Purple Beans and Corn Tassels -- Spring Garden Weekly Update 8

Here we go again. It turns out that it is easy to overlook how some plants are doing, especially in such tight spaces.

UPSTAIRS

Corn/Bush beans bin - Corn is starting to tassel. However, no silks have emerged. I feel as if the corn was stunted due to overcrowding. A few of the bush beans look like they are going to wrap around and grow up the balcony support beam. No flowers have emerged yet. No fruit from the zucchini yet.

May 30

Corn tassel

Middle bin- Beans are flowering and growing pods all over the place. I have picked at least 3 pods so far, with many more on the way.

May 30

Trellis bin - The purple beans are growing all over the place. I am not too sure how well the sugar peas will hold up, but I should hopefully get at least some pods before they die in this heat.

May 30

Purple beans growing

You might notice some changes on the left side of the balcony. The biggest one being the large yellow container with a tomato plant. I found an old kitty litter box on the side of the road and upcycled it into a subirrigated planter. I transplanted my largest cherry tomato into it and it is doing great. If I find any more boxes/buckets of similar size, I will be making more. I even took a cutting of the large plant in an attempt to clone it.

The newest addition of the sub-irrigated planter

Additionally, the cherry tomatoes are beginning to set fruit. I don't know how long they take to ripen, but I hope they are ready before finals are done.

Cherry tomato fruit

The Swiss chard is growing quickly. Some of my younger tomato plants have started to take off. I had to prune one of my peppers in the same way as the ones downstairs because aphids attacked the upper leaves.

Lower terrace

Desk drawers - The beans have overgrown their container; the whole thing is a mess of green leaves and bean flowers now. The radishes are growing all over the place too, but I have not seen any bulbs form. I had to add more support for my cucumber plants in the trash bin. For next time, I think I will reserve that bin for either a tomato plant or a pole bean setup.

DOWNSTAIRS

Overview

Peppers - The unpruned Serrano plant looks like it will be bearing fruit soon, as it has grown several flower buds. I even staked the plant because it was starting to lean. I think the reason why the bell pepper and Anaheim chili pepper plants are so behind is due to lack of sun. The cucumbers provide a lot of shade -- too much in fact.

Peppers

Cucumbers- I was in for a surprise when I started to look through the canopy. More fruit other than the most obvious and largest one in front are beginning to grow, including a lemon cucumber. I had to add about 3 gallons of water to the bin during the week.

Cucumber Canopy

I think it's getting bigger

Surprise Lemon Cucumber

Tomatoes/Eggplant - The largest Ace Tomato will be setting fruit this week. It is massive now. The eggplant has about 3 flowers open now. It should set fruit soon.

Eggplant Flowers

Tune in next week for another exciting update!

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