The Endzone Garden Thread

#1,977
#1,977
VolNExile said:
I visited their seed store in Petaluma (CA) about 10 years ago. I was one of those "hitch this place up to the truck and go" moments.
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I'd love to visit. The main site and big stuff is in Missouri. They have tulip festivals, spring planting festivals, fall harvest festivals. They added an eatery, garden to table from what they grow. All kinds of other stuff they show in their catlog that you don't see on the website currently.

My ultimate set up would be a self sustaining home place. Got the space and natural layout for it. Was just too old when I got here permanently. At 57 now, not sure I want to embark on it. Would be easier if I had a tractor and a few things. I'm chain sawing the overgrowth on the old original garden side of the house, but it's slow. I'd put in a greenhouse, fountain, gazebo relaxation type garden, raised beds for flowers and veggies, etc. Some orchard trees. Already got the big garden on the other side. Would like to do the whole chicken thing stuff, but who would care for it when we go see the babies and stuff. Neighbor keeps cows down at my brother's so putting in my own calf for beef would be no issue. That's probably happening in the next year anyway. Finally hooked up to the city water meter recently when the well pump failed. Wasn't but a few hundred more than fixing the well since it was a submersible pump. So, we got water now when power goes out. Revamping the fireplace and installing a house generator are in the near future plans. If I get to some dispensible funds in the next year or so, I may bring the well back online so I can put a splitter coming in the house and switch between the two at will.
 
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#1,978
#1,978
GVF said:
I'd love to visit. The main site and big stuff is in Missouri. They have tulip festivals, spring planting festivals, fall harvest festivals. They added an eatery, garden to table from what they grow. All kinds of other stuff they show in their catlog that you don't see on the website currently.

My ultimate set up would be a self sustaining home place. Got the space and natural layout for it. Was just too old when I got here permanently. At 57 now, not sure I want to embark on it. Would be easier if I had a tractor and a few things. I'm chain sawing the overgrowth on the old original garden side of the house, but it's slow. I'd put in a greenhouse, fountain, gazebo relaxation type garden, raised beds for flowers and veggies, etc. Some orchard trees. Already got the big garden on the other side. Would like to do the whole chicken thing stuff, but who would care for it when we go see the babies and stuff. Neighbor keeps cows down at my brother's so putting in my own calf for beef would be no issue. That's probably happening in the next year anyway. Finally hooked up to the city water meter recently when the well pump failed. Wasn't but a few hundred more than fixing the well since it was a submersible pump. So, we got water now when power goes out. Revamping the fireplace and installing a house generator are in the near future plans. If I get to some dispensible funds in the next year or so, I may bring the well back online so I can put a splitter coming in the house and switch between the two at will.
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This sounds wonderful. And you don’t have to be 100% off the grid to have still gained a good measure of independence.
 
#1,981
#1,981
Anyone here have any recommendations for a green (when ripe) tomato? I'm allowing myself one more plant!

So far, I'm looking at Cherokee Green, Aunt Ruby's German Green (although apparently not really productive), Green Giant, Spear's Tennessee Green. Looking for one with fruits typically 8-16 oz. Indeterminate or determinate.
 
#1,982
#1,982
VolNExile said:
Anyone here have any recommendations for a green (when ripe) tomato? I'm allowing myself one more plant!

So far, I'm looking at Cherokee Green, Aunt Ruby's German Green (although apparently not really productive), Green Giant, Spear's Tennessee Green. Looking for one with fruits typically 8-16 oz. Indeterminate or determinate.
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Well, since you asked...Ananas Noir (aka Black Pineapple). Best place to get the plant is heirloomtomatoplants.com. Or you can buy seed and start it. I grew it in 2021, and it did not disappoint in flavor.
1671203296277.png
 
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#1,983
#1,983
GVF said:
Well, since you asked...Ananas Noir (aka Black Pineapple). Best place to get the plant is heirloomtomatoplants.com. Or you can buy seed and start it. I grew it in 2021, and it did not disappoint in flavor.
View attachment 524267
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Nice! How is it for disease-resistance? I’ll be amping up the straw again this year, but this side of the mountains is like a corridor for all the Florida blights and viruses.
 
#1,985
#1,985
VolNExile said:
Nice! How is it for disease-resistance? I’ll be amping up the straw again this year, but this side of the mountains is like a corridor for all the Florida blights and viruses.
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I don't recall having trouble with it. I believe it was pretty hardy. But, overall none of my tomatoes grew as good in 2021 as they did in 2022, so in a good year I'd expect it to do very well.

