Veggie growing questions...

[cryssi]

I'm planning to grow the following this year (provided my dog doesn't mess with the seeds I've started) and wanted to know if anyone had any experience with them...?

Tomatoes

Black Cherry
Snow White Cherry
Momotaro
Black Zebra
Green Zebra
White Zebra
Cherokee Purple (grew this last year, very tasty!)

White asian eggplant
blue lake bush beans
poha berry (cape gooseberry, ground cherry)

want to get:

8 ball zucchini
early white bush pattypan squash

thanks!

 

[UrsulasShadow]

You're growing ground cherries? How cool!
I've grown pattypan squash, but not the variety you've got. I found the skins rather thick, but the taste very good.

I've also grown Cherokee Purples, and as long as you keep them evenly moist, they're wonderful tomatoes. A little prone to blossom end rot and catfacing, which is why the special attention to water.

 

[cryssi]

We shall see if they germinate...lol

I had those exact problems with the cherokee purple. The blossom end rot subsided later in the season, but the catfacing was almost always present. I think it's b/c I didn't water them enough. It gets really hot here and I forgot to mulch... The flavor was out of this world, though!

I just got my 8 ball seeds, so now I just have to order the early white bush...

 

[greeneeyes]

Blue Lake bush beans we grow every year and they are very hearty! Just rake out a big square, cast the seeds and cover them over. Water well, but don't drown them. By planting them this way they will support each other as they become heavy with beans and won't break. The more you pick them the more they will produce.

I plant them in rounds, three weeks apart with the last planting in late July or early August and then you will have them up until frost. They freeze well, but blanch them first. Do not plant the green and yellow varieties too close to each other or you will only get green as they will dominate the yellow variety.

I don't grow tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, etc from seed anymore as it is easier to go to the nursery and buy large healthy plants. I only grow the regular zucchini and yellow squash, not the ball variety. Don't know if you have a problem with squash beetles where you live, but if you wrap newspaper around the vine (where it meets the ground) you will have some luck preventing them from eating thru.

 

[cryssi]

Great advice about the newspaper! I don't know if I have squash beetles or not, but I will take precautions...lol

In other news, I have a sprout! I checked my containers last night (I am starting my seeds outside like winter sowing) and there was a green sprout in my momotaro tomato container!!! woo hoo! I can't wait to see if any others emerge today!

 

[EC0323]

You're growing ground cherries? How cool!

I know this is a dumb question. BUT?

What are ground cherries? Are you talking about cherry tomatoes or are these actual cherry the fruit? If it the fruit, is it annual? What do they taste like?

Sorry for butting in your thread but I am curious......

 

[cryssi]

I have never had them...lol. Oh, and my dumb seeds haven't even come up... Anyway, if you google "cape gooseberry" or "poha berry" or "ground cherry" you should be able to get a description!

 

[mommytotwo]

Be sure you have alot of space for the poha plant to spread to. You will need alot of space for the plant to spread so that you get enough of the berries to make jams...., and the plant itself will spread, and spread.

I have never planted momotaro tomatoes, but have eatten them, and they are very juicy.

 

[cryssi]

thanks! at this point, I don't even know if I will have poha berries b/c my seeds won't germinate! I'm having a lot of trouble with my seeds this year. It's very depressing...

my earlier sprouts didn't survive, either...

 

[bobbiwoz]

I think growing plants from seeds is hard! I have some Rutgers and Early Girl tomato plants started right now. I hope you figure out what the problem is! Last year I tried to grow chives indoors and the seeds germinated then died. I had been so hopeful!

Bobbi

 

[cryssi]

I have a lot of seedlings now! I re-started them indoors, and they are doing great! I'm about to transplant them and stick them outdoors...I hope they survive the shock...lol