Jalapeño Peppers

Jalapeño Peppers  are pretty easy to grow and make a great addiction to any meal. 

This year we grew ours in a half of barrel, last year it was in a city pickers pot.

(this year is to the left, last year is to the right)

We grew it along with 3 other pepper plants this year witch I know is a big no no for some people, but we had no problem and they all looked beautiful together.  I used the plant stand just so it would not lean over as people who came to my door are not careful and would hit it.  

Things to remember when planting Jalapeño Peppers~
~Keep watered, especially when it is hot out. Do not wet the peppers though and do not over water.
~Keep in well drained soil with full sun
 ~Check daily for pest. Worms and caterpillars are common and can be easily picked off.(We had this problem when they just started growing but not anymore, thankfully)
~You can start seeds inside and transfer them outside when they are around 11 weeks.(Just rememebr to keep them in a sunny spot)
~A full grown plant can grow up to 3 feet
~You should space them at least a foot apart. I noticed sense we did not this year it did not grow as big as it could have, but still gave plenty of peppers!
~Give plant food, and keep weeded.
~Jalapeño Peppers can be grown in planters but might need a bigger one has it grows.
~They are named after a town in Mexico and are the most popular chile pepper in US.

When picking Jalapeño Peppers try to pick before they start changing colors. I like to pick mine and let them sit in a window. This year we got some red ones! You can also freeze them. Every year we always end up with tons. We donate a lot and freeze a lot. The hotness of the peppers vary form plant to plant and threw out the different color stages.

The color of Jalapeño Peppers goes from bright green(this is when you should pick them) to dark green then black and finally red. A Jalapeño Pepper can grow anywhere from 2 inches to 3.5 when full grown. A mistake I always make when cutting these peppers is not wearing gloves! Really you should. Even after washing my hands multiple times I still have the juice form the peppers still on them and I countless numbers of times rub my face after and burn myself. lol

Snap peas

Last year I tried to grow these but got them in too late and they did not make it. Again this year I tried and so far we got some success along with some learning opportunities. While we have some peas growing it seems like something effected few leaves. Snap peas need support to grow, I foudn after they grew a certain height  the support was only need for the bottom of the plant. As you can see from the picture below I have simple support and the plant is now standing the top half on its own. When planting snap peas mulch is a great tool. It helps keep the plant drained of water that can cause the roots to rot and helps keep the plant cool in the hot sun. I am thinking this is where I went wrong. At times when I could not water the plants I had other people do it and at times it was hot and sunny and I am pretty sure it burnt some leaves. 

Other things to keep in mind when growing snap peas~

~Fertilize before planting but not much, a little will do

~They are a low maintenance plant

~Do not over water and do not water in the hot sun

~They get to be about 3 inches long

~They can be planted in containers

~Plant directly, do not transfer

~Snap peas are meant to be eaten all together, (pod and peas)

~They hold lots of iron and vitamin C

~You get more peas if planted in spring but you can plant for a fall harvest

~Can be eaten raw or cooked

~Best to water in early day to prevent fungal disease

~Pea plants do best in temperatures below 70 and can stand a light frost 

~Rotate pea crops every year or two

Good rule of thumb I found with many plants is the more you pick the more the plant will produce.   

When harvesting snap peas the best way to know if they are ready is trial and error. You want the pods to be swollen but if you want to long they can become tough and not good to eat. Pick one a day till you find what size is good for you. You should eat or freeze peas shortly after picking. To freeze just place them in a freezer bag. If you do pick them to late you can shell them and use the peas inside for soups.

Visitor in our garden...can you guess what?

This is a first for me, I have never seen a leaf bug in person but this morning when going over everything in the garden I seen this not so little one sitting on one of my pepper plants. He was so neat to look at and very well camouflaged. Real name for this one is "Katydid" and they live almost everywhere around the world. It is a kind of grasshopper and can be light or dark green. Living only a year these  grasshoppers can not only jump but fly. The leaf like part of them is in fact their wings. They also have 6 legs and long antennas. There is rare pink/yellow ones out there that come form a rare mutation. They eat grass and leaves so I am not worried about this one roaming my garden, I am actually happy. It was a great learning chance for my kids and when I called them out to show it to them they couldn't even find it. 

People do keep katydids as pets and it is actually easy to breed them also but this one will remain free outside. 

Growing corn on a small scale

Yep this year we even tried corn. We got it planted much later but we still tried. Above is how they looked just recently,  but this joyful experience did come with many learning opportunities. Early on we had pest problems and I ended up just pulling one of the plants. We had  a cutworm make home deep down in one of the stalks. At the time when I pulled the plant it just looked unhealthy, it was not till after I pulled it did I found this worm hiding deep down in the plant. Other pest to keep a eye out for are wireworms, flea beetles, and corn earworms. Hand picking and destroying them is best as soon as you find them. Other then that rodents will also feed on corn. Many years ago we tried and squirrels took all of the stalks down. Traps or fences will help with that problem...or a dog. :)  

Some things I learned about corn while still growing it, feel free to add any of our own knowledge.

