Stickman's 2014 Glog- That's all folks!

maximumcapsicum · Jun 21, 2014

More pics! Man I miss a couple days, but everything is looking great Rick. More chinense blossoms will start sticking for sure. I think the heat is gonna start heading up the coast now. Enjoy!

Manzano will set flowers any day now.

Jeff H · Jun 21, 2014

Another stellar Stickman update.

Looks good Rick. Yes, the pimenta looks sad. I've got a few sad ones myself. Hopefully they will start to perk up soon.

stickman · Jun 22, 2014

Devv said:
There are some that are red too. Now you understand why I've never tried one

Maybe these pics will help... These are from the Smokemaster Pequin, which seems to best show the characteristics I've read about... long, narrow, single-lobed leaves with a smooth edge...

... and a smallish, white flower typical of most Annuums, but having a long pistil that sticks out quite a ways past the anthers... probably to minimize self-pollination and encourage cross-pollination. A definite survival trait among wild plants.

And like Shane says... the Tepins have shorter, heart-shaped leaves, and the pods are round, and a deeper red. I understand that well-established wild plants are often 4 feet high and 3 feet wide, and Mockingbirds and Turkeys love the pods of both varieties, which suggests another strategy to finding them... bring along a pair of powerful binoculars when you go on your scouting trips... the birds might lead you to the pods.

maximumcapsicum said:
More pics! Man I miss a couple days, but everything is looking great Rick. More chinense blossoms will start sticking for sure. I think the heat is gonna start heading up the coast now. Enjoy!

Your timing is pretty good Adam... they started blooming yesterday! :dance:

Mo' warmth will be a great thing for the chiles too, thanks for the heads-up. :party:

Jeff H said:
Another stellar Stickman update.

Looks good Rick. Yes, the pimenta looks sad. I've got a few sad ones myself. Hopefully they will start to perk up soon.

Thanks Jeff! I gave them a shot of my fishy molasses elixir yesterday, and between warming temps and liquid nutes, I hope you're right.

The Tomato seeds Meatfreak sent from the Netherlands are all doing well, but one of the Costoluto Genovese is a beast... the dang thing is already 4 feet tall! I can see in the next week or so I'm gonna have to stake it since it will have outgrown the tomato cage by then.

The other varieties he sent are also fruiting.

Sacharnaya Sliwa Krasnaya (Russian Plum)

and Datterini cherry tomato

The Eggplants look really happy now too. I'm really looking forward to fresh salads and roasted Eggplants this summer! If you look at the bottom of this pic, you can see the Cilantro is almost ready to start picking...

Everybody have a great Sunday!

georgej · Jun 22, 2014

Looking great, Rick! Really interested in your tomato selection too!

maximumcapsicum · Jun 22, 2014

Looking good Rick. Gonna have a big tomato pull too it looks like. Smoke masters looks nice, you gonna sauce them?

stickman · Jun 22, 2014

georgej said:
Looking great, Rick! Really interested in your tomato selection too!

Me too! I'd never heard of any of these varieties until Stefan suggested them. The last couple of years I've grown a Japanese variety of orange cherry tomato called "Sungold" that we loved a lot for fresh use and snacking. A Japanese friend who lives in Vermont suggested a variety called "Momotaro". I may try that next year.

maximumcapsicum said:
Looking good Rick. Gonna have a big tomato pull too it looks like. Smoke masters looks nice, you gonna sauce them?

I'll be making cooked salsa with the Costolutos, and canning most of it for the winter. I'll be using the plum and cherry tomatoes for salsa fresca, pico de gallo and salads. Any of those left over we'll dehydrate for putting into soups this winter.

georgej · Jun 22, 2014

I'll have a look for seeds and let you know!

ronniedeb · Jun 23, 2014

Looking good Rick. Eggplant especially good. Never had much luck with them. May try them again next year. I've grown Sungold tomatoes before as well. Super sweet. Did pretty well outdoors here as well. I'm growing several tomato varieties this year, among them an American variety called "Hillbilly". Have you grown them before? The first truss had only 1 large flower, the second 2, and the third 3. Bizarre.

stickman · Jun 23, 2014

georgej said:
I'll have a look for seeds and let you know!

