Gardening: My Tomatoe and Pepper Progress

[passedpawn]

How do you guys know when to pick your peppers?

I have a couple Serano that are looking somewhat appropriate, size wise. Are there any other indicators?

For me, color. I pick cayennes as soon as they are fully red. They stay red about a week then start to get soft, so I pick them right away. The habs I pick as soon as they are fully orange, or red since the orange doesn't stay long.

 

[applescrap]

More update, broccoli and brussel sprouts are huge and haven't produced anything. The strawberries gave us like 10 and they are a whole pool. There's some lettuce that's hanging on. Need to replant some herbs. Winters are too hard on strawberries i wonder? Blight everywhere like everyone else. The eight beans that I put in the four one gallon bags are now producing beans pretty well. Need to grow more of them next year. The peppers I'm surprised aren't growing out of their cages yet. Todays haul. The pools will keep the bags moist I just need to throw some seeds in.

Ill try for some good pictures later

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[WI_Wino]

A light frost does wonders for brussel sprouts once they have the sprouts. You shouldn't get anything from them until Sept. In southern wi recommend planting time isn't until June.

 

[bob1852]

Every year I say I'm going to separate my tomatoes more(2 across the garden instead of 3 across). Every year I forget and plant 3 across. When we have a wet spring and early summer they get huge and totally grow together to the point it's hard to keep and eye on the fruit ripening. It probably doesn't help my blight issues. Maybe next year.

I always over crowd my tomatoes, too. The seedlings are just so small I feel like I'm wasting space....

This is what my little tomato garden looked like when planting... I've been away from home for a couple months, but I'll post what it looks like now soon...

 

[Stillraining]

More update, broccoli and brussel sprouts are huge and haven't produced anything. The strawberries gave us like 10 and they are a whole pool. There's some lettuce that's hanging on. Need to replant some herbs. Winters are too hard on strawberries i wonder? Blight everywhere like everyone else. The eight beans that I put in the four one gallon bags are now producing beans pretty well. Need to grow more of them next year. The peppers I'm surprised aren't growing out of their cages yet. Todays haul. The pools will keep the bags moist I just need to throw some seeds in.

Ill try for some good pictures later

Applescrap: That is a very interesting potting system.. Obviously the plants are dong great but I cant figure out what keeps them from drowning sitting in constant water like that?

 

[applescrap]

Me either, heres better light

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[Oldskewl]

I always over crowd my tomatoes, too. The seedlings are just so small I feel like I'm wasting space....

This is what my little tomato garden looked like when planting... I've been away from home for a couple months, but I'll post what it looks like now soon...

Wow those are close together. Mine are about 30 inches apart, caged and then tied to support longer branches. And they are still all grown together. Gonna have to shoot for 4 foot sea ration next year, if I remember.

 

[StonesBally]

I've had great results with indeterminate tomatoes planted just 15" apart for years. You just have to be careful and use stakes or twine instead of cages and make sure you keep them pruned to one central stem. I have 30 plants in a 5'x 13' plot of one of my garden beds. The tomatoes in the center produce just a well as those around the edges.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

It's been (and will be) in the 90's and extremely humid of late. I water the plants in the morning but by evening they are looking wilted. Fortunately I'll be in town to keep an eye on them, but this weather is making it tough.

BUT the peppers are loving it and are going nuts.

My hops are yellowing a bit though, which has me worried. Maybe I need to add bone meal? I don't have a ph reader.

 

[jsguitar]

Super hot here. 97 I think today. Major striped cucumber beetle attack. Bastards.

 

[Staestc]

I am trying to figure out why my self watering sewer pipe setup is suddenly using less water despite 100 degree temps and the plants are looking wilted. Looked in the pipe and I have a ton of roots in there. No idea how they got past the weedstop cloth. Don't really want to pull any of them and examine what's going on, but probably will this weekend. Watered them from the top today to combat the wilting.

 

[applescrap]

It's clogged? I've heard of that happening.
Or maybe something is got the float stuck

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Pepper porn

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[jsguitar]

Nice pepper pron!

I just went out and harvested banana peppers and got them prepared to ferment. I added a jalapeno from the garden for a tiny bit of heat. The plants are pretty spotted up but still producing.

 

[Staestc]

It's clogged? I've heard of that happening.
Or maybe something is got the float stuck

Roots most likely. Question is how did they get out. I followed posted internet procedures. Maybe should have read further! Lol

 

[Staestc]

Nice pepper pron!



I just went out and harvested banana peppers and got them prepared to ferment. I added a jalapeno from the garden for a tiny bit of heat. The plants are pretty spotted up but still producing.

Just looks great!

 

[jsguitar]

Here's a few more garden pics. One of the cucumber plants is taller than me and is starting to make some fruit. I think that spot gets good sun. I'm hoping to have the pumpkins hanging from the fencing. It's going to need some more support though.

