Vegetable Garden, Part 2

4-week-old asparagus seedlings planted in flat

The vegetable garden is showing great promise. We have already harvested a few ears of corn, mustard greens, jalapeña peppers, peanuts, and lettuce, and have gone through several crops of cilantro and radishes. We now have 6 raised beds, and 2 more on the way. We have cabbage and purple and yellow onion seedlings in the garden, about ready for transplanting. In flats we have lettuce, beets, broccoli, white onions, and asparagus.

Tomato plants in the windowsill of our balcony, avoiding the heavy rains. Note: 2nd plant from the left had an infestation of green aphids and leaf mites, which were removed by hand.

Here's a rundown of whats happening . . .

ASPARAGUS
Got about 60% germination in flats. Should be ready to go into permanent beds in a couple of weeks.

BEETS
In flats, to be transplanted soon.

BROCCOLI
In flats, to be transplanted soon.

BUSH BEANS
To be planted in dry season.

CABBAGE
In flats, to be transplanted soon.

CARROTS
Have sprouted and are in need of thining.

CAULIFLOWER
To be planted in dry season.

CILANTRO
Have gone through several harvests and have more on the way.

CORN
1st planting - (silver king) wiped out by grubs & wet, clay soil.
2nd planting - (silver king) treated for grubs and stalk borers (100% infestation); heavy rains during tasseling period reduced ear size and rotted some of the corn.
3rd planting - (silver queen) Treated for stalk borers (near 100% infestation); plants looking excellent now; beginning to tassel.
4th planting - (silver king) about 4 inches high (some signs of stalk borer infestation)

CUCUMBERS
1st planting - wiped out by wet weather.
2nd planting - waiting for dry season to plant.

LETTUCE
1st planting - harvest was mediocre.
2nd planting - harvesting a bumper crop.

MUSTARD GREENS
1st planting - big success
2nd planting - a couple of inches high.

OKRA
1st planting - pooped out.
2nd planting - plants have good color, but are very small and spindly. A mystery. The question now is, should we try a third time with a different variety, or call it quits.

ONIONS
White - in flat, soon to be transplanted.
Purple - in the garden, soon to be transplanted.
Yellow - in the garden, soon to be transplanted.

PEANUTS
1st planting - mediocre harvest, but a miracle given the awful weather and soil.
2nd planting - has sprouted and is looking good.

PEPPERS
jalapeña - bought 6 plants at EPA, which produced a bumper crop until torrential rains arrived and wiped them out. 2 more plants purchased at EPA are looking good and beginning to produce.
Sweet - Not sure what variety they are; doing fairly well despite heavy rains.

POTATOES
Potatoes purchased at farmers market in San Isidro de Heredia; beginning to poke up through the soil.

RADISHES
Harvested several crops of different varieties. If only other vegetables were this easy to grow.

SQUASH
Planted a native heirloom variety which are leafing out and hopefully will begin to produce vines soon.

SWEET POTATOES
Beginning to vine. Variety unknown.

TOMATOES
1st planting of 4 plants - lost to heavy rains and high humidity.
2nd planting of 4 plants - planted in garden, then dug up and moved to pots on balcony due to very wet weather. Looking very good at this time. One variety is heirloom Cherokee purple (I want to make sure a can harvest some seeds).

WATERMELON
To be planted in dry season.

Happy gardening!