Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Jackal1 on July 28, 2008, 06:42:24 PM
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I have a couple of raised tomato beds and a small garden with tomatoes in it also. About 60 plants all together.
We have been getting about 15 lbs of tomatoes a day for quite a while now and they are still loaded to the gills. I have 12 yellow pear tomato plants that are totally unreal. Looks like a jungle. I have made and canned a supply of tomato/pepper jelly and will make more in the next day or two. Love the stuff with sausage
The purple hull peas look like a jungle and have to be picked every two days to keep up. Lots of peas in the freezer and all the neighbors and family are happy campers.
The corn is about coming to an end, but have mountains of it put up plus all we could eat for corn on the cob and gritted cornbread. <Drooooooooool!>
The green beans are about the same as the peas. Loads and loads of them already picked and they are load now and still blooming.
My okra this year is AWESOME. Right now the plants are about 7 to 7 1/2 ft. tall and have to be picked every day. Plenty put up in the freezer and plenty has been consumed.
I have about 10 cantaloupes ripening now and have picked gobs of them from about 5 plants. It`s unreal.
All grown organic with intensive planting. It`s been an awesome garden.
Anyone else into growing veggies and such?
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It sounds like you got the munchies from those "other" greens in your garden. ;)
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The hispanic guy that has been working at the horse stable we own started a garden aout 5 years ago. He grows peppers,zukeeneee,tomatoes,we tried watermelon but failed,cucombers, string beans, and corn.
When hes done picking he brings a share of everything up to the house for us to eat and then takes the rest to sell at the market.
If you grow zukeeenneee make sure you use the flowers! the flowers make a great appetizer, just fry them up in some batter and add a little salt! :aok
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We have 38 tomato plants, 2 rows of green beans, 5 rows of purple hull peas, 2 rows of okra, and a type of okr we call "running okra". Unlike other okra, the bigger the "running okra" gets the better it is. Our tomatos are producing out of this world...matter of fact everything is. We have to pick something everyday. i love garden growing. Its something i enjoyed doing with my great granddad before he passed.
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Not so much into it now because of a lack of suitable garden space but we do go down and help my parents with all of their garden stuff. For the last three years my oldest son has been picking blueberries and selling them for $12 a gallon. This year he sold 76 gallons in the community we live in. Last year I had 5 tomato plants that produced tomatoes here at home from mid-June until mid-August. Tomato sandwiches and BLT's were the lunch and dinner for me for several weeks last summer and then home made pasta sauce as well with the stuff from my parents.
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thats 1 hell've a garden Jackal :aok Wish I was there to raid it :D
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We have flowers mostly. I set aside little plots for each of the kids & they put whatever they want in it.
One son keeps his garden highly manicured. I give them each a little bit of money per trip to the store to buy flowers for their respective gardens. This one spends the entirety of his money on one really nice plant... (whereas the other gets tons of the .69c plants). He weeds regularly, deadheads when necessary, and is very 'proper' about his garden.
The other kid tosses in whatever seeds he can find... there's been radishes, carrots & even some watermelon & tomato plants. But then he's also got ferns, marigolds, & salvia. The most interesting part of our yard is there as well. There's about 4 or 5 toads that live under one of his planters. They're huge. Our other son's dog has befriended them. The dog goes outside when we go out to smoke at night. She finds the toads & sits down beside them, whereever they're hopping around. It's pretty cool to see, actually. I need to take a picture of it. At first we thought there was only one (whom our son named "Edward.") Come to find out there were a whole bunch of them.
The third son calls them both pansy's & doesn't have his own garden.
I want a salad garden. Everything all in pots, whatever it would take to make a great salad, I want it in those pots. Then get out there, pick them, wash them off & eat them.
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I have tomaters (regular/roma/cherry), zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, green onions, sweet corn, radishes (earlier) and many varities of peppers
They are growing really crazy (with the little help of some fertilizer from work)
0-0-60 potash, 18-46-0 DAP, and for a nitrate boost last week I threw in a handful of 27-0-0-6 calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN)
Also have a 2 1/2 gal jug of 32% liquid nitrate if I need to sidedress anything
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What can I grow on my patio? I live in an apartment. I guess tomato plants in a milk jug would work.
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Tomatoes would work, or you could try some bell peppers
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Awesome, I'll be making Penne pasta in no time... now to find a noddle & meat plant... :noid
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I have a couple of raised tomato beds and a small garden with tomatoes in it also. About 60 plants all together.
We have been getting about 15 lbs of tomatoes a day for quite a while now and they are still loaded to the gills. I have 12 yellow pear tomato plants that are totally unreal. Looks like a jungle. I have made and canned a supply of tomato/pepper jelly and will make more in the next day or two. Love the stuff with sausage
The purple hull peas look like a jungle and have to be picked every two days to keep up. Lots of peas in the freezer and all the neighbors and family are happy campers.
The corn is about coming to an end, but have mountains of it put up plus all we could eat for corn on the cob and gritted cornbread. <Drooooooooool!>
The green beans are about the same as the peas. Loads and loads of them already picked and they are load now and still blooming.
My okra this year is AWESOME. Right now the plants are about 7 to 7 1/2 ft. tall and have to be picked every day. Plenty put up in the freezer and plenty has been consumed.
I have about 10 cantaloupes ripening now and have picked gobs of them from about 5 plants. It`s unreal.
All grown organic with intensive planting. It`s been an awesome garden.
Anyone else into growing veggies and such?
Sounds nice Jackal!
Our garden starts in January with indoor seed for veggies, transplanted after the first frost. We planted alot of lettuce and radishes since they come up first. Romaine and Iceberg were first harvested over a 3 week period into late May early June. Now we have mostly Red potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, 2 different types of tomatoes, a new row of Romaine and green peas coming in.
Due to the size of the garden (RV garage replaced most of the garden :D) we choose to do this "Two season method". The pic below looks alittle chaotic, but we're sure to pull about 50 lbs or more of potatoes and plenty of tomotoes soon out of the "2nd season".
(http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL767/2726312/8668097/327701467.jpg)
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Mostly in between the weeds.
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Mostly in between the weeds.
:rofl
Took a minute, but it finally soaked in. :D
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We have 38 tomato plants, 2 rows of green beans, 5 rows of purple hull peas, 2 rows of okra, and a type of okr we call "running okra". Unlike other okra, the bigger the "running okra" gets the better it is. Our tomatos are producing out of this world...matter of fact everything is. We have to pick something everyday. i love garden growing. Its something i enjoyed doing with my great granddad before he passed.
Tell me more about this running okra. Yaknow where I can get some seeds online?
I like trying new stuff
Nice raised beds Rip.
