North Florida Gardening

[Growing Coastal]

Looks good PJ, never tried Vita Verde Cauliflower, might have to track down some seed locally.
Favourite beans do you eat them whole or shell and eat seeds? We don't see them much down here

I’m surprised fava beans are not a thing in Australia; the climate would suit them. Most beans like varying degrees of warmth but favas like it cooler. I plant in November here in N. Florida and harvest in March/April.

You split open the pod and eat the beans. The pod is very thick and fleshy; hard to describe.
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I find it easier to cook the broad beans whole and shell them after they have been cooked because it is easier to shell them then. The pods are tough. However, I did have two young ladies tell me that their grampa, who was a bear of a man, would eat them cooked whole, pod and all!

[PlainJane]

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I find it easier to cook the broad beans whole and shell them after they have been cooked because it is easier to shell them then. The pods are tough. However, I did have two young ladies tell me that their grampa, who was a bear of a man, would eat them cooked whole, pod and all!
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Now that I’d have to see with my own eyes. I cannot imagine eating the outer pod; even on young beans it’s really thick. Talk about a cast iron stomach!

[PlainJane]

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Getting the growing area prepped for tomatoes.
Harvest remaining cole crops and move everything else to the side: in progress. Next year I will NOT grow so much kale.
Rake out the mulch and refresh: in progress.
Wipe down the cages with bleach: to do.
Angry Orchard hard cider: in progress.
Empty and soak in bleach solution last season’s grow bags: to do.
Make up some fresh 5-1-1 soil mix:p to supplement what’s there: to do.
Start pole beans: to do.
Repot last year’s pepper plants since we had no hard frost: to do.

Now that we’ve made the time change I’ve got a solid hour of light after work. Really hoping for another couple of dry weekends.

[PlainJane]

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They are eagerly awaiting their new permanent digs. I am too.

[GoDawgs]

You've been busy. It's that time of year when the "to list" never seems to get shorter.

This past fall I decided to cut the kale and collards back to just three plants of each with only two people eatin' on them. One CAN have too many greens if there's nobody around to share them with. We'll cut the kale and then while it's growing back we'll munch on the collards.

You've got a bunch of stuff ready to go. Lookin' good!

[PlainJane]

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Well, I got about a third of the tomatoes in.
Hot work as it was over 80 both days this past weekend.
Hey weather gods - I need next weekend to be dry too!

[AZGardener]

Your tomato plants have really taken off in the grow-bags. Your Nasturtiums are really pretty. They do well here in the winter (if we don't get much frost) but die once the hot weather arrives.

[PlainJane]

Your tomato plants have really taken off in the grow-bags. Your Nasturtiums are really pretty. They do well here in the winter (if we don't get much frost) but die once the hot weather arrives.

Thank you!
Yes, the nasturtiums have about another couple of weeks and they’ll start to be pulled. Time for zinnia seeds!

[PlainJane]

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Finally got some beans planted.

[PlainJane]

Planted most of the tomatoes last weekend and this.
Containers:
1) Pierce’s Pride and Agi F1
2) Absinthe and Indian Stripe PL *
3) Carbon and Cherokee Lime Stripes
4) Aker’s West Virginia * and Clear Lake Heirloom
5) Green Bee x2
6) GWR Wild Thyme x2
7) Grub’s Mystery Green and Peppermint
8) Paul Robeson x2
9) Negrillo de Almoguera and Claude Brown’s Yellow Giant
10) Copper River and Atomic Fusion
11) Clear Lake Heirloom and Polaris
12) Copper River and Daniel Burson
13) Martha Logan and Jazz
14) Green Bee x2
15) Wild Thyme Purple and Pierce’s Pride
16) KBX x2
17) Taste Patio x2
18) Lucky Cross and Dr. Lyle
19) Paul Robeson and Ron’s Carbon Copy
20) Negro de Artizkuren
21) Pink Saphire x2
22) Wild Thyme Purple and GGWT
23) Green Gables and Alice’s Dream
24) Solar Flare and Atomic Sunset
25) Thorburn’s Terracotta
26) Eggplant Diamond x2

Still to plant:
The KARMA sisters *
Blush 2.0
Cascade Lava
Indian Stripe RL *
Eggplant Louisiana Long Green
Brown Jalapeño

* Thanks Marsha!

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[PlainJane]

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For weeks from Feb to early March I was shuffling my seedlings from the garage lights to outside and back, depending on the weather. When they got too tall for the lights they had to sit in the house for a few days; a real hassle.
However, now that that part is over with I’m glad I started my seeds early.
Fruit set on Copper River, Clear Lake Heirloom and Wild Thyme Purple.

[GoDawgs]

You've been one busy lady and everything is looking good! I will be starting my tomatoes in a few days.

Wow, how do you get between your tomato pots to pick them?

I see you're growing the Red Noodle beans. I've done them on a trellis for the last three years with some good results and some not so good. I think they really like heat so maybe I should have started them a bit later than the other bush beans. This year I'm trying the regular old Yard Long green ones.

[PlainJane]

Only 2 more tomatoes and a few peppers left to plant.
Wish I had the motivation to do it tonight as the weather is extraordinarily nice.
A front come through last night with winds and some rain and now it’s 25 degrees cooler and the air has dried out.
Waking up to 54 degrees after weeks of hot was wonderful.
Firsts:
To need the cage extension - Lucky Cross
Cherry to set fruit: KARMA Peach then Ron’s Carbon Copy
To get chewed by bugs lol: Indian Stripe PL

Chard and lettuce looks much happier with these temps too.

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[GoDawgs]

Things seem to thrive in cooler temps, even the tomatoes. That reminds me I need to bring in those dwarf Whippersnappers and the Red Robin tonight as they're talking about it going down to 40. They'll be more happy indoors.

[PlainJane]

You've been one busy lady and everything is looking good! I will be starting my tomatoes in a few days.

Wow, how do you get between your tomato pots to pick them?

I see you're growing the Red Noodle beans. I've done them on a trellis for the last three years with some good results and some not so good. I think they really like heat so maybe I should have started them a bit later than the other bush beans. This year I'm trying the regular old Yard Long green ones.

I’ve had great results from Red Noodle and really like the taste of it. I actually haven’t tried any other long beans as I love Romanos above everything so space goes to them.

The tomatoes are spaced out a bit more now that all the mulch is down. Once the cage extensions go on I’ll adjust again as I’m always afraid of running my face into them.

[PlainJane]

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And POUF, what seemed like an immense amount of space in each grow bag turned into a jungle. I’ve started pulling lower leaves and pruning aggressively.

Finally got the last few peppers, tomatoes and eggplants into containers.

A Lemon Drop from last season sharing with Jalapeno’Brown’.

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[Barb_FL]

Everything looks really good.

[PlainJane]

Thank you [mention]Barb_FL[/mention] !

[GoDawgs]

Those plants are looking so good!

PJ, what kind of insects are you mainly getting on the yellow sticky cards? And is there any difference between what gets stuck on the yellow and on the blue?

[PlainJane]

[mention]GoDawgs[/mention] The yellow traps are primarily for whitefly and aphids, the blue for the adult leaf miner moth. Both catch lots of flies too.