I have been busy in the greenhouse and we are building new raised garden
beds, but I haven't been writing much. As I tell A.P., I need to write so I can remember and keep track of things.
From looking at the University of Florida Ag website, I am able to ascertain the following vegetables can be successfully growing now or be planted outside January in my zone which is Zone 8b.
beets
broccoli
cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
kale
kohlrabi
mustard
onions
green onions
english peas
potatoes
radish
spinach
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Pest Control in the Garden and Greenhouse
After the rodent (I hate to say what kind of rodent) incident in the greenhouse --- Oh! Wait I haven't written about the rodent incident yet. Next post will be about the rodent incident as I am already headed in a different direction here.
Anyway..I was reading at organicgardening.com and saw the link for PESTS. On the list was controlling hornworms. Yuck! As much a proponent of lovely butterflies and their associated caterpillars, I hate hornworms. Funny how I remember when I was just a wee lass, my father used to tell me the green soup we were eating for lunch was made from the tomato worms. I think at the time I believed him, because even today green pea soup is hardly my favorite.
Interesting things to look at hornworms are, but they eat up my beloved (before I found out I am allergic to them) tomato plants. And although I am allergic, Dave, Andrew, my Mom and for that matter, anyone else who anticipates reaping the overflow produce has mentioned, they can't wait for homegrown tomatoes. As I mentioned previously the greenhouse is full of tomato seedlings.
In a few short weeks, my tomato babies will be set out in the spring garden. I dread the day I find the plants covered in nasty green worms. Luckily, as the article at organicgardening.com reminded me, Hornworms frequently fall prey to non-stinging parasitic wasps that use them as hosts for their young. Tiny braconid wasps, less than 1⁄8 inch long, deposit eggs into the caterpillar’s body.
It appears I need to inter-plant the tomatoes with plants which attract the Braconid Wasps. Those plants are dill, fennel, cilantro, basil, sage, oregano, and thyme. Adult parasitic wasps are attracted to their nectar.
Anyway..I was reading at organicgardening.com and saw the link for PESTS. On the list was controlling hornworms. Yuck! As much a proponent of lovely butterflies and their associated caterpillars, I hate hornworms. Funny how I remember when I was just a wee lass, my father used to tell me the green soup we were eating for lunch was made from the tomato worms. I think at the time I believed him, because even today green pea soup is hardly my favorite.
Interesting things to look at hornworms are, but they eat up my beloved (before I found out I am allergic to them) tomato plants. And although I am allergic, Dave, Andrew, my Mom and for that matter, anyone else who anticipates reaping the overflow produce has mentioned, they can't wait for homegrown tomatoes. As I mentioned previously the greenhouse is full of tomato seedlings.
In a few short weeks, my tomato babies will be set out in the spring garden. I dread the day I find the plants covered in nasty green worms. Luckily, as the article at organicgardening.com reminded me, Hornworms frequently fall prey to non-stinging parasitic wasps that use them as hosts for their young. Tiny braconid wasps, less than 1⁄8 inch long, deposit eggs into the caterpillar’s body.
It appears I need to inter-plant the tomatoes with plants which attract the Braconid Wasps. Those plants are dill, fennel, cilantro, basil, sage, oregano, and thyme. Adult parasitic wasps are attracted to their nectar.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Dirt
I am trying to figure out just how deep I have to make the containers for my garden. According to some people and based on the container gardens being sold by some companies and what I have read, 6 inches is enough. But what if 4 inches is enough for some plants? How about 5 1/2 inches? What if it needs to be 9 inches.
I am making boxes from some recycled materials and successfully growing plants in them but I just don't know if they could be growing better with taller containers. Or maybe that would just be a waste of soil and materials.
I found a link for a book written in 1927 on root development at a site http://www.soilandhealth.org. A plethora of old books available in their library on soil and gardening. I am going to have to go back and look at what is there when I have more time.
