The Gardening Thread

#326
#326
Here in the western NC mountains, the air temps are ok by mid-April or so, but the soil (seems like no one ever thinks to check the soil temperature!) is too cold for tomatoes, peppers, beans, etc until nearly June. So I start plants inside, on heat and under lights, until they have some serious size on them. I’m going to transplant in early May. They won’t die from the cold soil, but they’ll just sit there for several weeks, so I’ll put black plastic around them to warm the soil.

Asheville is actually a bit south of Knoxville, but it’s over a thousand feet higher in elevation, and it definitely makes a difference. We just recently moved from USDA Zone 6b to 7a (sadly, IMO.)

I’ve already planted peas and potatoes, and will set out onion seedlings when they have some size on them, probably towards the end of April.
 
  • Like
Reactions: norrislakevol and CagleMtnVol
#327
#327
VolNExile said:
Here in the western NC mountains, the air temps are ok by mid-April or so, but the soil (seems like no one ever thinks to check the soil temperature!) is too cold for tomatoes, peppers, beans, etc until nearly June. So I start plants inside, on heat and under lights, until they have some serious size on them. I’m going to transplant in early May. They won’t die from the cold soil, but they’ll just sit there for several weeks, so I’ll put black plastic around them to warm the soil.

Asheville is actually a bit south of Knoxville, but it’s over a thousand feet higher in elevation, and it definitely makes a difference. We just recently moved from USDA Zone 6b to 7a (sadly, IMO.)

I’ve already planted peas and potatoes, and will set out onion seedlings when they have some size on them, probably towards the end of April.
Click to expand...

You excercise great restraint for someone who has raised beds already prepped and waiting.
 
  • Like
Reactions: norrislakevol and VolNExile
#328
#328
GVF said:
You excercise great restraint for someone who has raised beds already prepped and waiting.
Click to expand...
Soil temp is soil temp. Just because soil is workable doesn’t mean it’s warm.

The usual advice to set out tomato transplants is to wait until Mother’s Day. I’ve tried planting early. It’s a real thing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: norrislakevol
#329
#329
VolNExile said:
Soil temp is soil temp. Just because soil is workable doesn’t mean it’s warm.

The usual advice to set out tomato transplants is to wait until Mother’s Day. I’ve tried planting early. It’s a real thing.
Click to expand...

Yep. I will be more patient this year on the maters. I seeded in 3" pots and will move to 5" if necessary. I have an early alaskan sweet corn I could go ahead and sow. Yukon Chief. It's takes to cooler soil temps and matures in under 60. Basically a dwarf corn. Stalks cap out around 4 feet but not over 5.
 
  • Like
Reactions: norrislakevol and VolNExile
#331
#331
Lived in Ooltewah for many years. No need to get in a hurry. Plant tomato plants April 20 to 30 depending on the 10 day weather forcast. Plant pepper plants in May. Plant okra seed mid may. If too cool the seed will rot in the ground. As someone else mentioned you can start it indoors.
Things tend to catch up.
Ooltewah is one of the warmest places in E TN.
 
  • Like
Reactions: norrislakevol, walkenvol and VolNExile
#332
#332
VolNExile said:
Soil temp is soil temp. Just because soil is workable doesn’t mean it’s warm.

The usual advice to set out tomato transplants is to wait until Mother’s Day. I’ve tried planting early. It’s a real thing.
Click to expand...
I’ve experienced the same planting early. Anyone have any experience with black plastic, etc to warm the soil? I’ve read of making clear plastic tents over rows to protect young plants but does that heat the soil? I’m so looking forward to some fresh produce and would like to speed the process up a few weeks if possible
 
#333
#333
walkenvol said:
I’ve experienced the same planting early. Anyone have any experience with black plastic, etc to warm the soil? I’ve read of making clear plastic tents over rows to protect young plants but does that heat the soil? I’m so looking forward to some fresh produce and would like to speed the process up a few weeks if possible
Click to expand...
No experience, but my plan is to put black plastic over the soil three weeks before planting, and leave it in place afterwards until late May-early June.

