Few quick notes:
- The sweet potato finally decided to put out little nubbins of slips. I was about to give up on it. I guess even the warm room isn't warm enough until this time of year.
- I went grocery shopping at one of the further-away grocery stores and of course just had to pop into the garden center. I take the bus and I already had a heavy bag of groceries. I left with a San Marzano tomato. Haha. This chain seems to have at least one or two heirloom tomatoes each year. In 2014 (I guess it was) it was Brandywine, and I've saved the seeds and grown it every year since. The first plant was great and so are the subsequent ones. I hope I like the San Marzano, too.
I really miss working shorter hours and/or being straight-up laid off this time of year. I'm working full time, I don't get home until the yard is almost in complete shade, and I'm just damn tired.
Newly acquired seedlings: Tiny Tim tomato, Yellow Pear tomato, Hot Portugal pepper.
I did those HP peppers last year. They were really nice. I planned on overwintering it, but forgot about it and it died. I think I'll save seeds this year just in case. Haha.
I think I want to do more dwarf tomatoes next year. It's a good way to use up space where other veggie plants would just be too big.
It's the holiday weekend here, and I'm off work until Tuesday. Unfortunately, the weather is supposed to be cool, crappy and rainy. It's good enough for the tomatoes to be out, but I don't want to leave the peppers out overnight yet. Maybe next weekend. The night time low temps are going to be 8-12 C / 47-53 F.
I'm trying to pace myself with getting plants out, because of my back. Four tomatoes have been moved in.
I did those HP peppers last year. They were really nice. I planned on overwintering it, but forgot about it and it died. I think I'll save seeds this year just in case. Haha.
I think I want to do more dwarf tomatoes next year. It's a good way to use up space where other veggie plants would just be too big.
It's the holiday weekend here, and I'm off work until Tuesday. Unfortunately, the weather is supposed to be cool, crappy and rainy. It's good enough for the tomatoes to be out, but I don't want to leave the peppers out overnight yet. Maybe next weekend. The night time low temps are going to be 8-12 C / 47-53 F.
I'm trying to pace myself with getting plants out, because of my back. Four tomatoes have been moved in.
It's going to be a nice sunny day today, 22C/72F. I hope to get the rest of the tomatoes settled in. Peppers are still in their storage tub going in and out. Heh heh, I leave them on the kitchen counter every night and I make a tent out of garbage bags and the one kitchen cupboard, so the cat stays away from them. 
Here are the peps, big and bad.
Last Tuesday, the sweet potato was just thinking about putting out slips. They were little black knobs. Five days later:
I think I managed to do the sweet potato upside-down! 
The cucumbers germinated. Nothing from the pumpkin or zucchini yet.
(ETA) I got the Tiny Tim, Kashi, Yellow Pear and the other Brandywine planted. I also brought the cucumber seedlings out for the day.
Other little project: I took down our crappy old blinds last fall, and I saved them so I could make markers a la SFG. I did that today. They're more flimsy than I thought. Meh, better than nothing.
Here are the peps, big and bad.
The cucumbers germinated. Nothing from the pumpkin or zucchini yet.
(ETA) I got the Tiny Tim, Kashi, Yellow Pear and the other Brandywine planted. I also brought the cucumber seedlings out for the day.
Other little project: I took down our crappy old blinds last fall, and I saved them so I could make markers a la SFG. I did that today. They're more flimsy than I thought. Meh, better than nothing.
I have had a problem with my yellow pear tomatoes the last two years. They'll be doing well, put out a few clusters of tomatoes, and then BAM. They lose vigor and die. It happened to about half of them last year. This year ALL of them died. Something I'm doing, or something in the environment, is not to their liking. My other tomatoes, right there with them, have no trouble. Hopefully your yellow pear tomatoes are hardier than mine.
Bummer, Boboe. My fingers are crossed, but I won't be too disappointed if they don't do well. I'm not even a big fan of cherry tomatoes! Haha. I just thought they looked cute, and I'm always up for buying a new heirloom variety.
The two zucchini germinated. Pumpkin is still asleep.
They're outside with the peppers right now. It's a beautiful 26C. The peppers stayed out all night, since the low was 13C. One good thing about getting up at 4:00 am for work is that I can check the weather and bring them in if the temp is getting colder than predicted.
...Okay, that's the ONLY good thing about getting up at 4:00 am for work.
The two zucchini germinated. Pumpkin is still asleep.
They're outside with the peppers right now. It's a beautiful 26C. The peppers stayed out all night, since the low was 13C. One good thing about getting up at 4:00 am for work is that I can check the weather and bring them in if the temp is getting colder than predicted.
...Okay, that's the ONLY good thing about getting up at 4:00 am for work.
