What else should I get?

[ninny]

Am i missing tomatoes on that list or do you just not eat/grow those? I just can't imagine a garden without them

I really don't eat them just use them for things sauces and stuff. I'll be buying what I need as plants. I've tried to grow them and they just dye. It's a big family joke now.

Maybe we can help you learn to start those yourself if you're willing. I used to couldn't get them to grow to save my life, but after learning the proper way, i am having great success and have found them quite easy!! Just let me know if you'd like some pointers The darn things are expensive to buy!

You mean it can really be possible?! Please!!


moolie Yes between my mom, friend and I we should have all bases covered. Here's a couple more questions if no one minds. I am ordering from Baker's Creek

What paste type tomatoes should I get (and one for salsa please)?
The tomatoe wisdom i'm hoping to absorb will it work for peppers?
What beans are the closest to kidney and black beans?
Can you grow berries(other then strawberries)in pallets?

 

[pinkfox]

wouldnt try growing larger berries in pallets, they need alot more root space (and will eward you by continully comming back year after year assuming you prune correctly...(ive found most other than the dwarf blueberries dont do well in planters of any kind) but they can easily be grown along fences which can be used to stake he vines ect if space is an issue (il be growing mine up fences)

right now my favorite paste tomatoe isamish paste, but im trying a couple of other types this year...i may stil order a bag of amish paste seeds though.
for salsa a good meaty type will work well, somehting like a brandywine, or anything in the "meaty" type (to lessen seed/goo waste)

mygarden is pretty basic, i grow what i or my critters like to eat so that means lots of tomatoes and sweer pepers, garlic, carrots, onions, beets, peas, bens and various lettuces an leafy greens.

ill be working up to grains but right now thats looking like a next year project as i need to build raised beds due to living on pretty much pure clay lol it would cost ore to ammend wht i have right now than simply build up lol.
but im hopign to add some pigs to help me with that problem lol.

 

[Wannabefree]

I really don't eat them just use them for things sauces and stuff. I'll be buying what I need as plants. I've tried to grow them and they just dye. It's a big family joke now.

Maybe we can help you learn to start those yourself if you're willing. I used to couldn't get them to grow to save my life, but after learning the proper way, i am having great success and have found them quite easy!! Just let me know if you'd like some pointers The darn things are expensive to buy!

You mean it can really be possible?! Please!!


moolie Yes between my mom, friend and I we should have all bases covered. Here's a couple more questions if no one minds. I am ordering from Baker's Creek

What paste type tomatoes should I get (and one for salsa please)?
The tomatoe wisdom i'm hoping to absorb will it work for peppers?
What beans are the closest to kidney and black beans?
Can you grow berries(other then strawberries)in pallets?

YES it is really possible, I promise! And, yes it will work for peppers as well.

First you want to get seeds, pots, and growing medium. The growing medium can be purchased seed starter mix, which is what I use(still way cheaper than buying plants!). Then you will need a grow light and a small space you can dedicate to plants for 8 weeks prior to transplanting. THE MOST IMPORTANT part of growing them is keeping that light within an inch of the tops of your plants so that they get enough light to grow properly. Don't overwater, and do keep a check on them every few days at a minimum to make sure they are growing and healthy looking. I use a regular fluorescent light over mine, and they are doing great. You want to make sure you start them about 6 weeks before your last frost date, and be able to set them out at 8 weeks old. Peppers are pretty much exactly the same, except you start those about 4 weeks later since they require warmer temps at the time of setting them out. Make sure you harden them all off before setting them out by gradually gettting them used to being outdoors, starting with a few hours a day.

 

[Emerald]

My favorite paste tomatoes from Baker Creek are Opalka and Purple Russian. Purple Russian tends to set more fruit than the Opalka but the Opalka had dryer meatier flesh. both did well in my area here in Michigan. The Purple Russian isn't quite as dark as other purple tomatoes and it makes a deep red sauce and it is good eating out of hand nice rich flavor and the Opalka has fabulous flavor and very small seed cavities.
I had poor luck with Amish paste here. I also had poor luck with Jersey Devil too. both set okay but were long to ripen and by the time they ripened the plants were suffering from blight to the point that many of the fruits rotted on me.
I want to tell you that it just takes some time of trying different paste tomatoes(or any other tomatoes) to see what really works for you. What works well for me may not work for you and visa versa, I try new ones all the time.. This year I'm trying a paste called Rio Grand it is a Roma shaped tomato. I'll let everyone know how it did here.