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My wife and father-in-law do the gardening. We have two 20'x30' veggie gardens that are outlined in flowers. Tomatoes (a variety), green beens, peas, zucchini's, yellow squash, pumpkins, beets, herbs, strawberries, etc. Not a great season this year. Groundhogs ate all the peas. We also have 4 grape arbors and some black raspberries. The black raspberries this year were the best ever.
Here's my 3 year old in the garden eating tomatoes two years ago:
http://hallbuzz.com/movies/mato_8_25_06.wmv
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My wife and father-in-law do the gardening. We have two 20'x30' veggie gardens that are outlined in flowers. Tomatoes (a variety), green beens, peas, zucchini's, yellow squash, pumpkins, beets, herbs, strawberries, etc. Not a great season this year. Groundhogs ate all the peas. We also have 4 grape arbors and some black raspberries. The black raspberries this year were the best ever.
Here's my 3 year old in the garden eating tomatoes two years ago:
http://hallbuzz.com/movies/mato_8_25_06.wmv
Oh man, that smile will just melt your heart! Nice vid Eskimo. :)
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Rosie and I lack the space for a nice garden so we started saving the containers our kitty litter comes (Around 4 or 5 Quarts) in and turned them into pots for our Tomatos, Instead of going the Cherry Route, we decided to go for the Beefsteaks, Parks Whoppers and Romas. We also tried our hands at Peppers and bought a Sweet Banana.
So far they are doing great, and we have already started picking them.
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Rosie and I lack the space for a nice garden so we started saving the containers our kitty litter comes (Around 4 or 5 Quarts) in and turned them into pots for our Tomatos, Instead of going the Cherry Route, we decided to go for the Beefsteaks, Parks Whoppers and Romas. We also tried our hands at Peppers and bought a Sweet Banana.
So far they are doing great, and we have already started picking them.
Right on!
I've never been successful in 3 attempts at growing Jalipeno Peppers. I think our climate in the PNW is just not warm enough for succesful fruitation. I've tried from seed and green house starters and fail everytime. :( Our summer days avg. 75 deg and evening temps in the 50's. I think the hot peppers like warmer weather...
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Right on!
I've never been successful in 3 attempts at growing Jalipeno Peppers. I think our climate in the PNW is just not warm enough for succesful fruitation. I've tried from seed and green house starters and fail everytime. :( Our summer days avg. 75 deg and evening temps in the 50's. I think the hot peppers like warmer weather...
In my part of Ohio we are about 10 degrees warmer on both ends. Peppers grow very well. We stopped growing them though because we don't use them. I'm the only one in a family of seven who will eat them; but I eat whatever the women fix for everyone.
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Right on!
I've never been successful in 3 attempts at growing Jalipeno Peppers. I think our climate in the PNW is just not warm enough for succesful fruitation. I've tried from seed and green house starters and fail everytime. :( Our summer days avg. 75 deg and evening temps in the 50's. I think the hot peppers like warmer weather...
Grow HOPS!!!!!!!
There is a hop shortage and it is making beer expensive. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR2007081400093.html (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR2007081400093.html)
Hops grow well in the PNW. Plus they are a perennial and you can sell them :aok
Plus, if you have any friends that home brew, they will pay you back in BEER!!
If I remember, I'll take a few shots of mine and post them.
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Tell me more about this running okra. Yaknow where I can get some seeds online?
I like trying new stuff
If i knew i would tell ya. We acquired some seeds from my great-grandmother a few years back. Since then we always leave two or three okras left on the vine to dry out. Then we take the seeds from them to use the next year. These okra are raised on a vine, so you have to have a trellace (spelling?) or some kind of chain link fence to let them grow on. The okra itself can grow over a foot long and is still VERY good when they get that big. I'll try to find a place to get them for ya :aok
Edit....you let them grow to 1 foot or larger to gain seeds, but usually you pull them when they are smaller.
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Grow HOPS!!!!!!!
There is a hop shortage and it is making beer expensive. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR2007081400093.html (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR2007081400093.html)
Hops grow well in the PNW. Plus they are a perennial and you can sell them :aok
Plus, if you have any friends that home brew, they will pay you back in BEER!!
If I remember, I'll take a few shots of mine and post them.
Please do that, I'd like to see how much room they take, and, if you have the information, what the yield of the crop is (per plant? Per square foot?)
Next spring we're putting in a small vineyard for growing grapes in another part of the yard that gets full sun, from 8am to 8pm. We want to start making our own wine after a couple of years. Beer making seems to be a bit more involved but something that looks rewarding as well. :)
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i got the pepper garden going. jalops, habeneros, serenos.... and some cyanne.
the habenero bush is just littered with peppers......... there just the regualer orange habeneros thought. I want some of those red savinas.
Jalop bushes and the serenos are full too.
mom has the squash and mAtters out there as well all doing good.
here in NC i got the red(orange) brick hard clay so we have to do a bit of soil amending to it all.
What i need is a recipe for doing a "sour dill" hot pepper relish
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Actually, making beer is not as complicated as wine (depending on the style of wine or beer you are making). The plus side of that is, if you buy a wine or beer making "kit", you can really ferment a simple batch of either.
The only thing that is "more involved" in making beer is the fact that if you go "all grain" (not using malt extract syrup or dried malt extract, both of which can make a fine beer) you add a mash process. Otherwise, the two are pretty similar. Beer is ready in a matter of weeks, whereas wine is typically months, but again, its relative. I have a 5-gallon batch of Scotch "Barley Wine" (still technically beer) that I started 3 months ago and wont be ready until Christmas. But, at 16% ABV, I can stand the wait :devil
As far as hops go, they are pretty simple. I have them growing in my garden with my veggies. They are basically a vine. There is really little footprint that it takes up in the garden. They like to grow UP, UP, UP!
Basically wait for some vines to come up, give them some twine to climb, wrap 'em CW around the twine to get them started and walk away. They like water and a fair bit of nitrogen. Yield all depends upon the variety that you choose to grow. Most American beers use American hops. Most American hops (Cascade, Mt. Hood, Liberty, etc) come from the PNW.
If you grow other varieties, especially types that are hard to get a hold of, you can make a few $'s selling any extra that you may have. Even more $ if you have a local home brew shop. I know when our local shop gets a batch of special hops, they are usually gone the same day the email goes out.
Local shop for me http://keystonehomebrew.com/ (http://keystonehomebrew.com/)
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I've never been successful in 3 attempts at growing Jalipeno Peppers. I think our climate in the PNW is just not warm enough for succesful fruitation. I've tried from seed and green house starters and fail everytime. :( Our summer days avg. 75 deg and evening temps in the 50's. I think the hot peppers like warmer weather...
