Vegetable Gardening

[_Keith]

Not sure if this goes here, but since many, if not most of our vegetables are tropical in origin or nature, let's try it.

Who else is growing vegetables, and what are they?

Anyone else growing vegetables as annuals in ornamental beds? (I do this with pepper plants)

And feel free to talk about any organic/sustainability practices you used in the process?

Come on veggie gardeners, speak up!!!!

[nachocarl]

Just upgraded to a 16 ft x 7 ft raised bed yesterday! My previous area was 8 ft x 7 ft and only raise about 5 inches. The new bed is raised 1 ft, so now I have fill that sucker! I had a huge yeild of tomatoes, ghost, serrano, and jalepanos last year along with sweet onions.

I've got seeds starting now for:

Tomatoes:

Box Car Willie

Garden Leader Monster

Peppers:

Serrano

Jalepano

Bell

[Xenon]

Currently only have brassicas and salad greens...does anyone like bittermelon? Pest free and grows great in humid heat...

Anyone have any interesting tropical green suggestions?

[MattyB]

We've got some good lettuce, snow peas, and cilantro right now. In summer we grow several different hot and not-so-hot peppers. I've decided to grow tomatoes outside of the vegetable garden for now on. They have such deep roots and love the drip irrigation so much that they get way too huge and take over. They seem to fruit quicker if I keep them drier. Thankfully rabbits won't eat tomatoes so I can just let them go wild wherever. Cilantro too, just let it go wild because it goes to seed so fast you need to have about 20 plants going at all times. Brussel sprouts, beats, onions, we've always got those going. We used to have a big patch of strawberries too but I killed them while trying to rid the garden of bermuda grass last year.

[_Keith]

We've got some good lettuce, snow peas, and cilantro right now. In summer we grow several different hot and not-so-hot peppers. I've decided to grow tomatoes outside of the vegetable garden for now on. They have such deep roots and love the drip irrigation so much that they get way too huge and take over. They seem to fruit quicker if I keep them drier. Thankfully rabbits won't eat tomatoes so I can just let them go wild wherever. Cilantro too, just let it go wild because it goes to seed so fast you need to have about 20 plants going at all times. Brussel sprouts, beats, onions, we've always got those going. We used to have a big patch of strawberries too but I killed them while trying to rid the garden of bermuda grass last year.

Matt, your fruit and vegetable garden photos on FB are very impressive. If you tried, how close would you be to providing 100% of your fruit and vegetable diet solely from the garden, Could you make 100% with minimal additional effort? If not what percentage would it be. Just curious.

[Gonzer]

Tomatoes in warm times and flat-leafed parsley, dill, and basil most of the year. Had 36 jars of San Marzano's canned last year. Before and after the tomatoes go in/go out I utilize the space for my bromeliads.

[MattyB]

We've got some good lettuce, snow peas, and cilantro right now. In summer we grow several different hot and not-so-hot peppers. I've decided to grow tomatoes outside of the vegetable garden for now on. They have such deep roots and love the drip irrigation so much that they get way too huge and take over. They seem to fruit quicker if I keep them drier. Thankfully rabbits won't eat tomatoes so I can just let them go wild wherever. Cilantro too, just let it go wild because it goes to seed so fast you need to have about 20 plants going at all times. Brussel sprouts, beats, onions, we've always got those going. We used to have a big patch of strawberries too but I killed them while trying to rid the garden of bermuda grass last year.

Matt, your fruit and vegetable garden photos on FB are very impressive. If you tried, how close would you be to providing 100% of your fruit and vegetable diet solely from the garden, Could you make 100% with minimal additional effort? If not what percentage would it be. Just curious.

I don't know if we can do 100%. We do probably 60%. I could up it, but I'm kinda lazy when it comes to the veggie garden, that's Jen's deal. I take care of the fruit trees.

[JungleGina]

I started learning how to grow veggies when my job started laying off people during the downturn. There is quite a learning curve and I am still learning! Due to the learning curve, our summer heat/humidity/torrential rain and the bugs, it is always a challenge to grow organic veggies. I have 4 raised beds so I can rotate each season and use the square foot method for intense growing. I am growing a number of lettuces (red oak leaf, bibb, skyphos and more I don't know the name of), chinese cabbage/bok choy/head cabbage, beets, several types of carrots, radishes, kale, cilantro, 3 types of basil, oregano, rosemary, garlic chives and green onions. We also grow yellow cherry tomatoes outside of the beds as the plants get so large and heavy that they break the supports. I like them climbing over other plants for support and Brazilian cloak does the trick well. I interplant with marigolds and nasturtiums for companion benefits, for defeating bugs and attracting pollinators. For sustainable practices, we use hardwood shavings from a neighborhood cabinet maker as a deep litter in the chicken coop, then periodically scoop out all the shavings and put them in the compost pile for the next season's soil. The chickens get fresh greens every morning from the garden.

[cycadjungle]

I had two 5x5 (25 squares each) square foot gardens but I don't think I'm going to have time for those this year. I'm doing hot peppers 12 months a year now and have some plants that have been producing for 4 years now. The hot peppers love growing in July and August, which most vegetables can't handle. Let's see, what am I growing? There are probably a few I'm going to forget,but,

Bhut jolokia,naga morich. All the next are forms of 7 pods, yellow and red brain strain, douglah,primo,yellow 7 pod,and Jonah. Carolina Reapers,yellow and red Fataliis,moruga and butch t scorpions.

