What We're Growing ~ Tomatoes & Peppers

We thought we'd share our 2014 varieties of Tomatoes & Peppers with you
The garden has been ravaged by marauding goats, and is suffering from an overabundance of rain,
Back & for the Weather conditions from hot to cool &
I just can't seem to get rid of the weeds either.

Our tomatoes are doing great with little extra fertilization this year
I added Horse Manure into the soil in the fall only at a quarter coverage of the
entire garden space.
They did receive a side dressing after I cleared out the old chicken coop readying
them for the new chicks. So they got a little composted chicken manure (1 yr old)
as well as all the remanant eggs in the nesting boxes (enough for the entire row)

But anywho here's what we're growing.



http://parkseed.com/parks-whopper-cr-improved-tomato-seeds/p/05380-PK-P1/
Park's Whopper Tomato 65 days from setting out transplants. Indeterminate. The original Whopper was an American classic, and its successor is simply the home gardener's dream tomato: greater disease resistance, higher yields, a longer season, and better taste! These big, juicy, crack-resistant tomatoes, 4 inches or more across, ripen uniformly (even when the weather is overcast!) and finish 5 days sooner than the old Whopper. Then they keep right on coming in huge quantities until frost -- none of your smaller, greener end-of-season fruits here! And because they're meatier, you get even more succulent tomato flavor in every slice! Resistant to Verticillium Wilt, Root Knot Nematodes, Tobacco Mosaic Virus, and 2 strains of Fusarium Wilt.

http://www.tomatogrowers.com/ROMA-VF/productinfo/5168/
Roma VF #5168 One of the most popular varieties for paste, sauces and canning. Compact vines yield large harvests of 3 inch long, bright red fruit that may be pear-shaped or plum-shaped. Thick walled and solid with few seeds; slightly later than Roma with heavier foliage. Determinate. 78 days.

http://www.tomatogrowers.com/BLACK-KRIM/productinfo/4864/
Black Krim #4864 (30 seeds) Dark brown-red tomatoes are large, 10 to 12 ozs., and very richly flavored with just a hint of saltiness. Color is darker in hot weather, and fruit seems to set well even in the heat. Prone to cracking, but a very heavy producer. Heirloom from the Black Sea of Russia. Indeterminate. 75-90 days.

http://www.tomatogrowers.com/JUBILEE/productinfo/5312/
Jubilee #5312 (30 seeds) Plentiful harvests of bright golden-orange, large round fruit. Delicious taste and solid, smooth substance. Adds bright color to salads. This tomato's good looks and good taste make it a favorite with market gardeners. Indeterminate. 80 days.

I only have a couple Suddeth's Strain Beefsteaks for the late tomatoes
http://store.tomatofest.com/Brandywine_Sudduth_s_Strain_p/tf-0080.htm
Days: 85
Size: Indeterminate
Color: Pink
Season: Late-Season
Type: Heirloom


As for Peppers the goats pruned them by half but we're still harvesting Sweet Bananas
I plan to give them a boost with a light Epsom salt spray, starting a regimen every other week.
(Mixture 1 tsp to 32 oz of h2o) This gives them a little extra magnesium for higher
fruit production.

I only planted two varieties of peppers in 2014



http://www.tomatogrowers.com/SWEET-BANANA/productinfo/9316/
Sweet Banana #9316 (30 seeds) Profuse harvests of 5-1/2 to 6 inch long, tapered peppers that are wonderful fried or cut up into salads. Light green at first, they turn yellow and orange, and finally ripen to red. Compact plants. 72 days.


http://www.tomatogrowers.com/RED-BEAUTY-HYBRID/productinfo/9197/
Red Beauty Hybrid / Baron #9197 (30 seeds) A red bell pepper widely adapted to reliably turn red in almost any area of the country. Very thick-walled, heavy fruits are blocky, and about 4 inches long. Heavy yields of bright red sweet peppers. Resistant to tobacco mosaic virus. 68 days until mature green; red about 2 weeks later




Our Garden This Week
Needs Weeding
~V
Keep It Green

We're Growing Our Own

I thought I'd share a few ideas or how we planted our food garden this year.

This year we have two rows of beans planted different ways to see what works best.
Our Tri Color String Beans are planted in a double row, they were older seeds
so we had to go back after about a week & 1/2 and replanted in between with some
purple queen bush beans. We planted colored beans to make picking easier,
especially for the younger gardeners.

We also planted a row of Blue Lake Bush beans, in a single row.
Both are doing well

We planted Bush Pickler Cucumbers, at the front edge with Marigolds in between plants.
We already see the tiny cukes forming.

