2020 garden thread

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
anyone else miss their window to grow tomatoes and peppers inside?
Looks like a visit to Rutgers Ag-field day again this year for me.

I'm planning to redo my garden completely this year. It's fenced in and about 30x40. There's a rose garden which occupies the front third and the back is were I grow the veggies. Currently the beds are 8x8 and originally designed to have tomatoes in the middle and smaller plants around. It was designed after something I saw in a book or magazine. However in real practice it didn't work out due to hours of sunlight. So I'm looking to redevelop a 25x30 space. I'm considering simple 4 feet wide rows to allow for easier harvesting and weeding. It won't look as interesting, but will be more practical. What's everyone else got planned this year?
 

TimBay

Well-Known Member
anyone else miss their window to grow tomatoes and peppers inside?
Looks like a visit to Rutgers Ag-field day again this year for me.

I'm planning to redo my garden completely this year. It's fenced in and about 30x40. There's a rose garden which occupies the front third and the back is were I grow the veggies. Currently the beds are 8x8 and originally designed to have tomatoes in the middle and smaller plants around. It was designed after something I saw in a book or magazine. However in real practice it didn't work out due to hours of sunlight. So I'm looking to redevelop a 25x30 space. I'm considering simple 4 feet wide rows to allow for easier harvesting and weeding. It won't look as interesting, but will be more practical. What's everyone else got planned this year?
That's a rad garden you got. I built a small raised bed a few years ago but it's falling apart. I'm planning on doing a bunch of potted veggies this year. My goal is to grow everything I need to make salsa, hot sauce, and tomato sauce. We'll see. I haven't had the best luck in the past, but I'm hoping this will be my year.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
That's a rad garden you got. I built a small raised bed a few years ago but it's falling apart. I'm planning on doing a bunch of potted veggies this year. My goal is to grow everything I need to make salsa, hot sauce, and tomato sauce. We'll see. I haven't had the best luck in the past, but I'm hoping this will be my year.
which variety of matos and peppers are you planning to grow?
 

Dajerseyrat

Well-Known Member
I normally grow Zucchini, Jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and banana peppers. But this year with all the rain and heat was a terrible yield. Just cleaned out the garden yesterday, gonna get the pete moss and fertilizer this week and let it mix in for a few weeks.
 

TimBay

Well-Known Member
Gotta figure that all out. Not sure what for the salsa. Want to do jalapenos for salsa and a few different hotties to experiment with for hot sauces. Gotta figure out what Will actually grow in this climate. Maybe I'll start my research tonight....
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
I normally grow Zucchini, Jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and banana peppers. But this year with all the rain and heat was a terrible yield. Just cleaned out the garden yesterday, gonna get the pete moss and fertilizer this week and let it mix in for a few weeks.
last two years were terrible harvests, bugs got to most of my greens and long periods of rain were an issue
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Gotta figure that all out. Not sure what for the salsa. Want to do jalapenos for salsa and a few different hotties to experiment with for hot sauces. Gotta figure out what Will actually grow in this climate. Maybe I'll start my research tonight....
you can get a pretty decent yield in pot for hot peppers
@jmanic what have you been growing up there?
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
i'm in a world of hurt - went out yesterday to trim the fruit trees - about 3 weeks late. i swear i did it last year but they
are a disaster. i'm just going to ignore the grapes. we let the birds have them.
got in a good trimming in the blueberry patch. love when they start coming in around the fourth of july.

we'll buy at the rutgers sale, and take any of Ms @Roadie's overflow. Do a bunch in planters on the deck.
I did move the fig trees into the sun - and the other two potted trees i have (apricot and some other stone fruit) are
starting to bud in the garage.

once again i'll threaten to build a fenced in garden, but probably won'd happen. i miss the raspberry patch.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
i'm in a world of hurt - went out yesterday to trim the fruit trees - about 3 weeks late. i swear i did it last year but they
are a disaster. i'm just going to ignore the grapes. we let the birds have them.
got in a good trimming in the blueberry patch. love when they start coming in around the fourth of july.

