pepperhead212's 2021 garden

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#41

Post: # 46108Unread post Amateurinawe
Mon May 03, 2021 5:11 pm

[mention]pepperhead212[/mention] Its started out as an odd year, we've had terrible cold and dry weather for april. May has started out windy...who knows what is next.
The behaviour of light means you observe me as i was then, and not as I am now.
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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#42

Post: # 46367Unread post pepperhead212
Fri May 07, 2021 2:51 pm

Two more tomatoes planted today - the Wee Tang Shebang gold cherries. In 6 days the stalks got much thicker, and ready to plant. Still 5 left, though I might not plant all of them - some just are not growing fast, so I may replace those with some of the stronger varieties, that I have extras of.

Still too cool for peppers and eggplants, though the covered peppers are staying safe, and actually growing! The rest have to wait a while longer.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#43

Post: # 46426Unread post pepperhead212
Sat May 08, 2021 4:54 pm

I have a tomato flowering already! All cherries/grapes, of course, but the only open one is not the 42 day, but the Kustengold, which is also the fastest growing, even with these cool nights. It had no blossoms started in the pots - only two of the 42 days had some of those, which I pulled from one, to see if it would make a difference. Now, both look about the same size, and about the same number of buds on the one I cleaned them from. The Kustengold started budding about 3 days ago, and one is open now! After seeing how fast it grew, I planted the other "extra" I had, instead of one of those slowpokes I have. Another that is growing well - very dark green, and a few flower buds, as well - is the Cherry Brownie I planted. I think I have 2 extras of those. Nothing visible on the Sunsugars (my usual first ripe ones), and they aren't growing as fast as those others. The tomatillos started out really fast, but these others have taken off!
ImageKustengold Grape tomato, one of the largest in a week of cool weather, 5-7. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageKustengold - first open blossom, 5-8 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Image42 day tomatoes, 5-8, both of which have a number blossoms formed. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I stuck a thermometer in one of those covered pepper SIPs, just to see how cold it's getting at nights, and during the day, as well. The low last night was 49º outside here, but the low on that thermometer was only 57º, so that was good! And right now it is 81º inside there, and only 66º outside. I see a lot of new growth on them, so they must be doing ok.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#44

Post: # 46485Unread post pepperhead212
Sun May 09, 2021 6:54 pm

I planted 2 more tomatoes today - a Boxcar Willie (planted this years ago, and got it as a freebie this year), that has a very thick stalk, and dark leaves, and another Cherry Brownie, that I put in the spot next to the first one, that I originally had for a second Wow! Sungold, but that one just isn't growing nearly as well, either the one outside (the better of the two), or the second one, in the seed room. Plus, I have only one more chocolate variety, while I have 5 gold varieties of cherry/grape (and two of the rest planted), so I planted another cherry brownie, since it's one of the strongest looking varieties, inside and out.

Only down in the 50s tonight, then the mid 40s two more nights, then it will start going up. Maybe next weekend for the eggplants and peppers.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#45

Post: # 46708Unread post pepperhead212
Thu May 13, 2021 10:08 pm

I got my last 3 tomatoes in today - ended up with 36, the most I've planted in a long time! I got in my only Chocolate Cherry, Pinky Blast, and Annie's Singapore cherry, and another Wow! Sungold. I have 15 extra plants, for some friends - fortunately, none of the plants I put in snapped off, or had any problems, and most are growing well (though, of course, I don't know about the last several). The 42 day has some flowers open now, though the kustengold, with the first open blossom, is still the fastest growing of any plant out there.

The weather is great today - almost up to average finally, and getting warmer in the forecast. Tomorrow, the eggplants might go in; if not, then Saturday. Peppers go out for starting hardening off tomorrow (my friend's larger peppers are already hardened off, so he'll get those tomorrow, with some tomatoes). I've been hardening off the okras, squash, and gourds long enough - they go in Saturday. Soon, I can turn my lights off upstairs!

I have a few extra bottle gourds and an extra bitter melon, if my Indian friend wants to plant some...I keep forgetting to ask her!
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#46

Post: # 46746Unread post pepperhead212
Fri May 14, 2021 10:19 am

It is very sunny, and already 66°, getting to 75° later, and hopefully no more nights in the 40s. So all of the plants are out, hardening off, the newest ones where it will get shady soon. Many things will go in today, but most peppers will be last, as usual, and will go on the porch tonight. No rain, to speak of, in the forecast, and we really need some. I almost never have to water at this time, except newly planted things. But fortunately, all of my irrigation system is set up. I flushed the last few lines yesterday, and fixed a couple problems I remembered from last season, and it's all set.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#47

Post: # 46783Unread post pepperhead212
Fri May 14, 2021 9:11 pm

I got a lot done today! I took all those extra tomatoes over to a friend's house, along with those peppers for their son. We planted 5 of the tomatoes on the side, and 8 in the front, and I set up a drip system for those on the side.