I think you're right. We started out with one ornamental pepper plant... now we've got about 50 of them. They were taking over the garden. Had to pluck them all out. Gonna put them all in one separate closed off area around a bird bath, since they are flourishing. Maybe I'll pick up a jalepeno plant as well... see if it fares as well as the ornamentals.
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Oh man, that smile will just melt your heart! Nice vid Eskimo. :)
Thanks
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Actually, making beer is not as complicated as wine (depending on the style of wine or beer you are making). The plus side of that is, if you buy a wine or beer making "kit", you can really ferment a simple batch of either.
The only thing that is "more involved" in making beer is the fact that if you go "all grain" (not using malt extract syrup or dried malt extract, both of which can make a fine beer) you add a mash process. Otherwise, the two are pretty similar. Beer is ready in a matter of weeks, whereas wine is typically months, but again, its relative. I have a 5-gallon batch of Scotch "Barley Wine" (still technically beer) that I started 3 months ago and wont be ready until Christmas. But, at 16% ABV, I can stand the wait :devil
As far as hops go, they are pretty simple. I have them growing in my garden with my veggies. They are basically a vine. There is really little footprint that it takes up in the garden. They like to grow UP, UP, UP!
Basically wait for some vines to come up, give them some twine to climb, wrap 'em CW around the twine to get them started and walk away. They like water and a fair bit of nitrogen. Yield all depends upon the variety that you choose to grow. Most American beers use American hops. Most American hops (Cascade, Mt. Hood, Liberty, etc) come from the PNW.
If you grow other varieties, especially types that are hard to get a hold of, you can make a few $'s selling any extra that you may have. Even more $ if you have a local home brew shop. I know when our local shop gets a batch of special hops, they are usually gone the same day the email goes out.
Local shop for me http://keystonehomebrew.com/ (http://keystonehomebrew.com/)
Great info!
My favorite beer is IPA's. (the strong, the darker, the better!) On a "Beer making scale" of 1-5, (5 being the most difficult) how would you rate making your own IPA?
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Great info!
My favorite beer is IPA's. (the strong, the darker, the better!) On a "Beer making scale" of 1-5, (5 being the most difficult) how would you rate making your own IPA?
As easy as any other beer :aok Just brewed one last week.
IPA (India Pale Ale) is traditionally higher in alcohol and much hoppier than other beers. It was made that way to better survive the trip from UK to India which used to take months on a ship (a pale ale going to India = IPA) IPA's only require more fermentables, and more hops. Fermentables to up the ABV and hops for their antibiotic/bacteriostatic qualities.
Grow hops :aok
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I and another squaddie of mine "bigjohnV" are into home brewing beer.
His son has a hops farm. :)
http://lazyacres.ca
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I and another squaddie of mine "bigjohnV" are into home brewing beer.
His son has a hops farm. :)
http://lazyacres.ca
Nice link, bro :aok :aok
I now have another hero. :D
Go Josh :rock
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Thanks again Von.
Back to subject line "Gardens" :)
We bought a couple of those "preying mantis" cocoons and they never hatched :( We do have pleny of lady bugs that love to eat aphids though.
I ended up planting shallots inbetween rows and that kept the garden pests to a minimum this year. Anyone else have a favorite way to treat garden pests naturally?
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I ended up planting shallots inbetween rows and that kept the garden pests to a minimum this year. Anyone else have a favorite way to treat garden pests naturally?
About the only thing I ever use is a simple mixture of dish washing liquid and water. It will take care of most anything in the garden.
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If i knew i would tell ya. We acquired some seeds from my great-grandmother a few years back. Since then we always leave two or three okras left on the vine to dry out. Then we take the seeds from them to use the next year. These okra are raised on a vine, so you have to have a trellace (spelling?) or some kind of chain link fence to let them grow on. The okra itself can grow over a foot long and is still VERY good when they get that big. I'll try to find a place to get them for ya :aok
Edit....you let them grow to 1 foot or larger to gain seeds, but usually you pull them when they are smaller.
Thanks.
Is this what you are talking about?---> http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MV073 (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MV073)
Picture middle of the page.
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Thanks again Von.
Back to subject line "Gardens" :)
We bought a couple of those "preying mantis" cocoons and they never hatched :( We do have pleny of lady bugs that love to eat aphids though.
I ended up planting shallots inbetween rows and that kept the garden pests to a minimum this year. Anyone else have a favorite way to treat garden pests naturally?
Hot pepper spray works on a lot of pests. Just mix hot pepper sauce with water and spray. If you have extra hot peppers from the garden, you can even make your own. Use an old blender that you don't use everyday, if you make your own. :noid
Frodo
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Has been a good garden year here, after a cold start. (Missouri). I have the following...strawberries,raspberries,blackberries,asparagus,beets,cucumbers,tomatoes,potatoes,pole beans,cantaloupe,sunflowers, and a few misc. flowers. Great year for strawberries,beans,beets,asparagus. Too wet and cool early for the tomatoes, and they are 3 weeks behind, and just starting to ripen the last week. Grow a big garden every year, as my wife and I love to do it, and eat it. We grow old time varieties and heirloom varieties all organically, as we like the taste better. Will try and post some pics later.
Frodo
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Some good some dissapointing this year.
Dissapointing: planted (kind of late) habenero red savina, jumbo jalepeno, tobasco, and New Mexico. Only one came up from seed. Bummer.
Great: Roma tomatoes, a hybrid tomatoes, yellow sweet peppers, and my almost 6 year old habenero orange.
I'm probably the anomoly here. I plant/gareden exclsively in 3 & 5 gallon pots/buckets, elevated on my deck with multiple holes in the sides next to the bottom. I got screwed a few years back and planted quite an investment in peppers in the ground and it was a very wet year. About a third of the crop just stunted and died. Another third stunted and put out a few peppers per plant, if that. I learned my lesson from "Charlie".
"Charlie" is the ZZTop looking 75 year old guy who worked near me. He was the "nut" who grew all kinds of exotic peppers and tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets and not only never lost a plant, always won 1st place blue ribbon at the county fair (yes, THAT kind of nut).
He taught me the 5 gallon bucket trick and I've never looked back. On very wet years, the rain just soaks right through and exits the holes. When the hot season comes (like now) I just move the plants into the shade of the big oak tree next to the deck. When it starts to cool off I relocate them back to the sunny side. He also taught me to hit them with those $1 bags of cow fertilizer and hit them often.
I got over 5 lbs of halepenos off just the one habenero bucket last year.
