Getting a little long here, I'll start a new one, and here's the link http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/957214/
Ric
Veggie garden friends of the Mid-alantic 2
My potatoes are growing at a fantastic rate. My containers are full of potting mix and straw already. Now I guess it's pick any bugs and wait and see the results. If the potatoes grow anything like the tops, I'll be impressed. I pretty much did things as usual, cut the seed about St. Patty's Day, Dipped them in wood ash and dried them overnight. I then planted them in my containers with 6-9"s of good mix and filling around the plants with straw and more mix. This is what we got so far. Ric
Holly Ann, did you buy seed potatoes or cut regular ones? (I never grew potatoes, but may try next year.)
I'm here! Making slow progress, but so far I've got 26 tomato plants and 56 peppers planted in the veggie bed. I'm trying something different with the peppers, a long double row down the middle rather than 4 or 5 rows down on one end. We'll see if that makes harvesting easier. I've left room along the front for a double row of beans or beets or whatever (need to sow those soon!)
GQ, I picked up a variety of types to try at the local Ace Hardware, Potomac Reds, Yukon Gold, and the old standby Kennibeck. I've tried a couple of other methods over the years, without much success. My GF grew Corbet's' (a very old variety) and sold bushels of them with great results. He did this huge patch for years by hand and it was a really big deal when he got his first tiller. We/He still did all the cultivation by hand though.Holly's Ric
Holy cow Critter....you must have a big veggie garden :)))
I planted some tomatillo's yesterday in between the dahlias and some French marigolds in the border.
Ric -- is straw important to add in the soil for potatoes? Harry wants to try a few; we have some sprouting potatoes he wants to plant.
Wind it may be a little late for optimum growth but he can use straw, compost, some leaf mulch, or even well composted manure to keep the soil nice and loose, adding the mix as the potato plants grow. I've seen all kinds of containers used, old totes or garbage cans with 1" holes in the bottom and lower rim, this also conserves water because you loose so little.
Thought you'd enjoy a shot of my lady gardener after a day sweating over the veggie garden, she my shoot me. LOL Ric
Our garden is looking much better, I was able to turn some of it with a fork this morning, so it dried enough to till and finish planting this afternoon. All the rain made weeding easy but brought planting to a soggy stand still. Ric
Someone gave me a Spice pepper called Aji Dulce. It is an heirloom from Venezuela. Has anyone grown or tasted this pepper? Also they gave me a true heart frying pepper. Taste and growth for this one?
This message was edited Jun 2, 2009 8:01 PM
I have some also, I think they came from Jill and I can't remember the particulars.
As I said it's slowly shaping up and I never liked it to look like little soldiers in a row, I'm more for Hodge Podge! Ric
Wisdomskr, I got Aji Dulce seeds from Critter. They grew well for me and I passed them out at the Swap. I'm sure that I wasn't the only one passing them out, so there might be quite a few people wondering about that pepper. This will be my first time growing them the packet states. 'Aji Dulce #2' (2008) looks and smells like a red habanero, fruity sweet with little or no heat! Critter might have more info on them. Holly
That pic Ric took might not look too bad but that is only because you can't smell me from you computer. God I was filthy. Not only was I wallowing in the Veggie Garden but I tackled the edge of the Evergreen group. Nothing like crawling under and thru evergreens to heat a girl up. LOL
Wow, you've guys been busy...I still need to till mine up.
Jen, Did you notice Ric's little tiller leaning on the potato barrels? We picked that up from a yard sale last year and he just loves it. We have a big one too but that little thing is great. We use it all the time for small jobs.
We borrowed our neighbor's and then our friend brought his over...so I have 2 waiting in the shed for me.
If you love the fruity aroma and flavor of habs but can only add a sliver of habanero before it gets too hot for you, you'll love the Aji Dulce. The seeds I grew out last year might have crossed just a bit, because they had a little bit of heat (none to speak of the year before). You'll have to let me know how these seeds do!
