pepperhead212's 2022 garden

[imafan26]

My kaffir lime is growing too. I have to walk around it every day.

[pepperhead212]

That's why I cut it - those thorns are not nice to walk around!

[imafan26]

Believe it or not, mine is not that thorny. It has thorns but not that bad. The Meyer lemon is worse. The calamansi is advertized as "thornless". It does have small thorns but not on every plant.

I use the leaves for Thai dishes. I haven't done that much because of downy basil mildew. I don't have sweet basil, and I don't like to use mint. I have kraprao basil. It does not taste like sweet basil, but it is not as strong as Siam Queen basil. I could try that instead or get used to the taste of Thai basil instead.

[pepperhead212]

You can see the size of those thorns on mine! I have never seen thorns like that on anything else.

Siam Queen is my favorite - other "Thai" basils didn't have the same flavor, and the last two I got as Siam Queen were not, for sure. In this last order I made at Kitazawa, with some discounts, I made an order of it, hoping they will have the authentic Siam Queen.

[pepperhead212]

I'm getting new fruits set on that Number One bitter melon plant, that stopped producing at the end of July. I pulled the Big Top, which didn't produce as much, and started turning orange at almost exactly the same time. Usually I just pull all of them, but I thought I'd try leaving it, pulling all the blossoms, and dead sections, sort of like trimming the lower sections of tomatoes. It continued to grow, and on 8-23 I saw the first blossoms, with fruit set! Here they were today, the largest about 3 1/2" long. There is another vine in the other direction that is getting blossoms, and should set some more fruit.

I'm thinking of planting some more seeds next year sometime around a week into July, and use those for the later harvest, and just pull those that start turning at the end of the month, which is pretty much normal here. Not sure why - it has happened with every variety, some even earlier. It seems they would all be heat resistant, and the longest days were in June, and getting shorter since, so I can't figure this out, especially since this is setting fruit again. We'll see if these stay green, or turn quickly.
One of 5 new bitter melons setting on an old plant, 8-82, that stopped producing at the end of last month. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Here's another one of the 5 bitter melons, 8-26 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I pulled a few more things out there today, to make room for a number of brassicas - we'll see how the direct seeded ones do (komatsuna, senposai, shogoin, bok choy, and some cauliflower - more inside), compared to the ones I started indoors. I also have some sugar snap and snowpeas planted I actually had a cucumber forming on that last plant, but it wasn't going to do much else, so that was the last of 4 to come out. One of two Sambar cucumbers came out, as well as that only Armenian cucumber came out. That was still alive, and had nothing come down with any of the diseases the others have come down with. If it had produced more, I would have grown it again, but 5 cucumbers, with that last one not very large, just didn't hack it. I have 3 cucumbers, and one bottle gourd, all starting in early August, and starting to climb the trellises. One of the 2 old bottle gourd plants is still there, and has some new fruits on it, finally - they have to be hand pollinated, but they always have a bunch of female blossoms, before any males show up, unlike most squash, that do the opposite. Finally, some males showed up, and I could start pollinating! I'm going to try some other varieties next year, to see if they do better.

The eggplants are producing again, mostly the Ichiban is starting up again, but the others are getting some, too. It's getting hot again, but not as hot as back when the higher heat put a halt on most of the tomatoes and the eggplants. Both are coming back some now.

Beans are taking a while coming back, though the Thai red long beans are doing great, as usual in the heat. Those, and my peppers are never bothered by the heat!

My starters are doing well - only 2 out of 36 pots I had to put seeds in again.

[imafan26]

You have the long Chinese type bitter melon. The one that grows in my yard is the small very bitter one. The birds bring it, so for me it is a weed. The long bitter melon is not so bitter. I like to stuff it with ground pork, garlic, green onion, water chestnut, a little bit of oyster sauce, five spice powder and some cornstarch to keep it together. The recipe book cuts the bitter melon in rounds and cores it to stuff, but that is too much work. I just cut it in half the long way and cut it half, stuff it and then steam it. with black bean sauce or sweet chili sauce.

The small bitter gourds are much more bitter, but some people prefer it bitter.

The trick to cooking bitter melon is to put it in near the end. Shaken, not stirred, and only cook it until it is crisp tender. It is more bitter when it is overcooked or bruised.

