Nearly that time again.

[CWS4322]

I LOVE open-faced tomato sandwiches--a sun-kissed Brandywine tomato sliced, homemade mayo, fresh basil (or sage or tarragon), some green onion, sea salt and pepper...on a thick slice of "farmer's" brown bread...yum.

BTW, leeks are easy to grow, they just take a long time. We start ours in January here in SE Ontario. I like to grow them because they are (a) so versatile, and (b) so frigging expensive to buy (but so easy and inexpensive to grow). I sautee them and freeze them for later (in late fall). I've also had leeks overwinter, so that's always nice.

 

[Kathleen]

I LOVE open-faced tomato sandwiches--a sun-kissed Brandywine tomato sliced, homemade mayo, fresh basil (or sage or tarragon), some green onion, sea salt and pepper...on a thick slice of "farmer's" brown bread...yum.

BTW, leeks are easy to grow, they just take a long time. We start ours in January here in SE Ontario. I like to grow them because they are (a) so versatile, and (b) so frigging expensive to buy (but so easy and inexpensive to grow). I sautee them and freeze them for later (in late fall). I've also had leeks overwinter, so that's always nice.

When you "overwinter", what does it mean exactly and what do you do? I'm learning.

 

[DaveSoMD]

When you "overwinter", what does it mean exactly and what do you do? I'm learning.

Overwinter is when you leave them in the ground "over the winter" and they either keep growing, go dormant and start back up when the weather starts to turn back from winter to spring.

Down here I can overwinter carrots, sometime beets, chard, cabbage and occasionally spinach (depending on how cold we get and how long is lasts.)

 

[FrankZ]

@ PF - I will. I'm sure Frank will too, but he doesn't realize it yet!!!!

Eh? What now?

 

[DaveSoMD]

Eh? What now?

You're in for it now Frank....

 

[FrankZ]

I never wanted to be a farmer.

I bet the city won't let us raise pigs there...

 

[DaveSoMD]

I never wanted to be a farmer.

I bet the city won't let us raise pigs there...

Not even a pygmy one? Well maybe a goat?

 

[joesfolk]

Kathleen, that is the most beautiful community garden I have ever seen. We have one near us but it is no where near as losvely as that.
A bit of advice:
It is much easier to start your garden from plants than from seeds. Of course some things must be started from seeds. But go to your garden center and look around. You can get tomatoe plants, peppers, cabbage, well a lot of stuff already started for you. You just have to transplant them. These plants are of course more expensive than growing from seeds but we find them more reliable.

Also, be careful at the garden center. It is easy to go overboard there.

When planting seeds stagger your crops across a few weeks so that you don't get three tons of green beans ripe all at once.

I find that it is best to plan a particular day each week to tend the garden. That way I don't get lazy and say "Oh, I can do it tomorrow" which results in a weed infested patch.

Buy a hat with a big wide brim and wear it. It is easy to underestimate how long you are spending in the sun.

There is nothing more fun than going out to the garden and finding a whole row of tiny plants popping their heads up out of the soil. Enjoy.

 

[Kayelle]

I'm so happy for you Kathleen. Dare I ask if you could put yourself on waiting list there for another plot where you could (wait for it Frank) have some chickens???

We don't have much room here either, but Steve planted two good size tomato plants today. Last summer was my first time for home grown tomatoes, and we had about 150 delicious tomatoes from just two plants. They sure will spoil you fast and we've been talking about them for months. I can't wait for the first BLT of the season. You'll have a ball Kathleen.....I wish I had more room.

 

[joesfolk]

but Steve planted two good size tomato plants today.

Okay, sometimes life is so unfair. We can't even begin to think about planting until May15 at the earliest. I love where I live but the older I get the more I dream about moving somewhere warm. Lately winter just seems like a trial you have to get through till you can enjoy summer again. On the other hand, I still have two months in which to fantasize about the lush jungle like garden before I have to begin to face the realities of blossom end rot and tomatoe horn worm.
Oh, Kathleen just in case, maybe you had better Goodgle an image of a tomatoe horn worm. Coming across one unprepared can be a frightening experience. But most other things about gardening are a pleasure.

 

[Kayelle]

OMG.......I forgot about the horny worm.

Actually I never saw one on my tomato plants last year, but I remember them as a kid on my mom's plants.........ickkkkkkky

 

[taxlady]

OMG.......I forgot about the horny worm.

Actually I never saw one on my tomato plants last year, but I remember them as a kid on my mom's plants.........ickkkkkkky

I grew up in Southern California. My mum was from Denmark. She grew tomatoes and I think there were some other plants. She quit vegetable gardening when she met a bunch of horn worms on her tomatoes. I don't think she knew such things existed. I thought they were nifty. I was about 4.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Eh? What now?

I'm the worm in your apple.

 

[spork]

So, like I'm thinking of maybe finding a nearby plot to lease. Not so much for a harvest of true tomatoes, but for a crop of horny worms with which to make girls scream. I'm afraid to ask what the heck, and can you post a pic.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

These made a visit last year

 

[DaveSoMD]

And if you find one get rid of it immediately. Where there is one there are more and they will just destroy your tomato plants.

 

[Claire]

Another easy-to-grow, but expensive-to-buy is shallots. And they will winter over. For you southerners, the season is over, but next fall plant brocolli and brussels sprouts and have a crop all winter. In mid-winter I would put in a crop of onion sets, use as green onions all summer (thinning them), then actually have fresh onions the next year.

 

[CWS4322]

Another easy-to-grow, but expensive-to-buy is shallots. And they will winter over. For you southerners, the season is over, but next fall plant brocolli and brussels sprouts and have a crop all winter. In mid-winter I would put in a crop of onion sets, use as green onions all summer (thinning them), then actually have fresh onions the next year.

I second that (re: shallots). I planted a lot of red onions and shallots last summer (more than usual). I ran out of shallots and onions about the beginning of February. I'm planting more this year <g>. If you have a small area, you might consider growing those things that are not readily available at a U-pick or Farmer's market. I used to get my tomatoes for salsa at a U-pick (when we both worked full-time) and would grow the peppers, tomatillos, onions, cilantro for the salsa instead of taking up the limited real estate we had at the time with that many tomatoes (I did grow tomatoes, but not enough for the amount of salsa we liked to make). The advantage of going to a U-pick is you can get ALL your tomatoes/cukes/beans at one time and go wild processing them over a weekend. Disadvantage, you don't get to walk out to the garden and pick a couple for dinner (or lunch or breakfast).

I only plant potatoes because I think they are so fun to harvest and because I can plant varieties that cost an arm and a leg in the store. I don't plant "basic" varieties--you can buy them for less than you can buy the seed potatoes.

 

[bethzaring]

So, like I'm thinking of maybe finding a nearby plot to lease. Not so much for a harvest of true tomatoes, but for a crop of horny worms with which to make girls scream. I'm afraid to ask what the heck, and can you post a pic.

Not a very good photo of the hornworm, but you get an idea of it size. If you find a tomato hornworm with these white eggs stuck all over its back, leave the hornworm alone. Those eggs will develop into a parasitic wasp and will forever after eventually kill all your hornworms

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Okay, enough bugs and worms, I'm heading to the land of blood and guts where I don't get weirded out. eeewwww!!!