let's see your veggie garden {pics}

[ChinaVoodoo]

How can you resist an onion named Sweet Candy Onion? Good luck starting them from seed. Mine weren't great. I had some softballs, and a lot of hmm squash balls?, but it was a huge improvement on previous attempts at onions with sets. My father in law grew onions I started from seed and they were all bigger than mine. He does great with onions. He ain't never had a soil test. Chicken poop, and acreage compost, I'm thinking.

I planted my onion seeds two weeks ago in seed trays in the new greenhouse. 5 trays of 48 for me and 1 tray of 30 for the father in law. The greatest proportion of them are two long day storage onions, one red, one yellow, Copra, and Redwing.
https://www.westcoastseeds.com/shop/vegetable-seeds/onion-seeds/storage-onion-seeds/copra/
https://www.westcoastseeds.com/shop/vegetable-seeds/onion-seeds/storage-onion-seeds/redwing/

I also planted a few of these Kelsae onions that can reputedly get quite massive.
https://www.westcoastseeds.com/shop/vegetable-seeds/onion-seeds/sweet-onion-seeds/kelsae/

Conservor shallots
https://www.westcoastseeds.com/shop/vegetable-seeds/onion-seeds/shallot-seeds/conservor-organic/

And Varna leeks
https://www.westcoastseeds.com/shop/vegetable-seeds/leek-seeds/varna-organic/

Last night I planted three different tomatoes: Super Fantastic, Stupice, and Latah.
Three different peppers: California Wonder, Sweetheart, and Purple Beauty.
Aunt Molly's tomatillo
English cucumber: Tasty Green
Two pickling cucumbers: SMR-58, and Excelsior
My pumpkinis
Two different cantaloupes: Alvaro F1, and Minnesota Midget
Sweet corn - this is a first time growing corn for me - Strong Start 7112 F1
And some Morning Glories: Clarke's Heavenly Blue
They're just in a window now. In a month from now, I'll put them in the greenhouse.

 

[deluxestogie]

Today, I started 8 Big Beef tomatoes from seed...
Today I started 16 Sweet Candy Onion seeds.

That was 20 JAN. As of now, I have 7 robust Big Beef tomato plants (some hinting at blossoming), and one single, scraggly, puny, sorry excuse for an onion sprout. Since I put out a planting of yellow onion sets in the garden a couple of weeks ago, Sweet Candy Onion can just go kiss its sweet candy butt. I'm beginning to suspect it may be a scam.

I should sell a tobacco variety (any variety), and name it Sweet Candy Gold Leaf.

Bob

 

[L610]

I am fairly new to gardening but started a bunch of transplants this year. I figure if I throw enough stuff at the wall some of it has to stick, right? I am focusing on veggies and medicinal herbs.

In order left to right -- Valerian, Poppies, Echinacea Angustifolia (native medicinal variety), Elecampane, and some San Marzano/Cherry/Beefsteak tomatoes.



Some more Valerian, Poppies, and 4 week old Virginia Gold. Also trying to start some hard to germinate herbals like Ephedra and Sida Cordifolia.



And finally some 2 month old peppers. Growing lots of Pepperoncini, some Bells, and one Cayenne.



Some of the peppers are about 9-10" tall already, they go outside most days for light since I am running out of grow light space. Actually all of the plants go outside most days. I am excited about the Pepperoncini, for those that aren't familiar with them, they are the Greek peppers pickled whole in jars at the grocery store (very similar to banana peppers). They are absolutely wonderful in a vinegar/water brine.

This year I ordered most all the seeds off ebay from home gardeners, that is a great place to get less common varieties and the prices are good. Some basics like beets/peas/beans will come from the feed store.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

It looks like you got the knack for growing, L.

Bob, I wouldn't give up on them onions. They're outside, right? My outside onions did much better than my inside onions last year, even though they germinated two months later.

 

[L610]

It looks like you got the knack for growing, L.

Starting plants indoors is easy, just have to look up temperature/light/moisture requirements and follow them.

When they go outdoors things get dicier. Last year half of everything was lost to cutworms. This year I am working to hand dig parts of a field that hasn't been planted in decades, and had to fence it off from the deer plus my own army of little helpers.

Hard to say what will do well when it goes outside. No fancy raised beds here.



