let's see your veggie garden {pics} 2021-26

[deluxestogie]

Ground Chili Pepper Comparison

Golden California Bell in 2018.

I recently made a pot of chili using the (now dark) Golden California Bell pepper powder. It has a distinct chili powder aroma, and a detectable, though mild heat.

Same 2018 Golden California Bell in 2021.

Here are all 3 of them. I expect the two new ones to gradually change color and aroma.

Comparison.

Bob

 

[PressuredLeaf]

Got my fall/winter veggie garden going.

So far I have planted garlic, onions (bunching and bulb), leeks, shallots, potatoes, tomatoes, parsley, cabbage, and fava beans.

This year I also tilled in a couple of yards of "biochar" aka charcoal dust, instead of compost. The claim is biochar doesn't break down while improving the soil CEC and providing a home for microbes. If this works out in the desert, this would be awesome for long term soil improvement. The problem with compost is the mineralization rate is crazy high, so the compost burns up very quickly, and it can dump alot of salt in the soil if you add to much. Last year when I broke ground on this garden, I added 8yds of compost to this ~1000ft2 garden. One year later, it looks like I never added anything.

 

[deluxestogie]

Very nice. It's difficult for me to think of that as a November garden.

Bob

 

[PressuredLeaf]

Very nice. It's difficult for me to think of that as a November garden.

Bob

Thanks Bob,

I'll have to build a hoop house or something similar for the tomatoes (and potatoes) once the nights get colder, but everything else should be okay. My hope is giving the tomatoes a big jump on the season will allow them to grow a nice strong root system. Then, once the weather warms up in spring, the tomatoes will kick into high production before the summer heat cooks them.

 

[deluxestogie]

With my 5 siblings, 7 nieces and nephews, some of whom are married and some of those with their own kids, plus my own son and his family---today is the day of receiving group emails with 5, 10, 15+ MB group photos of people that I occasionally recognize; with all emails replied to as "reply all", most of which still contain the same mural-size photos as the original emails... whew!

I thought it would be nice to go outside in the balmy weather, and plant the garlic that I had repeatedly postponed for the past two months. After tilling and fertilizing my front porch corner bed, eight cloves each of Slovenian Anka and Czech Broadleaf went into the ground.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Some of you have already started your 2022 veggie seeds. If you need guidance, then have a look at these handy aids.

First and Last Freeze Dates by Zip code

Lookup your first and last freeze/frost dates by zip code

Welcome to the famous Dave's Garden website. Join our friendly community that shares tips and ideas for gardens, along with seeds and plants.

davesgarden.com

Seed Starting Calculator

Seed-Starting Date Calculator: When to Start Seeds Indoors | Johnny's Selected Seeds

Enter your spring frost-free date and the calculator will provide recommended date ranges for seed starting and transplanting a variety of garden crops.

www.johnnyseeds.com

Just enter your last-frost date, and it shows seed starting date and transplant date for individual types of veggies.

Seed Starting Guidelines

Guide to Starting Seeds Indoors, from Johnny's Research Team

Follow these 12 steps for success with indoor seed-starting, to grow healthy seedlings and extend your growing season, plus troubleshooting tips, from Johnny's.

www.johnnyseeds.com

This page lists guidelines, as well as providing a troubleshooting section for specific problems.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Starting my Tomatoes

I usually do not reuse either 1020 tray cell inserts or the thin-walled 3" pots. They can be cleaned and sanitized, but that wastes a lot of water and sanitizing spray and time, since they all have a high surface area (inside and out) that must be sanitized. Today, I noticed that my giant stack of unused 3" pots was gone. So, for my tomatoes, I washed and sanitized and dried used 3" pots.

For sanitizing, I use a Clorox containing kitchen cleaning spray, inside and outside of each pot. This sits for 15 minutes or more, to kill any lingering microbes. This needs to be thoroughly rinsed off.

Each pot will have its own labeled Popsicle stick, to reduce the likelihood of any confusion.

I used my home-brew starting mix (2/3 Miracle-Gro peat, 1/6 Miracle-Gro perlite, 1/6 vermiculite). Two separate divots were created in each pot. Water was added to the bottom tray, and a trickle poured into each divot, to speed the hydration of the soil. One tomato seed was placed into each divot.

Notice that the bottom trays are makeshift retail packaging that is usually discarded.

Each seed was covered with soil, and the pot labeled. The trays rest on a seedling heat mat, which in turn rests on a large (used) bubble-mailer envelope for insulation.

My garden hopes are for 4 Big Beef tomato plants and 2 Yellow Pear tomato plants. I am starting a meager 6 Big Beef seeds and 4 Yellow Pear seeds. I get whatever I get. The plan is for these to go into the garden bed in early May.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I'm exhausted. I pruned the grape vines (only 2 of them), topped the 1-year blackberry canes, pulled up the dead pepper plants (only 3 of them), and...and I guess that was all I did. Whew!

The sod in the yard is uneven and riddled with critter tunnels beneath the surface. That, together with a gusty wind, made my effort at remaining upright as tiring as the little bit of actual work.

It always gets easier as the days move into spring.

Bob

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Had a bag of potatoes covered in sprouts. They were starting to get soft. I dug a shallow trench and buried em. If they grow, awesome. If not, then more organic matter in soil! Lol

 

[landrace]

Had a bag of potatoes covered in sprouts. They were starting to get soft. I dug a shallow trench and buried em. If they grow, awesome. If not, then more organic matter in soil! Lol

I had good luck with some potatoes of that same situation last year. I planted them in straw which was a new method to me and it certainly made harvesting simpler.

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

My first 'attempt' at growin taters! Win win of some sort. Lol

 

[deluxestogie]

It's 11:00 pm. A light rain is falling. This is a view of my porch corner garlic bed. Somehow, I have a crocus in my garlic.

Bob

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Seems like you might have garlic in your crocus bed...? Lol

 

[deluxestogie]

Manage Weeds

"The book starts with the biology, behavior, and characteristics that influence how to best control weed populations. Then, the strengths and limitations of the most common cultural management practices, physical practices, and cultivation tools are discussed."
[underwoodgardens.com]

Download Manage Weeds on Your Farm (11.4 MB). A 418 page guide, offered free from sare.org.

Bob

 

[smallwanderings]

kale, broccoli, and cabbage

sweet potato slips starting

This week I used the last of the bok choy and sweet potatoes from last years garden.

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Are these my potatoes coming up that were too soft to eat so i dug a trench and buried?!

 

[Knucklehead]

Are these my potatoes coming up that were too soft to eat so i dug a trench and buried?!

What Do Potatoes (Leaves) Look Like When They Grow? - Eat Like No One Else

Did you plant potatoes in your garden this year and aren't sure what you are looking at is a weed or a potato? Learn what potato leaves look like so you don't accidentally pull them. What do potatoes look like when they sprout? The answer is in the pictures here. Whenever you are growing...

www.eatlikenoone.com

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Those are a lot bigger...kinda hard to tell lol

 

[landrace]

Are these my potatoes coming up that were too soft to eat so i dug a trench and buried?!

My guess is yes, but i'm not familiar with Florida weeds. But if they are in a straight line where you put them, not much chance they are anything else.

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Probably half of what i planted is coming up from best as i can tell. I'm tickled we are getting anything. It was either stick em in the ground or the trash!