I had no idea I abandoned my blog for nearly 2 months! I typically have a lot of irons in the fire, and they caught up to me I guess!
Things are in full swing...I have peas in the ground, er, container, as well as scallions, onions for the fall, and the garlic. I have a strawberry ripening and I hope I get it before the pigeons do. My mints and herbs are now outdoor 24/7. I need to split the mints up actually since they are a year old now.
Lots of seedlings:
Rutgers tomato
Jersey Giant tomato
Sungold cherry tomato
Sweet 100 cherry tomato
The Lemondrop cherry tomatoes refused to sprout :(
I have sweet bell peppers, Chinese 5 color hot peppers, cucumbers, beets, head lettuce and mesculun, and the zuchinni are sprouting. I think my watermelons are as well. I'm set to start my last major plants this week. The other goal for this week are to get the cukes hardened off and into their permanent planter.
It finally began to behave like spring here in the past week (though today is cold and damp, but the spring flowers are all out now, and the grass is green so it LOOKS like spring) and this has considerably lightened my mood. I've been moving my planters about on the roof to get them into their final configuration. I am eager to put up my tiki lights and get my roof looking like a sanctuary. I think I want to get some lantern type things to put into the big planters and have a cookout as soon as it warms up.
The local farmers markets are not quite ready to open up yet, an I am starting to compile my list of the local ones. I think I have a little more legwork to do this year since a lot of the information on LocalHarvest.org is out of date. Hopefully I'll get to this in the next week and I'll post my findings here.
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
And its started
Today I finally flipped out a load of compost--I set up my last tomato box (not counting the ones I have to, um, build) and some plant is going to be VERY happy in that box.
I took some photos of my garlic, so later I'll post those.
Today I started lettuce...head lettuces and cutting mix. Bell peppers, cucmbers, and tomatoes. Three are cherries: sweet 100 (red) lemondrop (yellow) and sungold (orange) The sungold took over the earth last summer. I also started 2 large varieties...Rutgers and Jersey Giant. The latter is a good paste tomato and was picked because I plan on making my own sauce this year. I also use a lot of canned diced tomatoes, and I am am going to try and put some of my own up (probably frozen) I picked the two large varieties from Baker Creek as they were both developed here in Jersey...it seemed appropriate.
I also started some barley and cat grass for my kitty, and moved some of the overwintered plants to my bedroom, where it is easy to pop them outside when its nice out.
Now to stand back and wait...
I took some photos of my garlic, so later I'll post those.
Today I started lettuce...head lettuces and cutting mix. Bell peppers, cucmbers, and tomatoes. Three are cherries: sweet 100 (red) lemondrop (yellow) and sungold (orange) The sungold took over the earth last summer. I also started 2 large varieties...Rutgers and Jersey Giant. The latter is a good paste tomato and was picked because I plan on making my own sauce this year. I also use a lot of canned diced tomatoes, and I am am going to try and put some of my own up (probably frozen) I picked the two large varieties from Baker Creek as they were both developed here in Jersey...it seemed appropriate.
I also started some barley and cat grass for my kitty, and moved some of the overwintered plants to my bedroom, where it is easy to pop them outside when its nice out.
Now to stand back and wait...
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Spring?
The Plan Tomorrow is to start seeds:
Lettuces
Tomatoes (5 varieties!)
Peppers
Peas
I have good news in the overwintered portion of my garden....I can count 8 sets of garlic greens poking out of the two boxes. I am pretty sure I only planted 8, so if I get all of them that will be awesome.
I have been fighting aphids with my mints all winter. I think we're stalemated at the moment--I've been spritzing these little buggers with soap spray, but I can't say the results are great. What I did 2 weeks ago was really cut back my chocolate and pepper mints since these were the worse affected--they both had new growth in the pots, so I figured they would come back OK. As I did this, I found there was a second plant growing in the peppermint pot...and it looked an AWFUL lot like my late lamented Kentucky Colonel Mint (which makes a screaming awesome mojito) I picked a leaf and crumpled it...and its Kentucky Colonel Mint. Hooray. I was wondering if I'd need to order another one, but apparently not--this looks very healthy and will just want its own pot in the spring.
My strawberry plant has been chugging along aphid free all winter. This morning it has a FLOWER onit and it is trying to grow a berry. It seems to be spring in my sunroom at least.