Later, I came home and planted a lot here, since the lows are only supposed to be down to 54°, from now on. So I planted 7 eggplants, 3 bottle gourds, 2 tetsukabuto squash, 3 polaris butternuts, and 3 butterbush butternuts. On the other side I put in 2 bitter melons, and 3 cucumbers - one county fair and two Wisconsin 58s. Then I planted my okra - 12 Little Lucy, and 6 Emerald green. The only pepper I planted today was one of the large ones - a Paper Lantern habanero, which was strange, as it was the slowest of the chinense varieties, to germinate, and to grow, but eventually it took off, and now it has two pepper buds started on it.
ImagePaper lantern habanero, on 5-14, started on 3-7, showing a pepper started already. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Here are most of the rest of the peppers, going in the next couple of days, with a few extras for some friends.
ImageMost of the smaller pepper plants hardening off, 5-14, started on 4-1. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#48

Post: # 46870Unread post pepperhead212
Sat May 15, 2021 8:05 pm

I got my first flowers in today - something that I don't usually do! I put 4 yellow canary zinnias in (because they were free samples, twice, from Baker Creek), plus 6 Mexican marigolds, in between peppers in the front row - 2 each of Superchili, Meteor, and Thunder Mountain. I still have at least 18 more peppers I will planted tomorrow.

Everything I planted has already shown signs of growth, even yesterday's plantings. They love that intense sun!
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#49

Post: # 46931Unread post pepperhead212
Sun May 16, 2021 9:13 pm

I finished planting my peppers today, and from what I just saw, they are going to like it out there - the first day in the 90s is supposed to be Thursday! I don't like the heat, but my peppers love it - what I always remind myself when too hot out there!

I planted 3 Giuzeppi Numex, and one Ancho Ranchero, and two of each of the following: Hong Gochu, Thai Vesuvius, Superthai, Jyoti, Hanoi Market, Big Chili Numex, and Jalafuego. I had a number of extras leftover, after I had taken the ones out for my pepper friend, so I texted a guy I know from work that loved peppers (hoping he still had the same number!), and he was thrilled that I remembered him! I told him that I hate wasting pepper plants, or any, for that matter.

I also sprayed almost everything with some Messenger today - only because of the small size of the plants (I started with tomatoes, but had more than half left still), and I had a gallon of spray. This is Harpin Protein, which is a safe spray for us and beneficial insects (though not OMRI listed), that basically does to a plant what a vaccine does to us - triggers the plant to form its own antibodies against various things. I'll see how it works.

I also put another valve in my irrigation setup - one on the row of tomatoes and eggplants, where the asparagus/ginger are on the next row. I wanted to turn off the water to the tomato/eggplants, and water the ginger/asparagus section with a long soaker.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#50

Post: # 47057Unread post pepperhead212
Tue May 18, 2021 8:54 pm

I buzzed the blossoms on the Kustengold and 42 day tomato - the only ones open so far.

I sprayed my plants with Surround for the first time today, only used a little over a half gallon of the mix, since the plants are small. I mainly wanted to get it on the eggplants, as those flea beetles are out early. Funny thing, showing how fast some of these tomatoes are growing - later in the day some had a generous amount of dark, new growth, without the Surround! After it dried, I went around and looked closely at all of the plants, and found another tomato that's popping flower buds, and it's the first larger one (the others are cherry/grape) - June Pink. No open flowers yet, but there are a good number of them. Still no flower buds on the Sunsugars (often my first ripe tomatoes), but the plants are starting to grow much faster now, after starting out slowly.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#51

Post: # 47437Unread post pepperhead212
Tue May 25, 2021 3:37 pm

Got my first tomatoes forming today - several on the 42 Day, and one, very small one on the larger Kustengold. The Sunsugar, which is usually my earliest, opened quite a bit later, and only a few, so far.
Image42 Day tomatoes forming, 5-25 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