Some of the little helpers in the area I am trying to prep for planting:

 

[deluxestogie]

The Italian word, "pepperoncini" denotes a class of hot chili peppers. The Italian, "friggiteli" are a variety of sweet, mild peppers that are also labeled as "Golden Greek Pepperoncini". I'm not sure where the "Greek" part of the name comes from. In the US, "pepperoncini" usually refers to friggiteli, but seed merchants and producers of greenhouse starts are often pretty fuzzy on this particular pepper.

My "pepperoncini" from 2015. The green one toward the upper right of the photo exhibits the more typical blunt tip and shoulders of Golden Greek Pepperoncini.

They are nicest to pickle when they reach a light golden color. If allowed to mature, they eventually turn red, but the skin is tougher. Although I find pickled "pepperoncini" delicious, my experience with using them fresh in cooking was disappointing. More so than most peppers, they seem to have a subtle bitterness. This vanishes during pickling, but renders them problematic when cooked fresh.

Bob

 

[L610]

The Italian word, "pepperoncini" denotes a class of hot chili peppers. The Italian, "friggiteli" are a variety of sweet, mild peppers that are also labeled as "Golden Greek Pepperoncini". I'm not sure where the "Greek" part of the name comes from. In the US, "pepperoncini" usually refers to friggiteli, but seed merchants and producers of greenhouse starts are often pretty fuzzy on this particular pepper.

I bought the Golden Greek kind so I sure hope that is right! Plus I gave a couple of transplants to my veternarian who also loves them pickled. Though big seed sellers like Eden Brothers list both Italian and Greek pepperoncini as "sweet/mild".

https://www.edenbrothers.com/store/search.html?q=pepperoncini

Last year I grew banana peppers without realizing those aren't the same thing (but pretty close). They were very good when just refrigerated pickled but I didn't realize that calcium chloride was required to can them for storage. Lesson learned the hard way, canned peppers are truly mushy and disgusting with out it.

So they start off green and when they turn a light green they are ready to harvest? I read they lose their flavor as they darken to brown/red.

 

[deluxestogie]

Peas

Since I started my tobacco seed today, I used that event as a reminder to plant my peas. This year, it's going to be Sugar Snap Peas. I decided to plant them below the corner of my front porch.

[Imagine photo of bare dirt.]

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

[photo of bare dirt.]

Bob

That's some really nice dirt you have there, Bob. Not quite like some of the more interesting dirts out there, like LeftyNick's, and Gavroche's, but nice none the less.

 

[deluxestogie]

Porch Pea Patch Revealed in 3016 words

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I received my window opener in the mail two days ago. Good timing. It got to 105F in the soil today for a few hours. The soil was moist so I know nothing dried out, but now I'm still worried about the onions. I hope to see germination soon.

 

[deluxestogie]

I enjoy starting unique vegetables from seed, but my success with it is often patchy. Most years, my onions end up being from sets that I purchase locally. I have one spindly onion from the dozen that I started from seed indoors this year. I experience the same disappointments with various peppers and eggplant. The last two years, the peppers that I started indoors from seed either never made it, or were poor producers, while the pepper transplants that I purchased were prolific. You'd think that skill with sketchy little tobacco seeds would carry over, but it doesn't seem to. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for finding transplants of Chinese eggplant, which I prefer over Black Beauty.

I always find it easy to plant seed in the ground after last frost. Okra, squash, cucumbers, beans and peas are usually happy and productive. This year, I've got genuine Alberta pumpkini and MM cob corn to grow as well. My asparagus roots are hitting on about 12 years old, so they should still be working hard.

I do have 7 well developed Big Beef tomato plants, which I recently moved to 3-1/2" pots. I think I'll need 6" pots for them (and stakes), before it's time to go into the ground.

My thoughts are on the garden, on this first day of spring, even though it's snowing at the moment.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I hear you, Bob. I've had bad growth this year. Good thing there's still a few weeks before planting. I have deduced that Gaia Green organic potting soil is to blame. Every single other mix I've made has been superior in past years.

I'm beginning to think my garlic isn't going to come up. I've never grown garlic before. I planted in a raised bed in the fall. Not all of the trees have begun to bud yet. Professor Pangloss said garlic usual sprouts before the trees bud in Kentucky. I dug one up. It kinda looked alive. I guess I'll give it another couple wks. I suspect it froze too hard, but they were from a farm in Manitoba, so that shouldn't have happened.

