270 replies to this topic

[Priscilla]

The Naked Ladies (Amaryllis belladonna) are flowering!

Mine too! My favorite flowers.

I love how, on a hot day, you can practically watch their stalks lengthen, once sprouted.

Some I brought from the house we moved from, and then a year or so later added some liberated from an empty lot down the street about to be graded, and the two groups have yet to bloom on the same schedule, even though they reside in the same bed in identical conditions.

This does lengthen the bloom show, but how long can plant genetic memory be, for corn's sake?

Will be slicng excellent tomatoes, whose existence owes nothing to me except I sometimes turn on the watering system, with dinner tonight, as happened last night.

[Kouign Aman]

There is a flower stalk forming on the tuberrose.

[Toliver]

There is a flower stalk forming on the tuberrose. 

Tuberose!
My brother grows a small patch of them every year ever since my sister-in-law fell in love with them. Their fragrance is wonderful...like being in the tropics but without the high airfare.


I visited my mom in San Diego for the Labor Day weekend. She was eager to show me some "weird" tomatoes one of her plants was growing. They turned out to be Romas!
There's so much fruit growing on the plant it fell over, stake and all. We re-staked it and tied it back up. I explained her "weird" tomatoes were culinary gold and she should enjoy cooking with every last one of them. My oldest brother (my family's "black sheep gourmet") will have a field day with them when he sees the crop that's coming in.
What a way to end the tomato season...

edited to add: Both my mom and brother bought an upside down planter from some slick salesperson in one of the gardening booths at the Del Mar Fair earlier this year. Both of the tomato plants my brother and mom planted in their respective new-fangled planter died. Rubes!

Edited by Toliver, 06 September 2006 - 03:25 PM.

[Kouign Aman]

The Brussels are sprouting. The guavas are swelling. The passion fruit has been fed (fingers crossed). The silly tomatoes have new growth and the late planted oregano, thyme & carrots gave up the ghost after several weeks. They seem to be timing the light, because the weather's been plenty sunny and warm. But the basil plants (4 of em now) are going great guns. Ditto the cilantro.

And the tuberose bloomed, for which I thank you, Toliver. Without your rhapsodies on this flower I too like, I never would have thunk to plant it.

[Toliver]

And the tuberose bloomed, for which I thank you, Toliver. Without your rhapsodies on this flower I too like, I never would have thunk to plant it.

I like spreading the tuberose gospel when I can.
My brother, who has six pots of tuberose growing, has done the calculating and figures his will burst into full bloom just about the time he and my sister-in-law will be out of town on vacation towards the end of next month. His mother-in-law, who will be minding the garden while they're gone, has thanked him in advance for the flowers that will grace her dining room table and fill her house with that amazing tropical scent while they're away. The deal they made is if anything blooms or ripens while he's away, the MIL gets first crack at it.
The great thing about tuberose is that over the years they will send more tubers out (I believe they sort of stay clumped together) and, if it stays healthy, you can end up with quite a nice crop of blooms per plant.
Enjoy!

[Kouign Aman]

Home grown apples all lovely and red. :)

[Kouign Aman]

Guavas take forEVER to ripen!
and the little orange peppers keep showing up all ripe and lovely in the dark green leaves. One last lone tomato is nearly ready to be devoured.

The aphids are doing their best to eat all the brussels sprouts, and something white and fuzzy is working on the orange tree. Its time for Better Living Through Chemistry!
(soap for the sprouts. God-knows-what for the citrus).

[Octaveman]

Last June I thought about growing my own lemongrass and Kaffir lime tree out of financial necesity as well as having a supply on hand when all the stores were out of stock. I resisted though because I'm known for killing anything in a pot.

Well, I finally took the plunge and started the lemongrass from a lone stalk bought at 99 Ranch. I kept it in a vase with water and it took about 2 weeks before starting to sprout. A few weeks later, the sprouts were 2 inches long and the stalk got planted. Below is where it is today after 5 months. I also bought a dwarf Kaffir lime tree pictured below that is going strong. It started with just two branches of leaves and has blossomed quite well. The leaves it produces are very fragrant and tasty.

I think all the Aztec gold has been returned and the Curse of the Black Thumb has been reversed. I apparantly CAN keep things alive in a pot.

On a side note, maybe I should get my own orange and lemon tree next.

Edited by Octaveman, 19 January 2007 - 02:10 PM.

[Kouign Aman]

Hallelujah! Because New Year's week I started 3 stalks of lemon grass in a glass of water and am hoping they send out roots!

Those plants look lovely! Did you bring them into or near the house during the frosty nights these past two weeks or did they survive on their own? That looks like a pretty protected little corner. Congratulations on your thumb and its new shade of culinary-green.

Where did you buy your kaffir lime? Tho I think I've got a bay laurel as the next in line, before the kaffir lime.

The guavas are still getting bigger, tho the tree is nearly leafless, with these handball sized green orbs on its skinny little branches.

[Octaveman]

Thanks. Yep, brought them close to the house underneath the covered portion of the porch. I think they weathered the chills here. I haven't used any of the lemongrass yet because I'm trying to get it really big before I start hacking away at it.