Lettuces
Tomatoes (5 varieties!)
Peppers
Peas
I have good news in the overwintered portion of my garden....I can count 8 sets of garlic greens poking out of the two boxes. I am pretty sure I only planted 8, so if I get all of them that will be awesome.
I have been fighting aphids with my mints all winter. I think we're stalemated at the moment--I've been spritzing these little buggers with soap spray, but I can't say the results are great. What I did 2 weeks ago was really cut back my chocolate and pepper mints since these were the worse affected--they both had new growth in the pots, so I figured they would come back OK. As I did this, I found there was a second plant growing in the peppermint pot...and it looked an AWFUL lot like my late lamented Kentucky Colonel Mint (which makes a screaming awesome mojito) I picked a leaf and crumpled it...and its Kentucky Colonel Mint. Hooray. I was wondering if I'd need to order another one, but apparently not--this looks very healthy and will just want its own pot in the spring.
My strawberry plant has been chugging along aphid free all winter. This morning it has a FLOWER onit and it is trying to grow a berry. It seems to be spring in my sunroom at least.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
WHEE!
I got my Baker Creek order yesterday! I'm excited to get started for the season, but I have a month or so to go before I can realistically start planting. But now I have nearly all the crops I want to grow! Everything else I want will be plants and they won't be showing up until May (hot peppers and eggplants)
My overwintered plants are generally doing OK. Aphids are doing a number on my mints though. My mojito mint is dead, and I fear the anise, chocolate and spearmint are suffering. I am unsure on the status of the pineapple mint. The cat nip is the only thing thriving right now. It is FULL of new leaves. If these all die, I will probably order more, but I might order more than one of each type this time. My mint last year got bugs and died too...I wonder what the heck is going on with aphids in my house. They don't become an issue (or even apparent) until the plants come inside.)
Finally, Project Garlic is doing ok! I still have shoots that look alive, and it seems nothing has frozen solid out on the roof. I've been fortunate with the weather--no snow to speak of and its only flirted with below freezing temps, really. We could still get a few weeks of nasty weather, but so far I am optimistic. Only 8 more weeks of winter, and so far so good!
My overwintered plants are generally doing OK. Aphids are doing a number on my mints though. My mojito mint is dead, and I fear the anise, chocolate and spearmint are suffering. I am unsure on the status of the pineapple mint. The cat nip is the only thing thriving right now. It is FULL of new leaves. If these all die, I will probably order more, but I might order more than one of each type this time. My mint last year got bugs and died too...I wonder what the heck is going on with aphids in my house. They don't become an issue (or even apparent) until the plants come inside.)
Finally, Project Garlic is doing ok! I still have shoots that look alive, and it seems nothing has frozen solid out on the roof. I've been fortunate with the weather--no snow to speak of and its only flirted with below freezing temps, really. We could still get a few weeks of nasty weather, but so far I am optimistic. Only 8 more weeks of winter, and so far so good!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
A Nice Surprise
I went and laid out my calendar for starting seeds for next year--its all plotted out for succession planting through the spring and fall, so I should be able to maximize mmy garden this year. I also made a schedule for placing my seed orders...and then one of them showed up yesterday. I have my Red Robin tomatoes (to be grown indoors next winter for year round tomatoes!) and mini head lettuce seeds from Containerseeds.com. So one less order to place.
I also got talking to a friend last night who has his own garden and has done a fair amount of canning (he brought amazing home made salsa and hummus to the party we were at) and he offered me the use of his canning equipment so I can try it out next season. I just have to buy the jars and lids. Pretty exciting.
The Baker Creek order goes out this week, and since I am splitting a Cook's Garden and Chile Woman order with co-workers, those will go out later in the month. I still need to decide on mint plants since my mojito mint is dead dead dead from these stupid aphids that came in the house on them (and the spearmint and chocolate mint...those are doing OK though) I lost the mints I had last winter to aphids too, and I am using a home made soap spray on them this time, but I can't seem to beat them into submission. fortunately they have not spread to anything else, and I doubt they will if they have not done so by now.
I added a list to the blog of plants I want to grow at some point. Looking at these seed catalogs makes me crazy as there are SO MANY things I want to try. Some I know will have to wait until I have my own place--my landlord was pretty cool with the small farm I installed on his roof last year, but I doubt corn will ever go over well, and asparagus might be a tough sell in a container. I'll research more and add in for next year. I definitely want to do potatoes next year, at least.
