Gardening: 2002-2009 Seasons

[KarenSherwood]

I'm starting my first serious raised-bed garden in my new home. Last year we got the beds in and I did some half-hearted gardening cuz we got started too late. Today is Jan 27. I have my seeds ordered, my beds cleared and turned, and we've had our hard freeze. I'm ready! Now to read back and take lots of notes.

P.S. Dunno of anyone else is a fan, but I love Cook's Garden seeds and their catalog. So glad Shepherd's has been revived!

[jackal10]

The season turns, and today in sowed (in heat)

Chilli peppers (Thai Dragon, Pacific Fire, Numex Twilight)

Tomatos (Sungold, Black Cherry, Brandywine, Gardeners Delight)

Greenhouse cucumber (Flamingo organic F1)

[Toliver]

I need to replace two trees, before they destroy the plumbing. I'm thinking a Meyer Lemon will take one spot, but Im not quite sure its tall enough. My dad has one that grew in a big flat shrub. Wonderfully easy to harvest!

The other might be a Buddha Hand, if its compatible with the space. What a weird and freaky fun thing to have.

Thanks for the heads up on the peppers. I save seed too, but this is only the 2nd  year of the garden.

←

What about a Bay leaf tree? Will they grow in San Diego? Don't know how many times you'd use them but I keep seeing them as an ingredient on practically every cooking show these days (every week on "America's Test Kitchen"!). Just a thought!

[Kouign Aman]

Bay laurel is on the list, but not sure I want it in the ground. Gotta look up its water-seeking characteristics. Citrus are so well behaved.

Thanks all for the info. Buddha's hand - dont have, have just begun to fantasize finding one. If I do, I'll be sure to share where.

Meyer lemon maybe too short for where I hoped to put it. Might have to go with a std lemon. I need about 12-15 ft.

Happy days!

[eje]

Bay laurel is on the list, but not sure I want it in the ground. Gotta look up its water-seeking characteristics. Citrus are so well behaved.

Thanks all for the info. Buddha's hand - dont have, have just begun to fantasize finding one. If I do, I'll be sure to share where.

Meyer lemon maybe too short for where I hoped to put it. Might have to go with a std lemon. I need about 12-15 ft.

Happy days!

←

Bay Laurel should be fine in San Diego.

They will stand some drought (just like the California Laurel), though prefer moderate water, and will do fine in sun to partial shade. They grow very slowly.

[kristin_71]

P.S. Dunno of anyone else is a fan, but I love Cook's Garden seeds and their catalog.

I love them too! I have, in the past, had great success with them. Where I live now, plat restrictions don't let me have a garden, per se. So I mix in some beautiful pepper and tomatoes and the like with herbs and flowers. Grew my own romaine lettuce last year and made a fantastic salad where I grilled the greens over a fire ( tastes better over charcoal) for just a short time and then mix it with scallions, parmeasan cheese and some other things. Made a simple balsamic vinegar dressing with olive oil that was great. Really love growing my own cayenne and this year hope to add paprika.

[helenjp]

OK...I went back to working from home full-time, so I added a few more planters to my balcony. Some rocket seeds are due to go in there this weekend (nothing like optimism...the plan is to plant a few more every week until some feel warm enough to sprout!).

Recommendations needed please, for greens that don't mind a little wind. The balcony is not especially exposed, but after all, it's not ground level.

Anything else people have enjoyed growing in planters, tubs, or hanging baskets? My in-ground garden is so very shady that only a few things do well there.

[jackal10]

Time to start planning the vegetable garden for this year.

This year the innovation is an 5m x 5m extension to the fruit cage, mainly to grow sweet corn, salad, and brassicas annd the like that otherwise the loacal pigeons, pheasents and squirrels will devour before I do, I'm going to divide this into 4 strips, and prectice the usual rotation.

1: Legumes: broad beans, then cabbage; Purple podded pas, then CCA lettuce

2: Solanace: early spuds, tomatos, peppers, then endives, chicory, overwinter garlic;

3: Brassicas: Sprouts, PSB, savoys, rocket, chinese mustards, kohl rabe, kales etc

4: Other: "Trinity": Sweetcorn, mini pumpkins, dwarf beans

Plot 2: Squashes, pumpkins, zucchini, sunchokes; leeks

Plot 3:

A: pemament Asparagus, Globe Artichokes

B: Hamburg parsley, baby carrots, more potatoes

C: Garlic, Shallots, fava beans, pole beans

Not growing onions, since I can buy oerfectly good ones, and they don't need to eaten straight from the ground.

