Keeping it simple…like 5 Brandeywine, 4 of an orange determinate tomato plant, and the rest, I think another 9 plants, are all Pear tomato plants. I had great success last year with my pear tomatoes, and am hoping to repeat that. I have always loved Brandeywines, just for the sheer size, the fact they are heirloom, and they make the best freshly sliced tomato sandwich with a dab of mayo and a slice of cheese…MMMMMMM mmmmm MMMMMMMM!!!
The other plants I have are 9 mini cherry bomb hot pepper plants, nine rgreen to red bell pepper plants, and like 14 pots with 5 or 6 leeks growing in each. This has become a horrible addiction of mine over the past few years. If I could turn my whole basement into a larger seed starting area, I would, but I can’t, and frankly, don’t have the garden space to accomodate that either.
As it is I am expanding my garden by about 100 more square feet. The madness never stops. Next project is building a chicken coop and getting some layers…
[quote=“n8young”]This has become a horrible addiction of mine over the past few years. If I could turn my whole basement into a larger seed starting area, I would, but I can’t, and frankly, don’t have the garden space to accomodate that either.
As it is I am expanding my garden by about 100 more square feet. The madness never stops. Next project is building a chicken coop and getting some layers…[/quote]
Hah! Sounds like a great plan to me If I had the land for it, I’d totally have some peeping chicks right now… We’re apartment living for the time being, which is strange after owning a house for 5 years. Luckily my in-laws have a house on 5 acres of land, and my father in law lets me mess around in the backyard.
Better get those chickens and a couple goats too! Rock on.
How many sq ft will that give you after the expansion? My small 875sq ft garden produces way more than me and the wife could ever think about consuming. Luckily we use the excess to give away to friends or barter with. And as you mentioned seed starting and the garden have also become another addiction. I also like to keep it interesting and grow something new every year.
How many sq ft will that give you after the expansion? My small 875sq ft garden produces way more than me and the wife could ever think about consuming. Luckily we use the excess to give away to friends or barter with. And as you mentioned seed starting and the garden have also become another addiction. I also like to keep it interesting and grow something new every year.[/quote]
I’d say my garden is now about 25X25, so 625 sq. feet. I also have my parents garden about 20 feet from mine. They no longer use it, so I do…yaay! I have a 20X20 strawberry patch, and then usually just plant some tomatoes down closer to their house for their own consumption.
I’m constantly finding new ways to add more gardening space. I added 2x2 squares alongside my fence last year and planted a tomato plant in each. An old tree stump…I dug up all around it, imported some nice gardening soil, and built a teepee over it. I plant my snap peas there…morning glories, and this will be year 2 of a hop cutting i moved last year there as well. Oh yeah, I guess I also have like a 5x30 bed where I have my 4 hop varieties planted, and have a bunch of garlic, poppies, and always plant sunflowers there.
It’s crazy. I’m 33, and I can’t wait to be retired so I can just tinker in my gardens all day long…LOL
it’s sad times to report this news…I suck at hardening off plants…I have about 5 tomato plants left out of my original 18, and I am not sure the 5 will even make it to the garden. Everything else has been doing great. Leeks are in the ground, basil and peppers are all sitting in my garage…but my poor beloved tomatoes…my god. Ravished by a cold snap, even in my garage…pour out a homebrew for my precious dear dead tomato plants please… :lol:
[quote=“Baratone Brewer”]Hate to here about the loss. Hopefully the rest will do well.
My tomato plants have been in the ground since 4-8 and are really starting to take off.[/quote]
Amazing…I still can’t plant mine…we had a frost this past week.
I have a sunny east facing picture window. I use 50% seed starter 50% potting soil and a heating pad on top of a cookie sheet to get the seeds germinated. There are 2 varieties of sweet bells , 1 watermelon ,1 cantaloupe ,2x varieties tomatoes, 1 of eggplant. The weather has turned here but bonedry :? I allready have the garden tilled just doing a rain dance
Well, I should have gotten some tomatoes started by now, but we’ve been focusing on bell peppers. We started 6 trays, each holding 35 seedlings. 3 trays red, 2 orange, and 1 yellow. This is my second year using this setup, but last year I had them in individual soil cups. The new method is looking more promising.