[pepperhead212]

I found something unusual in one of the pots of my kaffir lime trees - some mushrooms! And no, I'm not going to sample them! I never saw these particular varieties around here, and never saw any in my potted plants. Probably brought on by the raining, though it wasn't that much, and not enough to trigger mushroom growth in the yard or garden.
something I've never seen in my potted plants - mushrooms! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[imafan26]

I got mushrooms when I used sta green bagged potting soil. It is the only potting soil that did that.

[pepperhead212]

I planted a bunch of brassicas today, under cover, otherwise, it would be gone in the morning, thanks to the rabbits! I started it about 3 weeks ago inside, in the small, 72/tray pots. I have also been planting a row on the edge of onion sets, for scallions. I have 10 kohlrabis, of 2 varieties, and 2 each of senposai, Green Boy komatsuna (supposedly a more cold resistant variety), shogoin, purple napa, and green mizuna. I also have 10 Swiss chard - 6 magenta, and 4 perpetual spinach. I had a new variety of kale that just looked horrible - all 4 pots, so I might direct seed some of that in the only empty space there. And along one edge I put 4 small bok choys, and direct seeded some leaf lettuce. I didn't take any photos yet, except for the covered row, since there really isn't much growth yet. There are 3 quarter inch irrigation lines with 1/2 gal/hr every 6 inches, and it waters fairly quickly, but not too fast. This is the lightest Agribon, which I originally got for covering against pepper maggots, in hot weather. I might have to get some of the heavy sometime, to help get me farther into the winter.
Here's where I planted most of my greens, most of which I started inside a few weeks ago. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also picked a good number of cherry tomatoes, and a few larger ones. Tomorrow, it's pepper picking day, early, while the shade is still in that area, and I'll also mow that part of the lawn, while in the shade. Today I mowed the back, when the shade got there.

[pepperhead212]

Got down to 56° last night, and nice today, but summer's coming back next week, from what I hear. Today I pulled the rest of my carrots - some not in real good condition. But I still got over 2 lbs, once cleaned and trimmed completely. And a lot for the compost, with the trimmings and especially the greens.
Triplets! Maybe more? 9-16 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Don't know what to call this! Most went to the compost. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here are some others I picked earlier, when the peppers are in the shade. Those long red Arunas will be dried, like the rest have been, but all the rest will be frozen. The orange Hanoi Market all get frozen, but with the red Thai and Superchilis I dry the early ones, and freeze these later ones, so they are in the freezer less time. And the later green ones I freeze in a separate jar, and vacuum bags, for the rest.
A few ripe peppers, picked on 9-16 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

My project yesterday was to take the top of my range outside, and clean it. I clean it all the time normally, but eventually, grease on the grates and in the wells had to be removed with oven cleaner. Dawn power scrubber (or whatever it is called, as well as similar products) helps some, but oven cleaner is best, and I take the 3 sections outside, and empty a can of oven cleaner on them, and it is amazing how clean they get, after almost 39 years (I put it in there in Dec. '83!). I doubt any of the "smart" electric ranges these days will live this long.
Project for the day - cleaning the stovetop - cleans up pretty well after almost 39 years in the kitchen! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I picked some more peppers this morning - happening every day, now. I'm surprised that they are doing as well as they are, given how cool it is getting! As always, I have far more than I need, with even less plants again!

Tomatoes are one their way out, even some cherries, though I will say there are some still producing.

[imafan26]

Forked carrots. I get those too. There are usually a few causes for that. One is the soil is too hard or compacted or there are obstacles. Carrots do best in sandy soils. They could also fork because of nematodes or other critters nibbling on the roots causing them to branch. Too much nitrogen and close planting where the roots get tangled can cause forking as well. I get better carrots in deep containers with less peat moss and fine perlite. Sand is too heavy for me to lift a pot. Compost compacts worse so I limit that to a handful. I also have to reduce the nitrogen the container gets and increase the potassium slightly. Potassium will raise the pH a little but it helps root formation on root crops. I still get some forking but not as bad as when I try to plant carrots in my clay soil.

I don't grow that many carrots. I can only grow them in the cool season and they take longer about 100-120 days for them to mature. They get bitter in the heat. They do bloom well in the second year. They look very much like Queen Anne's lace.