The best part: when it's fall and your outdoor plants are dying, I dolly mine inside fo rthe winter. They go semi-dormant (you have to water as usual though, household heating systems will dry them out. The next Spring, you simply give them a trim and back out they go. Peppers and tomatoes will start to look like a bush over the years, and then a small tree--just like they do in the tropics. Saves money on buying new plants next year.
Good Luck!
ROX
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"Gardeners" in Humbold County have been using 5-gal buckets for years with great success :devil
They use the green pickle buckets from McDonalds and hang them in the trees to keep the, uh....deer from getting to them. :noid
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Thanks.
Is this what you are talking about?---> http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MV073 (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MV073)
Picture middle of the page.
yes sir the luffa gourd or whatever. That's it i believe..i would have to see it in person
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I'm probably the anomoly here. I plant/gareden exclsively in 3 & 5 gallon pots/buckets
Nope, I plant the same buckets. I meant to say Gallons, not quarts in my original post.
For the last two years I have had successful grows in these buckets, this the first year I have tried a pepper plant though.
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I have a neighbor who uses buckets, but he plants tomatoes from a hole in the bottom and from the sides and hangs the buckets .
He has pretty good luck growing patio and cherry tomatoes that way.
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yes sir the luffa gourd or whatever. That's it i believe..i would have to see it in person
Thanks . Gonna have to try that.
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OK Rip...... Here are the hops (and garden pics)
Cascade
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/garden/100_1029.jpg)
Hallertauer
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/garden/100_1030.jpg)
and Nugget
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/garden/100_1031.jpg)
Plus some various broccoli, peppers, collard greens and a tomato jungle....
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/garden/100_1032.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/garden/100_1033.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/garden/100_1036.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/garden/100_1038.jpg)
This is the first year for the hops, so I don't expect much yield til next season. I also procrastinated and didn't get the trellis (um... PVC pipe) up soon enough and some of the hops started going through the fence. Next year I will train them earlier and they will be stronger and should yield a lot more.
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Nice pics!
I wish I had rototillered a nice garden this year but health problems kept me on the sidelines.
You folks that did a big garden will save $$$ due to skyrocketing food prices because of fuel costs. That whole tomato/salmonella scare not only made some vegatables scarce it drove up the price.
Here's a a few pics of the deck garden from a month ago:
(http://www.entertainmentworlds.com/All.jpg)
That's the whole (small) view. (L toR, Tomato, Habenero, Tomato, Yellow Bell Pepper, 3 Watermellon, baby pepper((??))
(http://www.entertainmentworlds.com/Habenero.jpg)
The almost 6 year old habenero. It produces from early August to early December.
(http://www.entertainmentworlds.com/habenero_pepper.jpg)
Close-up of one of the 20 peppers so far on the habenero. I normally get 2 crops a year off this plant.
I'll get some more recent pics on soon.
GREAT JOB VON!!
And the guy who asked about having a garden on an apartment balcony---5 gallon buckets might be your way to go. Bring 'em inside when it gets cold and set 'em back out next spring!
I'm also toying with an indoor herb garden. My own fresh basil, and oregano would be cool.
ROX
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ROX,
You don't keep those pots on the railing do you?
I'd think kids, wind or coons would topple them.
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ROX,
You don't keep those pots on the railing do you?
I'd think kids, wind or coons would topple them.
Yes, I do.
Me & the wife are empty-nesters and our 2 year old grandchild is supervised at all times when she visits.
Those five gallon pots full of a special mix of soil/rock/gravel/sand/ash are really bleeping heavy. Really. I have had small pots with peatmoss based soil blow over in 75+ mph winds, but never the 5 gallon ones.
We've never had racoon problems. We have 2 German Shepherds and between the dogs and scent of dog scent/droppings we haven't had any wildlife sneak into the fenced in back yard.
My only problem has been squirrels. My deck is adjacent to a large oak tree with a squirrel nest in it. I found that small pots with seedlings get dug up and broken if they are left on the railing closest to the tree so I put them on the other side until they are at least 6-8" or so, then they get re-potted to 5 gallon buckets.
We're out in the county but we live inside the boundries of Hot Springs National Park--with that comes the problem of endless supplies of: rabbits, fox, hawks, deer, bobcats, coyote, armadillo, and the ocassional black bear. So far none has wandered into our yard.
If I didn't keep them on the rail my male German Shepherd would attempt to "water" them when he gets lazy or it's raining when he needs to go "outside".
ROX
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(http://www.entertainmentworlds.com/Habenero.jpg)
The almost 6 year old habenero. It produces from early August to early December.
Are all peppers able to be grown year round? Obviously here in West Virginia it gets to cold to sustain plants outside, but I do have Floros I keep Orchids under when they are not flowering and was wondering If I could bring my Sweet Banana inside during the cold months.
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Are all peppers able to be grown year round? Obviously here in West Virginia it gets to cold to sustain plants outside, but I do have Floros I keep Orchids under when they are not flowering and was wondering If I could bring my Sweet Banana inside during the cold months.
Most all the hot and your banana varity, yes. I'll experiment with sweet yellow this winter, but it should work. I've done it once before.
You can if it's already in a bucket or you plan to translplant it to a bucket. Hopefully it's already in a bucket because plants in the ground don't always respond well when transplanted to buckets.
If it's in a small container now you might want to go ahead and transplant it to a 5 gallon soon so it's not such a shock later. If you need the filler ingredients by level in the bucket let me know.
The pepper plant will basically go dormant when inside from December to April (your location). (Are you at elevation? What is the average date of last freeze/frost your location?)
Water as usual (make sure you have drain holes near the bottom of the bucket on the sides, a nail or power drill works fine, and throw a little natural fertilizer on it from time to time. It might drop a few leaves during the winter, but you will notice part of the lower stalk become more tan & fiberous. Make sure it gets plenty of light too.
Next Spring set that sucker out in plenty of light and hit it with more natural fertilizer. You might be shocked how it turns out.
Good Luck!!!
ROX
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I mentioned above I was growing in Kitty Litter Buckets, my second year now. I will bring it in the fall when it starts to get cold and throw it under the lights and see what happens.
I was just worried it might throw the plant off kilt being under 24 hour light. Have you had to trim the roots or do any selective pruning?
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I mentioned above I was growing in Kitty Litter Buckets, my second year now. I will bring it in the fall when it starts to get cold and throw it under the lights and see what happens.
I was just worried it might throw the plant off kilt being under 24 hour light. Have you had to trim the roots or do any selective pruning?
Wow. Never had them under 24 hour light like that, just had them in a good window (French doors) and good natural light.
