Veggie plans for 2014

I just saw Pinetree Seeds has Fortex. I've grown bush beans several years now and they just keep producing. I've read they stop after about 4wks but that's not been my experience.

We enjoyed Blue Lake. I also had great production of green beans & dried beans from Rattlesnake. My DH didn't like the latter, though I think it might have been the coloration rather than the flavor. This year I'm trying Emerite.

I have already ordered Eggplants plants, tomato plants and pepper plants to be shipped late April.

Eggplants-
Fairy Tale
Millionaire
Casper
Ophelia

Peppers-
Felicity
Jimmy Nardello

My tomato list so far is one plant each of-
Pork Chop
Black & Brown Boar
Blue Gold
Solar Flare
Blue Beauty
Sweet Carneros Pink
AAA Sweet Solano
Berkeley Tie Dye
SteakHouse Hybrid
Porterhouse Hybrid
Razzle Dazzle
Beaverlodge slicer
Beaverlodge plum
Glacier
Oregon Spring
Cuore Di Bue
Momotaro
Japanese Black Trifle
Pink Berkley Tie Dye
Grandma's Pick
Zebra Cherry

Can't wait!

What company are you using to order your plants? Nice list! I am not familiar with the Ophelia eggplant. Did you grow some of these tomatoes last year? I love the Porkchop. Momotaro is one of two hybrids I always grow because it is always so dependable. Having just said that I am deviating from my norm this summer and dropping it because I have too many new ones and other old timers I also hate to give up. Will be interested to hear how your different varieties turn out. You certainly had a banner year in 2013. It was a pleasure to follow your threads!!

Hi all :)
Wow what a great variety of veggies mentioned already! I saw you girls in TX have already started your tomatoes!? I'm an hour west of Fort Worth, and wasn't planning on starting mine til February.. Should I be starting mine now??

First batch of tomato plants ordered from Wild Boar Farms. I really am excited about these!

http://www.wildboarfarms.com/

Then I Ordered three tomatoes and Fairey Tale eggplant from Burpee.

The rest of my plants ordered from Teritorial Seed.

The only thing on the entire list I have grown before was the Fairy Tale Eggplant. Those were my favorite eggplants from last year. Momotaro tomato I ordered because so many here at Daves seem to grow it and like it so I have to try also. Same with Millionaire and Casper eggplants. Folks here loved them. Ophelia just sounded good to me so I want to try it.

I have been thinking of getting all kinds of new to me tomato varieties for some years and this year I was just organised and decided to do it. I am hoping for a fabulous tomato year.

Becky, I'm in Ft Worth and now is the time to start them inside!

Stephanie, you're a doll.. Will do :)

I started mine this past Tuesday and saw a few "necks" poking out this morning! I should have seedlings soon! I need to plant my peppers and tomatillos, too.

Rita,
I didn't realize that Wild Boar Farms sold plants as well! I have planted some of their seeds and like their Tie Dye series. I will be growing the Berkeley Tie Dye Heart this year because it was my favorite of the Tie Dyes from 2010 plantings. I think you will be very pleased with your Wild Boar selections.
Yes, Millionaire and Caspar are also great varieties.
I ordered tomato plants from Burpee several years ago and they sent awesome plants. I hope you have the same good luck with them. More recent reviews have not been as favorable so I wish you good luck.
In the future a really good site you might want to check out for tomato plants is Tomato Girl (Tomato Baby) http://www.tomatobabycompany.com Check them out on Garden watchdog http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/6698/
Alana is a joy to work with. They are not taking orders for 2014 yet. But she has wonderful varieties and is always generous with extras. She really takes time to work with customers.
I will start all my tomatoes from seed. Still waiting on one last package of seeds from Fedco.

StillplaysWdirt,

Get those babies in the dirt, fast. I've learned that one of the primary contributors to poor tomato harvests in this area is planting out too late.

Last season (for the first time), I planted my tomato seedlings out February 23rd (I was a week behind schedule, too). It was still winter, and we had a couple cold nights down to the 30s. But, my hoops covered with perforated plastic, some old bedsheets, and a space heater were all at the ready as frost contingencies. Didn't have to use the heater.

