Gardening and Horticulture - New plants

Hey guys.
Thought I'd jump in here and start a new serious thread...

I've got three challenges for this upcoming year:

-watercress
-jalapeno peppers
-potatoes

Never done any of the three of them, but I did grow the cherry peppers last year in a 5 gallon pot with much success. Any advice or links (Gami, I know you are chomping at the bit to post links :) ) on any of the three of these, I would appreciate.

Eric

Jalapeño's, start the same as tomatoes,

Almost no fertlizer, first fertilizer low N like 5-10-10..

Next fertilizer at fruit set, no nitrogen


Potatoes,

Major soil change, Most potates like a soil pH around 5.5, which
means, normally adding about 1.5 lbs of sulfur per 100 sg ft and wainting at least 3 months for the sulfur to do it's thing.

At a pH above 6.0 many potatoes get scab..

Watercress, sorry don't do herbs, not enough room.

Byron

Byron,
I dont plan on starting jalapeno seeds, was just looking for some info on soil conditions. I can get the seedlings.

Potatoes I plan on just having one plant (one of the beds in the greenhouse is devoted to it). If you can steer me in the right direction, or anyone for that matter, please do.

C'mon guys! :) This place was cluttered w/ activity yesterday... *looks around* I know you are hiding somewhere :D

Eric

Jals

Soil: loam is best, soil pH 6.5 to 7.0


Potato

Loam soil is good, pH around 5.5

Byron

Hi Bomber:

I thought I would try to help you for a change!

My mother grew watercress, but we also had a spring really close to the house. That guaranteed (or nearly so) her success.

Searched a little on your behalf and I am racing Gami ):: to the the finish line with the following link:

http://www.edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_MV151

It's only one link, though Gami, and I cannot ever hope to be as thorough as you are!!!!!

Hope this serves as some help, Bomber. And send me a watercress sanwich, and trim the bread crusts, please.

Your friend,

Elizabeth

Ha! Told you you'd be an expert. I'll check out the link... :D

Eric

Page cant be displayed

Careful using IFLA as reference.

They have many web pages that are very different from other
USDA schools.

Byron

I don't know why that link didn't work - it works fine as a "favorite" entry.

Anyway, try this instead

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MV151

Let me know -- I'll be on standby

N.G.G. :)

:) Byron,

What is IFLA? You lost me. Sorry - I'm thick-headed today.

North Garden Gal

Sorry, they have 3 different links

IFAS, UFAS, UFL,IFL are all from University of Florida.

Its in the link address.

Byron

Eric,
ONE potato plant?
That's not going to yield many spuds, maybe one meal of mashed and one meal of boiled. Try the red potatoes, then even the lil' red ones can be boiled, very good!
If the soil is nice and loamy, you'll probably have success. I used to 'hill up' my plants with pine needles and some soil, every couple of weeks.
good luck,
fred

Hey Fred and everyone else,
Yikes! Entirely too much confusion here. The pre-wedding party is here, and there are about 40 people downstairs right now. This is the first peace and quiet Ive had all night :)

Anyway, Fred, since Ive never done potatoes before, at least not seriously, I figured that one plant to see if I can do it right would be enough. However, once I have a layout for the greenhouse, I will see if I have more room. Is it too late to put down the sulfur? I want this crop to be successful. How about soil requirements for jalapenos? All of my books only talk about bell peppers, which I already know enough about.

Well, I suppose its time to go be sociable again. Someone help me from the consternation that is my kitchen right now! :)

Eric

Hi Eric,

The only time I plant potatoes anymore is when it's time to plant them, and I have some that are sprouting. There has been a discussion about buying seed potatoes or planting potatoes you buy in the grocery store. Well, when the potatoes I buy in the store start sprouting and get soft, I cut them up into several eyes and plant them. I get a good crop of potatoes. My soil is clay, ph unknown, and they do well!

We have company and couldn't help you before (but everybody is sleeping).

ELIZABETH, I'm glad to see you beat me to it, and you did a bang up job! You'll be amazed at what you learn by trying to help others. Keep up the good work! :D

Gami

Gami,
Thanks for the response. I guess when the time comes, itll be off to the market to buy some potatoes since I cant seem to get a REASONABLE amount of seed potato through any of my catalogs. See everyone on Monday as the wedding is tomorrow!

Eric

Eric.
You can do the potatoes right the first time, they're a snap. The only thing I used to do was hill them. Don't worry about adding any Sulfur this year, the pots will do okay w/o it.
Whatever you've read/learned for the bell peppers will be fine for the hot peppers.
A couple days ago I saw a small packge of seed potatoes in Lowes', of all places.
fred

Hey guys!
Thanks for the responses again. That was the most BIZARRE wedding I've ever been to in my entire life :) I'll spare you the details, but Ive never been happier that we got to leave. Anyway, as I took a look at the greenhouse when I got home tonight, I noticed radish sprouts. The rest can't be too far away now :)

Eric

Hi Eric,

Glad to hear you survived the bizarre wedding. Sounds interesting! Sounds like you're going to have a great garden this year. Does Tracey get involved?

I'm going to start a bunch of seeds today. Hooray! Can't wait since this will be my first try at starting flats and flats!

We survived our company too, but when I tried to log on, AOL wouldn't start up. So I spent some time on the phone fixing it. KIDS! Oh well, what would we do without them? :)

Gami

Hey Gami!
To answer your question, yes she does get involved to an extent. She has her own little section where she does flowers. She likes gardening, but not the extent that I do obviously :) She likes the harvest, especially the cherry tomatoes because she gets to pop them right in her mouth. She is so cute :) She is a toddler teacher, so she uses the sunflower seeds in craft projects with the kids. I think also we may try gourds this year because I told her you could build birdhouses out of them. She says the kids will love that.

I also have a seed flat, but have yet to use it. First, there are already "too many" plants in the window. Secondly, Mother Nature is a cruel woman. After a week where we hit 60 degrees 3 times, it is snowing right now :rolleyes: New England weather is so fickle :D I do plan on using it though to start the fennel and leek (first time for both of those as well) and all the other assorted miscellaneous goodies I either bought or ordered over the course of the winter. My plants from Richters herbs should be coming in soon as well. But I do have to say that I'm glad that Tracey comes to with me when I buy seeds and plants. Otherwise, I would drop a king's ransom at the nursery and the hardware stores. I'm sure you all know the feeling.

Oh well, I suppose it is time to go start calling customers and explaining to them how to use the computer. For sanity reasons however, I will be checking in here during the day :)

Eric