Grow Veggies

Spring is  around the corner.  Let’s help the novices learn to grow their own vegetables and herbs.

77 Responses

  1. vbonnaire, on February 25th, 2009 at 5:00 PM Said:

    Okay!

    ps: I watched your depression chef Clara — nice touch showing who was eating the fare at the end? maybe the wagyu/petits fours set should watch the vid.

    LOL.

  2. Papoose, on February 25th, 2009 at 6:03 PM Said:

    Mmmmmm home grown veggies!!!

    My tip – surround/ your delectables with marigolds…in my experience they are nature’s way of deterring some buggies that love to chomp your seedlings. I think their fragrance is a repellant of some sort.

    Also sweet peas – the flowers, plant on St. Paddy’s day. They are so pretty and they are early birds if ya just can’t wait to get started.

    Happy Spring almost! Yay! It’s on its way!!

  3. HT, on February 25th, 2009 at 6:18 PM Said:

    how apropos! Just this morning I purchased a small portable greenhouse, seeds and seed pods filled with seed starter. Agree with Papoose re the marigolds, and plant garlic in and around green leafy veggies for the same deterent effect. I also have clumps of chives throughout. Great for salads, and ants don’t like them, although the bees love their flowers.

  4. Papoose, on February 25th, 2009 at 6:35 PM Said:

    Mmm home grown garlic… I am really in the mood. I think it may just be an herb garden for me this year, though. Best of luck and enjoy! HT.

    Portable greenhouse, do tell. Dimensions?

  5. Uppity Woman, on February 25th, 2009 at 7:56 PM Said:

    I have a portable from Plow and Hearth. It has 3 shelves and is about 5 ft high. I start my seeds in there. It has a heavy poly cover that fits over the whole unit and zippers up. I grow all of my own herbs. I freeze boatloads of rosemary, which I LOVE, I grow dill almost wild, and I grow basil of course, parsely, oregano and chives. Basil does NOT freeze well and neither do chives, so end of season, I dry them and have my spices for winter. However, I grow the basil indoors in winter in a southern exposure window. It works very well if you have the location.

    I’ll see if I can find that little hothouse for you.

  6. Uppity Woman, on February 25th, 2009 at 7:59 PM Said:

    Plow and Hearth doesn’t seem to carry it any longer. I’ve had it for awhile. Here it is. It’s not all that expensive and has held up well.

    http://www.ourcrazydeals.com/hobby-greenhouse-4-tier-growing–racks-.html

  7. gagirl, on February 25th, 2009 at 8:02 PM Said:

    Ohhhhh, can’t wait for spring!

    I have never even attempted garlic! I’ll bet that is divine! I may have to try that this year. I definitely want to do more herbs than usual……always have rosemary and basil. Have never tried freezing rosemary…..it sometimes makes it through the winter here, but didn’t this year. Always have way more tomatoes than I can even eat…….yuuuuuummmmmmmmm. I could truly live on tomatoes, basil and mozz all summer long.

    I’m inspired to plan!

  8. Uppity Woman, on February 25th, 2009 at 8:02 PM Said:

    Also for those who want to make an investment and do less weeding, there is Square Foot Gardening. They are basically boxes you place on the ground and fill with appropriate mix. The plants grow and you get no weeds. There’s an up front investment but the garden boxes will be there for you every year.

    here’s what they look like. You can find them in gardening outlets as well. I’ve seen similar ones at Home Depot off and on.

    http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

  9. Papoose, on February 25th, 2009 at 8:18 PM Said:

    Great! I just remembered! I have a portable in my shed. Received it for Mother’s Day a few years back. Yep, it’s 3 or 4 shelves with a plastic cover with zippers. I think it is a hibiscus color. Keep the herb tips coming, too. My new place must face southerly as I have to wear shades in the place when I’m her on weekends. I catch every sunrise to my left and the most brilliant sunsets to my right. I need a compass LOL! But it is so very bright here in the tree tops. Only real sadness about leaving home was darn dirt and the years and years of cultivating. Will miss my berry jams. :( though.

    Gotta run back to my beautiful home and raid the damn shed before they have a yard sale.