I never trimmed the root ball from small container to bucket, just mad sure the root ball had plenty of room in the new bucket. I learned from my grandfather to resist the urge to throw a double handfull of artificial fertilizer--then a layer of dirt--then the re-potted plant. Once the roots get down to the all that artificial fertilizer and then it rains---plant goes into immediate shock and dies. If you use natural (ie.cow manure) it's a different story.
The only pruning I have to do each year is that not all branches make it each year and harden and turn brown. I clip those off with sharp scissors and keep watering and fertilizing. As long as at least half the leaves make it you should be good. I've only lost one pepper plant doing the bucket system--my habenero red savina. The funeral service was a red hot tear jerker. :cry
I never experimented with 24 hour light. Give it a shot!
I get a lot of PMs asking me where I get my seeds from. I hate to tell them that I get them from the produce I buy at the store, I don't buy packaged seeds. If you see peppers at the store you like buy them, rip out the seeds, dry them and put them in paper envelopes for next year. Have you seen the price of yellow sweet peppers? Those go for $1.00 to $1.50 EACH depending on the time of year! I got my seeds from my sister in Chicago. Bummer, NONE of my habenero red savina seeds came up :(
Good Luck. Let us all know how it goes.
I'd love love pictures of vonMessa's hops. Ya hop-head!
ROX
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So that's how hops grow. Thanks Vox. Where are the pot plants? :O
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So that's how hops grow. Thanks Vox. Where are the pot plants? :O
No photo available :noid
Let's just say that 24 hrs of light doesn't hurt most plants one bit. Not until you are ready to force flowering.. I mean the veggies, of course :noid
Then you have to mimic the end of season light cycle (I read that in a book somewhere) :noid
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No photo available :noid
Let's just say that 24 hrs of light doesn't hurt most plants one bit. Not until you are ready to force flowering.. I mean the veggies, of course :noid
Then you have to mimic the end of season light cycle (I read that in a book somewhere) :noid
That's what I thought Von. Thanks.
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Von I need to learn how to grow hops.
A few pics of some of my garden.
Frodo
beans,cukes,tomatoes
(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/proffers/garden_7_30_08_001.jpg)
asparagus
(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/proffers/garden_7_30_08_006.jpg)
raspberries,blackberries
(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/proffers/garden_7_30_08_008.jpg)
beans,sunflowers
(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/proffers/garden_7_30_08_009.jpg)
sunflowers-lemon queen
(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/proffers/garden_7_30_08_016.jpg)
sunflowers,strawberries,assorted melons,potatoes,tomatoes,beans
(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/proffers/garden_7_30_08_017.jpg)
yukon gold
(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/proffers/garden_7_30_08_020.jpg)
rattlesnake beans
(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/proffers/garden_7_30_08_023.jpg)
assorted beans
(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/proffers/garden_7_30_08_024.jpg)
last of the blackberries
(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/proffers/garden_7_30_08_026.jpg)
purple cherokee, the best tasting we have found,grow it every yr.
(http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/proffers/garden_7_30_08_029.jpg)
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mostly my garden is full of weeds. I have become very discouraged this year. Last year was the first year for my garden. I had just turned it under and planted and ht eonly thing that survived and managed to produce was tomatoes and green beans and carrots and bell peppers, with only a couple medium sized pumpkins. I planted peas, corn, and watermelon with the above.
This year the only things that were productive was the green beans and carrots are still growing. most everything else is dieing off or barely growing. this year I also planted tomatoes, bell peppers, a new kiind of pepper "can't remember the name", peas, pumpkins.
What I have noticed is that the plants that grow reasonably well are always at the same end of the garden. The weird thing is that this is the higher end and the garden is not overly wet at all, so this leads me to believe that it is not a water issue. I do have a tree that grows over the garden that is about halfway down the garden but I even have problems above the tree as well as below. The sun is on the garden probably at least 10 hours in the area that gets the least amount of sun. I was thinking that probably is not the issue. What I have thought about trying is to fertilize the crap out of it this fall and next spring and then maintain with compost after that.
Thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.
As a side note though I have noticed that my garden produces rabbits very well. The problem there is that my wife won't let me kill the rabbits to eat and in that way my garden would be productive no matter what.
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Id do a soil test and check the PH levels
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Id do a soil test and check the PH levels
thanks I might give that a try
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Von I need to learn how to grow hops.
A few pics of some of my garden.
Frodo
beans,cukes,tomatoes
Great pics of the garden, Frodo! Glad I'm not the only one that takes pics of his food. :D
Great idea on the climbing rack for the beans, I'm going to incorporate that into my plan next year. <S>
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DK what meat said, do a PH test. You can buy a kit cheap to test it yourself. But if you have that many rabbits, you are fighting a losing battle. :D
Rip I think we are garden nerds, but I love to do it. :aok The panels for the beans was my wifes idea, and it works well. Next year I will do away with the rack, and just drive some posts, and put one panel on top of the other. I think it will look better, and work as well. Also I highly recommend the tomato varieties PURPLE CHEROKEE and PAUL ROBESON. You will never grow another kind after you taste these! Link below. :salute
http://rareseeds.com/
Frodo
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. What I have thought about trying is to fertilize the crap out of it this fall and next spring and then maintain with compost after that.
Thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.
In the off season and through the winter months add as much organic material as you can to build up the soil.
When I rake leaves, instead of burning them or hauling them , I rake them up on a cheap tarp and slide them to the garden area. Easy and works great. I spread them over the garden area about 6inches deep and let them compost in place. Before gardening season when tilled in this make the soil very rich , fertile and also loosens the soil. You just want to make sure to allow enough time before gardening season so all the leaves will compost and rot. Fresh leaves and trimmings that are not fully composted will eat up the nitrogen in the process, so you want to allow plenty of time . Just have to plan ahead a little.
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In the off season and through the winter months add as much organic material as you can to build up the soil.
When I rake leaves, instead of burning them or hauling them , I rake them up on a cheap tarp and slide them to the garden area. Easy and works great. I spread them over the garden area about 6inches deep and let them compost in place. Before gardening season when tilled in this make the soil very rich , fertile and also loosens the soil. You just want to make sure to allow enough time before gardening season so all the leaves will compost and rot. Fresh leaves and trimmings that are not fully composted will eat up the nitrogen in the process, so you want to allow plenty of time . Just have to plan ahead a little.
I do that with the leaves too. However aside from the PH suggestion which I will check, I figured that maybe the grass that was there had depleted the area of needed minerals and it was just going to take effort and time to replenish.
I continuasly add material to a composting bin all year from the kitchen and from different collections around the yard and every year I add this to the garden. I figure the more foreign material the better.
Thanks for your replies. There are always people wiling to help.
