23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

I'm still eating spaghetti squash picked last September. Most of them are about 2.5-3.0 lbs. Three hill got me about 12-14 squashes. I just cooked one, and got 1.5 lbs of squash out of it. I'm not generally a fan of winter squash, but I do eat the spaghetti variety.

I have to say that I think the idea that spaghetti squash can replace pasta doesn't make much sense to me. I tried it with tomato sauce, and it just didn't work. I just eat it as a side dish - no sauces, but maybe herbs/seasonings. In spite of the fact that it kind of looks like spaghetti, it's still a winter squash, and tastes like it.

I agree with jonfrum that spaghetti squash tastes like winter squash when ripe. If you want it to taste more like spaghetti, pick and use it before it is ripe (after it reaches full size but before the skin hardens).

It will still flake out in somewhat noodle-like strands (not as long as when ripe) when steamed, but will have a much less pronounced flavor more like summer squash. Great with spaghetti sauce at that stage. Over-grown but unripe trombocino squash can also be used this way.

For the most part fruiting crops will not produce heavily or even normally, most likely. However, did you take into account that trellised crops can get very tall and perhaps catch more sun than will be at ground level?

Thats a good point pnbrown. I think I would get a bit more sun for the fruting crops if I added a few vertical feet.

Thanks tripleione, I have Dark Lolla Rossa on my list. :-) Also Skyphos.

Thanks for pointing me to Wild Garden Seeds, mauirose, I'll check it out.

Skyphos was also listed among varieties that handle cold temps well. There are so many varieties on the market that one needs to try them to determine which characteristics they porefer. I like romaine ( over leaf, reg. or oakleaf) types but there are some people who dispise them. Also the bibb types are a little more crisp and can hold better in your frig than many leaf types.

Of the red leaf varieties Cherokee is attractive and handles summer heat well. The Red Incised in Johnny's Salanova Foundation blend is also one to try. For Romaine types Annapolis and Outredgeous are about as dark as a red can get. I also have liked Cimmaron, Red Cash, Rubane and Spock. You just need to try them all.

For the digital camera, you'd most likely need a micro usb to USB cable. Chances are you would have gotten one with the camera, but maybe you lost it or it's in your house somewhere or it was a camera that didn't come with one. If you don't have one of those, they are only a few dollars. You could use photobucket if you have an account, but if you don't have an easy way to put the pictures on your computer directly from the iPad/camera/phone, you could email yourself.

If you have a Mac computer, plug the iPad in and go to iPhoto.You can go here for details instructions for an iPad or iPhone or iPod touch. http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4083

If you email yourself your photos, or put them on the computer, you can simply attach the photo here, or post a link to the photobucket photo.

For importing photos from your Galaxy phone, you can read these instructions. http://www.samsung.com/us/support/supportOwnersHowToGuidePopup.do?howto_guide_seq=7053&prd_ia_cd=N0000005&map_seq=48202

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Android phones like the galaxy typically have a way to automatically upload them somewhere. Maybe Google plus or drop box. You can also link from one of those to here.

Most container growers fertilize on a regular basis throughout the growing season. Nutrients leach out of the container every time you water so the so-called "feeds for 3 months" ferts are actually good for only 1/2 that time at best.

By insisting on only mixing in a granular fertilizer up front they get a high N blast and then little to nothing the rest of the season. Thus your big plants with little to no fruit. Plus the plants are micronutrient deprived.

Otherwise there is no reason why peppers and eggplants require any different soil mix. They are all grown in the same soil in an in-ground garden and many container growers are quite successful with them using the exact same mix as in all their other containers.

Peppers do however require a very different level of nutrients and a different watering regimen than some other vegetables.

Assuming the manure added to your second mix has been well composted first as it should be then it shouldn't cause them any problems.

Dave

You're posting in the wrong forum......

I use a half-barrel 25-30 gallon to grow my eggplant..... Orlando and generally Black Beauty.....6' tall by season end

Osmocote is a brand....they make many different formulas.....visit a local Feed Store or search online......

Over on the CONTAINER forum some people reccomend Dynamite

I make my Pepper "511" with much less PEAT.....with heavy summer rains I want my mix to drain to keep the peppers happy

doug

Here is a link that might be useful: Container Forum

Both Territorial and Reimer have seeds for Beaver Dam.

Thanks Sunnibel! :-)

Seysonn,

True, even though several of my dogs are large. But for garden, non decorative purposes to me it makes sense to put up something that can do double duty as a dog barrier and vegetable support for all sorts of veggies, beans and others. I even thought of cattle panels because they are taller and strong, might even decide to use them.

One thing you may consider is lacing 6-8 feet stakes through your fence wire at 1 foot intervals. This will allow the beans to climb higher and the fence will support the poles. Lace them through the wire and into the ground a few inches. Connect the tops with a small diameter cord and then use twine to tie the cord to the top of the fence. Works great!