  10. Uppity Woman, on February 25th, 2009 at 8:22 PM Said:

    Well it’s a nice little thing for seeding and getting started early enough. You zip it up and it keeps the moisture in and protects the plants. You unzip it during the day for sun and close it up at night.

  11. Uppity Woman, on February 25th, 2009 at 8:28 PM Said:

    Garlic is easy Ga.

    You plant the clove, the shoot grows out of the ground. When the leaves die, you are ready to pull up the garlic bulb.

  12. Papoose, on February 25th, 2009 at 8:30 PM Said:

    Thank you for the links, very helpful and it puts me on track. I cannot wait to graph and plan which is the funnest part for me. I am inspired and can now put away my worthless ing statements. Never good with math but for some reason I am genius with a ruler and graph paper. This is a very caring and sharing thread for me personally. So thoughtful to add to your blog, upps. Next thing you know, I’ll be going to the Opera! U R 2 cool for words. Plus you read my mind.

  13. Uppity Woman, on February 25th, 2009 at 8:30 PM Said:

    The thing is, you are supposed to plant the cloves in the fall.

    But you CAN plant them in spring, but the garlic bulbs will be smaller.

  14. Papoose, on February 25th, 2009 at 8:41 PM Said:

    Homegrown garlic, radishes and scallions are so easy here in my region. They spread like crazy and it might be my imagination but they seem to be our bunnies favorites. May be because they hate them near their warren or they’re just bunnies that have a thing for something pungent in their salads. Aaahhh no bunnies this year. Damn wabbits. Bummer.

  15. Barbara, on February 25th, 2009 at 8:54 PM Said:

    I’ve been growing tomatoes, small lettuce, chives, rosemary, peppers, strawberries and snap peas on my porch at my house in NYC in containers for 3 years now with great success.

    Yum!

    Now how to frustrate and outright kill those maniac squirrels!

  16. Papoose, on February 25th, 2009 at 9:00 PM Said:

    Yes. Early November for cloves – bulbs in general, as they thrive in a deep frost.

    I wish our Country would give anything Obama up for Lent. Just think of all the nickels we’d have for the pagan babies if everyone paid up for each offense. Hmmm I think I’m on to something.Most stimulating.

    If I had a nickel for every time…

  17. Uppity Woman, on February 25th, 2009 at 9:04 PM Said:

    Oh cripes, I have every squirrel in the county on my land. They torture my dog and they hang off the pine tree in front of the back window and come face to face with my cat who wants to give his teeth into one of them.

    Squirrels are kind of afraid of cats but not dogs. One day I just KNOW I am going to go out back and my dog is going to have one of them in her mouth.

    They don’t bother gardens much though. My problem is slugs. They are so gross and they head for your garden at night. Rock salt is my friend. If you know where they are breeding. You circle the bed area with salt and they commit suicide when they cross the line.

  18. Uppity Woman, on February 25th, 2009 at 9:06 PM Said:

    I generally plant tomatoes, some leafy lettuces, peppers and sometimes beets because I love beets. I also plant cranberry beans. All you need are polls and they crawl right up just like jack and the beanstalk. You keep some and dry them and replant the next year. It’s a snap and they are soooooooooo good. I also like pole beans. I plant the beans behind the worshop out back so nobody really sees them and I don’t look like a hick.

  19. Uppity Woman, on February 25th, 2009 at 9:08 PM Said:

    Strawberries are easy to grow. All you need is an old wooden barrel and you drill holes in it, fill it with planting soil and wait.

  20. Uppity Woman, on February 25th, 2009 at 9:09 PM Said:

    I also have black raspberries on my land. But they were here already. Very tastey but you have to pick them the minute they ripen or every bird in the county will stop by and help himself.

  21. Uppity Woman, on February 25th, 2009 at 9:10 PM Said:

    Plant mint wild on your land. It spreads and it smells soooooooo good. Also, many pests hate mint.