Any other ideas?

[helenjp]

Any other ideas?

More beans! When it gets hotter, I like to plant yard-long beans (also known as snake beans, chinese long beans etc) They are very tender.

Scarlet runner or other types of rough-skinned, wide, flat are not all as coarse as the green runner beans of our childhood, and they go wonderfully in summer stews.

There are so many types of snaps and snow peas - but maybe they need to be planted in autumn in the UK?

Local gardening friends tell me that brussels sprouts are easier to grow than cabbage, and more friendly to cut-and-come-again harvesting.

Sprouting broccoli, or raab, or broccolini - all much the same thing - are all good eating.

My favorite of the Chinese choy sum flowering cabbages, and particularly a Japanese cultivar known as Autumn Poem, are like a less cabbagey sprouting broccoli raab.

Japanese mizuna is very versatile (and seed easy to buy in UK/US these days) - pull up whole when young to use in salads, or allow to form a really huge head, and cook slowly with fatty or preserved meats.

Come to think of it, green shiso ought to grow well in the UK. It will self-seed shamelessly if you have open rough ground near fruit trees etc, as long as it gets a reasonable amount of sun.

[Catherine Iino]

Two questions and a commiseration:

Anyone have an opinion on which variety of squash blossoms taste best?

Anyone have an opinion on which variety of pea shoots taste best?

Shiso sympathy: I have tried for years to grow green shiso, and have had virtually no success. I have red shiso self-seeding and coming out of my ears, but the green just seems to fail. The first year I tried growing it, I didn't realize that it needs light to germinate, so I dutifully covered it. But now that I know it does, I'm still not getting it, either direct seeding or starting it indoors? Why, oh why?

[DRColby]

I am wondering what I have here, and more than that, what to do with it....

Wandered out to survey the Winter damage in the garden and found my bed of Italian bitter greens thriving. The fresie, endives, I know but there are other greens that completely baffle me and what to do with them (cook them, and how, or in salads?). There is one that looks like machine except it is almost blue-green with huge leatherly leafs, slo some of what I would guess are radichinos, but types you don't find in the markets.

These were started last Fall from seeds from "Seeds of Italy." Would a picture be of help? I have the "Red-White and Green" cookbook but that doesn't indicate much.

Dave

[racheld]

I just put my favorite tablecloth on the breakfast table---the one that has pictures of pots of violets and pansies around the rim, with the inscription, "It's Spring and time to plant the seeds."

I don't CARE what the groundhog or the Weather Service or any other authority says. I've got books from Burpee, Michigan Bulb, and Nichols Garden Nursery; I've got maps and diagrams, plans and plots, and seeds saved in little packets in the freezer.

We have three to six feet of snow piled in the backyard and I wanna park that snowblower and crank that TILLER!!!!

[snowangel]

I bought seeds today. The days are getting longer, and the sun's push is increasing. I know I'm months away, but it feels good to have seeds on hand.

[sparrowgrass]

Cold, cold, cold here, snow predicted tonight.

I have hyssop and anise hyssop started indoors under lights, and I will transplant them tomorrow to bigger containers. I think I have some broccoli and cabbage seeds here somewhere--maybe I will do a flat of those tomorrow.

I just got back from a trip to the Alabama coast (where it wasn't much warmer than here!) and when we went into Walmart for supplies, I bought a dozen little tomato plants. Just couldn't resist, even though it will be 2 and a half months before I can even think of putting them outdoors.

Every time I walk by those little fellas I have to lift them up and suck in

that wonderful green smell of summer. That alone is worth the $2.97 I paid for them.

[helenjp]

Shiso - it really does have a mind of its own about germinating.

As the thin leaves show, it's a tender plant, so don't sow until it's a reliable 25deg.C for outdoor direct sowing. Definitely not until all danger of frost is past. I see on one Swiss-resident Japanese woman's blog (in Japanese)blog that in Europe, she sows indoors in early May, transplanting in mid-May, and that she recalls sowing shiso in Japan in late March.

