[MamaProfCrash]

The initial investment can be pretty pricey. We built a raised bed system this year and that was pretty pricey. Toss in 30 pots and all the soil to fill it all (80 bags) and, well , it aint cheap. We are going to be buying a composter this weekend so we will be cutting down on fertilizer and soil costs the rest of the summer and next year.

That said, we are hoping to have some great home grown cucumbers, carrots, shallots, sweet peppers, beans, tomatoes, and lots of hot peppers.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

I walked outside wondering why the backyard smelled like fish this weekend and found out that we are apparently fertilizing our plants with seaweed and fish based fertilizers. They are two different fertilizers that are applied the same day.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

We grew about 90% of our veggies from seeds this year. The Hubby spent three months cultivating the various hot pepper plants and a few months cultivating the tomato and sweet pepper plants. The others were planted as seeds (Carrots, onions, cucumbers). we have bought a few hot pepper plans (he is nuts) and a strawberry plant.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

We ate our first peppers from the garden last night. One Beaver Dam pepper and one Hot Banana pepper. They both went on the grow again next year list.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

So far we harvested:

Hot peppers: Beaver Dam, Anaheim, Fresno, Black Scorpion's Tongue, Chicago Sport, and Aji Crystal.
Sweet Peppers: Purple Beauty, Japanese Shisistu (or something like that), Greek Peppercini (sp)
Long Beans (really, really long)

We have a great deal more in bloom but I won't bore you with all of them. My hubby did a count and we have 40 hot peppers, 20 sweet peppers, 4 types of tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, scallions, eggplant, and horseradish in various stages of development.

I have not been overwhelmed with either of the sweet peppers. They were fine but nothing exciting. I really like the Aji Crystal, Black Scorpions Tongue, Chicago Sport, and the Beaver Dam hot peppers.

Life is good

 

[MamaProfCrash]

We are in pepper heaven here. Hubby made a salsa using 6 sorrano peppers that is very good. We are using the long beans for many different meals. And we should have enough ghost chile peppers to stop a herd of rampaging elephants if need be. The tomatoes are starting to ripper, Thai eggplants have been pulled. Life is good.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

You are not growing 40 hot peppers, I would say that you are doing just fine. (winks)

 

[MamaProfCrash]

That is only five. (winks) We have 40 hot pepper and 15 sweet pepper going right now. It is a little bit silly. I have convinced the hubby that we need to pick our favorite 15 hot peppers for next year.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

Tonight we are making a paella using lilac peppers, blushing beauties, serranos, beaver dams, and black scorpions tongue peppers from the garden. Yummy

 

[MamaProfCrash]

We are growing white cucumbers, I had no idea such things existed, but they do. They are quite yummy and growing at an insane rate. The Hubby ordered picking salt and spices to make pickles and to start picking some of the hot peppers (pepperocinis and Chicago Sport Peppers). The tomatoes are being used in sauces and salads. We are getting ready to pull out the dehydrator for all the hot peppers.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

Yeah the plus side to the hotter weather is more yummy fruit and veg from the garden

 

[MamaProfCrash]

I have been giving away entire bags worth of hot peppers at work on top of the number that we have dehydrated. We have made our own habanero, hot cherry pepper, tabasco, bhut jolakia, and devil's tongue powders, dehydrate well over 250 orange Thai, 200 Super Hot Red Thai, and 100 Ka Pang (sp) peppers and there are four gallon bags of habaneros in the freezer. The scary thing is that the pepper plants do not look like they have been harvested. It is nuts.

Our tomatoes did not work out as well. The carrots are looking to be a decent size finally. The cucumber was doing well but then was killed after two weeks of high temperatures.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

Yummy. Our peppers are growing, the tomato plants are going bonkers, and our zucchini are about a foot or more in length. I love the garden.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

We have been watering like mad to keep everything growing.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

We keep losing large parts of pepper plants due to the sudden hard rain and wind storms we have been getting. It is annoying.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

You might be over watering it. We have a myer lemon tree and I don't think that we water it that frequently. Check the instructions on watering.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

Our lemon cues are wonderful. They are sweeter then a normal cake. The tomatoes are growing like mad. Lots of pepper. I love the garden.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

They are pretty cool. They look like lemons and they are a bit sweeter. Very yummy. I have been enjoying the in salads.

We don't grow generic bell peppers either but blushing beauties and Adrian's. Both are a unique and very yummy taste. We have been experimenting with different varieties of our favorite veggies the pat few years.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

If my little guy settles down for a nap, I am going to head out and pick veggies for an afternoon salad. I love the tomatoes in the garden and we have some great peppers and cucumbers.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

Have fun!