|
Lolie posted:If anyone in the US is in a temperate or subtropical zone, I highly recommend yellow pear and black cherry tomatoes - both have amazing and unique flavours. Get them in early, though. It took a long time for mine to set fruit and ripen despite near ideal conditions. I read the thread from the beginning and am looking forward to posting this season! I live in Seattle (8b) and do yellow pears every year. They do very well here. I need to start some black cherries, though. Those sound delicious. I've kept a garden for the past few years, but I'm stuck renting so it's been mostly container-based (I think I'm going to give simple SIP buckets a try this year). I recently moved into a new place with a relatively steep hill facing west. I'd terrace it if I owned the place, but I think SIP buckets are my best and cheapest option. Come on, spring!
|
#
¿
Mar 22, 2018 20:00
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 23, 2024 18:39 |
|
|
Doorknob Slobber posted:do you have a link to a guide to doing a SIP bucket with materials list and poo poo? This one is pretty good. I don't think the bit about the plastic sheet and fertilizer are 100% necessary, though, just one way to do it. SIP is a pretty simple concept that works with any containers that can stack with space left at the bottom. 18 gallon Rubbermaid bins work well if you want to scale up.You might want to do some light Google research; there's a lot of information out there, and even simple plans in GIS.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 25, 2018 18:55
|
|
|
Speaking of mint, it's super easy to clone. I bought some fresh mint at Safeway, made a fresh cut, and put it in a small cup of water. You'll see roots in 2-3 weeks and all you have to do is leave it alone.Shifty Pony posted:Don't forget to put a tray under the pot so it doesn't escape via roots! Wisdom.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 29, 2018 03:50
|
|
|
Hieronymous Alloy posted:oh wow this thread exists Have you considered blueberries? You can make an actual small hedge. They need acidic soil, and better drainage than it sounds like you have though. You'll probably have to amend your soil somehow regardless of what you decide on. A soil test would also help rule out some problems. A Pack of Kobolds fucked around with this message at 16:07 on Mar 29, 2018 |
|
#
¿
Mar 29, 2018 15:59
|
|
|
Word. Curious to why the rosemary died, though. I'm in 8b and people landscape with it here.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 29, 2018 16:09
|
|
|
I bought an eggplant starter that seems to refuse to grow. It gets full Seattle sun and is definitely not dead, but it's been about a month since I potted it and there is maybe one new leaf on it. It came in one of those peat pots, but I made sure to score the poo poo out of it with a knife before I transplanted it. Should I hold out hope? Also I have a shitload of extra tomato starters because my seedlings did way better than expected. If anybody in the Puget Sound region wants some, hit me up.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 5, 2018 21:38
|
|
|
Hubis posted:I've got them in 18" SIP pots so I've at least got good access from all sides. I topped them a little above the trellises at 6.5', but yeah I think next year I will need something a bit more substantial. I was mostly just surprised at how vigorous my growrh was this year after my previous middling experience, so I suppose it's a good problem to have. Prune your tomato plants aggressively or it will be a jungle. Tomato plants have no respect for timid gardeners. How are you liking the SIP setup? I'm doing 5 gallon buckets and 18 gallon Rubbermaid bins and holy gently caress are my tomato plants burly.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 24, 2018 14:31
|
|
|
Thufir posted:I've got a Roma tomato plant in a 5 gallon bucket that has been super healthy-looking all season, got a ton of green fruit on it etc. The whole thing: bucket, plant, and cage, got blown over in a storm last night. I set it back upright but it is looking really wilted and rough now. Anything I can/should do to save this? It looks like it had actually rooted down through the drainage holes and into the ground, and those roots are pulled up and partially exposed now. Should I trim them? I think that it will bounce back. You can trim the roots if you want to, but I don't think that it will make a huge difference either way. You may consider nesting that bucket inside another one for a semi-SIP setup.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 8, 2018 07:29
|
|
|
My blueberries are dead but my tomatoes are out of loving control.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 7, 2018 18:40
|
|
|
I took some pepper plant cuttings that I will overwinter indoors once they root. I have a short season and they didn't produce much this year, so hopefully the head start will help next season. If you've never tried cloning pepper plants, it's really easy. Did anybody else try a SIP setup this year? It was not worth the time, effort, and expense, in my experience. Would not recommend.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 29, 2018 16:54
|
|
|
Fitzy Fitz posted:Is cloning more productive than growing from seed? Our seed-grown peppers go nuts every year, but I could always use more. It seems more productive for me than growing from seed due to my short season, but I guess it really depends on how many cuttings you take and how mature you intend to grow them indoors before moving them outside. You could wind up with a bunch of seasonal houseplants that you may or may not want. Of course, you could just have one big over-winter mother plant and then clone that a bunch of times when you would otherwise start seeds. Playing Pepper God is pretty fun. All you need to do to root most pepper cuttings is leave the cut ends in a jar of water, so it's a fun zero-cost experiment. I have no experience at all with sweet potatoes, but if you have a cutting to spare it certainly seems worth a try.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 29, 2018 17:27
|
|
|
