[AmandaK]

I picked up a couple black currant bushes for the garden. 

I think next year I'll plant more things that don't need processing. I was overrun with tomatoes this year - I think 8 plants is too much for the both of us. I just can't put up any more marinara sauce with all of our other activities. So I'm going for more things that can either be stored on their own or frozen. I liked the spinach, snap peas, peppers, peppers, peppers, potatoes, carrots, etc. I'll probably do a bit more of those and less tomatoes. I'm also thinking about getting more blackberry plants since I have a good amount of open space.

[1vertical]

Very nice. I just bottled a batch of plum mead with lavender. I bet those little buggers are packed with flavor. What exactly are you making with those?

I juiced them and introduced sweet mead yeast and some cane sugar to up the gravity....
Should be some type of wine.  May decide to champagne bottle and sparkle, not sure yet.

[1vertical]

I have a good amount of open space.

From the pic you posted, you are supplying a small village....lol

[pete b]

Very nice. I just bottled a batch of plum mead with lavender. I bet those little buggers are packed with flavor. What exactly are you making with those?

I juiced them and introduced sweet mead yeast and some cane sugar to up the gravity....
Should be some type of wine.  May decide to champagne bottle and sparkle, not sure yet.

Sounds great!

[kmccaf]

I picked up a couple black currant bushes for the garden. 

I think next year I'll plant more things that don't need processing. I was overrun with tomatoes this year - I think 8 plants is too much for the both of us. I just can't put up any more marinara sauce with all of our other activities. So I'm going for more things that can either be stored on their own or frozen. I liked the spinach, snap peas, peppers, peppers, peppers, potatoes, carrots, etc. I'll probably do a bit more of those and less tomatoes. I'm also thinking about getting more blackberry plants since I have a good amount of open space.

Too many tomatoes? I'm afraid I don't understand.

I highly recommend this variety of blackberry:
http://noursefarms.com/blackberry-plants/prime-ark-freedom/

It was our first year with it, but it grew really well in less than ideal conditions, and the berries we got this year tasted incredible.

[1vertical]

From one bountiful basket gift and one measly spud cut into quarters...a little rick and a bag
of miracle grow potting soil (which was reclaimed) ...came about 5 lbs of these really
delicious purple spuds....what a nice surprise. Harvest is over  only a few carrots remain.

[AmandaK]

I highly recommend this variety of blackberry:
http://noursefarms.com/blackberry-plants/prime-ark-freedom/

It was our first year with it, but it grew really well in less than ideal conditions, and the berries we got this year tasted incredible.

From Norse, I'm assuming you're getting bare root plants? And you got berries the first year? When are you planting? I ordered currant plants in pots to cut down on the planting to fruiting time and will be planting them tomorrow so they can get established (still mid 80s here for some reason). Thoughts on planting times for blackberries/raspberries? (Also thinking about picking up some Heritage raspberries.)

[pete b]

I highly recommend this variety of blackberry:
http://noursefarms.com/blackberry-plants/prime-ark-freedom/

It was our first year with it, but it grew really well in less than ideal conditions, and the berries we got this year tasted incredible.

From Norse, I'm assuming you're getting bare root plants? And you got berries the first year? When are you planting? I ordered currant plants in pots to cut down on the planting to fruiting time and will be planting them tomorrow so they can get established (still mid 80s here for some reason). Thoughts on planting times for blackberries/raspberries? (Also thinking about picking up some Heritage raspberries.)

Up here I would plant them in the early spring or, 2nd choice, late summer (very late August/very early September). You might be able to get them established before winter planting now where you live though.

[Slowbrew]

We are finally getting some peppers from our container garden.  We put in Jalapenos and a type of bell pepper but we didn't get any blossoms until mid-August.  It's been a very strange year for growing in Iowa this year.

Paul

[kmccaf]

I highly recommend this variety of blackberry:
http://noursefarms.com/blackberry-plants/prime-ark-freedom/

It was our first year with it, but it grew really well in less than ideal conditions, and the berries we got this year tasted incredible.

From Norse, I'm assuming you're getting bare root plants? And you got berries the first year? When are you planting? I ordered currant plants in pots to cut down on the planting to fruiting time and will be planting them tomorrow so they can get established (still mid 80s here for some reason). Thoughts on planting times for blackberries/raspberries? (Also thinking about picking up some Heritage raspberries.)

