HoustonEgger said:

Just moved in last year - so this is the first year in these beds. Built them myself and used the old patio pavers for the walkway. Vertical garden was made from old trellis from the previous owners and $.99 cent containers from Ikea - just finished that this weekend and already lost 2 plants to the squirrels 


Bed #1:

Left to right:

Back row: 

Green beans on trellis

Cherry tomatoes

Beefsteak tomatoes 3x

Matts pride tomatoes

Lemon boy tomatoes

San Marzano tomatoes 2x

Eggplant

Middle row:

Marigolds and lilies

Sun gold tomatoes

Early girl tomatoes 2x

Jumbo red tomatoes 2x

Sweet 100 tomatoes

Yellow bell pepper

Front row:

Thai and Genoese basil

Bush beans

Swiss chard

Draws blue kale

Multi color carrots

Radish

Green onion

Sage

Large Bed #2

Left to right: 

Back row -

Eggplant

Sugar snap peas

Large cayenne pepper

Red savina pepper

Eds carolina reaper pepper

Orange habanero 2x

Hot rod hybrid pepper

Eggplant

Middle row: 

Green bell pepper

Red bell pepper 2x

Biker billy jalapeño 2x

Big Jim new Mexico pepper

Poblano pepper 

Marigolds and lilies 

Front row:

Curly basil

Radish

Mesclun 

Purple kale

Bush beans

Chives

Swiss chard 

Yellow zucchini

Middle Bed has a variety of zucchini & herbs. Potato box is all Yukon golds - looks like I'll need to build a taller box soon!

Chubbs said:

For those who were interested last year here is how I top my pepper seedlings. You can see the baby leaves at bottom and 4 true leaves then a chopped main stem. Wait until you have several true leaves. Leave at least 4 true leaves then cut the main stem removing the top of plant. This puts its energy into bulking up the existing plants and forcing new growth in a more compact manner so you have a stronger bushier plant. It also increases yields. I topped half of mine last year. The topped peppers far exceeding the ones I let do their thing. 

Chubbs said:

NitsujNella said:

Chubbs said:

For those who were interested last year here is how I top my pepper seedlings. You can see the baby leaves at bottom and 4 true leaves then a chopped main stem. Wait until you have several true leaves. Leave at least 4 true leaves then cut the main stem removing the top of plant. This puts its energy into bulking up the existing plants and forcing new growth in a more compact manner so you have a stronger bushier plant. It also increases yields. I topped half of mine last year. The topped peppers far exceeding the ones I let do their thing. 

Hey Chubbs...see you're in Columbia...i live up the road in Florence.  I may have to stop in and take a look at this garden the next time i'm in Columbia.  Try to go there at least once a month to hit up Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  Thanks for the tip on topping the pepper plants.  Will defintely do that this year.  We're planting our garden this weekend.  Do you recommend topping tomato plants as well?  Ours always seem to grow real tall and non bushy with a very small yield.  

If you can find my other thread "Any Gardeners Out there" I discuss single stemming tomatoes. 

Depends on what type of tomato you plant. If determinate or indeterminate. I do indeterminate so they produce all season. They create "suckers". If you leave them on the plant focuses it's energy on producing and growing foliage versus the actual fruit. So start with removing the suckers. Then if they are creating flowers but not setting fruit, try spraying the flower buds with apple juice. It should help them set. Here is a picture of a sucker. They grow in the "armpit" of the main stem and a branch. Remove them.