2021 gardens

I lost a lot of tomatoes not getting to them in time. Hidden in the dense tomato bushes because I planted them too close together. However I have put up a large batch of salsa and a good sized batch of canned tomatoes and am on top of them for the next batch. I also put up all my banana peppers which only equated to 3 quart jars. Using my other peppers for salsa and stuff. Im having a hard time getting good habaneros. Most of them start to rot as soon as they are ripe. Looks like a mold or fungus. Not affecting any other plants or peppers. Just the hab.

I have alot of them if you need some.

Craig, I’m embarrassed to have thought that those were a tree. Hell just look at the stems!

Put up the last salsa of the year last night, 10 pints. I planted Boxcar Willie heirloom tomatoes this year, they have been impressive. I used 12 tomatoes weighing 10 pounds for the salsa. Also grew Fresno peppers for the first time this year. I finally got a pepper out of my garden with a little heat. Years past jalepenos, cayennes, habeneros have disappointed so much that I buy hot peppers from the St. Paul Farmers Market. Still some slicers left for BLTs but I am done canning. The only other things still doing well are acorn squash and the fall planting of lettuce.

Brad Dimond wrote:

Put up the last salsa of the year last night, 10 pints. I planted Boxcar Willie heirloom tomatoes this year, they have been impressive. I used 12 tomatoes weighing 10 pounds for the salsa. Also grew Fresno peppers for the first time this year. I finally got a pepper out of my garden with a little heat. Years past jalepenos, cayennes, habeneros have disappointed so much that I buy hot peppers from the St. Paul Farmers Market. Still some slicers left for BLTs but I am done canning. The only other things still doing well are acorn squash and the fall planting of lettuce.

Fall planting lettuce?
Typically, when do you plant it?
What type?

I usually plant leaf lettuce and spinach the week before Labor Day. It will grow without going to seed until first frost. Radishes are also a good fall crop but I am too lazy to thin them. They are abundant and cheap at farmers markets so I get them there. Snap peas also do well in the fall.

Did this yesterday and today. 1 more canning project left. A bunch of pickled green tomatoes after I get back from up north in 2 weeks.

Brad Dimond wrote:

I usually plant leaf lettuce and spinach the week before Labor Day. It will grow without going to seed until first frost. Radishes are also a good fall crop but I am too lazy to thin them. They are abundant and cheap at farmers markets so I get them there. Snap peas also do well in the fall.

Do you plant leaf lettuce from seeds?

koldfront kraig wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brad Dimond wrote:</div>
I usually plant leaf lettuce and spinach the week before Labor Day. It will grow without going to seed until first frost. Radishes are also a good fall crop but I am too lazy to thin them. They are abundant and cheap at farmers markets so I get them there. Snap peas also do well in the fall.

Do you plant leaf lettuce from seeds?

I planted leaf lettuce from seed on labor day. easy to grow, and grows really quick. its about an inch tall right now. I’ll hopefully enjoy a few fresh salads before October.

koldfront kraig wrote:

Do you plant leaf lettuce from seeds?

I am lazy, buy Burpee seed mats. They are biodegradable circular mats with the seeds embedded, scattered sufficiently that you don’t have to thin the seedlings. I bought them in the spring, bought double at that time in order to have some for fall planting. I’ve done if from seed but those little seeds are a pain.

I’m up to 41 pints and 9 quarts of salsa so far. Cheated and used Mrs Wages though so its only about 2-3 hours per double canner batch. Garden went in a little late though so I will have tons of tomatoes until we get a frost. Amish Paste and Big Boy are the predominant varieties.

Harvested the rest of the cabbage out of the raised bed this weekend and planted lettuce, spinach, carrots and radishes. We’ll see if we are able to get a crop out of any of them, but seeds are cheap and it’s awesome to see the kids so into it.

I had some Romain lettuce that I would pick from every week until it bolted about a month ago.

SO next year, once it starts bolting and the lettuce turns bitter I’ll pull it and plant more.

Good to know, thanks.

Last of the tomatoes. And done canning for the year.! 23 qts pickled green tomatoes.

Peppers and tomatoes still putting out, acorn squash are ready to pick. Most everything else but leaf lettuce is done. With the temps we’ve had recently I was worried the lettuce would bolt.

Finally got around to pulling my carrots. They did well. Broccoli did well, too.

No one answered my question about my purple spuds so I dug one out. I found one just under the surface of the soil.

The skin is thick and no green to be seen on it. About an inch and a quarter diameter.

I ate half of it raw. It tasted like a potato.

Imagin that…

Never seen a tater that color, but I don’t get out much.

Ralph, what variety of carrots do you plant? I tend to go with the shorter kind. My soil can get pretty hard.

They’re called Candysnax. I have really hard clay soil, too, but they do well here.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

They’re called Candysnax. I have really hard clay soil, too, but they do well here.

Anyone else still got there garden going??? As of Friday mine is done.

Usually I nurse it along as long as possible, but this year glad it’s done. Think it has alot do do with the long hot and dry summer

glenn57 wrote:

Think it has a lot do do with the long hot and dry summer

I think you are absolutely correct Glenn.
I’ve still got maders happening down here. Most all of the summer I had little to none but they are trying to produce once again.

With the dry weather I wish they were done a long time ago so I could strip it off add what I want to renew and get it ready for next year’s Total Bumper Crop!