Posted on 10/18/2013 1:07:54 PM PDT by greeneyes
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Where there is a will there is a way. It takes more in the Northern climates, but some determination and experimentation can lead you to the solution.
Google for winter hardy varieties of Broccoli. If you make a hot bed-lots of hot manure in the bottom, top with potting mixture, or put pots of dirt with the plants on top. Cover up with row covers or plastic as needed.
You could also try a miniature greenhouse a top a raised bed using flexible PVC type pipe over rebar stakes at the corners, with plastic over it all. Maybe even hang a 100 watt bulb in there on the nights when extra heat is needed.
If you get sunshine, you can take dark containers of water, and let the sun heat them up and they will release the heat at night. Rock or concrete blocks can do the same thing (surround the bed on the North, East and West sides and leave an opening on the south side for as much sun as possibleon the plants).
Well, here’s my garden report:
Tomatoes finally did grow, and although I didn’t have a big “crop”, I did get about half of what I should have (if I had planned properly) and I am very grateful for that many! Accidental Roma, Heirloom Rutgers and one other I can’t recall. I like the Rutgers best for canning and eating. I found that it took just as long for these things to turn red as it took to get them from a seed to a green tomato. I didn’t have enough to make much out of though - a quart of super think sauce, and a pint of ketchup so thick that Heinz would hate me. Lots for eating. Just as many went into the composter cause we were rather lazy and distracted this year.
Cucumbers were a flop. Only about one quarter of what I should have had. Made some pickles, ate lots of fresh cucs, wasted about a dozen being lazy. My pickles are really ZINGY this year. I think I have finally got my recipe the way I wanted it.
My little row of beets did well. Took longer than usual though.
The little patch of carrots is very good, still have half to dig. Finally got some rain to soften things up, so I’ll get ‘em tomorrow. They take like, five months here.
Green peas -great. BUT they were due to be picked when I was dealing with DVT and couldn’t walk. Hubby wouldn’t pick them, so half of my peas wasted. Saved some for seed stock. Oh, and the hens really like fresh pea pods - they like to peck them open and eat the peas first. Sort of like eating the cream in the middle of the Oreo first.
Snow peas did well, and some new fall volunteers are growing. I doubt they have time, but I am going to encourage them.
Green beans did very well - wasted half because hubby wouldn’t pick while I was laid up. He will have to live on Monsanto beans until next season.
Bell peppers were a total flop. I did finally have ONE grow. It is half size and still on the plant being coddled to see if it will get bigger.
Raspberry bush is encouraging. This is it’s second fall, and it is starting to produce a handful of ripe berries every day or so. Last year I got a berry or two every few days. Next year should be great, and I am putting in another bush.
I have just completed my final year of “gardening for know-it-all dunces who thought they knew something about gardening”....turns out I just had experience with weeding and picking things. My grandfather was the one that actually knew how to garden, LOL. In helping him I supposed I had learned things. I did not. He would have taught me - if I had been interested in learning back then. I’m pretty sure he’s shaking his head and grinning down at me every so often as I am out working in my garden.
I will move into next spring with the confidence that I am now ready to become a full fledged junior gardener. I still need a lot of life lessons in crawling, flying pests though.
My favorite lessons have been discovering what the baby produce looks like when it first emerges. Nothing cuter than a teeny tiny green bean!
Thank you for the feedback!
All in all, a decent year, I think. If you get cold weather during the winter, think about digging up that pepper, and put it in a south or west facing window, and feed it a little water soluable nutrients now and then and see if you don’t get some peppers.
I dug up a few scraggly pepper plants last year, and got a pretty decent bunch of peppers off of them. Kinda under sized, but just right for one salad or to add to a stir fry.
Plus I could let some turn red, so they were a treat. Red bells are so expensive here in the winter, that I won’t buy them.
You are welcome.
I have armadillos and skunks that dig in the yard. I think the creatures in the garden may be rabbits.
I’m having a little trouble with Black Seeded Simpson lettuce either by seedling plants or seeds. I’m going with another small batch of seedlings and this time hardening them off for a week before planting. Think I’ll add in some potting soil to the holes where I’ll try planting them again. The arugula though is like a weed for me-—grows like the dickens so no complaints there.
My girl up on her farm grows cinnamon basil galore and she dries a whole bunch to use in the winter. Sprinkle the dried flakes on eggs, fish ..etc.. and voila.....What a fantastic taste. I got some growing out back now so I’m hooked.
I planted a Black Diamond watermelon, oh, sometime in April,
a bunch of vines grew and lots of blooms. Hubby was
under the weather from his illness. I didn’t pay much
attention to the poor thing, neither water nor tended to it.
I’ve had some reports that is the best watermelon these people
have taken from the garden. None of the melons reached full
size, but those who’ve taken the melons have told me the melons were very sweet and juicy. Next spring I’m going to
plant some and tend to them, these poor things just took care
of themselves.
I have 4 paw paw trees I’ve been babying and hopr to get fruit next year. The most wonderful thing I have ever tasted!
What does polk look like? I’ve heard of people going out
and picking it, but for a novice, they told me to beware.
I have NO idea what it looks like, never tasted it. Didn’t
know such a think existed until this thread.
I like taking the old trees and bringing them back to health as well as bringing back to the area.
Looks great Johnny. In a couple of years they will be busting the sides off that bed. :))
That was when they were put in there in the spring. You should see it now, along with everything thing else along the fence now.
My brother has planted hundreds of paw paws around a lake on the southeast side of chicago just across ths indiana border. He’s Johnny Paw Paw.
There is a Town in Michigan called Paw Paw but the fruit is rare there these days.
I was just the humble servant that posted the link to mem sahib's photos.
My walking onions look MUCH better than that. They are starting to root into the church parking lot next door. ;)
/johnny
There aren't any fruits around him. He won't allow it. ;)
His people were from up north back in the late 1800s. He just still happens to be alive and serious about the 'no fruits or flakes' rule. ;)
/johnny
I used seed starter for the lettuce seed and they were under the grow lamp and I let them get big enough under the lamp until I thought it was okay to transplant them outside in a container filled with potting soil mix. They didn’t wilt or have any sign of distress, they did fine.
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