time frame, ideal for consuming fresh.
As an example, here's an August 17th pic from a few years ago...mostly green and hard, but right on track.
The newer bred for PNW and cool climate long day length ripen a bit earlier.
Our best crops were 2nd and 3rd week of September, with decent harvests into mid October, weather permitting. We planted Memorial Day weekend.
The best flower set was always early to mid July, and fruit set a week or so later... so given hot temps can slow ripening about 45-60 days to full vine ripening for say a Cherokee Purple, tending to the long end of that window.
Once the fruit reach full size, ripening typically takes about 3 weeks for that particular variety, and inderterminate plants like that put out fruit over a long time frame, ideal for consuming fresh.
As an example, here's an August 17th pic from a few years ago...mostly green and hard, but right on track.
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Did some harvesting and neighbors handoff this morning. The sungold have been excellent this year, both production and taste. BLT for dinner tonight.
SF
SF