:salute
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You've gotten some good advice already. Your County Extension Office should do a soil sample free for you if you bring them one. They can also give you advice on what to do specific to your plot of land right there in the land of tasty pretzels.
Idea for next year: you mention "high end" and "low end". If you think moisture is an issue, instead of long rows from high to low, try shorter rows across the current grain and plan out your water "needy" crops on the low end and and not so needy on the high end. Your extension office folks (and the internet) can help you on that. Hot peppers seem to do just fine in heat with low rainfall, while tomatos and corn will whither & dry up with out watering if you haven't had much rainfall.
It's too easy to over-water. Most gardens don't need it. If you haven't had much recent rain and the plant leaves turn a light green and look wilty--wait until almost dusk and give it a good soak. Check the weather Channel first. To quote one of my clients down in Stuttgart, AR:
"We had just got a fresh watermellon out of the milk cooler (used to keep fresh milked product at 33F until the dairy can come pick it up)
and cut it open...Daddy mentioned how it just didn't taste right. I told daddy that watermellons ain't a derned rice field and if you keep
a layin' the water to 'em when they don't need it they ain't gonna taste as good."
Rabbits: Since mama there wont allow you to blow Buggs Bunny's head off and have a tasty stew (trapping and releasing elsewhere is kind of a waste of time) next year plant marigolds around the perimeter of your garden in , say, 7 to 10 foot intervals. Rabbits HATE the smell of marigolds and will avoid your garden as if it were a Pauly Shore film.
Good luck!
ROX
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If a Pauly Shore movie didn`t kill em, double ought buck wouldn`t stand a chance. ;)
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You've gotten some good advice already. Your County Extension Office should do a soil sample free for you if you bring them one. They can also give you advice on what to do specific to your plot of land right there in the land of tasty pretzels.
Idea for next year: you mention "high end" and "low end". If you think moisture is an issue, instead of long rows from high to low, try shorter rows across the current grain and plan out your water "needy" crops on the low end and and not so needy on the high end. Your extension office folks (and the internet) can help you on that. Hot peppers seem to do just fine in heat with low rainfall, while tomatos and corn will whither & dry up with out watering if you haven't had much rainfall.
It's too easy to over-water. Most gardens don't need it. If you haven't had much recent rain and the plant leaves turn a light green and look wilty--wait until almost dusk and give it a good soak. Check the weather Channel first. To quote one of my clients down in Stuttgart, AR:
"We had just got a fresh watermellon out of the milk cooler (used to keep fresh milked product at 33F until the dairy can come pick it up)
and cut it open...Daddy mentioned how it just didn't taste right. I told daddy that watermellons ain't a derned rice field and if you keep
a layin' the water to 'em when they don't need it they ain't gonna taste as good."
Rabbits: Since mama there wont allow you to blow Buggs Bunny's head off and have a tasty stew (trapping and releasing elsewhere is kind of a waste of time) next year plant marigolds around the perimeter of your garden in , say, 7 to 10 foot intervals. Rabbits HATE the smell of marigolds and will avoid your garden as if it were a Pauly Shore film.
Good luck!
ROX
Thanks for your input here, some very good suggestions and detailed too. The problem here is the when I planted the corn last year it was in the lower part of the garden and never got over 18 inches high. It was funny to see the ears of corn that were only big enough for 4-5 kernels on them. The difference in level is only about 2-3 over 70 feet but I am sure that is probably enough to provide a difference in moisture conditions. I will take a closer look at the watering side though thanks.
As far as the rabbits, mine must be mutants because the other day I saw a rabbit standing 2 feet from the marigolds that I planted around the garden. Mother suggested the same thing last year, but this year my Amish relatives told me to get lime and make a line just inside the edge of the garden. This supposedly will keep out most wild animals. We'll try that next year with the marigolds.
thanks again guys excellent help being given out here
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I try to put a garden in every year,simple and small,not a long growing season up here.
I've managed to grow two different flowers, papaver somniferum and a brite indica.
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:salute
LOL Dkff.
My late grandfather was a past Mississippi Secretary of Soil Conservation. I come from a long line of farmers, however, when asked, we say that-- "our family was in textiles". :lol
ROX
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I highly recommend the tomato varieties PURPLE CHEROKEE and PAUL ROBESON. You will never grow another kind after you taste these! Link below. :salute
http://rareseeds.com/
Frodo
do you save the seeds to plant next year?
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Yes I try and save enough for the following year. Tomatoes we start inside in Feb., and always start more than we will need in case of bad weather. The others we keep enough for 2 plantings in case of bad weather. If I have anything left I trade with a couple of neighbors.
Frodo
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do you save the seeds to plant next year?
I'm one of those that do, (not just because I'm cheap), I really try to continue top plant "children" of the adults that did well. If the parent seeds did well in your location the seeds from that plant should work well next year.
Like I posted earlier, I got some seeds from great peppers last year and planted them this year (yeah, I planted late) but less than 10% came up.
Weren't my seeds though.
If you had a really nice pepper, tomato, pumpkin, or watermellon that really grew well for you dry and save some of the seeds for next year. I normally plant indoors in 6" plastic posts indoors in early February. Whatever comes up can be transferred to 5 gallon buckets in early May.
ROX
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never had any luck with saving tomato seeds for some reason.
reading this http://rareseeds.com/guide/
Saving seed for next year
If you want to save seed, there are several books available on the subject. You can learn how to keep plants pure so that their seeds run true-to-type, as growing parent plants properly is the key to producing good seed for subsequent years. As a very general rule for the beginning seed saver, note that any plant with the same Latin name as another plant has the ability to, and most likely will, cross pollinate. In layman’s terms, planting Hubbard True Green Squash (Cucurbita maxima) and Big Max pumpkins (also Cucurbita maxima) in the same garden means that you should not save seed from either as they are insect pollinated. In all likelihood, the bees that went to one plant’s flowers also went to the other one so you will have a crossed seed resulting. If the plants have different Latin names, like cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) and zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), they cannot cross. On the other hand, several varieties of self-pollinated plants like beans, peas, tomatoes, and lettuce can be grown together without too much fear of crossing. If in any doubt, please consult a book on this fascinating topic.
Having grown your vegetables for seed, select the best specimens from the best plants and let the fruit fully mature to ensure that the seed within is at its best too. Cucumbers, for example, must be grown till well past their eating stage to grow seed useful for saving. Tomato, squash, pumpkin, melon, and cucumber seed all benefit from fermenting the seeds and the surrounding pulp for about three days before cleaning and then drying. The pulp should be put into a jar with a little water and shaken or stirred twice daily for three days. At the end of this time the pulp and immature seeds will be floating on top as scum, and the mature and useful seeds will have sunk to the bottom. Take these and dry them on labeled paper plates for about two weeks before placing in a cool, dry place; for instance, in a bag or tub in the freezer ready for planting next year.