I have had great luck so far with dwarf tomato plants. Purple Reign was mind blowing good eating. Tomatofest carries the seeds fro Dwarf Tomato Project. I see they have a green dwarf now...Dwarf Beryl Beauty...4 ft heavy stalked plant. You should try a dwarf. You should be pleased.

other greens to look at that are disease resistant. Esmeralda Golosina, Summertime Green (dwarf), in addition to the ones you already mentioned.
 
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#1,986
#1,986
VolNExile said:
Nice! How is it for disease-resistance? I’ll be amping up the straw again this year, but this side of the mountains is like a corridor for all the Florida blights and viruses.
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Now, if you want to try a red grape variety that totally went ape s*** for me this year try A Grappoli d'Inverno. OMG, they just kept coming, and had really good flavor. Italian grape variety. And the Peachy tomato. Wasn't as big a fruit as I was expecting, but it outperformed the red grape. Great flavor, and adds a great color to your canned jars.
 
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#1,987
#1,987
Toucan Sam said:
Do you like to grow Bell Peppers? They are tasty when pan roasted.
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I’ve grown regular bells, and it just seemed like they tied up a lot of space in my tiny garden to finally start producing in late August or something.

I’ve put them on my “buy at the store” list, and now I grow Jimmy Nardellos, Italian sweet cooking peppers. No heat, but a built-in smokiness and deep flavor that are just amazing.
1671214094834.jpeg
 
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#1,988
#1,988
VolNExile said:
I’ve grown regular bells, and it just seemed like they tied up a lot of space in my tiny garden to finally start producing in late August or something.

I’ve put them on my “buy at the store” list, and now I grow Jimmy Nardellos, Italian sweet cooking peppers. No heat, but a built-in smokiness and deep flavor that are just amazing.
View attachment 524329
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Those look delicious. Especially when pan roasted.
 
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#1,991
#1,991
Fourteen pepper seeds in cups on the heating pad - long sweet peppers, pablano, red & orange bells. Twelve tomato seeds in cups - Cherokee purple, San Marzano, beefsteak, mutant cherry. All are placed in front of south facing windows which average 6+ hours of direct sunlight.
 
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#1,992
#1,992
Tin Man said:
Fourteen pepper seeds in cups on the heating pad - long sweet peppers, pablano, red & orange bells. Twelve tomato seeds in cups - Cherokee purple, San Marzano, beefsteak, mutant cherry. All are placed in front of south facing windows which average 6+ hours of direct sunlight.
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Whoa, you’re starting early this year! 👍🏻
 
#1,997
#1,997
82_VOL_83 said:
@VolNExile I've been drooling over my Johnny's seed catalog.

One thing I noticed is that a lot of their stuff are their own hybrids.
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I'm ordering a ?tomato (I think) from them that they bred along with NC State (my overlord for Extension Master Gardener stuff.)

I still have mostly heirlooms, but I have (I think) three hybrids just for disease resistance and whatnot.

Edit: yes, I ordered seeds for 'Citrine' as a possible replacement for SunGold. I love SunGold, omg the flavor, but I had horrible problems with splitting the latter half of the season last year due to the crazy rainfall patters. lol, I don't think we ever got SunGold into the house. We just ate them straight off the plants.

Citrine - Organic (F1) Tomato Seed | Johnny's Selected Seeds
 
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#1,998
#1,998
SlipKidVol said:
I usually buy my tomatoes and cucumber plants at Crabtree Farms in Chattanooga, but this year I'm starting seeds. I need suggestions for best place to purchase seeds online (or local)
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You'll get lots of recommendations, all very personalized.

Have fun seed-starting! I'm about to dust off the lights and the heat mats myself. Note: for tomatoes (and peppers and other high-summer heat-lovers), start seeds on heat and keep the seedlings on heat, or they'll just sit there and look at you. Start your cukes in peat pots or other biodegradable containers - their roots are delicate, and they "resent" transplanting from a hard-sided plastic seed tray.

I order mostly from:
Sow True Seeds (local peeps)
Botanical Interests (best seed packets for information, hands down)
Johnny's Selected Seeds (pricey but great quality and variety - they grow for the market garden industry, so if all you want of a particular variety is one seed packet, order early, or you'll have to wait until they've filled orders from commercial growers. Unless you want 500 vines of the same tomato plant,etc.)
Baker Creek Rare Heirloom Seeds (free shipping! wide range of heirloom plant seeds)

When I can't find a particular seed I'm looking for from the first four, I order from:
Totally Tomatoes (not my first go-to, but they carry quite a variety, and I've found seeds there that I couldn't find elsewhere)
Urban Farmer (ordered from them for the first time this year - nice selection, great customer service, but you really have to smack them down to keep them from emailing you to death)

edited to clean up the comment on ordering from Johnny's
 
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