What veggies/fruit loves sweltering Tennessee Summers and..

PLEASE get back on topic or let me know when I can read these thread without wanting to run to the bathroom!

I did check my beets today and found a small cutworm enjoying them. New dirt in a raised bed. Not as many plants as yesterday. May try again, as the temps look good but may wait until next season.

tee hee hee!!!

Ok. ok.

Lisa,

We're sorry. We've been absolutely offal, LOLOL!

Dunno, i am really fond of my raw veggies, cabbages dont like me, kale tastes like cabbage, edible tho. Tennessee - so much chert, still they love their collards, melons and squashes and sweet taters!

Good one, Gymgirl. Dad loved brains and eggs. Oops, back to Tennessee. Oh wait, that's where I am. :) Well, back to veggies that tolerate our hot and humid summers. Looks like we've covered quite a few of those. And a little shade works when necessary.

You all went side tracked! LOL!!!@


Hi Linda!!. I am on vacation in Florida. It is kind of chilly here but we are on the beach everyday but not for hours.

Back to tripes.!!! It is tough like rubber so it has to boiled till tender and thinly sliced. They are not cheap!!!
Recipe for marinade:
Cider vinegar, ginger, sweet onions, salt & pepper to taste hot pepper to taste. 1/4 tsp of brown sugar. low sodium soy sauce.

Measurements is up to you depending on how much tripe you have. use vinegar sparingly

Back to the thread.

I use swiss chard green or red in soups. I had them in Portugal on a vacation and was able to copy the recipe.

Happy gardening!!!

Belle

All I have to say is...I'm glad I've already eaten breakfast (cereal, for the record)! Back to topic: This year I'm growing a variety of peppers. The California Peppers are doing great, even in this lousy weather, but the Hot and Spicy Bananas look puny. The only problem I've had with peppers is that they don't size up like I'd like. It's high humidity and hot here (well, later in the Summer), but my peppers tend to come in small.

Oh! Here's another hot weather lover: eggplant. That's another one of those love 'em or hate 'em veggies.

Hmmm... maybe it's this year's weird back and forth weather? This is a shot of some of my hot banana peppers last year. They are container-grown and do get a little shade from the house.

Good looking large peppers, Cville_Gardener. I watched a Youtube video that said Magnesium Sulfate (think that's right) is the key to growing bigger peppers. Apparently you can buy the stuff at garden supply centers or bury match heads under your plants. Matches I have. Might bury a couple to see if it helps. I'd love to have peppers like yours!

Thanks. I just grow mine in good soil/compost, maybe some worm castings added now and then.

Just thought I'd throw this in for good measure. :)
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/06/health/chard-stem-pickles.html?hpw&_r=0

Magnesium Sulfate is Epsom Salts you can get it at the pharmacy or grocery store.

Epsom Salts I already have. I'll dig a few holes close to some peppers and see if it works. Thanks!

I use a lot of epsom salt. I just add it to my diluted miracle grow.

Belle

Do you use epsom salts during the entire growing season or just when the plants start to bloom?

Hmmm, gotta put that on the shopping list. Epsom salts.

I use ES when ever I remember lol I put about 1 tablespoon per gallon of water or fertilizer. I pour it on the plants and the soil. Just don't use it in the direct sun or in the heat of the day.

I'm going to try putting epsom salts in water. I expect results would be almost immediate? On a side note, I sure can't wait for some juicy homegrown tomatoes. I went to the Farmer's Market yesterday and bought some greenhouse grown tomatoes. Better than store bought, but not by much. Oh how I do love me some tasty mayonnaise covered homegrown tomato sandwiches! Yum, yum, YUM!

Oh, the joy of tomatoes! Red meaty slices with basil, olive oil, ume plum vinegar and goat cheese. Or plain with salt. or no salt, BLT's are big on my list. I am also liking yellow tomatoes lately. Some day I will have a homegrown tomato in the first week of June.

You mean like this one, picked from my garden two days ago, that's ripening on my desk?

LOL!

