pepperhead212's 2023 garden

[pepperhead212]

I'm still getting a lot of cherries, but very few larger tomatoes. These I picked 2 days ago, and the ones in the white container were the ones just showing a hint of ripeness. Now, they are almost entirely ripe! And I did little out there today, due to the very high wind, but I saw a bunch more totally ripe ones!

Cherry tomatoes still producing. 10-15 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I only got enough eggplants to fill one tray, peppers to fill 5 trays. I still have a bunch more peppers out there, but I didn't want to wait for those, and I know there are more than 3 trays worth.
5 trays of cut up peppers, and one tray of eggplant slices, ready to dehydrate. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[imafan26]

Looks good, my tomatoes and cucumbers need to be replaced. The new tomatoes are turning yellow. I am not sure why. I have to take a closer look if it is nutritional or pests.

[pepperhead212]

Yesterday, I harvested the last of my mints - could have held on longer, but there is just very little new growth at this time of year. I cut 3 cuttings of each long enough to root, and cut enough spearmint to make my last batch of mint tea - have to wait until next spring! For some reason, mint is the first thing to come up in the spring, not affected by cold, but it is also one of the first, along with basil, to fizzle out, once it starts getting cool. I have 3 of each rooting - I might plant a peppermint in the hydroponics, but spearmint is an aphid magnet. I'm going to try them on my back porch - the rosemary and the Syrian oregano I grow on the back porch, in case the ones outside die from a colder low, than normal. After getting what I could from those, I pulled out the drip-lines, and removed it from the hose, and removed the timer, and weedwacked the mint, to level it.
Mint cuttings rooting, 3 peppermint and 3 spearmint, 10-17 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I picked more peppers today (imagine that!), after putting all those latest dried peppers in the jars. And I didn't touch the datil or habaneros, and there are a few others, as well! I don't know how they are still producing like they are, with these cold nights, as well as days, we are having here, though later this week is forecast for low 40s, which will have to affect them.
More peppers! And this is only a few of them - the Aruna, Jalapeños, and the mild varieties. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

While picking some of those peppers today, I saw something else I had to do - start some epazote cuttings, for the hydroponics! I was surprised at how much new growth that stuff had - last year, it was all flowers by the time I looked for cuttings. All I really need is one, to grow in there, but I started 3, and I'll just take the best one.
3 epazote cuttings rooting, 10-18 (I later put a Syrian oregano in the last place in the pot) by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also picked off as many of the largest leaves I could find, and salt layered them, something I used to to, before indoor hydroponics.
The epazote leaves I picked, for saving, by salt layering. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The largest of the 2 epazote plants, showing a bunch of those small new growths, besides much of the flowers. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
The salt layered epazote leaves - much better than drying, for preserving the flavor of this. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Something else I am going to have to do soon is trim back all those trees I have on the deck, to bring indoors. The forecast low about a week from now is 41°, and the curry tree needs to be in before that. The bay laurel and lime trees are a little more cool hardy, but still need brought in soon, and all need severe trimming.
That curry tree, needing trimmed WAY back, before bringing it inside very soon. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The bay laurel and makrut lime trees also need major trimming, before bringing indoors. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

Today I trimmed those lime trees back, to get ready to bring indoors, and cleaned all the trays out, to get everything set. And I did what I did with the bay and curry trees - sprayed the lime trees with H2O2 solution, and soaked the soil and pots with the remaining solution. Earlier, I sprayed the bay and curry trees with the orange and neem oil mix. I brought those indoors tonight, because rain is supposed to start tomorrow. I have to wait until it's dry, to do the oil spray on the lime trees (the latest thing I had to dry, overnight, was the "pruning paint", or sealer, or whatever you want to call it, which I brushed on all those cut stems.

Here's all those trimmed stems from the lime leaves (and I actually jammed them down in the can, so they wouldn't be near my hands, when I carry it!). Anyone cooking any Thai food?