I was harvesting huge tomatoes from mid-May through mid-July. Best crop I ever had!

This year, I sowed tomato seeds on Tuesday, December 31st. They were up on Saturday January 11th, just a bit behind schedule. They'll be hardened off the week of February 9th, at 6 weeks, for transplanting on February 15th, under covered hoops.

I'm growing Sweet Ozark Oranges and a NOID from seeds I saved last season. I'm praying the seeds are from the "Beauty" tomato.

Linda

Woohoo! I have seedlings! These Pantano Romanesco seeds are left from last year. Sowed them 1/7 and they popped out this morning. Now if the others would just start sprouting, I'd be a happy camper.

Congrats, Steph!

All my tomato seedlings have germinated.
As usual I have more than I need and soon I need to thin them .... ooohhh
Following M. Thun's 2014 biodynamic calendar, my ideal transplant out date should be:
February 24 and 25th
or my latest date March 4-5-6th
I also I have a change on February 16th ... it will depends on the 10 days forecasts and on how fast my transplants will grow.
This will be my 6th year of growing tomatoes.
After recording 5 years of average temperatures, I found out that here there is always a warm front when I transplant our my tomatoes. Maybe for 2 weeks, then it gets really cold.
In these 2 weeks of great weather the tomato plants adjust to the outside weather and they start to grow well and when the cold arrive (which it always does first or second week of March) the plants are very strong and they survived (off course under protections).
Normally the first weeks in March is when the tomato transplants are available from our nurseries. People plant them and 2 days later the cold front come and they lose their plants.

Last year it was very hard. It was cold until April.I cannot tell you how many times I went outside to cover and uncover those plants. It was a true love !! I hope this year will be better.

The season after the coldest weather during the Dallas Superbowl was the best veggie garden season ever. I think the cold killed a lot of the bad bugs.
This year I recorder the coldest season ever since I move here: down to 17F.
So I am expecting a great vegetable season again.

ps. The calendar I posted is on Eastern Time

I definitely have appreciated the possibility that the freeze has killed off some of the buggies. Last season was miserable because of the mild winter of 2012.

So many bugs were populating all over the place. Worst infestation of tiny green wormies I've ever seen!

Gymgirl, yes this my first year starting tomatoes indoors and I am so glad I stumbled upon this thread! I did germinate some solely as an experiment to test my fermentation technique, and was surprised just how easy they are. Worried that I'll kill them once they sprout though.. I need to spend some time in the tomatoes forums I suppose. I like your idea of having them in the ground early and protecting them through the last few freezes to get a jump on the hot weather.. Seems common sense, yet most people I know buy in April, May, but here you are already harvesting!! Guess who's advice I'll be following now? Lol

Drthor, you're right.. this is the coldest winter I've ever seen here. Hope the cold knows when to quit this year, I've already had enough furry boot weather! But if it kills all these grasshopper eggs, I'll take it as long as I need to!! Those little $&@!s were my biggest challenge last year!

Becky, I seldom visit the tomato forum here. Most of the growing from seed tutorials and such that I've used have been in this forum. Last year's threads were very long and very helpful.

I use a fluorescent light set up. I got the lights free off of Freecycle, so just had the expense of the bulbs, one "cool" and one "hot" in each light fixture. I use yogurt cups to start my seeds in and a homemade seed starting mix from organic potting soil, compost, green sand, lava sand, and earthworm castings. I don't use a heating mat, but I wish I had one. We have an older electric heater that we plug in under the shelves that provides heat. It's not a pretty set up, but it works!

LOL,

"It's not a pretty set up, but it works!"

Oh, the set-up stories we could tell....I recently constructed a pvc light kit for $12-$15 (depending on how much your couplers cost). I just suspended two fluorescent shop lights side x side. I screwed the two lights onto a lightweight sheet of plyboard and suspended the plyboard from the pvc frame. It sits on my breakfast nook table, and is quite portable! I love it.

I also accidentally morphed that light kit frame into portable tabletop hoops. You can sit trays underneath and cover them with greenhouse plastic, a sheet, or some tulle!

