Hey fellow Floridians...

[Fiishergurl]

That is so awesome and so beautiful and I'm sure very delicious.

I would have lots more but the owner of the RV park said it takes too much water. Boo hiss. We love it here because of the view and the manatees and dolphins, etc. But if we evwr move I'm going to have a huge garden... :-)

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

Barb am so glad to see another Floridian growing asparagus. So many people are convinced we can't grow it. It has done well for me. I talked the local extension office into letting me plant a small bed a few years ago as a test. It did well enough that I got to plant asparagus in 12x28 area in their demonstration garden. I think that will help visitors see they really can grow it.

Fishergurl, I am glad you started this thread. It is so nice to talk with other Florida gardeners about our challenges and successes..

Thats so cool you are growing it at the extension office. Which county are you in?

Ginny

[kayrobbins]

I am in Duval County. I had to donate some of my own plants to get it started but once it was a success they bought the two year crowns I wanted. It helps when the decision makers love asparagus. The demonstration garden is about a mile from the actual extension office.

[Barb_FL]

RE: Asparagus - I haven't watered mine in 2 years now; they get rain water and that's it. I bought mine from Park Seed and they were suppose to be Jersey Supreme which are male and will produce for consumption in year 2 (so after one year in the ground- a year earlier than other varieties). All of them grew, but at the end of the year, I had so many red berries (seeds) that I doubt they were male at all. I was really PO to say the least; not like getting a wrong tomato seed since there is so much time and precious real estate involved.

At the end of the heat season, I will cut them all back b/c they are all dried out looking. Next year, as they pop up, they will get eaten. This year, I had about 7 pop up at the same time and was going to wait for a few more, but then the 7 turned into 3-4' tall, so need to act quickly.

I use to buy A LOT from Park Seed b4 I knew any better. Actually, they do have some good seeds just not tomato (for me anyway).


Ginny - I'm also glad you started this thread; RE: the yellow sticky strips, I bought these megastrips from Amazon and felt bad b/c lizards got stuck (a horrible death), so I won't use them. I have tons of lizards around the plants.

Only in Florida I'm sure, but I catch the rain from the roof (finally made one of those 55 gallon rain barrels), b/c earlier in the summer my water bill was $115. So a frog laid eggs and turned into tadpoles; so I dragged it out of the sun and gave them an 18 gallon bucket and have been feeding them; and watching them turn into frogs and jump away. When I go on snail patrol at night, I see little frogs in my plants. Well, this happened several more times, so now there are 2 buckets with tadpoles. I finally got smart and covered the containers I'm catching the rain in.

---
Tomato question - Do all dwarf tomato plants have the rugose leaves? The few dwarfs that I grew had them and they are study stocky plants, that start well, and end up with super tight leaves and no fruit. Is there a trick?

[kayrobbins]

A lot of the dwarfs are potato leafs. This summer I grew a lot but the most prolific producers were Artic Rose and Sweet Sue. I saved lots of seeds from those two. I love Tasmanian Chocolate but it was not as productive. My favorite dwarf was one I grew for the Dwarf Project. It is Sweet Scarlet. When it is released it will be the first full size true red dwarf. I got the seeds late and did not expect much. This plant did so well in the Florida heat and humidity. I hope it will be released soon. When it is available I highly recommend it.

[kayrobbins]

Has anyone grown Rocoto peppers? I am obsessed with this pepper because it has hairy leaves, purple flowers and won't cross with other chile peppers. From what I have read they do better in cooler temperatures. I bought seeds from the Chile Pepper Institute and have 5 plants that I plan to over winter. I am hoping I can get them adapted to our climate but would love any tips if someone has grown them here.

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

Has anyone grown Rocoto peppers? I am obsessed with this pepper because it has hairy leaves, purple flowers and won't cross with other chile peppers. From what I have read they do better in cooler temperatures. I bought seeds from the Chile Pepper Institute and have 5 plants that I plan to over winter. I am hoping I can get them adapted to our climate but would love any tips if someone has grown them here.

I havent but I did grow shi-shi-tos and they produced like crazy and were delish. Some were hot but most were not. I have some seeds if anybody wants to try some.

