Veggies!

We've read about and seen what our ornamentals are doing this year. There has not been much discussion about veggies, fruits and other edibles, other than Andy's strawberries!

What edibles are you growing this year. How are they doing? Is it perhaps your first time with veggies? How are you growing them - in the ground or in raised beds? Earthboxes?

Are you organic? Somewhat?

I have a five year old Peach tree that seems to have many fruits this year. I have to start covering them soon. I had about 8 or so last year and they were the most delicious peaches I ever had!

I have two Pawpaws. If you have never tried one (chances are you haven't), they are delicious! Custard consistency. Taste is between a mango and banana. Very sloppy to eat - fun with my kids. Seem to be quite a few this year.

I have a few mature Blueberries. Planted more. Have a good amount of thornless Blackberries and this will be the first big crop. Also some Raspberries.

For veggies, tomatoes - Beefsteak and Cherry - about five of each. My kids love the cherry ones. Beets, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Endive, Red Lettuce - these greens are still hanging on - have not bolted. Basil, of course. Replaced my bolted Lettuce with Carrots and White Eggplant. All the veggies are grown in two large boxes - 4 x 8 x 2 1/2 feet high. I am 100% organic with the edibles.

I think I'm organic, must check with my Creator.

When we lived in Kamloops we had a Spartan apple tree, a Stella cherry tree (made fabulous cherry sauce for icecream) raspberries, strawberries, peach tree, fresh corn, beets, parsnips.

The peaches were the size of softballs. (I can make a great peach pie and peach jam!)

Alas - can't do any of this - DH will not sacrifice more of the lawn for veggies - besides, the %$^&$# squirrels would dig up half the veggies

Victor... I am totally organic ... veggies too!!!

I have 16 tomato plants... first year I have brandywine... most are roma...
tons of cucumbers, collard greens, okra, sweet peas (which I doubt will do well!!!) and just one zuccini plant... and several herbs... all in all they are doing ok...

ah, the only blueberry plant still about a foot tall... and the strawberries are done... they were good!!!

no squirrels on my veggies or other plants like last year... cayenne pepper is keeping them away!!!!

I'm trying to be organic but I'm not sure about the coffee grounds and junk mail I compost and I by non-organic seeds if I have to. Have 4 purple tomatoes in the ground and 3 yellow peppers with volunteer tomatoes springing up faster then I can pull them. Have 3 bush summer squash and lots of volunteer winter squash. In my neighbor's yard there are about a dozen tomato plants from HD.

The herb bed has chives, rosemary, saffron, thyme, oregano, sage, tarragon, parsley, garlic, and horseradish. Oh yeah - the bronze fennel is taking over the corner of the house - again.

The blueberries are turning blue, rhubarb is turning pink, blackberries and thimbleberries are setting and the gooseberries are getting ripe. The medlar bloomed - but I doubt that it will set fruit this year (too young). The aronia has set berries and the tea camellia is growing new leaves - so I guess that counts as producing.

The Paw-paws are new this year as is the elderberry and the lingonberries - so no fruit there. The oriental pear, oriental persimmon and Saturn peach are too young to fruit as well. Strawberries have come and gone and hit the compost pile (per Andy's recommendation).

Per THE Dave's suggestion I will add black currants next spring (and probably red and white as well) with wintergreen underplanted as a ground cover. I need cranberries and have a spot picked out in my neighbor's yard for them. *grin* The apricot I ordered arrived DOA so next spring I will put in a Harglow apricot. I'm thinking about moving the bush cherries out and over to my neighbor's so I get to pick more understory shrubs this winter for spring planting as they didn't bear and I think it is lack of sun.

Oh and the fiddleheads and asparagus did their thing early but I didn't cut any of them this year. LAmb's quarters doesn't count - does it?

I am a organic veggie grower. Use good old cow manuer every year without fail.
I have:
Cukes: Straight 8, Burpless, Poinsett 76
Watermelons: Carolina Hybrids, Sugar Baby, Crimson Sweet
Corn: Sugar & Gold, Chubby Checkers, Frosty
Tomatoes: Roma, Early Girl, Beefsteak, Cherry
Swiss Chard: Neon Lights
Bush bean: Blue Lake or Blue Wonder
Yellow Wax Bean
Cantalope: Honey Rock, Solid Gold
Peppers: Mixed color 6 Pack
Summer Squash
Zuccini
Cauliflower: Snowball
Broccoli: Pacman
Brussell Sprouts

I think thats enough.....you?

Oh...I almost forgot: Trees: 2 Cherry, 2 Pear, 2 Plum, several Apples
Bush: 10 Blueberry, wild strawberries, wild blackberries and 2 red raspberry.




This message was edited Jun 27, 2007 4:39 PM

Wow cat - quite an assortment! Make sure the fiddleheads are the good ones! Not all types can be eaten. I have heard apricots are tough to grow. Let me know how it works for you because I love them.

Kass - one zucchini is all you need - they get huge!!

I forgot a few. I have two columnar apples in pots. One has two apples on it. Also have Bay Leaf in a pot that is brought inside for Winter. Adds great flavor. I planted Serviceberry last year but no fruits yet. I have Mandarin Tangerine in a pot and there are quite a few fruits maturing.