[pepperhead212]

Today I trimmed those Makrut/Kaffir lime trees, that I have trimmed several times through the summer (they had a bunch more new growth, from last time I trimmed them), but they needed a lot of trimming, to ready them for re-potting (might only re-pot the large one, as that's been longer), before bringing them indoors, for the off-season. I probably have to trim a little more, but it started drizzling out there again.
The younger, 11 year old makrut/Kaffir lime tree, trimmed way back, to re-pot. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The older lime tree, a little over 21 years old, trimmed way back, before re-potting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A lot of trimmed branches from both of the lime trees, prepping them for re-potting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I did almost nothing related to the garden today, given the miserable weather, but I saw this plate of pods I had dried out long ago, so I removed the seeds! Some blue radishes I saved, when no other radishes were flowering - I'll see how they grow, as it was listed as a hybrid. The others are the Long Valor Beans, which I didn't get many of, at first, but liked what I got. Problem was, they must have had some sort of long day sensitivity, and in late June the leaves turned yellow, and fell off, by , sort of reverse of what happens with deciduous trees! Eventually, as days got shorter, it started growing more leaves, and some more beans, which I let dry on the vines. I got almost 50 beans, and I'll try it out next season by planting later, and see how it grows with shorter days.
Long valor beans, being removed from pods, and some blue radishes I also saved. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Got almost 50 long valor beans from all of the pods. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

No frost yet, despite the cool nights, but some things just stopped producing, due to the cold. I cut all my okra out, beans stopped long ago, and yesterday I pulled all the dried pods out, and pulled all of the beans from the pods. Surprisingly, the Thai long red beans are the last ones producing! I have a few dried pods of those, from which I'll save the seeds for planting, but but I'll pull the plants after that. After pulling all these dried beans from those other plants, and only getting a little over 8 oz, I said "This is why I don't ever grow beans just for dried beans!
3.6 oz of Rattlesnake pole beans, harvested from dried pods, 10-10 Some darker ones at the bottom. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

5.5 oz dried beans from dried pods - Blauhilde (darker), and Blue Lake Pole (white), 10-10 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here are a few jalapeños, to add to those previous ripe Thai peppers, and there are many more of those that are green, but full sized. I was going to continue picking those, but they started doing some really loud road work - can't complain, as they will be re-paving my street soon! So I came back inside until later.
The end of the jalapenos from the 2 plants, 10-11, only 3 from one plant. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Here's the ripe Aruna and Thai peppers from the last couple of days. The green ones I'll freeze, and use in the many recipes that call for green chiles.
Latest ripe Aruna 10-10 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Some of the latest ripe Thai peppers, 10-10 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I got back out there and picked the majority of my remaining peppers. 3 of the plants had the majority of the peppers on them, like that one jalapeño had the most. I didn't pick any more Carolina Reapers or Hanoi Markets - they are best totally ripe. The one Thai Vesuvius and both Aruna peppers had an incredible amount on each plant, the second Thai Vesuvius still a good number, and the Thai Santaka plants not very productive late in the season.
All from just one Thai Vesuvius plant, 10-11 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Remaining peppers on all the Thai plants, and two Superchili - the light colored peppers. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

This photo shows a lot of the peppers all over just 2 Aruna plants. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

All of the peppers from just 2 Aruna plants, after a few ripe ones a couple days ago, and over a half gallon of dried peppers. 10-11 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

A couple days ago I picked a good number of ripe cherries, and today, pretty much the same thing. The half ripe ones were left on - even more of them left on today. This is typical at this time of year - cherries recover much faster after these cold snaps I've had. A large number of green cherries out there, and a few larger ones.
Cherries, picked on 10-10, snacking on them a couple of days. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

More cherries, picked on 10-12 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I disconnected my drip irrigation system, and probably I'll take out my rain guage - probably not going to freeze any time soon, but they aren't really that necessary now, so I disconnected the hoses, and drained them as much as possible, and then cleaned out the filter as well as possible, removed the batteries, and everything is sitting on the deck rail, in the sun, drying out. Soon, I'll have to bring those plants indoors, as the temps are dropping to the low 40s, and possibly high 30s next week. I cleaned that shelf off a few weeks ago, and I'll get that ready for them. Sometimes I set them on my back porch, if just a couple very cold days are forecast; the curry tree will come inside, for sure.

My garlic just got delivered! I got a pound each of Music and Metechi, and I'll put some of my Estonian Red and Georgian Fire in, probably this weekend.