 

[moolie]

Cindi's advice on starting tomatoes and peppers is spot-on

Don't stress, don't start too early or too late, and just keep them happy with lots of light I also use seed starting mix, what I buy is about $4 for enough soil for 4 flats of 12 plastic SOLO type drink cups (10 or 12 oz size). Most tomato plants can stay in that size cup till hardening off (slowly getting the plants ready to be outdoors) and planting out, which for me is the first week of June (I plant my seeds around Easter or the last week of March).

For paste tomato varieties, my faves have been Sheboygan (heirloom paste tomato) and Roma VF--I use roma types for sauce as well as salsa, but will mix other types into my salsa as well, particularly Early Girl and yellow types. DON'T make sauce out of the purple or green striped or other weird coloured variety tomatoes or no one will eat it! Yellow tomatoes will be fine as long as they are not more than 30% of your sauce.

One other comment about tomatoes--once you get them planted out, be sure they get the right nutrients and consistent water. Lack of calcium in the soil (can add bonemeal or crushed egg shells at time of planting and as a side dressing halfway through the season) or inconsistent watering (drooping plants) will contribute to blossom end rot (black bottoms on your tomatoes) and you can't use those tomatoes for canning.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Cindi's advice on starting tomatoes and peppers is spot-on

Don't stress, don't start too early or too late, and just keep them happy with lots of light I also use seed starting mix, what I buy is about $4 for enough soil for 4 flats of 12 plastic SOLO type drink cups (10 or 12 oz size). Most tomato plants can stay in that size cup till hardening off (slowly getting the plants ready to be outdoors) and planting out, which for me is the first week of June (I plant my seeds around Easter or the last week of March).

For paste tomato varieties, my faves have been Sheboygan (heirloom paste tomato) and Roma VF--I use roma types for sauce as well as salsa, but will mix other types into my salsa as well, particularly Early Girl and yellow types. DON'T make sauce out of the purple or green striped or other weird coloured variety tomatoes or no one will eat it! Yellow tomatoes will be fine as long as they are not more than 30% of your sauce.

One other comment about tomatoes--once you get them planted out, be sure they get the right nutrients and consistent water. Lack of calcium in the soil (can add bonemeal or crushed egg shells at time of planting and as a side dressing halfway through the season) or inconsistent watering (drooping plants) will contribute to blossom end rot (black bottoms on your tomatoes) and you can't use those tomatoes for canning.

Never heard that one before, we always just trim that part off and continue as normal. Never had an issue with it.

 

[ninny]

Do they need the light? I was hoping I could just put them in the sun room with the space heater on. I'm guessing this is how I killed the rest of them.

 

[Emerald]

Cindi's advice on starting tomatoes and peppers is spot-on

Don't stress, don't start too early or too late, and just keep them happy with lots of light I also use seed starting mix, what I buy is about $4 for enough soil for 4 flats of 12 plastic SOLO type drink cups (10 or 12 oz size). Most tomato plants can stay in that size cup till hardening off (slowly getting the plants ready to be outdoors) and planting out, which for me is the first week of June (I plant my seeds around Easter or the last week of March).

For paste tomato varieties, my faves have been Sheboygan (heirloom paste tomato) and Roma VF--I use roma types for sauce as well as salsa, but will mix other types into my salsa as well, particularly Early Girl and yellow types. DON'T make sauce out of the purple or green striped or other weird coloured variety tomatoes or no one will eat it! Yellow tomatoes will be fine as long as they are not more than 30% of your sauce.

One other comment about tomatoes--once you get them planted out, be sure they get the right nutrients and consistent water. Lack of calcium in the soil (can add bonemeal or crushed egg shells at time of planting and as a side dressing halfway through the season) or inconsistent watering (drooping plants) will contribute to blossom end rot (black bottoms on your tomatoes) and you can't use those tomatoes for canning.

Never heard that one before, we always just trim that part off and continue as normal. Never had an issue with it.

There are also new studies that say that lack of cal is not the reason for blossom end rot. I get a few that will have that problem but it is due to the spent bloom not falling off and holding water(just something I've observed over the years on pointy ended tomatoes in my area). I spend way too much time out in the garden checking the tomatoes and I pull the little spent blooms off now and have not really had BER in a long time.
I often can with all my tomatoes and cut any offending areas out-sniff the rest(cuz bad tomato you can really smell ) if it passes the sniff test it goes in the pot if not it goes out to the compost.

ETA: here is Dr. Carolyns report on BER- http://www.vintageveggies.com/information/carolyn_ber.html

 

[desertcat]

Emerald,
Let me know what you think about the Rio Grands. I tried them last year and the mockingbirds thought they were great...didn't leave me a single one! Was going to try them again, but decided to go with more beans and fewer varieties of tomatoes.

 

[ninny]

I love hearing about everyone's favorite. Please keep sharing.