Good luck with them... I'd certainly be curious to see how they grow and taste. I can get the seeds here in the states from a company in California called Kitazawa Seeds. http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_111-125.html

ronniedeb said:
Looking good Rick. Eggplant especially good. Never had much luck with them. May try them again next year. I've grown Sungold tomatoes before as well. Super sweet. Did pretty well outdoors here as well. I'm growing several tomato varieties this year, among them an American variety called "Hillbilly". Have you grown them before? The first truss had only 1 large flower, the second 2, and the third 3. Bizarre.

Sorry you haven't had much luck with the Eggplants... do you call them Aubergines in Ireland? I never had much luck with them either until I started using the black plastic IRT mulch (and low row covers to get them started early in the season). They like to have lots of sun, warm feet, and they're heavy feeders. When my first successful season growing them was over, I pulled up the dead plants when cleaning up the garden plot before snowfall and was astounded to find that they had lateral roots that ran for 3-4 meters in every direction! They seem to attract Flea Beetles and Potato Beetles here, but so far, I haven't had a problem with any other pests. I start the seeds a couple weeks before the Tomatoes so they're big enough to shrug off the Flea Beetles, and I just crush every Potato Beetle I see and any eggs they've laid. The rest is soil prep... add lots of good humus and/or a base dressing of Tomato fertilizer before transplanting outside, and a small shot of liquid nutes every other week will speed them on their way. I use my green-up elixir of diluted fish emulsion and molasses. Good luck with them next year.

I've never grown the "Hillbilly" tomato, so I can't help you there. Sorry...

georgej · Jun 23, 2014

I just checked the kanji for momotaro tomato. Pretty sure it's the same as which I bought (the first and second kanji I'm sure are the same) . I got my first ripe fruit today.

Momotaro is an old folkloreabout a boy who was born out of a peach that was floating down a river. It was found by an old childless woman and when she tried to eat the peach she realised there's a boy inside. There's a lot of very similar stories/fairytale of old folks finding kids in bamboo etc.
Momo meaning peach. Taro is boy. So the tomato is named after the folklore because of the pink tomatoes it produces.

JJJessee · Jun 23, 2014

Looking good, Rick. Hope your summer is getting it priorities straight. 48° sounds absolutely and summerrily antithetical to nightshade dreams.

On those unwieldy maters, take a couple of pieces of rebar and drive them in until solid beside legs of the cage, then lash them together with wire. The siren song of the soil is calling it to forsake higher calling and beach its passion in a debacherous sprawl of rotted fruit and blight on the garden floor.
Costolutos seem lusty even for a mater and will need to be disciplined to keep them focused on fruiting. I'm suckering mine heavily and they just keep coming.

PIC 1 · Jun 23, 2014

Wow your tomato plants are sky rocketing. Be careful........the heavier fruiting plants may need lateral branch support. Rebar as Jessee says will do the trick. I use wooden stakes....only cause I have so many of them. They will snap off in the ground though.

stickman · Jun 23, 2014

JJJessee said:
Looking good, Rick. Hope your summer is getting it priorities straight. 48° sounds absolutely and summerrily antithetical to nightshade dreams.

On those unwieldy maters, take a couple of pieces of rebar and drive them in until solid beside legs of the cage, then lash them together with wire. The siren song of the soil is calling it to forsake higher calling and beach its passion in a debacherous sprawl of rotted fruit and blight on the garden floor.
Costolutos seem lusty even for a mater and will need to be disciplined to keep them focused on fruiting. I'm suckering mine heavily and they just keep coming.

PIC 1 said:
Wow your tomato plants are sky rocketing. Be careful........the heavier fruiting plants may need lateral branch support. Rebar as Jessee says will do the trick. I use wooden stakes....only cause I have so many of them. They will snap off in the ground though.

Thanks guys, will do. Last year I used wooden tomato stakes because I had them, but maybe it's time to get some rebar for the reasons you stated Greg. Also, I think it won't take long for them to out-grow any practical length of wooden tomato stake. What'dya think... should I get at least a couple of cases of canned salsa out of 3 Costolutos?

georgej said:
I just checked the kanji for momotaro tomato. Pretty sure it's the same as which I bought (the first and second kanji I'm sure are the same) . I got my first ripe fruit today.

Momotaro is an old folkloreabout a boy who was born out of a peach that was floating down a river. It was found by an old childless woman and when she tried to eat the peach she realised there's a boy inside. There's a lot of very similar stories/fairytale of old folks finding kids in bamboo etc.
Momo meaning peach. Taro is boy. So the tomato is named after the folklore because of the pink tomatoes it produces.