We planted Tomato transplants of Roma & Park's Whopper. The weather was so strange
that we lost a couple roma's and had to replace. We replaces with Black Krim
& Jubilee, tomatoes. All have caught up with one another and all are flowering
We should be picking before July 4th if we don't have another cool snap to stall growth.
We also will be tilling in some old eggs and nesting materials into the soil side
dressing the tomatoes with a dose of Calcium. We have used no additional fertilizers
on anything this year except Worm Castings.

We're looking up info on Black Krim & Jubilee to post this week, Just a little Tomato
FYI>

For peppers I backed down to only 2 varieties Sweet Bananas & Sweet Red Bells.
Due to unforeseen weather twists in the past I've had quite a loss & been
disappointed in the past. So I planted what I know everyone can eat or pickle.

I've planted the Ichiban Eggplants, because I love Eggplant and sneak it into
all sorts of dishes in the summer, and have even blended into my smoothies.
They are a beautiful plant with beautiful flowers, and with other varities
more beautiful colors even hot or fuschia pinky and white.

Detroit Red Beets, & Thumbellina Carrots as well as some Zucchini have just been
seeded in this past Thursday. As well as a variety of Sunflowers
Music Box, Valentine, Mixed Black Oil, & Alien Sunflowers. (I already see some of these
popping up out of the ground.

Here is a photo of my garden before I get to till this afternoon, if there is no more rain
and the winds keeps up to dry the garden out just a bit more.

So I've gotta get to making a quickie lunch so I can be ready to work this afternoon.

Oh wait we're going to pick up some local eggs from a neighbor too...
I'll take pics of the chickens and coop, I'd like to help him sell his eggs too
He also sold Daylilies at one point as well, Better carry my cash in case he's got a couple
earlies blooming...:)

Have a Nice Day
Here's My Garden



I'll definitely have to come back with an after picture when I get things cleaned up.

The weeds embarrass me...LOL

Awesome Edibles ~ Printable Garden Group Topic

This is from one of my past Garden Discussions
I hope you find this information useful

One of my missions is to get everyone to incorporate edibles
into their garden designs. Whether full scale beds or containers, or
single plant planting in pots.

Keep It Green
~V

Saying Good Bye to Summer

2013 has been an unexpectedly mild summer for us here in South Carolina. Only reaching triple digits in the way of Heat index 2 times I believe. Much more moisture than most years, which started out great but did turn detrimental for some crops as it continued with gully washing force. One day by the debris on some neighbors trees in a low spot, it rose about 30 inches in the creek between two homes, took the upper gravel driveway and delivered it to the other side of the road some 100 feet away.

From Harvesting and learning new ways to use Semi Exotic but common Summer Harvests Like Turkey & Mission Figs



By the way all that wasn't jarred was eaten in Homemade Fig Newtons, and dried Figs (The little one just loved them)

We have had some beautiful Full Moons (Blue Moon 8/21/13)



And Spectacular Skyscapes



Of Course there was much color everywhere (This is the slightest sampling of the photographs I got to take this year.) I was blessed with multiple sprains and twists so I didn't get to do much more, Fall clean up is going to be a clearout.



So today I say Good bye to Summer, Fall has felt like it has snuck in here for the last couple days.
A little precipitation this weekend would be perfect, as it has been a little on the dry side.

It has been reported that Snakes are plentiful, and here in the end of the summer the insect critters have been too. (Although some are about 2 months behind schedule...aka: June Bugs in August) Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and bees have been on the down low, and we're just getting to see some butterflies in more numbers.

I hope you enjoy this taste of what I get to live with.
Looking back over my photographs I am truly blessed.

Victoria Meetze/EarthSource Services
http://www.facebook.com/EarthSourceServicesSC7

Blueberries are a Win Win planting choice

Growing Blueberries ~ As a Hedge

Everconsidered an edible hedgerow?
Blueberries are perfect, you get 4 seasons of interest, wildlife food, early flowers for bees, and best of all an healthy treat for you.
Planting in a row also allows you to easily cover if you wish to do so to protect from the birds. (although if you plant an entire hedge there should be enough for all)
http://www.plantra.com/Blueberry-Netting
Choose your varieties for your spaces and or containers. They range in heights from 18 - 24 inches tall to over 8 feet.
Check with your local extension office for the varieties that grow best in your region.
Blueberries are naturally pest resistant so they are great for growing organically.
They do like acidy soil Pine Straw is a way to make the soil perfect organically as it breaks down.