  22. Freedom Fairy, on February 26th, 2009 at 6:18 AM Said:

    UW – I LOVE this link! I have never grown a garden, but decided this was the year. Dug up an 8×8 spot against my fence with great sun. Added a bunch of organic Garden Soil to make this sandy soil improve, and planted 2 types of Tomatoes, Crookneck Squash, Spinach, Carrots for cooking, and little watermelon! In pots, I have yellow Bell Peppers, Zucchini and am starting an orange tree.

    I AM LOVING IT, and I will take the tip re: Garlic. I knew about the Marigolds and will get some this weekend. Will also be able to build a lean-to of fabric against the fence to ward off the squirrels, – and of course, here, the Ibis and Great Blue that land in the back yard!

  23. Freedom Fairy, on February 26th, 2009 at 6:19 AM Said:

    BTW – I have mint in big pots on the porch, as well as more Basil.

  24. deadenders, on February 26th, 2009 at 7:46 AM Said:

    FF,
    Organic Garden Soil? Is that code for Black Cow?

  25. Freedom Fairy, on February 26th, 2009 at 8:09 AM Said:

    DE – It was actually a Miracle Gro product. Probably full of shit anyway

    :D

  26. mcnorman, on February 26th, 2009 at 12:31 PM Said:

    I have a pecan tree. Pecan pie. Yeah!

  27. Uppity Woman, on February 26th, 2009 at 12:51 PM Said:

    I got bartlett pears.

  28. gagirl, on February 26th, 2009 at 6:24 PM Said:

    There was some report today by a gardening association that more gardeners are becoming farmers!

  29. JC, on February 26th, 2009 at 10:43 PM Said:

    Garlic is easy to grow and like most herbs doesn’t require the greatest soil. I have a few places where it’s plentiful. However, I wouldn’t recommend planting it with annuals because if you don’t want it in the same spot for eternity you can forget it. I planted some in my garden one year and have never been able to get all the baby bulbs out. I prefer it to be in it’s own place where it can do it’s own thing and multiply all it wants. I’m not sure about other regions, but here in NC you can harvest the bulbs in the spring and the fall.

    Also, if you like Rosemary, they’re fairly easy to start by cuttings if you have room in your yard for more. I have a few rosemary bushes that were started from one short branch.

  30. gagirl, on February 26th, 2009 at 10:56 PM Said:

    Um, I didn’t finish that last comment, I just realized. It said the number of gardeners that have started growing their food for their own regular consumption has risen dramatically.
    We might get snow this weekend, but we are getting close to outside planting time.

  31. Freedom Fairy, on February 28th, 2009 at 9:43 AM Said:

    I have little Spinach Babies this morning and the tomatoes are putting out blooms! Crookneck Squash has taken hold and are growing like mad. Still waiting on the carrots and the watermelon.

    Potted Peppers, basil and Zucchinni are all fairing well.

    YIPPEE! I am a Vegetable Mom!

    Now, off to teach our at-risk youth the skill of Public Art. Perhaps they will be able to get a job as “Muralists for The State”… If not, at least they might be able to compose the Hobo Symbols!

  32. Uppity Woman, on February 28th, 2009 at 11:31 AM Said:

    Easy for you to say FF. You live in FLA. Up north, we still have frost. In fact, i get my tomato plants from a friend who comes up from South Carolina. SHe starts them a lot earlier down there.

  33. vbonnaire, on March 1st, 2009 at 1:55 PM Said:

    I have 2 orange trees and an apple I planted 10 or so years ago.
    On my back patio — herbs in pots… rosemary, chocolate mint, oregano, chives, marigolds.

    One year I did an entire potted garden… I bought those big plastic tubs that have rope handles — used a combo of steer manure and potting soil and put some tomato cages in — each planter had two tomato plants. I had lemon cucumbers and regular. Strawberries and so forth — you can do a lot of things with pots? Truly. I have dwarf tangerines and two lemon trees in pots.

    I need a bigger piece of land, I swear. With more sun!

    I need to weed the back yard, Uppity — but I’ll put in a spring garden and take some pix?

    Yeah.

    It’s really easy — mostly you just leave the plants alone and they do just fine, even some will self sow –?

    I want some land and a barn. 40 acres? That sounds about right.
    It does. I’m finished with work as a city type.

    hugs.

