2023 Gardening (outside)

[jjannie]

So the over wintering of the bell peppers is looking like it just may work out. They are beginning to leaf out a little more each day. This pic was taken on Sunday.

Today, I'll start some seeds for the garden and greenhouse planting come mid-May (hopefully) timeframe. 

[wiperhunter2]

So the over wintering of the bell peppers is looking like it just may work out. They are beginning to leaf out a little more each day. This pic was taken on Sunday.

Today, I'll start some seeds for the garden and greenhouse planting come mid-May (hopefully) timeframe. 

It will be interesting to see how the plants produce after wintering them over, if they produce more per plant, it will be worth it.

[jjannie]

So the over wintering of the bell peppers is looking like it just may work out. They are beginning to leaf out a little more each day. This pic was taken on Sunday.

Today, I'll start some seeds for the garden and greenhouse planting come mid-May (hopefully) timeframe. 

It will be interesting to see how the plants produce after wintering them over, if they produce more per plant, it will be worth it.

Of course, we're hoping they produce well but that is the big question, so we shall see. It doesn't cost any money to at least give it a try. Just kept them lightly moistened in basement. Easy-Peasy.

[wiperhunter2]

So the over wintering of the bell peppers is looking like it just may work out. They are beginning to leaf out a little more each day. This pic was taken on Sunday.

Today, I'll start some seeds for the garden and greenhouse planting come mid-May (hopefully) timeframe. 

It will be interesting to see how the plants produce after wintering them over, if they produce more per plant, it will be worth it.

Of course, we're hoping they produce well but that is the big question, so we shall see. It doesn't cost any money to at least give it a try. Just kept them lightly moistened in basement. Easy-Peasy.

Did you take all the dirt off the roots during the Winter?

[jjannie]

So the over wintering of the bell peppers is looking like it just may work out. They are beginning to leaf out a little more each day. This pic was taken on Sunday.

Today, I'll start some seeds for the garden and greenhouse planting come mid-May (hopefully) timeframe. 

It will be interesting to see how the plants produce after wintering them over, if they produce more per plant, it will be worth it.

Of course, we're hoping they produce well but that is the big question, so we shall see. It doesn't cost any money to at least give it a try. Just kept them lightly moistened in basement. Easy-Peasy.

Did you take all the dirt off the roots during the Winter?

No we dug them up trying to keep their root ball intact and potted them up. Kept them lightly watered through the winter.  Here's this week's progress pics. They are really starting to leaf out more.

[wiperhunter2]

Nice

[jjannie]

Those overwintered peppers are really taking off, a couple are even developing some flower buds! 

We're still not safe for outdoor planting but today we are tilling the beds in the greenhouse, the pots and the garage garden beds, amending the soils as we till so we'll be ready once temps warm up enough to be safe.  

Our experimental DIY fish fertilizer will also get started up. I'll treat 1/2 that areas using it, the other 1/2  I'll use Miracle gro. Then we'll all know if it was worth making it.

[wiperhunter2]

Those overwintered peppers are really taking off, a couple are even developing some flower buds! 

We're still not safe for outdoor planting but today we are tilling the beds in the greenhouse, the pots and the garage garden beds, amending the soils as we till so we'll be ready once temps warm up enough to be safe.  

Our experimental DIY fish fertilizer will also get started up. I'll treat 1/2 that areas using it, the other 1/2  I'll use Miracle gro. Then we'll all know if it was worth making it.

Great idea on testing the fish fertilizer vs miracle gro. 
Good to hear the peppers are doing so well. 
I'm planting my garden today, been working on repairing my hoop greenhouse and working on my yard this week.
I'll start my own thread later with pics.

[jjannie]

Those overwintered peppers are really taking off, a couple are even developing some flower buds! 

We're still not safe for outdoor planting but today we are tilling the beds in the greenhouse, the pots and the garage garden beds, amending the soils as we till so we'll be ready once temps warm up enough to be safe.  

Our experimental DIY fish fertilizer will also get started up. I'll treat 1/2 that areas using it, the other 1/2  I'll use Miracle gro. Then we'll all know if it was worth making it.

