Cookaholics Bulletin Board

This is that time of year - I don't have much spare time, as I am getting all that stuff ready out there, as well as in here. I only have my early things out there, plus all the perennials I don't have to think about. Garlic and shallots are ahead of schedule, since it was so warm this winter.

I grew my usual greens - lettuce, bok choy, mizuna, komatsuna, senposai, tatsoi, kohlrabi, and shogoin, plus a new variety - Oriental Zen green. This one probably has another name, though I haven't found a similar looking photo anywhere. I figured for 50%, plus I needed just one more for free shipping, why not one more green? LOL I think I have 92 plants out there in this category.

As always, a large number of peppers, including an 8 year old batch of seeds I uncovered (actually, some Maui Purple peppers I saved for the seeds, then lost!), and almost every one came up, starting in 8 days! Makes you wonder about some of these seeds we buy that have such poor germination.

Peppers (ones with * have not germinated at all, so far, since 4-1, while almost everything else is well on its way)
Old favorites:

Fresno
Gold bullet
Ixtapa Jalapeño
Hanoi Market
Lombak
Red savina
Suave Habanero
Superchili
Superthai
Thai Bangkok
Thai dragon
Thai nippon taka

New ones I'll try at least one of (so far) :

Aruna
*Chacoense
Gurney's Thai Super Chili
Jwala
Kashmiri
Meteor
Maui Purple (not really new to me, just some old seeds I'm retrying)
*Naso di Cane
*Ot Hein Vietnamese
Pappadew S. African
Phujadi
*Starfish

Tomatoes

Old ones:

Gary O'Sena
KBX - the one with the near two lb tomatoes!
Italian Goliath
Original Beefsteak hybrid
Sunsugar (favorite cherry still)
Black Cherry

New ones:

Arkansas Traveler
Amish Gold
Aussie
Green Doctor (a green cherry)
Green Zebra Cherry

Eggplants - I'm doing more of these in upside-down pots, as they did great last year!

Two favorites

Neon
Fond May

Two new ones

Andaz
Hari

I can't think of any new herbs, but there is probably something!

So what's everyone else planting now?

Dave,

"I don't have much time"?

What would you plant if you did have time?

I guess I should have phrased that "I don't have much time left after the gardening..." Sort of what I meant by spare time. Of course, I always have time for food.

Uhm. I plan on getting a couple of tomato plants.

And last year's mint is coming back up nicely.

yeah.

Oh yeah, today is when I start rooting my lemongrass, in case anyone is interested in doing this. Takes about 3 weeks, and is ready a week into May, which is about the right time to put it out here.

I just buy some lemongrass stalks at the Asian market, cut a small slice off the root end and about 3 inches off the top, peel off the outer layers, to expose some of the root part, cut some very shallow vertical slits in that root end, then put them in a glass with about 3" of water in it. I change the water every 2 or 3 days, and by the end of the 3 weeks most will have a healthy number of roots on them. Then I just plant them, about 2" deep, 18-24" apart, and wait!

Dave,

Unfortunately, we don't get enough sun for lemongrass.

Um, probably just herbs and tomatoes.

Amy

Perennial herbs are looking good and I am trying a new ( for me) basil...specifically for pots....seeds are sprouting nicely. And I planted lettuce seedlings before my surgery so I will have fresh lettuce in a month or so. I will get some tomatoes and maybe a pepper or two....rest of the garden is all flowers and some fruit.

Next weekend I'll start my planting. Am counting on getting cherry tomatoes (same as Dave), bush cukes, thai chili peppers, eggplant, basil, parsley, cilantro (new this year), new rosemary, lavender, mint and oregano (none seem to have overwintered well), and see what else I can find that's intriguing. I'd like to try carrots and kale or swiss chard. Also might need to replant the summer savory - it's not looking too good at the moment. Since I'm only there on weekends starting from seed is out of the question so I only can buy what's available in the nurseries. Wish I could start seeds - there would be so many more things available. Perhaps when I retire in 15 years...
Nance

I'm very lucky in that my semi-retired mom and farmer brother plant a huge garden, and I get to reap the benefits with the merest amount of effort (I'm on tap to dig potatoes and do a little bit of weeding. They live 6 hours from me, so I usually visit during Labor Day or later in September and come home with buckets of potatoes, onions, celery, squash, corn and more. If tomatoes do well I'll get some of those and can them. There was talk of chickens and butchering but I think it's too late now so maybe next year.

As for me, I've got some herbs, and will likely do a couple of tomatoes, maybe stick some sprouted potatoes from last year into the ground here and see how they do. My yard doesn't have a lot of sun so I can't do much. I think I'll throw out some lettuce seed but we have so many rabbits I'm not going to count on eating any myself. We have a monster bunny who has been killing our hostas. I have half a mind to shoot him but my dear husband would freak.