Since there's no hurry to sow it, why not stick your seeds in the fridge until you are ready to sow? That should jolt them out of dormancy, if they are in there for at least a month. Because they stay dormant so long, if you have plenty of seed, you can sow some outdoors in a likely-looking spot, and you may find that they suddenly germinate next year...or even later. For that reason, it's hard to lose green shiso if you get it really established in a spot that it likes.

Those thin leaves are prone to insect damage, but I usually find that bad damage means that they aren't in a sunny enough spot.

Pea shoots - thank you for reminding me! Perfect for planters! I believe that soft-podded varieties of peas such as snow peas are most used for pea shoots, but don't really know.

DRColby, I think you are going to need to show us some pictures!

[annecros]

My first year with southern peas in south Florida. The sandy, limey soil and climate should work well for them, and will save me a drive up into central Florida if they produce for me.

In the ground with third leaves are Fordhook Limas and Pinkeye Purple Hull peas. On order from Heirloom Acres are Zipper Cream Peas, Mississippi Silver Crowders, Jackson Wonder Speckled Butter Beans, White Half Runner Green Beans, and Red Valencia Peanuts just for giggles. The second bed has been cleaned, top dressed and turned and is awaiting the seed that should arrive within a couple of weeks. I hope to grow off sweet corn rotated behind the beans in one plot late in the summer, and turnips and mustard behine the other plot of beans in the fall. Not sure what varieties I want. There is a yellow globe turnip out there that looks interesting. A couple of pepper plants and squash will go into this bed with the beans as well.

The cukes did too well this year! I think I'll be making pickles out of them even though they are Burpless slicers. We have six vines that are just beginning to run and bloom, and it is just hubby and I. I'm thinking they should work at least for cold pack bread and butter pickles, maybe dill spears. Can anybody think of anything else I can do with them, besides sharing with neighbors which I am sure will happen.

Tomatoes are about 7 inches tall. I have a pink beefsteak and Parks Whopper Improved for early. Bonnie Original for mid and late and canning. Roma. "Mr. Stripey" heirloom for mid and late.

My summer bulbs just arrive from Easy to Grow bulbs, and they really are outstanding. More work! Caladiums, Gloriosa Lillies, Rain Lillies, and they threw in some Achimines as a bonus that I am excited about. Never grew them before, but from the description they should do well planted in front of the Caladiums.

I have some garlic with sprouting cloves on the kitchen counter, so I guess I will tuck them in, but haven't grown garlic before and not sure what they want.

I love the spring!

Edited March 5, 2007 by annecros (log)

[annecros]

Next year, I'm going a new route with my tomatoes -- one my father did for many years.  I'll stop at the tire store and take a mess of junk tires off their hands.  Stack them two high, fill the rim with peat moss and the middle with dirt and compost and plant the tomatoes there.  The big advantage of that in this place of the late spring is that the tires get nice and warm on a sunny day -- so the dirt is warmer, and they stay warmer at night (tomatoes don't like cool evenings).  It always gave my dad a head start.  And, with the peat in the rim, if I'm going to be gone for a few days, just soak the peat in the rim and it will leach out into the dirt and roots over the next few days.  The season is short here, and we don't get the plants in until Memorial Day weekend.

←

That makes me smile. We used to call them "Redneck Tomatoes" in that setup.

An additional advantage to the setup is that it will help with rootknot nematodes if they are a problem there. You see it done that why quite a bit in the South because the nemotodes love sandy soil.

[snowangel]

Rhubard nubs are up, and my rosemary is showing signs of life!

[mrbigjas]

Rhubard nubs are up, and my rosemary is showing signs of life!

←

my rosemary is not, sadly. and my thyme actually looks dead. i thought it was really hard to kill thyme, but apparently being out in a pot this winter did the trick. only my second thyme plant in nearly eight years in this house.

oddly enough, tarragon is poking up through the soil. now that i thought was easy to kill, and yet it seems to have survived. i'm at a loss to explain it...

Edited March 27, 2007 by mrbigjas (log)

[crouching tyler]

Does anyone (jackal, sparrowgrass ?) have any photos of asparagus plants that they could post for me?

I put some asparagus in this year, and I have realized that I have no idea what the plants are going to look like. I wish I had thought to find out before I planted, but better late than never. I know I shouldn't be so impulsive with such a permanent crop but I can't quite seem to believe that the pathetic little roots will actually grow into actual, edible asparagus.