If it works, I’ll probably be questioning this idea in August when I’m buried in tomatoes!
 
#334
#334
VolNExile said:
No experience, but my plan is to put black plastic over the soil three weeks before planting, and leave it in place afterwards until late May-early June.

If it works, I’ll probably be questioning this idea in August when I’m buried in tomatoes!
Click to expand...
If I was in your neck of the woods I'd almost certainly give it a try.
"When I was younger I used to can .............."
Too many wonderful varieties to not plant too many though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VolNExile
#335
#335
Go aeiou said:
"When I was younger I used to can .............."
Too many wonderful varieties to not plant too many though.
Click to expand...
I'm up to 13 varieties. For 2 people.
cray.gif


--I hope to keep the local food bank happy!
 
  • Like
Reactions: norrislakevol
#336
#336
Go aeiou said:
Lived in Ooltewah for many years. No need to get in a hurry. Plant tomato plants April 20 to 30 depending on the 10 day weather forcast. Plant pepper plants in May. Plant okra seed mid may. If too cool the seed will rot in the ground. As someone else mentioned you can start it indoors.
Things tend to catch up.
Ooltewah is one of the warmest places in E TN.
Click to expand...
I'm in Catoosa county,I wait until April 15th then check forcast
 
  • Like
Reactions: Go aeiou, norrislakevol and VolNExile
#338
#338
A few things I have learned over the last three years (you never stop learning)

1a) Root crops are happy in the ground, that is where they belong. Carrots will though, get a little tougher and lose flavor if you leave this biennial in the ground (growing) for too long. I raised Danvers last year, pulled them in late June, put them in the fridge and just used up my last ones two weeks ago. Excellent keepers. I stored onions under ground all winter long last year and they were fantastic when I dug them up in March.

1b) You only need to buy seed potatoes one time if you do it right. As I said earlier, root crops are happy in the ground in general (radishes are one exception....pull them when they are ready). Leave your potatoes you don't eat in the ground until you need them. Leave them in the rows, or dig a potato clamp. Outside of the ground or outside a good root cellar they will dry out and sprout. You can plant potatoes in November, December, or January. They will sit there and begin to develop roots, but will not emerge from the ground until the soil temperature is right in April.

2) Besides Potatoes, as some have eluded to, it is a waste of time to plant too early. The plants just struggle, or you may even end up having to replant. I generally start my first batch of tomatoes from seed directly in the garden where I want them in mid April. They come up, struggle for a bit and then take off when warmer weather comes in May. You don't get tomatoes any earlier in general by planting early.

3) Okra. Last year, my okra didn't come up very well at all. I had about 20 plants come up, with some spread up to 2 feet apart. I decided to roll with that and see how the extra spacing would do as far as yield. The results were fantastic. The plants that were about 2 feet apart got massive and continually produced large, tender pods. Since the pods grew so fast they had little time to get tough, and I had tender pods over 10 inches long at times. Another great benefit to the larger, healthier okra plants was that the multiple, larger leaves on the plants aided greatly with weed control. I put straw down one time and never had to pull a weed anywhere near the plants. This year, my plants will all be spaced at least 18 inches apart. Will plant in hills and thin to the strongest one in each hill.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Go aeiou, walkenvol and VolNExile
#339
#339
@norrislakevol and everyone else:

Have any of you grown Baby Bubba hybrid okra? It’s container size (“only” 3-4 feet.) — or any other okra in containers, for that matter.

I’ve never grown okra (not a huge fan), but Hubs has requested it for pickling, and once I remembered that pickled okra is a traditional garnish for Bloody Mary’s, I said, sure, why not!

I had a hard time finding smaller okra online, but I stumbled across this at a big box store:

Okra, Baby Bubba Hybrid
 
#341
#341
VolNExile said:
@norrislakevol and everyone else:

Have any of you grown Baby Bubba hybrid okra? It’s container size (“only” 3-4 feet.) — or any other okra in containers, for that matter.

