official veggie gardener's thread

[IceBergSLiM]

Getting ready... Hopefully, Saturday I pick up a new plow for the tractor. If so, then Sunday I'll put in the pea plants. Possibility of snow (no accumulation) today; so that kind of sucks. But, I'm looking forward to planting a lot this year. Wife and I decided that this is our outdoor year - we've already earmarked the money for a dozen blueberry bushes, some apple, peach, pear, cherry, and plum trees.

It's almost time to start seedlings, but I'm not sure if it's worth the bother. Sure, it'd save me some money, but I can get 6-packs of started plants (tomatoes) for $1 from the Amish greenhouses.

What is the best way to start from seedlings?

 

[BoomerD]

I finally got off my lazy ass on Monday and thinned my radishes...and ate the ones that I pulled. Pretty good. Still not very hot, but good flavor. Some of them have greens that are over 6" tall and the root is over an inch in diameter. Just about time to harvest part of the crop. (been planted about a month)
MOST should be done within a couple of weeks...then I'll start one more crop before the summer heat sets in and radishes won't grow.

My blueberries are looking VERY good. All the bushes are dropping blossoms and forming fruits.
I have a few strawberries that are starting to set fruit already, and I have about 6-8 peaches on my baby peach tree. Our Meyer Lemon has about 50 blossoms on it. I'll be surprised if I get more than 10-15 fruit out of those however. Last year, I had about 20 blossoms and ended up with 7 lemons. (small true dwarf tree)
Tomato plants are looking great. All plants are growing nicely and have numerous blossoms on them, and the peppers are also starting to blossom.

I'm hoping for a very good harvest this year.

 

[spidey07]

What is the best way to start from seedlings?

Best way? Window box/mini greenhouse outside. On a shelf near a window that gets plenty of sun next. You can use little peat pots or a highly peat with some vermiculite/perlite. The soil must remain moist to germinate and get warmth/light. Some even use a heating pad underneath the seed trays.

I use those small black plastic containers used in trays/flats with ProMix BX. Also looking into thinning the seedlings and "hardening off". I love me some ProMix.

The best place for materials and mentioned many times in the thread is to go to an actual garden/nursery supply shop. They will have everything you need that you won't find in big box shops and usually cheaper (like BULK FERTILIZER!).

 

[TraumaRN]

So I bit the bullet and took a chance(because of this frigid cold spring in Michigan) and planted all my Brassica, 4 Kale, Collards and black mustard greens, and 6 cabbage and 6 romanesco broccoli. The spinach seeds I planted last week is just now peeking through the soil.

The forecast this week looks promising in that we'll actually have spring like temp all week. I've got til May 8th to plant and/or transplant everything because that's when I go on vacation for a week. I have a feeling I'll cut it close especially with my pepper plants

 

[BoomerD]

I've been picking radishes for over a week now. Several different varieties. Some have a shorter growing time than others, so I get some cherry belles, some watermelons, lots of french breakfast, but only a couple of white icicle radishes each picking.

I have my first jalapeno on the plant. Not very big, just a little green nub sticking out of the dying flower blossom, but it's there...:biggrin: I can hardly wait! The Mexican jalapenos we buy at the grocery store have OK flavor, but no heat. Even the Mexican Serrano peppers are almost bland by comparison to what I grow in my garden.

 

[natto fire]

Darn dude... you are a commercial farmer?

Not really, but we take gardening pretty seriously here. I need to take some more recent photos, especially of the compost piles and raspberry field.
Some random shots

I am horrible at estimating, but I would guess we are cultivating 2-3 acres.

 

[BoomerD]

Not really, but we take gardening pretty seriously here. I need to take some more recent photos, especially of the compost piles and raspberry field.
Some random shots

I am horrible at estimating, but I would guess we are cultivating 2-3 acres.

Damn...I'd love to have that much room for gardening...and a crew to work it for me.

 

[snoopdoug1]

Anyone got a good recipe for what to do with an abundance of tomatoes and green peppers? I'm new to gardening this year, and may have gone slightly overboard with the number of plants. Have 4 of each!

For what it's worth, I'm trying out the square foot gardening technique.

 

[DesiPower]

Anyone got a good recipe for what to do with an abundance of tomatoes and green peppers? I'm new to gardening this year, and may have gone slightly overboard with the number of plants. Have 4 of each!

For what it's worth, I'm trying out the square foot gardening technique.

ketchup, salsa, local charities..

 

[BoomerD]

Anyone got a good recipe for what to do with an abundance of tomatoes and green peppers? I'm new to gardening this year, and may have gone slightly overboard with the number of plants. Have 4 of each!

For what it's worth, I'm trying out the square foot gardening technique.