Best part is, everything breaks down at the end of the season for EZ storage.

Don't have my USB cable, so I can't post pics until later.

Linda, we've been through several light set ups over the years, haven't we? Lots of trial and error until you find something that works. I think that's half the "joy" of gardening.

Linda,

Would love to see a picture when you are able of the pvc light kit. I have been watching some do-it-yourself U-Tube presentations to get ideas and making my own sketches. Mine will have to be 48" because that is the length of the lights I already have! I have a wonderful set-up on a balcony porch but it is too cold there until April and I need something temporary and portable (i.e. breakdown able (is that a word?) to use indoors. How long is yours (24' , 48"?). What thickness pvc did you use?

Stephanie, that's good I know, I'll go back and read up on some of those old threads. I have a 4 shelf setup with lights on 2 levels.. Been using it to nurse along some tropical seedlings and some overwintering pepper plants. I guess I can devote the other 2 shelves to tomatoes once they sprout. I've been using 48 inch fluorescent grow lights I found at walmart for ten bucks a pop. Would like to find some heat mats too, I ended up using my personal heating pad for some propagating last summer and would rather not have to borrow it again lol!

I think most of us have gardening areas that we wish looked prettier, but as long as it works, I'll take it!! My ugliest area right now is my outdoor overhead storage cabinet.. Can't even open it without being attacked by the gazillion milk jugs I'm saving for winter sowing. Thank goodness it's about time to start..

Hmph. I killed three of these day before yesterday- they seem to be drawn to my truck, and they were monsters! That was Houston after the rains. Of course today Green Bay looks like this.

"Shut the front door!" Are those shield bugs? Nasty lil' boogers!

Gardadore,
I grabbed the wrong cable this morning. Still can't post pics.

But, the prototype for the pvc light kit came from mhpgardener on YouTube. I built the frame just like his. But, he paid $60 for his 4-bulb fluorescent light kit, and I already had SIXTEEN 2-bulb shop lights. I searched further on YouTube and saw a guy affixing the shop lights to the plyboard, side x side. So, that's what I did, and hung that rig instead of spending $$ I didn't need to spend.

Here's mhpgardener's YouTube video of his light stand. It accommodates a 48" light kit. And, he's right -- the frame is so lightweight a 5-yr-old can carry it around (without the lights)
Start watching at 4:48:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAYpn2Md9eA&list=PLCxrB0SIHkCXRG1u737Kzj9Ixyy7nL3bZ&index=4

Here's the Light Kit video (this guy talks too much, but, bear with him...)
Watch from 3:38 to 12:35.

He affixed three kits -- I only affixed two because I wanted a narrower setup. Also, I used 3/4" plywood on my first kit, and it's kinda heavy. I used a much lighter sheet of wood for the second kit. As long as the lights are side x side and evenly spaced, the thickness of the board doesn't matter as long as it's strong enough to hold the lights...My lights are 48" long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAKP9yaZksY&list=PLCxrB0SIHkCXRG1u737Kzj9Ixyy7nL3bZ

The portable greenhouses I accidentally made came from mhpgardener's grow light frame, and ldsprepper's mini greenhouse video. All I did was make a square pvc base like mhpgardener's light kit. But, I didn't construct the center hanging support. I used four (4) "T" couplers along the long sides of the square base. Then, I installed ldsprepper's mini greenhouse A-Frames right into the couplers.

Voila! A portable mini greenhouse!

Ok, where there's a will, there's a way! PICTURES!

This message was edited Jan 14, 2014 10:55 AM

The PVC Light Stand I made. Notice how thick the plyboard is. I recommend using a lighter weight piece of wood to affix the lights to. Anything substantial enough to hold the lights on.

If you zoom in on the PVC light stand in my last post, you can see the "T" coupler that the center support goes into. I simply split the two 24" side pieces (in the base) into four pieces and joined them with "T" couplers. Then, I slipped in the mini greenhouse frames I made.

Here is ldsprepper's YouTube video on how to make the mini greenhouse frames. All you need is a heat gun (a blow dryer will NOT work...) and a piece of plyboard and some nails to make your jig. I followed his instructions exactly, and the whole process was EZ PZ!

