Gardening: 2011 Season

[Chris Hennes]

Well, we had our three weeks of winter here in Oklahoma: it sucked, but it's over now. (Right? RIGHT?!) I put peas (the Thomas Laxton variety) in the ground in December, so those should begin to germinate in a couple weeks here.

My tomatoes started germinating (indoors) yesterday: this year I'm taking a different approach to selection and focusing entirely on varieties that claim very good heat tolerance. My theory is that any homegrown tomato is better than a supermarket tomato, even if it's not a fancy culinary variety. So this year I'm trying Viginia Sweets, Sioux, Florida 91 hybrid, Homestead 24 F, Arkansas Traveler and Porter's Pride. I've also started some Verde Puebla tomatillos.

Last year my peppers did really well, so that's where I'm focusing most of my garden space this season: I went a little crazy with this year's seed order because I couldn't make up my mind. I've got seeds for three varieties of sweet bell peppers (Early Sunsation Hybrid, California Wonder PS, Better Belle Improved), and nine (!) different hot peppers (Poblano L, Chile de Arbol, Ancho San Luis, Pasilla Bajio, Jalapeno M, Aji Red, Long Red Slim Cayenne, Habanero, Serrano).

So, other reports? What edibles do you all have planned for this upcoming season? (I know, most of you are still buried under like ten meters of snow... but spring is approaching!)

[gfweb]

Its nice to think about Spring with the #@!& snow still covering my yard.

I've had a terrible time with tomato wilt two years running. Last year I planted only VF strains grown from seed and planted in pots with dirt from a clean source. Still got the frigging wilt!

I may just do herbs and greens and rely on my neighbors who all have bigger gardens than they can consume.

[Shelby]

Its nice to think about Spring with the #@!& snow still covering my yard.

I've had a terrible time with tomato wilt two years running. Last year I planted only VF strains grown from seed and planted in pots with dirt from a clean source. Still got the frigging wilt!

I may just do herbs and greens and rely on my neighbors who all have bigger gardens than they can consume.

Oh that's such a bummer. Can you garden in a different spot in your yard so that ground can rest?

[Shelby]

Chris, it's so warm here today...do you really think we're done with winter??? I hope we are!

You're way ahead of me already. I never thought of planting peas so early... that's a great idea! Can you plant any other veggies like that? Do the mice not eat the seeds?

Where do you order your seeds from? I used to buy from Burpee, but I've been disappointed in the quality. I got a new catalog the other day with a ton of grafted hybrid type varieties. I'm tempted to try a few from there.

Since we're growing field corn this year, I'll be making pickled baby corn and canning that.

Our garden is mostly tomatoes and peppers. All varieties of peppers--too many peppers, usually lol. We also plant basil and cucumbers. I used to do squash and eggplant, but the squash bugs took over and ruined it all so I'm scared to plant those ever again.

[Doodad]

64 degrees here today...yeah.

Seeds are in hand and the garden opens next week. Doing greens, lettuces, carrots and radishes for the start then move into the summer crops. I had the soil tested, have amendments in hand and just need some compost to top up.

Thinking about growing some grafted tomato plants since space is at a premium. Terrestrial seeds has the plants.

[qrn]

Well, today was 55. but the last frost here has a May 15 date, so long ways to go.

we make a trip to a local nursery about that time and get 3 or 4 varieties of tomato, and Genovese basil plants, the rest of the herbs are in the garden already..since it was-12 a couple weeks ago, don'want to rush anything...have a bunch of annual flower seeds ready to start inside, (not from Burpee!!,,seeds we got last year got 2,not very good plants, out of 100 seeds)..

Bud

[sparrowgrass]

I started my seedlings yesterday. Tomatoes: a mixed packet of heirloom seeds from Burpees, Ananas Noir, Golden Sunray, a little red one that I don't know the name of, saved from last years garden, Riesentraube, Mortgage Lifter, and a free sample of a yellow tomato--Djene something.

