Your 2024 Garden

[fuzzi]

My winter crop of collards needs to be harvested. This afternoon I noticed one of the plants was yellowing, and saw it was about to bolt.

My chickens loved it.

 

[gtaus]

In a perfect world, does anyone know how many peppers I should get from each of my plants, roughly? Like is it generally 2-3? Or 10+? I'm just debating if 12(maybe more, depending on if I decide to only do 1 per spot this year or do all that look strong like I did last year) of each will be enough.

Lots of variables to consider such as pepper variety, soil condition, and weather...

Banana peppers do much better, and I can get a dozen, easily.

I grow lots of sweet banana peppers. When I planted them in-ground in my poor lakeside soil garden, I would get about 6 small peppers per 12-inch-tall plant in a year.

I have since built raised beds and topped them off with high quality topsoil and chicken run compost. Now, my sweet banana pepper plants grow to about 4 feet tall and I get dozens of peppers from each plant.

So I guess the number of peppers on each plant depends on the quality of the soil your peppers are growing in and the growing conditions.

I would agree on that. I have poor native soil, and my gardens never did well until I switched over to raised beds and bought high-quality topsoil which I mixed with my chicken run compost to put in the beds.

I add my old chicken bedding to my garden soil, this is what I attributed to the many peppers I got. My farmer uncle also gave me a hint, plant your pepper plants close enough together that they can touch when they get big enough. I don't know if that worked but I followed his advice and never had so many peppers growing before

In my raised beds, I use the square foot gardening method and plant one pepper plant per square foot. I use cheap wire tomato cages around the pepper plant, so it does not fall over. When full grown, they will touch each other. I don't know if that makes any difference, but I get lots of peppers from my plants as well. I thought my productivity was more due to a high-quality topsoil and the chicken run compost I use in the beds.

 

[Nomadicus]

I grow bells and cayenne. I get lots per plant but have a fairly long growing season. I like to keep some cayenne pepper vinegar and freeze bell pepper strips to cook with.

I have some cabbage plants grown from seed and some potatoes to plant but we've had rain so the garden is a bit wet to be digging. I hope to be able to get these in the ground soon. More rain coming but at least the temps have been nice.

We keep peppered vinegar on hand at all times. Most any of the greens and southern peas just wouldn't be the same without being doctored with pepper sauce.

 

[Nomadicus]

I think this year I will try and grow some bells with our cayenne and jalapeno. I do like my stuffed and grilled jalapenos. I eat raw bells but not really cooked ones. Lightly stirred I can like them but they change so much in flavor I do not like them fully cooked. I used to take a bell either stuffed with tuna salad or chicken salad for my lunch to work with me. I try and buy the yellow, gold, or red fresh ones for the nutrition content.

 

[saysfaa]

I get about ten big bell peppers per plant. And many, many dozens of jalapeño, banana, Italian sweet, and mulato islena per plant. I have a fairly short growing season and very good soil.

I read somewhere that you get more production when you pick the first ones as soon as they reach close to full size - long before they turn their mature color. It stimulates more blossoms than you would otherwise get. It seems to be true based on results when I've done it vs when I haven't but I haven't done a side-by-side comparison. After the first set of fruit, it doesn't seem to matter anymore.

 

[NanaK]

We keep peppered vinegar on hand at all times. Most any of the greens and southern peas just wouldn't be the same without being doctored with pepper sauce.

Cayenne pepper vinegar is a must for greens here! My Dad always drizzled some on fried fish too.

Dad would also stuff a jar with slices of raw bell pepper, cover with vinegar and put them in the refrigerator. He would eat them with meals or a snack.

Funny how we never forget these little things.

 

[Sally PB]

I use cheap wire tomato cages around the pepper plant, so it does not fall over. When full grown, they will touch each other.

When I plant out my little pepper plants, I put a tomato cage around it so that I don't accidentally step on them or knock them over.

I read somewhere that you get more production when you pick the first ones as soon as they reach close to full size - long before they turn their mature color. It stimulates more blossoms than you would otherwise get. It seems to be true based on results when I've done it vs when I haven't but I haven't done a side-by-side comparison. After the first set of fruit, it doesn't seem to matter anymore.

I will have to remember this! It makes sense.

You need to keep beans picked so that they don't form the seed to the point that the plant "thinks" it has completed its prime objective: reproduce itself. Once the plant gets to that point, it stops blooming and making beans.

 

[tripletfeb]

When I plant out my little pepper plants, I put a tomato cage around it so that I don't accidentally step on them or knock them over.

I will have to remember this! It makes sense.

You need to keep beans picked so that they don't form the seed to the point that the plant "thinks" it has completed its prime objective: reproduce itself. Once the plant gets to that point, it stops blooming and making beans.

One of my favorite things about growing beans, peppers, and tomatoes is this fact. That you can keep picking them throughout the season, just keep those blossoms going and the plant will keep you happy. Unlike corn, where it's one pick and you're done

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Gonna clean out the office some and try to make room for the tote to go there instead when I get off work today.

My dad got a 'gardening in the apocalypse' book woth a few things I might try this year

 

[Nomadicus]

When it dries off some and warms up a tad more while l digest my morning meds and nap a little l am going to stick the onion sets in the ground and then put all of my tomato plants out and the eggplants out and hopefully be able to walk where I need to so I can plant the Sugar Snap peas. I tilled deep where the peas are going in after after the rains came it may be almost soupy. I haven't test it yet but have my doubts about planting peas or beets today.