[pepperhead212]

Saturday I harvested 5 more butternuts, and pulled those plants - left one plant with 2 full sized but unripe fruits. I cut out all of my eggplants out, and the tomatillos - those fruits just weren't growing much, probably due to those cooler nights I've been having. I also uncovered, then turned over the row, with some Plant-Tone sprinkled on, before turning it. Then I strung that line out, which I use to space the garlic, and place it on both sides, for the double row. That will go in tomorrow, as it was getting darker. This evening, I'll go through the Estonian Red and Georgian Fire, to see how many of those I'll plant.
Line for planting garlic and shallots on both sides of. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

Sunday, I separated all of the Music and Metechi cloves, and got 36 cloves of large Estonian Red (didn't waste a single clove of those!) and 42 of Georgian Fire (only wasted 4 of those). I set all these to soak in a potassium bicarbonate and kelp solution overnight - supposed to help ward off any fungus - and a 15 min alcohol soak, before planting (I use a half cup 50% isopropyl solution, and just transfer it to the next variety, while planting one variety).
Garlic, soaking in potassium bicarbonate and kelp, overnight, until planting tomorrow. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Today I planted my 188 cloves of garlic - 36 Estonian Red, and 58 Metechi in one row, with 42 Georgian Fire, and 52 Music in the other row. I covered them up with 3-4" of the ground up leaves from last season - more to come later, after it settles.
Double row of 188 garlic heads, planted on 10-16 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I picked most of the end of my tomatoes today, since I am forecast a frost tonight. Originally, it was forecast even lower, but the predicted lows are getting higher, so we'll see badly it frosts. I harvested only the full sized green, ripe, and in between - undersized ones I left - if they don't die from frost, maybe I'll get more!
Maybe the last tomatoes of the season, 10-18 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also picked a few ripening Carolina Reapers. Still a bunch of green Hanoi Market, but that's one that doesn't have flavor unless ripe. I also found a few more dried Red Thai Long Bean pods, to save the seeds from.
Last ripening Carolina Reapers, plus a few more dried pods for the red Thai long beans. 10-18 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I pulled out the last two Butternuts, which I had left when I harvested 5 ripe ones a few days ago. These ripened considerably, in just a few days - still a hint of green, but I don't know how much more they will ripen, now that they are off the vines.
Butternut squash, 2 greenish ones on top left for last, but pulled due to frost, 10-18 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[Prybar]

Holy Canoly, you are the pepperhead!
To much for me to read at the moment. But I think I just found my pepper expert. I will be having some questions for you, I'm sure.
Just Remember the name Prypeppered!, I never grew a hydroponic thing in my life. Other than my onions I started a week ago.
I don't get out much, so I'm really looking forward to this forum.

[pepperhead212]

A few days ago, I picked my last Kanthari peppers. Today, I saw a couple of ripe Carolina Reapers, and I'm still waiting for a bunch of Hanoi Markets to ripen, but most pepper plants have been pulled.
Last Kanthari peppers of the season, 10-28 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I am still getting a generous amount of cherry tomatoes - less than the 4 qts I picked last time, but all these have ripened in just 12 days from that last picking. Again, I left only green ones on the cherries, and left those 6 plants, but pulled all of the other plants, as most of them were dead, though there were more green tomatoes, and a few ripening ones, but not many.
Cherries ripening, and all the rest mostly green, but all pulled. 10-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

4 days ago, 10 days after planting, 2 of my varieties of garlic had a few sprouts; today, all 4 varieties had a generous amount of sprouts - the Georgian Fire had almost all of them sprouted, and Estonian Red was a close second.
Garlic from the Estonian Red, one on bottom, and Georgian Fire, first two coming up, 10-26. Others all up by 10-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[Prybar]

What do you do with the green ones?

Tell me if you have ever heard of this before?
About 50 years ago, a person told me that they always had tomatoes up until Christmas.
Out of Amazement I asked him how they did it. He said they picked the Big Green Tomatoes before Frost, wrap them in newspaper. Turn them upside down and put them in a cool dry place.
I have wondered all my life, but have never tried it.

[pepperhead212]

Most of those green tomatoes I picked on 10-18 ripened! Only 3 didn't turn, though a few went bad. And through the years, the ones I'd leave in the basement to ripen wouldn't really be that great - I'd usually make relishes, and things like that.