~Corn is shallow rooted

~Keep weeded to avoid competition

~Do not grow corn in a long row, instead grow in groups to help with pollination

~Water regularly

~Corn grows fast in hot weather

~Fertilize regularly

~Best planted in spring

~Plant corn in full sun

~ Corn is a member of the grass family

~Sizes normally ranges from 7-10 feet

Good companion plants are~

Potatoes

beans (not pole beans)

cucumbers

pumpkins

peas

Corn plants have both male and female parts one on plant. The male part is the top, it only shows on mature plants and is called the tassel. The pollen grains that come off of this are what contains the male sex cell. As seen above

The female part of the plant is the silk. When a grain falls onto the silk it germinates pretty quickly.

Now this is something  I am still looking into and finding mixed things about. 

 One stalk has red grain and even red silk. (seen above and below) I know  I did not plant them at the best time but I felt like even if we got no corn they would give the house some decor, and my neighbors love seeing corn outside of someones house growing.(I know weird but no one near me really has a garden that they grow food in) I read that this could be something wrong with the soil. I also read that this happens, either way I really got no answers. I would love to know if anyone knows why this happens? Any info betters me for growing them next year.

My first year growing Lavender

Something I always wanted to grow and never could find in stores. Well last spring I went on a hunt for just this. One day, many stores.....and the whole time Homedepo(closes plant selling place near me) carried it just not a lot and they sell out quick.... -_-

Anyway I finally got my hands on 3 simple lavender plants. I seen they also had Spanish lavender later on in the end of summer.

Lavender care~

~do not over water, lavender needs well drained soil

~lavender does well in pots and planters 

~if you do plant lavender in the ground place it in a raised bed to improve water drainage

~sprinkling bone meal over the plants and watering lightly  in fall helps the plant during the cold winter months

~flowers can be used in crafts, soap making, sauces, and even desserts

~there is many types of lavender

~lavender is at it's peak when the blooms just start opening, this is when they will smells the best and look the brightest 

~prune the plant, this plant does very well to being shaped

~lavender can last threw winter

~lavender needs sun or can easily grow mold

~lavender is actually a herb

~only fertilize once a year 

~use mulch to help keep weeds away and it will also keep the roots warm for winter

To harvest just cut the stems form the plant making sure not to over cut so the plant still looks full. To dry lavender, hang the stems upside down in a dark well ventilated place. If you want fresh lavender in you'r home just place lavender stems in a jar or vase with no water and enjoy. 

Basil

We never grow enough basil here. I really use bail in just about everything I cook. This year I bought a 5 tier planter and placed tow basil plants in that. They are growing and are healthy but it is way to small. I would not suggest planting them in small spaces like above and will for sure not do it next year. This year we did sweet and spicy basil with sweet being our favorite. 

Couple things to keep in mind when growing basil~ 

It is easy to grow from seeds(they are sensitive to cold so maybe start inside first?) 

Need well drained soil

Basil needs about 6 hours of sun daily

Water at the base of the plant when soil is dry to the touch

Basil grows well with tomato plants

Pinch off the flowers to encourage healthy basil leaves (basil flowers are actually edible!)

Remember to use clean soil as this is one plant you will be eating

Basil is better fresh though you can use a dehydrator and store them away for future cooking

There is many kinds of basil (spicy, sweet, cinnamon,  purple, and even Thai)

Aphids are one pest that basil can easily get. Check the underside of leaves often for aphids. They have a pear shaped body and come in many colors from yellow to black. Cold water spray can sometimes get rid of these or even doing some research into what good bugs many be to buy for eating these pest but not the plants.

You can harvest the bail seeds(the seed are found in the flowers once dry but are very small), I did not this year and found basil plants growing in my garden as seen above. Guess the wind carried them from the planter over to the bed. 

Pumpkin Porridge with Rice Dumplings

This is one of my fall favorites. Great for cold mornings or evenings. This year we grew a 18 pound pumpkin and decided to make a big batch of pumpkin porridge and a small batch of just pumpkin puree. Pumpkin porridge is very easy to make. The thing that will take you the longest is cutting up the pumpkin, after that it goes by pretty quick. 

Start by cutting up the pumpkin you choose and taking out the seeds. Cut it into cubes about inch or two in size. (side note~no, you do not include the skin of the pumpkin or guts) 

Next place a steamer basket in a pot with a inch or two of water and bring to a boil. Carefully add in the pumpkin. Do not over fill the pot with pumpkin, do more then one batch if needed. For our 18 pound pumpkin I did 4 batches, it filled one crock pot and one bowl when done. Lower the heat to medium and let it cook for 20 mins. When done it should be easy to poke threw with a fork. 

Once done place the pumpkin in a blender and add in 1/4 cup of sweet rice flour, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt and blend until smooth. This is were I took a short cut. There is many recipes online for making homemade rice dumplings but it was a busy day and I bought them from the store. I placed it all in a crock pot and put it on low for few hours to keep everything warm till dinner. You can freeze leftovers and just place back in a crock pot to be warmed again.  

Enjoy :) 

any questions feel free to ask.