Raised Bed Gardening

WH_Conley · May 31, 2009, 07:41:42 AM

Now ya got me drooling. Just getting my peppers out today, finally got a break in the monsoon. Corn and potatoes look good, beans rotten in the ground, had to replant. Try some of those jalapenos canned in a bread and butter pickle recipe, cut the sugar by half. They stay as crunchy as straight off the vine. Better do it before they get those little streaks in them, be too hot to eat very many, you will want to eat them by the pint. :D

thecfarm · May 31, 2009, 07:48:51 AM

I would expect that those peppers,from a store, are a hybrid.No telling what you will get.But you could always try it.Been real busy here.I don't even have mine in the ground yet.Would not really matter.Has not been above 70 here since we had a 90° day here 2 weeks ago.That broke records.Been rainy and cloudy.

zopi · May 31, 2009, 08:04:22 AM

It's rained 12" in May....jeez...it's a wonder i have a garden left...
Cuty the first broccoli off yesterday, and I'll have slicing cucumbers coming out my ears soon...

Mooseherder · May 31, 2009, 08:17:20 AM

Quote from: zopi on May 31, 2009, 08:04:22 AM
It's rained 12" in May....jeez...it's a wonder i have a garden left...
Cuty the first broccoli off yesterday, and I'll have slicing cucumbers coming out my ears soon...

The drought we have been under for several years got wiped out in 10 days.
If not for the raised beds this garden would be history.

I have one Cucumber that made it and it looks deformed. The rest have rotted not long after the flowering stage. Squash and Mellons didn't make it either.

I'll have to try and find a pickle recipe soon WH. Ya got one?
Are the streaks because they weren't taken off the plant early enough?

The seed package said some of them will turn red and be 2 inches at the shoulder. That is what I was waiting for. :D

Norm · May 31, 2009, 08:18:58 AM

What makes a big difference in how hot jalapenos are is if you take out the seeds and ribs when you cut them up. I had some frozen ones that I just threw whole in some taco meat I made. Wow I had to eat a big bowl of ice cream to feel my tongue again. :D

I put my hot peppers in a couple of weeks ago but we got three days of high winds and it just shredded them. They'll leaf out again but it really sets them back.

SwampDonkey · May 31, 2009, 09:36:47 AM

I have some real hot ones. I still am waiting a week or so to stick them in. I have them outside under my birch tree to keep any frost off, but we have not had frost for awhile at my place. But not too far from freezing, just a couple degrees off. I stuck my two tomato plants in yesterday and my celery. My second planting of beets, and rutabagas are up. The beans are just starting and my second planting of peas are just beginning. I noticed some parsnip just beginning to sprout, barely broke the seed coat. We had a nice soaking rain yesterday afternoon and real sunny today. I have not seen any carrots or bell pepper yet, but not two weeks yet I don't think. Next weekend the cukes and squash are going to be sunk in. ;D

Got a couple new roses potted, a yellow and a peach one. I will be looking for a red one for my third pot. The last ones I kept for 10 years and removed from the pots last fall, time to start anew. ;)

Norm · May 31, 2009, 10:19:16 AM

What did you do with them during winter SD? This is the first year I've put my roses in pots and would like to keep them until next year and beyond if possible.

SwampDonkey · May 31, 2009, 11:17:24 AM

I have a rock walled cellar and a cement stairway beside it into the basement of the main house. On the inside ledge of the rock wall along them steps I have about 14 inches of space. I stick them there and make sure they have ample water before I bring them in when the leaves fall off in autumn. I don't add any water to them in winter when dormant. It freezes there, but in the upper teens, not below 0 F in January when it can be 30 below outside. Mine usually show signs of life in March again. I keep a potted dahlia in the basement in the dark until late April as well and don't water that in winter neither. I wait for the fall frost to kill the top, then cut it off.

Roxie · May 31, 2009, 01:19:20 PM

Here is my very first tomato from this year's garden. It is a Mountain Fresh and we have the plant in a container alongside the deck. The seed said that it matured in 70 days, and it wasn't kidding!

We took our container gardening to new heights this year by putting two boxes on the telephone pole in our yard (that holds my clothesline). Our neighbor, who dabbles in wood working, saw those upside down tomato planters advertised on TV, and thought, "why not wood?" So, we've got two tomato plants growing on the pole. I'll let you know how this works out. My neighbor has the whole neighborhood experimenting with these boxes.

Norm · May 31, 2009, 01:53:28 PM

Thanks SD, I have a shop that never gets below 25°F so I'm going to move them in there this winter.

Roxie my tomatoes got hit by the wind and cutworms so I'm guessing it'll be 70 days before they even show any red on them.

SwampDonkey · May 31, 2009, 04:17:38 PM

Just had hail the size of peas an hour ago. On my way to the garden to see if my maters made it. :D :D

Brucer · May 31, 2009, 11:42:06 PM

Quote from: Norm on May 31, 2009, 08:18:58 AM
What makes a big difference in how hot jalapenos are is if you take out the seeds and ribs when you cut them up. I had some frozen ones that I just threw whole in some taco meat I made. Wow I had to eat a big bowl of ice cream to feel my tongue again. :D

We like 'em hot, so we usually keep the seeds and membranes. Barb also discovered that when they develop "stretch marks" on the outside, they're even hotter.

zopi · June 01, 2009, 07:04:26 AM

The heat of chili peppers is dependent in part on how well drained the soil is, and how much water the plant has available..as well as genetic predisposition..

I haven't searched it up but New Mexico State University probably has some info along those lines through their AG Extension office...

