Photo by William Stadler

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, how many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

Most of us have either quoted this little riddle or have had it told to us by a parent or grandparent, but do you really know how much a peck is?

Peppers come in all sizes, colors, and flavors, and don’t forget heat units.  Yes, heat units.  You might think of heat units for your oven or wood burning stove, but in the case of peppers there is a scale to grade the intensity of “heat” that a pepper produces from the oils of capsaicin found within a certain pepper:  This is called the Scoville Scale.  The Scoville scale ranges from zero, Bell Peppers, which contain no capsaicin, to the world’s hottest pepper recorded, the Bhut Jolokia, originating from Assam, India with a rating of just over 1,000,000 heat units on the scale. Now that is hot.  Your hottest Habanero pepper has a rating of 580,000 heat units, and your standard Jalapeno only has a range of 2,500 to 8,000 units. Does anyone want to try a Bhut Jolokia?

Just like with the tomatoes I planted, I have planted peppers by the masses too.  I don’t know what I was thinking when I ordered and then planted all of the varieties that I did. Curse those seed catalogs!

However, I have to reassure myself that I had a purpose for each variety, though my wife has told me that hottest peppers are NOT going in her salsa. Maybe I will have to put up a sign asking for volunteers to take away the hot ones or better yet sell them at the local Farmers Market.

Remember that when starting peppers from seeds, you want to start those seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost of the spring and before you are ready to plant them outdoors. So what have I planted or started for my garden? Let me share my “peck” of peppers with you.

Sweet Peppers: I am most excited about a variety called YUM YUM GOLD, a miniature sweet pepper that I found from Territorial Seed Company. FLAVORBURST is another sweet or bell pepper that says that it offers a citrusy flavor in every bite. This sounded interesting; I will have to report on its true flavor later. COLOSSAL Hybrid is reported to grow as large as or even larger than a softball and is great for stuffing, can you imagine a stuffed pepper that size; a summer meal to share for sure.  Yes I am even trying a pickling type pepper called SWEET PICKLE.  These varieties I found in the Park’s Seed catalog.

Mildly Hot Peppers: ANAHEIM, HUNGARIAN WAX, and JALAPENO are standards in our garden and used specifically for homemade salsa. Don’t forget that these varieties are also used in making stuffed chili “poppers” and are also used in making Chili Rellenos. You shouldn’t have any problem finding these varieties at your local greenhouse/garden center.

Hot Peppers: SERRANO’S add just enough kick for us to enjoy in our homemade salsa, however this year I am trying KUNG PAO and HOT LEMON, which I ordered from the Burpee seed catalog, to try in cooking various culinary dishes. However, I didn’t plant any Hababero’s. They are just too hot for my taste and liking.

All right, I might be a wimp when it comes to hot and spicy foods; I just don’t feel like I have to try and impress anyone at how spicy my food is, and then have to suffer from the consequences later. However, I am willing to try new dishes and I am eager to explore their flavors; that is why I am trying some new and different peppers this year.

Just as an added note, if you find your mouth on fire due to the heat of peppers, try drinking milk and/or eating some bread or crackers, or just more chips without the salsa. These items help counteract or neutralize the oils of the peppers that are causing the burning in your mouth. Just remember that water and oil don’t mix and that is why drinking water after something spicy just doesn’t offer a true soothing effect for the palate.

Photo by Jessica Brockardt

If Peter did pick a peck of pickled peppers, he only got about 2 gallons or a ¼ bushel of peppers. A peck was once used to measure both liquid and dry volumes of an item; however now it is used to measure mostly dry goods. In a garden, a peck could easily be the amount of peppers you would pick from one or two plants, depending on what variety you planted and were harvesting. I just can’t imagine what I was thinking when I ordered and have planted over fifteen different types of peppers. I know I will be picking more than a peck of peppers.  I just don’t know how to pickle them yet.

What are you planting in your garden this year?  Are you trying anything new and exciting? Please share with us something from your garden.

Photo by Darko Skender

It has happened again!  The seed catalogs came to my house and I couldn’t resist looking at everything that was new and wondering if some of my favorites were still around.  Well, maybe I looked a little too hard and a little too long.  I started thinking of all the things I could do with the tomatoes, and other vegetables, I wanted to grow.