I am sooooooooooooo glad I planted my tomatoes in the middle of winter!!!

I'll be sure to let you know how it tastes!

LOL!

Fresh tomatoes already? I'm jealous!

What is the name of your tomatoe Gymgirl. Mine looks like that but is still green. I plan to pick it asap, & let it ripen on my table.

GG, I'm just curious but how many days have they been in the ground and when did you start them? I know this year is not an average year do to the crazy temps. I've had a few plants in the ground since the beginning of April and they are just starting to bloom and there are a couple tomato buttons. But this is the longest ive ever waited for flowers.

Linda,
Looks good!!!

Had you seen Gymgirls set up when she starts her veggie's from seeds?

Belle

Ok, ya'll,
It took me a minute to review my 2013 Spring/Summer timeline to answer your questions re: the MULE TEAM tomato in the picture.

12/31/12: Sowed seeds for 24 bell peppers and 84 tomato plants:

01/06/13: Five out of nine trays have popped and are under lights, right on schedule, six days from sowing...

01/09/13: 72 total tomato seedlings under fluorescent lights.

01/17/13: My tomatoes under lights have taken off, and are too tall for the 4" pots anymore. They are also telling me that they are about to be ready to EAT! The stems are long (but not leggy), so, looks like I'm gonna have to pot them deep into the tall drinking water bottles from this weekend until hardening off on February 9th. That's only 4 more weeks before plant out on February 16th. I'm actually ON SCHEDULE for a change! Life does get better!

01/29/13: Batch #1 of the Tomato seedlings have gone outside for hardening off Target planting date is weekend of 02/16/13, depending on 1) the weather and 2) when I can get them in, schedule-wise...

01/29/13: NOTES ON 100% ROOTS ORGANIC SEED STARTER MIX EXPERIMENT. The remaining seedlings that are still inside under lights have taken off like a bullet, and are looking more and more like those in drthor's pictures. These are the ones I planted in 100% fresh Roots Organic Potting Soil (vs. the others that were planted in 50% RO and 50% old, refreshed potting mix). Took them awhile to kick in, but they finally sucked up the steroids, and are now growing like they are ON steroids. Totally beautiful!

02/23/13: I managed to get seven tomato plants (MULE TEAM) in after mixing up a topper of topsoil, MG garden soil and Microlife. Put the hoop up and covered it with the perforated plastic sheeting. We're going to the high 30s all next week, so, I'll break out sheets and the frost blanket. Glad to finally have the contingencies in place!

03/04/13: I remembered that I hadn't mixed any Dolomitic Lime into the planting bed, so, I sprinkled a handful of EP and a handful of lime over the root balls of each plant and watered it in. Hopefully the mix sank far enough down to the root balls. REMEMBER TO ADD LIME!!!!

04/01/13 WEEKEND UPDATE: The tomatoes have "greened up", and are starting to crank out marbles!

04/10/13. I was securing the tomato plants to the stakes this morning, due to expected high winds. I spied at least three tangerine-sized tomatoes hiding underneath the leaves -- Mule Team.

04/18/13 GARDEN UPDATE: I have tomatoes on all the vines, and most are cherry tomato or tangerine size. Most are Mule Team in RB #3. Two Kimberly Cherry varieties planted in one EB and one pot are also marbling.

One MULE TEAM looked like it was blushing on the underside, and no sign of BER on any tomatoes, PRAISE GOD! First time no BER!!!

I'll have to remember that I forgot to mix the Dolomite into the new soil when I topped the beds. I made "wells" in the soil over the roots of each plant, sprinkled the Dolomite in each well and watered it in from the top. It looked like milky cream in a pool, but, it soaked into the soil right over where the root balls were...I might do another application of Dolomite lime this weekend, just to be sure...

(Note: did not do second application of Dolomite, however, I noticed some changes on the ends of one or two new tomatoes coming out as of 5/10/13). May be time for a second application after all...

04/24 & 4/25/13
•Have to spray the tomatoes for little green worms
•The MULE TEAM tomatoes are about full tangerine size, in clusters of 5-6 tomatoes.
•I've NEVER had this many tomatoes, this early in my season!