  34. vbonnaire, on March 1st, 2009 at 2:04 PM Said:

    ps: banana slugs?

    Oh—- they are about 5 inches long and um— an inch wide and umm– you just never, ever want to have to deal with that….or the snails….

    I heard a chicken did all that — last year this young couple down the street had two turkeys in their yard…seriously– in the middle of the city no less!

    you could hear them…..

    I had never seen a real turkey — I really hadn’t — till then.

  35. Uppity Woman, on March 1st, 2009 at 2:18 PM Said:

    Magic slug killer: Beer.

    Valentine, I have a friend who has wild turkeys on her land all the time. Fortunately for them she’s a vegetarian.

  36. vbonnaire, on March 1st, 2009 at 2:38 PM Said:

    Uppity!

    things gardeners can lust after!

    look how totally cute this is!

    !

    http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/sunshine.shtml

  37. noemptysuits, on March 1st, 2009 at 2:39 PM Said:

    Papoose, hello hello.
    I had to guffaw on reading this sage (no pun intended given the subject of this page) suggestion from you:

    “I wish our Country would give anything Obama up for Lent. Just think of all the nickels we’d have for the pagan babies if everyone paid up for each offense.”

    Missed your wit.

  38. vbonnaire, on March 1st, 2009 at 2:41 PM Said:

    I correct myself — I have seen wild turkeys! In childhood up by the Hearst Castle — but these were like big old American turkey turkeys and he planned to…

    well…

    Us city types…

    Ummmmmmmm……..even dealing with a slug gets hard.

    LOL!

  39. noemptysuits, on March 1st, 2009 at 2:41 PM Said:

    Tried a vegetable garden, and it bore delicious lettuce, tomatoes, sweet peas. The trouble is those tall vermin prevalent in these parts (a.k.a., deer), also tried the veg. garden, and left it fallow. Need to buy a shotgun.

  40. Uppity Woman, on March 1st, 2009 at 2:42 PM Said:

    Oooooooo yeah! I got a link to a whole bunch of those. One cuter than the last!

    http://www.ourcrazydeals.com/ho.html

  41. Uppity Woman, on March 1st, 2009 at 2:44 PM Said:

    LOL NES! NES shot Bambi!!!! Here, it’s bunnies.

  42. Uppity Woman, on March 1st, 2009 at 2:47 PM Said:

    Hey look at it this way, NES. It must have been a great garden. Deer don’t eat crap.

  43. vbonnaire, on March 1st, 2009 at 3:09 PM Said:

    see anyone could save up and get a greenhouse — on Uppity’s link.

    I was going through some old papers and I found plans I sent for — ages ago on how to build one…

    ps: on those plastic pots? You need to drill some holes in them? — they lasted about 4 years — but pots like that are like raised beds?
    they really worked in a sunny area I have near the garage — plus — way less slugs, in toto….

    another way to deal with the culprits?

    turn an old clay pot upside down and in the morning they will have all congregated there in a huddle…snails and slugs n’ — ?

    now you are making me want to go to the nursery, Uppity.

    the first garden I ever had was in college — on my little 8×6 patio — you would be amazed…how a gardener can do things –

    LOL!

    I want some land….

    I want a horse and a chicken!

    hugs.

    hahahahaha!

    OMG.

  44. noemptysuits, on March 1st, 2009 at 3:43 PM Said:

    It was a great veg garden, Uppity. But, I could’ve done with the deers’ approval.
    Do you, or anyone else posting here, know how to deal with the deer problem (short of a shotgun)?

  45. Freedom Fairy, on March 2nd, 2009 at 4:06 PM Said:

    About 10-12 years ago I planted a lemon seed from a store bought lemon in a large pot, after I started a sprout. I was in Atlanta, or south Georgia or somewhere. Anyhow, I drug that damn lemon all around with me as I moved from place to place. When I finally moved up north, I gave it to my sister (in Atlanta) to babysit. I spoke with her today and my new garden came up. She informed me that the lemon is STILL alive, still in a pot, and my ex-brother-in-law (sniff) drags it in and out of the house every summer. It spends the summer outside, gets pruned, and is brought back inside in the winter! Sis said it had a trunk now of about three inches diameter and although it has never had fruit, it does have lovely foliage and lots of thorns!