Plus, nothing is glued together so the whole thing can be broken down for storage. My next project is to make some 30" long x 10" wide storage pouches with a fold over flap and a snap, or a drawstring.

Any seamstresses out there, LMK, LOL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7uis53iRmk&list=PLCxrB0SIHkCWhzg93bgaFyydxzdoAmvzZ&index=14


This message was edited Jan 14, 2014 11:16 AM

Yeah, shield bugs. and he was the smallest. Dont think it stayed cold long enough to kill em. Be warned they are crawlin back up for the heat even now.

Test.

Kitt those are some funky bugs! I do think some of the bugs in Texas look like they haven't changed since the days of dinosaurs. Every once in a while I see these beetle looking fellas with what looks like a machine gear on their back. Like a robo-bug! Lol

Gymgirl - I love how simple yet effective that PVC light setup is.. Thanks for sharing it!! I might do something like that for my very top shelf where I can put my taller plants that won't fit on the other 18 inch high shelves below. Do you enclose the sides of your hoops when it freezes? I like that setup also. It would def work for my raised beds, especially if I plan on getting some veggies in before my avg last frost date! What type of plastic sheeting do you use to cover the frame? I am on a major budget.. Like a '3 kids and one income' budget! Lol

Protect those assasin bugs- the one with a gear on it- GOOOD GOOOOD BUG! Umm Home Depot has in the paint dept 5mil opaque plastic sheeting 10'x25' and up. I have some of that but dont use it since where I am the plants would cook if we dont uncover. Sometimes I wrap a 3' circle around the plant and then lay a board across the top for single plants- heat can escape that way.

StillPlaysWDirt,
Glad this helps! I do know about garden (and lifestyle) budgets, too! And, I don't even HAVE three children, LOL!!!

Do you enclose the sides of your hoops when it freezes?
Yes! The plastic sheeting on RB #1 covers the entire hoop with lots of overhang all the way around. We had two hard freezes last week, and I simply let it down. However, I was sick, and couldn't stay out long. Otherwise, I would have removed that sheeting, draped some bed sheets over the hoop first, then, replaced the plastic sheeting. Any leaves that touch the plastic in a freeze situation can get burned. Fortunately, my plants were tucked in enough they weren't harmed. Also, it is important to water the plants well before a freeze, leaves and soil. I've learned (Kitt, correct me here...) that plants succumb more from dehydration than cold in a freeze event. They draw the water up into their tissues as their protection. No water to draw up, and they're usually mush...My third line of defense in an extreme freeze event (below 30° for several days) would be to shove a space heater or some old fashioned Christmas bulbs (not LEDs) under the hoop...

What type of plastic sheeting do you use to cover the frame?
I bought the roll that Kitt described, from HD. Mine is 4 mil contractor's sheeting. If you look at the side x side hoops in the pics above, you can see the sheeting on RB #1 (left) is more opaque than RB #2. I rescued that large piece on RB #2 from a trash basket at the HD store. It is more clear than the contractor sheeting. I don't get full-on sun in my yard, so the clearer the sheeting, the better for my situation. I'm about to order some from a distributor for $.10/square foot. I, too, am on a major budget..LOL! But, I can get enough crystal clear sheeting to last me the next 4 years or so. . If there's one thing I've learned about veggie gardening, it's that the plants can withstand the cold far, far better than they can take the wind whipping them all over the place. I'll have various covers on the hoops probably year round: plastic & sheets for winter, shade cloth for scorching sun, Agribon for light winter.

For budgeting, I would suggest locating some other gardener's in your area and forming a shopping coop. Ya'll could order one time and split the shipping cost, which is the usual "deal breaker..."

Here's the link:
http://www.agriculturesolutions.com/products/greenhouse-supplies/sun-selector-greenhouse-plastic/sun-selector-uva-clear-greenhouse-film-4-year-6mil-per-sq-ft-detail

P.S. Listen to Kitt on those Assassin and Gear bugs. My assassin bugs are one of the best weapons in my garden pest arsenal!

Kitt,
I can't wait to catch up with you at our next RU!

