I have not updated this for a while, but I am settled in Hawaii and experimenting with what will grow here. I have some pumpkins, zuchinni, summer squash, snow peas, broccoli, jalapenos, and tomatoes that are in the ground outside. The tomatoes look pitiful, but the pumpkins and broccoli seem to like the weather. Inside I have planted okra, basil, cilantro, and oregano for transplanting outside later. I want to get some carrot seeds in the ground as well, but the soil I am working has a lot of rocks in it - not good for carrots.
It has turned cool here, but it never freezes. I suspect that most things will do well right through the winter, but don't know if it will get warm enough for things like okra. At this point I am more or less experimenting.
I do have several fruit trees in the yard, and can enjoy a fresh-squeezed lemonade pretty much every day.
Showing posts with label tomatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tomatoes. Show all posts
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
World's Largest Zucchini
8 Pounds and 20 Inches Long
I just spotted the monster above hidden away in my garden yesterday. OK, maybe there are bigger zucchinis, but I have never seen one. It is also bigger than several others I have seen that people had affectionately named "world's largest zucchini." I did read that the actual world record is 69.5 inches long, and that the record weight is 65 pounds. However I have yet to find a picture of one bigger than the one I pulled out of my garden.
Had I spotted this one earlier, I would have picked it before it got so large. In hindsight, since it was already so large maybe I should have let it keep growing to see how big it would get. It wouldn't have been edible, but I don't know how large they can actually grow. As it stands, it weighed 8 pounds and was 20 inches long.
My carrots were getting out of control, so I pulled up the rest of them. The ones that had gone to seed were no good, as their interiors had become the consistency of wood. I also learned a lesson about thinning them out. All of the carrots below were planted at the same time, and some were 10 times the size of others. Those that had room to grow were a foot long or so. The ones that were crowded were only an inch long. As you can see from the picture below, I also got everything in between. Oh, and you can see a bit of my zucchini (not the one pictured above), some yellow squash, and a little okra.
Some of My Harvest
And this is what the garden looks like now, with my dogs looking on in the background.
My Garden and My Miniature Schnauzers
It got so hot so quickly that I have pulled only one tomato out of the garden, and that one had been nibbled on by bugs. Right now I think it is just too hot. It has been consistently over 100 degrees. Overall I am pretty pleased with the harvest, though. I looked as this year as a learning experience for North Texas. Now I will have to go through this again, as next month I will be moving to the Big Island of Hawaii.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Birds Destroyed My Broccoli
Got back from Europe to discover that my broccoli heads were demolished. They looked like they had been shot with a shotgun. The second time I went out, I saw the culprits. Birds. At first I thought it had probably been insects (or maybe the birds were eating the insects?) but it appeared as if the birds were feasting on the broccoli. Thus ends my experimentation with spring broccoli. From now on, it is a winter crop for me.
The carrots are still coming on great. In pulling them from the ground, the tops kept snapping off, leaving the carrot in the ground. I decided I better water the soil first and soften it up a bit, otherwise I am going to have to dig the carrots up.
Tomatoes have really exploded, although no fruit yet. Yellow squash and zucchini continue the pattern of rotting after the blooms drop. Although it looks like I now have a couple of zucchini that are going to develop.
Finally, jalapenos and okra are both about to bloom. Looking forward to that, although I don't have enough of either planted. Actually, I planted quite a few of each (from seed) but only had 1 jalapeno and 2 okra plants survive.
The carrots are still coming on great. In pulling them from the ground, the tops kept snapping off, leaving the carrot in the ground. I decided I better water the soil first and soften it up a bit, otherwise I am going to have to dig the carrots up.
Tomatoes have really exploded, although no fruit yet. Yellow squash and zucchini continue the pattern of rotting after the blooms drop. Although it looks like I now have a couple of zucchini that are going to develop.
Finally, jalapenos and okra are both about to bloom. Looking forward to that, although I don't have enough of either planted. Actually, I planted quite a few of each (from seed) but only had 1 jalapeno and 2 okra plants survive.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Harvesting Broccoli and Tomato Troubles
Harvesting Broccoli
Near the end of last summer, I planted some broccoli because I thought I might get in a harvest before cold weather set in. I didn't, but the broccoli thrived throughout the winter. In January, I started harvesting the broccoli.
Since I have never grown broccoli before, I wasn't quite sure when to harvest. I figured it was better to do it too early than too late, so I cut off the central heads when they were about 5 or 6 inches in diameter. I had read that if you let the broccoli continue to grow, it will put out lots of side shoots that will provide as much broccoli as the central head did.
This was definitely the case. A couple of weeks after I removed the central head, I had another harvest. So, I wondered if I could just keep doing this. I harvested a 3rd time on several of my plants, but when the heads were cooked the flavor was not quite right. Further, the heads are no longer compact as they were; the individual flowers are beginning to separate. So I have learned two things from my broccoli experiment. Put in a big crop in the fall, and get ready to harvest in mid-winter. Second, after two harvests, cut them down.