Nice Celeste! Wish I had the room for much more. Does the Pacman Broccoli eat everything else??

I have a Bay Leaf in a pot indoors sitting on my fig tree that has set lots of fruit! Forgot that one - thanks for the reminder. Oh and I forgot the new serviceberry that is really just a whip this year. And "someones" ate the catnip growing in the yard.

Yes...anything with a yellow dot.

wow... you guys are an inspiration!!!!! next year all the 4 beds I have in the back (plus the 6 with the veggies this year) will be dedicated to food... they will all become cold frames so I can start early... I am dying to grow my own lettuce and other greens too....

I am going to research into that "food for all" over the winter... I can't believe I am already thinking of winter!!!!

Kass - greens are very easy. You can grow them in the Fall in pots. They're cool season veggies so Spring & Fall are their times. They don't have deep roots so a wide (large diameter) shallow pot is perfect.

Wow! I'm so impressed--you all have farms! I'm not up to the fruit and vegetable level yet--just a few herbs. I did buy a new fig tree which I'll keep in a pot. Oh, and I winter-sowed some broccoli rabe seeds. I got one tiny serving before it bolted!
I hope to grow vegetables some day, and will get plenty of inspiration from you.

Hi all.

I have tomatoes, crookneck squash, cucumbers, peppers and mammoth sunflowers in earthboxes, and another 9 tomato plants in the Topsy Turvy tomato trees.

And everbearing strawberries in 5 pouches.

Trying to keep the veges and fruit organic-garden had to be sprayed for ticks 3 seperate times, so Im doing the best I can by not growing any of these things in the ground....

~Dawn

Hi--great thread. I'm so impressed with the variety of everyone's veggie/fruit garden. Victorgardener, please tell me more about growing greens in large shallow pots--you're talking kale? Do you just sow the seeds into the pot? When?

I am a novice at growing veggies, not to mention, growing in the NE. But I started my first veggie patch by transplanting the seedlings I had grown under lights or wintersown on June 1 (the date that Cape Codders put stuff in) and now I have four zucchini plants (why, you may ask? Because I started them from seed and they were so cute I had to plant them!! They are hulking adolescents now), three cucumbers, four watermelons, two cantalopes, eight sweet peppers, four eggplants, two winter squash, and 21 tomato plants (the latter are distributed between EBs, half whiskey barrels, and the patch.) Also a bunch of herbs, some of which made it through the winter, some wintersown( regular basil, parsley and cilantro) and some which were purchased, like globe and Thai basil. My quatre saisons lettuce is going strong. I also have a bunch of sunflowers in EBs.

The reason I have so many tomatoes growing is because Trudi Davidson from the WS site kindly sent me a bunch of free seeds for wintersowing and they ALL germinated.

Next year I want to try beans.
--Emily
Forgot to say that I am trying the organic-route. So far, everything seems OK except the sunflowers, the leaves of which some caterpillar is munching on--what should I do? Neem?




This message was edited Jun 27, 2007 9:48 PM

Very nice Emily. I think BT works on most caterpillars. Just double-check. As for the greens, I have done all types of greens from seeds in pots. They end up being very dense but I just harvest what I want with scissors and they keep growing. I might try some now even though it's not the 'right' time. I will just keep them in a cooler, part-shade location and water frequently. Also, there are varieties that are more resistant to bolting.

Last year I did Broccoli Rabe (love it) for the first time in my big boxes. Was doing great. Was giving it away to my neighbors. The day I planned to harvest for myself - it bolted!!

How many Earthboxes do you have? I have to try beans again myself. I tried once and they flopped but I think I planted too late.

Victor

Harvested my first shelling peas today. Saw a little golden zuchini starting on the plants and have eight ball also. Have 6 different types of tomatoes (sweet million, sungold, brandywine, black krim, aunt ruby's, and a green zebra) Have 3 eggplants (fairy tale, tango and beatrice). I'm trying soybeans this year and the fortex beans are getting going also. I'm also trying hungarian peppers this year. Lots of different mints (now I need to get the rum) and a bunch of different herbs. The vegetable garden is my favorite, wish I could do asparagus. Braccoli rabe sounds great.

JoAnn

Dawn, I am trying the Topsy-turvy planters for the first time this year. Have you used them in previous years? How did they do? So far mine look okay. One has a tomato and one has a cucumber.

Great JoAnn. Yes, there is something very satisfying about growing your own food. It's unlike growing ornamentals, which I certainly love as well. It gives you a sense of self-sufficiency and you know exactly what's in your food!