The only big organic thing I can add is that used coffee grounds will work well as a systemic on softer plants like vegetables. I mix 10% used coffee grounds when I pot the pepper plant up and then top dress again 5 months later. Keeps them aphid free without spraying. If I forget to add more coffee and get a breakout, I use the coffee as a spray and that takes care of everything. Tom

[Cindy Adair]

We grow lots of basil since we make lots of pesto and eat it over rotini noodles as a main course. In fact, your post reminds me it's time to start some seeds!

Nothing beats home grown tomatoes. A friend grows heirloom varieties and sells or trades starter plants with us. We keep all the basic perennial herbs too.

We used to grow many others, but now usually just shop local organic markets. I hope to grow more when we have more time.

[stevethegator]

I'm trying to get into vegetables but have had a brown thumb (and a cold winter) a of late. I have a raised bed in Atlanta I tried to "square foot" garden with cool season veggies last fall, and I just re-seeded with a lettuce mix, spinach, kale, and baby book choy.

Anyone know of any veggies that grow during tropical summers? I am likely moving to south Florida in a couple months and want to get something started down there. I was thinking peppers, amaranth, some heat tolerant lettuce and MAYBE some Thai melons. My melons got torn to shreds by pickleworms down there last summer but maybe I can control the matter with more timely spraying

[Xenon]

Anyone know of any veggies that grow during tropical summers? I am likely moving to south Florida in a couple months and want to get something started down there. I was thinking peppers, amaranth, some heat tolerant lettuce and MAYBE some Thai melons. My melons got torn to shreds by pickleworms down there last summer but maybe I can control the matter with more timely spraying

Calabash

Luffa

Bittermelon

Seminole Pumpkin

'Suyo Long' Cucumber

Yardlong Bean

Cherry Tomatoes

Eggplant

Okra

Sweet Potato (greens are good steamed/boiled)

Greens:

Basella alba*

Corchorus oliotorus*

Peperomia pellucida (makes good salad)

Alium tuberosum

Ipomea aquatica (best tasting but invasive and probably illegal)

*mucilaginous when cooked

You'd also have a ton of perennial options...check out tropical permaculture.

Edited March 11, 2014 by Xenon

[stevethegator]

Anyone know of any veggies that grow during tropical summers? I am likely moving to south Florida in a couple months and want to get something started down there. I was thinking peppers, amaranth, some heat tolerant lettuce and MAYBE some Thai melons. My melons got torn to shreds by pickleworms down there last summer but maybe I can control the matter with more timely spraying

Calabash

Luffa

Bittermelon

Seminole Pumpkin

'Suyo Long' Cucumber

Yardlong Bean

Cherry Tomatoes

Eggplant

Okra

Sweet Potato (greens are good steamed/boiled)

Greens:

Basella alba*

Corchorus oliotorus*

Peperomia pellucida (makes good salad)

Alium tuberosum

Ipomea aquatica (best tasting but invasive and probably illegal)

*mucilaginous when cooked

You'd also have a ton of perennial options...check out tropical permaculture.

Great list, thank you! Definitely will check out tropical permaculture too

[JungleGina]

I've had so much flooding here on the west coast of FL during the last two summers due to the torrential downpours that my summer gardens have been a bust. If the plants don't drown initially, then they get mildew or bug infestations afterwards. Then I have to hit the farmers markets. My BF has altered the drainage flow over the past year so we'll see what this year brings.

[MattyB]

Today I just planted rosemary, oregano, mint, butternut squash.

[Funkthulhu]

I measured my garden over the weekend; it is obvious to me now that I will need to rent a tiller to expand its dimensions. I have 4 types of Chilies, 3 tomatoes, 2 cucumbers, 2 carrots, Eggplant, watermelon and literally a dozen other various root and leaf vegetables seeds types that I have to cram in there.

My garden only measures 17' x 13'. . . so, yeah, apparently my gardener's eyes are bigger than my stomach.

[_Keith]

I measured my garden over the weekend; it is obvious to me now that I will need to rent a tiller to expand its dimensions. I have 4 types of Chilies, 3 tomatoes, 2 cucumbers, 2 carrots, Eggplant, watermelon and literally a dozen other various root and leaf vegetables seeds types that I have to cram in there.

My garden only measures 17' x 13'. . . so, yeah, apparently my gardener's eyes are bigger than my stomach.

You can produce a whole lot of food out of a 17 x 13 foot garden.

[_Keith]

Cool weather still holding things back here, but I did put my first couple of tomatoes in the ground. Potatoes go next. Some field peas after that. A few hot and a few sweet peppers somewhere. I am continuing to integrate my vegetables into ornamental beds.

[Kim]

Culinary herbs and tomatoes are about as complicated as I care to get in San Diego. In Hawaii there are avocados and pineapples, and often they ripen when I am gone. Prematurely picked pineapple is unsalvageable.

[Funkthulhu]

I measured my garden over the weekend; it is obvious to me now that I will need to rent a tiller to expand its dimensions. I have 4 types of Chilies, 3 tomatoes, 2 cucumbers, 2 carrots, Eggplant, watermelon and literally a dozen other various root and leaf vegetables seeds types that I have to cram in there.

My garden only measures 17' x 13'. . . so, yeah, apparently my gardener's eyes are bigger than my stomach.

You can produce a whole lot of food out of a 17 x 13 foot garden.

Just checked prices on tiller rental, I may just lose a bit more lawn to this and give myself some breathing room...