I got the lime tree at http://www.fourwinds...affir_lime.html. Very happy with the leaves it produces. I got the 2-3 year tree.

Good luck on your lemongrass project. Keep us updated.

Bob

[Toliver]

March seems to be "coming in like a lamb", so far.
This morning on my way to work I was surprised to see frost from last night. The storm that came through left very cold air in its wake. I'm guessing it's still too cold to even think about planting anything.
Has anyone started their tomatoes indoors, yet?

[Kouign Aman]

I'm dreaming of starting my tomatoes, but havent yet.

The cilantro is happy and leafy. The basil got wiped out by those few very cold nights (darn it. It was starting to re-leaf on lovely woody stems). The rosemary is more blue than green, from all the flowers.
The quinces finally ripened (my friend who gave me the tree said it was a guava. She was wrong. oh well.), and we didnt like them.
The cold put the deathknell to the passion fruit vine too. The lime tree is flowering as is the apple (something stole all the fruit last year - all 7 of it). Here's hoping March behaves itself!

The lemon grass grew roots. I am very happy about that! Bob, how did you handle it for the transition from glass-o-water to actual dirt? Potting soil? Sand?
etc?

[ludja]

...
The quinces finally ripened (my friend who gave me the tree said it was a guava. She was wrong. oh well.), and we didnt like them.
..

Sorry about your other plant losses to the frost. Do you normally like quince but these are just poor specimens? I started using quince a few years ago and have found some nice uses for them.

[Toliver]

The lime tree is flowering as is the apple (something stole all the fruit last year - all 7 of it). Here's hoping March behaves itself!

You're so fortunate. My mom's neighbor has a lime tree that will probably have to be yanked. The freeze that came through did major damage on it and the neighbor doesn't think it will come back.
I also hope March behaves so you don't lose any of those precious blossoms!

[mukki]

My brand-new Babcock peach tree has finished blossoming and appears to be setting quite a few teeny fuzzy peaches. Persian mulberry is still dormant. Boysenberries are just beginning to leaf out. Orange and lime have begun their spring growth. Last year, I had two oranges: I think a rat ate one and the other was picked too early by me. Brand-new Venus grape vine has a few bunches forming.

Tomato plants have just started showing up in nurseries so I now have 3 Red Currants (tasted amazing last year, but I only had one plant and it got spider mites) and one Moromato, which was highly recommended by Laguna Hills Nursery.

[Kouign Aman]

Do you normally like quince but these are just poor specimens?  I started using quince a few years ago and have found some nice uses for them.

I dont think I've ever had a quince before. I'd like to hear some nice uses, as there are a couple hanging on the tree still. In the house, I found the smell of the fruit odd - up close lovely tart and fruity like passionfruit, but when just passing by, it smelled like the cat had made a statement.

I also hope March behaves so you don't lose any of those precious blossoms!

I'm glad the lime survived too. Coastal location has its benefits I think. Has your brother started your mom's tomatoes yet?

My brand-new Babcock peach tree has finished blossoming and appears to be setting quite a few teeny fuzzy peaches. Persian mulberry is still dormant. Boysenberries are just beginning to leaf out. Orange and lime have begun their spring growth. Last year, I had two oranges: I think a rat ate one ...

yum! How do you keep the brambles from taking over the yard? Rats and oranges - yeah, we've 'donated' a few - its kinda cool how they eat them hollow while still on the tree.

[Toliver]

Brand-new Venus grape vine has a few bunches forming.

You may want to consider putting some sort of netting over the grapes so the critters (feathered and otherwise) don't get at them. Consult your local nursery/garden center for more info.

[mukki]

Brand-new Venus grape vine has a few bunches forming.

You may want to consider putting some sort of netting over the grapes so the critters (feathered and otherwise) don't get at them. Consult your local nursery/garden center for more info.

I'm thinking I might have to do that with the peaches, too, since I'll have so few this year. If the rats or opposums get them, I'll be so mad! I can just see myself waiting for months in anticipation of the day the peaches are perfectly ripe and then I go out one morning and they have nibble marks all over them.

[ludja]

Do you normally like quince but these are just poor specimens?  I started using quince a few years ago and have found some nice uses for them.

I dont think I've ever had a quince before. I'd like to hear some nice uses, as there are a couple hanging on the tree still. In the house, I found the smell of the fruit odd - up close lovely tart and fruity like passionfruit, but when just passing by, it smelled like the cat had made a statement.
...

Well, I'm a catlover but I don't think I recall them smelling that way! There are, I think, some quince bushes that are more ornamental in nature. (I can't tell you more than that.) So, perhaps there are different kinds. The quince I've bought look are about the size of large apples. The one key think to know about quinces is that they can not be eaten raw. Their flavor and texture are completely transformed upon cooking.