Most bluberries bloom white but I know of one variety we added to our double lined patch that blooms a pink color. 'Sunshine Blue' it is also supposed to be a bit more compact. they have withstood alot of dry times already since planting in May/Mothers Day I am even giving one a try in a porch container to accompany my other small variety 'Top Hat.'



The foilage in the winter is sparce and twiggy but mine never loose all of their leaves.
Summer they bush out and are quite dense. one practice to add to maintenance each year. Remove dead or damaged branches. Blueberries bear in the summer, I try to make sure fruit is really plump by giving supplemental water at least every other day.



Fall you get amazing colors and in a mass hedge planting this can be absolutely stunning.
If you want to grow your stand after you see how quick and easy blueberries are to grow. You can dig new rooted shoots from the base of the plant in the winter (we do it about Feburary here in SC)
I hope this inspires you to plant a couple Blueberries, they are easily incorporated into landscaping, even existing planting beds.



Thank You for taking the time to check out this post
Green It Forward. EarthSource Services ~Victoria
(photos in the blog are not mine)

Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening

These Are NOT my Words or Pictures
I just think this is an easy explaination on this topic,
and it could have been my words I thing it is put excellently
Just wanted a disclaimer on this so no one get ticked ;)
Words By : Lynnae McCoy
Though it’s tempting to just hoe out a patch of ground and plant some seeds, I’m convinced that the initial work we put into building raised garden beds will pay for itself in the long run. Why? Let me count the ways
1. Weed Control. Because a raised garden bed is planted above existing soil, you can put down weed barriers between the ground and the soil you put in your garden box. If you’re diligent to use weed-free soil in your box, any weeds in your garden should be few and far between.
2. Pest Control. Our neighborhood has a little gopher problem. If I were to plant my seeds directly into the ground, the gophers could eat my garden right up. But with a raised bed, I can put chicken wire down beneath my garden, keeping the underground critters out. And if I have to, I can make a little chicken wire cage to place above my garden box, keeping out other animals.



3. Better Soil. When you plant a garden directly in the ground, you need to start with the soil that’s already there, and that soil might not be ideal for gardening. You can add things to it to make it better, but it may never be ideal. However, when working with a raised garden bed, you can use whatever soil will work best for your garden, right from the get-go.
4. Portability. What happens if you move? With an in-ground garden, you leave it behind, and start all over at your new place. But if you use a raised garden bed, particularly a small one like a square foot garden, you can bag up your soil and take your garden box with you. At least that’s what I did when I moved.
5. Higher Yields. Because of the better soil used in raised bed gardens, they tend to have higher fruit and vegetable yields than traditional row gardens.



6. Accessibility. One of the best things about raised bed (specifically square foot) gardens is their accessibility. Because each garden block is only 4′ x 4′, you can easily reach every single plant to water, inspect, and pick the produce.
7. Adaptability. For those who aren’t mobile enough to get down on the ground to reach their gardens, small raised beds are adaptable. Just put the garden on a tabletop. Since the garden is not dependent on soil beneath the box, you can put your garden box anywhere you like.
8. Frugality. Seeds are expensive. In a traditional row garden, you scatter the seeds, then thin the plants as they grow, wasting seeds. In a raised bed garden, you plant only the amount of seeds you need. Properly stored, the additional seeds will be good for another year or two, saving you money on next year’s garden.
9. Longer Growing Season. Gardening seasons depend on the temperature of the soil. The ground in a 4′ x 4′ box will warm up more quickly than the ground under the lawn. In addition, it’s relatively simple to make a cold frame for a raised garden bed to extend the gardening season further.
10. Aesthetically Pleasing. Raised garden beds look neat and tidy. In addition, if you’re a creative person, you can make some pretty cool looking gardens. Your garden could easily become the focal point of your yard.

Earth Is NOT A Disposable Planet

I am hopping upon my soapbox this A.M. because I am just disgusted at the number of the population that wears the Green Shield but with not a care in the world about actual daily Green practice of some kind to Save the Planet.
Wearing conservationalist tshirts and carring a couple cases of bottled water in the trunk does not a EcoWarrior make. Kind of Contradictory since plastic bottles are a problem in landfills.
Those of you who purchase the reusable shopping bags and put the plastic one inside them, kind of a joke isn't it...?

Buying foods from a grocery or superstore are everyday practice and there are some things you can get nowhere else, but when I ask our future (kids) where your veggies come from and 75% respond with WalMart it absolutely breaks my heart. As it should others too.