Linda

This message was edited Jan 14, 2014 4:52 PM

Thanks, Linda, for the info and links. This should keep me busy with planning for a while and out of trouble! I have never made anything using PVC pipe so it will be a new experience. I just hope I can get the measurements right so things line-up and hook together properly!!

Jessica

Jessica,
It's a piece 'a cake, really.

Just buy yourself a pair of those racheting PVC pipe cutters at Home Depot, and get your 10' lengths of PVC tubing.

I'll review my instructions and post a materials and cut list for:
► the PVC pipe, and
► the PVC couplers and connectors

Linda

Ok. I'll just put together a tutorial on how to make one, and post it here by the weekend.

Linda

What size tubing do you recommend? 1" or 1 1/4" or 1 1/2". I think the one U-Tube video I saw several weeks ago used a mix of these but I am not sure. I love your set-up for the hoops! I'll have to deal with this in March as I will be away until then but I enjoy spending down time "designing" projects!

Gardadore,

"I love your set-up for the hoops!"

Just so we're on the same page, let's call them:
►Hoops (the large PVC pipes bent over my raised beds)
►Mini greenhouse (the smallest hoop with the PVC A-Frames)
►PVC Light Stand

So, you love the large ones over the raised beds, yes? No?

LOL!

P.S. If you buy your PVC cutter and take it with you, you could buy your 10' PVC pipe wherever you are and cut the tubes in your down time. Pack 'em in your suitcase. Great floor for the shoes, LOL!

I like all of your projects - very creative!! The first order of business for me is the PVC Light Stand, then I will work on the Mini Greenhouse, then the large pipes over the raised beds!! Still need to know the size of the pipes (not the length - I know that is 10 feet!). Think I'll stick to the designing in the down time. Doubt DH would appreciate me dragging 10 ft pipes onto ships and into hotel rooms to cut down!! Problem of weight on airplanes as well!! Have to pack the cutter in sent luggage! Don't need to be picked up for carrying a deadly weapon! Also his idea of an excursion or tour is not HD (Walmart maybe in a pinch!)!! LOL!!

LOL! Ok, we'll wait for after the trip.

Although, you'd be the only one on board with a personal emergency raft, LOL!

You'll need 1" Schedule 40 PVC pipe (the thick-walled, more rigid).

POST EDIT NOTE:
Actually, after I broke my frame down for your cut list below, I found that I had used Schedule 200 pipe (the thin-walled) for the square bottom base. I used the rigid Schedule 40 (thick-walled) for all the vertical uprights, to support the weight of the light kits.

If you go 100% Schedule 40, the entire frame will be considerably heavier. I didn't see the need for the thick base pieces. If you detect sagging in any of the top horizontals, just replace those pieces with Schedule 40 PVC, but, so far, my frame hasn't shown any sagging, even with the 3/4" plywood.

This message was edited Jan 16, 2014 9:10 AM

This message was edited Jan 16, 2014 9:13 AM

Thanks! I like the personal raft idea!

Gardadore,
Here's your materials and cut list!

1" Sch 40 PVC Pipe
6 pcs @ 24"
4 pcs @ 20"
6 pcs @ 5"

1" PVC Couplers:
Eight (8) 90º elbows
Four (4) Tees
One (1) 4-way Cross

Hardware
Four (4) Eye Bolts w/Nuts
Four (4) "S" Hooks
18" length of Jack Chain

Fluorescent Light Kit / Shop Lights
I use regular T12 shop light kits. Two mounted side x side gives me four suspended light bulbs. My plants do fine.

NOTE: You can make your frame any height and any width. Mine is 19" high, to fit a certain space. The original design uses a height of 20".

My stand is 15" wide. Adjust your width (+)(-) via the short pieces, top and bottom. I can cut 4 more short pieces to 8" each to widen my stand to ~ 21" width.

The whole frame is customizeable.

Godspeed, and Good Harvest!

Linda

Yesterday, I planted another tomato variety, bell peppers (red, yellow, orange), and jalapenos. I ordered 2 more early tomatoes to try. They should be here this week and I'll plant them next week. My Homestead seeds haven't sprouted yet, so I also ordered more of those.