I think I see why.
anyway Rox how do you do it? the same way or something similar?
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mostly my garden is full of weeds. I have become very discouraged this year. Last year was the first year for my garden. I had just turned it under and planted and ht eonly thing that survived and managed to produce was tomatoes and green beans and carrots and bell peppers, with only a couple medium sized pumpkins. I planted peas, corn, and watermelon with the above.
This year the only things that were productive was the green beans and carrots are still growing. most everything else is dieing off or barely growing. this year I also planted tomatoes, bell peppers, a new kiind of pepper "can't remember the name", peas, pumpkins.
What I have noticed is that the plants that grow reasonably well are always at the same end of the garden. The weird thing is that this is the higher end and the garden is not overly wet at all, so this leads me to believe that it is not a water issue. I do have a tree that grows over the garden that is about halfway down the garden but I even have problems above the tree as well as below. The sun is on the garden probably at least 10 hours in the area that gets the least amount of sun. I was thinking that probably is not the issue. What I have thought about trying is to fertilize the crap out of it this fall and next spring and then maintain with compost after that.
Thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.
As a side note though I have noticed that my garden produces rabbits very well. The problem there is that my wife won't let me kill the rabbits to eat and in that way my garden would be productive no matter what.
I know this is a year old thread but decided that I wanted to pass along the massive improvement this year.
I decided this year I was throwing everything but the kitchen sink at it (figuratively speaking of course).
In the fall I added alot of corn husks that came from my sister-in-laws house as well as the usual leaves and turned all that under before everything froze over. This spring I was speaking to someone that owns a green house about my problem and suspicions just for conversation (since I did not know at the time what his experiences were). While we were talking one of the things he suggested was to put mushroom mulch in with the soil to help break up the clay that is so prevalent around my house. It performed that very well plus added much needed nutrients as well, not to mention it's ability to absorb moisture and keep it. We have also had a great deal of rain this year at just the right time. Plus nearly everyday that it did not look like rain by dark,I would water the garden. On top of all that I was very particular about weeding and keeping the ground loosened up too.
Turns out that the only real downfall I had this year was the increase in rabbits yet again and this time they ate all the fresh bean plants and half the pea plants down to knubs. Oh well they left everything else alone small trade off since the bean plants have come back with a vengance. I have had bigger, better, and more veggies than I have ever had from my garden.
The only thing I think I may change next year will adding more of the mushroom mulch (advice from the guy with the greenhouse after he stopped over to look at what I have) and space some of the plants a [sarcasm]"LITTLE"[sarcasm] bit more.
Anyway here are some pics of my first successful garden.
(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm146/dkff49/100_4182.jpg)
tomatoes, peppers,onions
(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm146/dkff49/100_4183.jpg)
peas, beans, broccoli, cauliflower
(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm146/dkff49/100_4184.jpg)
cucumbers, zucchinni, cantelope, corn
(http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm146/dkff49/100_4185.jpg)
closer look at corn, pumpkins (won't be mixed with corn next year/ what a mess)
Can you tell I am a very happy person right now? My biggest problem is who to give what we can't eat to.
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Since this thread was intended to help folks who are th epowers that be see this ressurection as an wonderful opportunity to compare and contrast comments and photos from the original thread that we will not have if the thread gets locked. As gardening is an annual thing, it's really no big deal to leave the thread up so we CAN compare and contrast comments and photos of how we have learned from our mistakes both last year and this year.
I have some very importaint info to pass on in learning from mistakes from last year and this year:
1) Tomatos do NOT grow well in the large pots. I experimented with 4 different tomato varieties in large 3' high buckets and all 4 failed. The soil was perfect--they bloomed and then did nothing. When I ripped them out of the buckets to give the buckets to deserving pepper plants not enough root room was NOT the problem--there was still plenty of root room in the 3' deep bucket. I have no explination for the failure.
2) Arkansas had it's MOST wet May on record. It also had the MOST wet July in record. While most rice farmers were unaffected, most all other farmers and gardeners suffered stunted plants if not some plant loss. While my plants were in buckets, I could easily move then under the deck awning and out of the rain.
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3) Since the plants were in very large buckets--weeding was almost not even needed. I only found a couple of weeds that found their way up to the deck.
4) I experimented with other pepper plants (for hot sauce) this year with New Mexico Big Jims, Tobasocs, and Chili reds to suppliment my habenero, yellow sweet peppers, and Sweet Basil. The tobasos are over 4' tall and have more peppers on them than I can count. The New Mexico's are 4' tall and have huge red georgous peppers ripening on them. If you haven't checked the produce market lately yellow sweet peppers run from $3 to $4 each. My plants have already given me over 20 of them and there are at least 15 more ripening. I save the seeds from all varieties to dry in labeled paper bags (never plastic!) to pre-plant indoors Christmas week.
Photos to follow agter I clear of my camera that is currently full.
Good luck!
ROX
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(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Hops%208_2_2009/100_2291labels.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Hops%208_2_2009/100_2294.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Hops%208_2_2009/100_2295.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Hops%208_2_2009/100_2296.jpg)
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff107/tymekeepyr/Hops%208_2_2009/100_2298.jpg)
Much better, this year :D
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No garden for now, although I'd like to grow some peppers, squash, and tomatoes. Got a great apple tree though. Peach and plumb tree died, and something is wrong with our pear tree...
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Planted 10 beginning of June. They reached 5 ft tall. :D So many tomaters I couldn't get them all before afew started falling off.
The 2 I planted first and that produced first as well seem to be dieing. :cry Heats been horrible and rains been hit and miss.
Still think its plant time, end of the summer maybe ? I also planted cumbers and peppers. First year green thumb. Will try and read up this winter. First thing I learned though was put a fence around your garden. Damn Wabbits!
(http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/Andylesvos/stoned-rabbit-rabbits-meal.jpg)
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Planted 10 beginning of June. They reached 5 ft tall. :D So many tomaters I couldn't get them all before afew started falling off.
The 2 I planted first and that produced first as well seem to be dieing. :cry Heats been horrible and rains been hit and miss.
Still think its plant time, end of the summer maybe ? I also planted cumbers and peppers. First year green thumb. Will try and read up this winter. First thing I learned though was put a fence around your garden. Damn Wabbits!
(http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/Andylesvos/stoned-rabbit-rabbits-meal.jpg)
Nice tomaters :aok
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Nice Von! See what beer will drive a man to do. :D
Frodo
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My hat's off to von for even trying hops. It's such a specialized crop that very few know anything about growing them, much less growing different varieties. WTG!