What kind of "green peppers?" Do you mean green bell peppers? If so, stuffed bell peppers are nice.
If they're jalapenos or one of the other "spicy" varieties...salsa or pico de gallo.

 

[snoopdoug1]

What kind of "green peppers?" Do you mean green bell peppers? If so, stuffed bell peppers are nice.
If they're jalapenos or one of the other "spicy" varieties...salsa or pico de gallo.

yes - green bell. Might end up trying some salsa. What about homemade tomato sauce? Any good recipes?

 

[BoomerD]

Bell peppers aren't really going to do anything for salsa...you heed hot peppers for that, but as for tomato sauce, what kind do you want?
There are a bazillion GOOD recipes, but it depends on the eventual use of the sauce.
We made tomato sauce with herbs, whole tomatoes with peppers, pasta sauce, and marinara sauce last year.

http://allrecipes.com//HowTo/homemade-tomato-sauce/Detail.aspx

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,homemade_tomato_sauce,FF.html

 

[snoopdoug1]

Bell peppers aren't really going to do anything for salsa...you heed hot peppers for that, but as for tomato sauce, what kind do you want?
There are a bazillion GOOD recipes, but it depends on the eventual use of the sauce.
We made tomato sauce with herbs, whole tomatoes with peppers, pasta sauce, and marinara sauce last year.

http://allrecipes.com//HowTo/homemade-tomato-sauce/Detail.aspx

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,homemade_tomato_sauce,FF.html

Thanks Boomer. I saw those links, but was curious if you had any that you've used. I can discuss more when/if my stuff grows I'll take pics of the progress and post if anyone is interested.

 

[fatpat268]

Anyone got a good recipe for what to do with an abundance of tomatoes and green peppers? I'm new to gardening this year, and may have gone slightly overboard with the number of plants. Have 4 of each!

For what it's worth, I'm trying out the square foot gardening technique.

4 of each? That's not overboard. I have about 25 tomato plants and 15 pepper plants (of various varieties)... this is for a family of 3.

None of it will go to waste though, once it starts piling up, I'll be making salsa and canning it.

 

[HydroSqueegee]

planted lettuce, radishes and carrots today!

huzzah!

 

[BoomerD]

Bah...I have a cherry tomato in a Topsy-Turvy...or had...it's been windy as hell here today, and I went outside a while ago...to see the "top" 14-16" of the tomato hanging limp and wilted...the stalk broke in the wind. Fortunately, it was less than half the plant...but it's going to set things back a bit. There were maybe 25-30 blossoms on the part that broke off.

 

[HydroSqueegee]

i turned over last seasons carrot bed today and discovered almost 3 dozen lovely carrots that survived the winter! score!

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

I planted a random assortment of carrots, peas, and squash in Tucson the other day. How do I figure out how much and how often to water them?

 

[HydroSqueegee]

well its arizona... so everyday?

 

[Savarak]

I planted a random assortment of carrots, peas, and squash in Tucson the other day. How do I figure out how much and how often to water them?

I'm also in Tucson... the good folk at the completely awesome Mesquite Valley Growers on Speedway and Pantano told me they water twice a day every day, and it looks like they give about an inch of water worth above the soil into the containers.

I bought 6 belle pepper plants two weeks ago, for 1.95 each, and all 6 of them are already growing 1 or 2 1" peppers each already!

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

I'm also in Tucson... the good folk at the completely awesome Mesquite Valley Growers on Speedway and Pantano told me they water twice a day every day, and it looks like they give about an inch of water worth above the soil into the containers.

I bought 6 belle pepper plants two weeks ago, for 1.95 each, and all 6 of them are already growing 1 or 2 1" peppers each already!

Thanks! I will have to stop by there.

 

[snoopdoug1]

My broccoli is starting to grow the head!

 

[spidey07]

Shit. I've got a frost warning for my area. Thankfully I haven't put my maters and peppers in yet. Seedlings will be inside tonight.

Pay attention to your last frost dates folks and do not plant before then and watch the forecast.

 

[BoomerD]

Pulled the last of my radishes yesterday. They don't grow well here during the summer months...the soil gets too warm, so they grow nice greenery, but no edible roots...

So, I picked up 4 more tomato plants and one large jalapeno plant to put in the area where I had radishes.

 

[snoopdoug1]

Shit. I've got a frost warning for my area. Thankfully I haven't put my maters and peppers in yet. Seedlings will be inside tonight.

Pay attention to your last frost dates folks and do not plant before then and watch the forecast.

Frosted here too... I covered everything up, and it was all very lively last night. We'll see...

On other news - my lettuce is sprouting. Hopefully I didn't plant it too late. I'm a first timer, and really don't know what I'm doing