Well, I killed my jalapeno plant last year. Basically a newbie mistake & put it into shock. Before that, I was getting some great jalapenos.

My Tabasco & Poblano plants were gorgeous & growing & producing like champs.

My big Jim was a slow grower & then exploded with pellets but too late cuz I had to pick them early when they were small cuz winter was around the corner.

I'm trying to over winter my big jim, poblano, & Tabasco this year. Well see if they grow back!

ThatâÂÂs a LOT of peppers, Little Minnie! lol
I appreciate your notes on what youâÂÂve grown that you liked. Just in time for me to put my seed order in this week. I had Odessa Market on my list and had taken it off to make room for another, but itâÂÂs going back on.

IâÂÂm ordering from FEDCO and they didnâÂÂt have a number of the others. So far, IâÂÂm ordering, Carmen, Jimmy NardelloâÂÂs, Gilboa, and now Odessa Market. I donâÂÂt have the room for a lot more, maybe 10 plants.

I had a pretty good experience with my peppers last year. âÂÂGypsyâ grew well and produced more than the others. I had âÂÂRed BeautyâÂÂ, âÂÂOrange Blazeâ and âÂÂGolden California WonderâÂÂ. âÂÂRed Beautyâ and âÂÂOrange Blazeâ did well, but I would not say spectacular.

I wish we could use hot peppers, but theyâÂÂre not a frequent addition to meals here. Guacamole and Chili are about it. And we keep those mild.

Lori, if you have never worked with mushrooms before, I suggest starting with the plugs. To work with spores you need a sterile environment and patience. With plugs you can immediately start growing the mycelium in a suitable medium.

That said, if you get some big, mature portobellos and make spore prints in a sterile place, you have your spores. Mycologists who don't have clean rooms often work in an oven that's been hot enough to bake bread and allowed to cool unopened. Until the mycelium starts running, everything must be kept sterile or you get green mold instead of mushroom mycelium.

Planatus -

Thanks so much for the info and advice. I was under the impression that a successful inoculation could occur if the spores were added directly from the syringe into the substrate. Please forgive my ignorance.

Any recommendations for substrate? Also, are the plugs specifically for growing in logs or stumps, or can they also be used indoors with a substrate?

Thanks again. ;)

Start them early enough to grow without 24/7. They will not be growing in 24/7 when they are in the real world.

I took cuttings from the garden for the past two falls and rooted then in water for a few days, then stuck them in the greenhouse for the winter. They grew LONG and leggy, lost their leaves, etc. But when spring was near, it was a simple matter of cutting the stems into about 8 inch lengths, root in water for about a week, and they were ready for the garden. Tons of them..... I had a fine crop of sweetpotatoes, growing as ground cover under the tomatoes. Think I will move them this year to the orchard through the wood chips.... I better put some in the raised beds as well, as I want a good crop again. They are wonderful!!!

Thanks Donnabaskets, that makes sense, I'll try that. And thanks for another name of a string bean to try. :-)

Edie, Provider is a name I've heard now that you mention it. and I'll add Top Crop to the list. Maybe I'll grow them all and see which one we like. Thanks.

Doing a little research before I make a seed order and ran across this thread from last year. Just wanted to update that I did grow the peas and I got a very small harvest from them. After doing some reading, I've figured out that my vegetable plot has less sun on that side in late summer because of the changing track of the sun. So beyond lettuce and greens, not much use in planting fall crops there.

I've also learned that I need to buy enough seed now for fall planting to speed up these last minute decisions. :-) Lots of lettuce and Kale on my list this year.

Depends on type of pepper, ammount of nutrients available to plant, room for roots (container size can affect this), watering, weed/other plant competition, ammount of light, etc.

What kind is it and what were your growing conditions?

That is how big my Thai chilli peppers grow... I will add though this is my preferred chili to cook with.. In southeast asian countries (I am Indian) we use these a lot... they are small but they pack a good punch.

Well if you plan on doing any cool season gardening now is the perfect time to plant things like spinach & peas etc outside- they can be planted 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost, no need to start them indoors or in seed trays! I would plant out your cilantro as soon as you have passed your frost date, they like cool weather but i think can be damaged by freezing. Good luck with all your warm season starts too :)

So its not safe to just stick something down the edges of the ells and pull out the seedlings with their dirt?

No.

Also seedlings once they've started to grow don't benefit from the heating mat?

No, it can be harmful. It can cook the roots and causes leggy growth that is top heavy with poor root development. Discussed in detail on the Growing from Seed forum.

I also got a 7'' dome to put over them once they got larger and I moved them to pots/cups (plastic cups with holes in the bottom.)

Domes are used for germination phase only, and not for growing on. Trapped humidity caused plants to damp-off and die.

Dave

You may want to rethink the rail road ties, they have a been shown to leach creosolte into your soil.

Try to get black locust. It is highly decay resistant. That's why it is used for fence posts. If black locust is plentiful in your area a local sawmill may be able to supply it rough sawn at a reasonable cost.

Jim