I've done some thinking on the local diet the past few days and I think I may be crystalized to the point of actually writing about it soon.
I also got talking to a friend last night who has his own garden and has done a fair amount of canning (he brought amazing home made salsa and hummus to the party we were at) and he offered me the use of his canning equipment so I can try it out next season. I just have to buy the jars and lids. Pretty exciting.
The Baker Creek order goes out this week, and since I am splitting a Cook's Garden and Chile Woman order with co-workers, those will go out later in the month. I still need to decide on mint plants since my mojito mint is dead dead dead from these stupid aphids that came in the house on them (and the spearmint and chocolate mint...those are doing OK though) I lost the mints I had last winter to aphids too, and I am using a home made soap spray on them this time, but I can't seem to beat them into submission. fortunately they have not spread to anything else, and I doubt they will if they have not done so by now.
I added a list to the blog of plants I want to grow at some point. Looking at these seed catalogs makes me crazy as there are SO MANY things I want to try. Some I know will have to wait until I have my own place--my landlord was pretty cool with the small farm I installed on his roof last year, but I doubt corn will ever go over well, and asparagus might be a tough sell in a container. I'll research more and add in for next year. I definitely want to do potatoes next year, at least.
I've done some thinking on the local diet the past few days and I think I may be crystalized to the point of actually writing about it soon.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Welcome, New Year!
I did some garden chores today...mixed my latest batch of bokashi into 3 of the self watering containers. I was set to do this Christmas Eve, but it rained, so I had to wait for a reasonably nice day and today was it. I'm down to having one large SWC to put compost in, and I think that will be ready to go in a month or so. Before I need them, definitely.
Project Garlic apears to be doing FINE. I peeked under the mulch and there are still happy looking garlic leaves poking up! I was pretty hopeful when I went and found the SWCs nota giant frozen solid mass. The boxes of mesculun I have outside the bedroom window also look reasonably well, and they are at a bigger risk for freezing, I think. yet they are still growing (very slowly) and look pretty good. If we get and nasty storms, I'll pull them inside, but they may be ready for greens in March.
Today's plan is to plot out when I need to start seeds. And finish out my seed orders. I've gotten catalogs from Burpee, Cook's Garden (a gorgeous one this year!) and Seeds of Change. I am likely NOT going to order from Burpee, but I will order from Cook's and I need to flip through Seeds of Change (the garlic came from there) The plan is to get my orders out by mid January so I am ready to roll in March. I'm not ordering much this time, since I have a lot left over from last year that I can use again.
I've been steadily using up what I out up last summer too. Today it was Jersey blueberries in the pancakes. YUM. I've been amazed by how good the produce I froze last summer tastes....as much of a pain as it was blanching and bagging, I think it was definitely worth the effort to do it. I may go and invest in a Food Saver for next summer since that is supposed to help save freezer space--I don't have much! I will probably venture into canning this summer too...I definitely want to put up some tomatoes, maybe make sauce and salsa for winter...
Project Garlic apears to be doing FINE. I peeked under the mulch and there are still happy looking garlic leaves poking up! I was pretty hopeful when I went and found the SWCs nota giant frozen solid mass. The boxes of mesculun I have outside the bedroom window also look reasonably well, and they are at a bigger risk for freezing, I think. yet they are still growing (very slowly) and look pretty good. If we get and nasty storms, I'll pull them inside, but they may be ready for greens in March.
Today's plan is to plot out when I need to start seeds. And finish out my seed orders. I've gotten catalogs from Burpee, Cook's Garden (a gorgeous one this year!) and Seeds of Change. I am likely NOT going to order from Burpee, but I will order from Cook's and I need to flip through Seeds of Change (the garlic came from there) The plan is to get my orders out by mid January so I am ready to roll in March. I'm not ordering much this time, since I have a lot left over from last year that I can use again.
I've been steadily using up what I out up last summer too. Today it was Jersey blueberries in the pancakes. YUM. I've been amazed by how good the produce I froze last summer tastes....as much of a pain as it was blanching and bagging, I think it was definitely worth the effort to do it. I may go and invest in a Food Saver for next summer since that is supposed to help save freezer space--I don't have much! I will probably venture into canning this summer too...I definitely want to put up some tomatoes, maybe make sauce and salsa for winter...
