let's see your veggie garden {pics} 2021-25

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Saturday will be two weeks from planting bare root strawberries! With the Bipolar florida weather, I covered them up this past week at night and uncovered after it started warming back up. This week, daytime Temps are in the 80s and 50s n 60s at night! This weekend is supposed to cool off again.

 

[deluxestogie]

Starting Peas Indoors

My pea experiment seemed to be progressing well, until last week. Then, some of the apparently healthy pea vinelings began to wilt. The soil felt slightly damp, but not wet. I added more water. They seemed to recover a bit over the following couple of days, then began to show wilting again. I was stumped. Water pooling from the liner in the tray? Drowning? Desiccating? A pea disease? (¿Peasease?)

Then this morning, I noticed that I had failed to unplug the seedling heat mat that had been keeping them cozy through the cold nights. With days in the 70s (°F), and lots of direct sunlight, I was cooking my peas. Although I can certainly salvage 5 or 6 of the poor little things, to go into my garden next week, I'll also plant some additional peas.

The "slide out a tray of started peas" experiment may be considered a failure, due to human error.

Bob

 

[cincydave]

I was worrying that I might have cooked the peas on the heat mat plus dome plus direct sun. Also, this is my strange tray arrangement with a poly-nylon bag beneath the soil. This one pea sprouted today.

The Chilhuacle Negro chili is a happy sight, given how few seeds came in the packet (13), and the seed site's discussion of how troublesome they are to germinate.

Bob

I grow a lot of pepper varieties including several Mexican types, but hadn't run across this one. Sounds like an interesting flavor profile. Will be interested to see how you like it.

 

[deluxestogie]

As of today, I have 6 Chilhuacle Negro sprouted. My take on its flavor is that it may resemble that of Basque pepper (pima d'Espelete), also an ancient landrace, though originating in Peru. If the last two germinate, then I may also try growing the Chilhuacle Negro in a pot as well, though it sounds like the roots may go down more than 12".

On the subject of exploring peppers, one year I grew golden California Wonder bell peppers, dried them at the yellow stage, ground them, then waited. After several years sitting in a jar, it gradually turned a deep, red-brown, looking just like common chili powder. While still quite mild, it now imparts a rich, chili flavor to foods, without the heat. All very strange.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Today, I transferred my sad, snow pea starts into the front porch corner bed. Only 6 of them appeared viable. On lifting the poly-nylon bag liner up from the 1020 tray, I discovered that the pea roots actually held the soil together fairly well. I think if I could solve the watering/drainage problem with the tray, it might have all worked well as originally planned.

After adding 10-10-10 fertilizer to the bed, and tilling that in, I placed the pea plants on top, with the entire 1020 tray of starting mix, and watered them in. To their left, two chilhuacle negro plants will go in, once the soil is warm enough (likely late May). To their right, I will probably add two or more Xanthi-Yaka 18a plants, amidst the sagging daffodil leaves.

Bob

 

[Henrybowman47]

I’ve got Everglades tomatoes coming up out of the compost, some dwarf bananas I had to rescue and put in the garden. Datil pepper transplants I just planted today. Tobacco (I think Havana 608) I’m picking leaves off of periodically. 1 lone strawberry plant leftover from last year. Citronella to keep the bugs away from my face! A peach tree I planted 2 years ago is making peaches this year! A plumeria and a dragon fruit on the table. And my rain water catchment system. I try to water everything I plan to eat and smoke with rainwater! At zone 9a Florida.

 

[Henrybowman47]

I signed up for chip drop. If you want them on the lawn tell them on the lawn, never mention the driveway in relation to the lawn or you'll get this.
View attachment 36200

Looks like you get some exercise moving that pile!

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Strawberries starting to flower

Everglades tomatoes about 3 days ago.

Everglades tomatoes today

Asparagus from 2 year old crown

 

[Knucklehead]

Everglades tomatoes today

I had to Google those. I see @Henrybowman47 is also growing them. I'm looking forward to seeing them this season. Have you grown them before?

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

First time, but they're doing better already than what starts my sister gave me last year. Lol I started these myself!

I put promix bx with mychorizae in a waffle house takeout container and soaked it. Then drained off excess water, sowed the seeds, put the clear top on, and set it in my west facing kitchen window. About 5 days, was a bunch of condensation so I took off lid to check and they began germinating!

I transplanted the better sprouts to 2" soil blocks and away we go...when the next several were better off I did the same with them. A third set of sprouts is about ready to "pot up" from the takeout container to soil blocks.

 

[Henrybowman47]

I had to Google those. I see @Henrybowman47 is also growing them. I'm looking forward to seeing them this season. Have you grown them before?

I have. They are delicious but small. Florida native tomato. Taste great fresh from the plant still warm from the sun.

 

[MadFarmer]

The new tobacco bed was a no go today, but I managed to mow the lawn and put out nine tomato plants. Five varieties of cherry tomato:
Barry's Crazy Cherry
Sweet 100
Black Vernissage
Mexico Midget
Chocolate Pear

 

[deluxestogie]

I think I may have started these too early:

Bob

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

I have 2 maters that are probably ready to plant out but the compost isn't being delivered til next week! I started all my veg n tobacco seeds in wafflehouse takeout trays then transplanted to 2" soil blocks as they were ready. So far it's working lots better than last year when I tried starting in soil blocks...also I left more space between the blocks for airflow!

 

[deluxestogie]

Veggies Awaiting Suitable Weather

Despite my recent, abnormally high temperatures (in the 80s), I have frost predicted 2 and 3 days from now. If the 14-day forecast looks good beyond that, then these overgrown plants will go into the garden. My cucumbers, not pictured, are equally overgrown. The direct-seed veggies (beans and yellow crookneck squash) will await warmer soil. I may also wait for warmer soil before transplanting my Chilhuacle Negro peppers.

Bob

 

[GrowleyMonster]

So I just cut the second head of broccoli of 2023. I was quite proud of the first one, at nearly 10" across and over 1-1/2 lbs, but figured it was really not brag worthy. Then over the last few days, this one put on a growth spurt and reached nearly a foot across, and over 2-1/2 lbs. I call it:

BROC-ZILLA

 

[deluxestogie]

My winter squash, tomatoes and cukes were just about to devour my back porch. So out to the garden they went, yesterday. The photo today shows that the bedraggled things are still alive. Rain starts this evening—about 1 inch over 36 hours.

So these veggies should be totally refreshed. Or maybe I'll find them lying face down in a flooded bed. The other veggies will wait.

Once I had transplanted the contents of all four of my 3" pot tomato starts, I stared blankly at a fifth tomato in a fifth 3" pot sitting in the tray beside the garden bed. I had actually placed it into the tray, and carried it out to the garden, without noticing that there were 5. Sometimes math is hard. I don't remember starting five. That extra one is a Big Beef. So I carried it back to my front porch, and transplanted it into a large (maybe 2 gallon) pot, placed in the corner, where it can climb the wrought iron corner post, and hopefully be mostly watered by rain, rather than by Bob..

Bob

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Potatoes are sprouting in a container. Corn is ready for its forever garden home. Tobacco isn't far behind!

 

[Knucklehead]

Potatoes are sprouting in a container. Corn is ready for its forever garden home. Tobacco isn't far behind!

Do you plant potatoes in the ground or straw bales?