The weather forecast changed - no more nights below 13C, so I installed the peppers. I still have a few tomatoes to do. My back was barking at me last night. I'll do the tomatoes tonight or over the weekend.
(Ignore all the damn garlic mustard on the right. I yank out a few plants a day.)
Note for next year: get some flowers for the bumblebees. They're hanging around, but I have nothing for them. They won't have their cucumber flowers for a while still.
Note for next year: get some flowers for the bumblebees. They're hanging around, but I have nothing for them. They won't have their cucumber flowers for a while still.
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applestar
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Do you have room for blueberries? They were all over the blossoms earlier (a couple of weeks ago?) here. They also love my patch of comfrey. I let them at the flowers, then cut the flowerstalks down before they go to seed (mine are seed-grown and will self-seed). The also take care of the strawberries too.
...I know all about the barking back — I anticipate more of that later today...
...I know all about the barking back — I anticipate more of that later today...
Thanks, Applestar. I tried a blueberry a few years ago and it died. Hrmph. I'd love to find an early spring flower for them. In a few weeks, there will be lots of flowers, but in the meantime...
I got the rest of the tomatoes out today. Now it's just the zukes and cukes under lights/being hardened off. I might put them out tomorrow.
I got the rest of the tomatoes out today. Now it's just the zukes and cukes under lights/being hardened off. I might put them out tomorrow.
Cukes, zukes and pumpkin are in the ground. I procrastinated this week because I just wasn't feeling well in the evenings. Note to self: book vacation the third week of May next year (and hope the weather is the same.)
That means it's time to disassemble the grow-op - my greenhouse shelf in the kitchen. I set it up in March. My kitchen is so tiny, it's nice to get that space back. Back to the basement it goes.
Absent is the aluminum foil around the plants, removed for the pic. It's probably not even that effective at reflecting light, but it keeps the cat away!
The stockpile of 2L pop bottles is for cloches. I cut the labels off, cut the bottoms off, and voila.
I have lots of little tiny peppers. I was worried the flowers would drop because of being transplanted, but they seem pretty happy so far.
That means it's time to disassemble the grow-op - my greenhouse shelf in the kitchen. I set it up in March. My kitchen is so tiny, it's nice to get that space back. Back to the basement it goes.
The stockpile of 2L pop bottles is for cloches. I cut the labels off, cut the bottoms off, and voila.
I have lots of little tiny peppers. I was worried the flowers would drop because of being transplanted, but they seem pretty happy so far.
The container toms and peppers are alright.
The in-ground tomatoes look pretty good, too, though I didn't take a pic. On the opposite side of the yard from the containers, there are containers with a cherokee purple, a feuerwerk, and a mystery orange. The latter two don't look good. The orange might not be getting enough light, but they looked pretty lousy before I planted them out. Maybe they'll bounce back.
Wow, it's mid-June already. My garden's doing pretty well. The weather hasn't been bad. We had quite a few chilly nights around 10-14C / 50s F, but I doubt that stressed the plants much.
I took these pics at about 6:00 am. The sun was just starting to peek through the fence.
The containers (most of them)
The opposite side
Closer to the middle
I'm trying an experiment. I have two zucchini plants. One is probably getting better light, because it's already bigger, so this isn't very scientific - but one has a tomato cage around it. I want to see if hustling the leaves upward a bit will help improve the powdery mildew situation. They succumb to it every year. I'll get a good harvest anyway, but it would be nice to slow it down enough to get a few more zukes. We'll see.
There are a few tiny tomatoes appearing, as well as peppers. The peppers on the mini orange bells were fast. I had a few jalapenos, but something came along and ate them.
I'm so mad. It's not like the fruit just fell off and rotted; it's completely gone. I might have to try pouring cayenne pepper all over the soil and leaves.
I took these pics at about 6:00 am. The sun was just starting to peek through the fence.
The containers (most of them)
There are a few tiny tomatoes appearing, as well as peppers. The peppers on the mini orange bells were fast. I had a few jalapenos, but something came along and ate them.
I'm so mad. It's not like the fruit just fell off and rotted; it's completely gone. I might have to try pouring cayenne pepper all over the soil and leaves.-
applestar
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Looking good! I’m itching to plant some containers myself. I have to mix up the big bale of ProMix with amendments... and I keep finding other things to do....
The Jalapeño fruits... were the fruits the only thing eaten? I assume they were still green? No missing leaves? — then I would suspect hornworms or climbing cutworms.
To find the climbing cutworms, try using s hand rake and scratching around the soil at base of the plant and, if in container, tilt the container up and scratch underneath as well. I’ve found them that way (usually by accident). But I usually catch them as they are thinking about or ARE going back down the plant in the dawn/pre-dawn light when it’s become just light enough to see.
