Tuesday, March 29, 2011

what to grow

So this year we are expanding the amount and what we are going to grow.  So on the veggies side we are growing:
  1. Spinach
  2. Beets
  3. Peas
  4. Cauliflower
  5. Beans
  6. Eggplant
  7. Tomatoes
  8. Peppers
  9. Corn
  10. Cucumbers
  11. Zucchini
  12. Tomatillos
  13. Carrots
All the veggies in the list are quite easy to grow.  The first year we grew eggplant we had WAY TOO MUCH!  Last year the peas did really well, Malia ate almost all of them before we could get them in the house.  Same with the tomatoes and cucumbers and peppers.  For some reason I have not had success with growing tomato plants.  I think the reason was that I left the top of the Bio Dome on too long and the plants rotted.  This year I hope to be more successful. 

We are also growing a bunch of herbs:
  1. Basil
  2. Thyme
  3. Parsley
  4. Chamomile
  5. Lavender
  6. Cilantro
  7. Stevia
  8. Penny Royal
  9. Dill
  10. Marjoram
  11. Echinacea
  12. White Cone Flower
A number of the herbs we are growing are for the blooms.  Bees and butterflies really like the flowering herbs.  Penny Royal I choose to grow because it acts as a natural repellent for mosquitos.  Of course we are growing basil so we can make a bunch of pesto, or freeze it so we can make pesto later.  I have not been able to harvest any cilantro in the past due to it bolting.  This year I am going to try and plant it in the shade. 

As far as flowers go the list is:
  1. Impatiens
  2. Bachelors Button
  3. Petunias
  4. Coleus
  5. Rudbeckia
  6. Alyssum
  7. Viola Jump Up
  8. Poppy
  9. White Cone Flower
  10. Snap Dragon
  11. Lobelia
  12. Moon Vine
  13. Morning Glory
  14. Marigold
  15. Cosmos
  16. Sunflowers
Most of these seeds are quite easy to grow, but not all.  This will be the last year I try to grow Bachelors Button.  For some reason I have not been successful in the past.  The Impatiens, Marigolds, Alyssum, Lobelia, Snapdragon, Coleus and Petunias are super easy to grow.

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2 comments:

  1. RussellMarch 31, 2011 at 10:31 AM

    hey kevin, it's russ. i've been reading lately about hardening off of plants that were begun indoors after transplanting outdoors. it's basically a process of acclimatizing them to the great outdoors after being reared in the great indoors. just wondering if you've done that years past or plan to.

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  2. ElzingaApril 1, 2011 at 7:20 AM

    Absolutely! Hardening off plants before planting them outside is very important. You could lose a fair number of plants if you do not, which is hard work down the drain. I like to do this over about a week’s time, taking the plants in and out on a daily basis. Some plants are not even phased by the direct hot sun, the wind or the heavy rain and yet others might shrivel up in 20 mins in direct hot sun. I have found that this process ranges for each type of plant, and you can adjust your practices accordingly. My plants do not see direct sun until May. If you are growing yours in a window with direct sun, this might not be as much of an issue as the wind or rain. This process becomes more of an art than a science.
    Hope this helps!

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