Great idea on testing the fish fertilizer vs miracle gro. 
Good to hear the peppers are doing so well. 
I'm planting my garden today, been working on repairing my hoop greenhouse and working on my yard this week.
I'll start my own thread later with pics.

 
I'm a little jealous you are ~2 weeks ahead on things compared to where we are.  Daffodils are just finally blooming! Trees are barely greening up. We missed out most of all the rain that fell - we did get some but not as much as even Huntsville got - it would just split around us. We got some though so we're happy we had barrels out and ready to get what we could. We learn to work with the weather we do get because the views and life are just great here. 

Well, we didn't as much accomplished as we had planned. Still one more chilly/frosty night tonight then looks like we'll be pretty safe after that. So, tomorrow we'll work in the GH and raised beds - tilling and planting seeds and some plants. we'll have covers at the ready just in case we need them for a couple more weeks. 

I've been pollinating the peppers and tomatoes that are growing inside to be sure they set some good produce on them. Guess they are normally wind pollinated, not bee/bug pollinated. Seems I keep learning more and more. LOL

[jjannie]

28 May

 Night temps have been in upper 40s but day temps are really warming up. Hoping last night was last of 40s until late fall. 

In our 'pots' garden the yellow zukes have started blooming the other day. Luckily there have been male and female flowers so I could pollinate them. But the green zukes haven't yet bloomed. Most our outdoor plants look like they just waiting to really take off. So, I'm sure soil temps will signal them to really take off. 

We didn't plant any pea pods this year, but they would love this cooler soil. Instead, we've planted cauliflower in one of them and broccoli in the other, they have just begun to sprout. We have such a cabbage moth problem here we don't tend to do very well but in these pots we will wrap a white shade cloth around the wire cages so those cute little white moths can't lay any eggs on them. The plants will likely appreciate a little shade from the hotter afternoon temps anyway.

[wiperhunter2]

28 May

 Night temps have been in upper 40s but day temps are really warming up. Hoping last night was last of 40s until late fall. 

In our 'pots' garden the yellow zukes have started blooming the other day. Luckily there have been male and female flowers so I could pollinate them. But the green zukes haven't yet bloomed. Most our outdoor plants look like they just waiting to really take off. So, I'm sure soil temps will signal them to really take off. 

We didn't plant any pea pods this year, but they would love this cooler soil. Instead, we've planted cauliflower in one of them and broccoli in the other, they have just begun to sprout. We have such a cabbage moth problem here we don't tend to do very well but in these pots we will wrap a white shade cloth around the wire cages so those cute little white moths can't lay any eggs on them. The plants will likely appreciate a little shade from the hotter afternoon temps anyway.

So all your outside plants that are blooming were started indoors before you put them outdoors?
Do those white moths lay their eggs when the plant is really small?

[jjannie]

28 May

 Night temps have been in upper 40s but day temps are really warming up. Hoping last night was last of 40s until late fall. 

In our 'pots' garden the yellow zukes have started blooming the other day. Luckily there have been male and female flowers so I could pollinate them. But the green zukes haven't yet bloomed. Most our outdoor plants look like they just waiting to really take off. So, I'm sure soil temps will signal them to really take off. 

We didn't plant any pea pods this year, but they would love this cooler soil. Instead, we've planted cauliflower in one of them and broccoli in the other, they have just begun to sprout. We have such a cabbage moth problem here we don't tend to do very well but in these pots we will wrap a white shade cloth around the wire cages so those cute little white moths can't lay any eggs on them. The plants will likely appreciate a little shade from the hotter afternoon temps anyway.

So all your outside plants that are blooming were started indoors before you put them outdoors?
Do those white moths lay their eggs when the plant is really small?

 Soon as there are any leaves on the plants they show up, Yes they will lay eggs on the leaves and those larvae will eat your plants and the vicious cycle just keeps going. 

We are for sure going to keep a closer watch for those squash bugs they were SO bad last year. They got ahead of us and it was hard to get them under control and the plants were quite set back from them sucking the sap away.

[wiperhunter2]

 Soon as there are any leaves on the plants they show up, Yes they will lay eggs on the leaves and those larvae will eat your plants and the vicious cycle just keeps going. 