    Next trip to Atlanta, the little lemon may retire to Florida…

  46. Jude, on March 2nd, 2009 at 8:19 PM Said:

    I found this site on deer deterrents – looks like a lot of interesting ideas. Some of my friends use hair on the plantings and swear by it, but it looks like there are a variety of things that might help…

    http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf337915.tip.html

    I try to grow a small garden every year, but the results definitely vary. I think I’ll try to employ some of the tips here to see if they help.

  47. deadenders, on March 2nd, 2009 at 9:01 PM Said:

    Jude the best deer deterrent is Venison.

  48. Uppity Woman, on March 2nd, 2009 at 10:34 PM Said:

    DE killed Bambi!!!!

  49. deadenders, on March 2nd, 2009 at 11:13 PM Said:

    No UW but I’ve eaten Bambi several time and it was delicious.

  50. Uppity Woman, on March 3rd, 2009 at 7:35 AM Said:

    I confess DE, I must agree.

  51. Barbara, on March 4th, 2009 at 9:51 AM Said:

    Bambi? Well I am severely allergic to all game but hey – IF IT’S BROWN IT’S DOWN! These are tough times!

    BTW I even have my own composter in the back. Last year was the first I got to use my own compost and stuff grew like crazy. At least it didn’t glow in the dark ;)

  52. CJ, on March 21st, 2009 at 12:25 AM Said:

    Uppity, sending you kind regards for this garden page. I just went to OurCrazyDeals.com and purchased a portable greenhouse. (You should get commission…LOL). I am inspired…thanks! Also, just wanted to let you know that I loved your piece about your grandpa’s camp and your childhood visits. It really stirred my emotions!

  53. Uppity Woman, on March 21st, 2009 at 8:34 AM Said:

    Thank you CJ! May your garden multiply!

  54. Uppity Woman, on March 21st, 2009 at 10:22 PM Said:

    IIn addition to my regular veggies, ‘m going to grow pole beans this year too. I’m so excited. I have the poles and everything.

  55. Uppity Woman, on March 22nd, 2009 at 4:11 AM Said:

    Incidentally, for those of you who would like to order HARDY seeds, go here

    http://www.burpee.com/home.do

  56. Mattynr, on April 24th, 2009 at 3:33 AM Said:

    Yesterday was Earth Day. What did you do?

    Why do in one day what you should be doing all the time?
    It is like going to Church on Easter.

    We should share ideas…….. it would be fun to share,
    lets do it.

    I use canvas bags ALWAYS for shopping and not just
    food stuff.

    I recycle all bottles/cans and I save the bubble peanuts
    in a large bag to take to Box City so they can use them
    again.

    In Los Angeles, we separate out trash ….. Black for garbage, Green for lawn and tree trimmings and
    Blue for paper, plastics, cans, almost everything.

    I haven’t done this yet, but I am thinking of taking my own
    “to go” containers when we go out to eat.
    Not the upper end restaurants unless the containers were
    also classy. :)

    I don’t have a lot of room but enjoy planting my own
    tomatoes, cherry and regular and our weather allows
    harvest well into December.
    A few squash plants….. 3 kinds … that is about it, in
    the growing department.
    Sometimes Bell peppers, they are pretty and look nice
    mixed with flowers….. any kind of peppers really.

    If you have a space problem you can grow potatoes
    in a large yard trash bag.
    Poke a few drainage holes….. fill the bag with potting
    soil 1/3 full…. roll the sides down to the level of the soil,
    plant the seed potatoes with the eyes
    looking up, 2 inches deep…… water good ….
    when the plants start to grow, add more soil up to the
    leaves as they grow…… it will take 3 months….when they are ready and the leaves die….. just take a knife and pop
    the bag and your potatoes will spill out.
    Fun stuff…… kids will like this.

    See, we city folks are farmers too……. hee hee

  57. vbonnaire, on April 26th, 2009 at 10:19 AM Said:

    Uppity!

