OT -- Any gardeners out there?

fishlessman

Chubbs said:

@fishlessman if it is shiny black you are fine. Sometime they look like that. Perhaps cross pollination? I honestly don't know but the times mine have looked like that they tasted normal and I am alive 

one plant has really black peppers, its really odd looking

gdenby

fishlessman said:

Chubbs said:

@fishlessman if it is shiny black you are fine. Sometime they look like that. Perhaps cross pollination? I honestly don't know but the times mine have looked like that they tasted normal and I am alive 

one plant has really black peppers, its really odd looking

A botanical garden near me has some jalapenos they called "chocolate," very dark brown when ripe. I see here some that are a deep enough purple they might seem black.

fishlessman

whats an easy way to get rid of grasshoppers, they seem to like basil

Chubbs

Update. Garden was a success this year. Topping peppers is the way to go. Still getting crazy amounts off of them. This was yesterday. The poblano plant is going crazy. 

fishlessman

winding down here, smoked all the peppers for chili this year, picked the thai basil to dry this weekend after the first frost, still some cukes hanging and the cold doesnt hurt the kale, made 7 quarts kale soup last weekend.  probably pull it out next weekend and mulch it for spring, a nursery delivered 2 yards of mulch loaded with mussel shells and sea urchin shells, i didnt order any but they said keep it anyways going to miss all those fresh tomatos, it was a great year

Davec433

I was planning in the Spring to plant a couple dwarf apple trees as well as create a raised bed for seasonal stuff. We have some really good cheap Farmers markets in the area and makes it hard to go through all the work.

fishlessman

Davec433 said:

I was planning in the Spring to plant a couple dwarf apple trees as well as create a raised bed for seasonal stuff. We have some really good cheap Farmers markets in the area and makes it hard to go through all the work.

once the bed is built its not much work for many years. just to have fresh herbs on hand. mines building slowly, first year some blueberry plants, next year 3 cranberry, a year later a patch asparagus, then the next year mint. these all come up yearly on their own. then added 3 small 42 inch diameter raised beds, i can plant the whole thing out in half an hour and i really pack those beds thick, maybe 40 plants in 3 small beds. watering is 5 minutes on the weekend for me, really not much work at all. start with herbs, they grow like weeds even if you just buy a couple big pots

YEMTrey

We had more tomatoes and peppers than we could handle this year.  Weather was really good for growing this year.  Plenty of homemade tomato sauce and salsa for the winter.  Really enjoy our small garden.
Need to do better with our herbs next year though.

Chubbs

Glad everyone had success this year. I have my broccoli, cauliflower, collards, kale, Brussels in now. 

Randall_Lee

Raised bed ended up with to many roots coming in from bottom, dug it all out and trying a weed block under. You couldn't keep it watered. Put in a few Kale, Blue Lake beans, sugar snaps peas, turnips. Looking good so far.

Chubbs

Anyone growing anything right now? Our weather has been so weird-- ton of rain and warm until a week or so ago. Not much going right now for me. Collards didn't do well this year, and broccoli not doing well either. Have some kale. Anyone else?

Davec433

My house backs up to a nature preserve and next month was planning on growing blackberries and raspberries inside to plant beneath the electrical towers in April. Then April after the last frost I'm going to plant 20-30 fruit trees in the preserve itself. I'll probably grow another 20-30 to plant before fall as well.

AlbertaEgger

Chubbs said:

Anyone growing anything right now? Our weather has been so weird-- ton of rain and warm until a week or so ago. Not much going right now for me. Collards didn't do well this year, and broccoli not doing well either. Have some kale. Anyone else?

126 more days to go for me here, unless I try and start something inside this year. We may start some peppers. 

buzd504

We just put in landscaping, so I got an herb garden with "plants appropriate to this time of year".  The parsley is going nuts.  Also, fennel, chives, oregano, thyme, green onions, cilantro, and two I haven't identified, possibly marjoram and maybe tarragon.