 

[Stillraining]

My wife has nice melons............



Seriously though, her garden is really starting to take off.

 

[bob1852]

My gardens usually suck. I think I don't take soil prep and nutrient/fertilizing seriously enough...

And our growing season is pretty short (and getting shorter with later last freezes and earlier first frosts), which doesn't help.....

 

[applescrap]

My wife has nice melons............



Seriously though, her garden is really starting to take off.

The gardens look really nice. I want to comment on the big beautiful melons, but I'm worried things will be weird between us. So I'll just say nice melons. I really need to get my squash and melons going next year. I tried growing them where sprinkler could water them but what happened was it was spraying the leaves giving it powdery mildew

 

[applescrap]

Here's a few more garden pics. One of the cucumber plants is taller than me and is starting to make some fruit. I think that spot gets good sun. I'm hoping to have the pumpkins hanging from the fencing. It's going to need some more support though.

Peppers look good no doubt. Cool to see the melons coming in. I always grew my squash and stuff on the ground I like seeing it hanging.

 

[Stillraining]

The gardens look really nice. I want to comment on the big beautiful melons, but I'm worried things will be weird between us. So I'll just say nice melons. I really need to get my squash and melons going next year. I tried growing them where sprinkler could water them but what happened was it was spraying the leaves giving it powdery mildew

LOL.. Comment away my friend...... Here I will get you started....

Are they smoother , rounder, perkier and not as lopsided in real life? ....Most definitely...

 

[jsguitar]

My wife has nice melons............



Seriously though, her garden is really starting to take off.

Squash look great and such a nice looking garden!

 

[Oldskewl]

Nice pepper pron!

I just went out and harvested banana peppers and got them prepared to ferment. I added a jalapeno from the garden for a tiny bit of heat. The plants are pretty spotted up but still producing.

Care to share your recipe? I have some Hungarian wax peppers about ready for harvest. I have canned rings in the past but they come out too soft and mushy. Planning to do a basic fridge recipe of salt, vinegar and water this year.

 

[Oldskewl]

Going through a hot spell here in PA. I harvested some cucumbers and my first big tomatoes(not cherry). This heat is taking its toll on the cucumber plants though.

 

[jsguitar]

Care to share your recipe? I have some Hungarian wax peppers about ready for harvest. I have canned rings in the past but they come out too soft and mushy. Planning to do a basic fridge recipe of salt, vinegar and water this year.

This is my first time to ferment slices like this. I did try my hand at some fermented hot sauces before that didn't turn out very well but wanted to try fermenting again. Not really a recipe but I'm basically following the salt brine ratio here :

http://www.wellpreserved.ca/naturally-pickled-fermented-jalapeno-peppers/

and added a couple of cloves of garlic and a light sprinkle of caraway seeds just to see if it's good. I also added a tablespoon of juice from Bubbies fermented pickles to get a good start. I'll let you know how they come out. I'm hoping I'll get it right this time.

The fridge\vinegar method is definitely a winner. When I did them like that before they were great and lasted a long time in the fridge. I added a bit of garlic and onion and spices to those.

 

[jsguitar]

Going through a hot spell here in PA. I harvested some cucumbers and my first big tomatoes(not cherry). This heat is taking its toll on the cucumber plants though.

Nice harvest and I like that basket!

 

[Oldskewl]

This is my first time to ferment slices like this. I did try my hand at some fermented hot sauces before that didn't turn out very well but wanted to try fermenting again. Not really a recipe but I'm basically following the salt brine ratio here :

http://www.wellpreserved.ca/naturally-pickled-fermented-jalapeno-peppers/

and added a couple of cloves of garlic and a light sprinkle of caraway seeds just to see if it's good. I also added a tablespoon of juice from Bubbies fermented pickles to get a good start. I'll let you know how they come out. I'm hoping I'll get it right this time.

The fridge\vinegar method is definitely a winner. When I did them like that before they were great and lasted a long time in the fridge. I added a bit of garlic and onion and spices to those.

Interesting! Thanks!

 

[Apple_Jacker]

My romas are turning red. I should be picking them this upcoming week. There's 4 yellow pear plants in there too, all to the far right... that's about 3 too many. They've been producing like crazy.

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[jsguitar]

My romas are turning red. I should be picking them this upcoming week. There's 4 yellow pear plants in there too, all to the far right... that's about 3 too many. They've been producing like crazy.

Nice patch of tomatoes.

BTW, if anybody is growing a bunch of cucurbits and gets an infestation of cucumber beetles those yellow sticky traps that you hang work pretty well to knock down the numbers. I sprayed the other day but didn't want to over do it because it's so hot I was afraid I'd burn the leaves. A few days later I still have some around. They're pretty tough critters. I only had one trap so I bought some more. The one I put out yesterday has about 15 beetles on it.

I forgot how fast cucumbers grow once they're pollinated. It's kind of amazing.