Pics of my 2013 Gardening Season in NJ.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Hi, yes Alfredo, we can grow all year here in south Florida, but almost nothing will set fruit except maybe okra, in the summer. Our overnight temps don't go below 70 F until about mid october, and by about mid April they rise above the 70 degree mark again. Of course most tomatoes and other nightshades wont set fruit if the overnight temps are not cool enough, maybe except the heatset varieties(yuck!), so it pretty much leaves summer out.
So now after all that longwindedness from me, heres what I do, I start seed in late August for a mid or late October plantout into my Earthboxes ( too many Root Knot Nematodes for the ground).
I start a second round of seed in early December for a plant out in January so that gives me tomatoes usually from December until early July. I predict you will love Black Cherry.
This season I am really excited about trying Neves Azorean Red, Dixiewine, Cherokee Lemon, and Cherokee Lime Stripes, Brandywine from Croatia, Brandywine Cowlicks,
Liz Birt, and Black Krim, all new for me.
I can't wait, i keep checking my seeds like every hour!

Marsha

Interesting how the low temperatures affect fruit set on tomatoes, and how that shifts when you start your growing season. I totally didn't even think about that for your growing region (I imagine it's very similar in the Caribbean then too?) Does that mean you grow a lot of Okra then in summer?

I saw from your album pics that you use the Earthboxes, how many of those do you have set up then? You said 72 varieties, is that one Earthbox for each one? Or do you have multiple in each one? You must have a lot of space to grow.

I love Black Krim!..I'm going to grow Brandywine Cowlick's next season too. Dester wasn't so special? Wa Waa...I hope Dester tastes good/does better for me then as it's one of the ones I'm growing in 2014. Oh boy...

I'll make sure to check your postings to see how Brandywine Cowlick's grows for you and if you like it, it'll be my first time growing it as well (along with 15 new varieties for me for next year). My growing season hasn't even ended and I'm already thinking about next year's growing season geez.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Alfredo

Interesting how the low temperatures affect fruit set on tomatoes, and how that shifts when you start your growing season. I totally didn't even think about that for your growing region (I imagine it's very similar in the Caribbean then too?) Does that mean you grow a lot of Okra then in summer?

I saw from your album pics that you use the Earthboxes, how many of those do you have set up then? You said 72 varieties, is that one Earthbox for each one? Or do you have multiple in each one? You must have a lot of space to grow.

I love Black Krim!..I'm going to grow Brandywine Cowlick's next season too. Dester wasn't so special? Wa Waa...I hope Dester tastes good/does better for me then as it's one of the ones I'm growing in 2014. Oh boy...

I'll make sure to check your postings to see how Brandywine Cowlick's grows for you and if you like it, it'll be my first time growing it as well (along with 15 new varieties for me for next year). My growing season hasn't even ended and I'm already thinking about next year's growing season geez.

Ha Ha. The earthbox company recommends 2 tomato plants per box, so that's what I do even with indeterminates. I would probably get better production if I only did 1 per box.
If I did, it would be much fewer types to try then. So many varieties, so little time!
Most people adore Dester, so I would not worry. I am going to try again with it next year.
I am not sure the Carribean ever gets cool enough overnight, probably does in the higher elevations. We spent our honeymoon in Puerto Rico in late January, and it stayed above 80 the whole time.
No, I can't find a way to like okra other than frying, so i don't grow it. Summer is special here because my mangoes, pineapples, and starfruit all produce.
Marsha

[efisakov]

Marsha, okra is great eaten raw while it is smaller and the seeds are milky nutty tasting. I am growing it for the first time. I eat them right as I pick them. Mango trees are so beautiful, saw them couple years ago for the first time in Pompano Beach city. You are lucky to have them. My whole family loves mango. My mom visited from Ukraine few years ago, she still remembers this awesome fruit. Do you do anything special with them since you have plenty?

[Alfredo]

Mmmmm I wish I can grow mango and pineapples up here Marsha!

Ella, I didn't know okra could be eaten raw like that, have to try it, I had some seed from SSE a couple years ago and gave it away as I've never ate okra before and didn't know what to do with it.

[efisakov]

It is used most of the time in cooking, there are many recipes of fried, grilled, sautéed, pickled an so on. Most of them saying that okra is slimy. I do not like that. Acid helps with cutting that slime. Someone here on TV mentioned eating it raw. I tried it raw while it was not completely grown and liked it. I have it in containers and just planted out. To me they are producing pretty even.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Marsha, okra is great eaten raw while it is smaller and the seeds are milky nutty tasting. I am growing it for the first time. I eat them right as I pick them. Mango trees are so beautiful, saw them couple years ago for the first time in Pompano Beach city. You are lucky to have them. My whole family loves mango. My mom visited from Ukraine few years ago, she still remembers this awesome fruit. Do you do anything special with them since you have plenty?