Here are some of those ripe tomatoes I was talking about! I've also used a half dozen or so, and also cut bad spots off two, and used those in guacamole. And all those larger cherries from 10-18 - over a quart - I halved today, and made a dish with.
Tomatoes picked mostly green 10-18, almost all ripe 11-1 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[applestar]

Yeah — just coming off the unlimited flavor peak train, the ones picked younger than blushed (green) but fully developed in size would turn full color but not have the full flavor. I think ones that had already blushed might only fall just shy and could still be enjoyed fresh.

Worst larger fruit cases can get grainy or mushy (especially if they didn’t have time to develop to full size), and I find larger tomatoes near the end of the season can be more prone to splitting and other defects. But there are still ones that can easily outperform storebought sandwich tomatoes.

But they and the best tasting cherry tomatoes are perfectly good or even wonderful with a little extra help like pre-roasting or toasting on open face sandwich or melt, pizza, omelette, adding to cook for 10~20 minutes to brighten pasta sauce, curry, etc.

I prefer thin skinned ones that don’t need to be peeled for these.

[pepperhead212]

More peppers! I pulled all but 3 plants, and the Hanoi Market is still producing the most, and ripening, though the cold coming is probably going to do them in.
Last 4 Carolina Reapers and a bunch of Hanoi Market peppers, picked on 11-5. Still more Hanoi Markets. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Sunday and Monday I set up my hydroponics system - cleaning up for it on Sunday, then filling it up Monday. Today I got half the pots in the hydro planted; still 4 with coir, and 5 with only the clay pellets empty, but a few seeds still soaking. I planted 2 lettuce - green salad bowl, and a red variety of saved seeds - and mizuna, both green and Beni Houshi (first red mizuna that went through most of the summer before bolting), since these don't really need soaking. 4 types of basil I soaked in some GA3 briefly, which speeds them up, since they become gelled with it, and then I plant them, and wait for the best seedling. I soaked the epazote and chive seeds for a few hours, too, and when finished with the others, put them in. Some parsley and cracked cilantro seeds I also soaked, and left them in petri dishes, to watch for sprouting. I also put the last 4 minute seeds of hoja santa - the last 2 times I tried these, they didn't germinate, so I soaked the PT pad in a petri dish with the GA3, and put those on there. I'll see if it works, though I'm not holding out any hopes.
2 basils, 2 lettuce, and some mizuna in the slightly larger one, in middle left. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Serrata and Siam Queen basils, Red Epazote, and chives, in the large pot. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I got my last tomatoes today! I pulled the last cherry tomatoes off 7 plants, getting some green tomatoes, but mostly are ripe or blushing. I wanted to get the last SIPs emptied of their water (and plants, of course), and covered, before freezing. There were still probably about a hundred tiny tomatoes still on the plants, along with flowers, when I cut them away from the trellises - I only harvested the full sized green tomatoes.
Over 3 qts of the last tomatoes, from 7 plants, 11-9 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[applestar]

Great haul to wrap up the season.

…it’s going to be nasty this weekend…

[pepperhead212]

I found another seed I haven't grown yet, that I got late in '21, but never got to - Huacatay, a.k.a. Peruvian Black Mint, Mexican Marigold (though I think another species is also called this), Wild Marigold, and a few other names. Has anyone ever tried this? I am attempting to sprout some seeds, before putting them in the coir, in the hydroponics, where I have a few others germinating now. At first I wasn't going to try it inside, since it can get to 6', but I remembered that the red epazote gets to 4' or more, but I just keep cutting it back! It supposedly has a cilantro flavor, a long with a number of other flavors; I never tried it, but it looks interesting. I'll soon find out how quickly the seeds sprout.
Huacate seeds, sprouting to go into the hydroponics, 11-9 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

Today I used my leaf blower with the bag, and sucked up 12 bags of ground leaves, and put some on my garlic, to deepen the original mulch, now that it has settled, and some blown off. I have 1½ trash cans - 42 gal - filled, with a lot more, but leaves aren't all down yet. Tomorrow it is supposed to be very windy, and rainy. I cleared the leaves from some areas that I didn't want them settling in, from the rain. The rest, I'll get later.

Today I saw one lettuce sprout in the hydroponics - the first of the saved seeds, always the first to sprout.

[imafan26]

It is good to be saving seeds since they are hard to find and the price of seeds and shipping has gone up. I saved cilantro, bean seeds, and some Asian green seeds dropped and reseeded.

Those are nice looking tomatoes.

The frangipani hasn't dropped all of its' leaves yet, but the citrus are dropping over ripe fruit. I weed whacked the grass that has sprung back to life with the rain, and I need to do some cleaning up as well.

