gardening/canning/keeper of secrets friend, Paula just emailed me she's planted 100 tomato plants so we have plenty for our annual Butte Meadows Canning Weekend...am I nutz? do I really need to plant more tomatoes??? Just checked my pantry and I have 277 jars of tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato soup, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, stewed tomatoes, whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Rotel (thanks again Tami) and 8 quarts of dried tomatoes. I wonder just how many jars I canned last year...we eat lots of tomato products weekly...I bet I use at least 4 quarts a week and then the family grabs that much for their home use, too. Holy Moley! I'm gonna' really keep track this year (yeah right...I say that every year)...no really, I've got to keep better records.
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| One of Two Tomato/Chard BioDome Transplant Flats |
Next on my list were the hard-for-me to germinate PEPPERS. This year the good old BioDomes helped me to get 30 nice sturdy plants. I have 3 varieties of Bells, Pablano, Chili, Jalapeno, Paprika and Pimento. I planted more Bell and Pablanos than any other. I use the jalapeno for jelly, so I don't need a bunch, the pimentos I can...I roast/smoke the paprika and grind it up...I let the chilies dry and store them in quart jars. I was able to keep some of my pepper plants into December...producing! With a bit more effort I may be able to have perennial peppers...wouldn't that be something?
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| One of Two Flats of Pepper and Kale |
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| Cabbage Recovering From Chicken Attack |
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| Broccoli For the Dehydrator |
I'm planted peas again this year. Last year I had "pea failure"...I bought an inoculate for this year. I'm planting a carrot in 64 of the cinder block holes...my carrots get so big (yet stay sweet) I need only one per meal! I'm also experimenting with a portable planter made with milk crates. I guess there's a big roof-top garden in New York City using these crates...I thought it was a great idea. And I'm going to post a couple links cause I think this garden/farm is AWESOME...Riverpark Farm.
4 comments:
You wore me out reading, Lynda.
I will have to look into milk crates. Never really thought of it! They have lots of possibilities.
I have some early Amish Paste tomatoes going now, and some Stupice. I have some Jalapenos started and they are tiny and up. I have a real problem starting tomatoes and peppers as I just don't have access to sun and a warm place. I am using very cheap purchased domes with a heat mat, something around $20, but I will tell you that this has worked for me. I will see how they do.
You can food like a crazy woman, but boy, you are enjoying the rewards of the canning, which is what I did this year and did not even realize what I did. I have much and I am so very thankful I did can extras.
Take care and hugs.
Holey Moley?!?
More like "Holy Crap" girl!!!! 277 jars of tomatoes? You could take the year off...but I know you won't.
I still haven't started ANY tomaotes or peppers yet. Staying strong! Two more weeks and THEN I'll start them up.
That's a lot of tomato jars. Wow! We're going to run out of our meager stores before our first new tomato ever arrives. Enjoy!
I am not saying a word about how many tomatoes you plant LOL I am up past 150 seedlings now LOL.. well one can never have to many tomatoes!
My peppers have proven to be a tough germination this year! Some years they do better than others, this year my rates are down.
So what do you do to grow nice cabbages. I struggle with them here. Mine are slow to grow and the heads never get real big like my grandmas, of course she was growing them in the ozark mountains, I am growing them in Hades umm I mean Texas lol
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