Harry Potter on Ice posted:Whoa I didn't know you could do this.. I have a sweet habanero plant that really killed it this year and I'd love to take cuttings from or even try and bring inside for the winter It's totally worth a try! I haven't done habenros before, but jalapeno cuttings root practically by accident. I have some arbol, bell, and banana pepper cuttings in water right now. The stems all vary in size, so it's going to be interesting to see which one roots first. Fast and free pepper cloning method: 1) Select and cut a healthy, vigorous stalk or branch from existing plant. A good starting length is probably about 5-8 node segments. Your actual clone will be the top 3-4 nodes of this larger cutting, ensuring that it is green, new growth instead of older, woody stuff. 2) Node sites are prime for potential root production. Choose the node site where you want the roots to come from, and cut it at a 45 degree angle with a razor blade. 3) Place cutting in a jar of water. It's probably better if the cut end is suspended in the water and not resting on the side or bottom, but it will probably be okay if it touches. 4) Replace the water every week or two, or as it gets cloudy or discolored. 5) You should see roots forming within 3-4 weeks. It's tempting to put them in soil as soon as you see tiny roots, but give the roots a little more time to develop before you transplant them. 6) Gently transfer them to a pot and growing medium of your choice. It will probably take a week or so for them to establish themselves, but once they exhibit new growth you can treat them as any other starter. There are certainly other (likely faster and better) ways to clone plants, but this one is low effort and costs nothing. I learned it from rooting rosemary cuttings, and historically this is how friends and neighbors shared plants. Even today it's not uncommon for people to wrap cuttings in damp paper towels, put those in gallon sized ziploc bags, and mail them around the country. Jhet posted:I wish I'd known you could do this too. I just moved everything into planters and tucked it into the basement under grow lamps so that I'd get a lot more fruit and so I could winter them and not loose them. I have a pair of Carolina Reaper plants that haven't gone dormant that I may try this with. Let us know how it works!
|
|
#
¿
Oct 30, 2018 17:43
|
|
|
kedo posted:Looks like they're in the process of turning red or orange. That color is pretty much exactly how my poblanos look if I leave them on the plant too long and they start to fully ripen. This season I had a banana pepper or two do that also. I still ate them and they were fine.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 31, 2018 15:58
|
|
|
I'm tickled to hear about all of the pepper cuttings being taken and I'm stoked to hear how it works for everyone's various varieties. If there is a seed swap for next season maybe we could include a cutting swap in it.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 6, 2018 00:47
|
|
|
Anyone doing a winter garden or anything? I'm thinking about planting some winter radishes to see what happens.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 13, 2018 19:14
|
|
|
Grand Fromage posted:I'm just making plans for the spring. Can't buy decent Asian vegetables anywhere around here so I have to grow my own. Mind sharing your plans? I take it you're not in China anymore, or thatsthejoke.jpg?
|
|
#
¿
Nov 13, 2018 22:20
|
|
|
Frank's got it figured out. I hope someday to be the old man who spends his retirement gardening and fishing while drinking Rainier all day.Grand Fromage posted:I am not in China anymore, though I guess it's part joke as the Asian groceries around here are Chinese run and sell garbage produce even worse than what you'd get in actual China. The Korean stores are a lot better but don't have any fresh vegetables, and there's a great Japanese supermarket but it's way too far away for regular shopping. So it's pretty authentic all things considered! I don't know what half of this is, but I'm stoked to look them up. Thanks! For your Regular Ol' Basil, consider Genovese if you're growing from seed. Alternately you can get some of that living basil at the store. It's not as good, but it's a living starter.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 13, 2018 23:12
|
|
|
I've noticed that the pepper cuttings I have going are taking quite a bit longer than the jalapeno that I did by accident a couple of months ago. The days are much shorter and colder now than then, so that may have something to do with it. I'd be interested to see if they root quicker with a grow light and not sitting six inches from a cold window, but I don't have space for that right now. I hope at least some of you have success with it. The aforementioned jalapeno cutting survived transplant and has new, blossoming growth, so I know that it's at least worth a try.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 27, 2018 18:50
|
|
|
Harry Potter on Ice posted:4/4 of my habanero cuttings I'm trying the cutting in water trick with are dying. Really wish I just tried transplanting it and putting it in a pot in the greenhouse I feel responsible for making it sound like such a sure thing.  My arbol and bell pepper cuttings are still alive, and I'm hoping that they're just delayed with the change in season. The banana pepper died. I swear this was not an elaborate ploy to kill off your favorite peppers, goons.  You could try moving them to a potting medium like this technique describes as a hail mary. I've had more success rooting rosemary in water than in soil/medium, so that's what I opted for with the jalapeno which rooted just fine. gently caress.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 27, 2018 22:40
|
|
|
Get you some bulk green tea and blend & brew your own Moroccan mint.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 17, 2018 19:22
|
|
|
Grand Fromage posted:Cilantro sucks because it doesn't keep growing like other herbs, you have to harvest and replant. I grew it once and it wasn't worth the trouble. Same here, and it's so cheap to buy fresh that I save garden space for more interesting and/or valuable things. Your time in the garden is much better spent doing practically anything other than trying to keep cilantro from bolting, which it will, no matter what.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 18, 2018 00:06
|
|
|
I'm starting pepper seeds in paper coffee cups on my desk at work. Four varieties sprouted so far!
