Anyone else's tomatoes about to give up the ghost? Mine are so unhappy I can't bear to look at them. I actually feel guilty for what I'm putting them through.

I am going to seriously consider pushing my entire seed starting operation back by three or four weeks next year. June 1 planting target.

Tomato plants, basil, peppers etc. are tropical plants needing blazing heat to perform fully. Most stock of such plants offered here appears too early for optimal results, yellowish growing tips indicating a chilled condition are frequently seen. According to WSU such plants will be affected the rest of the growing season, and not in a good way. They used to recommend waiting until the first week of June before setting out tomato plants (maybe they still do).

A friend grows warm season vegetables under cover much of the season. In addition to the need for heat tomato plants are subject to late blight if exposed to the open sky later in summer.

To date: 4th wettest PDX May in 70 years.

This is terrible...Yep, I'm whining too.

Down here in SW WA, it's almost as bad as up north.

My tomatoes are over 5 ft high in the greenhouse and completely healthy, and summer squash is starting to make efforts at fruit. I planted them beginning of May. For 4 years after moving here I tried growing outside and faced what everyone's talking about. The next year I built a 20' x 8' greenhouse out of arched hog fencing and Farmtek film remnants (total greenhouse cost about $150) and was so impressed by the difference that the next year (last year) I built a 45 x 25. The floor of the greenhouse is landscape fabric covered with crushed stone from which I cut out raised beds, so I don't have to deal with weeds. I can't recommend a greenhouse enough. If you're going to put the effort into the garden, why not expend a little bit more and have a garden where you can control water and temperature? It's really worth it.

May PDX ended up 3rd wettest in 70 years. June has started off even wetter. Predicted 80 for Tuesday has been withdrawn by forecasters, latest 80-in-year record will likely fall.

I'm remembering this week a year ago - We went to my nephews college graduation in close to 100F temps, and that was Seattle, not E Wash :)

I've had my brugmansia plants outside for about 7 weeks and most have barely broken dormancy. But, oh yes, the weeds are thriving!

The Styrax tree, nearing full bloom, looks like a weeping willow.

KGW TV forcaster may not show his face tonight, he predicted 0.1" widely scattered showers.

Summer, I call your name.

They are smaller squash, like 4 lbs or so. I started them inside, and they will go in the ground this weekend at the latest (they will still be very young when that happens, so should be OK). DId I drop the ball on these?

Bill - Corvallis

I just replanted (direct seeding) most of my cool weather crops (cole crops, greens, etc.), some for the 2nd time after the previous sowings either partially or completely failed to germinate. Even the peas sulked and barely grew for most of May. I've never seen anything like that in the 10+ years I've been actively farming & gardening.

I still hope to have a productive vegetable garden just a bit slower growing I guess even in our raised beds. With our frequent rains I've only watered a few times & even carrots germinated okay. Maybe even better than last year's carrots. Our spring salads had small leaves until around May 20th when finally larger than my hand.

Not that I want vegetables to bloom, but I don't mind really because the sunny yellow Red Russian kale & chinese cabbages complemented the lavender chives.

I did cut back the chinese cabbages & fed to the chickens, so they wouldn't cross with the kale I like to let self sow 2x a year. It's not the cook's secret anymore as everyone here figured it out where the kale went even though I chopped fine in stir fries or used the baby leaves in mixed green salads. Now they even add it to their cooking as well because it's simply easier to walk to the garden with a scissor & a basket than drive to the store for green vegetables. Plus, it's free & we know it's safe to eat. The chinese cabbages attracted the slugs away from the lettuces, so I think it was still worth it to plant them even if they became chicken food.

I prefer more sunshine, but tolerate the rain as long as it warms up a bit to make working outside more comfortable. I can enjoy the gardens more when I can actually be in them rather than inside looking out.

Beans, cucumbers, & zucchini are going to be late planted this year, but hopefully will catch up rather than be stunted or rot like last year. I could figure out how to keep the tomatoes & peppers in the greenhouse all summer instead. I had hoped to plant some sugar pumpkins just for fun, but I can always purchase them instead for fall pumpkin pies, cakes, & muffins.