It is sad that the family unit is not what it used to be. It was once a standard practice, to teach the children how to do things that were meaningful to family, home, & body. Things were done with togetherness, a pride in heritage, and a thirst for knowledge. Now a trip to the superstore results in alot of unhealthy habits being instilled. Convenience does not have a Conscience.

A starting point in solving alot of the issues today, starts with kids of tomorrow. In history every generation has had a choice of poisons for the populations, envoronmentally, mentally, socially, and physically. If I am not mistaken it is from some unnatural chemical. From Genetically Modified Organisms, to Artificial additives into all sorts of different living venues. I do not believe Science is required a long enough testing window to accurately access the outcome of llongterm build up of their Frankenstein Products.

But back to my original thought, Kids need to be made knowledgable of their foods, origins, additives, unknowns. Educational tools are being removed from the systems cirriculum that are vital for children to be knowledgable and make better decisions. School lunchroom are an atrocity, and it is such a joke that alot of kids think chicken is a nugget, a joke I personally do not deem funny.

Children need to let the Growing of their food catch them in the time of their lives when there is the largest sparkle in their eyes. A love for growing and understand that it is a good thing is something that grows stronger when it is nurtured. Families who garden together are healthier in the top most meaning of that word, in all facets of life. Kids needs to feel the life in the soil and watch it feed their food to understand. They also need to meet the farmers in Fresh Markets allow them to really talk, and question. They will increase their level of awareness of the entirety of the world of they are given the proper opportunities. Their questions are important to them, do not discount their validity at any time.
They will grow in the garden, just like the plants, and they will learn to keep the Earth clean from evil contaminates. Grow Green Kids because maybe they will make better decisions than our ancestors, and they will make a difference. It has to start with a few real changes in the parents though, Parents are you willing to teach Green Practices, it takes dilligent consistancy.

I have been guilty of making bad environmental decisions in the past, And yes because of my circumstances and location I do have to visit Walmart But I do try to make a difference by making and teaching my kids the most EcoFriendly and sustaniable ways of doing things. We are lucky enough to live in an area where we can grow our own seasonal vegetables and we do. I have also made it my mission to teach as many children as I can where their food comes from, and I hope it makes that difference we all desperately need to continue to survive on this life pulsating rock called Earth ;)

Do or Do Not.There is No Try. ~ Yoda

Tomatoes and Calcium (Ca)

Tomatoes heirloom or hybrid they are the most popular grown vegetable, which is actually a fruit.

They are delicious and nutritious, in all forms. Eating tomatoes cooked is the best way to help your body assimilate the nutrients.

Tomatoes require consistant amounts of calcium (Ca), to strengthen cell walls to resist bacterial and fungal infection.

Inadequate amounts of calcium partnered with inconsistant moisture levels are the main causes of Blossom end Rot.
Two organic ways to integrate calcium into your soil is to recycle eggshells, and boil bones to remove leftover flesh and cartlages. I prefer eggshells and will dry them in a low temp oven and grind in a mortar and pestle, you get nice powder about a teaspoon is enough for each plant.

(you can also use bonemeal, tums, and calcium supplement pills)
When planting, place calcium into the planting holes so the roots start transporting it immediately to the new transplant.
Give seeds a good start by planting seeds inside egg shells.

Wash and allow to air dry then fill with soil, carefully make holes in the bottom with a pin.
Plant seeds inside and place in a warm windowsill.

You can give them additional applications of calcium throughout the growing season. Let eggshells sit in a gallon of water about a week (easily made ahead), calcium will leach into the water then use this for your tomato plants,

I will post Tomatoes other important nutrition need in another blog later. We will be talking Potassium (K)

Have a great Garden
Test Your Soil
Feed Yourself Well
~V

Jerusalem Artichokes ( Helianthus tuberosa)

I have heard of this strange looking things for years
My dad's mother made relish out of it
My mom's mom grew them
I have seen them in the whole foods store at $5 a pound.
But as I research them as an Heirloom plant and found commonly in the European Markets.
It is not commonly cultivated here in it's native Eastern USA.
Also called the sunchoke it has properties valuble to Diabetics.
I can't beleve something that is so productive is not know moreover here in the states.
It is quite High in Iron (Fe) and Potassium (K) as well as other trace elements our body's need

From the Columbia Encyclopedia:
Jerusalem artichoke, tuberous-rooted perennial (Helianthus tuberosus) of the family Asteraceae (aster family), native to North America, where it was early cultivated by the indigenous inhabitants. In this particular case the name Jerusalem is a corruption of girasole [turning toward the sun], the Italian name for sunflower, of which this plant is one species. The edible tubers are somewhat potatolike, but the carbohydrate present is inulin rather than starch, and the flavor resembles that of artichokes. Jerusalem artichoke is more favored as a food plant in Europe (where it was introduced in 1616) and China than in North America, where it is most frequently grown as stock feed. The inulin is valuable also as a source of fructose for diabetics. Jerusalem artichokes are classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Asterales, family Asteraceae.