Trimmed away kaffir lime tree branches. 10-19 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Those lime trees, in the slightly larger 14 gal pots (compared to 10 gal, for the other two), are considerably heavier, but I decided to drag them onto the back porch, to prevent them from getting heavier, with that rain! I'll wait a couple of days to bring them in, probably on wheels, and help of a friend!
The two makrut/kaffir lime trees, trimmed WAY back, to bring inside. 10-19 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Something else I saw, when spraying those trees, was the Thai basil with a bunch of new growth on it, after cutting a bunch of flowers off, about a week ago. Surprised me, because of the cool weather I've had here. So I cut most of it, and from about 2 c of the cuttings, I took 3 of the best, and will try to root them. I went through the other basils, but only found one cutting I might be able to root, but that's all I need - one plant of each in the hydroponics (which I started getting things ready for, too!). I put those cuttings in another pot that I stuck 2 sticks from that curry tree in, to try to root, though that has not worked for me, when tried before. Maybe I'll be lucky this time.
3 Thai basil, 1 Serrata basil, and 2 curry tree cuttings, trying to root. 10-19 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I picked another dozen or so Datil today, but the thing I noticed the most was all of the flowers on the Thai Vesuvius plant, and looking closer, countless little buds, not open yet, and even more, already set from recent flowers. I last picked all of the full sized green and red peppers on about 10-9, anx that triggered this 4th huge flush of flowers. I usually get 3 flushes with these, which is a lot of peppers! I had sort of been ignoring them, given all the garlic planting, trimming the trees to bring indoors, and now my hydroponics (plus maybe because I already have more peppers than I know what to do with! ), but I noticed these when walking by them today. None of the others perform like this - I don't know why I keep trying new ones! These are like a determinate tomato, but producing about the same, or more, in future flushes.
The 4th flush of flowers/peppers on the Thai Vesuvius! 10-22 Usually get 3 flushes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I don't know how these peppers are still producing so much, as we've been having lows in the 40s lately, and below average temps overall. But later in the week it is supposed to get into the high 70s, which is well above average! Crazy weather.

[pepperhead212]

Today I got the water in my hydroponics, and tested the pumps, lighting, and got the last of the MaxiGro in the small system - had to order another 2.2 lbs, which lasts me a little over 2 years, and that's what I use in the seedlings, too, in very small amounts. I got a couple of seeds started in coir pellets, to set in the clay pellets by next week. By then, I'll have the nutrients stabilized. I also put in a little of that Mosquito Dunk stuff, crumbled up - takes care of the fungus gnats, like the Bt israelensis solution does for the potted plants.

[pepperhead212]

Yesterday I got the new pack of MaxiGro, and added a small amount of it to what was already in the water - like adding salt, or other seasonings when cooking, you can always add more, but you can't take it out! It was up to 15-16 EC, and I'm looking to get around 18-20 EC . So it's close, and will be there, by the time I get the seedlings ready.

After that, I got more seeds planted in those coir pellets. Besides the 2 parsley I started before, which I soaked in GA3 overnight, I started the following, mostly just one of each (all I usually need!). That GA3 I soaked the parsley with, I used to wet the tops of the rest of the pellets, after planting the seeds.

2 pechay bok choy
Russian red kale
Wasabina mustard greens
Mizuna, green
Leaf lettuce, saved seeds
Leaf lettuce, green salad bowl
Dill, dukat
Basil, serrata (cuttings also, but I'll see which is better)
Basil, dolce fresca
Basil, Thai Siam queen (cuttings with this, too)
2 cilantro, leisure (a new variety to me, I got from an Asian seed market)

I also have some cuttings from that red epazote, which usually roots well, and some peppermint, and some chives I'll dig up, and sterilize in some H202 solution.

[imafan26]

Still going strong. I have to divide my peppermint again too. You have some nice peppers. I am starting to get more peppers, but I don't have as many as you do.

[pepperhead212]

Yesterday evening, I got the mesh pots set up in almost all of the hydroponics systems, and about 1/3 the clay pellets in them, to set the coir pellets on, when the seedlings start growing in them. Then the rest of the clay pellets get piled in around the coir pellets.

Almost all of the hydroponics pots, set up with some of the clay pellets. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