The Jalapeño fruits... were the fruits the only thing eaten? I assume they were still green? No missing leaves? — then I would suspect hornworms or climbing cutworms.
To find the climbing cutworms, try using s hand rake and scratching around the soil at base of the plant and, if in container, tilt the container up and scratch underneath as well. I’ve found them that way (usually by accident). But I usually catch them as they are thinking about or ARE going back down the plant in the dawn/pre-dawn light when it’s become just light enough to see.
Thanks Applestar. Nope, no sign of buggoes. I've had a slug problem in previous years, but I've preemptively put bait on the soil.
Not much new this week. I had to tie the Taladega cucumber up to the trellis; it's getting tall. The Straight 8, not so much yet. I tied up the tomatoes, also.
Zucchini is looking pretty good. I need to get on spraying them with H2O2. It's cool, rainy and damp this weekend.
I've got nice little dwarf tomatoes coming in. The Red Robins look much better this year than previous years. I think they're just in a precarious spot - the hanging basket that gets sun all day. It's pretty easy to forget about them and let them dry out. I'm good at that.
My DH works across from an event planner, and they often bring leftover flowers to the office, which DH brings home for me. They must have been involved in a plant sale, because we inherited some really nice herbs. They need the planters back on Monday, so I want to find a container for them. I also need to google around and figure out if/when they can/should be brought in for the fall.
Not much new this week. I had to tie the Taladega cucumber up to the trellis; it's getting tall. The Straight 8, not so much yet. I tied up the tomatoes, also.
Zucchini is looking pretty good. I need to get on spraying them with H2O2. It's cool, rainy and damp this weekend.
I've got nice little dwarf tomatoes coming in. The Red Robins look much better this year than previous years. I think they're just in a precarious spot - the hanging basket that gets sun all day. It's pretty easy to forget about them and let them dry out. I'm good at that.
My DH works across from an event planner, and they often bring leftover flowers to the office, which DH brings home for me. They must have been involved in a plant sale, because we inherited some really nice herbs. They need the planters back on Monday, so I want to find a container for them. I also need to google around and figure out if/when they can/should be brought in for the fall.
Herbs in the long container between the lettuce.
L -> R , I believe they're lavender, sage, basil (rear, in the ground), dill (front, in the container), rosemary. There were two different types of basil; the other one is off to the left, in the ground, outside of the pic.
Ho hum. Rainy day.
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Ho hum. Rainy day.
We’re in the midst of record-breaking heat right now. Everything’s taken off.
- Tomatoes all look good except for the Brandywine not getting enough light. Even the Mystery Orange - also in a spot with insufficient light - is at least flowering. There are Yellow Pear, Red Robin and Tiny Tim thinking about ripening.
- Zucchini both look good, with the first male flowers this week.
- Taladega cukes have quite a few female flowers, but the Straight 8 is a little slower. That’s okay; how many flippin’ cucumbers do I need at once, anyway? Heh.
- The pumpkin is already becoming a monster.
- I have peas ready, but there were so few of them, I’m just going to save the seeds.
- I have Swiss chard in a container. I thought I had two plants, but one turned out to be a dandelion. LOL. It’s actually big and healthy, and I’m going to pull it today and put it in my salad.
- Peppers: the fruits on the CalWonders are pretty small, as are the plants. That’s a bit disappointing. The jalapeños look better, though they’re not too productive. I have one (1) jalapeño looking like it wants to be eaten. Heh. The Hot Portugal is doing well, I suppose... I’m not sure how big the plant normally gets. It’s getting a lot of midday shade. The Mini Orange Bells are the winners so far in the pepper department. I might grab a couple of unripened ones today.
Small update:
- I'll have a zucchini probably tomorrow or Tuesday!
- I might get a Taladega cucumber this week, too.
- I've noticed some little bugs (not sure what kind) buzzing about the cucumber flowers, but I'm still saddened by the total absence of bumblebees.
- I pruned the basil and made some pesto, but I haven't used it yet. It's going in the freezer today.
- I got my first tomato! LOL. One single Tiny Tim.
- We had a nice salad yesterday, along with our fish and garlic dill cream sauce.
- I'll have a zucchini probably tomorrow or Tuesday!
- I might get a Taladega cucumber this week, too.
- I've noticed some little bugs (not sure what kind) buzzing about the cucumber flowers, but I'm still saddened by the total absence of bumblebees.
- I pruned the basil and made some pesto, but I haven't used it yet. It's going in the freezer today.
- I got my first tomato! LOL. One single Tiny Tim.
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Quick update, since I was sitting outside yesterday and bored. The weather got hazy and hence decent for pics.
