pepperhead212's 2021 garden

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#101

Post: # 51465Unread post pepperhead212
Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:49 pm

A few more peppers ripening today. I knocked a couple of half ripe habaneros off by accident, but the others I pulled off on purpose with only a hint of ripeness.
ImageMisc. peppers, harvested on 7-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I used that red Paper Lantern habanero a couple of days ago in that small amount of bean salad I made, and that told me that it wasn't that hot, compared to most habaneros I've grown, and also it didn't have that intense habanero flavor. It reminded me of the Scotch Bonnet I grew years ago, that had less habanero flavor, but also had some regular pepper flavor in with it. I tried it by itself today, and that one was the same - probably around 200k, with the mixed flavor. That's good, if using it in a Caribbean dish, or anything calling for the Scotch Bonnet.

I also got a few eggplants today. They are slowing some, due to the intense heat this month, but it's getting cooler now...hopefully for a while.
Image9 eggplants (2 already cooking) - 7-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
brownrexx
Reactions:
Posts: 2079
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 1:05 pm
Location: Southeast PA, zone 6b

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#102

Post: # 51472Unread post brownrexx
Sat Jul 31, 2021 7:53 am

I can't eat the hottest peppers but I love the colors and shapes!

Eggplants are also beautiful too although I am only growing dark purple ones. I need to get cooking with some of them.

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#103

Post: # 51523Unread post pepperhead212
Sat Jul 31, 2021 9:40 pm

Earlier, I got a bunch of my tomatoes cleaned off the counters, and got another gallon of tomatoes packed, and in the freezer. I always pack the cherries in between the larger varieties, to take up as much space as possible. I also got my dehydrator emptied, and ready for the next loads. In between things, I got some bread dough made, and it's baking now, since I finally had a day without AC!
ImageSecond gallon of tomatoes to go into the freezer this season. 2 more will be enough. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I went to a friend's house today, to share that sambar I made last night, and some more of that pachadi I made - a double recipe. They made some roti, to have with it. When I got back, I went back to the garden...of course, since it was nice out! I cleaned a bunch of dead foliage off cukes and tomatoes - some had major problems, which I'll post about later. Still, I'm getting a lot of tomatoes, even from the ones I won't grow again! Here's what I harvested today:
ImageHarvest for 7-31, plus a few more things not in the photo, that I took to a friend's house. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I would have sampled that Death Spiral pepper today at my friend's house, but we are waiting for the one on their son's plant to ripen. His plant is way taller than mine, like some of my Numex plants, but the peppers are slightly behind. I took him a chocolate habanero to sample, and get him ready for the killer! :o
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#104

Post: # 51632Unread post pepperhead212
Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:35 am

I just harvested several of my favorite tasting tomatoes of the season Saturday - Golden Buddha. I harvested some very small ones a few weeks ago, but they were on a dying branch (more on that later), and never really got ripe, even though they were blushing. Last week I got some that I left on until totally ripe, and the flavor reminds me of the Amish gold slicer, and KBX - a delicious, balanced flavor, with enough of both acidity and sweetness, and a true tomato flavor. Unfortunately, one of the plants had about 3/4 of the foliage die off, top to bottom, while the one right next to it is relatively resistant to whatever killed that! I bagged some new growth on the good one, and the tomatoes forming in that I'll save seeds from, if it continues the resistance. It's a little late, but looks like it'll produce a lot, given its size. Fairly large fruits, largest a little over 14 oz, smallest (except those earliest) over 8 oz, so far.
ImageGolden Buddha harvested on 7-31 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A while back I reported my dissatisfaction with that Honeycomb that I tried this year. I pulled all of the ripe fruits from it, hoping that the next batch would improve. The flavor did improve; much sweeter, though still not as good the others - reminds me of some others that were sweet, but not as much flavor. But the main problem was the splitting - over 75% were split, once they ripened, while I had no problems with all those other varieties. I wish it had worked out - the plant was huge, with an incredible number of tomatoes on it! When I pulled the plant out yesterday, I kept finding more of the vines, filling up a trashcan with it. Here's a handful from a single cluster, showing the splitting.
ImageHoneycomb, showing the large percentage of splitting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
PlainJane
Reactions:
Posts: 2664
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 8:12 pm
Location: N. FL Zone 9A

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#105

Post: # 51638Unread post PlainJane
Mon Aug 02, 2021 1:49 pm

I finally quit growing Sungold because of the splitting.
“Never try to outstubborn a cat.”
- Robert A. Heinlein

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#106

Post: # 51968Unread post pepperhead212
Sun Aug 08, 2021 8:02 pm

I have another one splitting - :D Esmerelda Golosina - but the strange thing is, it has only started recently, despite being in a near drought, until last night, and only one of the two plants had half the fruits split, while not one on the other! So far, the flavor has been good, but not as strong as the green zebra - still my favorite green variety.