As I was looking at the 42 day plants, I started realizing that they are probably determinate, since it is smallish, and getting a LOT of flowers on it, though tradewindsfruit.com didn't list it as either. So I looked them up, and found them on other sites, and they are determinate. I'll see if they are the type of determinate that simply produces one type, then dies off, like Sunset did with me, or if they come back.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#52

Post: # 47659Unread post pepperhead212
Fri May 28, 2021 5:26 pm

Yesterday I found my first eggplant blossom, on one of the Neon plants. Usually the Ichiban is my first, but this year those seeds did not germinate at first, so I had to retry them, so they are behind the others.
ImageFirst eggplant blossom so far, on one of the Neon plants. 5-27 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A couple of days ago I noticed that one of the 3 "extra" rooted lemongrass stalks, grew more up top in the rooting cup, than the three I planted in the ground. So I planted this one outside; I'll see which three do best, and keep those.
ImageOne of my extra lemongrass rootings. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Today, before the rain started, I buzzed the tomato blossoms again - probably the last time, because I'm starting to see some bees, plus almost all of them have open blossoms now. Only Annie's Singapore Grape has some unopened buds, and Ruth's Perfect is the only one with no flower buds at all, though growing very well.

Yesterday, I noticed some unopened flower buds on some of the pepper plants in the Earthboxes that I need to cover, before the pepper maggot flies get to the peppers forming. I was getting ready to do that, and of course, it suddenly became windy! So that job will have to wait for a calm day. I'm trying some ultrafine tulle fabric, which will let more light and air in, compared to the finest Agribon I have used, through the years. I'll see how durable it is, in comparison. It will also let me see what's going on inside there much better, as far as what's growing, as well as any problems. So far, no black aphids under the covers in the years in the EBs - years ago, I would have to watch closely, when planting in the ground, in hoop houses.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#53

Post: # 47818Unread post pepperhead212
Mon May 31, 2021 3:22 pm

I thought that I was going to be able to cover my peppers today, but it got too windy, once I was out there. I sprayed some Surround, plus some potassium bicarbonate as a fungal preventative, on many of the plants, since some had washed off, with the 3" of rain, plus a lot more growth, especially on the tomatoes. With the spraying, I had to pause frequently, due to the gusty wind. When I got around to the front, I noticed that 2 of my Little Lucy okras were not looking good - sort of wanting to wilt over, while the other 16 look fine, and grew some, despite the cold. I'm surprised that more didn't show bad signs from the cold. So I started a couple more, since I'll probably be pulling those two.

My basils are cloning now - a little late, but the plants don't have to be producing well, until tomatoes start up. I'm sort of glad I didn't have them out already - basil is one of the most sensitive plants to cold, like we just got.
ImageThai Basil, cloned for 5 days. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#54

Post: # 47919Unread post pepperhead212
Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:21 pm

I got my peppers covered - the 3 Earthboxes in which I grow the varieties that attract the pepper maggot flies, mostly milder varieties. I used the fine tulle fabric, instead of the thinnest Agribon that I have used before. I'll see how it works out. It's easier for the air to go through, and much easier to see through. Thanks for the recommendation, [mention]brownrexx[/mention]!
ImageTwo Big Chili Numex, and two Jalafuegos, covered, to keep the pepper maggot flies off of the. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageThree Giuzeppi Numex, and one Ancho Ranchero, covered with tulle fabric. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Image2 Hanoi market, 2 Superthai, left in the back, and 1 Hong Gochu, on the right, in the back, covered. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageThe Hot Paper Lantern on the right, getting flowers already - first of the chinense varieties to flower. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The brown on some of the leaves is from the cold in early May, when I had to plant these (they were just getting too large!), and I covered them, but it was in the low 40s, and some damage was done.

The lettuce is doing well, but I assume I will have to use it quickly, since we are getting hotter soon - 5 days in the 90s in the 10 day forecast.
ImageLettuce is doing well, but more heat is coming, unfortunately. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageMore lettuce, shadowed by the dill. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageMore lettuce, barely visible through all the dill and chives. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

As you can see, the dill is also doing great, and I have a bunch of volunteer dills around my garden, as well.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#55

Post: # 47966Unread post pepperhead212
Wed Jun 02, 2021 8:55 pm

Today, I planted my first basil clones - the Thai basils. The others are behind, and the holy basil clones died - I think they were much thinner. I'll have to wait for some thicker stems.
ImageThai basil, ready to plant. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageThai basil, planted in the Jr Earthboxes. 6-2 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Plus, I planted those sprouted beans, from my seed sprouter - still 4 spots left, for the ones that I only had a couple from...hopefully, some more will sprout.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#56