So I did finally see a bumblebee, for two days in a row now. I guess they really want those cucumber flowers. Unfortunately, it was a bit too late for this incompletely-fertilized (I assume?) zucchini.
It was still delicious. I spiralized it, sauteed it in butter, and added some leftover chicken plus some homemade pesto that did up last week when I trimmed the basil. (Hint: if you have a ton of pesto, freeze it in an ice cube tray, then store the cubes in a freezer bag or container. Works great.) This is such a nice quick meal with easy cleanup.
This makes me happy: these Yellow Pear toms have made the biggest cluster I think I've ever had in my limited experience.
The sweet potatoes are miles ahead of where they were the last time I did them. I hope they keep it up, and we have a long summer. (Cameo by Kitty)
While I blinked (apparently,) the pumpkin turned left instead of right. Oops. Oh well, I guess that's how I'll be tying it to the fence.
The peppers and toms in containers:
The weather got hazy and hence decent for pics.So I did finally see a bumblebee, for two days in a row now. I guess they really want those cucumber flowers. Unfortunately, it was a bit too late for this incompletely-fertilized (I assume?) zucchini.
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I spiralized it, sauteed it in butter, and added some leftover chicken plus some homemade pesto that did up last week when I trimmed the basil. (Hint: if you have a ton of pesto, freeze it in an ice cube tray, then store the cubes in a freezer bag or container. Works great.) This is such a nice quick meal with easy cleanup. This makes me happy: these Yellow Pear toms have made the biggest cluster I think I've ever had in my limited experience.
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Harvested since the last update:
- a cluster of Yellow Pear tomatoes
- lots of Red Robin and Tiny Tim; they're almost done
- the first Cherokee Purple
- 2 zucchini
- a Talladega cucumber
- 2 ripened mini orange bells + 3 picked green
- 5 jalapenos
I can't wait to make zoodles this week. I can grab some fresh basil from the yard, too.
I'll also use the spiralizer to make an Asian cucumber salad. My DH loved this. It's just spiralized cucumber and carrot, some chopped onion, maybe chopped red bell pepper for colour, and a dressing of soy sauce/sesame oil/sugar or sweetener.
It's that time of year where some of the plants are looking pretty sad. I've had to trim off the bottom leaves on most of the tomatoes, pumpkin and cucumber; and the outer leaves of the zucchini.
- a cluster of Yellow Pear tomatoes
- lots of Red Robin and Tiny Tim; they're almost done
- the first Cherokee Purple
- 2 zucchini
- a Talladega cucumber
- 2 ripened mini orange bells + 3 picked green
- 5 jalapenos
I can't wait to make zoodles this week. I can grab some fresh basil from the yard, too.
I'll also use the spiralizer to make an Asian cucumber salad. My DH loved this. It's just spiralized cucumber and carrot, some chopped onion, maybe chopped red bell pepper for colour, and a dressing of soy sauce/sesame oil/sugar or sweetener.
It's that time of year where some of the plants are looking pretty sad. I've had to trim off the bottom leaves on most of the tomatoes, pumpkin and cucumber; and the outer leaves of the zucchini.
Phew, I'm on vacation this week. I can't wait to clean up the yard. It looks so sloppy right now. That's what working the early shift does to you, I guess.
Monday's haul and Thursday's haul, respectively. Guess we better get eatin'.
Time to make ABTs again!! 
Monday's haul and Thursday's haul, respectively. Guess we better get eatin'.
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Notes:
- The weather's been nice, but we're in another heat wave this weekend.
- I got another zucchini this week.
- There are 2 Straight 8 cukes I'll be able to pick any time. I hope they haven't gone bitter. The plant doesn't look too great.
- I might not get a pumpkin this year. The females flowers died, probably because of coinciding with really hot weather.
- The CalWonder peppers are ripening now. All both of them.
- There are still new jalapenos and Mini Orange Bells flowering. Those plants have done really well.
- I've harvested two big Hot Portugal peppers.
- The big tomatoes are starting to ripen now.
Feuerwerk:
Others:
I pick them at first blush and ripen them in a paper bag with a banana, because if I let them stay on the vine, the squirrels get them.
- The weather's been nice, but we're in another heat wave this weekend.
- I got another zucchini this week.
- There are 2 Straight 8 cukes I'll be able to pick any time. I hope they haven't gone bitter. The plant doesn't look too great.
- I might not get a pumpkin this year. The females flowers died, probably because of coinciding with really hot weather.
- The CalWonder peppers are ripening now. All both of them.
- There are still new jalapenos and Mini Orange Bells flowering. Those plants have done really well.
- I've harvested two big Hot Portugal peppers.
- The big tomatoes are starting to ripen now.