We are for sure going to keep a closer watch for those squash bugs they were SO bad last year. They got ahead of us and it was hard to get them under control and the plants were quite set back from them sucking the sap away.

I remember you telling me about them last year but what do you use to kill them before they get bad? I know you told me but that was last year, please remind me.

[wiperhunter2]

How is your outdoor garden and GH garden doing so far this year Jil?

[jjannie]

Yesterday I picked 200 green beans and our 2nd round zucchini. This is not bad for us although WH2 may have better success, we're not disappointed about it. 

[wiperhunter2]

Yesterday I picked 200 green beans and our 2nd round zucchini. This is not bad for us although WH2 may have better success, we're not disappointed about it. 

Nice haul Jil, your GB's are really taking off. What is that sitting beside the GB's?

[jjannie]

Yesterday I picked 200 green beans and our 2nd round zucchini. This is not bad for us although WH2 may have better success, we're not disappointed about it. 

Nice haul Jil, your GB's are really taking off. What is that sitting beside the GB's?

 Round zucchini! Picked another one yesterday and today we started harvesting the bell peppers from our over wintered plants. They are definitely ahead and more plentiful than the new plants we planted this spring. So, we'll be doing that again that's for sure.  Cherry tomatoes are almost ready for picking.

[wiperhunter2]

 Round zucchini! Picked another one yesterday and today we started harvesting the bell peppers from our over wintered plants. They are definitely ahead and more plentiful than the new plants we planted this spring. So, we'll be doing that again that's for sure.  Cherry tomatoes are almost ready for picking.

I've never heard of a round zucchini, is it something new, do they taste the same? Wow, bell peppers already, that's impressive. Do you know if there is a limit on how many years you can over winter them? We have had a down turn on our green beans, I think it's the heat we are getting down here or maybe the bees aren't out pollinating them but out number went from 150 every other day down to 35 yesterday, hope this trend doesn't continue.

[jjannie]

 Round zucchini! Picked another one yesterday and today we started harvesting the bell peppers from our over wintered plants. They are definitely ahead and more plentiful than the new plants we planted this spring. So, we'll be doing that again that's for sure.  Cherry tomatoes are almost ready for picking.

I've never heard of a round zucchini, is it something new, do they taste the same? Wow, bell peppers already, that's impressive. Do you know if there is a limit on how many years you can over winter them? We have had a down turn on our green beans, I think it's the heat we are getting down here or maybe the bees aren't out pollinating them but out number went from 150 every other day down to 35 yesterday, hope this trend doesn't continue.

Picked another 200 beans yesterday and another round zucchini.  The round ones taste just like long zucchini do. 

Noticed evidence of those bad squash bugs arriving so I started spraying the soapy water on them once the sun had set. Saw some adults and some newly hatched ones and did my best to crush any eggs I found on underside of leaves so all got the spray. Will do again this evening so hopefully we've caught it at right time because we knew what to look for. 

I started some new bush beans in GH and outside and all have sprouted up nicely so once the originals aren't producing very well those 2nd ones will be starting up.

[wiperhunter2]

I've never heard of a round zucchini, is it something new, do they taste the same? Wow, bell peppers already, that's impressive. Do you know if there is a limit on how many years you can over winter them? We have had a down turn on our green beans, I think it's the heat we are getting down here or maybe the bees aren't out pollinating them but out number went from 150 every other day down to 35 yesterday, hope this trend doesn't continue.

Picked another 200 beans yesterday and another round zucchini.  The round ones taste just like long zucchini do. 

Noticed evidence of those bad squash bugs arriving so I started spraying the soapy water on them once the sun had set. Saw some adults and some newly hatched ones and did my best to crush any eggs I found on underside of leaves so all got the spray. Will do again this evening so hopefully we've caught it at right time because we knew what to look for. 

I started some new bush beans in GH and outside and all have sprouted up nicely so once the originals aren't producing very well those 2nd ones will be starting up.

Wow, that's amazing, sounds like this warm weather is really helping your GB grow. That's too bad about the squash bugs, so you just spray the soapy water on the bottoms of the leaves or the whole plant?