2002 Gardens?

[mudbug]

Well, it's about that time of year to start planning our gardens...

This year I'm going for a little of everything. Heirloom vegetables, flowers, vines, herbs, annuals and perennials... so many choices!



What are fellow ChefTalk Members planning on growing this year?

[katbalou]

i would like to grow any thing that keeps those darn cucumber
beetles at bay. those little black and yellow ones, they destroyed my first plantings of squash and cukes last year. i didn't realize i had them until it was too late. any one have any hints? thanks.

[mudbug]

Delete me please (duplicate)

[mudbug]

katbalou,

Tips for you:

When you see the first signs of cucumber beetle damage, use an insecticide which contains either carbaryl, pyrethrins, or diazinon to help control them. Each time you find further damage, repeat the application of insecticide doing so at weekly intervals. It is best to treat plants early in the growing season to prevent the spread of diseases such as bacterial wilt and mosaic virus which the cucumber beetles can spread as they feed.
What are cucumber beetles?

Henry's Spray For Preventing Cucumber Beetles
Mix a hand full of wood ash with a handful of Hydrated Lime and 2 gallons of water. Mix well, then with a hand spray bottle, spray both sides of your cucumber leaves.
Starter Solutions for Organic Gardens

Get Rid of Cover
Cucumber beetles like to hide under last years dead plant material and dried vines.* Large scale farmers always plow up the cornstalks so cucumber beetles have nowhere to hide.

More info here.

[Isa]

What a happy thought for a grey winter day!

I'd like to try something different this year. As different as you can get in container garden.

One flower box of herbs. Thyme, rosemary, cilantro, chives, oregano, basil, chervil and sage. I'm starting them indoor this year. Would love to add a laurel plant, been unlucky so far.

Lettuce of course, grows beautifully in a flower box.

Tomatoes, Italian and maybe yellow tomatoes for a change. And hot peppers. If there is still room, I'll add rhubarb.

[katbalou]

dear cchiu,
thanks for the info and the links, they were very useful.

[marmalady]

Hi, Isa,

For your windowbox herb garden, be sure to get one large enough to handle all those herbies! They all look really cute in their 2 inch pots when you bring 'em home, but some of 'em grow like weeds (which is basically what they are, I guess!); watch out for cilantro (I plant it directly in the garden, it gets 2 feet high!), basil for the same cilantro reason, unless you get the tiny basil; oregano and thyme are basically ground covers, they grow by creeping along and setting down roots. I'd say maybe try different pots for groups of plants.

What have you had problems with regarding bay plants? I've had one for about 4 years now, and my biggest problem is not picking the leaves off while it grows, ever so slowly! I just make sure I get it in the house under grow lights before a frost.

[Isa]

Marmalady,


I do not have a problem growing a laurel plant, just having trouble finding one.


Thanks for the tip on herbs, I've been growing herbs in flower boxes for a few years but not cilantro. Maybe I'll give them a pot of their home and leave it on the kitchen's window.

[shroomgirl]

Cilantro is supposed to be a bear...it goes to seed quickly and needs to be replanted every few weeks.

[mudbug]

Isa,

I messaged you directly with suggestions for bay laurel.



shroomgirl,

It is, but only if you expect it to last all summer. If you live in zone 5 or higher, you need to plant during the early spring and late fall when the when the weather is cooler. Cilantro doesn't like heat. The warmer the climate, the faster it bolts (goes to seed). I found this out the hard way myself.

It's fine if you do succession planting, at least sow once every two weeks if not once a week for a continuing supply.

Propagation: Sow seed outdoors in early spring. If you want a regular supply of cilantro, sow every two weeks through the summer, because it tends to bolt easily in hot summer days.

There are cultivars ("varieties" of coriander) which are "slow bolting".

Select cultivars that are known for foliage rather than seed production. The leaves add a distinct flavor to any dish, so small amounts should be added until the desired tasted is reached.

Cultivars to consider are `Santo,' `Leisure,' and `Jantar,' all of which are slow-bolting and have been bred specifically for foliage production rather than seed.

From: here

Coriander, a cool season crop, is easy to grow as a culinary herb and is most suited to fertile loam soils...

One of the major problems in producing cilantro is premature flowering. Bolting becomes acute as the days get hotter and longer. A number of seed companies now offer slow-to-bolt (long-standing) cultivars. There are significant differences among coriander cultivars regarding the response to premature flowering, and while some are less susceptible, none are totally unresponsive to high temperatures and long days (Simon et al. 1989). Thus, cilantro is planted as a spring, early summer, or fall crop.

From: here