Feuerwerk:
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I've really enjoyed reading about your garden, KayJay 
Sometimes a smaller space has the advantage of forcing you to be resourceful. I have an orchard that I'm using for my veg garden and it's probably around a 1/4 acre. When I first set out my plan, I just sat and stared at the space not knowing where to begin! Since planting my first bed, I've changed it all around a couple of times and now I have a better idea of where I'm going
Sometimes a smaller space has the advantage of forcing you to be resourceful. I have an orchard that I'm using for my veg garden and it's probably around a 1/4 acre. When I first set out my plan, I just sat and stared at the space not knowing where to begin! Since planting my first bed, I've changed it all around a couple of times and now I have a better idea of where I'm going Hello Yarrow, thank you!! Yes, you're correct. A smaller space - be it a garden or your kitchen or whatever - can force you to set limits for yourself and not get overwhelmed. I have a very small kitchen, but I've almost become grateful for that - if I had a huge kitchen, I can see myself filling it with all kinds of gadgets, appliances, and dishes that I DON'T NEED. Not for two working adults and a cat. Likewise with the garden, I'm growing enough for us to eat, some to preserve, and not so much that it ends up rotting on the plant because I can't deal with it.
So, in the last week, I've plucked a few more tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. I made cucumber chips in the dehydrator. I forgot how much I liked them. Today, I made some pico de gallo, about a quart of tomato puree, and I diced peppers for the freezer.
I was disappointed that my pumpkin plant didn't take off before the heat waves and fungal diseases hit. The plant is still alive and sending out male flowers, but the female flowers rotted off before they even opened. I thought I was out of luck... but look what I spotted today:
I'm so excited! I hope it lives, and we can have a Halloween pumpkin again. I'll be crossing my fingers that it matures before the first frost. A few years ago, I had a mature pumpkin on my kitchen table at this time of year. Weird.
So, in the last week, I've plucked a few more tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. I made cucumber chips in the dehydrator. I forgot how much I liked them. Today, I made some pico de gallo, about a quart of tomato puree, and I diced peppers for the freezer.
I was disappointed that my pumpkin plant didn't take off before the heat waves and fungal diseases hit. The plant is still alive and sending out male flowers, but the female flowers rotted off before they even opened. I thought I was out of luck... but look what I spotted today:
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I finally found some organza gift baggies for bagging blossoms! They're in the seed box for next year.
I made some pico de gallo a couple of days ago, and some basil pesto yesterday. We had it with chicken and zucchini noodles. Delish.
A few more Red Robin tomatoes are ripening. I'm impressed that it's lasted this long.
I made some pico de gallo a couple of days ago, and some basil pesto yesterday. We had it with chicken and zucchini noodles. Delish.
A few more Red Robin tomatoes are ripening. I'm impressed that it's lasted this long.
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applestar
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Ha! Bagging blossoms can get addictive. Just be aware that excessive heat, humidity and fungal issues can cause blossom drop and polle set failure and sometimes unbagged ones set while bagged ones won’t.
Did that pumpkin make it? It looks way up in the air. You’ll be using some kind of sling for it no doubt. How fun!
Did that pumpkin make it? It looks way up in the air. You’ll be using some kind of sling for it no doubt. How fun!
Thanks for the visit, folks!
Applestar, the pumpkin is doing okay. It's basically resting on the fence. I'll have to figure something out. The vine feels quite stiff and I obviously don't want to snap it.
imafan, I like the yellow pear, but I'm not much of a tomato flavour connoisseur. My husband really likes them, and I like the health of the plant and the steady rate of production, so I'll probably grow them again.
Applestar, the pumpkin is doing okay. It's basically resting on the fence. I'll have to figure something out. The vine feels quite stiff and I obviously don't want to snap it.
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That is an option. I have lots of little baskets around the house. I really want it to hang off my side of the fence, though. I have lots of a-hole neighbors. They don't need to see a pumpkin growing. I kinda don't want to deal with it right now because there's a huge, beautiful spider web blocking it. Spidey is a pretty big dude.
Speaking of big dudes... GROSS
The first time I've ever seen one. I just about peed my pants. Someone get me a blowtorch.
Speaking of big dudes... GROSS
The first time I've ever seen one. I just about peed my pants. Someone get me a blowtorch.
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Sigh. Labour Day weekend again already.
Here's what I ended up doing with the pumpkin:
I decided to sacrifice my Halloween tights. Appropriate, I guess. LOL. 
Not much else new. I've gotten quite a few tomatoes. The zucchini plants are just about dead from powdery and downy mildew, but still trying to produce, so I'll leave them for now and keep spraying. Tomato plants are also needing trimmed from the bottom up. Lots of brown, dying leaves. Still pretty healthy, though. Even the Mystery Orange, which did not get enough light, grew tall enough to reach the light eventually and there's one (1) tomato that I'll let ripen for seeds.
