I've got a couple of "Topsy turvy's" going this year with a cherry tomato in 1, and an early girl in the other. They're going gangbuster, the cherry tomato probably has 100 flowers right now, the early girl about 30-40 flowers. My 7-year-old convinced me to buy the topsy turvy after seeing them on TV.
Others: Habanero Red Tellicherry peppers Basil Oregano Parsley (flat and curly) Cilantro English peas (grown from some organic peas I bought to eat which sprouted in my fridge)
******* Not looking good for next year either.
Posts: 4559 | Location: Chicago | Registered: May 24, 2002
I've got just about everything in - heirlom tomatoes (love those green zebras), cayenne, cubanelle and hugarian peppers...red and black radishes...chiogga beets...lettuce...onions...cauliflower and broccoli...sweet peas...
now, if we could just get some decent, sunny weather!
50 heirloom tomato plants (maybe 20 varieties) maybe 150 beans planted 10 garlic that came up from last year 4 merlot, 1 cab franc, 3 pinot, and 3 cab sauv and 1 more cab franc by this weekend chives basil (soon) green onions (soon) jalapenos (soon) and mint for mojitos (supposed to be from seeds from Cuban mint plants)
oh and i think wife did some flowers or something...
"No TV and no beer make Homer...something, something"
Originally posted by James Molesworth: Machine: How do you plant/grow garlic? It's something I've always wanted to try...
Could not be easier James (wish I had more crops that were so easy)...and sorry I don't know where you live so not sure what weather you have to deal with. In late fall or after the snow melts leading into spring, get a head of garlic (*store-bought apparently won't work because it is treated with sprout inhibiters) and break apart the cloves, poke holes in the ground about 3 inches deep and 1 foot apart, drop in a garlic clove with the pointed end facing up, cover, give a quick water, then mulch if possilbe (I didnt) and forget about it until next spring. It should start sprouting in early spring. Needs to be watered from time to time, does not like to dry out. You want to be sure to plant late enough in the fall that the bulbs wont sprout before winter, because then they would freeze (unless you are far enough south of course). I found that the small cloves I planted in spring were large cloves at the end of the season last year, but the ones I inadvertently left in the garden are growing like mad now, and SHOULD have split into heads of garlic by harvest time this year. I found that the fresh garden garlic was extremely tender, sweet, and had a great garlic flavour that was less overpowering than most store-bought cloves (likely because of the slightly higher water content). Same thing works for shallots, but again you may need to buy them from a garden centre to ensure they have not been sprayed with a sprouting inhibitor. If the garlic grows a 'scape' (a long, solid, winding sprout that grows out of the top of the plant), not only should you remove it to encourage bulb growth, but you should remove it (when long enough) because it is delicious sliced thin in a stir fry (or maybe even a salad, sliced very thin like you would slice green onions). Reading my post probably harder than growing garlic, and lots of info on internet also.
"No TV and no beer make Homer...something, something"
if you've got an ethnic neighborhood, just pick up one of the garlic heads there. Definitely not treated with any chemicals. I've gotten plenty of sprouty garlics that I've forgotten about.
Posts: 3637 | Location: NYC | Registered: Feb 16, 2007
Another thing, is you can plant the garlic more densely, then thin (at your leisure) when they're in the green garlic phase. Pretty much the same as when you pick onions in the green onion phase. You use the whole thing - very mild garlicy flavor. Good with things regular garlic would overpower, like white fish. I like to saute them with favas.
Posts: 1121 | Location: Mountain View, CA | Registered: Oct 18, 2001
Originally posted by yhn: Another thing, is you can plant the garlic more densely, then thin (at your leisure) when they're in the green garlic phase. Pretty much the same as when you pick onions in the green onion phase. You use the whole thing - very mild garlicy flavor. Good with things regular garlic would overpower, like white fish. I like to saute them with favas.
Have you tried growing fava's? I did so but had limited success...black aphids attacked them pretty hard, overall was a lot easier just to buy a bushell at the market when they were ready. Just doings some romano bush and pole beans this year (more as an experiment than with any expectations of getting more than a few small meals out of them).
"No TV and no beer make Homer...something, something"
Garlic was originally planted in Gilroy to keep rats out of the fields over winter. Deer also don't care much for it.
There are a couple cheap things we do for dear. A cocktail of garlic, rosemary, red pepper and dish soap. Let it soak for about 3 days, strain and spray around the parameter of your planting area.
Dryer sheets/ fabric softner is one of my favorites. Staple them up to any wooden posts or structure in the garden, or hire an intern to do it for you:
The key I've found with deer is mix it up, change your repellent every 3-6 weeks. Once you break them from entering a space it's much easier to keep them out.
Paul Romero (tlily)- Owner, Winemaker, Tour Guide Stefania Wine http://www.stefaniawine.com
Posts: 5723 | Location: San Jose | Registered: May 24, 2002
Me: 2 kinds of tomatoes Basil Parsley Other Herbs Figs
I should have so much more. I'm not attentive enough probably. When I retire I hope to have a little farmer's market in my backyard....if the vineyard thing doesn't work out
Posts: 7345 | Location: Long Island, NY | Registered: Sep 27, 2003
Originally posted by yhn: Another thing, is you can plant the garlic more densely, then thin (at your leisure) when they're in the green garlic phase. Pretty much the same as when you pick onions in the green onion phase. You use the whole thing - very mild garlicy flavor. Good with things regular garlic would overpower, like white fish. I like to saute them with favas.
