Veggie Growers Unite About This Page:

[TinkerBelz]

I've got HUGE green bell peppers that are actually red and yellow, so I'm just waiting (rather inpatiently for them to turn red). Bunches of cukes, we've harvested many (almost daily now), tons of mini yellow squash (planted late), tons of flowers on melons, gobs and gobs of tomatoes (we planted STIPED, yellow, orange and all sorts of red - I'll be canning tomatoes/sauce/juice for sure). Picked our first two red tomatoes today. OMG, I'm 5'3" and my tomato plants are TALLER THAN I AM. They are MONSTER tomato plants. Why are they so big???

[saremca]

It is addictive! Pretty soon you'll find yourself digging up more and more of your yard for garden plots. My husband said the other day (when I was asking him about digging another new bed for leeks) that pretty soon we're going to have more garden than grass.

When I first started I just did a small garden in the summer. Now I'm all into composting and organic pest control, and rotating crops and we have a summer crop and a fall crop. It's crazy!

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by chezp

I picked another five tomatoes yesterday and have three cucumbers almost ready to pick too. The peppers are doing well and I usually get at least one or two strawberries most days, so all is good!

The growing season in the UK must be earlier than ours!

The veggie bubble burst here in the US, and it's been a mess ever since. I believe we outsourced some of our garden pixie jobs overseas and we also cut back 1/3 on the sunlight. We also put a surcharge tax on veggie size over one inch, so veggie growers have been cutting back here in the US. Some veggies are waiting because there is a discussion on making sure that EVERYONE has veggies, but that is just confusing everyone, so the veggies don't know what to do. Oh, this economy!

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by TinkerBelz

OMG, I'm 5'3" and my tomato plants are TALLER THAN I AM. They are MONSTER tomato plants. Why are they so big???

Did you do something to make them that tall?

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by saremca

It is addictive! Pretty soon you'll find yourself digging up more and more of your yard for garden plots. My husband said the other day (when I was asking him about digging another new bed for leeks) that pretty soon we're going to have more garden than grass.

When I first started I just did a small garden in the summer. Now I'm all into composting and organic pest control, and rotating crops and we have a summer crop and a fall crop. It's crazy!

Do you use raised beds? Do you rotate seasonal crops in the same beds?

[stretch2864]

I love having a garden! This is my first year of having one, and it is so exciting to go outside everyday and see how much things have grown. So far I've had one Roma tomato from my tomato plants. There are a ton of BigBoys setting on, so I will soon be in tomato heaven! I also have zucchini coming out of my ears! I probably need to give some more away as we can't possibly eat all of them. Last night I sauteed slices of zucchini in olive oil with garlic and a little seasoning, and they were delicious!

[TinkerBelz]

It may be our soil, as our neighbor has monster tomatoes, but then maybe not as the other neighbor has tiny wimpy plants (but he DOES have red tomatoes and mine are still green). We stirred blood meal into the soil (which is rather sandy) and miracle grow for veggies. That's it. We "refeed" them about 6-8wks into the season.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by TinkerBelz

It may be our soil, as our neighbor has monster tomatoes, but then maybe not as the other neighbor has tiny wimpy plants (but he DOES have red tomatoes and mine are still green). We stirred blood meal into the soil (which is rather sandy) and miracle grow for veggies. That's it. We "refeed" them about 6-8wks into the season.

Hmmmmmmm, I'll have to try that. I just spent some quality time with my veggies. Tying them so they are supported. Pinching the lower leaves. Some nice green beans are growing.

My cucumbers are just teeny bumps on flowers right now. I hope that improves soon!

Does anyone know when you should pick green peppers? They are already green, so I am not sure how big they are supposed to get.

[Ann2]

Originally Posted by stretch2864

There are a ton of BigBoys setting on, so I will soon be in tomato heaven! Last night I sauteed slices of zucchini in olive oil with garlic and a little seasoning, and they were delicious!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm...yummy...going to my frig now...I have to EAT!

[3dogknight]

I've picked 3 cherry tomatoes so far and have a bunches of them that are just starting to turn orange, so a few more days and I should have plenty. I have one big boy about a day away from being picked with about 8 more a few days away. My plants are about 4 and a half feet high and growing.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Hey guys, I just found out why my tomatoes were not so tall. Because they were not standing up straight! I just staked them and they are over a foot taller than I though.

Today I was able to slice a fresh pepper and some coriander to have with my lunch. YUMMMMMMM!

[chezp]

Originally Posted by Sandra Bostwick

Hey guys, I just found out why my tomatoes were not so tall. Because they were not standing up straight! I just staked them and they are over a foot taller than I though.

Today I was able to slice a fresh pepper and some coriander to have with my lunch. YUMMMMMMM!

Yep, that's definitely a problem with tomatoes. Mine are straight, but as they've reached the top of the greenhouse, they're now bending over at the top. I've had to cut some to stop them growing, they were getting so out of control.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by chezp

Yep, that's definitely a problem with tomatoes. Mine are straight, but as they've reached the top of the greenhouse, they're now bending over at the top. I've had to cut some to stop them growing, they were getting so out of control.

It reminds me of that amazing tomatoe vine in The Land, where they have it trained in the air to look almost like a tomatoe tree.