I’ve never grown okra (not a huge fan), but Hubs has requested it for pickling, and once I remembered that pickled okra is a traditional garnish for Bloody Mary’s, I said, sure, why not!

I had a hard time finding smaller okra online, but I stumbled across this at a big box store:

Okra, Baby Bubba Hybrid
Click to expand...

I have raised Red Okra and Clemson spineless. I am not familiar with the breed you mention, though I would just raise Clemson spinless if I were you since you can simply pick the young, tender okra pods at 3 to 4 inches in length which is perfect for pickling. Clemson spinless will not irritate your arms and such as bad either when harvesting. Clemson spinless is also open pollinated so you can save your seeds.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Go aeiou, CagleMtnVol, Tin Man and 1 other person
#342
#342
norrislakevol said:
I have raised Red Okra and Clemson spineless. I am not familiar with the breed you mention, though I would just raise Clemson spinless if I were you since you can simply pick the young, tender okra pods at 3 to 4 inches in length which is perfect for pickling. Clemson spinless will not irritate your arms and such as bad either when harvesting. Clemson spinless is also open pollinated so you can save your seeds.
Click to expand...
I should have mentioned - there’s no space left in the garden for a full sized okra. It’s a container or nuthin’.
 
  • Like
Reactions: norrislakevol
#346
#346
VolNExile said:
No experience, but my plan is to put black plastic over the soil three weeks before planting, and leave it in place afterwards until late May-early June.

If it works, I’ll probably be questioning this idea in August when I’m buried in tomatoes!
Click to expand...
The black plastic works.
We ended up with so many that we were breaking into neighbors cars and leaving veggies
 
  • Like
Reactions: GVF and VolNExile
#348
#348
VolNExile said:
I'm up to 13 varieties. For 2 people.
cray.gif


--I hope to keep the local food bank happy!
Click to expand...

I've got 10 different maters in seed cups, for basically just me. My wife will eat them, but only the low acid "sweet" varieties. She likes the cherries, and the tomato pie. My primary interest in heirloom tomatoes is for flavorful tomato sammies, and tomato pies. I have not planted a commercial hybrid in quite some time. But, if I did it would be Better Boys. And maybe a Rutgers to go with it. But, I will also blend all those together for some good jars of diced maters, and marinara suace.
 
  • Like
Reactions: walkenvol and VolNExile
#350
#350
VolNExile said:
@norrislakevol and everyone else:

Have any of you grown Baby Bubba hybrid okra? It’s container size (“only” 3-4 feet.) — or any other okra in containers, for that matter.

I’ve never grown okra (not a huge fan), but Hubs has requested it for pickling, and once I remembered that pickled okra is a traditional garnish for Bloody Mary’s, I said, sure, why not!

I had a hard time finding smaller okra online, but I stumbled across this at a big box store:

Okra, Baby Bubba Hybrid
Click to expand...

Have not tried a dwarf okra yet. My okra success is hit and miss. I am ditching the clemson spineless this year and trying a couple different varieties as well as two ornamental and supposedly fantastic tasting okras.

But, in addition to the Baby Bubba...Blondy, Red Velevet, and Cajun Delight all cap around 4 feet for container growing. Burpee or True Leaf Seeds seems to have all of these varieties.


I have some Star of David seed, but elected not to plant. I did seed Louisiana Long, Heavy Hitter, Okinawa Pink, and Jing Orange. I will slice and freeze for fried okra. We love it. But, I will alaso bread and skillet sautee with the fresh breaded tomatoes. Best side dish ever. It will convert non-okra folks. I have finally discovered pickled okra as well.

Just an FYI for okra enthusiests:
If you have not tried Lousiana Long (16 inch pod), I am trying it because it is pickable up to 16" and is said to remain super tender even out to over 10, giving you a grace period to pick pods and still get a knife thru them for slicing up.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: VolNExile
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top