I have to move them about 60 miles tomorrow to get them in the garden, so I snapped a couple pics tonight. These buggers are raring to go, but I’m waiting to plant them out until the soil warms up a bit. I’ve been pinching off blossoms already, and I pruned the top set of leaves to make them branch out. We’re still getting some pretty cool nights, but these guys need to get in the ground ASAP!
We’ll see what happens, but peppers are the boys’ favorite food. Last year we planted about 80 plants and froze a bunch; the boys snack on frozen chunks of pepper all year!
I think our yield last year was poor because I neglected to pinch the blossoms and they had already set small fruit before planting out. This year they’re looking way better. If we end up with a huge glut of peppers, we’ll pass some along to family or possibly donate some to the food shelf, etc. We’ll only be planting about 150 plants though (only!)
Trying a method mentioned in one of Eliot Coleman’s books (thanks, pinnah) where they run nylon netting horizontally in a grid at 1, 2, and 3 feet to support the plants. We’ll see if it makes much of a difference. I’ll post more pics when we get to that point. :cheers:
Whats your soil ph? IME bell peppers do much better in soil ph below 6.8. Adding a source of sulfer will also increase production. I like to add a few match heads when planting, but some people like to use molasses.
[quote=“El Capitan”]Well, I should have gotten some tomatoes started by now, but we’ve been focusing on bell peppers. We started 6 trays, each holding 35 seedlings. 3 trays red, 2 orange, and 1 yellow. This is my second year using this setup, but last year I had them in individual soil cups. The new method is looking more promising.
I have to move them about 60 miles tomorrow to get them in the garden, so I snapped a couple pics tonight. These buggers are raring to go, but I’m waiting to plant them out until the soil warms up a bit. I’ve been pinching off blossoms already, and I pruned the top set of leaves to make them branch out. We’re still getting some pretty cool nights, but these guys need to get in the ground ASAP!
[/quote]
I like this, it looks almost illegal.
I finally tilled my plot today 5/26 and plan on at least getting the salsa garden planted this week.
I noticed a police cruiser parked across the street for a while last week, and as you can see these are right in the huge picture window. You’d have to be pretty bold or pretty stupid to attempt that!
I haven’t tested my soil pH yet, but I have heard about the matchstick trick. I’ve also read that you can spray the foliage with a weak Epsom salt solution (1 Tbsp/gallon warm water) when they blossom to increase fruit production. So I think the matchstick could be supplying both sulfur and magnesium to the plants.
Finally, we’ve been saving crushed eggshells to amend the soil and prevent blossom-end rot.
Can anybody recommend a good soil pH tester or kit?
I haven’t tested my soil pH yet, but I have heard about the matchstick trick. I’ve also read that you can spray the foliage with a weak Epsom salt solution (1 Tbsp/gallon warm water) when they blossom to increase fruit production. So I think the matchstick could be supplying both sulfur and magnesium to the plants.
Finally, we’ve been saving crushed eggshells to amend the soil and prevent blossom-end rot.
Can anybody recommend a good soil pH tester or kit?[/quote]
The sulfur also works as a soil acidifier. I think the epsom salt is mainly to increase the size of the peppers.
There is no need to spend a lot on a soil ph meter. You can pick up a decent one from Lowes or Home Depot. I like the Rapidtest brand meters.
Both of these meters work well and can be found for well under $20.
Will those pH meters work well in soil that has a lot of organic material tilled in? I’ve added a fair amount of horse manure two years in a row now, along with some grass clippings, leaves, etc. I suppose I should just test the pH in a few spots and take an average.
They should. If you till twice a year it will break down very quickly. I have pretty high levels of organic matter in my soil and the reading from my meter coincided with the reading from a Ward Labs soil test. I do highly recommend taking Ph readings from multiple locations in your garden. You need the soil to be moist to take a reading.
If I had the land for it, I’d totally have some peeping chicks right now… We’re apartment living for the time being, which is strange after owning a house for 5 years. Luckily my in-laws have a house on 5 acres of land, and my father in law lets me mess around in the backyard.