Heh...My old man went to college there with the guy that bred the original Numex Big Jim....

Don K · June 14, 2009, 07:25:24 PM

Been awhile since anybody has put up some updates. I downloaded a few pics of my peppers and six varieties of heirloom tomatoes. I got a late start on my seed orders and building beds due to rain. I might make a few tomatoes before the heat gets them, but I have a bunch of suckers rooting that will go in the beds late July for my fall tomatoes. First time I have tried them in the fall. I hear they do better then down here as they like nights below 75 while producing fruit. We'll see.

A yellow tomato and a yellow orange mix tomato and orange bell pepper.

The tomato in this pic is a heirloom seed I got from Iraq. Yellow squash in the background and some herbs and marigolds mixed in.

This is a heirloom zuccini (sp?), my first time to grow them.

The yellow squash is just coming on. I picked the first five today.

I spent the last three days sweating down as I tried to recover the garden from the spring floods. Everthing is in good order now. I have to replant the okra and I lost half of my melons and must replant the creme peas and speckled butter beans. Pink eyes are blooming and should soon furnish some fresh peas. I have a few more pics in my gallery for anyone interested.

Don

zopi · June 14, 2009, 09:53:02 PM

I'm getting Cukes...coming out my bloody ears...neighbors like them so it's ok...broccoli coming off steady now, picking a few green peppers..Jalepenos mostly..some hungarian wax, butternut is blooming, beans are bloomed and fruiting..'nother couple weeks and i'll be buried in string beans, tomatoes coming nicely, some should start to ripen next week or so,
corn is weak..too wet for it...might make, but it will be late..might hit it with another dose of fertilizer...radishes are done, rutabagas are huge and my potatoes could give kudzu a run for it's money...have told the wife she is not to plant more than four cucumbers next year..had to transplnt the onions..might make but they are going to be late..pickling cukes are beginning to bloom, I have many gallon jars and a case of vinegar standing by...and I will make at least two crops of shallots this year..gonna put in a couple varieties of garlic for giggles...but it will have to winter over, not a big deal here, it;s warm enough I can bury it in straw and they will be ready in the spring.

I love my tillers. :D

Mooseherder · June 14, 2009, 10:36:40 PM

I didn't have any luck with Squash, Cucumbers, Watermellons or Cantalopes.
The Carrots are getting bigger. I picked a couple out tonight to show my daughters when they were over for a BBQ. The Jalapenos are producing a second crop and almost ready. I haven't used all of the first crop even giving some away. They are turning red. teeter_totter
We cut one up tonight in small pieces for some fun. My SIL and I are the only ones who would try them. These have gotten a reputation around here for being too hot. I put one in some stir fry yesterday, it was good.

I pulled the first tomato off the plant today. It isn't big but looks almost ready to eat.
Looks like we'll be making salsa as soon as the onions are ready. ;D

The Red Pepper seeds I dried and planted from Store Bought Peppers are growing.

I'll post a picture soon.

SwampDonkey · June 15, 2009, 05:44:02 AM

Had my first feed of spinach yesterday from the garden. Everything else will be a long time, I'll be pretty thin by then. :D I should see squash and cukes this week, germinated not ready to eat. ;) My parsnip are finally up, they took 3 or 4 weeks to germinate. Had to plant carrots over, Vesey put that coating on them and they never do very good, so I got some McCormics seed, which I have better luck with.

Mooseherder · June 17, 2009, 09:29:02 PM

My wife and I each had a Tomato today and they were good enough for a high five.

_grin
Pulled a few Onions tonight before their harvest date because they were pushing out of the ground.
The Harvest date was suppose to be 170 days. They were in for a 108 and were self thinning. ;D

Jeff · June 17, 2009, 10:23:32 PM

170 days! That's from one sledding season to the next sledding season here!

My raised gardens aint much to look at other then the new ones. One is in a bio-mizer ash can, and the other is in a chunk of hollow stump. I got tamaters planted in those and they are growing like crazy. I've got some heritage tomatoes that were started from seed this past winter in one of last years beds and they are coming slow. They are "Ox Heart" tomatoes. I worked up some ground to try and grow some potatoes for the first time. The goal is to have them for the friday boiled dinner pigroast weekend. If they are growing under the ground, like they are growing above the ground, we'll have lots of taters.

zopi · June 17, 2009, 10:42:38 PM

expect to pick the first tomato tomorrow...picked green beans for the first time yesterday..20 x 30
patch yielded about 10 lbs of beans. had a couple pounds of garlic kicking around, so I cleaned out the lettuce bed and put in a couple rows of garlic...might work might not..

SwampDonkey · June 18, 2009, 03:16:02 AM

Yesterday's 80 degree heat encouraged the squash to emerge, no sign of the cukes yet. Should have beat greens in a couple weeks. I found some chilli pepper seed a couple weeks ago and sunk a few in. My bell peppers are up. My beans look sick so I interplanted another couple of rows and then 3 short rows in another area. I even planted peanuts. I told the cashier I coulda bought 3 pounds in the store all harvested and roasted for the price of that seed. :D

Mooseherder · June 18, 2009, 03:21:37 AM

My Zuccini and Butternut Squash both rotted soon after emerging. Same with the Cukes and Mellons. We were having too much rain.
At least that is what I think happened. :

zopi · June 18, 2009, 09:30:28 AM

We have five tiny watermelons emerging...the little buggers are DOOMED! We've never made a watermelon worth anything, but keep trying out of pure pigheadedness....