Post: # 47989Unread post pepperhead212
Thu Jun 03, 2021 12:42 pm

Tomato plants are growing great, though only the tiny tomatoes are showing up, but this is early, of course. I really didn't like doing this today, since everything is wet (only .07", so far, but droplets coming down constantly), but I had to secure all of the loose vines to the trellis, as there is a storm coming through, with "possibly damaging winds", and there was a lot of new growth, since last time. So I did something sort of obsessive, but trying to play it safe - I sterilized my hands after handling every plant, to avoid any transfer of possible disease! I probably used more of that stuff today, than I have in the entire pandemic! :lol:

I also checked other plants, as well, but only a couple of peppers needed some securing - it's mostly the tomatoes that are growing like crazy. :)

Here is that 42 day tomato - the first cluster has this largest one, at just under an inch. Let's see if it lives up to its name! In the past, to get a ripe tomato by around 6-20 I'd have to start them about 2 weeks early, and plant in WOWs 2 weeks early, and only a couple of varieties would start ripening that early.
Image42 day tomatoes, 6-3 The 42 day point after transplant (5-1) will be 6-12. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#57

Post: # 48091Unread post pepperhead212
Fri Jun 04, 2021 9:42 pm

I planted 2 more basil clones today, and put 3 more cuttings in the cloner. The one gecofure clone is almost ready - probably will be tomorrow.
ImageSerrata basil clones, with generous roots, after they were barely visible 2 days earlier. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageSerrata basil clones, planted on 6-4 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#58

Post: # 48181Unread post pepperhead212
Sun Jun 06, 2021 4:26 pm

That Gecofure basil was definitely ready today! Probably ready yesterday, but I got busy with other things, so I left it for today. The serrata I planted down in the herb bed, since I have two on the deck already.
ImageMore basil clones ready! Serrata on L, Gecofure on R. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFirst Gecofure Basil clone planted, 6-6 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

While out there today, I also "rescheduled" my timers, to water either more often, or more, or both, due to this heat, plus those tomatoes are getting much larger, so they are sucking up much more water now, from the SIPs. I also saw some more green tomatoes out there - all cherries, but they are about 3/4" already. 6-12 will be day 42...I'll see if that tomato lives up to its name, and ripens by then!
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#59

Post: # 48229Unread post pepperhead212
Mon Jun 07, 2021 4:42 pm

Those peppers I covered in the Earthboxes have easily doubled in size in just 6 days since I covered them. I see some small peppers forming on the Giuzeppi, but that's all, so far. This morning I got up very early, and did a little work out front, and on the side where the peppers are, since it's in the shade then. I sprayed the okra, peppers, and flower plants with Surround, and found out that I can actually spray right through the tulle fabric, onto the plants! Eventually, when I start seeing peppers, I stop spraying with the Surround, but I figure I'll put what I can on, which helps deter some of the insects.
ImageGiuzeppi Numex and Ancho Ranchero, 6-7 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageHanoi Market, Hong Gochu, and Superthai, 6-7 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

That 42 day variety has 5 days left! There are a number of full sized ones on the plants, but these last few days they have become covered with blossoms! You can't see the tomatoes well in this photo, as they are covered with the later growth, but this shows what I mean about all those blossoms!
Image42 day tomatoes, with a large amount of flowers on them, 6-7 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I'm starting to see a good number of new tomatoes on more of the varieties, but all still cherry/grape. Here's a photo of one the 42 day tomatoes; though the largest are sort of hidden, you can see they are forming quickly - the only other variety with well formed tomatoes (though not nearly as many) are the Cherry Brownies, which are also over 2½' tall. The Kustengold is the fastest growing this year, and was my first bloomer, but the tomatoes are smaller, so far.
Image42 day tomatoes, 6-7 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Re: pepperhead212's 2021 garden

#60

Post: # 48332Unread post pepperhead212
Wed Jun 09, 2021 9:04 pm

I noticed my earliest non-cherry tomato today - June pink, up to a little over 2". Not full grown, and of course I have no idea of the ripening date, but maybe it will live up to its name! All the rest of the non-cherries have either no tomatoes yet, or just barely formed. Amazingly, I have over a half dozen cherry varieties with fruits forming on them, but not a single one on my Sunsugars - usually my first tomato.
ImageJune Pink, earliest of the larger tomato to appear, largest one over 2 inches. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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