Peppers: Carnival sweet bells, serranos, Mucho Nachos jalapenos, and, because I have a juvenile sense of humor, 'Peter' peppers.

Also planted some broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery, basil, cilantro, and cosmos.

[Chris Hennes]

Chris, it's so warm here today...do you really think we're done with winter??? I hope we are!

You're way ahead of me already. I never thought of planting peas so early... that's a great idea! Can you plant any other veggies like that? Do the mice not eat the seeds?

Where do you order your seeds from?

Hope springs eternal... and the weather is fabulous right now, it's hard not to think about spring.

The OSU extension page on peas suggested planting them in late November or early December so that they come up right away in the spring and beat the heat. This is the first year I've tried it, so we'll see how it goes! I order my seeds from Tomato Growers Supply Company.

[Big Mike]

I'm really turned off to Burpee these days. Service is iffy and results to follow. I got fantabulous seeds from the Seed Savers catalog, they rocked. Also got some great stuff from Johnny's and Baker's Creek.

Last year was a struggle, I was infested with every pest you can name. Cabbage loopers, squash bugs, horn worms, slugs, flea beetles, groundhogs, deer and squirrels. This year I'm taking serious measures. Floating row covers are A number 1, next are collars around the squash.

Even with all the critters working against me, I'll still plant a ton of stuff. First up is lettuces, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, kohlrahbi, onions, spinach and peas. I'm going to wait a little while longer to start my tomatoes and peppers. Last year I got spring fever and started them too early.

[weinoo]

Silly question, and of course I don't garden any more, but...

If you plant different varieties of hot peppers in proximity to one another, do they all end up kind of tasting the same?

[Big Mike]

I've read that unless you save the seeds year to year the pepper flavors and heat scale won't be affected by proximity to one another. If you plant the seeds and grow them as an annual you should be fine.

[Big Mike]

Almost forgot, if you're anywhere close to farmer's markets buy locally grown produce and save the seeds of the heirloom varieties. The farmers have done the work of selective seed saving to get the varieties that grow well in your area. Last year I saved seeds from eggplants, squashes, tomatoes, peppers and garlic. The garlic was planted in the fall, the others will get started in another month.

[Shelby]

Silly question, and of course I don't garden any more, but...

If you plant different varieties of hot peppers in proximity to one another, do they all end up kind of tasting the same?

I've never had that happen and mine are all mixed together. However, by the end of the summer I've normally burned all of my taste buds off from the scotch bonnets lol.

[xxchef]

If you plant different varieties of hot peppers in proximity to one another, do they all end up kind of tasting the same?

No. Not at all.

That said, if you are a seed-saver you will run into all kinds of hybridization surprises if you plant seeds from peppers/chiles that were grown in proximity to others of different types. It's the cross-pollination between them at the flowering stage that will alter the seeds to come. This is true with most fruits (tomatoes, cukes, etc).

[Chris Hennes]

Right: that's the reason I have to buy seeds every year. I don't want to be creating inadvertent hybrids, and the separation distance needed to prevent it is quite large. Larger than my entire property, in fact. So there's no way to avoid it.

[Mjx]

. . . .

So, other reports? What edibles do you all have planned for this upcoming season? (I know, most of you are still buried under like ten meters of snow... but spring is approaching!)

I have seeds: spinach and rucola. Every year I plan to grow baby greens in trays, and then inevitably fail to get around to it. So, I'm hoping that the packets will serve as a reminder. The only growing spaces we have are the window sills and two small balconies, so my idea is to focus on plants that are happy in containers.

Incidentally, for those of you who have more extensive gardens, the Farm in my Pocket site has a lot of practical and interesting information (I enjoy reading it, even though I have no occasion to apply most of the content), as is the Hedgewizard site it grew from.

