What's growing this year?

[alblancher]

We've been working hard the last couple of weeks so just wanted to brag a bit about what we have growing.

Strawberries, Corn, Eggplant, Green onions, White Onions, Red Potatoes, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Yellow squash
Pole beans, Mirliton, Eggplant, Cucumbers

Peaches, Blueberries, Plums, Blackberries, Mayhaws, Figs, Persimmons, Pecans , Muscadines,Naval oranges
Lemons, Satsumas

We didn't have a late freeze ( I hope) and we are getting a bit of rain so things are taking off a bit early this year.

Al

 

[fire it up]

Congrats on a good selection of veggies and fruit. Was wondering where you were located and if you had actually set all of your plants outside already?

I'm in Jersey so I'm not planning on moving most things outdoors until end of April/beginning of May.

This year I'm not doing a lot of different veggies but am doing 16 different kinds of tomatoes, even ramapo (strain that has been lost for 20 years) cherokee purple, a few different brandywines and many other heirlooms. Doing 10 different hot peppers including bhut jolokia, white habaneros, scotch bonnet, and others. Oh, and trying out a completely heatless jalapeno, all the flavor but none of the heat (for my sister mostly, she thinks black pepper is spicy).
That will be the bulk of the grow, as doing probably 200 corn, some red and white potatoes, onions, pole lima, snap and yard long beans. That is mostly it, there will be somewhere around 150 tomato plants long as they all make it to transplanting time.

2 trays with growth are tomatoes, the one to the left are the hot peppers, they just sprouted yesterday so they are still tiny. On the right are some blueberry bushes I am working on.


Oh, and that is a speaker in front of them, they are listening to Pink Floyd right now, some Bob Marley later.

What kinds of tomatoes are you doing?
Good luck with everything Al, hope all grows well.
Just one tip some don't know, if you do smoke cigarettes or any form of tobacco (the other smoked stuff won't hurt them) make sure to clean your hands before touching the plants. Forget what is was exactly, have to look it up, but something in the tobacco can give them a terrible disease, mayb mosaic virus? I forgot, anyways, just a helpful tip.

 

[alblancher]

You are a true craftsman. I try to stay with the most productive types for the space I have so I usually follow LSU Ag Center recommendations. Our biggest problems are insects and the heat. It doesn’t get cold enough to knock back the bugs. We generally have two planting seasons early (mid march) and late summer (end of August)

The peaches, blueberries, mayhaws and plums have already flowered and are setting fruit. The figs are just starting to leaf out.

I planted Creole and Celebrity tomatoes. Cayenne hot peppers. I planted Habs two years ago but still have some sitting in vinegar because the wife still complains when ever I use them.

Looks like you guys have gotten another cold front how do you know when it’s safe to plant outside?

We are picking strawberries in Slidell but they are just starting to set flowers at my property North of Franklinton LA. 50 miles away but 3-4 weeks different.

Al

 

[johnd]

Still growing icicles here in Michigan>

 

[fire it up]

I learned my lesson last year to actually wait to plant outdoors until at least one week (two is recommended) after your areas last frost date. Ours is estimated to be April 29th so I planned my plants to go outside about a week into the beginning of May.
Last year I planted the end of April because it was really warm but then a frost came so I was outside for hours, very late and cold putting buckets and plastic bags over my plants so the frost wouldn't kill them.

How do you combat the insect problem? Besides the pain of finding eggs, collecting bugs and killing them. Have you heard of or tried companion planting for protection?
Companion plants are anything from other vegetables, herbs or flowers that you plant near other plants and it either improves their disease resistance, strengthens their roots, adds flavor to the actual fruit/veggie production or keep bugs away.
Something like growing horseradish near potatoes increases the potatoes resistance to diseases. Oregano with peppers keeps humidity. Basil improves growth, flavor and disease resistance when planted with tomatoes. Beans planted with corn that grow up the stock not only don't need a trellis but beans add nitrogen to the soil which corn loves.
Marigolds and nasturtium flowers are great for keeping bugs away. I just placed an order for 500 seeds of a plant called borage.
Planting 250 of them this year allover the garden, I mean almost everywhere. They are considered a "magic bullet" in gardening because they attract many beneficial insects, keep away soooooo many bad bugs and improve the growth of almost any plant.

Picture of borage...had to order because nobody anywhere around here carries seeds


Oh, and the borage is edible, the leaves taste like celery and the flower can be used as a garnish in drinks or on desserts or in salads.

Also, a link to wikipedia that has many, many companion plants, what they help with, what to avoid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants