KALES probably the fastest growing.
Again, does anybody know if I can grow more than one plant close together?
I know thay get big ... but I just harvest the leaves right?
What do y'all think?
Shall I thin?
I m growing: Kale Vates (my favorite), Curled Kale, Lacinato Toscano Kale and Chinese kale (which taste a lot like broccoli)
Brussel Sprouts are growing slower than anything else.
Poor baby ... so small still ... but alive ...
Thanks, drthor!
Drthor, here is a really nice chart on growing kale. Looks like you can plant seeds 1 " apart and then thin (eating the thinnings) gradually until you get to a 12-18" final spacing:
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene57dc.html
Also, I found this passage elsewhere and thought it might be helpful:
Regarding spacing of kale plants:
Jeavons recommends a 15-inch spacing in deep or raised beds, though some deep-bed gardeners risk a slighly closer spacing; it is said that most kales will grow into whatever space there is, but will have larger leaves and thicker shoots as more and more room is available to them. As we say, we like large pots (c. 16 inches); if you go that route, you can use permanent pots, or just those grey "cardboard" annuals--which can last a lot longer than that--available at any garden store, putting one kale in a pot. (That works well, because you only need one or two unless you are a kale fanatic.)
Thanks LiseP
I did grew them 12" apart ... but I think I am going to space them closer, I think I am growing dwarf varieties.
I just cannot wait for the fall green harvests.
LiseP,
So, kale should do well in an eBucket, right? What does it taste like, and, do you cook it just like mustard/collard greens?
Thanks!
Linda
OMG kales are delicious.
Thay taste better than collard greens and definetly better than mustard (which I don't like .. pu pu ....)
I love the curled kales and I actually steam some, but mostly I use the small leaves for salad.
They can take the cold really well and they will produce untill next spring.
I started to grow them for my husband tortoises ... untill I tried them by mistake ... and now I grow them for me .... mmy preeecioussss
I love KALE VATES
I do two things with kale:
1. I throw pieces of it (and I too like the curly stuff the best) into any stir fry, or may layer it in lasagna as you would spinach (or I combine kale and spinach since I often have just a few leaves of each).
2. I make a crockpot concotion I got from the Flylady website. My son loves this, and we always ladle it over brown rice, and I like a sprinkle of Parmesan on top (he eats it plain).
Here's the recipe:
Crock bean soup with Kale
Serves 6
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions -- chopped
1 carrot -- chopped
3 cloves garlic -- pressed
1 bunch kale -- trimmed and sliced
1 pound dried cannellini beans - soaked overnight(or use white beans) (I use already cooked kidney beans)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 quart chicken broth or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions, carrot and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Add kale and cook till wilted, about 3 minutes.
In a crock-pot, place your soaked beans, add red pepper flakes, the contents of the skillet and cover with broth (if you need more liquid, add either more broth or water till contents are covered by 1/8").
Cook on high 8 hours or until beans are tender. Once beans are tender, add the tomato sauce and salt and pepper to taste. NOTE: my crockpot may run hot, but I cook this on low.
Updates on my seedling, after 20 days.
Broccoli (2 sets of true leaves) - growing strong
Cauliflowers
Brussel Sprouts growing really slow ... but healthy
Boc Choi growing really fast
Kales growing really fast.
I'd like to start to harden then off and plant them in a week. I am worry because the temperature outside is still over 100 F degrees !!
What do you think?
Anybody has planted kale or cole crops outside duting this hot weather?
Here are the KALES
Okay, guys. I found veggie plants at HEB for $1 each.
I bought:
1 Better Boy tomato
1 cherry tomato of some sort
2 zucchini "elite"
2 cucumber "calypso"
Would you plant these now in this heat? Or stick them in the shade and let them be for awhile?
Each is about 10" high right now.
Lise
At this point, our weatherman is predicting at least ONE day in the high 80s this week, and better rain chances for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week.
That said, I think I'd go ahead and plant the veggies out, especially if it looks like you might have some cloud cover, which will give them a chance to get established without frying. And, I'd be extra diligent after any rainstorms for MEALYBUGS which will just swoop on in if/when the humidity sets back in.
That's just my take on things, Lise!
Linda
Thanks, Linda. Not much of an investment either way, but it'll be nice to have something planted out there to wish on.
I've got shade cloth over a bed where the tomatoes can go, and maybe I can find something else to provide a little cover over the others. I'm very tempted to go pick up some more at that price.
I am not going to grow tomatoes in the fall. Done that and never had good tomatoes (compare to the spring ones).
But if you want to try you should plant them right away.
I think you are king of late for the tomatoes, but you shall try anyway and let me know.
Good luck.
drthor-thats funny my fall tomatoes are always the best ones, and much easier to care for. Considering the extended heat they may be my only ones on some of my plants, that have yet to produce. Although I have found some still green tomatoes hidden among the foliage. All along I thought that plant hadn't set fruit. I just have to remember to look for them to ripen they are buried so deep.
1lisac, that's so strange !
When is your first freeze date
Drthor,
Which one of the Roots Organic mixes did you use for your seedlings? Is it the Roots Organic 707?
Gymgirl I am using this one: http://www.texashydroponics.com/shop/product.php?productid=2930&cat=102&page=1
Thanks. How many 20 lb. bags did you end up using to start your seeds in?
Maybe 1 and a half bag.
I did start 228 4" pots.
This stuff works like magic. I don't do any fertilizing untill I plant the seedlings outside.
Just water.