|
|
#
¿
Jan 8, 2019 00:57
|
|
|
Harry Potter on Ice posted:Hot! What kinds? Seed mat heater? What kind of light? Chile Japones, Guajillo, Thai, and Sweet Banana! No seedling mat, and no extra light beyond the fluorescent overhead lights. I shake them around a bit every day to help them support their own weight. If you want to be a pepper growing monster, go to your local Hispanic grocery and stock up on small packages of dried chiles. They are usually very cheap and I've grown many good pepper plants from their seeds. They probably won't have the crazy exotic kinds that a seed catalog would, but if you're trying to cover your chili bases it's a good way to do that.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 8, 2019 23:01
|
|
|
I tried an eggplant starter last season that didn't really do anything after I repotted it. I don't know what went wrong there.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 10, 2019 18:07
|
|
|
I will generally germinate pepper seeds by putting a bunch of seeds in a folded-over paper towel which has been saturated with warm water, securely wrap that in cling wrap, and leave it on top of my computer at work for a little warmth. I usually see germination after a week or so, but I leave them there until they're basically sprouts trying to root through the paper towel before I transplant them in soil. It's definitely a scattershot approach for germination, but I've successfully done this with storebought seeds for gardening, seeds taken from grocery store fresh peppers, and loose seeds from bags of dried peppers as well.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 26, 2020 18:47
|
|
|
SubNat posted:I did the same approach with some black bamboo and lemon seeds I planted last year. This is exactly right. It's an excellent approach if you are dealing with seeds of questionable viability, too. You use more seeds with this method than you do with others, but I still have seeds from 2015 so that's not really a concern for me. That is awesome about the lemon seeds! I want to try that now.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 26, 2020 21:53
|
|
|
Harry Potter on Ice posted:What was the random Benjamin Franklin quote in their seed catalogue again? I forget It was "A garden without Parisian prostitutes is no garden at all."
|
|
#
¿
Feb 28, 2020 00:35
|
|
|
SubG posted:In my experience you can shove C. annuum peppers like Thai birds and arboles pretty close together, as they tend to be mostly upright and grow from a central stem. Chile Japones would be another candidate, and the $1 dried peppers from the Hispanic food aisle have a whole lot of seeds in them. The aforementioned paper towel germination method works well for this task since the seeds are so plentiful. Similarly, if anyone wants to grow common habeneros this season, buy one fresh pepper at the store for ten cents, let the seeds dry out for a couple of days in a coffee filter on your kitchen counter, then use as you would seeds from a packet. It works with other peppers also, but I did this a few days ago and a single habenero didn't even register on the store's scale so the cashier just gave it to me. I'm not trying to brag about saving a dime, just encouraging y'all to experiment with grocery store seeds because sometimes you literally have nothing to lose.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 5, 2020 17:42
|
|
|
Solkanar512 posted:Oh, I forgot to mention two things about the leggy tomatoes - I've never understand the problem of leggy tomato seedlings because when I repot them I bury at least half of the plant. Tomatoes are psycho vine plants and like any part of the plant that touches soil will start putting roots down before long. Also if you don't savagely prune your tomato plants they will turn feral, but that's advice for the summer. Psycho vines, though, in all things.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 3, 2020 06:14
|
|
|
Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Do tell. I've never done much pruning on them because I've not known how-what do you advise? I'm jealous that you're harvesting already! I haven't even transplanted my seedlings. As for pruning, I can't speak for the experience of others, but my tomato plants will get so overgrown that it's difficult to harvest everything and also become more likely to have insect or fungal problems. At first you might feel bad cutting back your beloved plants, but they really want it. Whenever a vine starts to get unruly I'll cut it back to the last fruiting node that I want to keep, knowing that it will grow back quick as other vines grow off the stalk. Once tomatoes get going, they don't stop until the frost makes them.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 3, 2020 20:10
|
|
|