These are some I have set out drying that were sent to be from a friend
Robert G. Giles
of http://www.ailensunflowers.com

From what I gather not many people grow them because they are quite multiplicorous...LOL...or they are a weed and could get out of control if not contained. I plan to set up a bed with cedar planks, with a bottom. Or I do have a 55 gallon drum that could be cut in half and become a home for these tuberous yummies.
I honestly can't wait to grow them as I have shared a video where folks use them as trellises for their beans (I will be using scarlet runner beans).

Tubers of Helianthus tuberosus introduced into Europe from Canada by Samuel de Champlain in the seventeenth century and originally called Canadian artichoke; the origin of the name Jerusalem is from the Italian girasole (sunflower). A 170-g portion is a good source of copper; a source of vitamin B1; provides 1.7 g of dietary fibre; supplies 30 kcal (125 kJ). Much of the carbohydrate is the non-starch polysaccharide insulin.

Sunchoke Nutritional Value Guide: (Raw)
Quantity - 1 Cup
Energy - 115 Calories
Carbohydrates - 26 (grams)
Protein - 3 (grams)
Cholesterol - 0 (milligrams)
Weight - 150 (grams)
Fat - 0 (grams)
Saturated Fat 0 (grams)

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Genus: Helianthus
Species: H. tuberosus
Binomial name Helianthus tuberosus
This info was gathered from
http://sunchoke.org/history.html

I have sauteed thinly sliced tubers in olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice, and garlic, I kept on the heat until they started to become transparent.

I also substituted about 2 cups into a mix for a FAUX POTATO SALAD.
I cleaned the roots with a scrubby pad to get rid of alot of the outer brown.
Diced them into small cubes
boiled intil they just began to be soft.
Then I drained them and put into a bowl
added about 2 TBSP sweet pickles diced fine
1/2 cup light mayo
1/4 cut yellow mustard
a generous squeeze of honey
and salt and pepper to taste
and I minced a stem of celery leaves.

It was good warm but it was absolutely fabulous the next day cold.
I would serve it to folks to see if they could really tell a difference.
I am definately going to be testing a few recipies to see if the substitution can be made for things like hask browns, and french fries, and maybe do them scalloped and baked...I will be getting back with updates on these tests. I do hope you all have a fabulous day.
I am putting out a feeler with my twitter connection at Mother Earth News and Martha Stewart Living Magazine to see if they have any fun ideas with this vegetable.
and Grow Jerusalem Artichokes.

How to Start Canna From Seed

I had some happy Canna Plants this year and collected and shared oodles of seed.
But I didn't know what to do with them. I sent out the scout and came back with this information from one of my Group Buddies.
This is not my personal information

How to grow Canna from seed:
Scarify the seeds in January. Take the seeds, one by one, and rub the ends of the seeds on the sandpaper until you can see a small section of the white layer.
Place the canna seeds in the glass bowl. Cover the seeds with warm water and let them sit for 24 hours.
Fill the nursery tray with vermiculite. Dampen the vermiculite until it is moist, but not soggy. Remove the seeds from the bowl of water and plant them ¼ inch deep in the vermiculite.
Place the nursery tray in a warm area indoors. and keep the vermiculite moist during the germination period. The seeds will germinate in about 7 days.
Move the nursery tray to an interior location that receives sunlight. Check the vermiculite often and do not allow it to dry out. Rotate the nursery tray as needed, to prevent the seedlings from growing sideways.
Transplant the canna seedlings when they are six inches tall. Fill the flower pots with moistened potting soil, and then plant the canna seedlings into their individual pots.
Place the flower pots in a sunny window. Keep the potting soil moist, and continue to rotate the plants periodically.
Fertilize the seedlings with a granulated, organic fertilizer. Follow the directions on the package.
Move the flower pots outside after the danger of frost is past. Set the plants in a partially shaded area for two weeks to "harden" them off before their final transplant.
Plant the young cannas in a sunny location. Using a garden trowel, dig holes the same size as the flower pots, 18 to 24 inches apart. Dampen the holes.
Place one hand over the soil in the flower pot, and turn the pot upside-down. Lift off the flower pot, then lower the soil ball into the prepared hole.
Pat the dirt around the canna until it is firm and any air spaces are filled. Water the ground around the new plantings.