Fruits and veggies?

[JScott]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

It's true. Experience has taught me it's best to just drop off the bag on the neighbor's doorstep, ring the bell, and run. Kinda like a May Day basket, but not as pretty.

Speaking of which, I spent a lot of summers with my aunt and uncle in central Phoenix. We used to do the same thing with oranges and lemons.

---------- Post added at 07:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:38 AM ----------



You're supposed to cut off the scapes when they form. Folks say the bulb gets larger when you do so. I just got busy and didn't do it this year...couldn't really see a lot of difference. Then when about bottom half of leaves turn brown and drop, you harvest. That picture is just before pulling them. The stem is much stronger than an onion... if you waited for it to fall over, it would take too long.

I don't know what zone you're in, but here in 6a we plant in mid to late September, harvest about first part of July. JScott and ES are planting a little later, because warmer climate than Kansas, although I've successfully planted in first part of October.

---------- Post added at 07:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:47 AM ----------

JScott... you're right... black diamond is the BEST. I know that because my dad told me so.

I've attempted watermelon numerous times here. Just don't have the right soil for it, and I gave up trying. Especially now that everything is grown in raised beds. Just takes up too much real estate for me.

Purple Cherokee, for me, is THE top line tasting tomato, and prolific. What we don't eat or give away, we freeze and use for the soups and sauces. We always run out before the next year's crop comes in.

I'm pretty sure that Purple Cherokee is my favorite thing about summer. The flavor is amazing. I LOVE a caprese salad with Purple Cherokee tomatoes (I grow a lot of basil too). You don't even need any balsamic vinegar on Purple Cherokee caprese salad, because the tomato is already so flavorful.

[kvet]

Originally Posted by JScott

I'm pretty sure that Purple Cherokee is my favorite thing about summer. The flavor is amazing. I LOVE a caprese salad with Purple Cherokee tomatoes (I grow a lot of basil too). You don't even need any balsamic vinegar on Purple Cherokee caprese salad, because the tomato is already so flavorful.

Hmmm.. let me understand this correctly, not quite sure you are being clear enough.. you seem to like the Jersey tomato?

[JScott]

Originally Posted by kvet

Hmmm.. let me understand this correctly, not quite sure you are being clear enough.. you seem to like the Jersey tomato?

Yeah, I'm not sure what you are unclear about. There is an old heirloom variety of tomato called Cherokee Purple, and I think they have the best flavor of any tomato I have ever eaten. Cherokee Purple tend to produce a little later in the season than some of the other ones, so I plant other varieties as well, but Cherokee Purple is always the star of the show. I've never grown a variety called Jersey. Is it a good one? I might give it a try next year if you say it is one of your favorites.

---------- Post added at 11:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:57 PM ----------

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

What do you not understand Kvet?!? He said

PURPLE CHEROKEE
The KING of TOMATOES

Ain't that the truth!

---------- Post added 07-12-2020 at 12:04 AM ---------- Previous post was 07-11-2020 at 11:58 PM ----------

Originally Posted by kvet

How do you tell when garlic is ready? I've read up on this several times, and it still a mystery to me. Either cut off th scapes and wait, or, just wait for them to fall over after blooming, or bottom four leaves browned. I'm growing some in a couple self-watering pots, and.. they don't look so good, bottom four leaves browned very early. Never shot up any scapes, I was so looking forward to trying some, too.

Cut off the scapes when they are still curled downward and still tender. You can cook them like asparagus, and they have a similar texture with a sweet, light garlic flavor. It's really too hot where i am to do well with the hardneck varieties that produce the scapes, but I grow some anyway, just for the scapes. The bulbs that come from hardneck varieties where i live are certainly edible, but they are much smaller than the soft neck varieties that i grow, but it's totally worth it for the scapes.

[kvet]

Originally Posted by JScott

Yeah, I'm not sure what you are unclear about. There is an old heirloom variety of tomato called Cherokee Purple, and I think they have the best flavor of any tomato I have ever eaten. Cherokee Purple tend to produce a little later in the season than some of the other ones, so I plant other varieties as well, but Cherokee Purple is always the star of the show. I've never grown a variety called Jersey. Is it a good one? I might give it a try next year if you say it is one of your favorites.

The second triplet has been said
In this fruit and veggie thread
Once JScott recites all three
All hail the purple Cherokee!
(∩｀-´)⊃━☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

(I hope the ascii art makes it through)

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For all of you with short seasons, do you stay away from indoor growing because you already have a room(s) dedicated to orchids?

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Earlier I promised no more tomato news from me, but I need help For the last week and a half, I have picked off anywhere from 5-20 hornworm babies, and squished 20-50 eggs -- DAILY! I go out early morning and late evening. This is absurd, especially for only a dozen plants. I am going to order some BTk spray, but I guess my question is: how are they getting here? I haven't seen the giant moth that lays these eggs.. have they evolved with cloaking devices or something? Is there another way for these hornworms to end up here? Ideas?

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Italian beans, unknown variety! Almost ready to harvest

[JScott]

Originally Posted by kvet

The second triplet has been said
In this fruit and veggie thread
Once JScott recites all three
All hail the purple Cherokee!
(∩｀-´)⊃━☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ

(I hope the ascii art makes it through)

----

For all of you with short seasons, do you stay away from indoor growing because you already have a room(s) dedicated to orchids?

----

Earlier I promised no more tomato news from me, but I need help For the last week and a half, I have picked off anywhere from 5-20 hornworm babies, and squished 20-50 eggs -- DAILY! I go out early morning and late evening. This is absurd, especially for only a dozen plants. I am going to order some BTk spray, but I guess my question is: how are they getting here? I haven't seen the giant moth that lays these eggs.. have they evolved with cloaking devices or something? Is there another way for these hornworms to end up here? Ideas?

----

Italian beans, unknown variety! Almost ready to harvest

The moths that lay those eggs are nocturnal, and they are attracted to trumpet shaped flowers, because they have a huge long proboscis and reach down deep into flowers other moths can't reach. Sometimes I grow Datura, and they bloom at night, and I always see swarms of those hawkmoths at the night blooming flowers of the Datura (some call it jimson weed. It's highly toxic, so be careful), and they love it. They are beautiful and fly like hummingbirds and are amazing to watch, but they're a pain because they eat your tomatoes to the ground. You may have just missed the moths because you aren't watching at the right time of night. But the only way for the hornworms to be there is for the moths to lay the eggs on the plants.

If it were me, I'd go ahead with a pesticide. I like to avoid pesticides when I can, but sometimes the situation is dire enough that I think it's worth it. You can pick the caterpillars off by hand, but that's so much work, and they bite, and there's always more. I think you should apply some pesticide.

---------- Post added at 10:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 PM ----------

As I mentioned before, it got too hot for my zucchini, and they kind of crapped out. Today I planted four new mounds of zucchini seeds. There's still a lot of summer left, and our fall is so long and warm here, I think I might have a chance of getting a second crop of zucchini this year. Or it may not work at all, But I'll let you guys know either way.

I am flush with cucumbers, and I don't even like cucumbers haha. The watermelons are still coming right along. I'm excited about the watermelons, except I have no idea when to tell that they are ready to harvest, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.