Gardening: My Tomatoe and Pepper Progress

[passedpawn]

Using the surplus of my homegrown smoked habanero powder as rabbit mace. They are wrecking my easter petunias this year. I might make an oil out of it so that it stays on the flowers after rain.

Thoughts?

 

[passedpawn]

In the past, I did not do much fertilizing of my pepper plants. But this year I've been sprinkling a little miracle grow over them. And so far it's pretty miraculous. The new jalapenos coming in are closer to cucumbers!

 

[Abrayton]

My hot pepper seeds after 3 weeks. Not sure what happened this year

 

[passedpawn]

My hot pepper seeds after 3 weeks. Not sure what happened this year

maybe too much water?

 

[Abrayton]

The pic is just after a watering but I’ve been pretty consistent every year with the watering schedule. I think my mistake was buying starter pots with dirt already in it. It seemed off from the start. Live and learn. I’ll never not mix my own soil again.

 

[Dog House Brew]

Temperature?

 

[Kent88]

I'm attempting to grow tomatoes again after finding potato beetles on my potatoes a couple years ago. I found a bunch of them on nightshade last summer, but I never noticed them being a problem for my tomatoes, so I'm hoping this won't be a problem.

I started seeds a bit late, on April 5th, and then a few more on Monday.

 

[Deadalus]

I'm a little behind this year myself but I did manage to rehab my greenhouse. It was one of those hooped models with the green cover (picture from this last winter). I also had some leftover siding pieces/lumber so I built two long benches and a potting table. Shortened the original hoop structure one section and used the extra straight pieces to reinforce the top and put up clear 6 mil greenhouse plastic. I installed a small fan and louvered vent for airflow. I have a spare wifi/BT dual Govee plug though and Govee has a cheap BT thermometer which I ordered. I should be able to set up a scene(?) in the Govee app to read the temp and run the plug. I have a spare phone I can dedicate to run the app. I'll need to tighten up the plastic some as it has loosened up a bit with being in the sun. It got up to over 100°F the first day before I turned on the fan and propped the vent open! It was only 60° outside.

 

[passedpawn]

My one strawberry plant (for the wife, who doesn't eat the peppers haha) starting to produce. I plucked one off today and it was really sweet. Hope the bugs don't find it.

 

[passedpawn]

Here's a pic I just took of one of my jalepeno plants. And something else that was eyeing them up.

 

[z-bob]

It's still too early to safely set peppers and tomatoes in the ground (especially the peppers) but I've moved them outside to start hardening off. They're sitting in the bed of my truck to protect them a little from wind and squirrels.

 

[Hanglow]

My tomatoes are in the greenhouses and the locoto pepers are outside now, but the rest of the peppers I bring inside at night. Still another week before I will put them out even under cover, been a cool spring. At least it will be nice and warm in the greenhouses during the day

 

[Deadalus]

Hustling my tomatoes and peppers along as fast as I can but they are just past germination. They are under a grow light in the greenhouse and been on heating pads. I've got rainbow bells, two types of Thai hot peppers and some Fresno Jalapenos all ordered from Pepper Joe's and then some regular jalapenos from Southern Seed Exchange. Tomato varieties are San Marzanos, Romas, Mountaineer Delight (superior disease resistance), Mortgage Lifters, Black Prince, and Alston Everlasting (cherry). Lots of brassicas and herbs. About the only item I am slightly ahead of in the greenhouse would be the cukes. I normally plant these in the ground but germination wasn't so good last year so I am trying peat pots another time. Now that I have a rainproof greenhouse I will invest in some more lights for next year. Also need a few more heating pads.

 

[Abrayton]

Kraken Scorpion Red
Orange Torpedo
Death Spiral
CPR x
C3PO Chocolate
Purple Peach Snake.

 

[z-bob]

There are volunteer tomato plants coming up in my garden, so I'm taking that as a sign that the soil is warm enough to plant stuff even if the nights are still sometimes in the 40s. Also I see corn coming up in the farmers' fields around here.

So far I've set out 6 okra seedlings, 2 Celebrity tomatoes, 2 Stupice tomatoes, 1 Principe Borghese tomato, 2 Scotch Bonnet x Yellow Bell peppers, and one big red half-hot habanero (I don't know the variety). I also have some 7 Pot Yellow peppers but haven't figured out where to put them yet. Tomorrow I'll set out some eggplants and plant the squash. Scarlet Runner beans that I planted in little pots over a week ago are *finally* peeking out from the soil, so I can plant those in a couple of days. And the bronze fennel started coming up today. (the fennel is mainly for the swallowtail butterflies, but the bronze variety is kinda ornamental if the caterpillars don't eat it up so I'm okay with it either way)

I'm holding back extras of everything to replant in case there's a late freeze, hail, or a rabbit or squirrel destroys something. I still need to plant some basil seeds.

