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'Tis the season...

Pam

Pam

...to commence with the catalog fondling!

At least it is in the Northern Hemisphere. I have already received one from Totally Tomatoes and Twilley Seed. I don't order much from either of them, but Twilley's does have a selection of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus resistant varieties, and that's always a consideration around here.

I'm waiting impatiently for Seed Savers to get their 2008 selections up so I can order, but I have plenty of things to start while I wait.

By this time of year we usually have had a hard freeze, but between the hoop house and mildish weather this year, I still have lots of peppers producing and flowers blooming. I spent a couple of hours yesterday weeding the hoop house and harvesting peppers, and I realized that I'm not really going to have the two or three months of down time I usually have. With a little luck, I'll be harvesting peppers all winter!
 
I've grown purple tomatillos and I probably have extra seeds. I tried to like tomatillos but just can't. I've never tried tomarillo but sounds interesting.
 
We get the Tamarillo in the stores sometimes...for around $3 each :shocked: (a little bigger than an egg)

The 18 months to fruit & not frost tolerant rules them out for growing in most places.
 
I'm trying to germinate some Papaya seeds as well as bananas. I have one banana started and it took probaly 9-10 months to germinate but its looking good so far. I'm also trying some cool weather palms but they take a while to germinate too. I'm thinking of trying mango next. I always like growing plants that make me feel like I'm in a more tropical place:cool:
 
POTAWIE said:
I'm trying to germinate some Papaya seeds as well as bananas. I have one banana started and it took probaly 9-10 months to germinate but its looking good so far. I'm also trying some cool weather palms but they take a while to germinate too. I'm thinking of trying mango next. I always like growing plants that make me feel like I'm in a more tropical place:cool:
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I always wanted to grow an olive tree, but we're just a little too cold in the winter. Someday, when I have that solar greenhouse...

People around here do grow banana as ornamentals, but it's recommended that you dig them up in the fall and put them under the house for the winter.
 
bentalphanerd said:
Thats great news Pam, hows the hoop house holding up?
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The biggest problem has been the ridge line separating in high winds, so I put an eye screw thingie at each end, ran a rope through, and held it as tight as I could while the Puppy Au Pair tied it off. Not the best solution, but a quick and dirty one we tried ahead of a blustery cold front this weekend. So far, so good.

The second biggest problem has been the moths that are attracted to the lights and get inside. They flutter against the plastic, much to the delight of the cats. I caught Zoe inside, hanging from one of the PVC ribs, flailing wildly at a flock of largish beige moths. We had words.


By the way, have you ever heard of Tomatillo Purple...I saw them here
http://www.greenharvest.com.au/seeds/organic_seeds_index.html
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I've bought purple tomatillos from the store. Like Potawie, though, tomatillos aren't my very favorites. I keep thinking I ought to grow some and see if they're better fresh like tomatoes are. Just haven't gotten to it. There are so many great things to grow, and limited garden space.

I've already got Tamarillo (taste like a cross between a passionfruit & tomato) from here that are growing fine - will make a great sauce one day.
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Now that sounds pretty interesting, too bad about the lack of frost tolerance.
 
POTAWIE, The last time I was in New Zealand I came across a palm known as "Nikau" It tolerates the cold weather just fine, Its also a beautiful looking plant as far as palms are concerned.

I recall seeds were readily available too!
 
I have seen the Tamarillo in the wild in frost areas, they were old trees though. They are still small trees, maybe you could stunt one into a shrub. Anything you see on greenharvest.com.au I'd be happy to send on if you want to try.

*Sigh* sorry to say I have a young olive tree (don't know where to plant it yet) also banana (can't get rid of them), mango, fig, butternut pumpkin, watermelon vines & palm trees.

Its hell in the sub-tropics ;)
 
I've got a great book called "Palms won't grow here and other myths. Warm-climate plants for cooler areas" I bought several types of seeds too from www.rarepalms.com but like I said they take a long time to germinate, for me anyways. The banana that germinated is a Musa Velutina which is a pink mostly decorative banana and its doing great so far.
 
I have always wanted a lime tree. My wife had one outside her place in Florida and it was too cool to go out and pick one for a beer or a marinade. Anyone know if they can survive north of Tennesee?
 
You can grow dwarf varieties that you can bring in for the winter. I thought I had a Dwarf lime but its looking more like a lemon now.

 
Still pretty cool. Fresh lemon for seafood is awesome. I already overwinter peppers and have no free window real estate. Maybe I will invest in more lights. Thanks PO.
 
Thanks for that info. I'm still not sure what I got, I'm just glad I finally got a fruit. It always wants to flower at the wrong time of year, and what nice flowers.

This pic is from late October
 
POTAWIE said:
Thanks for that info. I'm still not sure what I got, I'm just glad I finally got a fruit. It always wants to flower at the wrong time of year, and what nice flowers.

This pic is from late October
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Looks a lot like:
citr_28.jpg

tonsoflemonflowers_sm.jpg

But those are lemons.

Now here's a lime:
Small%20leaved%20lime.JPG


God bless Google.
 
Pam said:
The second biggest problem has been the moths that are attracted to the lights and get inside. They flutter against the plastic, much to the delight of the cats. I caught Zoe inside, hanging from one of the PVC ribs, flailing wildly at a flock of largish beige moths. We had words.
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You need a few of these talented little bug hunters in there Pam.

gecko.jpg
 
bentalphanerd said:
You need a few of these talented little bug hunters in there Pam.
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Well, I do have anolis lizards (http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/lizards/anocar.htm) all over the place but I have to keep rescuing the little ones from the cats, too. There was even a small garter snake(http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/thasir.htm) in the peppers, I saw it in August; but I only saw it the one time. Do you remember when I was bitching about the stink bugs a while back? I didn't want to spray the garden that late in the season because by then it had its own little ecosystem going. If I broadcast sprayed for stink bugs, I would have killed all the lady bugs, toads, anolis lizards, the broadhead skink (http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/lizards/eumlat.htm that lives under the shed, and the garter snake.
 
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