I'm starting to get a good number of beans, but I don't know how they will produce, with this heat coming again!:( Cukes are starting to fizzle out, though I have one later, and 2 even later, that will start producing eventually. The tomatoes are still producing fairly well, and the bottle gourds are starting up again. And the peppers love heat, so they aren't going to mind this heat! I never got to picking those today - I have to do that early, as that's when they are in the shade out front.
ImageMisc. harvest for 08-05. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageA good sized bottle gourd, plus some tomatoes. 8-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageThe first cukes are starting to fade away, but the beans are kicking in. 8-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#107

Post: # 52017Unread post pepperhead212
Mon Aug 09, 2021 11:49 pm

I got a few peppers today. The habaneros I took up to my local Mexican grocer - didn't put any Death Spirals in there, but I told him I'd bring him a few, later on.
ImagePaper lantern, Gold Bullet, and Chocolate Habanero 8-9 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageThai, Hong Gochu Korean, and Hanoi Market peppers. 8-10 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also picked a few more beans, and took those, and the ones from before, and sat in front of the TV (cooling off from being out in that heat!), and strung the beans (I could tell what varieties they were!), and broke them up - I ended up with almost a pint of strings and tips. Then I steamed them, using that quick method I learned from ATK - steamed 2 batches for 3 minutes, and spread out on the trays. Here's one, showing how it dries out, and cooks the rest of the way. Tomorrow it is going into a new dish.
ImageQuick steamed beans, cooling, and dried off. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#108

Post: # 52063Unread post pepperhead212
Wed Aug 11, 2021 1:52 pm

I really didn't want to go out there again today, but I had to - can't go more than 2 days without picking beans, without overgrown ones. As I said before, those blauhilde purple ones are going crazy! Good thing about those, they're easy to spot!
ImageAbout 2 quarts of beans, half Blauhilde, and half everything else! 8-11 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I picked 6 more cukes today, and I have to do something with all of those today!
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#109

Post: # 52270Unread post pepperhead212
Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:05 pm

I was surprised to find these two out there today - I've been looking lately, but not closely, due to this horrible heat! And now I know, heat doesn't seem to bother these! They were lost in those vines. I found 4 smaller ones, which I put on top, so as not to let those get so large.
ImageBottle gourds, about 23 inches long, 68 and 72 ounces. 8-15 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageThe larger of the bottle gourds. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I harvested some more peppers, but not all of them. Those paper lantern habs are going crazy, and are a type of indeterminate pepper, with all different sizes of fruits, and a bunch ripening every time I harvest, and always flowering.
ImageMisc. peppers harvested on 8-16 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And the blauhilde purple pole beans are still producing the most, though the green varieties have already started up again, now that the heat wave is over! They keep growing, just not flowering, in that extreme heat, so now the vines are huge!
ImageA few okra, 3 Esmerelda tomatoes, and some green beans, but mostly blauhilde, again! by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#110

Post: # 52613Unread post pepperhead212
Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:34 am

I didn't do much out there today, due to the wetness, though the pepper plants dried off early, so I picked about 4 c of Thai peppers. Still at least as much on the same 3 plants, mostly green, but some turning a little brown. I might go out and pick all of them tomorrow, and freeze the greens for Indian and Thai foods - they are sort of like determinate tomatoes, and all are pretty much the same size, and no flowers, and once most are off, flowering will start again.
ImageAbout a quart of ripe Thai peppers from 3 plants, 8-21 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5474
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#111

Post: # 52615Unread post bower
Sun Aug 22, 2021 5:54 am

Some of my tomato plants are getting to that stage, where they're done ripening and ready to put out new shoots and flowers for round two. Too bad the season is so short, I might let a couple of plants do that just in the greenhouse, but even there, it's getting late to set and ripen.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#112

Post: # 52664Unread post pepperhead212
Sun Aug 22, 2021 9:04 pm

Those 3 plants I harvested all of the red peppers from yesterday, had a bunch of those brown peppers, I left on them, ripened quickly! I pulled every pepper from all 3 plants - only one was smaller than the rest, around 1 1/2". I'll separate the green ones from the rest, and freeze them quickly.
ImageOver 5 more cups of Thai peppers, 8-22, from the 3 plants that all of the red ones were picked from yesterday. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here's even more peppers, that paper lantern being the most productive habanero this year.
ImagePeppers, plus a few okra and eggplant, 8-22 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And I got more beans - the Blauhilde (purples) and the Kentucky wonder poles are the ones getting overgrown quickly, with the beans forming early, while the Withner (sort of flat beans) and Blue Lake pole beans are doing well, even when a little large. And the Thai red long beans are doing well, without hollowing out in this heat.