 

[Hanglow]

Chillis in a pop up greenhouse,, toms in the greenhouse, onions and potatoes. Lots more coming ready and have been picking salads for a couple of weeks. Had some garlic scapes this lunchtime too.

 

[passedpawn]

Japs and cayenne are producing. Habs are just starting to go from light green to yellow. They should end up orange. Might do a test tonight to make sure they are burners

 

[bleme]

Do earwigs do this kind of damage? They are the only bug I am seeing. It looks like the same bug completely wiped out my zucchini. I’ve tried diatomaceous earth, neem and insecticide soap so far but nothing seems to slow it down.

 

[Kickass]

We’re at about 4,400 feet and days and nights have been cool so we’re just getting started. Of 8 beds, my wife has graciously allowed me to borrow space in one and a half for chilies and tomatoes.

 

[passedpawn]

^^ That's frigging ridiculous. How are you doing irrigation?

 

[Kickass]

^^ That's frigging ridiculous. How are you doing irrigation?

By hand, daily. I keep trying to put a drip system in but my wife enjoys spending time out there. We put straw down this year to help keep the soil moist.

 

[VApatriot]

New raised bed gardens in process. 2 are 4x6, 1 is 4x8. Gonna add cap boards and haul lots of soil, clay soil here in northern Bama is unusable.

 

[passedpawn]

Previous habs were red. I like the orange. When you smell that heavenly citrus upon cutting, you know they need to be orange.

 

[GlutenFreeCart]

That's wonderful to hear about your long-standing involvement in gardening and how it has been a part of your life since you were young. It's always great to have those cherished memories of gardening with family. I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather's passing, but it's clear that his knowledge and passion for gardening have left a lasting impact on you.

It's fantastic that you're eager to share your gardening journey and help others along the way. Starting your tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors in late January is a smart move, especially considering your Zone 7 location. Utilizing your birthday as a reminder is a creative way to stay on top of the planting schedule.
Including your daughter in the seed-starting process is a beautiful way to pass on the tradition and knowledge to the next generation. The brooder lamps with 1600 lumen bulbs for grow lights and your approach of keeping things simple is practical and effective. Not everyone has access to east or west-facing windows, so using an outdoor greenhouse or similar structures is a great alternative.

The photos you have from previous years, showcasing your onion planting, could be a valuable resource for others interested in the process. It's always helpful to have visual references and examples when learning something new.

Damping off can indeed be a challenge with seedlings, especially in their early stages. Using Captan as a treatment and incorporating a fan for air circulation are proactive steps to prevent mold and promote healthy growth.

I look forward to seeing more updates from your gardening journey. It's admirable that you're willing to share your experiences, knowledge, and even some good ole southern entertainment along the way. Happy gardening!

 

[Abrayton]

looking pretty good
Kraken Scorpion Red
Orange Torpedo
Death Spiral
CPR x
C3PO Chocolate
Purple Peach Snake.

 

[passedpawn]

I let loose 1500 ladybugs on my pepper plants last night. This morning, they are crawling all over them gobbling white flies. Nom nom. Apparently, they don't fly at night, and they will hang out as long as there is food. When they eat, they lay new ladybug eggs. Hopefully this will solve my white fly problem.

 

[Deadalus]

Tomatoes and peppers are in the ground. Tomatoes are doing well, peppers got attacked by slugs. They killed 11 out of 24 plants. I have backups transplanted out of cells to solo cups but they were the weakest seedlings. Hoping to get them bigger so they can survive any browsing. Lots of scapes this week, I have about 120 garlic plants. Everything still small otherwise, it's been cool here this spring.

 

[Hanglow]

I harvested my first garlic in the 3rd June, a low dormancy hardneck called primor. All the others are still in the ground, possibly up for another month although most should be done in the next couple of weeks. Corn is doing much better than last year too

Tomatoes and peppers are growing well, a couple even got frazzled by the heat, we had had temperatures and full sun well above normal here. Best summer for a while despite it only being June still.

And the early brassicas are almost ready, all Kohl rabi harvested, psb and cauliflower being harvested

 

[Abrayton]

First harvest, orange torpedo fermenting.

 

[bwible]

We’re getting terrible results this year. Mostly haven’t had time to take care of the garden. Almost no peppers, few tomatoes. My wife is growing a couple fig trees that are in their second year and those are getting bigger and about the only thing looking good. The biggest one has 2 tiny figs we’re hoping will have time to grow fully.