BetNC said:NewYorkRita

I saw on the Tomato Thread that you, too, don't start your tomatoes until March 1st. so when should I start those shistito seeds?? (I read . . somewhere. . that pepper seedlings grow so slowly, they should be planted a month BEFORE one starts their tomatoes.)

Since I also have Listrada something seeds, an Italian heirloom eggplant , when - in relation to my tomatoes- should I start those?

I plant out my tomatoes the first week or so of May (exactly always depends on those dratted soggy spring days), but I read that eggplant was more susceptible to the cold than tomatoes: should I plan on planting out the eggplant about 2-3 weeks later?

I always start my tomato and peppers seeds at the same time. Which is March 1st. Yes, the peppers do tend to grow more slowly but that is my method. I plant out the tomatoes first and then the peppers.

Not sure exactly when you should plant out in your area but if you do plant around May 1st then March 1st is a good time to start those seeds.

Egglants do grow very slowely but you'll have to get advice from someone who does better starting their eggplant seeds than I did last year.

I'm so excited about this years garden. First because I finished a fence around the primary garden (4x50) and I have shade material to cover the garden (stretched over the fence) as thunderstorms with hail are common in the spring. And because the soil appears very good as lots of worms were uncovered easily.

Besides the fenced garden we have eight raised beds. I believe the soil now has a good mix of primarily hay, plus hay that has spent time in the chicken coop and has plenty of fertilizer.

Last year was terrible but I feel very good about '19!

Wonderful! I need to do the fenced area too, before I can have a good veggie garden. We have too many critters here. Good raised beds are a good way to go too. I only have one, but need many more. Be sure to share pics of your 2019 garden successes.

It's fabulous! What all are you going to plant?

Does anyone grow cress? Or creasy greens? Or gather wild creasy greens? I'm interested in growing some type of cress. Just not watercress, it sounds complicated.

@ThommesM: No cabbages, beets or kale? No cucumbers?

@ThommesM: I am also reading up about tilling less and I love your leaves under the oak tree mulch.

Has anyone tried undersowing with the green manures? I have been reading Elliot Coleman's books and bought some seed to undersow corn, root crops, tomatoes, beans, etc. In some experimental cases they are using only the green manures as the growing mulch and when the overwintered cover crops die back it stays as mulch ...planting directly in the cover crop. So interesting!

FrugalGramma said:@ThommesM: No cabbages, beets or kale? No cucumbers?

No on the cabbages. I don't use a lot of them. No on the beets, I don't use a lot of them. No on the kale, I CAN'T STAND THE TASTE!

Cukes, HOW COULD I LEAVE THEM OFF THE LIST? That's why I posted it. Do you have a favorite variety?

FrugalGramma said:@ThommesM: I am also reading up about tilling less and I love your leaves under the oak tree mulch.

So do the oaks!

Deeby: Upland cress (Barbarea verna). is my favorite spring green and one of the first to emerge. It does not like sandy soil so is difficult to grow here but in the heavier soils in Appalachian Virginia where I spent much of my life it grew wild . You could harvest a lot in the spring from last years corn field. I have also planted it in cultivated plots when I did not have a corn field. Creasy greens are hard to beat. Sow in late summer early fall for late winter- early spring harvest. https://www.gardeningknowhow.c...

What is the history of the name 'creasy greens' ?

In My neck of woods, it was called creasy salat. Creasy probably was a form the word cress. The old folks also had poke salat, turnip salat. I was long gone from the nest before I heard the word "greens. Cabbage and collards stood alone. You had a mess of cabbage or a mess of collards.

@ThommesM: So far the cukes that have performed the best for me is Market More 76. I want to try a couple of others though that I heard about on this forum. I also read about string trellising them with only a main stem until they are about 6-7' tall them allowing them to trail back down over a bar with a second stem allowed. (Elliot Coleman again)

Don't you grow onions? I had good success winter sowing them last year about this time. I ate the last of them today, sigh....We are in the same state and Zone so it will be interesting to hear about how you are doing with your garden! No potatoes? Sweet potatoes?

Thanks Dillard. The cress I would like is the one that's ready in only 10 days. Some websites call it peppergrass.
Is creasy pronounced creaSy or creaZy? Also, by turnip salad/salat do you mean the turnip greens?
Deb, I've Googled and the word cress comes from the word Cross. Because of the cross shape of the formed leaves.

@betnc--I usually start my eggplant and pepper plants about 2 weeks before my tomatoes. They seem to take a little longer to germinate and grow hardy enough to plant out.

For whoever asked about squash that could be trellised--I do delicata squash every year on a trellis. And last year, I tried Sugar Baby watermelon on a trellis and we got 1 watermelon that was awesome (had to support the fruit as it grew). Will start earlier next year....we were way to late in starting it last year.

mom2goldens said:@betnc--I usually start my eggplant and pepper plants about 2 weeks before my tomatoes. They seem to take a little longer to germinate and grow hardy enough to plant out.

For whoever asked about squash that could be trellised--I do delicata squash every year on a trellis. And last year, I tried Sugar Baby watermelon on a trellis and we got 1 watermelon that was awesome (had to support the fruit as it grew). Will start earlier next year....we were way to late in starting it last year.

That was ALL me: the timing for starting peppers & eggplant in relation to tomatoes and trellising squash recommendations!!

delicata squash was also recommended by another, so it's on my list as "to be grown NEXT year (2020)" as I'm maxed out space-wise with 3 Shistito peppers ( @ Rita), 3 Listada de Gandia eggplants ( @ Worth), with #??? Sugar Baby and Little Darling watermelons to finish filling the space (seed gifts from a friend). (7-8 tomatoes are to be in Earthboxes on another side of my house.)

Think I got enough, for just me (and freebies to any and all who'll take 'em)???

Whatever ate all those holes in my broccoli/cauliflower (guessing cabbage moths) really killed all of my broccoli, which I was anticipating far more than the cauliflower. So that's really annoying. Maybe I should start some more seeds, and put some Bt down immediately when I transplant them to kill off any worms that try to eat them. Might get some broccoli before it gets so hot and dry out here that they bolt this summer.

@repentantslide: I keep broccoli under tall hoop-covered insect netting now. I had so much trouble with the little white butterflies laying the next generation on them, but after covering I have great crops. I watch the butterflies from my deck going up and down the net looking for an opening, and if there is a tear they will find it! So I keep BT on hand just in case. It also helps to keep the birds from eating all of the lettuce that I interplant with Broccoli. This last summer at the community garden I grew chamomile around the broccoli without a cover and it seemed to help too.

For pepper seeds so far I have ordered Stocky Red Roaster, and Lively Yellow. Both are sweet. I am bummed I cannot find Planet pepper seeds anywhere!

For tomato seeds I ordered Jory. And Italian Heirloom. Both new to me. Has anyone tried these?

I am also looking for a good canning tomato. Suggestions?

@Anderwood
     Jung Seed lists Planet Peppers on their website.

      Rita swears by San Marzano Redorta for a canning/paste tomato. Of the few canning types I have grown, Heidi was ok but Opalka was only so-so. This year I am trying Yaqui and Dwarf Sneaky Sauce, both growing only 3ft tall.
      Others that have been recommended on "best paste or sauce" sites are Super Sauce, Polish Linquisa, Big Mama, Jersey Devil, Viva Italia, Margherita, MiRoma and the old standard, Amish Paste.