    Non big M seed—look what I just saw over at morrissey’s column….

    http://www.survivalseedbank.com/

    these are the heirloom kinds of seeds–”open pollinated” means bees pollinate them and you can save them year to year!

    Shepherds seeds has them too I think — try and speak to local organic people in your towns–they will know where to find seeds like these….

  58. Uppity Woman, on April 26th, 2009 at 11:44 AM Said:

    Most of the survival sites sell those seeds. They also last for something like five years in their containers.

    Basically, what they are is NON HYBRID seeds. They are not genetically engineered. They are regular seeds you and I grew up with before big Agri Industry took over our lives and bodies and made it impossible for us to grow things without checking in with them first, via their seeds. In other words MONSANTO didn’t produce them.

  59. Uppity Woman, on May 1st, 2009 at 1:17 AM Said:

    Ok I am having a sh*t fit here. I cat sat a friend’s cat who decided to jump on the upper ledge of the sun porch, where I had my beautiful burpee special pepper seeds just oh so delicately beginning to sprout. He tipped the container of 24 lovingly planted and nurtured plant pods onto the floor, where all the dirt just plopped out of the cubby holes onto the floor. I scooped it all up and dropped it into a tray in hopes at least a few will come through.

    I am also rubbing my hands together as my SLUGGO arrived today. In the morning, at the crack of dawn, I shall be sprinkling it all over the den of the ZILLION slugs that think they are going to spend the summer here, eating my garden. I have no guilt. don’t even try to make me feel badly for these slimy bastages.

  60. Uppity Woman, on May 16th, 2009 at 10:43 PM Said:

    Sluggo. A HIT! No more slugs. Not harmful to animals either. The slugs eat it and then they can’t even anymore. Ever. So they die. I have had a hell of a time with slugs in past years. No more. Yippee!

  61. utahwoman, on May 17th, 2009 at 2:18 AM Said:

    Put my garden in today. Carrots, Peas, Beets, radishes, Corn, Squash, cucumbers, watermelon, cantelope, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, bok choy, several lettuces, pumpkins, bell peppers, egg plant, jalepeno peppers, and got the garlic, rosemary, chives, basil, thyme, sage, lavender and lemon grass in the other one. I have grape vines on the place from hell, Thompson seedless and Concord enough to supply Welches. Bet the birds will be happy because it will be a cold day in hell when I eat a grape. Nasty things. Three huge apple trees already to loaded and 5 Cherry trees heavy with fruit. I will be doing a ton of canning and jelly making in a month or so. Can’t wait to get some fresh apple butter. Now I have to find some horse radish.

  63. Uppity Woman, on May 20th, 2009 at 11:08 PM Said:

    Utah, I got non hybrid tomato plants this year. And pepper seeds. This means I can grow these buggers’ seeds again next year, just like my grandfather used to do. You just save the seeds from some of the tomatoes. My mother did it by wiping the seeds on a paper towel and storing them in a dark place in winter. Then she just planted the seeds with the piece of paper towle. I am also growing bush beans!

  64. deadenders, on May 20th, 2009 at 11:22 PM Said:

    Uppity I’m sure it’s a hybrid plant (home depot) but it’s called a patio tomato plant. We have two of them, we bought them in September and they just keep producing really good medium sized tomatoes. We have another plant that we grew from a tomato that when cut in half had spouts starting to grow inside of itself. I’ll email you a photo.

  65. Uppity Woman, on May 21st, 2009 at 9:20 AM Said:

    What a beautiful day we are having! I am going to cultivate the garden. I have one of those mantis tillers and I just love that thang. It not only tills, but you reverse the tines and you get to cultivate weeds, there’s also a dethatcher and an edger attachment. YOu could spent days playing with this thing.

  66. utahwoman, on May 23rd, 2009 at 10:37 AM Said:

    my garden is up and starting to show signs of a bountiful harvest. Now I have to go get boatloads of jars to do my canning. Have so much fruit here it is sad because I will never be able nor do I want it all. Guess I will call a charity to come get what I do not want.

