Gardening: My Tomatoe and Pepper Progress

[z-bob]

Oh and Pintos are being grown more here, but I'm not even going to open up that can of worms.

Pintos and cranberry beans (they look about the same) make *very* good green beans.

I wonder when my runner beans are going to bloom, they reached the top of their teepee 2 weeks ago and are climbing up each other about 2 or 3 feet over the top. Maybe I should cut the tops out...

 

[z-bob]

I'm picking Serrano peppers now. The Thai peppers that were blooming long before the serranos seemed to get some kind of virus that stunted the tops and killed the flowers. They've grown out of it and and have finally started setting fruit but it's going to take a while before I have any to pick.

The eggplants are blooming, and the squash have lots of male blooms but not little fruit yet. I've had to pull up several tomato plants that had some kind of wilt disease. Think I'm gonna plant Celebrity tomatoes next year (VFFNTA or something like that disease resistance) Cucumbers look healthy but are not even growing yet; just have about 2 real leaves. Maybe they are waiting for hot weather.

 

[imasickboy]

They are just the basic purple hulls that are very popular here in the south.

Thanks for the clarificaton. FWIW, just check out seedsavers or rareseeds, and just give whatever you think you like, a chance. There's all kinds of crazy **** out there, and I keep trying things new to me, just because I can. It has been worth the minimal effort every year, period. Purple beans have been on my list every year, but I keep finding other things to give more priority to. "Maybe next year", is what I always say.

 

[triethylborane]

I'm picking Serrano peppers now. The Thai peppers that were blooming long before the serranos seemed to get some kind of virus that stunted the tops and killed the flowers. They've grown out of it and and have finally started setting fruit but it's going to take a while before I have any to pick.

The eggplants are blooming, and the squash have lots of male blooms but not little fruit yet. I've had to pull up several tomato plants that had some kind of wilt disease. Think I'm gonna plant Celebrity tomatoes next year (VFFNTA or something like that disease resistance) Cucumbers look healthy but are not even growing yet; just have about 2 real leaves. Maybe they are waiting for hot weather.

Your pepper plants, eggplant and tomatoes are all part of the Solanaceae or nightshade family, which is quite susceptible to disease, usually viral, via the leaves. It is important to keep the leaves of a plant in the nightshade family off the ground and, if possible, to avoid consistent watering of the leaves. Leaves touching the soil is a pathway for disease and wet leaves encourage disease. Tomatoes respond very well to hard pruning, particularly indeterminates, and this can help focus the plant on fruiting rather than producing suckers. Peppers and eggplant don't have the issue with suckers, but the watering and leave regimen is the same as tomato plants.

If the leaves were rolled together, that usually is an indicator of early blight from too much watering. Tomatoes need a dry out period between waterings. Blight can be overcome, but it is a fungus that can kill a plant if not corrected. Some gardeners are so anal they prune tomatoes with shears that have been "sterilized" with isopropyl alcohol so as to not cross contaminate.

You might like Early Girl, Big Beef and another heavy producer, for me at least, Cherokee Purple.

 

[applescrap]

One of nicer pepper plants. I scaled way back this year. I have dried and frozen pods in mass quantities already...



Office garden:

Nice gardens!


@evilgrin and estricklin awesome hauls already.

 

[stella_tigre]

Your pepper plants, eggplant and tomatoes are all part of the Solanaceae or nightshade family, which is quite susceptible to disease, usually viral, via the leaves. It is important to keep the leaves of a plant in the nightshade family off the ground and, if possible, to avoid consistent watering of the leaves. Leaves touching the soil is a pathway for disease and wet leaves encourage disease. Tomatoes respond very well to hard pruning, particularly indeterminates, and this can help focus the plant on fruiting rather than producing suckers. Peppers and eggplant don't have the issue with suckers, but the watering and leave regimen is the same as tomato plants.

If the leaves were rolled together, that usually is an indicator of early blight from too much watering. Tomatoes need a dry out period between waterings. Blight can be overcome, but it is a fungus that can kill a plant if not corrected. Some gardeners are so anal they prune tomatoes with shears that have been "sterilized" with isopropyl alcohol so as to not cross contaminate.

You might like Early Girl, Big Beef and another heavy producer, for me at least, Cherokee Purple.

Crop rotation by family might help - don't replant the same family in the same place for several years. This is a problem if limited in space. Also note that potatoes share some of the same issues. Peppers are less susceptible to a lot of diseases, but I don't know if you want to keep them rotated out also.

Irony, we have new beds that have never had gardens but there are also wild relatives that can be an issue (ground cherries for instance.) And they are common here.

 

[brewcat]

Should be able to pick my first Japanese long eggplant tonight. And a few more following right behind. The first bell peppers are showing some blossom end rot. I think they will grow out of it. Cantaloupes are growing pretty well. Could use some rain...

 

[jeff62217]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1500522604.771862.jpgjalapeno/fresno harvest

 

[brewcat]

Harvested some eggplants and peppers tonight. Probably throw them in a pan and grill some brats.

 

[estricklin]

Harvested some eggplants and peppers tonight. Probably throw them in a pan and grill some brats.

I hope there will be beer.

My belly is full of purple hulls and okra at the moment so no beer for me.

 

[brewcat]

I hope there will be beer.

My belly is full of purple hulls and okra at the moment so no beer for me.

Beer is usually a given. Actually had to postpone until tonight so instead grilled some burgers. I threw the eggplant in a pan with a bit of sweet peppers and one serrano. Good with olive oil, salt & pepper. Now just have to wait for the next harvest.