Cucumbers are almost done. The lettuce and basil are both flowering. Pepper plants look good, although the Hot Portugal is pretty much done. Jalapenos are still churning away. I have one more Early Calwonder on the plant. The sweet potato vines look good, but they're not getting much sunlight anymore. I might try planting them against the fence next year, or making some kind of A-frame trellis to put in the container with them.
Here's what I ended up doing with the pumpkin:
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Not much else new. I've gotten quite a few tomatoes. The zucchini plants are just about dead from powdery and downy mildew, but still trying to produce, so I'll leave them for now and keep spraying. Tomato plants are also needing trimmed from the bottom up. Lots of brown, dying leaves. Still pretty healthy, though. Even the Mystery Orange, which did not get enough light, grew tall enough to reach the light eventually and there's one (1) tomato that I'll let ripen for seeds.
Cucumbers are almost done. The lettuce and basil are both flowering. Pepper plants look good, although the Hot Portugal is pretty much done. Jalapenos are still churning away. I have one more Early Calwonder on the plant. The sweet potato vines look good, but they're not getting much sunlight anymore. I might try planting them against the fence next year, or making some kind of A-frame trellis to put in the container with them.
Hi, all!
Back in October, I made a lengthy post summing up the season... and I guess I forgot to hit 'post', because it disappeared.
It's taken me this long to come back and do it again. We're in the middle of a snowstorm and I'm bored.
The pumpkin grew nicely! I harvested it in late Sept, then it hung around on my kitchen table until Halloween. We have a lot of kids around here; we had over 60 trick-or-treaters, and I like to make a nice little table in the hallway. After Halloween, it became delicious pumpkin puree for soups. No jack-o-lanterns for me; not when I only get one pumpkin and I spent all summer fussing over it.
I got just shy of 30 lbs of tomatoes from 14 plants. The clear winner this year was Yellow Pear, with over 7 lbs over the summer. Here they are right before the first frost when I picked everything off the plant:
It was nice to take a bunch into work back in November. Everyone liked them and thought they were cool. I'm not sure they really liked the flavour, but they sure were better than the pink gas-ripened-on-the-truck garbage tomatoes we have at work. 
(I work in food service.)
One thing I learned about the tomatoes is that it seems whichever variety I put in my "sweet spot" - the spot that gets the most sunlight - will have great yields. That's where my Brandywines were when I got over 10 lbs per plant. This year, the Brandywines didn't do nearly as well, but that Yellow Pear was an absolute monster. There were still tomatoes after I picked those. Our frost didn't actually come until about 2 weeks later.
The Rubbermaid tub of sweet potatoes was also a relative success. I got over 2 lbs, even though they were funny-lookin':
They tasted really good. I'll have to loosen the soil up for next year; I think it was too clay-y and dense. It was a lot of fun anticipating what was under the soil. I probably could have waited longer to harvest them; again, the frost didn't come when predicted. Depending on my work schedule (exhaustion trumps everything) maybe I'll wait longer next time.
Other stats:
- 20 cucumbers
- 2 lbs sweet peppers
- 1.3 lbs hot peppers
- 3.7 lbs zucchini
- enough basil to make 2 ice cube trays of pesto
- a few cups of greens, but a lot of it was wasted because I'm bad at making myself eat my greens.
Back in October, I made a lengthy post summing up the season... and I guess I forgot to hit 'post', because it disappeared.
It's taken me this long to come back and do it again. We're in the middle of a snowstorm and I'm bored. The pumpkin grew nicely! I harvested it in late Sept, then it hung around on my kitchen table until Halloween. We have a lot of kids around here; we had over 60 trick-or-treaters, and I like to make a nice little table in the hallway. After Halloween, it became delicious pumpkin puree for soups. No jack-o-lanterns for me; not when I only get one pumpkin and I spent all summer fussing over it.
(I work in food service.) One thing I learned about the tomatoes is that it seems whichever variety I put in my "sweet spot" - the spot that gets the most sunlight - will have great yields. That's where my Brandywines were when I got over 10 lbs per plant. This year, the Brandywines didn't do nearly as well, but that Yellow Pear was an absolute monster. There were still tomatoes after I picked those. Our frost didn't actually come until about 2 weeks later.
The Rubbermaid tub of sweet potatoes was also a relative success. I got over 2 lbs, even though they were funny-lookin':
Other stats:
- 20 cucumbers
- 2 lbs sweet peppers
- 1.3 lbs hot peppers
- 3.7 lbs zucchini
- enough basil to make 2 ice cube trays of pesto
- a few cups of greens, but a lot of it was wasted because I'm bad at making myself eat my greens.