228 4" pots from 30 lbs. of Roots Organic? Not bad...
drthor-I really don't know when our first freeze date is supposed to be. I have moved much of my garden closer to the house and it is more protected then the main area that I use down in the back, that area will get a frost earlier(it is lower) then by the house. For some reason I'm more willing to go out of my way to protect (cover the plants) in the fall. Probably because they are loaded with tomatoes and the frost/freeze may only last a night or two. Also if there is an unexpected temp.drop the plants may get burned but they won't die like in the spring. I usually harvest vine ripened tomatoes until Dec. When/if it gets cold this winter and I start complaining please remind me what a terrible summer we had : )
This message was edited Aug 30, 2011 7:39 AM
ok, I think you might be a little warmer than here.
our first freze date is mid November.
Thanks for all the discussion. My spring tomatoes were a little disappointing so I guess I'm game to give it another go in the fall.
I'm very glad to hear more about the Roots Organic. Sounds like great stuff. I only wish it weren't a 25 mile drive from me, but at least it is available here in San Antonio.
After we got back from our vacation this past week, I had started some seeds but some suffered from damping off. So then I sterilized my home-made seed starter mix (duh!) and have begun again, but I'm guessing my mix isn't as good as the Roots Organic.
I am no expert ... but I never had any dumping off with the Root Organic medium ... really !!
The only problem is that the seedlings grow really fast ... so I need to time myself not too early.
Today I am hardening off outside KALE, PAC CHOI and BOK CHOI. The plants are growing really fast, and if the weather forecast are right finally next week will be below 100 F.
My window to plant LEAF crop will be SUNDAY, untill 12pm (following Maria's Moon calendar)
Drthor do you grow Swiss Chard? Or for that matter, does anybody?
I keep trying. I plant several, seems like two survive and of those, only one really takes off. So, I get just enough to make me want more! LOL. I'm trying again.
drthor-I got wondering about what the "official" first frost date of fall is around here. Its Nov 11th, we are usually colder then your area, which seems strange because you are north of here, but we are at the foot of the Hill Country. I'm more motivated to keep the plants protected during the Fall something about seeing all those tomatoes waiting to ripen gets me to cover them. I only make the effort if the low temps are only 1 or 2 days and if they arent too low. Last year the plants started to decline so I picked all the green tomatoes and let them ripen in the house, but up until then we had some great tomatoes.
LiseP-Do you start your SC in the ground or in pots? When you say "I'm trying again." are you trying to start them right now? I have a bunch to start and have had terrible germination, Im chalking it up to the heat, at this point Im blaming everything on the heat. LOL
1lisac,
yes I grow Swiss Chard all year around. Infact it is a miracle crop and it can take our 100 degrees and the cold weather.
I was just out in the garden and decided to harvest tomorrow my Swiss Chard ... I love it !!
I did seed some a few days ago and it is germinating already.
It is a "piece of cake" crop ....
What do you do to seed it? Do you direct seed, germinate inside or what? Ive alway thought it was so easy. I want to just stick the presoaked seeds in the 3" pots and be done with it. Once it germinates it grows fast but this year its not doing what I expected.
I grew SC last fall, and it did wonderfully well. Too bad I haven't quite developed a taste for it, or figured out how best to cook it. I'm sure that once I do, I'll appreciate it just like the mustards and collards, and other greens that I love.
I also discovered that the Rainbow SC I grew enjoyed the cooler/cold temps and wilted tremendously in the heat. I grew mine in a pot in dappled, bright light (but no direct sun). Soon as the sun got too hot, it would faint. It swooned in temps above 75 degrees. It outright bolted in the mid-springtime when temps rose above 80-75 degrees...
This message was edited Sep 28, 2011 9:21 AM
You can soak the seeds a little bit and after plant them.
Gymgirl is right: the red and the yellow Swiss Chard is not as hardy and long-lived like the white steam one.
My favorite all year around has been FORD HOOK Swiss Chard. Huge leaves and big white stalks.
I have lots of pictures of huge basket of Swiss Chard on my external hardrive ... which now it is at the computer doctor ... so you just shall trust my words for it.
Now I am hungry for Swiss Chard ... I have a guest next week and I want to save it for her ... or maybe not ... my preciousssss
How do ya'll cook the white SC? Maybe a good recipe will convince me I need to try again...
I steam the green part of the leaf for 6 minutes and the middle white part for 30 minutes.
Let it cool down and add salt, pepper, olive oil and white wine vinegar ... yummy
I am lapping up all this info.
Lisac, yes, I have some in starter seed trays in the shade and about half came up and they all look pretty sad. It could be the heat, but I also had some damping off.
I think I'm going to pour out a bag of potting soil in the corner of my yard in dappled light (mixed with some perlite and peat and compost), stick some seeds in and see if that works any better.
I like the looks of Rainbow but I have some Luculus seeds (white) as well, so I'll try some of each.
Don't know if this will help, but, after I sow my seeds and they pop, the very next time I water is with 1 capful of Hydrogen Peroxide added per gallon of water. The 2nd time I water after they germinate, I add 2 capfuls of H2O2 per gallon of water. I bottom water all my seedling trays.
Remember, I sowed 212 tomato and 65 bell pepper seeds in January this year. All the seeds germinated, and not one instance of damping off.
I currently have over 150 cole crop seedlings going, and not one instance of damping off...I sterilized my potting mix in the microwave. It was the same potting mix I used in January for the tomatoes and bell pepper seeds...
This message was edited Aug 31, 2011 9:42 AM