We also put in a meyer lemon tree.

jimithing

Chubbs said:

Anyone growing anything right now? Our weather has been so weird-- ton of rain and warm until a week or so ago. Not much going right now for me. Collards didn't do well this year, and broccoli not doing well either. Have some kale. Anyone else?

Just bought some greens and kale - was planning on tilling and throwing out some seeds and seeing what happens in the next couple of months.  We have wild rabbits in our neighborhood so if anything like that grows they generally eat it before I get a chance.

I did just plant my pepper seeds indoors.  Planted poblano, banana, pasilla and anaheim.  It's been a mild winter so far so I'm hoping for an early spring.

YukonRon

Anybody got recommendations for varmints? Rabbits, ground squirrels, and others, slaughtered our harvest. MBW won't let me have target practice, and we don't have a dog yet. Any organic options?

DoubleEgger

YukonRon said:

Anybody got recommendations for varmints? Rabbits, ground squirrels, and others, slaughtered our harvest. MBW won't let me have target practice, and we don't have a dog yet. Any organic options?

Netting

Braggart

AlbertaEgger said:

Chubbs said:

Anyone growing anything right now? Our weather has been so weird-- ton of rain and warm until a week or so ago. Not much going right now for me. Collards didn't do well this year, and broccoli not doing well either. Have some kale. Anyone else?

126 more days to go for me here, unless I try and start something inside this year. We may start some peppers. 

Feel your pain.    Won't be able to set plants outside until end of May, early June.  

I'll be starting tomatoes, cukes, herbs inside under lights at the end of March, early April. 

Tried something new this year...overwintering pepper plants.  Specifically super hots.  Scorpions, ghosts, reapers, hot lemons.   Really hard to germinate these buggers, coupled with our extremely short growing season in the mountains, didn't get much action from the plants at the end of the season.  Thought I'd try to get a jump on next year by overwintering in our sun room-loft. 

Pruned most back to a single stem back in November.    Left a few as whole plants as a test.   Those ended up giving me a few pods.  Hot as hell.   Damn hot.  

The only problem with overwintering peppers is aphids.   Was super careful bringing the plants inside, but 3 weeks later I was considering selling the house!    Hence the trimming of the plants.   Even today I have more aphids than SWMBO is comfortable with.   If they end up spreading to the rest of the house plants, I'm a goner. 

On a funnier note...

Threw less than a quarter of a smaller pod (scorpion) into a bowl of home made wonton...almost put me into a coma.   I like hot food, and pepper flake (a super hot blend bought from a small grower in the Creston Valley in BC). almost everything...but this was over the top.  Of course I had to suck it up and finish...lest my spouse call me weak.   The male libido is a fragile thing, but we're not the smartest bunch.   Like a friend would say...sharp like a marble. 

Trimmed plants, putting out a few leaves since Nov.


Scorpion pods. 


Fighting the battle with aphids...losing ground.  

buzd504

jimithing said:

Chubbs said:

Anyone growing anything right now? Our weather has been so weird-- ton of rain and warm until a week or so ago. Not much going right now for me. Collards didn't do well this year, and broccoli not doing well either. Have some kale. Anyone else?

Just bought some greens and kale - was planning on tilling and throwing out some seeds and seeing what happens in the next couple of months.  We have wild rabbits in our neighborhood so if anything like that grows they generally eat it before I get a chance.

I did just plant my pepper seeds indoors.  Planted poblano, banana, pasilla and anaheim.  It's been a mild winter so far so I'm hoping for an early spring.

My habeneros from the summer are still producing.

Davec433

YukonRon said:

Anybody got recommendations for varmints? Rabbits, ground squirrels, and others, slaughtered our harvest. MBW won't let me have target practice, and we don't have a dog yet. Any organic options?

I've had some good luck with mouse poison killing the mice outside the house. It'll work with squirrels specially if you mix it with some food nailed to a tree. Only problem is their dead bodies will still contain enough of the poison to do damage to your neighbors or your future dogs if you don't get to them in time. Not super organic but it works.