I met these goals, so far. I kept the spreadsheet, and I'm overwintering the Hot Portugal and a Jalapeno. The HP isn't looking too good; I might have cut off too many leaves. The Jalapeno, OTOH, looks like an attractive houseplant. I'll be excited to see if either of them wake up in April.kayjay wrote:Goals for the season:
- Keep an accurate spreadsheet again of the grocery value of what I grow, plus production per plant and/or variety. This was interesting and eye-opening for me, and really didn't take much time. I have a little digital scale and all I had to do was jot down what I harvested and plug it into the spreadsheet.
- Overwinter some hot peppers. I did it a few years ago and the results were fantastic. I planned on doing it last fall, but I had a brain fart and frost killed them.
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Vanisle_BC
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KayJay, I just discovered your 'my garden' threads for 2015-2018 and read them end to end. Thank you for taking the trouble to post so much detailed, week-by-week information.
I'm specially interested in the sweet potatoes. I intend to introduce them this year. I may try starting from grocery tubers aolthough I can mail order started plants - slips - online, from a grower who claims to have early varieties good for Canadian conditions. Trusting them to the mails may be a bit dodgy though ...
I have some questions about starting with tubers. Once you have roots and slips - baby plants - growing from your seed tuber, what next: Do you slice the tuber up into pieces that have both root and stem? Or can you detach the baby plants from the potato, each complete with some root? Sorry for my naiveté. Could one not simply bury whole or cut-up tubers as with regular potatoes?
I see you got a 2lb harvest from your tub last fall. Was that from 6 plants like you had in (I think) 2016? Do you think 6 is about the right number for one of those rubber tubs? Actually I'll probably grow mine in open ground. I wonder what the spacing should be.
Thanks again for all your posting and I hope you'll continue with it.
By the way that's a very handsome Feuerwerke. I grew them in 2017; looked magnificent and tasted good, but they didn't seem to be good keepers.
I'm specially interested in the sweet potatoes. I intend to introduce them this year. I may try starting from grocery tubers aolthough I can mail order started plants - slips - online, from a grower who claims to have early varieties good for Canadian conditions. Trusting them to the mails may be a bit dodgy though ...
I have some questions about starting with tubers. Once you have roots and slips - baby plants - growing from your seed tuber, what next: Do you slice the tuber up into pieces that have both root and stem? Or can you detach the baby plants from the potato, each complete with some root? Sorry for my naiveté. Could one not simply bury whole or cut-up tubers as with regular potatoes?
I see you got a 2lb harvest from your tub last fall. Was that from 6 plants like you had in (I think) 2016? Do you think 6 is about the right number for one of those rubber tubs? Actually I'll probably grow mine in open ground. I wonder what the spacing should be.
Thanks again for all your posting and I hope you'll continue with it.
By the way that's a very handsome Feuerwerke. I grew them in 2017; looked magnificent and tasted good, but they didn't seem to be good keepers.
Oh, thank you so much! I do it mostly so I can go back and refresh my memory, but I'm happy if others get half-decent info from them, too.Vanisle_BC wrote:KayJay, I just discovered your 'my garden' threads for 2015-2018 and read them end to end. Thank you for taking the trouble to post so much detailed, week-by-week information.
Yeah, I wasn't sure about mail order, either, and it just seems a bit late. My growing season is already borderline for doing them; I want to make sure they're good to go as early as possible.I'm specially interested in the sweet potatoes. I intend to introduce them this year. I may try starting from grocery tubers aolthough I can mail order started plants - slips - online, from a grower who claims to have early varieties good for Canadian conditions. Trusting them to the mails may be a bit dodgy though ...
It's a double-staged rooting process. After the slips are a few inches tall, you gently twist them off from the potato at the base, and then put them into another glass of water (I use little 4-oz glasses that I got from a beer festival, heh heh.Once you have roots and slips - baby plants - growing from your seed tuber, what next: Do you slice the tuber up into pieces that have both root and stem? Or can you detach the baby plants from the potato, each complete with some root? Sorry for my naiveté. Could one not simply bury whole or cut-up tubers as with regular potatoes?
) Then, these will root and that's what gets planted. I don't remember why, and I don't remember why it won't work to just bury a potato. I think it would rot. I know I watched some youtube videos about it, but I didn't bookmark them and now I can't find them. Doh. Here's the original potato plus the rooting slips:
I just did 4 this year. When I did 6, I suspect they were too close together, and the 'potatoes' were basically the size of pencils when I dug them up. I also think I started a bit too late, due to the potato being in a cooler room. I think even two weeks can make a difference. From what I've seen, it looks like folks put a foot or two of spacing when they put them in the ground. My other issue with the tub is that later in the season, the vines didn't get enough light. I'm going to trellis them and/or grow them up the fence this year.I see you got a 2lb harvest from your tub last fall. Was that from 6 plants like you had in (I think) 2016? Do you think 6 is about the right number for one of those rubber tubs? Actually I'll probably grow mine in open ground. I wonder what the spacing should be.
