Garden 2023

[Kathleen]

I planted garlic. Hopefully the third try will be the charm!

 

[pepperhead212]

I brought in my last two fall plants today - the largest lime trees. I didn't want any rain to fall in them, and it is supposed to rain later, plus the temps are supposed to be getting down to freezing soon, so I wheeled those in, plus turned off the water, and drained those pipes out there. All I harvested was the Syrian oregano and marjoram.
Soon, the leaves will start dropping fast around here!
Syrian oregano (thyme scented), one of my herbs that dries well. 10-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Marjoram - only harvested about half of what I did of the Syrian oregano, since I use a lot more of that. 10-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

All 4 plants in today. Might rain later today, and I didn't want those lime trees to get heavier! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

After bringing the lime trees inside, I put some Bt israelensis in the upper layers of each pot (for fungus gnats), then watered them from the bottoms - a total of 2 gal each, and they will suck up more, those went so fast! Those had been drying out quite a while, so I could move them. And I am seeing now it has started raining. Probably won't be enough to wet the ground, but can't take chances!

 

[Meryl]

My non-existent olive harvest, this year. As you can see, only a few olives on the trees, not enough for extra virgin olive oil production .

 

[pepperhead212]

Today, I noticed again that the epazote in the front flowerbed is still growing, after 3 freezing nights (and several close to freezing), and a lot of new growth on both plants. And these are fairly tropical plants! I cut off almost all of the new growth - I just left the rest, with the seeds all over, wo it can become a weed, maybe.
Red Oaxacan epazote, still growing, and no browning, after 3 freezing nights! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Another plant that I can't believe is still living is a volunteer dill plant (started after I pulled up some tomatoes), that has become huge, for a dill, and I keep waiting for it to bolt, to save some seeds, and it's just not bolting! I might dig it up, and put it on the porch, as it is supposed to get down to 24° in a couple of nights - even colder than the other nights, so far.
A very large dill plant, with no hint of bolting, or browning, after freezing 3 times. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I did bring the dill in - I think it must be a volunteer of one of those Tetra that I planted, a while back in the hydroponics, and the roots got so big in the basket I had to break it out. They bolted about the same time as Dukat outside, so this would be a good variation, since this takes longer.
Brought the dill plant inside - I'll save some of the seeds, when it finally bolts. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[larry_stewart]

My volunteer dills usually do better than my intentionally planted dill.

 

[Kathleen]

I never get dill like that!!! So jealous!

 

[taxlady]

I have tried growing dill many times. it always dies. It doesn't even get to the stage of bolting. That's both indoors and outdoors. Maybe I should start it in early spring, outdoors, if Pepper has dill that likes the cold. The ones I have tried to grow really didn't seem to tolerate warm weather.

 

[larry_stewart]

I've found the ones that I plant intentionally like the cooler months. I'll grow them in the spring then again in the late summer. Because dill freezes so well, I grow enough at those two times to cut and freeze. Usually lasts me the whole year. The ones that plant themselves ( dropped seeds or wind-blown from, my hands to where ever, come up when and where they want, and usually thrive and look healthier than the controlled ones.

 

[pepperhead212]

That is sort of like that leaf lettuce, I've been growing for many years, from seeds I save from the plant that produces the latest into the summer, before bolting. The original I saved from an unknown variety from a mix (one of the downfalls of using a mix - something you really like, you might not be able to ID!), and each batch of seeds would have one that would grow later, in hotter weather. This year, I have one that grew into September, before finally bolting, and I'm still waiting for the flowers to dry, to save.

 

[taxlady]

Like Larry, I freeze dill, but in my case, store bought dill. I don't even defrost it before I use it when making gravad laks. The problem is that they aren't any good as garnish when they are frozen. I have a lot of Danish recipes that use fresh dill as garnish.

 

[GotGarlic]

I've been going through some old threads I missed before. Dill is a cool-weather plant - it bolts in the heat. I grow it in the spring and fall, too (except for this crappy year). Has it bolted yet inside the house?

 

[taxlady]

I've been going through some old threads I missed before. Dill is a cool-weather plant - it bolts in the heat. I grow it in the spring and fall, too (except for this crappy year). Has it bolted yet inside the house?

Mine doesn't bolt in the house. It just dies.

 

[pepperhead212]

I have a dill plant in my hydroponics that I just trimmed the day before Christmas, and it's growing into the lights already! This is just 5 stalks (I used 2 already), next to the kale I had to trim. I planted this by seed about 6 weeks ago, and thinned down to the largest plant. Dukat is the best variety I've found to grow indoors, in the hydroponics; Tetra is another variety, that grew humongous, with overgrown roots - it might be good in a large pot, as it also didn't bolt quickly.
Dill and Russian kale, from the hydroponics, trimming 1 of each plant. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Here's the dill, 2 days after trimming, and the kale, which might need trimming soon!
Dill, 12-26, about 6 weeks after planting seeds in hydroponics. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Russian red kale, 2 days after trimming, and growing back. Cilantro and lettuce below - a little smaller. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[larry_stewart]

My best dill grows early spring. I harvest and freeze before all the swallowtails lay their eggs. I still have a bunch scattered throughout the garden during the summer for insects to do what they want with. I find my best growing dill are the ones that are self planted by the wind or my carelessness of dropping them somewhere in ( or around) the garden.

 

[pepperhead212]

Speaking of dill, I went outside today to bring some windowsill jr Earthboxes indoors, before it rains again (which it's been doing lately), and a bunch of the dill has grown back! So I left that out there, next to the leaf lettuce, which I've been using, along with the mizuna - both cut-and-come-again veggies, like most greens I grow. I also have a dill plant on my back porch - a volunteer plant that grew huge, but never bolted (almost all the rest had bolted by then), so I dug it up, and stuck it in a pot, waiting for it to bolt, to save the seeds. I had to look it up, to find it was 11-25 when I brought it inside (on the back porch), and it still hasn't gone to seed, and has two new sections of growth on it.
Dill growing back outside, next to leaf lettuce, due to the warm weather I've had. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Dill, on 12-26, dug up and brought on the back porch on 11-25, waiting for it to bolt, to save seeds, and it won't bolt! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Mizuna and Sirian oregano, brought onto the back porch on 12-26 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here's something that I saw the day before Christmas, and did a double take - my peppermint coming back. All of the mints have died back, even before the several below 30° temps I had here (26° was lowest, so greens weren't bothered), but now the peppermint is coming back.
My mint thinks it's spring! Coming up on 12-24 by pepperhead212, on Flickr