Harry Potter on Ice posted:You'll know you need to cut your tomatoes when you feel bad about doing it but can't walk past them Most definitely, but I think that you have to have a couple of seasons of letting them go feral before you know what the feeling that you describe feels like. My first couple of seasons of serious gardening had me feeling bad about cutting my plants at all, but I learned how beneficial good pruning is. Tomato and tomatillo plants grow fast as gently caress and crave being cut. Give them what they want and they'll focus on fruiting instead of expanding.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 3, 2020 20:23
|
|
|
Prune those motherfuckers and/or bury as much of the stalk as possible when you transplant.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 6, 2020 20:07
|
|
|
Jhet posted:This. And for the big plants, maybe move them to by the window if you can unless you have more grow lights that are just off right now. The big stuff probably would like more light. Anything not directly under a grow light gets like 10-20% of the light that the plants under it gets. Can confirm. I am not a botanist so I can't say if this is biologically true, but you can functionally consider the fuzzy parts of the stalk to be potential roots if buried. Bending it to a curve before burying it means more surface area to put out roots. Always bury as much of your tomato starters as possible when transplanting them. You're not stunting them by doing so, quite the opposite.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 7, 2020 02:00
|
|
|
Black Cherry, Yellow Pear, Super Sweet 100s. Brown Cherry is also great if you can find it.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 7, 2020 05:26
|
|
|
I overplanted like I always do, so if anybody in Seattle wants to coordinate a clandestine, socially distant tomato/pepper seedling pickup in a couple of weeks that can probably be arranged.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 7, 2020 21:51
|
|
|
Jan posted:Have fun trying to give those plants away, haha. My neighbours took some, but they never transplanted them out of nursery pots, so the plants grew super leggy and then they just gave up on them. It used to disappoint me when I couldn't give away my extra starters, but ultimately it's not my fault that people don't understand the gifts that sometimes fall into their laps. I'm happy to help if somebody forgot to plant seeds a month ago, but it won't break my heart if they become compost. I'd probably not offer to your neighbors, though. 
|
|
#
¿
Apr 7, 2020 22:00
|
|
|
Jhet posted:I would take you up on the seedlings, but I’m in the middle of a very unfortunately timed move back to Seattle and won’t get there in person until mid-June. PM me when you land. I probably won't have tomato plants by then, but I'll probably have some variety of extra potted peppers if you want to stick them outside at your new place. No pressure. I don't have any specific local planning guides beyond the knowledge that Seattle is zone 8b and tomatoes need as much sun as they can possibly get, so western-facing is preferable for them. Planting a garden mid-June is a bit of a late start, but I think you'd still harvest stuff. Definitely too late for seeds, but not starters. Sometimes the starters at garden centers have gotten pretty mature by then from sitting outside, so they may start fruiting right away. If you said mid-August I'd say it's a lost cause, but mid-June probably isn't too bad. And then you'd know what it was like to plant a late garden, too. Harry Potter on Ice posted:Hrm any rare peppers? Pimientos de Padron, wildly underrated if not necessarily rare. If you mean super hot ones, unfortunately no. But the ones I have going are Sweet Chocolate, Arbol, Fresno, Chile Japones, and a shitload of Italian roasters.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 7, 2020 23:01
|
|
|
Fitzy Fitz posted:With the possibility of work-from-home extending well into summer, I feel like I should expand my garden plans, but I'm not sure what that would mean. I'm already growing more nightshades than I know what to do with. I've built a big bean trellis. I'm putting out tons of sunflowers and hopefully mallows around the house. I wanted to do watermelons, but I don't know where they'd even go. Cucumbers do well in containers but you should plan on supporting them as they grow. This would qualify for zucchini and other squashes as well. Greens are always great to have on-hand and they don't have deep root systems, so they're pretty forgiving as long as they get some shade. If you haven't planted herbs, do that now. Plant more Genovese basil than you think you will want because holy gently caress is it ever good.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 9, 2020 17:13
|
|
|
Yeah, I don't those type of vines are like ivy vines which will never, ever die and will take over everything.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 9, 2020 18:36
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 23, 2024 18:39 |
|
|
Jhet posted:Tomato pruning requires bravery. Your plant will thank you for being brave. You're not hurting them, you're only showing them where to grow. They understand and appreciate your direction.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 13, 2020 02:06
|
|