Very cool G... thanks for sharing.

I'll be looking forward to your thoughts on the flavor, texture, etc. Cheers!

lucilanga · Jun 23, 2014

I never thought of growing an eggplant. But to be perfectly honest the idea of roasted eggplant, the smell .. it's already invading my nose trills,
Is it possible to grow an eggplant in containers ?

stickman · Jun 23, 2014

lucilanga said:
I never thought of growing an eggplant. But to be perfectly honest the idea of roasted eggplant, the smell .. it's already invading my nose trills,
Is it possible to grow an eggplant in containers ?

I've never tried it Lucien, but I don't see why not... You'd need a pretty large container, and I'd suggest one with root pruning properties since they have such vigorous lateral roots. http://www.airpotgarden.com/store/index.php?app=gbu0&ns=display&ref=greenhouse
I mention airpots because I prefer them, but other air pruning containers should work as well.

Thanks for dropping by!

Devv · Jun 23, 2014

Awesome Tom's you have growing there Rick! Don't you wish the pepper plants tolerated the cooler weather as well as the Tom's?

I'm going to have to try the rebar method next year, mine grew out of the cage and then back down to the ground and starting smothering the peppers in the next row. This was a excellent year weather wise for us.

Just keep doing what you're doing and you will be loaded up

maximumcapsicum · Jun 23, 2014

Can't wait to see those new chinese pods! I know they're set.

stickman · Jun 23, 2014

Devv said:
Awesome Tom's you have growing there Rick! Don't you wish the pepper plants tolerated the cooler weather as well as the Tom's?

Sheesh Scott... you must have read my mind... lol!

I'm going to have to try the rebar method next year, mine grew out of the cage and then back down to the ground and starting smothering the peppers in the next row. This was a excellent year weather wise for us.

It's probably linked to the cool spring weather we've had here this year, but the last few years have been dry ones for you, so I'd say you're due

Just keep doing what you're doing and you will be loaded up

Cheers Scott!

maximumcapsicum said:
Can't wait to see those new chinese pods! I know they're set.

It's still too soon to tell Adam, but I'll know by the end of the week. Cheers!

One of my neighbors is Jordanian, and he took his family over to the old country for 3 weeks to visit with relatives. I maintained his garden plot while they were away, and when they came back, he thanked me with a jar of za'atar from the spice market in Amman... guess he's taken my measure...

Anyway, I made some grilled chicken with it, roasted garlic, some of my Serrano chiles, fresh rosemary, lemon zest, the juice of the lemon, olive oil and salt. I also roasted a couple of small eggplants and a red bell pepper and blended them up with tahini and more garlic, lemon and salt. Add some pita bread and a fresh garden salad with greens from the veggie plot. :drooling:

My wife was pretty hungry...

Closer pic of the chicken...

Have a great Monday night all!

stc3248 · Jun 23, 2014

Wow...that was a lot of info to take in from yesterday to today! Lol Topped it off with a nice foodie shot. Ahhh...made my day!

ronniedeb · Jun 24, 2014

stickman said:
Good luck with them... I'd certainly be curious to see how they grow and taste. I can get the seeds here in the states from a company in California called Kitazawa Seeds. http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_111-125.html

Sorry you haven't had much luck with the Eggplants... do you call them Aubergines in Ireland? I never had much luck with them either until I started using the black plastic IRT mulch (and low row covers to get them started early in the season). They like to have lots of sun, warm feet, and they're heavy feeders. When my first successful season growing them was over, I pulled up the dead plants when cleaning up the garden plot before snowfall and was astounded to find that they had lateral roots that ran for 3-4 meters in every direction! They seem to attract Flea Beetles and Potato Beetles here, but so far, I haven't had a problem with any other pests. I start the seeds a couple weeks before the Tomatoes so they're big enough to shrug off the Flea Beetles, and I just crush every Potato Beetle I see and any eggs they've laid. The rest is soil prep... add lots of good humus and/or a base dressing of Tomato fertilizer before transplanting outside, and a small shot of liquid nutes every other week will speed them on their way. I use my green-up elixir of diluted fish emulsion and molasses. Good luck with them next year.
I've never grown the "Hillbilly" tomato, so I can't help you there. Sorry...

Thanks for the tips. They're called both Eggplant and Aubergine here.

Chicken looks great!