Ginny

[Fiishergurl]

Barb,

Mine havent caught any lizards thank goodness but my moms did catch one little baby lizard. I didnt see it though.

Also I am growing two dwarfs...Cherokee Tiger Large Red Dwarf which is doing great... pics below
uploadfromtaptalk1412377280832.jpg

A view of some of the flowers... hoping some of these will make toms...

uploadfromtaptalk1412377321149.jpg

I have two of those and also two CT Black Dwarf which were started on the same day and are only an inch tall. They were started July 1st. Crazy. I will put them in larger pots and see if that helps. But I have fed them and coddled them and the Reds grew but the Blacks didnt with the exact same treatment.
uploadfromtaptalk1412377414182.jpg

The CT Blacks have not liked the weather at all.

Ginny

[Fiishergurl]

Barb that is a funny story about the tadpoles. Good to know about putting a cover on. I want to have a worm bin too. My rv neighnors back up to the woods so maybe I can put one there.. :-) they love stuff like that.

Ginny

[Fiishergurl]

Where is Marsha? She is a Master Gardener and has tons of great exoerience and info.... :-)

[Barb_FL]

and Gardenboy too; yesterday it didn't rain at all; and today it started about 4, then stopped and is raining again.

Kay - No, I never heard of that pepper - have you tasted it?

RE: trying to adapt to the climate - I tried growing 2 different types of artichokes (another veg that they say won't do well in Florida) for several years now and really took good care of the plants - always giving it worm tea or the tea from HTG supply. I had them for a few years now, but never any artichokes. I just about gave up on them;

At the beginning of the summer, someone gave me a tiny ghost pepper seedling; The plant thrived and produced 2 peppers, but now is loaded with buds. It must love this rain.

Jenny - Shi Shi tos - I must live under a rock; never heard of them either- but just checked them out at Baker's Creek (rareseed) - they sound amazing and the reviews are 5*.


Never heard of those dwarfs either, but I am definitely going to grow the bloody butchers...those toms are amazing for this time of year, I think AlaskaMark grew them too.


Here is where I have my plants that are not on the pool deck, or in the raised bed, (my raised beds are in a horse-shoe so I have a big shaded spot in the center for containers, etc.

I grew Red Royal Poinciana and Jacaranda trees for shade; and kept all the plants (mostly pepper and some tomato) out throughout the hot summer. The trees gave them enough shade and sunlight. (This was just one of my theory's). I have plenty of seeds if you want to grow these beautiful trees. I call them the new Palms.

[kayrobbins]

I have not tasted the Rocoto. I know that it is fairly hot. I wanted to grow it because it will not cross pollinate with other peppers and the plant is pretty. I am a contract seed grower of several peppers and I don't have enough space to add another pepper and still maintain the required isolation distance. I am going to grow these Rocotos out and see what happens.

Royal Poinciana trees are so beautiful when they bloom. I think it is too cold here to grow them.

I get my dwarf seeds from Heritage Tomato Seeds. I think I have grown at least 8 varietes. We are growing them at the local extension office this year too. I am lucky because as one of the Master Gardeners I get to plant my own garden but then I also have all that space to take plants I have started. There are a lot of hybrids grown there but they let me bring in the heirlooms and grow the sections I plant organically. Each year it seems we are doing more organic growing and that makes me happy.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

Where is Marsha? She is a Master Gardener and has tons of great exoerience and info.... :-)

I have been lurking I am really busy right now, with 1000 seedlings that I am growing for the swap, and for our garden club plant sale 1 week later, and with working ( horrors!!)
My colleague and friend was up on a ladder 2 weeks ago, trying to trim some berries off a palm tree, so his kids wouldn't slip on them. Yep, fell onto concrete, and broke his radius, complete displacement!( must be a testosterone thing) He knew that even though I am retired, I kept my license up, mostly due to his nagging me to!( karma is a b..ch!). He asked me if I could pinch hit for him, and he has 11 employees, and 5 kids and wife to support, so I said yes. And I am not even getting paid, because if I took a salary, then he gets nothing for his family, and thank goodness, I don't need to be paid, I am OK in that dept.
I told him that I am going to his house and taking his ladder away!
Oh, and I was asked to present at this months Master Gardener meeting, so I have had to put a power point slide show together, also quite fun.
So carry on, I am enjoying reading the escapades of you northerners!

