23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
Thanks! They should go into the ground around Mother's Day. I got them into larger pots now. I hope they recover. I actually started them later than I usually do. I have transplanted them around that size and larger with no problem, though this batch this year does seem larger than in years past.
Purple skin purple-fleshed sweet potatoes, tastes may be not so good as white skin purple-fleshed ones( Okinawan sweet potatoes), will grow again 2015.
http://www.stokesfoods.com/nutrition.htm
Anthocyanin content in the Stokes Purple is 4 times greater than in Okinawan sweet potatoes.(Truong, 2009).(Truong, 2009)
Squash - This was my first year to grow Yokohama, Chirimen, Kikuza, Anna Swartz, Pink Jumbo Banana, Hessel's Sugarloaf, Australian Butter, Jarrahdale, Honeyboat Delicata, Thelma Sander's Sweet Potato, Shishigatani, & Rugosa Butternut. Squash is my fave veg so I had fun. These were all fun but none were better than, for my taste, my Fave - Kabocha. They all were good in their own way and in diff't dishes, pies, soups, etc. I also grew Homestead Sweetmeat, Blue Kuri, Waltham Butternut [For my wife], Golden Pippin and Winter Luxury. Going to try all new ones this year, BUT will remember the better ones from 2014 for the future.
Just a note on peppers as perennials. I do it routinely, but they suffer each winter with freezing temps that I (barely) protect them from. By spring, they may look pretty ragged, but I trim the damaged foliage mercilessly, fertilize (ideally with a strong hit of N), and they seem to recover. This was a particularly rough winter, but I have lot of new green foliage on my 3-yr old TAM Jalapenos, and even a few flowers. They are built like small trees, about three feet tall after trimming, with woody trunks.
That doesn't explain why your peppers are fading, but it may be for some other reason than age. Perhaps a less tolerant variety that came out of your hybrids. Now, you don't say where you are, but I know that you can get hard freezes in the Costa Rican mountains. You do say, however, that you have year-round growing season, so maybe cold weather stresses aren't to blame.
Yeah if they are using the actual Mel's Mix recipe to fill their beds it might not hurt since that mix is mostly peat and so acidic. But many do not use Mel's Mix and knowing the pH before adding lime is mandatory. They have no idea what issues they are creating by just blissfully adding lime "every time you fertilize". After all, if it is written in a book it must be true, right? ;-)
Dave
That must be a very old copy or not an official sfg book. According to the newer publication (2013) , when doing square foot gardening there is to be no added fertilizer at all. All you do is add a scoop of compost with every new planting. The ph is usually a around 6.5-7 because the peat is offset by the compost. peat only makes up 33% so 1/3 not most. I heard Mel had another process in the past, but he has long moved away from the old soil mixture and all that. Now it is "Mel's mix" which is peat, vermiculite, and compost. But, anywho, point is sfg involves no ferts at all. Just compost, so that is very old/bad info based on today's process and mix.
When I did a search for photos, they (monogerm) look like typical beet seeds (fruit?) just smaller. What I received look like poppy seeds but blacker whereas poppy seeds often look a blue-black color.
Would a company that sells seed internationally go through the trouble of removing the actual seeds from the shell to save on shipping? Maybe they have factories in China where labor rates are probably like $1.20 per day (8-10 work hours) and have crews smashing open beet seedpods and harvesting the actual seeds inside. I know commercial tomato seeds are de-fuzzed for weight reduction, maybe disease reduction too, but beet seeds?? What is your job? "Beetcracker."
The other problem from the same vendor was Stevia seeds that turned out to be basil once they germinated. Maybe I better try germinating some of these in #4 coffee filter paper to see what they look like germinated?
If you're going to pregerminate them, try doing it in a CD case as I have done. This is rainbow chard in the picture below. With beets/chards, each seedling develops root first, then seed leaves before exiting the communal seed case. Wait until then before potting up ... if you really do have beet seeds.
I think some may wonder why you start your peppers so early, and maybe that was part of the reason for that last commentary. You did clearly say you transplanted outside in your post though. If you're not planting out til late May then how large are your seedlings by then? It looks like they are definitely transplant size already and they have a month more to go. I'd imagine it's challenging to keep them happy for 3+ months inside, plus all the space it would take up.
