neotoma posts

Winter garden planning and planting

by neotoma,

I'm preparing for my winter garden right now, growing collard, pak choi, and tatsoi from seed, with spinach, lettuce, and chard from seedlings. I'm also starting broad beans now, as they overwintered well last year and came up fantastically in the spring. Since I'm in USDA Hardiness Zone 6b an...

Spiny bastard

by neotoma,

I finally found out what is growing in my flowerbeds along with my vegetables — [Solanum quitoense](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_quitoense) — aka lulo, naranjilla, the spiny bastard. I bought a few of the fruit last year as a curiosity from a vendor at the farmer’s market— the seeds m...

Eggplants, Corn, Beans, and Tomatoes!

by neotoma,

It's not quite August yet, but I have beans (string and borlotto), cherry tomatoes, and black Italian eggplants ready to be picked. My popcorn maize is starting to develop ears. I've never grown corn before, so this is exciting. My bigger tomato plants are taller than I am, as as the tomat...

Fava Bean -- ripe or not?

by neotoma,

I planted several fava bean plants last fall, mainly as a way to get something into my newly dug flowerbed. Now they've flowered and set pods. Does anyone know how to tell when fava bean pods are ripe for picking? I've never grown fava beans before, so I really have no idea.

First strawberry!

by neotoma,

I had the first tiny strawberry of the season today! I'm looking forward to many more. Also, I transplanted a lot of seedlings into the community garden today: 2 [cucumber](crop)s, 3 [green bean](crop)s, 2 tongue-of-fire beans, an ornamental [sweet potato](crop), and an [artichoke](crop). I...

strawberries sunflowers parsnips carrots radishes lettuces artichokes sweet potatoes green beans cucumbers

Achievement: Tomato plants!

by neotoma,

I came home from work yesterday, and I had three inch-high [tomato](crop) plants of the [Abraham Lincoln cultivar](http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=lincoln_tomato.html). I came home today, and they're two inches tall! Yay! Now, hopefully the oth...

tomatoes

Chiles, chiles, and more chiles

by neotoma,

I finally found the seed packets I ordered from [Made in New Mexico](http://www.madeinnewmexico.com/chile-chili-pods-powders-seeds.html) last fall, and have started jiffy-pots of Big Jim, Hatch Green, NuMex Joe Parker, and Chimayó [chiles](crop). Basically , I want to be able to make chili ve...

cayenne peppers

Seeds a-starting

by neotoma,

I've started seeds for several kinds of pepper and one kind of tomatillo. Also, horehound and catmint in pots. My alpine strawberry seeds have finally germinated, and I have tiny wee seedling popping up in peat pots!