Other new stuff: So far, my two cantaloupe varieties (Minnesota midget, and Alvaro) are looking good. I sure hope summer is warm enough for them. It would be quite the waste of space if they don't fruit.

I started okra seeds in the greenhouse today. The package says 100 days. Gulp.

Corn is 6"-12" tall.

 

[deluxestogie]

When garlic cloves are damaged by the cold, they promptly rot. So if they look alive, they're probably going to sprout soon. Heaven know when you harvest it in Edmonton. If it's hardneck, wait until well after the scapes have formed. If softneck, wait for the bottom 4 to 6 leaves to die. Then carefully dig out your bounty.

You'll need a week of minimum 60°F nights, and warmer days, before the okra should go out. Even after it is well developed, a single chilly night can cause all the blossoms to drop. Whenever the temps seem right this year, count back two months, and start the seed no later than that for next year--for the longest harvest.

Happy springtime.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

When garlic cloves are damaged by the cold, they promptly rot. So if they look alive, they're probably going to sprout soon. Heaven know when you harvest it in Edmonton. If it's hardneck, wait until well after the scapes have formed. If softneck, wait for the bottom 4 to 6 leaves to die. Then carefully dig out your bounty.

You'll need a week of minimum 60°F nights, and warmer days, before the okra should go out. Even after it is well developed, a single chilly night can cause all the blossoms to drop. Whenever the temps seem right this year, count back two months, and start the seed no later than that for next year--for the longest harvest.

Happy springtime.

Bob

This is the variety:
https://www.westcoastseeds.com/shop/vegetable-seeds/okra/clemson-spinless-okra/ actually, maybe it isn't 100 days. Unless they sent me something else. I'll have to check
I think most nights are below 60, even in the high of summer. I should probably just grow 1 plant in the greenhouse and one in the garden and not invest too much space until next year, if it works out.

 

[deluxestogie]

The low night temp is just a surrogate for soil temp in more Earth-like environments (i.e. not Edmonton: low sun angle, with really long days). Just wait a couple of weeks after your last frost. Also, okra germination is hit or miss, so for one plant outdoors, I would plant 3 or 4 seeds ~4" apart, and pick the best one that germinates. I seem to recall that blossom drop happens below 40°F.

If you do the same inside the greenhouse, expect a 4 to 5 foot tall plant.

Bob

 

[BarG]

I tried to avoid the {regular] storm winds by planting my corn a bit later. I think it worked. being only a foot tall instead of 2 the last blow did minmal blow down. I dont mess with them if they do, they straighten back up by them selves, just like tobacco plants will.

 

[BarG]

Bob, I have never had the perseverance to grow asparagus ,garlic, bluberrys,etc.. where I have to maintain an area for so long, year round for asparagus and blue berrys from what I understand. Any way my corn this year put out suckers like crazy and after a days work just prunining a couple rows made me groan. maybe do the the other 4 rows tomorrow after I separate and place my tobacco seedlings in cups for what will go in the ground in a few weeks. I will have to soak them and separate because I waited to long but they should be fine.

 

[deluxestogie]

I dug a 3' x 12' asparagus bed many years ago, and put in 10 roots. I weed the bed about twice a season. That modest bed always delights and surprises me when the asparagus pops up in the spring. With only 10 roots, I'm tiring of deciding what to do with asparagus by early summer. All perseverance belongs to the roots, not me.

Garlic is a very quick planting in the late fall, then digging them up in June. No further attention. What's not to like?

Blueberries are a pain the the butt, since my soil needs near constant acidification. I gave up on my blueberries some years ago. By contrast, blackberries and raspberries only require weeding once a year, and old cane removal in the winter (or I can just mow it down, and forego the early summer crop).

I consider asparagus, garlic, blackberries and raspberries a far better return on my time investment than my annual veggie garden. They mostly tend themselves. And all of them are relatively pricey in the grocery store.

Bob

 

[squeezyjohn]

I agree Bob ... perennials are far less work because they have an established root system and are far more tolerant of the weather and drought. I've gone beyond the regulars like soft fruits, asparagus, artichokes and rhubarb and I've started on some of the more unusual heirlooms like tree kale (similar to tree collards), perennial spinach (Hablitzia Tamnoides), Ever-ready salad onion (Allium Cepa Perutile) and Babingtons Leek (Allium Ampeloprasum var. babingtonii)