Wind, the main veggie bed is about 50 feet long, maybe 6 or 7 feet wide... this year, I'm afraid I went for "rows of little soldiers," just didn't get inspired. So the tomatoes run across the back (2 ft apart with flimsy cages & stakes for support), then this year I've made myself a little path in front of them as well as behind them. The center of the bed has a double row of peppers along about 3/4 of its length. I think this year I'll run 3 soakers rather than my usual 2, one for the tomatoes, one between the peppers, and a third for the beans, beets, etc. that I plan to sow. The end that doesn't have peppers will have cukes, probably.
I also have a little "L" end to the bed this year, will probably plant cherry tomatoes along the back of it & not sure what else. Then there's the bed in front of the dining room window, maybe 10x10' plus space for 5 or 6 more tomato plants right against the foundation wall.
Good news is that I should actually have room for beans & cukes this year!
Critter what will you do with "all" those tomatoes. Feed the neighborhood. LOL
I was weeding, watering and feeding until about noon but from the dirt and smell of me you would have thought I had been out there for days. It got to a point where I kept misting myself with the hose to cool down. I am glad no one was home to take a picture of me LOL.
The neighbors should be so lucky! LOL
I don't get the outstanding production that some folks do... think my soil just isn't good enough yet. I do share a few tomatoes here and there, but most of what we don't eat fresh gets put up as roasty sauce and salsa. :-)
I am impressed with all those tomatoes and peppers, critter! I usually plant 8 or so tomatoes and end up with way too many, even with giving them away and selling them at my produce stand and canning some. I guess we're just not big tomato people! Every year, I swear I'm going to plant fewer-- but I never do!
I can't wait for the tomatoes to ripen this year, though. I'm really craving gazpacho!
I pretty much live on tomatoes while they're in season... a little olive oil, a scattering of fresh basil, a slice or two of bread, and a big plate of thick tomato slices... oooohhh. :-)
I occasionally alternate with cucumber sandwiches or stir fries made with heaps of fresh sweet peppers!
Kubileya I don't know if you know how to can veggies but you could can your extra tomatoes for sauce, salsas or just diced to use throughout the year. I would like to learn how to can. I have plenty of neighbors and family willing to take the veggies I usually don't have alot of leftovers. I usually make spagetti sauce and put it in the freezer. I pretty much put any veggie growing in the garden in my sauce LOL. (plus herbs) I julienne the peppers and zucchini to use in stir fries and keep them in the freezer to use as needed through the fall.
My kids want to sell some of the veggies this year so they have money to pay the ice cream man when he drives by. Maybe they should pay him in veggies.
I only do 4 tomato plants + 2 of the current tomatos. I love fresh tomatoes right off the vine, but when you get that time when they are ripening faster them you can eat, I just harvest them wash them off, chop or put in the food processer, pour into freezer zip lock bags and freeze. I have a base for soups or chili in the winter, or you can cook up for sauce when the snow is flying around. Quick and easy.
Not only that, but you can freeze tomatoes with their skins on, and they'll slip right off when the tomatoes defrost. It's great for when you've just got a few extra tomatoes but not enough for a canned batch of anything... stuff them in a freezer bag and just add more until the bag is full.
Less flavorful tomatoes (and I had a bunch of tasteless ones last year, no idea why) go in a bag marked "for hot sauce."
where's the Murphy's Law thread?? I looked all over for my bean seeds, couldn't find so I bought more, and last night found them. Of course. This happens to me ALL the TIME!
Another gully washer rain last night. Great for some things like my squash planted on top of the old compost. Not great for the strawberries but the birds are getting them anyway. I might as well just have happy birds and buy my berries. I didn't devote the space to have enough plants to share.
Thanks for the tip on freezing, Critter. If all my little seedlings ever get big enough to yield tomatoes, I may need a freezer or a whole lot of caning jars. The bf has my dehydrator. He is a vintage audiophile and uses it to dry aging reel-to-reel tapes. Time for me to find another one for veggies and herbs.
It has been raining here also. When not raining, it looks like he could rain any minute. I finally got outside in the garden this afternoon. The neighbors were outside yelling at each other so loud I could hear them in the garden. The honeysuckle and rows of sunflower seedlings didn't dampen the sound enough. Tiffany, my Westie, started growling. I came in early and put a chicken in the oven. Tiffany doesn't know it yet, but tonight she is getting a haircut....It is easier to bathe the cat...
