Vegetables – Nine by Eighteen

The Blighted Mildew

SabineApril 28, 20252 Replies

*Powdery mildew on Waltham butternut squash (September 23, 2024)*

Today, I started my cucumbers, squash and cucamelons: four slicing cucumbers, six pickling cucumbers, two zucchini, three butternut, three delicata squash, and a six-pack of cucamelons. I always plant two seeds per cell (except for the zucchini), and thin them after germination to leave the strongest one. I won’t need as many seedlings as I started, and I plan to give away any extras.

Over the past few years, I have been battling fungal diseases in my garden plot, specifically mildew with the cucumbers and zucchini. The cucumbers in particular have been succumbing early in the summer to disease. So, over the winter, I did some research on disease-resistant varieties and decided to only plant mildew-resistant curcubites this year. By selecting resistant varieties, I hope to extend the harvesting season. For slicing cucumbers, I went with Diva; for pickling cucumbers with Max Pack. Both are resistant to downy mildew and powdery mildew. For Zucchini, I went with Costata Romanesca, a striped Italian heirloom that is resistant to powdery mildew. For winter squash, I opted for Waldo butternut and Bush Delicata, both resistant to powdery mildew.

*Downy mildew* *on Waltham butternut squash (August 2, 2019)*

I also looked into the tomatoes I am planting this season. Three of the eight varieties that will go in my plot are resistant to several diseases: Stupice (late blight), Black Krim (unspecified “disease resistance”), Green Zebra (late blight, Septoria leaf spot). So is Mountain Magic, a cherry tomato I am growing for the communal bed, which is resistant to early and late blight as well as several types of fusarium wilt and other fungal diseases.

*Three Green Zebra tomatoes and other goodies harvested on September 8, 2019*

Mid-April

SabineApril 24, 20251 Reply

*Tulips in the communal bed outside the garden*

Repotting Tomatoes

SabineApril 19, 20252 Replies

On this sunny and warm Saturday afternoon, I repotted all my 24 tomato plants. I had started them on March 16, and they definitely had outgrown their little cells. Here again are the varieties: I have two each of Scotia (E), Stupice (E), Green Zebra (M), Ailsa Craig (M), Brimmer Pink* (M), Ananas Noire (L), Black Krim (L) and Dr. Wyche’s Yellow (L) plus 4 each of Mountain Magic (M) and Peacevine Cherry tomatoes (M) [E=early, M=mid-season, L=late tomato]. The 8 cherry tomato plants will go in the communal bed outside the community garden for the whole neighborhood to enjoy.

* One of the Brimmer Pink plants is a different variety (the one seen to the right in the front row) as it is a potato leaf-type, and Brimmer Pink has “regular” tomato leaves. We shall see the mystery unfold.

*Current dining table plant operation. Not much space left and I still have to start the curcubites.*

Shades of Green – April Update

SabineApril 15, 20251 Reply

*Seedling jungle* *(from top left: Thai basil, Thai peppers, kale, leeks, flat parsley*. *Swiss chard, sweet alyssum, strawflower, gomphrena, Thai basil, Italian basil. Okra, lettuces, tomatoes. Also growing but not shown: marigolds and Zinnias)*

Repotting Seedlings and More Seed Starting

SabineMarch 25, 20252 Replies

*Re-potted kale, Thai peppers and Thai basil (plus leeks in the far left corner)*

Today, I re-potted my kale, Thai hot peppers and Sweet Thai basil seedlings. They had outgrown their little seedling cells. The kale and peppers were started on February 16, the basil on March 1.

*Okra in our community garden, September 2020*

I also started more seedlings: Siam Queen Thai basil (6 cells), Italian basil, Clemson Spineless okra (6) and 6 cells each Merlot lettuce, Allstar Gourmet lettuce mix (Johnny’s), and Salanova green butterhead lettuce (Johnny’s), plus more flowers: Crackerjack mixed marigold (12), Oriental Nights Alyssum (6) and Tall Double Mix strawflower (6). It is my first time growing okra. The okra and flowers are for the communal bed, but I may keep an okra plant or two as they are just so beautiful (even though I am not particularly fond of eating them).