Monday, December 17, 2007
Plotting and Planning
This weekend brought the season's first nor'easter. It was pretty much over by noon on Sunday here, and was mostly wind and rain. I dealt with it by making my final garden plans for 2008--heck, soon it will be time to start seeds, right?
So, here is what I grew last season, that I plan on repeating:
Leaf lettuce/mesculun
Carrots
Beets
Radishes
Snap peas
Blue/yellow peas
Green/yellow/purple beans
Bell peppers
Cucumbers
Sungold cherry tomato
Sweet 100 cherry tomato
Lemondrop cherry tomato
Watermelon(Sugar Baby)
India Paint Eggplant
Nasturtiums
Plants that are still in pots inside include catnip, anise mint, pineapple mint, chocolate mint, peppermint, and Kentucky Colonel mint (that I may be losing to aphids), chives, parsley, summerlong basil and strawberries. They will go back outside when it warms up again.
What I want to try this year:
Garlic (planted already, and hopefully still ok)
Hot peppers
Spaghetti Squash
Zuchinni
Soy Beans (I like edemame)
Head Lettuce
Large tomato variety--Rutgers
Paste/sauce tomato--New Jersey Giant
Swiss Chard- Rainbow/Bright lights (I have no idea if I like to eat chard or not...I probably will like it, but it is GORGEOUS to look at!)
I am planning on ordering the eggplant as plants from Cook's Garden, and I will order my hot peppers as plants from The Chile Woman. I have not dealt with Chile Woman yet, but she has a zillion kinds of peppers and she was recommended on the edible container group.
I am ordering seed for the spaghetti squash, zuchinni (Black Beauty), soy, and tomatoes from Baker Creek Seeds. A friend introduced me to this catalog and I find their prices really good for seed, and I like their philosophy. The catalog is a stunner, too. They have ALL KINDS of heirloom plants. If this batch of stuff works out, I may try some other things from them in 2009.
I'll need to build some more self watering boxes for the tomatoes, since I only have 4 for tomatoes bow, and it looks like I want to grow 5 tomato plants.
So, here is what I grew last season, that I plan on repeating:
Leaf lettuce/mesculun
Carrots
Beets
Radishes
Snap peas
Blue/yellow peas
Green/yellow/purple beans
Bell peppers
Cucumbers
Sungold cherry tomato
Sweet 100 cherry tomato
Lemondrop cherry tomato
Watermelon(Sugar Baby)
India Paint Eggplant
Nasturtiums
Plants that are still in pots inside include catnip, anise mint, pineapple mint, chocolate mint, peppermint, and Kentucky Colonel mint (that I may be losing to aphids), chives, parsley, summerlong basil and strawberries. They will go back outside when it warms up again.
What I want to try this year:
Garlic (planted already, and hopefully still ok)
Hot peppers
Spaghetti Squash
Zuchinni
Soy Beans (I like edemame)
Head Lettuce
Large tomato variety--Rutgers
Paste/sauce tomato--New Jersey Giant
Swiss Chard- Rainbow/Bright lights (I have no idea if I like to eat chard or not...I probably will like it, but it is GORGEOUS to look at!)
I am planning on ordering the eggplant as plants from Cook's Garden, and I will order my hot peppers as plants from The Chile Woman. I have not dealt with Chile Woman yet, but she has a zillion kinds of peppers and she was recommended on the edible container group.
I am ordering seed for the spaghetti squash, zuchinni (Black Beauty), soy, and tomatoes from Baker Creek Seeds. A friend introduced me to this catalog and I find their prices really good for seed, and I like their philosophy. The catalog is a stunner, too. They have ALL KINDS of heirloom plants. If this batch of stuff works out, I may try some other things from them in 2009.
I'll need to build some more self watering boxes for the tomatoes, since I only have 4 for tomatoes bow, and it looks like I want to grow 5 tomato plants.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Good Timing
...I guess...we got our first real snow today. i did not bring my greens boxes in (I got distracted before leaving for the night) and they are pretty pissed off looking salad greens on my window sill. I also think that my garlic boxes froze--at least the top of the soil is hard. Maybe the roots are OK. Its out of my hands right now!
One of tomorrow's projects will be to put all my seeds away in the freezer until March when I get planting again. Next up will be inventorying what I have and ordering what I need based on my garden plans. Then I need to build more boxes and start the cycle again.
