Re: May , I update

May 03, 2026 Last reply: 2 months ago 3 Replies


  Been a little slow here of late , so I thought I post my garden's > progress .


>  The strawberries are starting to produce , I'm not expecting a monster
> harvest because I moved them this spring . My green beans (blue lake
> bush this year) are coming up nicely though spotty in places . I've
> found several seedlings that have rotted off under the surface , never
> seen that before . The squashes and cantaloupe have recovered nicely
> from transplanting and are putting out new growth . All 12 tomato plants
> - 6 Roma , 4 Beefsteak , and 2 cherry - are well established and
> starting to take off . I lost a few of the smaller bulb onion sets
> because I didn't realize they needed more water , but still have close
> to a hundred yellow and white combined . Only 22 of the 24 garlic cloves
> came up , but all are very strong and growing madly .
>   In the berry patch we have some new residents . I got 4 red raspberry
> bushes to add to the 8 blue and 14 blackberries . The well established
> black and blue are loaded with fruit , the rest are going to take
> another year or maybe 2 for some before they will be producing well .

Awesome!


What variety of blueberry?


Any tips on getting the blackberries to fruit up?

The blueberries are tiff blue and premier and one other I can't remember . I assume you're aware that this year's new blackberry canes will bear next year's crop ? (there are varieties under development that will fruit on first year canes) I don't do anything special other than keep the weeds down . I seldom water them , but your climate* is a lot drier so you probably will have to . Proper pruning is important . Main canes should be pruned at 36"-48" above the ground , side canes are trimmed to no longer than 24" . The side canes are where the fruit is . I'm not sure if blackberries need more than one variety to pollinate properly (blueberries do) but I've got 3 varieties . Two of them - Navajo and Arapaho - were developed right here in Arkansas at the UA agricultural department . The 3rd is called triple crown and I don't know it's provenance . All are thornless and produce large sweet berries . All will propagate from root runners - we have a lot of wild blackberries here so I have to check new shoots for thorns and cull any that have them . Hope this helps !

*I grew up in Box Elder County in northern Utah , I'm familiar with that high (4400 ft elevation) mountain desert climate .

My garden is still mostly in the basement. The deer fence is 80+% up, and the tiller is ready for combat.

Tomatoes are 18" tall and starting hardening off.

I've got most everything in but the stuff that needs warmer soil temps like okra . I'll probably need some neighborly help for the rest , I broke my right index finger a week ago and it severely limits what I can do .

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