My okra looks to be growing well. Probably will still be a bit before I harvest any.

 

[brewcat]

Finally! A little rain! And the plants in the raised bed are starting to look like they belong! Seems they are quite a bit behind the containers. Next year I might stick with the warmer weather plants in containers. Probably time to start figuring Fall plantings.

 

[user 211287]

Most of my ground plot plants lag behind until later. Fabric pots rock though. Just use cheap Walmart reusable shopping bags and a drip pan. It ends up costing around $1.50 a pot with small wash tubs from Dollar Tree

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

My tomatoes had plumped up nicely and quickly up until around July 4th, then they just sat there, green. I checked the community garden and everyone else's tomatoes were doing the same thing. But NOW they are beginning to turn red. I'm hoping they're still good.

The banana peppers have been delicious, though production has slowed. I got about 4 peppers off the plant, but they've stopped producing now. My strawberry plant is still providing a berry here or there.

But the real excitement this week? I had a wasp nest under a storage room outside my house, and it was preventing me from getting to any of my tools to do some much needed work in the basement before my new carpet comes next week. I tried spraying the suckers with a 20' spray can but since I couldn't see the nest, nothing worked. So I got a powder insecticide and a bulb applicator. Had a glass of bourbon, and went out at night to smoke the mothers out. I sort of figured they'd emerge from the hole once I put the applicator in, so I just started pumping as much as I could before they made an appearance. The thing about this applicator is, you only can stand about a foot away. So I pumped, and pumped, and pumped. But they never showed up. So I pumped some more until the insecticide started coming back out of the hole (I must have put $8 worth into that area, but I don't even care).

The next day? No wasps. I can access my tools and water all the nearby plants without hearing them buzz by me. That's probably the most excited I've been about my garden all this summer.

 

[brewcat]

So I was trimming the bottom leaves on my eggplants today and saw a funny sight. The okra seed I replanted a month ago has started to come up. I had given up on those seeds for a 2nd time. Doubt there is time for pods, but cool to see.

 

[applescrap]

Update, the kale is like mini palm trees, and the swiss chard too. The herbs are doing great. By pruning the bottom of the tomato plant and spraying with fungicide, they are doing great. Look at this one it's like a Christmas tree. I think it's higher than the 8-foot stake. The poblano in the 5 gallon bag is surprisingly almost 6.5 ft tall. In general everything grew exactly to the size of planter it was in as it has for the last 3 years. If you want a big plant use a big bag. If you want a bunch of little plants, I think you should use a bunch of little bags.

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[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

first picking, I'm an old school guy, Brandy Wines. I also have some others but not rip yet

 

[Oldskewl]

first picking, I'm an old school guy, Brandy Wines. I also have some others but not rip yet

Love brandywine tomatoes. Every year I grow an heirloom. Greenhouse didn't have any this year.

 

[jcav]

Here are some pics of my garden taken in June.

 

[passedpawn]

Nice, John. Those tomatoes look tasty Keep an eye on them, they get attacked by everything.

What are the yellow peppers? Hot or not?

 

[jcav]

And some more.

 

[jcav]

Nice, John. Those tomatoes look tasty Keep an eye on them, they get attacked by everything.

What are the yellow peppers? Hot or not?

Thanks, yea the bugs are a pain but I got a good crop so I get to have some too! The yellow are sweet banana peppers. The other post shows some of the hotter type but I don't like to hot. My wife loves the heat though!

John

 

[applescrap]

Here are some pics of my garden taken in June.
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[applescrap]

Ok passedpawn, almost time for my first jalopeno sauce. Tips, thoughts, should I get some xantham gum, smoke them first, bottling?. I think you gave me some before, but appreciate any advice.

 

[passedpawn]

Ok passedpawn, almost time for my first jalopeno sauce. Tips, thoughts, should I get some xantham gum, smoke them first, bottling?. I think you gave me some before, but appreciate any advice.

You should check out the hot sauce thread. Those guys know how to do it. But since you asked me, here'e my thoughts:

• I don't like the fermented sauces.
• Adding carrots, garlic, onion, mangos, prunes, etc makes a very interesting sauce. If you just use one pepper, you end up with something thats good, but one-dimensional. E.g., when I only use cayennes, I get something very similar to tobasco.
• If you want it to be shelf-stable, use lots of vinegar. I use cider vinegar. This will get the pH down.
• Xanthan gum will add body to it and keep spices in suspension. I just made a hab/cayenne/carrot/onion/garlic/worcesteshire sauce and added xanthan and it's super good. Can't stop eating it.
• If you use a lot of fruit, it has to be refrigerated. I made a yellow mango/hab sauce that was really good but molded outside the fridge.

Here's my process, with pics.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=7659722&postcount=398

 

[applescrap]

Thanks pp, I thought you told me before. Exactly a year ago, go figure

 

[user 211287]

If you want shelf stable and pretty much no chance of nasties.... pasteurize and mix your sauce to 3.2pH. 3.6pH will prevent the vast majority of them such as botulinum. I add ascorbic acid to mine also but mainly just to help preserve color.

There are also numerous vinegars with higher than 5% acidity such as many wine vinegars. Lemon/Lime juice is highly acidic as well and lime juice is great in hot sauce. My personal favorite is Korean double strength brown rice vinegar that comes in around 8% acidity. Rolands Dry and Crisp white wine vinegar 7% is also excellent.

 

[HoppyDaze]

These are my sissy plants that don't enough light

 

[HoppyDaze]

The big ones

 

[brewcat]

Harvest season. Have enough I don't know where to start. Weather has started to cool but probably will warm again.