[nancyruhl]

I am enjoying reading it, too. We stay in New Smyrna Beach for a couple of months in the winter. Does that make me an honorary Fellow Floridian? As I rip out the gardens up here, my thoughts go to my next growing opportunity during our much awaited trip back to Florida.
Doesn't appear that anyone in NSB grows many vegies at all, so it is good to hear of your successes.
We can't even get a nice tomato plant to buy to put on the nice south facing patio when we arrive in January. I put a couple of self watering pots there every year and they save them for me. Last year, we didn't bother with anything but herbs and flowers. I have a volunteer Matina potted up and I will try to nurse it along until we come down. She is blooming already. I started the parent plant on the patio last February and nursed it along. She had toms on when she was planted out in late May and produced so many tomatoes it was unbelievable.

Fiishergurl, you will really like Cherokee Tiger Large. I grew it this summer (thanks for the seeds ginger2778) and it was beautiful and productive of great tasting gorgeous tomatoes. My husband brought the last one in yesterday and the plant will be pulled as soon as I can get to it. I love the dwarfs as they bring tomato growing opportunities to places where they never existed before. Will be on the watch for Sweet Scarlet release, kayrobbins. I was trialing Dwarf Sweet Scarlet Heart this year and think that has much to offer and I hope it will be out there soon.

You have mentioned how hot it has been. I have that little widget up on my screen so I see the temperatures in NSB every day, and I thought they had been milder this year. Maybe because of being coastal. It is cold and gray here, and memories of the intensely bad winter last year make me shudder. Of course, last weekend was mid seventies and beautiful and we ate out on the patio. Go figure.

Wish I could join you at the swap next weekend. That's quite the story, ginger2778. Hang in there. Nancy

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by nancyruhl

I am enjoying reading it, too. We stay in New Smyrna Beach for a couple of months in the winter. Does that make me an honorary Fellow Floridian? As I rip out the gardens up here, my thoughts go to my next growing opportunity during our much awaited trip back to Florida.
Doesn't appear that anyone in NSB grows many vegies at all, so it is good to hear of your successes.
We can't even get a nice tomato plant to buy to put on the nice south facing patio when we arrive in January. I put a couple of self watering pots there every year and they save them for me. Last year, we didn't bother with anything but herbs and flowers. I have a volunteer Matina potted up and I will try to nurse it along until we come down. She is blooming already. I started the parent plant on the patio last February and nursed it along. She had toms on when she was planted out in late May and produced so many tomatoes it was unbelievable.

Fiishergurl, you will really like Cherokee Tiger Large. I grew it this summer (thanks for the seeds ginger2778) and it was beautiful and productive of great tasting gorgeous tomatoes. My husband brought the last one in yesterday and the plant will be pulled as soon as I can get to it. I love the dwarfs as they bring tomato growing opportunities to places where they never existed before. Will be on the watch for Sweet Scarlet release, kayrobbins. I was trialing Dwarf Sweet Scarlet Heart this year and think that has much to offer and I hope it will be out there soon.

You have mentioned how hot it has been. I have that little widget up on my screen so I see the temperatures in NSB every day, and I thought they had been milder this year. Maybe because of being coastal. It is cold and gray here, and memories of the intensely bad winter last year make me shudder. Of course, last weekend was mid seventies and beautiful and we ate out on the patio. Go figure.

Wish I could join you at the swap next weekend. That's quite the story, ginger2778. Hang in there. Nancy

Hi Nancy, I wish you were down here too. I never grew Cherokee tiger, but I think I sent you Cherokee Lime Stripes, right? I have a couple of beautiful seedlings of BKX which I am going to do a final transplant of today, because this am a cold front finally came through, and the low was 69F, with low humidity and bright sunshine. Glorious! Great day to put my gorgeous seedlings in their Earthboxes, which are replenished and waiting for them.
I think you definitely qualify as an honorary Floridian. I'll be the first one to vote aye!