Anyway, here is a nice discussion we had on quince awhile back: click

A apples and quince are a classic combination so one "infro" recipe may be to make an apple and quince pie or tart. (maybe with apples: quince 2:1)

[Kouign Aman]

thick quince jam. I made this for the first time last week and the result is truly magnificent. One always hears of the unique flavor of quinces and I was not disappointed--honey, rose, ginger flavors are all in there. Also because they are so high in pectin (the skins and cores, I believe) the texture is really great. Lastly, the pale yellow flesh turns a beautiful deep, dusky rose after being cooked

oh wow!

I have but a few small quince left, but I have apples, butter and all the lovely spices. I think I'll try a mini quince-apple pie this weekend. Thanks so very much for the link.

[Octaveman]

The lemon grass grew roots. I am very happy about that! Bob, how did you handle it for the transition from glass-o-water to actual dirt? Potting soil? Sand?
etc?

I asked the hired help at Home Depot and they never heard about using sand. They thought the idea was to get good drainage so we went with plain old potting soil avoiding those soils that help to retain water. It will grow pretty quick and it will probably need a bigger pot in no time so keep that in mind when you pot it/them.

Did you get a Kaffir lime tree? I've been cooking a lot of Thai the past month and stripping the limbs quite a bit. I got a little worried that I was going to end up with a barren tree but I see new sprouting going on.

Edited by Octaveman, 09 March 2007 - 02:52 PM.

[Octaveman]

thick quince jam. I made this for the first time last week and the result is truly magnificent. One always hears of the unique flavor of quinces and I was not disappointed--honey, rose, ginger flavors are all in there. Also because they are so high in pectin (the skins and cores, I believe) the texture is really great. Lastly, the pale yellow flesh turns a beautiful deep, dusky rose after being cooked

I don't know who wrote this but I want some. My grandmother made jam all the time. I miss not having home-made jam and envy those who can make it.

[Kouign Aman]

Jam is easy, but time-consuming. Need to keep really small fry out of the kitchen. I havent tried since the munchkin has been with us.

Thanks for the info on the lemon grass. Im keeping it inside til the weather settles a bit, but then it will have a nice big pot with plenty room. I'll go potting soil shopping. Full sun?

I havent added any plants yet. Got busy with "other stuff".

[Octaveman]

Yeah, full sun. Here's the link that got me started.

http://www.yougrowgi.../lemongrass.php

[Toliver]

This weekend my brother prepped the soil in my mom's tomato planters. For some reason she's only doing 4 planters this year instead of the six she did last year. Less tomatoes can't be a good thing. She did have them on a drip irrigation system and may not want to go through the trouble it took to extend the system through all six planters. I don't know...
I'm more of the mind that you plant six tomato plants and if you get 4 good plants out of the bunch you're doing well. If all six take off then it's a good thing.

It also turns out the neighbor's lime tree didn't completely die from the last freeze. She paid a local handyman to cut it back and, though he didn't do a very good job of it, the tree seems to have new growth sprouting up from the trunk. It may not bear limes for a while, but at least it's not dead.

[Kouign Aman]

Holy Cow! The indian hawthorne is blooming! Its spring! I am not prepared.
I was given a strawberry plant this weekend. Time to look em up in Sunset.

[Kouign Aman]

Strawberries are in process - one is a lovely red, but not yet picking ready.

Same tomato thing as last year - lots of blooms, ignored by bees. These are not self-pollinating varieties apparently.
The plants are going for a walk soon, to be close to the bee-magnets in my neighbor's yard.

I seeded basil, cilantro, oregano. Fingers crossed. The gophers are astonishing, so its pots again this year. The little boogers are pulling entire plants under ground.

I about to turf out the bird of paradise to make room for the lemon grass. I havent bought any trees yet this year.

[mukki]

I have little tomatoes forming on the red currant bushes. Some fuzzy peaches slightly smaller than golf balls. Boysenberry vines are flowering. A few teeny oranges have formed and the lime is in full bloom. Corn is 2 inches high. Blueberries are just beginning to ripen. Mulberries have formed, but are still small and green -- I had no idea that Persian mulberries don't flower; the mulberries just appear along with the new leaves in the springtime.

[helenjp]

Jam-making with small fry: use the microwave (small batches only, of course). I think microwaved jam maybe doesn't keep as well as usual, but it keeps it's color better.

The jam is out of sight of small people, which is half the battle, and the timer keeps distraction-related boil-overs to a minimum too. And there's a door between any boil-overs and small investigators too.

Pollination: I planted chamomile and thyme, hoping to improve pollination (plants with lots of flowers, or flower-heads made up of clusters of tiny flowers). Too early for me to tell yet!

[Toliver]

Same tomato thing as last year - lots of blooms, ignored by bees. These are not self-pollinating varieties apparently.
The plants are going for a walk soon, to be close to the bee-magnets in my neighbor's yard.

All tomatoes should be self-pollinating. They're asexual, I believe. If they are large enough to be tied to a stake or cage, a firm couple of whacks of the stake or cage should be enough to jiggle the flowers to get them to self-pollinate.
If they're small enough to be portable (and not be staked or caged yet) a firm but gentle tapping on the pot should be enough of a shake to get them to pollinate themselves.
How great is it that you've got blooms already! Perhaps you'll have tomatoes by July 4th...or sooner.
And I hope the critters don't find your strawberries...