I have a number of small plants in the ground right now, and I am racing against time to see if I can get a harvest in before it gets too hot.
Tomato Troubles
No matter what, I always try to plant tomatoes. It seems like no matter how little preparation I do, I always get a big harvest. But I have always bought plants for transplanting. This year I decided to plant seeds and make my own transplants.
I bought a package of Big Boy seeds, and planted in a bunch of small containers back in January (in my garage). None of them sprouted. I replanted 6 containers in mid-February, and only 3 of them sprouted. A week ago, despite their small size, I decided to go ahead and put them in the garden.
The first one died on Day 2. The second and third seemed to be doing OK, but then we got 3 days of cold rain. Today, the second plant is dead, and the third is looking pretty poor. Looks like I will have to buy transplants again this year. (I also had one of my zucchinis die for no apparent reason).
The lesson learned is to plant in somewhat larger pots, inside, in about mid-January. Transplant them outside in mid-March when they are sturdy. Weak tomato plants don't last very long in the garden.
Near the end of last summer, I planted some broccoli because I thought I might get in a harvest before cold weather set in. I didn't, but the broccoli thrived throughout the winter. In January, I started harvesting the broccoli.
Since I have never grown broccoli before, I wasn't quite sure when to harvest. I figured it was better to do it too early than too late, so I cut off the central heads when they were about 5 or 6 inches in diameter. I had read that if you let the broccoli continue to grow, it will put out lots of side shoots that will provide as much broccoli as the central head did.
This was definitely the case. A couple of weeks after I removed the central head, I had another harvest. So, I wondered if I could just keep doing this. I harvested a 3rd time on several of my plants, but when the heads were cooked the flavor was not quite right. Further, the heads are no longer compact as they were; the individual flowers are beginning to separate. So I have learned two things from my broccoli experiment. Put in a big crop in the fall, and get ready to harvest in mid-winter. Second, after two harvests, cut them down.
I have a number of small plants in the ground right now, and I am racing against time to see if I can get a harvest in before it gets too hot.
Tomato Troubles
No matter what, I always try to plant tomatoes. It seems like no matter how little preparation I do, I always get a big harvest. But I have always bought plants for transplanting. This year I decided to plant seeds and make my own transplants.
I bought a package of Big Boy seeds, and planted in a bunch of small containers back in January (in my garage). None of them sprouted. I replanted 6 containers in mid-February, and only 3 of them sprouted. A week ago, despite their small size, I decided to go ahead and put them in the garden.
The first one died on Day 2. The second and third seemed to be doing OK, but then we got 3 days of cold rain. Today, the second plant is dead, and the third is looking pretty poor. Looks like I will have to buy transplants again this year. (I also had one of my zucchinis die for no apparent reason).
The lesson learned is to plant in somewhat larger pots, inside, in about mid-January. Transplant them outside in mid-March when they are sturdy. Weak tomato plants don't last very long in the garden.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Phase I is Complete
I came back from my European trip on March 5th to find that some of the squash had died. The temperature got down to 26 degrees twice while I was gone, and while my wife covered them up, the cold got the weaker ones.
Still, there were 5 or 6 that survived, and while they don't look good, I am hoping they come back now that temperatures are in the 70's and 80's. The 10-day forecast has no freezing weather, which probably means we are out of the woods.
Carrots have broken ground, and the peas are coming on strongly. It's been a month today since I planted them, and the carrots look like they are only a week old. I guess they only sprouted when it warmed up a bit more. I would guess that 80% of the peas sprouted, but their stems are very weak right at the ground. It looks possible that something has been chewing on them. The cilantro has really exploded; we have far more than we can use and I had only put out two plants last fall. We also had a lot of broccoli heads ready for harvest.
Of the seeds I had planted, I recognize a couple of jalapenos, a couple of crookneck squash, and a couple of okra coming up. There are some other plants coming up, but I can't tell if they are weeds or something I planted.
Today I also went ahead and put all inside plants in the garden. This included 3 tomato plants I grew from seeds (they are really small; I am not sure they will survive), 4 jalapenos, 2 okra plants, and a zucchini. In addition I put out a basil plant I had been growing since last summer (it looks like a small tree) and some oregano.
Phase I of the garden is in. Once I pull up all of the carrots, and the peas and broccoli are done, I will plant more warm weather plants.
Still, there were 5 or 6 that survived, and while they don't look good, I am hoping they come back now that temperatures are in the 70's and 80's. The 10-day forecast has no freezing weather, which probably means we are out of the woods.