[pepperhead212]

Yes, I'll probably be saving more seeds now, due to the prices and shipping! Many that I save are out of necessity, because they are no longer available, or, like that lettuce, I have no idea exactly what it is! I got it in a mesclun mix years ago, and it was the longest lasting leaf lettuce I ever had, and lasted well into August that summer, before bolting. I saved the seed, but also tried many similar varieties - reddish green - but every one bolted early. This one still lasts well into each summer, and does very well in the hydro. The Hanoi Market is a pepper I have to save, as I got it many years ago, but it's gone, and none of the orange chiles I've tried were the same. Sometimes I'll see similar peppers in Asian markets, but the flavor is simply not the same.

[imafan26]

I understand that too. I liked Roleks eggplant, but I can't find it now.

[pepperhead212]

Finally, the last peppers! I could have gotten a few more, by bringing the 3 plants inside, to my back porch, but do I really need any more?

I harvested the last of these three, mostly the Hanoi Markets, but a few of the others. Only 2 of the green Hanoi Markets from last harvest didn't ripen, and I'll see about these.
Harvest from last 3 plants - Hanoi Market, Jalapeno, and Thai Vesuvius. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also got more of my SIPs lined up and covered up. Before the rain we had, I turned them on their sides, to drain, and let them sit like that, until I got to them. Only a few left, with some cold weather crops.

Almost all of the red mizuna, and a couple of the green have sprouted in the hydro, and all of the saved lettuce seeds, so I'm already thinning them.

[pepperhead212]

The saved lettuce and both mizuna seeds are the only ones sprouted, so far. But there might be more now - this was yesterday morning.
3 largest saved lettuce seedlings, 4 days. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

One green mizuna just sprouting, with the 4 red mizuna, after 4 days. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[imafan26]

You are using coir in the hydro? It is unusual to see seeds germinating in hydro. I am more familiar with the seeds being started in plug trays and then transferred to the net pots in hydro when they have true leaves.

[pepperhead212]

I put some clay pellets in the baskets, then a mesh fibre, and just enough coir to reach the water, and wick it up. Small seeds, like epazote, I just press into the coir, and the rest I cover up barely with the coir, and have no problem with them sprouting, unless, of course, there's a problem with the seeds. I never had great luck with the plugs, and transferring those to the hydro - they seem to take off faster from the coir.

This morning I noticed the chives were sprouting, but nothing else, yet. But it's quite cool down there, which will change soon, now that the heater is running (unfortunately!).

Now, at 2 pm, 2 of the 3 basils had sprouted, and more of the chives and green mizunas. I might plant another variety of lettuce, since the salad bowl hasn't germinated yet, in 6 days. Here's the mizuna, growing since yesterday.
mizuna, green L, red R, 11-14 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

Today I ground up the rest of my leaves (at least that I'm going to bother with), and harvested the last two of my kohlrabis, one of which got huge, and one not very big at all, in the same amount of time. These are 2 superschmelz kohlrabis, planted at the same time - 9-14 - and one got huge, the other was the smallest of all the kohlrabis I had. I've harvested the rest of them as needed, at normal size, in early November. That's a 4 qt bowl they are in, as reference.

Superschmelz kohlrabi, a 46.8 oz, and a 6.7 oz, harvested 12-5 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[imafan26]

Looks good and it is always gre.99t to have fresh garden produce. Can you turn the green tomatoes into a salsa verde sauce instead? It is not the same as with tomatillos, but could it be mixed with tomatillo and tomato to get that picante taste?

I went to the market today. I always get a little sticker shock because I don't buy a lot of produce except for basics like onions, potatoes, carrots. Today I went to get a cabbage. Thai and Hawaiian peppers now are $36.99 a pound. This time last year it was $28 a lb. I am glad, I have peppers in the yard. Cilantro is $3.99 a small bunch approx. 1/4 lb which works out to almost $16.00 a lb. Luckily my second planting of cilantro took and a few survived from the first planting so I will have a small bunch in time for Christmas. Cucumbers are still $2.99 lb, but I could only find American cucumbers and not Japanese cukes. Japanese cucumbers usually cost about a dollar more per pound. I found some dried beans. The price of those are up about a dollar a pound too, but they had more variety than walmart. I picked up some dried small red, kidney beans, cannelini, and pinto beans. I should be set for a while. I may have to grow some epazote though.