I couldn’t help myself; I might have gone a bit overboard. However, I will share with you five (how can I pick just five?) of my most favorite tomatoes:

• Fourth of July- This is a Burpee exclusive.  It is true to its name. Some growers swear that they pick their first tomato on the 4^th of July.  I won’t say I do that every time I’ve grown this tomato, but it is the earliest tomato that I pick and it has more flavor than any other early tomato.
• Oregon Spring- This is a variety introduced by Oregon State University and is great for cooler summer temperatures. Even though we have hot days, our nights can be cooler and most tomatoes and other vegetables like warm nights.  Great flavor and taste.
• DX-52 (Hamson DX-52-12) This is an introduction from Utah State University and should be a staple for the northern climate and area. I grew this tomato when I was in Idaho and had great success.  Good for canning.  This year I had to get my seed from a garden center in Utah. The name doesn’t offer much insight, but the real treasure is the fruit itself.
• Delicious-This is an older beefsteak variety.  It truly offers a one slice tomato sandwich option. However, I never could stop at just one sandwich though.  Wonderful flavor, great size and about a week to ten days earlier than other beefsteak varieties.  Funny thing about this variety, was the deer decided they like this variety too, it was the only one they would eat off of the vine.
• Sweet Million-This too is an older cherry variety, but still my favorite.  Even though it is prone to cracking, if not picked quickly, I find that it has better flavor than the Sweet 100 variety.  However, if you see me trying to give cherry tomatoes away on the street corner, I am planning on growing 4 different varieties of cherry tomatoes.
• (bonus) Big Mamma-This variety is again a Burpee exclusive.  It is a Roma variety, great for salsas, very meaty, and not a lot of juice compared to others. And the name is very fitting, twice the size of your regular Roma varieties.
• Others not to be forgotten: Celebrity, Fantastic.

Most gardeners would probably stop at fewer tomatoes than this in their gardens… Not me.  In fact this is just the beginning. I will be growing about 8 more varieties to see how they perform in our climate. That is just what I will be starting from seed.  Who knows what other varieties might find their way into my garden from some garden center I happen to stop by.

I don’t know what it is about tomatoes, but I have always enjoyed a good tomato.  As a child, it seemed that we were planting, growing, and covering a hundred tomatoes each year.  Funny thing is I have vivid nightmares of growing up and having to help my father cover (and then uncover) the tomato crop that was in the family garden, protecting them from the pending frosts of fall.  He was determined to keep tomatoes on the vine as late into September and even into October as he could.  Now it seems that I possess the same tomato gene as he does.  I even found one of his old favorites and planted it last year.

I realize that tomatoes aren’t for everyone, and not everyone might be as crazy as I in growing so many different varieties. Oh but the rewards of a wonderful tomato sandwich, cucumber and tomato salads, homemade salsas, and of course a slice of tomato on a hamburger right off the grill.

With the news reports indicating that the current tomato crop has been damaged, due to the weird and abnormal weather and temperatures, summer can’t come quick enough bringing the wonderful flavors of the harvest.

Photo by Arcelia Vanasse

I have started my seeds (tomatoes and peppers) growing, pretty soon I will actually start working the soil out in my garden preparing it for an early crop of peas.  Yes, we have had a cold hard winter, not a lot of snow in my area unlike others across the country, but the cold that chilled us to the bone.  As the days are getting longer and warmer, it brings comfort to know that Spring is around the corner.

What are some of the Tomato varieties you like to grow?  Please feel free to leave what you like so others can share.

Today’s video will get to the bottom of the hydroponic/organic myth and help you to understand what makes them different.

Remember that if you choose to grow your tomatoes and other vegetables hydroponically, you can still use organic methods in your greenhouse. You can use organic pest control and fertilizers to help your plants grow. You do not have to choose to use any non-organic pesticides to have a successful garden.

What are your thoughts on organic gardening and hydroponics? I’d love to hear them.

Photo provided by freephoto.com

Companion planting is the practice of planting two different plants in close proximity to each other on the theory that they may help each other in some way. Some plants complement each other, giving off byproducts that the other plant needs. Those byproducts may be chemicals and micronutrients that the other plant may benefit from.

Other beneficial plants provide some protection against insects and planting a few of them near a desired plant may help to keep certain insects away. For example, I always plant some marigolds in amongst my pepper plants. This helps repel aphids from my plants and it kind of looks pretty as well. The bright splashes of color are fun amongst the green.

Here is a list of vegetables that you may plant or have planted in your garden and what goes well together and what does not:

Vegetables

• Asparagus—Good Companions: Tomatoes, Parsley, Basil–Bad Companions: None

• Beans (Bush)—Good Companions: Cauliflower, Carrots, Beets, Cabbage, Cucumbers, and Potatoes–Bad Companions: Onions

• Beans (Pole)—Good Companions: Corn and Radishes– Bad Companions: Kohlrabi, Beets, and Sunflowers

• Beets—Good Companions: Bush Beans, Onions and Kohlrabi–Bad Companions: Pole Beans

• Broccoli—Good Companions: Dill, Celery, Sage, Potatoes, Beets, and Onions– Bad Companions: Tomatoes, Pole Beans, Strawberries