Hope your gardening is progressing better than mine this week.
For Sallyg, I bumped up The Garden Rule thread (Murphy's Law)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/975752/
Have fun everyone!
My range broke last June and I didn't get it fixed until sometime in the fall, so I missed canning tomatoes last year. I've never tried freezing them-- do they keep their flavor well after being frozen?
I spotted the first tomato blossom in the garden yesterday on one of Jill's Polish Linguisa plants. Yay! I'll have 'maters this year after all!
Zucchini are starting to bud, too. And I broke down and bought a cowhorn pepper plant from Home Depot the other day because it already had a bunch of tiny peppers growing on it and I couldn't resist.
Flavor, yes, texture not so much. But frozen tomatoes make great sauce (either for canning or for eating right away). I promise, you've never seen such a big paste tomato as that Polish Linguisa!
Gee Sally, That clutter-free guy on Oprah, David something, could fix you right up. He says we spend more on things we've misplaced than organising would cost. :-)
Holly and I have a new method, We just buy a new one and keep it and the receipt, and Viola, The original magically appears, now all we have to do is remember to return the new one before it vanishes to that mythical place, "PUT AWAY" :-) LOL Ric
kubileya I try to find my plants from local nurseries and plant exchanges because I like to support small business but once in awhile someplace like Wal-mart will have the poblano peppers I searched high and low for. I think the last time I bought a plant from Wal-mart was 6 years ago when we were stationed in Altus Oklahoma (spouse is Air Force) because there was one nursery and Walmart within 60 to 70 miles. I didn't even try to grow vegetables out there because if the dirt didn't kill them the stuff they sprayed on the cotton fields surrounding the base would.
This message was edited Jun 5, 2009 9:12 AM
This message was edited Jun 5, 2009 9:16 AM
Critter I don't know how big your kitchen is but I would love it if you could teach us to can our veggies.
While you'd certainly be welcome to come up & watch/do with me, it's really not rocket science. You do need good instructions. The Ball Blue Book is an excellent resource, and there are also good instructions given in one of my all time favorite cookbooks, _The Joy of Pickling_ by Linda Ziedrich.
Also, this website is an excellent resource: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/general.html
Anything that has plenty of sugar (like jam) or acid (tomatoes, pickles) can be safely canned in a boiling water bath. If you want to can un-pickled veggies, you'll need a pressure canner (they look and sound scary, but get a decent one and follow the instructions, and you'll be fine).
Interesting reading. Only comment at this time is regarding Critter's Cucumber Sandwich. That sure is one heck of a sandwich!!!
Ruby
ROFL... yep, I love my mandoline for creating thin slices that I can pile high, with just a smear of cream cheese (optional). DH says I pretty much make "salad sandwiches."
Yep, that is a salad sandwich if I have ever seen one. Speaking of the mandoline, I ordered one last winter and haven't even taken it out of the box. If I can't figure it out, I might give you a holler on instructions. Now, where did I put that box? hahaha
Ruby
Strawberry Spinach row is growing well and it does taste like spinach. I dug up a little spot to get some green beans in, finally. Squash and melons planted last week (late) are sprouted, yay
My peas are flowering they looked so pretty today, wish I had gotten a pic of them. Maybe tomorrow. Ric's potatoes are really going to town hope we get a good crop of them. Picked up 2 more tomatoes this past weekend at the HGHA picnic. Another cherry and a Big Boy I think. Told Ric you can't have too many cherry tomatoes.
Holly, my peas started flowering too. I planted them March 1. I though they would have flowered weeks ago. I guess it doesn't matter how early you plant, they will do what they want, when they want. lol
Has anyone grown broccoli or cauliflower? I may have planted it too late because the broccoli has little yellow flowers all over it and is very tall. The cauliflower has nice leaves but nothing else. I bought the plants in April and planted them right away.
Before the broccoli flowers would be the buds--that's what you're supposed to eat. Cut these flowers off and hope for new ones as small side shoots--but I really don't have any experience to know if its worth it now. Cauliflower might be fine.
When I've tried broccoli or cauli, they get eaten up by cabbageworms way too fast.
The Veggie Garden forum is great. for info.