"Yes, there is something very satisfying about growing your own food."
How true, victorgardener. I'm just such a novice that I am constantly nervous that I'm not doing the right thing. I hover, checking the moisture around my plants with a sensor (the EBs are easier because you only have to keep the resevoir filled.) I worry about fertilizing. It's like being a new parent, at least in my experience.
But those delicious little zucchini I've been harvesting and eating are worth it all (I know, I know, will she say the same thing later in the summer when her neighbors slam their doors in her face?) And home-grown tomatoes. . . ah, heaven on earth. Not that any of mine are producing yet, but I see little green balls on my Sungold!
I have eight EBs planted with tomatoes, peppers, and winter squash. So far, the in-ground maters are taller than the EB ones, but the peppers and squash in the EBs are larger. Go figure. I'm planting 8 half-whiskey barrels tomorrow with some foot-high wintersown maters and we'll see how they do in comparison.
My in-ground veggies are under a layer of black plastic mulch with soaker-hoses underneath.

I found little tomatoes ..... so cool!!!

I have cukes, cherry & regular tomatoes, squash, swiss chard, lettuce (Samson Elite again, it's great for not bolting) and peppers plus a pear tree I don't really fuss over.

Victor, I tried broccolli rabe twice and it was TOUGH! Any hints?

Emily, don't worry about the veggies. You'll become more and more comfortable with it. You have a great variety.

Dave - I haven't tried a second time yet but until they bolted, they did well in my large raised bed so maybe it was a drainage issue for you??

Hi Victor. Are you using the Topsy Turvy regular planter, or the tomato tree-I had one of the Topsy turvy planters last year, and I really liked the way it worked. This year I wanted to give theTopsy Turvy tomato trees a shot-they work good as well, but I think the earthboxes are working a little better...The eggplant and peppers I have planted in one definately are not thriving. Looks like I am losing one tomato plant as well-I have no idea why. The other 6 tomatoes I have growing in 2 more trees seem to be doing well.I guess the jury is still out, but as of now it seems the earthbox tomato plants are healthier and are fruiting better. Heres a link to the TT tomato trees so you can see what I am talking about.

http://felknorventures.com/sellsheets/Tomato%20Tree%20Sell%20Sheet%2012%2006.pdf
HTH
~Dawn

Hi Dawn,

I have seen that but I have the regular Topsy Turvy ones. So far, so good. Keep us up to date on how the trees pan out. Thanks.

Victor

Drat - I wish I knew so many of you grew veggies. I had a bunch of seeds (mostly standard stuff that everyone has) but I also received something called "yellow pear tomato" I took the seeds to the RU - and I hope that someone who really loves growing weird tomatoes picked up those seeds. Apparently, Da Dave had grown them in Tennesse (sp?) and thought the seeds might be descended from those he grew.

Anyway, who ever picked up those seeds might want to save seeds for other veggie lovers who might like the Da Dave connection :-)

OMG! They are in the bib pocket of my overalls. TG I don't wash my overalls after every wearing! I made a note to look for them when I get home.

Cat - I meant - save the seeds from the tomatoes you grow - I didn't mean you had to relinquish the seeds now :-)

but it would be kind of cool, if you could collect seeds from these tomatoes to share later.


Cheers,
Michaela

I got that - I had just forgotten all about the seeds and I don't think they would have been good after being washed and hung on the line to dry.

True! lol

Whew! I saved the seeds from my overalls and they are "blend" seeds - so maybe I didn't get Da Dave sees afterall.

Ummmm . . . Kassia - check the seeds that were left at the RU. Maybe nobody took them.

Biscayne Peppers grown in earthbox

Wow - you guys are busy! Do you get to eat all that you grow? What do you do at the end of the season? I'm growing Zucchini [I've harvested a few already, yummm], brandywine tomato, box car willie tomato, spoon tomato that I'd gotten from a trade [they all have alot of fruit], cucumber [I have one on there already!], gypsy Hybrid peppers, romanian peppers, Eggplant Beauty, Korean Melon and I've just started harvesting some of my garlic. I'd love to do more and will, eventually. I figured I'd start out small.

'Boxcar Willie'?? Love that name. Could pair it with 'Hobo' Basil.

I'm growing veggies in self-watering containers (from Gardener's Supply, similar to Earth Box); this year I have 'Whopper' tomatoes, 'Cupid' grape tomatoes, bush cucumbers, 'Serenade' melon (a single-serving size), 'Little Finger' carrots, and 'Toy Choi' baby pak choi (which bolted just as I was deciding if it was big enough to pick - I'll try it again in the fall). I had peppers last year, which did well, but decided the cukes would be more useful.

Have lots of herbs in my herb garden, basil ('Magical Michael', 'Thai Siam Queen', 'Red Rubin'), triple-curl parsley, chives, garlic chives, mint (chocolate, pineapple, lemon, curly, lavender, ginger), oregano (golden, 'Hopley's Purple', 'Showy Pink'), dill, chamomile (I think it's Roman, but it was just labelled chamomile), rue, Florence fennel, rose hyssop, thyme (silver, orange, lemon), garden sage, tri-color sage, 'Munstead' lavender, 'Princess of India' nasturtium. I'm planning on planting some garlic in the fall.

I have lots of other varieties of creeping thyme around in my gardens as well as other lavenders.

Pictures from this morning
Crookneck squash

Cucumbers-yay!

Have some peppers growing nicely and my beets are just about ready to pick!!

Gram, Watch out for those Bush cucumbers! I hear they're invasive.