05/02/13 GARDEN UPDATE
•My Mule Team tomatoes are bigger than tangerines, and there're plenty of them!
•But, I have encountered tomato worms and Leaf Footed Stinkbugs!
•I sprayed Bt Friday evening for the worms, and we had a gully washer Saturday...
•I sprayed Bt yesterday evening for the worms, and this morning we had a gully washer..
•(NOTE: Bt was applied twice with the sprayer, & washed off by rain, but the worms are under control 15 days later, except for a rogue I need to find - keeps chewing holes!!!).

05/06/13
•I checked this morning, and one of the tomatoes in the cluster is a full tennis ball size, and rusty red on the entire bottom half! And today is only May 6th!
•The worms are under control, the vines are full, and setting new blossoms everywhere!
This is the best season ever!

05/07/13 Garden Update: Snapped this morning!
#1 FIRST real tomato of the season - Mule Team!
#2 Kimberly Cherry Tomato cluster (I picked three ripes ones Saturday!)
#3 VERY, VERY, VERY late transplanted cabbage in Earthbox. Shouldn't even be alive...
#4 Bell Peppers under Tulle
#5 Mule Team Cluster

And, there you have it! My 2013 Spring/Summer Tomato Timeline!

Hugs!

Gymgirl........HUMPH! ....... that is a nice tomato. I wish it was mine.

You are the gardener I hope to be.

Thank you Linda!!!

Can you imagine how organize and patient this lady is.!!!!

Who among you can do this?

Not me.LOL!!!

Belle

LOL, if you saw my house right now, you'd know how schizophrenic my life is!

Ya'll FORCED me to do what I needed to do anyways -- document the season!

Thanks for the push, you guys!

P.S. Anyone can do this. All I did was review the thread and pull out from what I previously posted. Cut and paste onto a Word document, then paste here.

However. It is MUCH easier to document as you go. Those threads go waaaay back! LOL!

Linda,
Are you planting any okra this year?

DH planted some but i think he planted them so early.

You are an inspiration to gardeners and sharing your experience is very helpful!! Such a patient lady, I think you are a retired teacher with lots of patience!!!

Happy gardening!!!

Belle

Oh boy, OKRA! I just put my seeds in. I start a few inside and some out in the garden. I just want to cover the bases and be sure it grows. It was absolutely rampant last year, and I was so happy. The year before i really had sad little plants, and almost fell off my chair when I got a total of 10 pods. Raised beds have really made a difference.

Belle,
You are so kind. But I am the thankful one! Everything I know I learned on this website from growers here.

I'm a teacher by God's grace alone. I'm not a professional! But, things I am passionate about spark a powerful fire in me, and I want to share that passion with others who are "smoldering!" Then comes the blaze!

I plan on growing okra, and have been content to exercise patience until this weather stabilizes. I'm surveying the garden now, studying the sun patterns, and determining what I can plant next, and where. I'm still learning about sun and yield.

I've got flats of seedlings inside, way overdue for translating. They'll start hardening off in a minute. And, my tree trimmed might open up a bit more sun for me next week, so, opportunity abounds!

Hugs.

Linda

Gymgirl,
May I suggest trying grilled asparagus. I have turned many 'asparagus haters' around with it.
A soy sauce sesame oil mixture (roughly 2 to 1 ratio) + some garlic, lemon juice, sesame seeds and pepper works great! (Or if you want to spice it up, mix in some Cajun spices and make a southern/Asian fusion mix, which is stunning if you can get the flavors to balance right)

As for TN, peppers should be happy here, but I had the hardest time getting my Trinidad scorpion plant to produce any peppers. I got 1 that I got to eat off it, and another two that were partially eaten I think by my behemoth of a dog. Any suggestions for next year on pepper plant growing? The flavors of the scorpion were amazing, and I desperately want more of them (it had a citrus flavor to it, unlike the ghost chili which is more of a fruity flavor)