Carrots have broken ground, and the peas are coming on strongly. It's been a month today since I planted them, and the carrots look like they are only a week old. I guess they only sprouted when it warmed up a bit more. I would guess that 80% of the peas sprouted, but their stems are very weak right at the ground. It looks possible that something has been chewing on them. The cilantro has really exploded; we have far more than we can use and I had only put out two plants last fall. We also had a lot of broccoli heads ready for harvest.
Of the seeds I had planted, I recognize a couple of jalapenos, a couple of crookneck squash, and a couple of okra coming up. There are some other plants coming up, but I can't tell if they are weeds or something I planted.
Today I also went ahead and put all inside plants in the garden. This included 3 tomato plants I grew from seeds (they are really small; I am not sure they will survive), 4 jalapenos, 2 okra plants, and a zucchini. In addition I put out a basil plant I had been growing since last summer (it looks like a small tree) and some oregano.
Phase I of the garden is in. Once I pull up all of the carrots, and the peas and broccoli are done, I will plant more warm weather plants.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Wet Seedlings Recovered
Just an update to the previous post, when it looked like my entire broccoli planting had drowned. I got the flats dried out, and the plants all came back. I currently have them indoors near a window. Of the 20 seeds that I planted, I now have 14 decent looking broccoli seedlings. The snap peas didn't fare as well; only 5 of the 20 sprouted. I read somewhere that you should nick pea seeds with a file to let water penetrate. I didn't do that, so I don't know if that's a trick I needed to apply. I have never grown peas before.
I have had some broccoli outside since August, and it is just now really taking off. I have to remember that next year; broccoli can survive some pretty cold temperatures. Next year I will start the plants indoors in late summer, and then transplant them outside just as soon as the weather cools off a bit. If I plant in rich soil, I should be able to get a crop in before the weather turns cold. But even if I don't, as soon as it warms back up it should take off and produce a crop then.
I planted some tomato, jalapeno, marigolds, and (as an experiment) one okra seed in containers about a week ago. Today, the okra and some of the tomatoes have broken ground. I probably should have started the tomatoes earlier, as Home Depot already has decent sized plants for transplanting outdoors. I planted the okra in a big pot and I have it in the garage where it can get some light from a window. It is much too early for okra; it really excels in the heat. But I thought I would get the plant up to a foot or so in height and then try to transplant it.
I have had the flu, so I haven't been able to work the mulch into the soil. I am hoping that I will feel like it this weekend. At the latest, I need to transplant all of the broccoli and peas outside, and plant my carrots, by next weekend. I fly to Europe for 3 weeks the following Monday, so I need to get the cold tolerate plants in the ground.
I have had some broccoli outside since August, and it is just now really taking off. I have to remember that next year; broccoli can survive some pretty cold temperatures. Next year I will start the plants indoors in late summer, and then transplant them outside just as soon as the weather cools off a bit. If I plant in rich soil, I should be able to get a crop in before the weather turns cold. But even if I don't, as soon as it warms back up it should take off and produce a crop then.
I planted some tomato, jalapeno, marigolds, and (as an experiment) one okra seed in containers about a week ago. Today, the okra and some of the tomatoes have broken ground. I probably should have started the tomatoes earlier, as Home Depot already has decent sized plants for transplanting outdoors. I planted the okra in a big pot and I have it in the garage where it can get some light from a window. It is much too early for okra; it really excels in the heat. But I thought I would get the plant up to a foot or so in height and then try to transplant it.
I have had the flu, so I haven't been able to work the mulch into the soil. I am hoping that I will feel like it this weekend. At the latest, I need to transplant all of the broccoli and peas outside, and plant my carrots, by next weekend. I fly to Europe for 3 weeks the following Monday, so I need to get the cold tolerate plants in the ground.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
What I Plan to Grow This Year
Eventually I want to start using heirloom seeds, but this year I went with what they had in the seed rack at Home Depot. My garden is laid out in a 5 foot by 25 foot plot. I may have to add some on to that. But here is what I have planned:
20 Green Goliath Broccoli
20 Sugar Daddy Snap Peas
16 Early Prolific Straightneck Summer Squash
10 Big Boy Tomatoes
6 Clemson Spineless Okra
6 Burpee's Hybrid Zucchini
5 Pimiento Jalapenos
Big Top Carrots
Genovese Basil
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
Marigolds
4 Flame Seedless Grapes
2 Celeste Figs
As I have mentioned already, I have been experimenting since August with some of these. Cilantro and the broccoli thrived through the winter, surviving a low temperature of 16°F (Jan 16th, per the Weather Channel's website). I had some jalapenos outside in containers, and they survived until a hard freeze in December. So I am optimistic that I can get in a really good harvest of those until late fall. I have one basil and some oregano in the house. The oregano has thrived and the basil has survived, and I will plant both outdoors in late March.
The temperatures start to regularly get into the 80's in early May, so I hope to have a crop of broccoli, snow peas, and carrots finished by then. I will replant some of the warm weather items like jalapenos and okra in their place.