we'll buy at the rutgers sale, and take any of Ms @Roadie's overflow. Do a bunch in planters on the deck.
I did move the fig trees into the sun - and the other two potted trees i have (apricot and some other stone fruit) are
starting to bud in the garage.

once again i'll threaten to build a fenced in garden, but probably won'd happen. i miss the raspberry patch.
I'm done with fruit trees; apples, pear and peach have been picked clean every year by squirrels even with the sock trick last year. No mas
Though I am going to try berries this year, put down some blues and raspberries late last year
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
I'm done with fruit trees; apples, pear and peach have been picked clean every year by squirrels even with the sock trick last year. No mas
Though I am going to try berries this year, put down some blues and raspberries late last year

when they are good, they are good - i have walnut trees around the yard. they are too much work to actually
pick and eat, so that distracts the squirrels.

the asian pears are awesome. I have an apple tree that needs a major overhaul.
we get enough peaches to freeze them sliced (and cut out the bug holes) to make pie/cobbler over the winter.
but like you said - it is a ton of work for little gain.

one year i did all the necessary things for the apple tree - sticky traps, some spray while flowering, some other walk-over insecticide.
the apples were great! but wow - easier to buy them at wegmans - and probably cheaper!

it seams that the cross breeding between the local berries and the purchased ones are great for a few years, but then the fruit gets
smaller over time. is that a thing?

we also have has some luck with key limes, moving them in/out as needed. dwarf tree in a good size pot (not huge)
 
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qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Right now the big decision for us is figuring out the best time to unwrap the fig trees. Waited a little too long last year and the trees suffered a bit and didn’t produce.
also considering figs this year. We got our deer fence in last year, so open to more options including ornamentals
 

Captain Brainstorm

Well-Known Member
also considering figs this year. We got our deer fence in last year, so open to more options including ornamentals

You don't need to fence your fig tree in, the deer won't eat them. They don't like the latex in the leaves. And you should unwrap them when it stops consistently dropping below high-20's. A freeze every now and then won't hurt them, night-time temps this time of year won't hurt the roots, especially if they are cold-hardy like Chicago figs. Its better to unwrap them with all of this wet weather otherwise you run the risk of mold, which will kill them. And once they start growing, gently rip-off a shoot and clone it, its good to grow one as an in-door tree as a fail-safe.
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Gotta figure that all out. Not sure what for the salsa. Want to do jalapenos for salsa and a few different hotties to experiment with for hot sauces. Gotta figure out what Will actually grow in this climate. Maybe I'll start my research tonight....
you can get a pretty decent yield in pot for hot peppers
@jmanic what have you been growing up there?

Thanks for the flag Walt-
@TimBay I have had great success growing a pretty wide variety of peppers in pots here.
I've dropped off a bit over the past few years, but my staples have been thai dragons and jalapenos,
always with some hot stuff in the mix- habaneros, scotch bonnets, paper lanterns, ghosts, whatever.
The only limit is what seedlings you can get your hands on.
(I have also started from seeds, but nursery selection has eliminated the need for this)

The trick is big pots, water and lots of sun.
I use basic potting soil, and will typically re-use from year to year,
I'll just refresh with some plant food when I recycle the soil.

And it's good to let the soil dry out a bit- peppers don't require constant moisture like other things.
I usually plant around mid-May, and have peppers by July usually, with peak harvest in the fall.
And harvesting the early crop does help train the plant to produce,
so picking early will increase yield.

Good luck, have fun, and wear gloves when making your hotsauce.
 

jmanic

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
Staff member
JORBA.ORG
Team MTBNJ Halter's
And definitely dont touch your pee pee afterwards!!!
I used to give hot sauce to co-workers.
One of them learned this lesson the hard way.

And yeah, don't touch your face or your eyes either.
 
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