I think next year I am going to try to keep things rolling indoors (greens at least) but I need to research that....
One of tomorrow's projects will be to put all my seeds away in the freezer until March when I get planting again. Next up will be inventorying what I have and ordering what I need based on my garden plans. Then I need to build more boxes and start the cycle again.
I think next year I am going to try to keep things rolling indoors (greens at least) but I need to research that....
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Welcome to December
I finally put my garden to bed today. Well, mostly....I plan on putting some compost into the big boxes once its ready, and that is likey to be around Christmas. I compost household stuff with a couple of Bokashi buckets. It works pretty well. I'll have to write about it later this winter.
The garlic still appears to be doing well! I really hope it doesn't freeze. I packed more leaves around them today since it is going to freezing tonight AND we may have snow. I should probably bring my salad greens in too, though they have toughed out a frost we had already.
Even though it is winter, I have started to plan next year's garden. I started my tomatoes in March last year. If I'd been thinking ahead, I would have started some tomatoes inside for the winter--I am lucky in that I have a sunroom that gets decent light year round. That experiment will need to wait until next fall!
Last year I grew:
Eggplant
Bell pepper
carrots
Basil
Chives
Mint (several varieties)
Salad greens
Beets
Striped tomatoes (did not work out well)
Cherry tomatoes (lemondrop, sungold, and sweet 100...all fabulous)
Nasturtiums
Watermelon
Peas
Cucumbers
beans in three colors!
A lot of this is in my freezer at the moment.
What I want to add in/change:
A large tomato variety
Soybeans (I found seeds and I want to make edemame)
Hot peppers
Spaghetti squash
zuchinni
head lettuce
garlic (in progress)
I think this means Iw ill need to build a few more large self watering boxes. I made a bunch last spring for my tomatoes, and they were a definite improvement over what I had been doing before--I could get away with watering tomatoes oevery other day in the hottest part of summer as opposed to 3 times a day. I used (and modified) instructions found here to create my self watering containers. They were pretty easy once I got rolling. I did not use PCV pipes, but a black flexible pipe that I got at Home Depot for like $4 for 10 feet. That made a lot of boxes. I use segments of hose for my fill tubes. I may change that.
I hang out on a great Yahoo list about growing veggies in containers, called ediblecontainergardens so I will share that now. It is really nice--lots of VERY helpful and fun folks, and it is one of the better organized Internet lists I have been on--the files section is a great index to the discussions!
More later as I decide what I need to order as seed....
The garlic still appears to be doing well! I really hope it doesn't freeze. I packed more leaves around them today since it is going to freezing tonight AND we may have snow. I should probably bring my salad greens in too, though they have toughed out a frost we had already.
Even though it is winter, I have started to plan next year's garden. I started my tomatoes in March last year. If I'd been thinking ahead, I would have started some tomatoes inside for the winter--I am lucky in that I have a sunroom that gets decent light year round. That experiment will need to wait until next fall!
Last year I grew:
Eggplant
Bell pepper
carrots
Basil
Chives
Mint (several varieties)
Salad greens
Beets
Striped tomatoes (did not work out well)
Cherry tomatoes (lemondrop, sungold, and sweet 100...all fabulous)
Nasturtiums
Watermelon
Peas
Cucumbers
beans in three colors!
A lot of this is in my freezer at the moment.
What I want to add in/change:
A large tomato variety
Soybeans (I found seeds and I want to make edemame)
Hot peppers
Spaghetti squash
zuchinni
head lettuce
garlic (in progress)
I think this means Iw ill need to build a few more large self watering boxes. I made a bunch last spring for my tomatoes, and they were a definite improvement over what I had been doing before--I could get away with watering tomatoes oevery other day in the hottest part of summer as opposed to 3 times a day. I used (and modified) instructions found here to create my self watering containers. They were pretty easy once I got rolling. I did not use PCV pipes, but a black flexible pipe that I got at Home Depot for like $4 for 10 feet. That made a lot of boxes. I use segments of hose for my fill tubes. I may change that.
I hang out on a great Yahoo list about growing veggies in containers, called ediblecontainergardens so I will share that now. It is really nice--lots of VERY helpful and fun folks, and it is one of the better organized Internet lists I have been on--the files section is a great index to the discussions!
More later as I decide what I need to order as seed....
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