GOT THE GARDEN STARTED!
Started with a couple of tomatoes. Early girl and Better Boy, we chose these because they grow well in our area and are recommended by our county AG office.
We'll see how they do.
We had to have some basil, we missed it last year. Nothing better than fresh basil for pesto or caprese salad or any other number of dishes.
We haven't done eggplants in a few seasons but the last time we had such success with them, it was with this variety, the Ichiban. It's a slender, narrow eggplant that seems to grow well in our climate.
Similarly, a couple of years back, we grew pickling cucumbers. The haul was astounding. I was even able to try my beginner hand at canning pickles. e gave away just as many cucumbers that we couldn't use. The following season we tried regular cucumbers. It just wasn't the same.
Hopefully these will recreate the magic. They are an heirloom variety. I planted two since that's what gave us the bounty the last time but in one of the pots there was a small single sprout and so I stuck that in the middle. Not sure if it will make it but hey, we'll see.
Still have a few more veggies we want to plant. Jalapeño, yellow squash and we might try okra again.
Let the growing begin!
If you let the last of the basil make flowers and go to seed, save the seeds and just plant in the soil next spring, you will have more than you can possibly use fresh and never need to buy plants or seeds again.
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered how well they would germinate next year. We'll have to try that. We love basil so much I'd take a whole bed full, ha.
Deletei started a lot of seeds this year that i saved from plants that i let go to seed last year. i love ichiban eggplants. they grow so wel and you can use them so many ways. happy spring and gardening season!
ReplyDeleteHello!!!! I need to let some things go to seed this year. It's a good time to try my hand at that. And yes, the ichiban are so good. We tried growing regular eggplants and they just didn't do well. But those ichiban were prolific (and they liked our weather, ha). Thanks, happy play in the dirt days to you too!! :-)
DeleteWe are definitely doing okra, green beans and squash again this year, but I am through with trying to grow tomatoes which just feed the chipmunks.
ReplyDeleteYou know, there is a change we give up on tomatoes after this year. We've just never had much luck, of course it could be that they are the one plant that really needs some hands on care and being there to check them daily. With just once a week it's difficult. I guess some veggies are much more self sufficient, ha.
DeleteYou made some very good choices to plant in your garden. You have some good, fresh meals coming up. It will be great to make pickles with your own cucumbers.
ReplyDeleteHave you considered planting a cherry-type tomato plant? They are the most heat tolerant tomato, still producing when the other varieties have shriveled up from the summer heat.
Since okra seeds have a very hard outer shell, it helps to soak them over night before planting.
Thanks, I will have to remember that. You know, we've never tried a cherry tomato plant. We love them and heck the flavor in small ones when they are garden grown is still ten times more than a large one from the grocery store, ha. I have some okra seed from the year we did so well with it. Might should do that.
DeleteI need to reinforce my defenses against squirrels. Only the herbs were safe!
ReplyDeleteDo you know we've NEVER seen a squirrel at the farm. Not sure why. Coyotes? Hawks? Owls? Not sure but we're glad we don't have to fight those. We have enough to deal with ha. Good luck and may the squirrels be on the losing side, ha.
DeleteLooks like you're getting a good head start on things. I did notice that you have no mulch around your plants. Being in direct sun and with the Texas heat you might consider adding some sort of soil cover-up to keep from drying out so bad.
ReplyDeleteWe had some severe thunderstorms that moved in late yesterday afternoon and into the evening; heavy rain & wind. Don't think we received any hail here but some places received some.
Takes care of me planting or doing anything outside today.
Enjoy your day
There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments. :}
DeleteYes I need to get some. It's not down yet because I need to put the drip irrigation in. In the past we've used that straw mulch but we had the unfortunate sprouting incident where some of sprouting into wheat. I have extra bags of pine bark mulch from the blueberries but that might add too much acidity? What do you use?
DeleteI use Cypress mulch. You don't want something that has rather large chunks in it; want something more finer but NOT the rubber mulch.
DeleteYou could also check out some determinate tomato varieties and see if you could grow them in a container at your apartment. I used to grow Bellstar tomatoes in the country garden. They grow quickly and produce a lot of fruit. Stagger your planting , 2 containers, and you might be able to have tomatoes for the growing season within steps of the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteThere are also some dwarf tomatoes that grow 12-18 inches? I grew some in containers for my dad's salads. Time for me to check out the seeds and see what I saved.
I also grow sweet success cucumbers. They are a long/skinny cuc, but make great pickle slices. I make refrigerator pickles. There are a variety of refrigerator pickle recipes on the net. They are great for using up some of the extra cucs, ready in a day or keep them for a week or two. Easy to give a jar away as a gift. No processing and tasty to boot. Clean jars,lids,vegetables, spices and you can play with vinegar varieties for taste. Dill is also easy to grow and goes well with fish and pickling. I let mine go to seed, pops up in the flower beds and I let it go. Dill is also food for yellow swallowtail butterfly caterpillars.
M in NC
I'll bet you could grow grape or cherry tomatoes in pots on your balcony. I grow 7-8 different types of tomatoes, and because all my gardening is done in my eleven 100 gallon livestock tanks and several garbage cans, (modified hugelkulture/lasagne gardening) I prune my indeterminate tomatoes pretty significantly. I still get fantastic yields, though the horse manure compost and compost tea my play a part in that.
ReplyDeleteI ADORE cucumbers! I grow 3-4 types of those, with pickles and japanese or syrian coming a close second. I bet the syrian ones would grow well down there.
I'm still in the planning phase up here in N Michigan. Last frost date is usually 5/31, but I was just reading an article about the annual temps being almost 4 degrees higher the last few years, so maybe I'll risk planting some things a bit sooner.
I will be direct sowing my spinach, radishes and some carrots in a few of the tanks in mid April. I cover the tank with a few old windows to act as a greenhouse. I can usually get 2 good crops of spinach done and frozen before it's warm enough for my tomatoes and cukes.
So plans are for 2 tanks full of spinach, 2 tanks of radishes and mixed color carrots. One tank of snow peas and pea pods. 4 plants of brussel sprouts and broccoli 4 plants of 6-7 types tomatoes, 4 plants each of at least 2 types cukes, and anything else that appeals at the farm market. No more potatoes here!
Looks like a good start. I have (finally) prepared my lily garden beds and got the spring veggies out: Lettuce, brocolli, kale, and onions. I also started some seeds: pumpkins, watermelon, cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes I am too nervous to put them out and about yet as we had freezes last week.
ReplyDelete