Up here I would plant them in the early spring or, 2nd choice, late summer (very late August/very early September). You might be able to get them established before winter planting now where you live though.

I would also recommend early spring. For this variety, we did not get bare roots, but instead received them as a plant tissue culture. We did indeed get berries this year, like a pint off 5 plants. Like I said, we did not do a lot of preparation for them, and could not keep the weeds down. Had I the foresight, I would put down some black plastic mulch right now, the Fall before planting, and cut out some holes in the spring to plant them into. I would also get the soil ph correct before planting. I could easily see these plants giving a really nice yield this year had I done that.

[reverseapachemaster]

We are finally getting some peppers from our container garden.  We put in Jalapenos and a type of bell pepper but we didn't get any blossoms until mid-August.  It's been a very strange year for growing in Iowa this year.

Paul

Bell peppers are finicky as heck to grow. I grow a few different pepper varieties and most either do not flower during the hottest part of the summer or the blossoms drop off because it's too hot (much like tomatoes). I've tried growing them off and on for a few years. I finally found a plant that seems to tolerate the heat here but like most of my pepper plants they only develop fruit in the late spring and fall.

[erockrph]

I highly recommend this variety of blackberry:
http://noursefarms.com/blackberry-plants/prime-ark-freedom/

It was our first year with it, but it grew really well in less than ideal conditions, and the berries we got this year tasted incredible.

From Norse, I'm assuming you're getting bare root plants? And you got berries the first year? When are you planting? I ordered currant plants in pots to cut down on the planting to fruiting time and will be planting them tomorrow so they can get established (still mid 80s here for some reason). Thoughts on planting times for blackberries/raspberries? (Also thinking about picking up some Heritage raspberries.)

If you're growing your own raspberries I highly recommend Anne. Golden raspberries are hard to come by unless you grow them yourself, and the flavor is spectacular.

Outside of wild brambles, the best blackberries I've had (flavor-wise) were boysenberries. I only have a couple of plants that are still around, and I haven't been able to save enough for jam the past few years - they all get eaten between the garden and the house.

[pete b]

We are finally getting some peppers from our container garden.  We put in Jalapenos and a type of bell pepper but we didn't get any blossoms until mid-August.  It's been a very strange year for growing in Iowa this year.

Paul

Bell peppers are finicky as heck to grow. I grow a few different pepper varieties and most either do not flower during the hottest part of the summer or the blossoms drop off because it's too hot (much like tomatoes). I've tried growing them off and on for a few years. I finally found a plant that seems to tolerate the heat here but like most of my pepper plants they only develop fruit in the late spring and fall.

One thing I learned about peppers is that you will have problems with them flowering and fruiting if the temp gets below 50. Around here that means not planting until June and still covering them once or twice.

[AmandaK]

Bell peppers are finicky as heck to grow. I grow a few different pepper varieties and most either do not flower during the hottest part of the summer or the blossoms drop off because it's too hot (much like tomatoes). I've tried growing them off and on for a few years. I finally found a plant that seems to tolerate the heat here but like most of my pepper plants they only develop fruit in the late spring and fall.

One thing I learned about peppers is that you will have problems with them flowering and fruiting if the temp gets below 50. Around here that means not planting until June and still covering them once or twice.

I also didn't plant until it was about 65-75+, which really allowed them to take off once they got outside.

But... I have real problems with pepper diseases, which is why I switched to drip irrigation. Too bad it rained and rained and rained and rained here, so I lost a couple plants/fruits to a bacteria spot. The hot peppers didn't seem to mind, my one large bell pepper plant nearly died (Red Beauty), and my little lunchbox sized bell peppers did quite well despite the disease they had early on in life. I'll be saving seeds after this year from the ones that did well and trying out another variety or two of bell peppers. We make a bell pepper soup that is freakin' awesome, so I have to figure out a way to grow more peppers! 

[AmandaK]

Figured with all this talking, I should add some pictures:

Ghost pepper. I have no clue why I'm growing this. I can barely even go near the plant, much less eat it. Once the 5-6 peppers on it turn red, they will get turned into hot sauce and given to my heat-seeker friends.


Pepper harvest from September 2nd. Looks like a mix of jallys, poblanos, serranos, and habenaros.


The poblanos plants are basically trees. Me for scale. They come up to my chin now. Taken on September 2nd.


Habenaro and serrano harvest from August 15th.


Pre-soup bell peppers:


Checking on the carrots in August:


One of the many tomato harvests. This one was made into marinara sauce.