Raw, wow, no kidding! Maybe I have to revisit that.
My Mango variety is called Kent, and it has no stringiness. I just cut it into our summertime fruit salads. I also freeze several because the frozen cubes become the ice for smoothies, great in the afternoon as a light lunch, mixed with blueberries and strawberries, banana, plain yogurt, and a tablespoon of unfiltered real honey.
Our annual mango fest here had a tasting of 18 varieties, and Kent won, which surprised me because its an old variety. Mango is my very favorite fruit, i think I may like them a little better than tomatoes! I give lots away to my grateful friends too.
The pineapples you let ripen on the plant are much sweeter than the store bought, and its odd, because I grew them from the cut tops of store bought pineapples.

Ella, you said that acid cuts the sliminess of the okra, so I bet they would be good in a tossed salad with an italian type of dressing. OK, now I'm getting hungry!

Marsha

[Alfredo]

More pics:

IMG_1410.jpg Costoluto Fiorentino tomatoes.

IMG_1414.jpg Sweet Pea "High Scent."

IMG_1415.jpg Sweet Pea "High Scent."

IMG_1416.jpg Sweet Alyssum.

IMG_1417.jpg "California Dreamin" Rose.

IMG_1418.jpg Castor Bean Gibsonni.

IMG_1419.jpg Castor Bean Gibsonni.

IMG_1421.jpg Rose of Sharon about to bloom.

IMG_1424.jpg Double Knock Out Rose.

IMG_1427.jpg Cluster of Red Brandywine tomatoes. One of my standout favorites for this 2013 season.

IMG_1428.jpg Dwarf Wild Fred Tomato.

IMG_1429.jpg Dwarf Wild Fred Tomatoes.

IMG_1430.jpg Grandpa Ott's and Red Brandywine tomatoes.

IMG_1431.jpg Dwarf Wild Fred tomato.

IMG_1432.jpg Red Brandywine Tomato.

[efisakov]

Would you grow again and recommend to others Dwarf Wild Fred tomato?

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Would you grow again and recommend to others Dwarf Wild Fred tomato?

Hey Ella,

Yes I would recommend the Dwarf Wild Fred tomato variety, both plants I have growing show no signs of disease, and are still pumping out tomatoes in the large containers i have them in.

In my opinion though, I prefer Dwarf Rosella Purple, as it has a stronger and more pronounced flavor, than Dwarf Wild Fred.

Next year I'm going to put more of the dwarf varieties in my raised garden bed and in the ground along and within my garden borders. I've noticed the tomato fruit of the Dwarf varieties grow a bit larger there than in a large container. I'll just use my large containers for my early maturing determinates next year/season.

[Alfredo]

Some pics:
IMG_1433.jpg Pruden's Purple tomatoes.

IMG_1434.jpg Pruden's Purple tomato.

IMG_1435.jpg Pruden's Purple tomatoes.

IMG_1436.jpg Pruden's Purple tomato.

IMG_1438.jpg Moreton F1 Hybrid tomato.

IMG_1439.jpg Giant Primrose (aka Moonwalker) Sunflower.

IMG_1440.jpg Giant Primrose (aka Moonwalker) Sunflower.

IMG_1441.jpg San Marzano Redorta tomato.

IMG_1443.jpg Dwarf Wild Fred Tomato.

IMG_1446.jpg Kosovo tomato plant, Double Knockout Rose, Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory and Castor Bean.

IMG_1448.jpg One of the Guatemalan Blue Banana Squash growing.

IMG_1449.jpg Giant Primrose (aka Moonwalker) Sunflower.

IMG_1452.jpg Red Brandywine tomatoes.

IMG_1459.jpg Matt's Wild Cherry, Pruden's Purple, Dwarf Wild Fred and Moreton tomatoes.

IMG_1460.jpg Matt's Wild Cherry, Pruden's Purple, Dwarf Wild Fred and Moreton tomatoes.

IMG_1463.jpg Rosita Eggplants.

IMG_1464.jpg Belle Blanch Datura Flowering.

IMG_1466.jpg Grandpa Ott's growing with Scarlet O'Hara Morning Glories.

[FaithHopeLove]

I found out that most people that live in New York and Jersey have never eaten Okra, I'm from Staten Island, New York and never ate or even heard of Okra until I moved here to Florida in 2000.

There are so many ways to cook Okra, my favorite is fried

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by FaithHopeLove

I found out that most people that live in New York and Jersey have never eaten Okra, I'm from Staten Island, New York and never ate or even heard of Okra until I moved here to Florida in 2000.

There are so many ways to cook Okra, my favorite is fried

Yeah I only know one gardener that grows Okra. I'm sure there's more that do, just not as popular up here as tomatoes and peppers are.

[Alfredo]

Working on my 2014 Grow List already.

I have the following seed varieties since I started to order all my 2014 seeds much earlier this year, and they've all come in now. (Special Thanks to the great and quite fast service of Steve over at Heritage Tomato Seed, Margie at Lazy Ox Farms, Tania at Tatiana's TOMATObase, and Terry at the Secret Seed Cartel.)