Ivan--rabbits HATE the smell of marigolds. Planing them around the periffary of a garden will definitely keep them away. They do nothing for keeping out squirrels, however.
This year, even though it's been the wettest summer on record here, I had no slug problems--which is the bane of a wet summer for crops. My main problem has been giant caterpillars. These aren't your regular furry 1' kind--I'm talking about 4" to 7" that are the diameter of a nickel. These are NASTY little creatures that can strip the leaves of a 4' jalepeno plant in one day--killing it. So far, the only thing I can do is keep a sharp eye and eliminate them as soon as they show up. Living in a National Park does have many insects, game, and animals that most people with a garden don't have to contend with.
ROX
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I have always planted marigolds in my garden just for the purpose of keeping the rabbits out, unfortunately my rabbits liked to taunt me by eating the plants that were right nest to them. My wife even claims to have seen one eat the marigolds. I do however think it does help to plant them since this year I did not plant a single marigold and did not have one bean plant that was untounched by these destructive things and years past they only ate a few plants. The one thing I have found though is my bean plants are producing like crazy even though the rabbits ate off the first sprouts down to the ground. I most likely will be planting marigolds next year even if it is not a 100% fix it does indeed help, kind of like putting a lock on your door (it won't keep all the thieves out but the majority of them won't tempt fate).
Rox those catepillars sound as though you could make meal out of those things, though they might not be as tasty as your peppers. ;)
I also wonder if your tomato issue was the result of lack of polination. Could it be that your plants were in a place that was not very good for the bees to get to them and do their work. I too am facing the problem of flowering pumpkins but no fruit starting on the vines. I think my issue may be in part to the corn over growing the plants and possibly not making the flowers easily seen by the bees. Just tossing out ideas.
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I had the tomatoes in a single E/W row with plenty of pollination chances. Yes, I actually do live in a National park, and there are bees all over the place, and 4 different kinds. There's been lack of bees problems in some places, but NOT here. And sometimes they make regular rounds and show up the same time of day. I also have BOATLOADS of humming birds...boatloads. In fact, you name it we got it. Bears, deer, coyotes, silver and red fox, racoons galore, HUGE dragonflies, hundreds of Hawks, more birds than I can mention, bobcats, owls, black panthers (rare), and both red and gray squirrels.
I also found a black widow spider in my yard.
The peppers, however, are going CRAZY...one tobasco has 80+ ripening on it and the New Mexico's have 4 to 6 LARGE red peppers ripening each. I'll have more sweet yellow peppers than I'll know what to do with.
ROX
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I threw that out there because it was the only thing I could think of and I know of some people who put theirs in nice screened porches. These not necessarily stupid people just over looking the one thing that you don't always see going on. I even didn't think of it myself until I was takling to someone about how I have no pumpkins, lots of flowers but no pumpkins.
Just a thought but glad to here your peppers are doing well because mine won't change colors, they just stay green. I even left a few go to see if they would change and they just started to get rotten spots in them. Oh well they taste pretty darn good green too.
I can't seem to pick the tomatoes fast enough though and we definitely can't eat them fast enough either. We have actually started taking the extras to all our friends and seeing if any of them want any.
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I have a couple of raised tomato beds and a small garden with tomatoes in it also. About 60 plants all together.
We have been getting about 15 lbs of tomatoes a day for quite a while now and they are still loaded to the gills. I have 12 yellow pear tomato plants that are totally unreal. Looks like a jungle. I have made and canned a supply of tomato/pepper jelly and will make more in the next day or two. Love the stuff with sausage
The purple hull peas look like a jungle and have to be picked every two days to keep up. Lots of peas in the freezer and all the neighbors and family are happy campers.
The corn is about coming to an end, but have mountains of it put up plus all we could eat for corn on the cob and gritted cornbread. <Drooooooooool!>
The green beans are about the same as the peas. Loads and loads of them already picked and they are load now and still blooming.
My okra this year is AWESOME. Right now the plants are about 7 to 7 1/2 ft. tall and have to be picked every day. Plenty put up in the freezer and plenty has been consumed.
I have about 10 cantaloupes ripening now and have picked gobs of them from about 5 plants. It`s unreal.
All grown organic with intensive planting. It`s been an awesome garden.
Anyone else into growing veggies and such?
I quit gardening as I get most all of my veggies from neighbors lol.
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Well this year was not a real good year for blueberries at our family farm. Between the late frost and the pruning we ended up with about half of the crop that we had last year. We only were able to get around 50 gallons out of the usual 90-120 that have been produced off of the 40 bushes we have. We are adding in 40 more bushes this fall and are looking for another crop to start growing. Hops just might be the key for something new since it doesn't appear that anyone is growing them here in Alabama for anything other than home brew...and all the micro breweries are having them shipped in from out of state. We have about 40 acres that we can use and another 100 that is family land that we are looking to use for corn, purple hull peas and sugar cane.
On the small garden that my dad planted we had about 40 pea plants that are producing about a bushel a week and the same with the snap beans, tomatoes are coming out of my ears and have been for a few weeks now, cucumbers and zucchini have over run the canning, freezer and friends...okra is coming in nicely and asparagus is going to be turning out very good next year as well.
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Well this year was not a real good year for blueberries at our family farm. Between the late frost and the pruning we ended up with about half of the crop that we had last year. We only were able to get around 50 gallons out of the usual 90-120 that have been produced off of the 40 bushes we have. We are adding in 40 more bushes this fall and are looking for another crop to start growing. Hops just might be the key for something new since it doesn't appear that anyone is growing them here in Alabama for anything other than home brew...and all the micro breweries are having them shipped in from out of state. We have about 40 acres that we can use and another 100 that is family land that we are looking to use for corn, purple hull peas and sugar cane.
On the small garden that my dad planted we had about 40 pea plants that are producing about a bushel a week and the same with the snap beans, tomatoes are coming out of my ears and have been for a few weeks now, cucumbers and zucchini have over run the canning, freezer and friends...okra is coming in nicely and asparagus is going to be turning out very good next year as well.
PM me an address. I'll send you some rhizomes in the spring. :aok All of my hops were grown from a 12" rhizome (root cutting)
First year growth isn't spectacular, but the next year is nuts. It was all I could do to get my new trellis up before they took over the garden. :O
All they need is some decent soil/water and they can grow more than 12" in a day!
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I wish I had more time to grow stuff on my back yard but anyways the homeowners association forbids this so the only thing I can get away with is parsley, basil and garlic. Keeps me supplied with enough fresh spices to make my food taste real good. Im never going back to buying the store dehydrated stuff. ugh!