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More okra. Grew it for the first time last year. Grew fantastic and very productive. Great tasting when broiled with olive oil, salt, pepper.

Less hot peppers. Made enough sauce last year for a few years worth of scorched toilet bowls. Maybe grow 1 super hot, a couple habanero and 4-6 giant Jalapeño (for poppers).

No more giant sunflowers. Those 12-15 footers blocked out the sun lol.

More beans and a mouse/rabbit extermination plan.

 

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My MIL was at a local greenhouse yesterday and noted a single tomato plant (qt size) was $4.99. Thats outrageous!

 

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Found I have better luck buying the little ones what 4 or 6 in container The owner of nursery told me years ago people allways want big plants but best planting little ones maybe 6inch tall something about root bound.Last year I could not resist and bough couple three times bigger than all my other ones.The little ones ended up lot bigger and better.just try it with a couple I think you will be surprized

Ya. I was just shocked by the jump in price. She said they didn't have the 4 packs like usual (yet anyway). I bet those will be double price too.

 

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In the future, you guys should consider growing your own. An awful lot of advantages over buying whatever a store or nursery has available. One pack of seeds will last a couple of years. Doesn't take much space. Just a cheap little grow light will do.
This video is the method I use. It is awesome. Super root system.

Usually have but didn't bother this year. Only started peppers. Still have tomato seeds from last year but it's kind of late to start them now.

 

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Okra is something I used to grow when I lived north of Pentwater from started plants. It is really a nice addition to a Prudhomme gumbo recipe.

If you want a good hot pepper; good as in hotter than a jalapenos, but not ghost pepper hot, try fresno peppers. They are not as thick walled as jalapeno peppers, but have a smokier taste when used in curries, and in white chicken chili with anchos. Roughly 90 days to maturity. We are litterally surrounded by five fox dens within 3/8s of a mile, really knocked the rabbits back.

I made a hot mango chutney using the dried seeds from Fresno peppers. Great on sharptail grouse slow grilled via indirect heat. Good with smoked pork as well.

Yep I have grown Fresno in the past. I liked them pickled and they're good in sauce as well.

 

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I started peppers for the first time ever. They look good, just small. Probably should have given them a couple week head start on the tomatoes. Just two varieties. Poblanos and jalapeño. I'll likely buy some sweet pepper plants.
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Yes peppers grow significantly slower than tomato. I'd give em 3 weeks head start. Those peppers will be fine though.

 

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You'd be just fine starting them right now.

Wouldn't hurt to try I guess. I like to get them a head start since blight usually gets them right around the time they are ripening.

 

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Went to a local greenhouse today and found prices up 30% from last year. Someone forgot to tell them inflation was 9%.

Got some okra, beans, tomatoes (celebrity, beefsteak, mountain fresh), and lemon basil (because it smells awesome in the garden). I think my wife got some lettuce for some reason. I have seeds for zucchini, beets, sweet peas and some giant okra.

The parking lot was PACKED and they seemed to be out of most beans and a few popular pepper varieties.

My fit bit says I took 25,000 steps today. Much of that was moving compost. Bought a pickup bed full for $27 and put it in the garden and a few spots I need to reseed grass.

 

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So... forecast was 42F for a low last night. Weather sites say it is currently 41 so close enough.
THERE IS *** FROST ON MY LAWN.

we covered the new plants on the deck but my local thermometer says it got down to 34F, which makes a lot more sense with the frost.

 

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How do you like mountain fresh tomatoes.I planted a few last year and my causin planted 40 I couldn’t believe how good they were and perfectly round not like most big ones that look ugly.going To plant 32 .No cages and put straw under.Still plant 16 earl girls for early eating

Not sure yet. Got them because I thought I had read they were blight resistant. I probably didn't remember correctly.

 

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Should fresh and determent

I was curious if they were determinate. The tag didn't say. Thanks!

 

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The seedlings I worried about being burnt by the lights turned out just fine.

 

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Transplanted pretty much everything this evening. When I was watering them in after sun down, a flock of mosquitos just about lifted me off my feet.

 

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Why not ask those 8 families if they'd like to come help you plant, and tend your garden, as thanks for being able to share in the bounty? Many hands make light work.

This!

Giving the stuff away is a nice gesture but be honest with then and invite them over!

 

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Didn’t have time this year to dig it out / tear the beds apart. We’ll see what lumber prices do in the next year. Wife would like to keep them (rebuild new).

Another member here used cinder block. Seems you'd lose some sqft but it would last.

I used landscape timbers, 3 high. They only lasted 5 years or so. Next will probably be block.

 

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Surprised the timbers didn’t last longer. I think we’re on year six or seven with regular 2x6’s. The corner posts are treated 4x4’s. Those are fine, but the termites are just about thru the boards.

I still have the original 2x12s from the "base" garden. Ants ate the landscape timber.

 

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Surprised the timbers didn’t last longer. I think we’re on year six or seven with regular 2x6’s. The corner posts are treated 4x4’s. Those are fine, but the termites are just about thru the boards.

Know what mike... I think maybe the inevitable gap between timbers allowed water and bugs to get in between and accelerate degradation. Makes sense...

 

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							Our garden is next to a small river,snappers like to plant their eggs in it after I till i
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That's awesome

 

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Everything but a couple of the okra seem to be growing quite well. Beans are very cramped... but the rabbits ain't gonna eat them this year.

Thought about picking the peppers off because it's early but my son thought it was cool so I left them.

Pickles and zucchini are flowering.

Mulched again this year. Didn't weed first though... we'll see. Kinda looks ugly but it does certainly help retain moisture.

I cage everything because the plants tend to get huge and fall over.

 

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Not sure why but certain corners of the garden do not support good growth while the rest is spectacular. A dead okra and a scrawny cayenne for example.