Here are a few tips I learned the hard way:
- It's better to start them too early than too late. 6 weeks before last frost works.
- Make sure they're in the warmest area of your home. They still won't do their thing until it's good and warm in the house all the time. For me, that was mid-May.
- Organic is probably better, because they're less likely to be sprayed with a sprouting inhibitor, but I had a non-organic one start sprouting on me, so who knows?
HTH!
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Vanisle_BC
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Thanks for the information KayJay.
The supplier I was looking at is Mapple Farm in New Brunswick. They only sell slips, not tubers. I could order from them - taking a chance on shipping survivablity - and meantime see if I can find organic tubers in local stores to start my own. If I'm to do that I guess I'd better get moving round the grocery aisles.
ies
At another site 'Terra Nossa' there's an account of successfully starting sweet potatoes by burying tubers in indoor containers - may be another option but less fun to watch.
The supplier I was looking at is Mapple Farm in New Brunswick. They only sell slips, not tubers. I could order from them - taking a chance on shipping survivablity - and meantime see if I can find organic tubers in local stores to start my own. If I'm to do that I guess I'd better get moving round the grocery aisles.
ies
At another site 'Terra Nossa' there's an account of successfully starting sweet potatoes by burying tubers in indoor containers - may be another option but less fun to watch.
Heh heh, definitely less fun to watch.
I think I remember someone starting them half-submerged in a foil pan of soil.
I think I remember looking at Mapple Farm, too. There was also a sweet potato farm here in Ontario that used to sell slips, but I don't think they do it anymore.
I've found organic sweet potatoes at several local grocery stores. They're about $7 for 2 lbs, so a little steep, but you might be set up for a long time if you're able to store your successfully-grown tubers over the winter. I ate all mine.
I think I remember someone starting them half-submerged in a foil pan of soil.
I think I remember looking at Mapple Farm, too. There was also a sweet potato farm here in Ontario that used to sell slips, but I don't think they do it anymore.
I've found organic sweet potatoes at several local grocery stores. They're about $7 for 2 lbs, so a little steep, but you might be set up for a long time if you're able to store your successfully-grown tubers over the winter. I ate all mine.
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Vanisle_BC
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Here's the start of my experiment: Non-organic, grown who knows where so maybe not suitable here anyway. One suspended in water, one halfed & suspended, one halfed & afloat. They'll be kept indoors, mostly heated by a woodstove that goes out overnight - some kind of approximation for natural outdoor conditions.
No organic ones available locally. Next week we're going over the hump to what passes for the big smoke and I'll see how much stamina I have for tramping around the groceries there.
Anybody here from Nanaimo, got a guess where I'd find organic sweet potatoes?
One attraction of ordering from Mapple is they claim their varieties are early ones; I'll probably still try them. If they'll grow in NB they should do well here.
I suppose to complete the experiment I should have done a couple in soil. Maybe I will.
Anybody here from Nanaimo, got a guess where I'd find organic sweet potatoes?
One attraction of ordering from Mapple is they claim their varieties are early ones; I'll probably still try them. If they'll grow in NB they should do well here.
I suppose to complete the experiment I should have done a couple in soil. Maybe I will.
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applestar
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One thing I have found is they want to be really REALLY warm. High 70’s to 80’s °F to sprout. You might want to put them inside something to localize warmth. I put them in things like clear bakery clamshells, especially if placing where direct sunlight will create mini greenhouse effect.
Cut pieces do also mold. If using toothpicks etc., be sure to change water often. If available, using willow bark tea or chamomile tea might help. Plain unbuffered aspirin if you have them, just like water for cut flowers.
Cut pieces do also mold. If using toothpicks etc., be sure to change water often. If available, using willow bark tea or chamomile tea might help. Plain unbuffered aspirin if you have them, just like water for cut flowers.
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Vanisle_BC
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Thanks applestar; direct sunlight? I could use some myself! Lately if it's not raining we're fogged in.
I can move the sw. spuds closer to the woodstove and cover them at night. They won't need light 'til/if they sprout. I'll try the aspirin trick. I wonder, if the cut surfaces mold can they still make sprouts that will survive? I'm looking on this as an experiment so far, rather than serious gardening.
I can move the sw. spuds closer to the woodstove and cover them at night. They won't need light 'til/if they sprout. I'll try the aspirin trick. I wonder, if the cut surfaces mold can they still make sprouts that will survive? I'm looking on this as an experiment so far, rather than serious gardening
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