16 new to me tomato varieties for my 2014 season:

Brandywine, Cowlick's
Brandywine, Sudduth's
Anmore Dewdrop
Mohamed
Riesentraube
Black Cherry
Dester
Marizol Bratka
Wessel's Purple Pride
Mullen's Mortgage Lifter
Crnkovic Yugoslavian
Eva Purple Ball X Big Beef
Joe's Pink Oxheart
BKX (Black Krim Potato Leaf)
Negrillo De Almoguera
Oncle Remi

Both the Anmore Dewdrop and Mohamed varieties will be for me to try my hand at growing indoors during the winter months up here in NJ. Both are really small growing (much smaller than dwarf and husky determinate types of tomato plants). So I'm looking forward to that. Something different for me, and another way to try to get a greener thumb. Might still order a few more "early maturing" tomato varieties...but I think I'll wait to see what the new varieties are from the several good seed companies first before ordering those.

Also, I'll be growing a new to me eggplant variety that appears to be rare over here in the U.S. "Tonda Di Manfredonia" along with an early maturing French mildly hot pepper called "Piment De Bresse."

So these along with some of the varieties that I'm growing currently this year (i.e. Pruden's Purple, Red Brandywine, San Marzano Redorta, etc.) will make up my 2014 Grow List. Have to still get some new to me varieties of Bush Beans, which several Tomatovillians have helped me pick (thanks!).

[Alfredo]

Some pics:

IMG_1467.jpg "California Dreamin" Roses.

IMG_1468.jpg "California Dreamin" Rose.

IMG_1470.jpg Kosovo tomato plant, Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory and a Double Knock-Out Rose Bush.

IMG_1471.jpg Wildflower/Squash/Habanero Pepper/Eggplant Garden area.

IMG_1474.jpg "Giant Primrose"/Moonwalker Sunflower

IMG_1475.jpg "Giant Primrose"/Moonwalker Sunflower

IMG_1476.jpg "Giant Primrose"/Moonwalker Sunflower

IMG_1477.jpg Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory & Guatemalan Blue Banana Squash Flower.

IMG_1478.jpg

IMG_1479.jpg Canadian Heirloom "Sophie's Choice" Tomato.

IMG_1480.jpg Garden Spider taking care of some business.

IMG_1481.jpg

IMG_1482.jpg Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory & Sweet Pea "High Scent."

IMG_1483.jpg

IMG_1485.jpg This row of Hostas flowering marks the coming of the Hummingbirds in my garden every year. I've spotted two so far, going to "attempt" to get a good photo of them in action. They've been the most difficult animal to capture on film for me. I'm going to have to resort to camouflaging myself as some kind of plant/bush or something to get a good photo of them.

IMG_1486.jpg Rose of Sharon blooming.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by RayR

Nice pics Alfredo, What has been your experience with Rosita Eggplant as far as productivity and taste? I'm growing Rosa Bianca and Applegreen myself and am looking for a new variety to add next season.

Hey RayR,

My apologies for taking a while to get back to you on the flavor/productivity of the Rosita Eggplant. I would've given you a response last week as I harvested the first Rosita Eggplant then, but I gave away the first one to my mother in law who really likes eggplant.

I did try the Rosita Eggplant last night that I harvested yesterday, and can say that its sweeter than the Black Beauty Eggplant variety in my opinion. And the skin isn't tough or bitter, as I didn't peel it off, just kept it on and roasted it with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and a touch of butter. It's quite the tasty eggplant I must say. Even had some for leftovers for breakfast today. The Rosita Eggplants grow to 8 inches in length, same length/thickness of the Black Beauty variety. Half of the plants I have growing are starting to pump out Eggplants now. So looks like a mid-season to late-season eggplant variety for my growing season here in NJ. It "might" be as productive as the Black Beauty Eggplant variety depending how it does for the rest of the season. I'll get back to you on that. My season doesn't really end until mid-October(hoping for later) depending on the first frost, seems to be changing every year so.

I really think the Rosita Eggplant would be a good addition as a later maturing Eggplant to add to a grow list of Eggplants with different maturing times and therefore have a staggered harvest of Eggplants. I'm going to definitely regrow it again next year along with some earlier maturing eggplant varieties.
Which Eggplants have been the earliest maturing for you? I've been looking around and am considering trying a few of the following early maturing Eggplants to grow along with the Rosita Eggplant:

Fairy Tale Hybrid (50 Days to Maturity)
Gretel Hybrid (55 Days to Maturity)
Hansel Hybrid (55 Days to Maturity)
Orient Express Hybrid (58 Days to Maturity)

These varieties are listed at Tomato Grower's Supply Company btw. They have a pretty good selection of the earlier maturing eggplants compared to most of the other seed companies that I've checked. (Burpee's does have two varieties that are early maturing, "Shooting Stars and Early Midnight" both under 60 Days to Maturity)

Looks like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has the biggest selection of overall Eggplant varieties though, but they don't mention the Days to Maturity on all of their eggplant types which makes all my researching take a bit longer than usual.