Today, before it got warmer (84° today!), and before the sun started covering the plants, I harvested most of my remaining peppers - the only ones remaining are the smaller ones, which I have way more of than I need! Most of these will get frozen, since this way, they are frozen for the shortest time. I harvested all of the ripe and ripening peppers, as well as larger green ones. With the C. chinense peppers, I harvested ripe, and ripening peppers, but left the full sized ones that might still ripen - Tuesday or Wednesday night will probably be the last night for them, but weather changes!
probably the last harvest of the largest chiles, due to upcoming cold. 10-28 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The last of the Jalapeños, a few ripening, 10-28 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The last ripe and full sized green Aruna peppers, 10-28. Still a large number of much smaller ones. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The last ripe and ripening orange Datil and red Aji Dulce peppers, 10-28 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The last of the Red Savina habanero peppers, and only 2 green ones. 10-28 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I brought in my last two fall plants today - the largest lime trees. I didn't want any rain to fall in them, and it is supposed to rain later, plus the temps are supposed to be getting down to freezing soon, so I wheeled those in, plus turned off the water, and drained those pipes out there. All I harvested was the Syrian oregano and marjoram.
Soon, the leaves will start dropping fast around here!
Syrian oregano (thyme scented), one of my herbs that dries well. 10-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Marjoram - only harvested about half of what I did of the Syrian oregano, since I use a lot more of that. 10-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

All 4 plants in today. Might rain later today, and I didn't want those lime trees to get heavier! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

After bringing the lime trees inside, I put some Bt israelensis in the upper layers of each pot (for fungus gnats), then watered them from the bottoms - a total of 2 gal each, and they will suck up more, those went so fast! Those had been drying out quite a while, so I could move them.

[pepperhead212]

I harvested the last of my tomatoes today, since there is a freeze watch here tonight - only supposed to get to 34° in my area, but many areas are forecast for well below freezing. There should definitely be bad frost, so I pulled all the tomatoes, except for the very small ones. Only a few had ripened since the last harvest, but there are many more full sized ones. Maybe I will make some pickled cherry tomatoes with a few of them.
Last of the tomatoes, assuming that it freezes tonight, as predicted. 11-1 by pepperhead212, on Flickr


Today I harvested the rest of my peppers, and I was shocked at how many more full sized peppers there were on that one Datil plant! Only a few more jalapeños, and that was on 6 or 7 plants. The Maui Purples weren't harvested last time, so they have been ripening for quite a while. Tonight it might freeze, but it will definitely frost, and I doubt the peppers will live.
A few more jalapeños, all the ripe Maui Purples, and the orange Hanoi Markets, 11-1 by pepperhead212, on Flickr


I only got one more Aji Dulce, but I didn't even count the Datil!

More Datil peppers, from just the one plant. Harvested all of them, due to the freeze forecast tonight. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I finished a project I have been working on for 3 days fixing my recliner, in which a wooden piece cracked, and I had to disassemble it quite a bit, make a duplicate wooden piece, then put it back together. Fortunately, I had a small piece of white oak, which I could draw that rocker shape on, in sort of a mirror image, and cut them on the bandsaw, and glued them together with some Gorilla Glue, and didn't even have to plane them to thickness, or sand the edges! Really strange thing happened when I was taking that cracked piece out - I found a broken off brad-point drill bit, that must have been left during assembly, because it was from the other side! You can see all these holes (I tried to fix it before, but I pushed it to the back burner, until gardening was almost done), and the piece of the drill bit I found! I filled the particle board holes with auto-body filler, the first day, then yesterday, once it got dark out (the day was too nice to work inside much of the day), I got the piece attached, with 2 oak dowels, and 4 #10 screws, plus Gorilla Glue. Today was a rainy, dismal day out there, so a good time to finish this! I did go out, briefly, to harvest some greens, to make dinner.

Here's that broken piece I had replace, showing the drill bit piece I found:
The piece of wood that I had to replace, with the piece of the drill bit I found in it! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

This was the first day I cooked for a while (besides the bread, to make all those sandwiches) - I made a dal, with those greens, from some bok choy outer stalks, and all 4 of the cauliflower that I tried to grow again! There wasn't even a hint of a head on any, and they were planted back in August! Like I've said before, cauliflower just don't like my garden!

[pepperhead212]

Here's my last chard from the front flowerbed. I always use chard with some colors.
The magenta variety of Swiss chard, larger than the Burpee ruby variety. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

All the Swiss chard harvested on 12-2 - last of the season. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And the last 2 bok choy, along with a very small one, that grew next to the larger one.
Last two bok choy of '23 (plus a little one, next to the largest). Burpee Pachay - best new one this year. Seems resistant to heat, as well as cold. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I harvested the last things today, since I saw the freezing is coming soon, again, and I got the last of the SIPs emptied, and under the tarps. The chard in the front I just cut back to the small leaves - it might grow some more, otherwise, I figure it will die back, and maybe come back and go to seed in spring.