Spring is making itself known here in Seattle. My first rhubarb plant is growing at a rather impressive rate, but the garlic seems to have stalled. My oregano has doubled in size in the last month. I clearly need to use more oregano.

And I am anxiously awaiting signs of growth from my tomato seedlings. The leeks are poking their incredibly thin little stalks up - it is amazing that something so meager can survive and develop into such a solid stalk.

I definitely have the sense that I am attempting far too many new vegetables and edibles this year. We planted a cherry tree, an apple tree and a trio of blueberries - and I still need to decide where to put the damn raspberries. And I need some sort of system for keeping track of what (and what variety) I have planted where. All the anticipation associated with starting a new garden is such lovely torment. Will the garlic grow? Are the blueberries in the right spot? What will the apples taste like? How big will the cherry get? Will the dog eat the asparagus?

[annecros]

Rhubard nubs are up, and my rosemary is showing signs of life!

←

God bless. Spring will return.

I have fruit set on every one of my tomatoes, the peas and beans are up, the cucumbers are trying to invade the lot next door. Nine freaking summer squashes. Bunching onions hairy.

I know I sound like I am bragging, but I must, becuase the fungus among us down here will soon take it's ugly toll.

[helenjp]

Here we're just moving into the "reliably in the 60s" (late teens in celsius) season.

I have spring-sown peas doing well, and of course lettuce and radish were the first to sprout in the cool temperatures.

I've also put in a whole-lot of autumn-sown greens such as mustard greens and mizuna, because the seed was going half price, and I'll harvest them so young they won't have a day to even think about bolting .

Nearly ready to sow zucchini and bitter melon. I figure that the local kids who sometimes destroy my plants will have a hard time getting the upper hand if they attempt close combat with a bitter melon vine.

By the way, what do keen cooks who garden in small areas appreciate/aim for most?

Apart from herbs and a wider variety of salad or boiled greens, I think the biggest plus for me is having a little of this and that (few peas, tomato etc) available when making bento lunches in the morning.

[annecros]

Here we're just moving into the "reliably in the 60s" (late teens in celsius) season.

By the way, what do keen cooks who garden in small areas appreciate/aim for most?

Apart from herbs and a wider variety of salad or boiled greens, I think the biggest plus for me is having a little of this and that (few peas, tomato etc) available when making bento lunches in the morning.

←

Herbs are not so big for me personally. Eh, I can buy and don't have to cultivate.

What I, want, most of all, is the garden taste. The just picked, perfectly ripe perfection, have a pot boiling before you go into the patch, kind of nirvana.

But, that's just me.

Anything canned or in the freezer is just gravy.

[hummingbirdkiss]

I am cutting my parsley and chives and using them like crazy right now ...I love this time of year when things are poking up through the ground ...all my bulbs are blooming except the tulips and they are next...

I have five way plums, five way dwarf cherries and five way dwarf Asian pears all bursting with blooms ...the fig tree is not showing buds yet...I want another one this year for sure (fig tree) they are so stunning and the leaves are so wonderful to use in the kitchen ...

I am going to lime my beds today ...plant my peas..(I am late on all this and should have done it a month ago ..but oh well)

pepper plants are started in the house ...

rosemary is ready to burst into blooms

and my Anna's hummingbird (he has lived with us for the past two winters) has two girlfriends this spring!!!

[annecros]

I am cutting my parsley and chives and using them like crazy right now ...I love this time of year when things are poking up through the ground ...all my bulbs are blooming except the tulips and they are next...

I have five way plums, five way dwarf cherries and five way dwarf Asian pears all bursting with blooms ...the fig tree is not showing buds yet...I want another one this year for sure (fig tree) they are so stunning and the leaves are so wonderful to use in the kitchen ...

I am going to lime my beds today ...plant my peas..(I am late on all this and should have done it a month ago ..but oh well)

pepper plants are started in the house ...

rosemary is ready to burst into blooms

and my Anna's hummingbird (he has lived with us for the past two winters)  has two girlfriends this spring!!!

←

Now see, now I'm jealous. I can't grow any stone fruit here, and apples and pears are right out the window! I can't even have tulips

Anything that needs a cold dormancy will not happen. You may be able to trick something with a time in the fridge, but they just never perform.

This is the time of year that I want to be around the dogwood and azalea that I grew up with. My Mom in Georgia says the dogwood are full of fat buds and ready to bust.

Oh well, I'll eat a banana and comfort myself!