Chubbs

Braggart said:

AlbertaEgger said:

Chubbs said:

Anyone growing anything right now? Our weather has been so weird-- ton of rain and warm until a week or so ago. Not much going right now for me. Collards didn't do well this year, and broccoli not doing well either. Have some kale. Anyone else?

126 more days to go for me here, unless I try and start something inside this year. We may start some peppers. 

Feel your pain.    Won't be able to set plants outside until end of May, early June.  

I'll be starting tomatoes, cukes, herbs inside under lights at the end of March, early April. 

Tried something new this year...overwintering pepper plants.  Specifically super hots.  Scorpions, ghosts, reapers, hot lemons.   Really hard to germinate these buggers, coupled with our extremely short growing season in the mountains, didn't get much action from the plants at the end of the season.  Thought I'd try to get a jump on next year by overwintering in our sun room-loft. 

Pruned most back to a single stem back in November.    Left a few as whole plants as a test.   Those ended up giving me a few pods.  Hot as hell.   Damn hot.  

The only problem with overwintering peppers is aphids.   Was super careful bringing the plants inside, but 3 weeks later I was considering selling the house!    Hence the trimming of the plants.   Even today I have more aphids than SWMBO is comfortable with.   If they end up spreading to the rest of the house plants, I'm a goner. 

On a funnier note...

Threw less than a quarter of a smaller pod (scorpion) into a bowl of home made wonton...almost put me into a coma.   I like hot food, and pepper flake (a super hot blend bought from a small grower in the Creston Valley in BC). almost everything...but this was over the top.  Of course I had to suck it up and finish...lest my spouse call me weak.   The male libido is a fragile thing, but we're not the smartest bunch.   Like a friend would say...sharp like a marble. 

Trimmed plants, putting out a few leaves since Nov.


Scorpion pods. 


Fighting the battle with aphids...losing ground.  

How are you treating aphids. I posted some info earlier in this thread. Let me know what you are doing and I might be able to help. I have them in my kale. Just lined outside of all my raised beds with ash from fireplace. Supposed I help keep bugs out too. We will see

Braggart

@Chubbs if you mean using dish soap on soft bodied insects, I've heard of that remedy. 

I haven't done anything to date, except take off the majority of the foliage on the infected plants.   

Unfortunately ly as stated previously, I'm fighting a losing battle...so it's time for different measures.    What do you suggest?

theyolksonyou

Hire some ladybugs

Braggart

theyolksonyou said:

Hire some ladybugs

Did.    Released 250 in the "patch".   Kept them at bay for a couple of weeks...

Elijah

Sounds like the ladybugs didn't like their new home

Braggart

Elijah said:

Sounds like the ladybugs didn't like their new home

Open concept house.  One big room really.    They weren't constrained by any walls or doors.   They ended up throughout the house. 

Chubbs

@Braggart yeah the foliage spray for soft bodied insects works if you catch it early and stay with it. You can also apply a neem oil spray but I would research it some. Not sure your location but usually don't apply in extreme temperatures. Also don't get a neem extract. Get the full cold pressed neem oil and make a spray out of it. It should take care of aphids in 2-3 days. It disrupts their feeding pattern and kills them off. It also adds an oil later to the plant that is a preventative. 

fishlessman

growing now i have 5 five foot trees sitting dormant in a 42 degree kitchen, apples and fig, keiffer lime is still holding onto its leaves

Dredger

@Braggart, this may help some. It is a video done by Gary, aka. gardendoc on the Earthbox forum, going over what they use at the nano farm at MSU where he is a horticultural specialist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx5u8OrvP3Q&feature=youtu.be It shows plants in Earthboxes, but a garden is a garden no matter how it is planted. I use the products he recommends to keep pests at bay.

northGAcock

YukonRon said:

Anybody got recommendations for varmints? Rabbits, ground squirrels, and others, slaughtered our harvest. MBW won't let me have target practice, and we don't have a dog yet. Any organic options?

Do I have a dog for you...