[DickL]

Yesterday I started my 2011 garden-- tomato seeds indoors. I live in northern Illinois, so I won't be able to set out soft plants until sometime in May (with any confidence they won't succumb to frost). My main garden is small-- four tomato plants in two EarthBox containers on a second-floor balcony (the only sunny spot available to me), supplemented by two or three pots of herbs and occasionally two or three pole bean plants in another pot. I usually plant some peas (snow peas and SugarSnaps) in the EarthBoxes

Tomatoes this year are White Wonder and Giant Belgium Pink (from Everwilde Farms, the first time I've gotten seed from them). White Wonder over many years has been my most dependable variety, producing at least a small crop every year. It's good fresh and makes very good tomato preserves. The Belgium Pink is an experiment, one I haven't tried before. The other two are Jubilee (a large yellow/orange tomato-- probably my favorite for eating fresh) and Brandywine Red, both from Victory Seed Co. I tried the Brandywine for the first time last year, and the few I got were very good. (Last year was a terrible one for my tomato patch-- nothing did really well.)

[Shelby]

It snowed here last night. :angry:

My husband got the garden all worked up. He planted my onion sets about a week ago. I'd say we should have 40 or so in. Also, he planted tons of tomatoes in cups that are upstairs and sprouting already.

Did I mention it snowed?

[robirdstx]

So, how are everyone's plans coming along? I use the pictured raised bed for my vegetable and herb gardening (and for a few hostas and ferns).

I've tried to grow tomatoes and peppers in it the last two years but not again. The bed just does not get enough hours of direct sun to support them. This year I've picked up a few different plants and am anxious to see how they do. Yesterday, I picked up two swiss chard, a sage, and a stevia plant at my Saturday farmer's market. A couple of weeks ago, I put in some dill and arugula, also purchased at the market. The arugula I've done before and it, along with leaf lettuce do well until it stays warm. I also put in parsley, a boxwood basil and lemon thyme. All of them have done well before and usually make it through the summer. I started some cilantro from seed and have transplanted them into the bed. As soon as it stays warm the cilantro will bolt though. I have also stuck a half dozen garlic cloves in the bed. My carry-overs from last year are the garlic chives and a creeping rosemary.

[Chris Hennes]

Average last frost here is this weekend, but we haven't seen a frost in several weeks, so everything is growing like mad. It's very windy today so the tomatoes and peppers are still under the lights in the garage:

The blackberries appear to be staging themselves, with each set of primocanes in a different stage of bloom:

The peas are growing well:

And the recently-uprooted and potted mint:

Rosemary is the only thing I bring in for the winter, and it's not so happy to be back outside:

But the rest of the herb garden overwintered nicely:

Finally, parsnips are starting to poke their heads out: no sign of the carrots or rutabaga yet...

[qrn]

to early here as well..May 15 is the last frost

Bud

[LindaK]

Today was my first day in my community garden plot, about 1/2 mile from my house. It felt great to get my hands in the soil after a long, rough winter that managed to kill even some hardy perennials, such as my sage and thyme.

It's a bit late to start peas, but I did so anyway. Also planted seeds for chard, radishes, and parsley. It will be another month or so before it's safe to put in the tomatoes, beans, etc., but for now I'll be content to restock the herbs, maybe put in some lettuces.

[Chris Hennes]

Wow. It killed the sage? Winter WAS brutal in Boston this year!

[LindaK]

Wow. It killed the sage? Winter WAS brutal in Boston this year!

Yeah, I always thought sage was indestructible. I know a few people who have been trying unsuccessfully to kill their sage bush for years!

[conifer]

Apartment living makes gardening hard. And I'm spoiled by living three blocks from La Boqueria in Barcelona, so good veggies are never too far away. That being said, I wanted to at least make a token effort this year. Here is my garden after a week. I've got peas and cucumbers coming up, as well as a couple of lemon grass. I think it will be too hot for the peas to produce, but I like the plants anyway.

It looks pretty pathetic right now, but if even a couple of these grow larger, I'm going to be hurting for space!