*Strawflower and gomphrena seedlings, sown on March 1*

*Current dining room table situation: Seedlings in their various stages*

Early Spring

SabineMarch 17, 20252 Replies

*Back porch container arugula and radishes are sprouting, yay!*

*Emerging bulbs in my flower container on the back porch*

Things are waking up in my containers. The radishes and arugula I sowed on March 10 sprouted, and the 20 flower bulbs I had planted in my large flower container in early November are beginning to emerge. The bulbs are a mix of White Splendour Anemone, Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica), King of the Striped Crocus and Blue Grape Hyacinth. I am so excited for some color on my back porch soon!

Starting Tomatoes

SabineMarch 16, 20252 Replies

Yesterday, I started my tomatoes. As always, to stagger harvest, I planted a mix of early (E), mid-season (M) and late tomatoes (L): 2 cells each Scotia (E), Stupice (E), Green Zebra (M), Ailsa Craig (M), Brimmer Pink (M), Ananas Noire (L), Black Krim (L) and Dr. Wyche’s Yellow (L). I sowed two seeds per cell to ensure germination as many of my seeds are from previous years. If both seeds germinate, I will pinch off the weaker one.

All of those varieties are meant for my garden plot. I will have too many as I only plan to have ten plants maximum, but this way, I should have a good number to choose from. I also started 4 cells each Mountain Magic and Peacevine Cherry tomatoes, all of those will go in our communal bed for the neighborhood to enjoy.

In addition, I started Swiss chard (8 cells), Black-Seeded Simpson leaf lettuce (4 cells), May Queen butterhead lettuce (4 cells), lettuce mix (6 cells) and Siam Queen Thai basil (6 cells). I sowed more Thai basil as I did not get the germination rate I wanted from the seeds I had started two weeks ago. Siam Queen is a new-to-me variety, and I am excited.

Anticipation

SabineMarch 9, 20251 Reply

*Hot pepper, flower and basil seedlings*

Progress and More Sowing

SabineMarch 1, 20252 Replies

Today, I started more seedlings: Sweet Italian basil, Thai basil, and flowers (gomphrena, strawflower and two types of sweet alyssum). Together, they are taking up almost an entire flat of six-packs. I covered the flat with a lid and placed it on a heat mat. Fingers crossed. In two or three weeks, I will start tomatoes and Swiss chard. The kale and Thai peppers I sowed a couple of weeks ago sprouted nicely, 6/6 for the kale and 5/6 for the Thai pepper, which is not bad considering that the pepper seeds were from 2023. I also just spotted my first ginger shoots, yay!

*Top row: leeks and hydroponic cress (which I always grow in the winter); bottom row: Thai hot peppers, kale*

Setting up the Grow Lights …

SabineFebruary 16, 2025Leave a Reply

*Grow lights and heat mat are all set, yay!*

Today, I excavated the grow lights and heat mat from the gardening stash in the basement, cleaned them, checked if they still work, and set them up. I still have to find a lid to cover the tray. I started six plants each of Thai hot peppers and Meadowlark kale.

The Thai peppers will go in a large container on my back porch, but I might add a plant or two in the plot. I really only need 2 or 3 plants, but the seeds are two years old, and I want to be on the safe side. For me, peppers and eggplants grown in containers have always been doing much better than those grown in the plot. I think it is because the soil gets much hotter in a container, which those plants seem to love. It can’t be the sunlight exposure as such, as my plot is full sun, and my porch faces south/southwest.

It is my first time growing Meadowlark kale. High Mowing tells me it is a “German specialty with impressive frost-tolerance”, and it is apparently very pretty. All sounds good to me.