Have you tried growing fava's? I did so but had limited success...black aphids attacked them pretty hard, overall was a lot easier just to buy a bushell at the market when they were ready. Just doings some romano bush and pole beans this year (more as an experiment than with any expectations of getting more than a few small meals out of them).
Fava is good for fixing nitrogen in the soil. Here, it's about the easiest crop ever. I just push the seeds into the soil whenever in the fall (Oct.-Dec.) and that's it. No watering or anything. Only problem is in the spring, when they start producing (which is huge volumes!) is about when I'm ready to plant other stuff. So I clear them out and replant with summer crops in phases. I may be getting just a fraction of what I could, but that's plenty.
Some people interplant them with winter wheat and vetch, two other good compost crops, which creates a weaved structure that won't fall over.
Posts: 1121 | Location: Mountain View, CA | Registered: Oct 18, 2001
Originally posted by Dave Tong BBP: What's the secret to growing good oregano? It's all over my garden, including in the lawn, but the stuff tastes of nothing.
My guess is that's what garden centers commonly sell as "greek oregano", and is actually an inferior strain of marjoram. Utterly useless in the kitchen.
There are a lot of inferior and/or misleadingly labeled plants perpetuated by nurseries. It's not like it's any easier for them to start than the real thing. Garden centers should refuse that BS.
Anyway, tip for buying herbs is smell them first.
Posts: 1121 | Location: Mountain View, CA | Registered: Oct 18, 2001
Originally posted by yhn: My guess is that's what garden centers commonly sell as "greek oregano", and is actually an inferior strain of marjoram. Utterly useless in the kitchen.
I purchased mine primarily for presentation purposes. However, this is good to know.
Originally posted by Stefania Wine: Garlic was originally planted in Gilroy to keep rats out of the fields over winter. Deer also don't care much for it.
There are a couple cheap things we do for dear. A cocktail of garlic, rosemary, red pepper and dish soap. Let it soak for about 3 days, strain and spray around the parameter of your planting area.
Dryer sheets/ fabric softner is one of my favorites. Staple them up to any wooden posts or structure in the garden, or hire an intern to do it for you:
The key I've found with deer is mix it up, change your repellent every 3-6 weeks. Once you break them from entering a space it's much easier to keep them out.
man, I need me an intern, good for gophers AND deer???
Posts: 3637 | Location: NYC | Registered: Feb 16, 2007
We have: - Thyme - Rosemary - Sage - Mint - Green + Purple Basil - Tomatoes (pretty much finished by now) - Bananas (plant still has to grow a little before it will give fruit) - Figs - 2 types of lime (Omani + Thai) - Chives, but they tend to dry out - Curry - Dates
And the neighbours have a big mango tree, that's partly in our garden as well, so we can pick fruit of that.
-------------- For those in the Middle East: http://muscatdeli.blogspot.com
Posts: 1466 | Location: Muscat, Oman | Registered: Nov 26, 2002
Originally posted by yhn: Fava is good for fixing nitrogen in the soil. Here, it's about the easiest crop ever. I just push the seeds into the soil whenever in the fall (Oct.-Dec.) and that's it. No watering or anything. Only problem is in the spring, when they start producing (which is huge volumes!) is about when I'm ready to plant other stuff. So I clear them out and replant with summer crops in phases. I may be getting just a fraction of what I could, but that's plenty.
Thanks for that info YHN. We haven't had much success with fava beans, which I love, so I'll have to try planting them in the late fall. Of course doing that in Canada and California might be somewhat different.
As for our garden this year
Basil (3 kinds) Oregano Tarragon Italian Parsley Rosemary Sage Mint Tomatoes (several heirloom and cherry varieties and Fantastic) Yellow beets Green and yellow beans Arugula Escarole Lettuce (several types) Green and Bright Lights Swiss Chard Mustard Yellow and green zucchini English Cukes Peas Fennel Red and yellow peppers Rhubarb Eggplant Spaghetti squash
I spent much of my early life with my beloved grandparents, and my Papa picking a fig in his yard and telling me now is the time still brings tears to my eyes.
I also know escape told me of a golf course he played in Morocco lined with fig trees. Now that may very well be heaven.
As Steve8 suggested, my type of course.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: wine+art,
Originally posted by yhn: Fava is good for fixing nitrogen in the soil. Here, it's about the easiest crop ever. I just push the seeds into the soil whenever in the fall (Oct.-Dec.) and that's it. No watering or anything. Only problem is in the spring, when they start producing (which is huge volumes!) is about when I'm ready to plant other stuff. So I clear them out and replant with summer crops in phases. I may be getting just a fraction of what I could, but that's plenty.
Thanks for that info YHN. We haven't had much success with fava beans, which I love, so I'll have to try planting them in the late fall. Of course doing that in Canada and California might be somewhat different.
As for our garden this year
Basil (3 kinds) Oregano Tarragon Italian Parsley Rosemary Sage Mint Tomatoes (several heirloom and cherry varieties and Fantastic) Yellow beets Green and yellow beans Arugula Escarole Lettuce (several types) Green and Bright Lights Swiss Chard Mustard Yellow and green zucchini English Cukes Peas Fennel Red and yellow peppers Rhubarb Eggplant Spaghetti squash
I think that's everything.
Wow, that is quite the list. How much time do you spend tending to everything?
Posts: 2519 | Location: Utah | Registered: Jan 15, 2008
Originally posted by wine+art: I also know escape told me of a golf coarse he played in Morocco lined with fig trees. Now that may very well be heaven.
The kind of course where it wouldn't be so bad to not be in the fairway.