In my travels I found this link to a PDF from Perdue University's Extention Service on container gardening. Seems like they think 6 inches is about all that is needed for raised beds. I guess I will stay with six inches for most stuff now.
I am making boxes from some recycled materials and successfully growing plants in them but I just don't know if they could be growing better with taller containers. Or maybe that would just be a waste of soil and materials.
I found a link for a book written in 1927 on root development at a site http://www.soilandhealth.org. A plethora of old books available in their library on soil and gardening. I am going to have to go back and look at what is there when I have more time.
In my travels I found this link to a PDF from Perdue University's Extention Service on container gardening. Seems like they think 6 inches is about all that is needed for raised beds. I guess I will stay with six inches for most stuff now.
Tomatoes
On November 5th I planted Siberian Red, Cherokee Purple, Sungold and Better Bush tomato seeds. They are doing fairly well in the greenhouse. It hasn't been that cold, right now it is 68 degrees outside. but it was in the 70s during the day. We did have a few cold days a week or so ago but they did fine.
Wonder where I can get high low temperature history data. Wonder if that will be useful for some reason in the future. Maybe AP can do a science study on temperature effects on growth of tomatoes.
Lots of little tomato seedlings. Some of them are several inches tall. Doubtful I will have tomatoes from any of the plants before February 15th, but that would be great. Supposedly, the Siberian Red tomatoes will still set fruit when the temperatures are in the 40s. That will be interesting and maybe I will have tomatoes in late January.
From reading a gardening forum at GardenWeb tomato varieties I want to to try:
Juliet --- sets fruit even when temperature is in the 100s at the peak of summer. Comments indicated after fruit is picked should be left aside off plant for 2-3 weeks to reach full flavor. Dries beautifully.
Green Zebra (citrusy flavor) and Yellow Pear, sell well at farmers markets as they are different.
Vivia Italias - like Roma, but juicier
Tomatoes I don't want to try (based on comments at Garden Web):
Mr. Stripey
Lucky
Yellow Pear
Current
Wonder where I can get high low temperature history data. Wonder if that will be useful for some reason in the future. Maybe AP can do a science study on temperature effects on growth of tomatoes.
Lots of little tomato seedlings. Some of them are several inches tall. Doubtful I will have tomatoes from any of the plants before February 15th, but that would be great. Supposedly, the Siberian Red tomatoes will still set fruit when the temperatures are in the 40s. That will be interesting and maybe I will have tomatoes in late January.
From reading a gardening forum at GardenWeb tomato varieties I want to to try:
Juliet --- sets fruit even when temperature is in the 100s at the peak of summer. Comments indicated after fruit is picked should be left aside off plant for 2-3 weeks to reach full flavor. Dries beautifully.
Green Zebra (citrusy flavor) and Yellow Pear, sell well at farmers markets as they are different.
Vivia Italias - like Roma, but juicier
Tomatoes I don't want to try (based on comments at Garden Web):
Mr. Stripey
Lucky
Yellow Pear
Current
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Gotta Start Somewhere
I have been threatening to blog for sometime now but always think I have to be orderly, start out in an organized fashion and make complete sense. Three things which, though at times might occur as a fleeting glimpse into my world, most certainly never occur in unison.
Though they might make sense to me, things I plan to ramble on about may not make sense to adventurers who find this blog. This is going to be more of a brain dump. A repository of things I want to keep. Notes I make for myself of things which at the time might seem to be important. Information I want to share with people about cool stuff I know or have figured out.
I can pretty much guarantee they won't be organized as that isn't how my mind works. And though it isn't fancy, this is how I am going to start.
Though they might make sense to me, things I plan to ramble on about may not make sense to adventurers who find this blog. This is going to be more of a brain dump. A repository of things I want to keep. Notes I make for myself of things which at the time might seem to be important. Information I want to share with people about cool stuff I know or have figured out.
I can pretty much guarantee they won't be organized as that isn't how my mind works. And though it isn't fancy, this is how I am going to start.
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