  67. cats, on June 5th, 2009 at 9:34 AM Said:

    I’m trying to renovate my garden. It was very lush than a hurricane kind of changed that some. I’m finally into re-vamping it. We have really crappy soil (more like sand) so I have started building raised bed gardens to grow herbs and veggies. Now that one is complete, the question is what can you grow in S. Fla in the summer that won’t lay down and die (other than peppers)/

    If anyone is into tropical gardens I have to share a site with you – it is the most inspiring site I have found: http://hoeandshovel.blogspot.com/

    BTW – M. Obama’s organic garden is in the news today. I am not one to defend an Obama, but I have to stick up for her on this one. She is getting crap from the food industry and pesticide industry because she is growing organic. Pretty pathetic but so typical of them.

  68. utahwoman, on August 14th, 2009 at 10:46 PM Said:

    Oh yum I had fresh out of the garden corn, cukes and squash with scallions. I love my garden.

  69. Uppity Woman, on August 14th, 2009 at 10:55 PM Said:

    Chit utah, the slugs destroyed half my produce. I lost three tomato plants and three more weren’t too happy. That leaves three that look like they are surviving well. They left my lettuce and peppers alone, and my beans are doing well, but my tomatoes mean the most to me because I make marinara sauce and freeze it for the winter. But I have to tell you, I was beering a hundred or more of them a night for a week. And I’m still doing it. Next year, I will not tolerate this, I put my heart into my growing and this is just not rights. I will beer from May through the whole summer next year. Also, we had so much rain, a lot of my friends ended up with blighted tomatoes. Very sad.

  70. surfergrrl, on August 21st, 2009 at 10:14 PM Said:

    What I’ve learned so far…..

    I took red bell pepper seeds from a pepper I bought and tried to grow them. To my consternation, after many many days of waiting for germination…nothing….

    Turns out that red bell pepper seeds are some of the most difficult to germinate because the soil needs to be very warm. I parked the tray on top of my stove so that the soil could catch the ambient heat from the burners and voila!!!

    After several days of waiting I now have red bell pepper seedlings. Yahoo!!!!!!

  71. Uppity Woman, on August 21st, 2009 at 10:31 PM Said:

    I grow all my peppers from seedlings. If you are planning to put them in the ground, make sure they are outdoors for several days in their pots to adjust first.

    Also, not many people know this, but if you have a LARGE HIGH pot, you can grow peppers in that pot outside without a worry. I right now have three huge bell pepper plants yielding like crazy in pots.

  72. surfergrrl, on August 21st, 2009 at 10:42 PM Said:

    UW,

    I’m trying to do it indoors with east facing windows and grow lights. We’ll see how it goes….. Do you think it will work?

  73. Uppity Woman, on August 21st, 2009 at 10:59 PM Said:

    I am not sure, Surfer, I’m no light grower. The east window is a good idea so long as you have a lot of sun days, but once again, the pot will have to graduate to large and I do know they need plenty of direct sunlight. You might also think about a seaweed mixture to feed it with.

    Oh and prune those seedlings to two per cell maximum when they reach two inches, ok?

  75. surfergrrl, on August 23rd, 2009 at 2:47 AM Said:

    Thanks Uppity!

    That article was VERY helpful! Will take your advice on the seedlings. Good to know…..

  76. Uppity Woman, on August 23rd, 2009 at 12:21 PM Said:

    I just had a salad and I just want to say, It just doesn’t get any better than when you make a salad and everything in it you grew with your own hands. The romaine, the peppers, the tomatoes, the carrots, the beets and not one pesticide, and you kNOW it’s fresh because you just picked it.

    Just wanted to say that.

    For those who do not understand the relationship a person can have with his or her garden and what it can do for you, please read, Tending The Earth Mending The Spirit, The Healing Gifts of Gardening – Goldman and Mahler.

  77. utahwoman, on September 7th, 2009 at 10:31 PM Said:

    Well I have canned tons and have a freezer full. Now learning all the things you can do to cabbage since I went over board there lol. Brussels sprouts are starting to take shape. Now I am getting some really huge pumpkins but for the most part the garden is done other then squash, tomatoes and peppers.

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