Veggies for summer
Florida_Joe's_Z10a
6 years ago
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Pea
6 years agoI have a ton of cuban oregano both varigated and green...the squirrels keep digging it up trying to bury stuff in my planters and the cuban oregano just keeps on surviving...i've got one plant of it that seems to have gone almost albino...i wonder if i took a cutting would the cutting continue to grow so pale. Here is my varigated one.
maria p
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Hope you don't mind Newbie Veggie Gardening Questions
Comments (6)You don't have to work in them every night, by any means, once they're established. The garden will take most work at the beginning of the season. Did you use soil from your property, or buy topsoil or something? Since it's the first time you're using this soil it is a good idea to have it tested for pH, N, P, and K. The store bought kits aren't accurate, best to send a soil sample to your county extension. Then you know what you're working with. If you have to add something to balance or boost the nutrients, keep in mind that it's better to feed the soil than the plants. This will make it better each year. Using plant food is kind of equivalent to you living on vitamins instead of food. There are a lot of ideas about what to feed the soil. There's a lot written about using rock powders to supply phosphorus and potassium (P,K). I like these, b/c it basically replicates the way nature builds soil: from breaking down rock into tiny particles. People often supply the soil with P with bone meal, bone char, rock phosphate. For K, greensand, or a mixture of wood ashes and kelp. Nitrogen is supplied by blood meal, fish meal, alfalfa meal... Compost may supply it too, depending on what it's made of. I never add N b/c my compost seems to supply enough. If you don't make your own compost, you can buy it in bags. Add a couple of inches the first year, only a half or one inch yearly after that. You can put it on top of the soil now that the beds are already planted. In the future you take the compost and whatever nutrients you're using and kind of chop it in up and down with a rake or hoe. You want to mix it into the top few inches. As others have said, use a trowel or get a hand weeder and scrape along just under the surface of the soil to cut the roots. Just a sweeping motion. Get them while they're small, it's easiest this way. After than, mulch will keep them down. Mulch does a lot of things: it keeps the soil cool, keeps it from drying out, gives worms something to work, eventually breaks down and adds organic matter to your soil. You'll be amazed when you lift up a section of mulch and see the beautiful soil underneath....See MorePlant / Harvest spring veggies before planting summer veggies
Comments (1)If you do a cut & come again salad bed or "baby lettuce heads" it should work out fine :) fortunately, many lettuces & other greens need not be grown to full size before harvest. I usually add the maximum from both the days to germination and the days to harvest to estimate the amount of time under less than ideal conditions (i.e. shorter days, cooler weather, etc.) Some plants will come in under target others may need an additional 10% or so. Another trick is to slip the transplants directly in with the with almost full grown crop in hopes that you will harvest the old plants before the new ones grow large enough to need the space. And, some shade is okay in this case because you can use the shade from the almost-ready-to-harvest plants to transition/harden off indoor started seedlings for the outdoor full sun conditions. Just be very careful when you harvest....See Morefall veggies: what and when?
Comments (6)Don't forget collards! I've used them as a winter backdrop to pansies with great success. I've found kohlrabi rewarding, but not terribly exciting to eat or view. Spinach, mustard, chard, carrots, fennel, and lettuce (simpson and paris island, dead after heavy frost) have performed admirably when direct seeded in late August. My leeks were a sad joke. I've seen bonsai grow more rapidly. Two years after seeding them, they were barely large enough to harvest. Friends accused me of planting plastic plants... Broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts have been pretty direct donations to the compost heap. Winter veggie gardening is wonderful if you don't like eating fresh greens that have first been sampled by bugs!...See MoreVegetable Soup
Comments (2)In order to follow the 1/2 veggies and 1/2 liquid guideline, should I use a measuring cup to measure out the cut up veggies before adding them to the measured liquid? The half and half guideline refers to filling the jars not making the mix itself so as long as you have enough liquid to insure each filled jar is only 1/2 solids you can add whatever amounts of each you prefer. It is an eyeballed 1/2 and 1/2in the jars not necessarily a measured 1/2 and 1/2. Slotted spoon to strain out the veggies and into the jar until 1/2 full, then fill it the rest of the way with the liquid, ok? I assume I shouldn't really cook the soup much before processing, since it will be pressure canned for 75 minutes. Otherwise, the veggies may get way too cooked down? How long you cook all depends on the vegetables you use. Instructions say to cook each vegetable as called for in its own hot pack instructions so assuming no meat, no meat broth, or beans is included you'd look up the hot pack cooking times for each of your vegetables (or nearest equivalent) and then cook the soup for the longest of those times before filling the jars. For example carrots is 5 mins., kale and cabbage (spinach) is 3-5 mins., etc. Just off the top of my head (so double check your vegetables) I think most on your list would fall into the 5-8 mins. range. If you use other vegetables or meat or meat broth or beans then longer time is required. Dave PS: and no pastas even if it is a Minestrone....See More
Florida_Joe's_Z10a
6 years ago
Glenn Jones(9b)
6 years agomaria p
6 years agomaria p
6 years agoFlorida_Joe's_Z10a
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoNor
6 years ago
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inulover (9A Inverness, Florida)