• Cabbage—Good Companions: Dill, Celery, Sage, Onions, and Potatoes– Bad Companions: Strawberries, Tomatoes, Pole Beans

• Carrots—Good Companions: Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Peas– Bad Companions: Dill

• Cauliflower—Good Companions: Celery– Bad Companions: Tomatoes, Strawberries
• Celery—Good Companions: Tomatoes, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Leeks–Bad Companions: None

• Corn—Good Companions: Potatoes, Peas, Bean, Cucumbers, Squash and Pumpkins– Bad Companions: Tomatoes

• Dill—Good Companions: Cabbage—Bad Companions: Carrots

• Eggplant—Good Companions: Beans—Bad Companions: None

• Garlic—Good Companions: Roses—Bad Companions: Peas and Beans

• Kale—Good Companions: Late Cabbage and Potatoes—Bad Companions: None

• Kohlrabi—Good Companions: Onions, Beets and Cucumbers—Bad Companions: Strawberries, Tomatoes, and Pole Beans

• Leeks—Good Companions: Celery, Onions, and Carrots—Bad Companions: None

• Lettuce—Good Companions: Onions, Strawberries, Cucumbers, Carrots, and Radishes—Bad Companions: None

• Melons—Good Companions: Corn and Sunflowers—Bad Companions: Potatoes

• Onions—Good Companions: Beets, Carrots, Lettuce, Garlic, Summer Savory—Bad Companions: Peas, Beans

• Peas—Good Companions: Radishes, Carrots, Corn, Cucumbers, Beans, Turnips—Bad Companions: Onions

• Potatoes—Good Companions: Beans, Corn, Peas, Cabbage, Cucumbers—Bad Companions: Hyssop

• Radishes—Good Companions: Peas, Lettuce, Nasturtium, Cucumbers—Bad Companions: Hyssop

• Spinach—Good Companions: Strawberries—Bad Companions: None

• Squash, Pumpkin—Good Companions: Nasturtium, Corn—Bad Companions: Potatoes

• Tomatoes—Good Companions: Asparagus, Parsley, Chives, Onions, Carrots, Marigold, Nasturtium—Bad Companions: Dill, Cabbage, Fennel

• Turnips—Good Companions: Peas, Beans—Bad Companions—None

If you have already planted your garden and you have inadvertently planted bad companions, you will at least have some answers why things may not be going as planned. And if all else fails, grab some marigolds for your peppers and tomatoes. You won’t be sorry!

What plants do you like to plant together and why? Leave me a comment and let me know what you like to plant together.

Photo by Rae Allen, flickr

When growing a vegetable garden, you want to do all you can to get the most for your hard work and effort. Here are five steps that you can take to ensure that your vegetable garden this year is successful.

Location, Location, Location

You will want to choose an area that will offer a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight each day. If you are planning to plant near a building, be sure that you choose the south side of the building. And be careful to stay away from large trees that will cast shadows over your garden.

Amend the Soil

Be sure that you place organic material such as compost in your soil. This will help to increase the water retention capacity as well as offer aeration for the roots of your vegetable plants.

Choosing the Right Plants

You will want to make sure that you choose the right plants for your area. Know when it is safe to plant different vegetables and avoid the danger of frost damage. Your local garden center will be able to help you know when it is safe to plant each type of vegetable.

Proper Spacing of Plants or Seeds

Your vegetables will need room to grow. Be sure that you follow the recommended spacing guidelines for each vegetable in order to see the best results.

Proper Watering and Fertilization Techniques

Know how to avoid underwatering and overwatering your vegetable plants. Your plants will need more water at first in order to become established and then again when the sun is extremely hot. Watch them closely so that they do not wilt and become overly dry.

If your plants begin to turn yellow, then you are overwatering them. In that instance, you will want to back off on your watering schedule.

Feed your vegetables on a set schedule with a good quality fertilizer. You can choose a water soluble fertilizer or a slow release fertilizer. Remember that if you choose a water soluble one that it will dissipate each time you water and will leach out and away from the plant.

Understand what the numbers on the fertilizer actually mean. There are three different numbers on a package of fertilizer and they all stand for something different. Understanding what those numbers mean will help you to get the most out of the product as you use it in your garden.

The first number on the package always stands for the nitrogen content. This is what causes green growth in your plants. This is very beneficial in corn.

The second number always represents phosphorus. This is what encourages blossoms and fruit production. You will want a higher number of this for your tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash plants.

The third number always stands for potassium. This helps improve the overall health of the plant. You will want to use this in minimal amounts as not much is needed by your vegetable plants in order to be healthy.

By following these five steps, you will have a vegetable garden that is sure to bring you great yields and pleasure. What do you consider to be the most important thing when preparing your vegetable garden?