What Veggies Do You Grow?

[Murray in ME]

Originally Posted by LeslieH

Hey Murry,
Thanks for the experience!
Did you try different kinds, and if so, was 1 better than another? I'd actually prefer smaller tubers. The ones in the stores are more than a meal with just 1. So that's good to know.
Leslie

I've only tried one variety so far. Georgia Jets. I got them from Steele Plant Company in TN. In my very limited experience, they know a lot about their products, are very helpful and have very reasonable prices. http://sweetpotatoplant.com

[mommagoose]

Yes to Steele Plant. Beaguard (sp) and Georgia Jet are my picks. Make a small raised bed or a long hill about 6-8 inches tall. Cover with black plastic and if you have drip irrigation available lay that on top of the hill. The hill will be warmer than the surrounding soil and sweet potatoes like that. Make a small hole in the plastic every foot or so and using a stick or dibble make a deep hole in the soil. Plant your sweet potato in the hole. Usually, the hole fills in when you water or it rains so I don't mess with it too much. I harvest in late September when there is a threat of frost. You need to cure your sweet potatoes for storage. Sunlight doesn't ruin them so I put them on a table on my back porch for a few weeks . This toughens up the skin so they will store longer. Always be gentle when harvesting. Where ever they are bumped a bruise forms and that will be the first place they rot.

[LeslieH]

How cool! A blind study! Very neat.
And yes, I would be very interested in the results. I am that much of a nerd. LOL
Most of Thanksgiving is ready. Just the turkey needs to be thrown in the oven.
I got 2 more seed catalogs already. Totally Tomatoes and Vermont Bean I think. Something like that.
Leslie

[bull]

The selection of vegetables is grown is dictated by what the customer will purchase or be sold!!!

[LeslieH]

The vegetables grown depends upon why you are growing them. If you farm for market, then of course, what you grow is dictated by the local wishes. If you grow for youself/family/friends, they are dictated by what you eat.

My veggies are dictated by my family's diet, and my fruits are dictated by what my customers buy.

Disclaimer - if my spelling is atrocious, I just woke up.

[bull]

corn and peas going in tommorow morning.....
ground is warming and drying fast.... green beans under plastice as well.....

here we go !!!

[bull]

corn,raddishes,carrots and peas are in. Shard and lettuce today.
all direct seeded outside.

zuchhinni, summer squash, cucs, cabbage, cauliflower,brocolli,lettuce,corn,beans,misc flowers all started in the greenhouse

[LeslieH]

JRem - your numbers are a good guideline.
However - for someone just starting, they need to look at what their family eats, versus what they wish to plant.
I like peas well enough, but the amount of work it takes to prep them is beyond my schedule's capacity.
Also, Corn needs at least 5 rows to get proper pollination for full ears. It's also very hard on the soil, and needs considerable amending to continue planting it, even with rotation.
Up here in my neck of the woods, tomatoes are used like water. One year I had 3 dozen plants that produced like gang busters and barely had enough for the spaghetti sauce we'd use in a year, much less chopping them up for other uses and fresh eating.

[GreenGoddess]

I grow a lot of tomatoes and I make a lot of tomato based products from that. A friend had recommended that I use purified water from my refrigerator water filters. Would this help at all?

[LeslieH]

When you say your friend suggested filtered water - to water the plants, in the canning process, to wash them or another choice?

If you're on town water, I suppose it depends on exactly how pure you want to go with it. Indeed, there are chemicals in town water that will filter into the soil - we're talking caffeine, estrogen, antibiotics, antidepressents, etc. Earth worms have tested positive for paxil, if that's any comfort (or lack thereof).

I use filtered water for all of my cooking and canning. But to water the plants - no. You would be far better off to set up a rain barrel under each downspout from your roofs and use that water to irrigate your plants. If I didn't have a gorgeous old maple sitting in one particular spot, I'd be moving my garden so the downspouts watered the garden directly. However, they're watering my rhubarb and some flowers instead, along with a 200+ gallon container for irrigating the garden during dry spells.

If you're on well water and it tests negative for all the normal nasty bugs, use that - as long as you don't have a water softener attached. That'll make a huge difference in the health of the plants.

Leslie