20 Green Goliath Broccoli
20 Sugar Daddy Snap Peas
16 Early Prolific Straightneck Summer Squash
10 Big Boy Tomatoes
6 Clemson Spineless Okra
6 Burpee's Hybrid Zucchini
5 Pimiento Jalapenos
Big Top Carrots
Genovese Basil
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
Marigolds
4 Flame Seedless Grapes
2 Celeste Figs
As I have mentioned already, I have been experimenting since August with some of these. Cilantro and the broccoli thrived through the winter, surviving a low temperature of 16°F (Jan 16th, per the Weather Channel's website). I had some jalapenos outside in containers, and they survived until a hard freeze in December. So I am optimistic that I can get in a really good harvest of those until late fall. I have one basil and some oregano in the house. The oregano has thrived and the basil has survived, and I will plant both outdoors in late March.
The temperatures start to regularly get into the 80's in early May, so I hope to have a crop of broccoli, snow peas, and carrots finished by then. I will replant some of the warm weather items like jalapenos and okra in their place.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Spring Planning and the Double Dig
January 22, 2009 – Freshly arrived back from Europe. None of the 40 seeds I planted before I left have sprouted, but the soil is still damp. I now have two broccoli plants that are ready to harvest. I will do that this weekend.
I harvested the compost from one of my composters and spread it around on the ground where I am going to do a double-dig of about 125 square feet. I realize I don't have enough, so I will need to either pick up more compost or some peat moss. One of the things I am learning is that decaying organic matter in the soil is very important for good growth. Not having that is why it took my broccoli all winter to produce.
I started the double-dig, and it was slow going. Lots of white rocks as big as my head have to be removed. I had put up a temporary fence to keep the dogs out, but I can see they have been in and gotten mud everywhere. My back started to get sore about halfway through the double-dig.
January 23, 2009 – I awoke this morning to find that 10 of the broccoli seeds and 3 of the snow peas have sprouted. I guess they were just waiting for me to get back home. I plan to let them grow for at least a couple of weeks – and maybe a month – before transplanting them outside. The only problem is that the flats are not very deep, and even now I have roots trying to come out the bottom.
Back in the fall when it froze and killed my nice-looking jalapeno (which in December was just about to bloom), I also had one in a container. I brought that one into the garage, and left it to die. Funny thing is that it didn't die. It doesn't look good, but I have some hope that I might be able to keep it alive until time to transplant it outside.
Right now, I am scheduled to go back to Europe on February 16th. I plan to transplant the broccoli and snow peas outside just before I go, as well as plant a row of carrots. Today I also planted 6 zucchini, 6 tomatoes, 16 crookneck squash, and 12 marigolds in a couple more flats. I plan to transplant them outdoors some time after I return from Europe the first week of March. Hopefully they won't be too packed in the flats by then. I am also going to plant some jalapenos in some small pots, which should be ready to go outdoors in March.
I went to Home Depot today and bought two grapevines (Flame Seedless) and a fig tree. I plan to set them out tomorrow.
I harvested the compost from one of my composters and spread it around on the ground where I am going to do a double-dig of about 125 square feet. I realize I don't have enough, so I will need to either pick up more compost or some peat moss. One of the things I am learning is that decaying organic matter in the soil is very important for good growth. Not having that is why it took my broccoli all winter to produce.
I started the double-dig, and it was slow going. Lots of white rocks as big as my head have to be removed. I had put up a temporary fence to keep the dogs out, but I can see they have been in and gotten mud everywhere. My back started to get sore about halfway through the double-dig.
January 23, 2009 – I awoke this morning to find that 10 of the broccoli seeds and 3 of the snow peas have sprouted. I guess they were just waiting for me to get back home. I plan to let them grow for at least a couple of weeks – and maybe a month – before transplanting them outside. The only problem is that the flats are not very deep, and even now I have roots trying to come out the bottom.
Back in the fall when it froze and killed my nice-looking jalapeno (which in December was just about to bloom), I also had one in a container. I brought that one into the garage, and left it to die. Funny thing is that it didn't die. It doesn't look good, but I have some hope that I might be able to keep it alive until time to transplant it outside.
Right now, I am scheduled to go back to Europe on February 16th. I plan to transplant the broccoli and snow peas outside just before I go, as well as plant a row of carrots. Today I also planted 6 zucchini, 6 tomatoes, 16 crookneck squash, and 12 marigolds in a couple more flats. I plan to transplant them outdoors some time after I return from Europe the first week of March. Hopefully they won't be too packed in the flats by then. I am also going to plant some jalapenos in some small pots, which should be ready to go outdoors in March.
I went to Home Depot today and bought two grapevines (Flame Seedless) and a fig tree. I plan to set them out tomorrow.
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