I usually set them out already with peppers on them about 2.5 feet high) Last 2-3 weeks depending on the weather they are in the greenhouse set on my deck, with a heater for cold nights and a fan. If my pots are big enough (I use 2.2 quarts) , that schedule works the best for me. First, I have fruit earlier in the season, and by the middle of October when first frost kills perfectly fine plants I have enough frozen and canned for whole winter long. My yard (including house, two sheds, small orchard and huge compost pile) is just 6000 sq feet. And I grow ALL our summer veggies for 2 people, so I can't plant more peppers, to get more crop. I have to keep them longer, an it generally works. My limit is 30 peppers, 10 eggplants, 18 tomatoes. And I have about 80 pot places - home made growing shelf 2X2X7 feet with two layers, each has 8 2-feet long adjustable height lights and can accommodate 20 pots. Whole construction sits near the deck door(the one that doesn't open) facing south. Another location is spare bedroom, where I have two shelves one layer each(2 regular south facing windows ) with adjustable lights as well. They also can take 20 pots each. Normally, by that time they will be already in the green house, but this year winter was terribly long and my last snow just melted a couple weeks ago!
Doesn't it depend on what weeds these are? Some are easily pulled/hoed, while others can have deep roots & runners that are a nightmare to try to remove by hand(Bermuda grass!). I prefer to pull/hoe when possible. Smothering can work very well w/ very thick mulches - w/ or w/o paper/cardboard underneath. Whatever manages to struggle through thick mulch tends to come up easily when pulled.
You can mulch & wait for several weeks before pulling back the mulch to plant seeds.
Chemical weed killers might be best for those areas where you're not growing things to eat, IMO.
Agree with carolb that it is important to know what weeds these are, specifically if they are spreading by seed or by rhizomes. For example, mulching does nothing to quack grass except make it even happier to be alive. And roundup doesn't even work on it.
Can you post pictures of what weeds you have?
multiple tilling, solarizing, or covering with black plastic for a season are more effective with really difficult weeds than even sprays (if a weed is spreading via roots, and the spray kills the leaves, the roots keep on spreading). These methods can cost you most of a season, but then you save your back from then on. You could work on eliminating the weeds on say, half of the beds, and do what you've always done with the other half. Then next year, switch. With a little luck, in two seasons of 1/2 a garden you'll have eliminated most of your problems.
I like the propane torch idea too. Plus, it's really fun to use, and you can even dress up as a super hero and shout "die!" as you do it. (I had fun with my brother's torch last summer. Very empowering.)
Once Brussel Sprouts flower they are in their final stage of growth. Brussels take a long season. They need to be tranplanted in July for harvest in November, December, January. Because of the summerheat, I have not had much luck getting them started in Georgia.
I have 2 of that type of greenhouse. they do require at least twice daily attention. Mine are wide open even at night if temps will be 38 degrees plus. I have put real small plants in mine when it was still cold out. I put an electric heater with thermostat set at 40 degrees when the temps were in the 20s. That size plant in nighttime temps in the 30s would be fine opened up. 78 degrees with sun on it would be well over a 100 inside. You should have a min/max thermometer to keep track of the daily temps. These greenhouses are not set it up and forget it.
Liam- Sounds like transplant shock. Was it a store-bought plant or did you start it yourself? How big was the plant? Was it hardened off prior to planting? And what are your temperatures like? If the soil is moist, don't water again until it dries out.
Rodney
I'd keep shaking your pea trellis, and blasting with water spray. The aphid lifecycle time can be about a month, so you may not see results for a week or two. Though it's a good bet something nearby has an aphid infestation, and you're just getting the spillover from that infestation on your peas.
Beans can certainly be infested with aphids, but not necessarily the same aphids that like peas.
The good news is my garden is only 4x8. It's probably my spinach. I'm never planting spinach again, I've had nothing but bug problems...it is getting ready to bolt in about a month so I think I'm going to get it out now, it's been nothing but buggy. My squashes are still small and no bugs, my bush brand and leaf lettuce appear fine, and nothing wrong with the tomatoes. The spinach is nearby and so is the lettuce so I will spray the lettuce down too.
Looks like red leaf lettuce to me... and not at all crispy.
Yeah looks just like Red Sails or maybe, Vulcan Red leaf.
Dave