ImagePole beans, 8-22 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#113

Post: # 52984Unread post pepperhead212
Fri Aug 27, 2021 6:30 pm

I got more peppers today, and those Paper Lantern habaneros must be on steroids! They are definitely a keeper. As I've noted before, the flavor is similar to Scotch Bonnet - not as hot as some other habaneros (around 200k, if I were to guess), and also with some other pepper flavor with the habanero flavor, so it would probably be good as a substitute when Scotch Bonnets are called for.
ImageHabanero and Thai peppers, 8-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Early yesterday I harvested just under 2 lbs of cherry tomatoes, 24 oz to use in that pasta dish, and today, there was another 6 cups or so ready to pick! There was even more, on just one plant, but it started raining, so I had to quit!
ImageAbout 6 more cups of cherries, in about a day and a half, 8-27. Mostly Weetang Shebang golds. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I harvested the first butternuts today - small ones, though 2 more larger ones on the second plant. Many more on the two Polaris vines, as usual, and also 5, so far, of the Tetsukabuto, on just 2 plants.
ImageButterbush - small butternuts, 8-27. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And more beans! After freezing the 56 oz of them yesterday, I went out and picked even more than this, and this many today. It's letting up some, except for the Thai long red beans, due to the heat wave. Today's the last day of that, so they will rebound.
ImageOne days worth of beans, 8-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#114

Post: # 53516Unread post pepperhead212
Mon Sep 06, 2021 6:57 pm

Everyday I get a few more beans like that. And a BUNCH of Death Spirals ripening.

Today I cleaned up some stuff out there, then I planted the remaining fall seedlings I planted a few weeks ago. I had already planted the lettuce and endive in the boxes around the deck, so they are easy to harvest.

Today I transplanted 5 Swiss chard, 3 bok choy, 3 purple napa, 2 senposai, 1 komatsuna, 4 red kale, 4 red cabbage, 4 mixed cauliflower, and 11 kolibri kohlrabi. Some of the greens will be somewhat productive in 30 days, and well into November, some into December.

I might plant some shallots in the spring, instead of the fall - I've had mixed results with the fall plantings. And I may plant some in a raised bed, to see if they do better.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#115

Post: # 54551Unread post pepperhead212
Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:47 am

I spent most of my day inside yesterday, given the bad weather. I looked over my plantings for this year, crossing

I don't think a single one of my new tomatoes, large or small, turned out to be keepers. A few that may have been early on, but just didn't keep up, once the heat and humidity started up. And a couple that started out good, turned out super small later on.

Peppers I got 3 keepers - the Paper Lantern, a hot, but not overly hot (maybe 150k-200k), and incredible production, starting to ripen in later July. The superhot I grew this year - Death Spiral - is the largest growing, and most productive one I've grown, with over 50 ripe at a time on my plant, and my friend's huge plant as tall as I am - 6'6" - and loaded with peppers, as well! And the Numex Big Chili was my most productive mild variety, and disease resistant, compared to Giuzeppi Numex, and the Ancho Ranchero. And I got some new Chocolate hab seeds this year, but they weren't as good as the old ones - these are determinate, instead of indeterminate, and definitely milder, maybe up 300k, at most. The old are at least 400k, and constantly flowering, once they start, and loaded with peppers, until frost. I will have to sprout some of the old ones, and make sure to bag some blossoms, to save new seeds next season.

Very soon I have to get my hydroponics set up - time flies! Nothing new there, I don't think.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
bower
Reactions:
Posts: 5474
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#116

Post: # 54560Unread post bower
Fri Sep 24, 2021 4:46 pm

That's too bad about the new tomatoes, pepperhead. But I guess there's no shortage of others to try. It is too bad though, when you don't find one new keeper in the year. Better luck next time!
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#117

Post: # 54794Unread post pepperhead212
Wed Sep 29, 2021 7:11 pm

As an experiment, I'm attempting to start some pepper seeds, plus some eggplant seeds, and 2 curry tree seeds in my Instant Pot, on low temp yogurt mode - approximately 90° constant. I have to reset it at noon every day, since it only goes for 24 hours. It's just an experiment, with some pepper seeds I won't use again, plus one I want to see if I can start - Maui Purple. Also I'll put one petri dish of some eggplant seeds, to see how it works. I'll keep you informed on results.
ImageLonghorn, Craig's jalapeños, and Maui Purple peppers, plus 2 curry tree seeds, planted 9-29 in IP by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I checked it after 4 hours with my infrared thermometer, and the temp of the plate was 89.6°. The eggplant seeds are almost ready to go in - soaked in GA-3 briefly.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
MissS
Reactions:
Posts: 5598
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:55 am
Location: SE Wisconsin Zone 5b

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#118

Post: # 54856Unread post MissS
Fri Oct 01, 2021 8:00 am

I have heard that this works pretty well although I have never tried it myself. So I'm glad that someone I know is trying it first hand. It sounds like a fun experiment.
~ Patti ~

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#119

Post: # 55004Unread post pepperhead212
Sat Oct 02, 2021 11:17 pm

A few more things today - more peppers tomorrow.
ImageA 15 and 16 inch bottle gourd, and a few beans was all harvested on 10-2. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

User avatar
pepperhead212
Reactions:
Posts: 3105
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am
Location: Woodbury, NJ

Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#120

Post: # 55138Unread post pepperhead212
Tue Oct 05, 2021 9:54 pm

It was crappy outside today! Every time I'd go outside briefly, it was so humid it was misting. So most of my time was in the basement, cleaning up, and getting the hydroponics setup. I didn't have the lid for the smaller one ready - that's something that I have to finish outside, and it's supposed to be nicer tomorrow.
ImageGetting the hydroponics ready, 10-5 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

Post Reply

Return to “Grow Logs(Glogs) And Video Logs(Vlogs)”