Since you asked so kindly, Bonnie. Getting out "in front of the rest of us" invites critiquing but I'll restrain myself. I have tried just a few of those varieties and found that I wasn't going to grow them again. Still, you are going to be vastly more experienced than me.

If we are going to have a thread on tomatoes, maybe I'll get a few more days to scratch my head and chew on the end of my pencil for those . . .

Pepper, Peto Wonder
Pepper, Snapper
Pepper, Giant Marconi
Pepper, Marconi
Pepper, Biscayne
Pepper, Fushimi
Pepper, Peperoncini
Pepper, Garden Salsa
Pepper, Jalapeno M
Pepper, Chichimeca Jalapeno
Pepper, Super Chili
Pepper, Thai Hot
Pepper, Thai Dragon
Pepper, (an Anaheim?)

I've been frustrated in coming up with a good Anaheim the last couple of years.

Green Beans? Jade has been a very nice, productive choice for a few years now. Squash? Have grown Burgess Buttercup for probably 20 years. It never fails but I wish there was a "meatier" variety. I will order a few Kabocha and Buttercup types to see if they work for me.

Steve

Hi Steve, glad to hear from you. It was getting lonely around here, LOL!

I have to admit working on my grow list most of the weekend, and it's up around 200 now, but that includes flowers as well as veggies.

Does the M in Jalapeno M mean that it is mild? How hot is Garden Salsa? I tried Fooled You, but I was hoping for a little heat, and it had none. This past year, I tried Pizza, again disappointed at the lack of heat. The best jalapeno type pepper for me so far was Senorita. Some of them had no heat, but a few were a mildy hot, and very flavorful. I'm hoping the TAM Jalapeno will be "the one".

I did the Marconi thing last year, and they got huge, but didn't have time to ripen before the first frost.

The Poblano on my list is my other attempt to achieve a mild to medium heat salsa. Descriptions seem to vary on the heat level, so I hope I'm not getting in over my head heat wise.

The Pepperoncini is on my wishlist, but I based my list on seeds that I already have, so it could get added to the grow list if I place any seed orders in time.

My biggest problem is that I have an extensive seed inventory and very little space to grow things, so then I agonize over which ones I should grow. For example, I probably have at least 15 different varieties, and room for 2 or 3 plants. It's so hard to narrow it down!

Bonnie

Steve - and other winter squash growers - I'll recommend once again the two proprietary squash from Johnny's - Cha Cha - a kabocha, and Confection, a small, glue/grey one. I've grown them for I dunno how many years, and every year, its the best tasting, meatiest, squash I harvest. The Confection seems a bit dry and flakey, which I like. Others have said to leave it a bit longer in storage, and it then softens up a bit.

This past summer I grew those two and Guatemalan Blue - again no comparison. The GB is bigger, and makes decent pies, but for just plain eating a squash, give me Confection/Cha Cha.

I have no idea what peppers to grow this year. Last year was a disaster.

Cha Cha is on my to grow list this year, David, and I was just looking again at Confection, last night.

Bonnie, the M in Jalapeno M certainly doesn't mean "mild" but it is milder than the Mucho Nacho that I once grew. It is the "standard" jalape, I guess.

You are probably making a good choice with TAM Jalapeno but I don't know from 1st hand experience. Trying the Chichimeca Jalapeno is my way of trying another really big jalapeño. Hopefully, it won't be so hot I can't eat it . . . in one bite . . . cooked . . . with cheese.

The Garden Salsa has a little heat but, as with all peppers, it varies with the weather, season to season. What I especially like about Garden Salsa is how well it likes me . . . well, it likes my garden. I suspect it is a good choice in lots of places.

Your experience with the red Marconi was exactly my experience with Marconi Rosso, which may be the same pepper with a different name. They "didn't have time to ripen before the first frost."

Having Fushimi last year was one of the high points of my gardening year. I want to see how similar Peperoncini is to Fushimi.

Steve

Wonderful lists!!

I have not yet finalized my grow list for peppers and tomatoes, but hotter peppers are my goal; not habanero hot but hotter then poblano.

I think a 2.5yo can be told to avoid the little peppers, right? I guess one nibble would be enough to self learn???

Bonnie, three of your tomatoes are on my must grow list.

Steve, that Fushimi sounds interesting, I may have to add that one to my withlist.

I guess I should have mentioned that I'm trying to stay away from hybrids for the most part ... not that there is anything wrong with them, it's just that I want to be able to save the seeds for next year.

We only grow a couple kinds of tomatoes. This year I'm going with San Marzanos instead of the Principe Borghese we used last year. We loved the Borghese and got a good harvest out of it, but processing all those tiny tomatoes was a pain, so we're hoping the slightly larger Marzanos will be as good.

And for my second type I'm ordering some seeds from Johnny's of their red pear Piriform hierloom Italian. It's a green-shouldered roundish tomato that is said to have a wonderful flavor.

I've decided not to sprout peppers from seed and will just get a few from the nursery. I've had very bad luck keeping pepper seed warm enough to sprout and it's very frustrating.

Well, as y'all know, I have to garden in containers. After a fairly successful year last year in which I learned a lot of lessons, I'm expanding this year! My plan is to grow in 5 45" hard plastic kidding wading pools, and Home Depot buckets interspaced. My big concentration this year will be on herbs, so this is my tentative list thus far:

Basil, Genovese & Siam Queen
Chamomile-German
Chervil-Having trouble finding this one
Chives-Regular & garlic
Cilantro
Dill-Fernleaf & Dukat
Fennel-Bronze
Lemon Verbena
Marjoram-Creeming
Mint-Apple, Peppermint, Spearmint
Monarda (Beebalm)-Marshall's Delight
Oregano-Greek
Rosemary-Arp
Sage-Culinary, Pineapple
Tarragon-Also trouble finding this one
Thyme-Bushy, Lemon

Strawberries-Tristar
Raspberries-Boyne, Autumn Bliss
Blackberries-Triple Crown

Carrots-Touchon
Cucumber-Northern Pickling
Lettuce-Deer Tongue, Romaine
Scallions-Evergreen Hardy White
Bell Peppers-Ace
Jalapeno-Senorita
Potatoes-Yellow Finn
Tomatoes-Viva Italia, Big Beef, Eva Purple Ball, Washington Cherry

So, there's the tentative list! :)

Deb, I'm pretty sure your little one will only sneak the hot peppers once! I remember being in elementary school, and the teacher had a cute, little ornamental pepper plant at the back of the room. It was covered in red peppers. The kind where the tips point up toward the ceiling. On a dare I ate one, and I remember eyes watering, breaking into a sweat, and having the distinct feeling I was going to die, but didn't want the teacher to know what I had done, so I just suffered in silence. You can be certain it was a one time mistake!

Msfuzz, I LOVE your list! I love herbs, and have grown most of the ones on your list. You should be able to find seeds for Russian Tarragon, but the French kind is cutting propagated. I have a huge French Tarragon plant, which I moved in the fall. I'm hoping it returns in the spring. If it does, I can send you some cuttings to root.

Where did you find the Lemon Verbena? That's another one that is cutting propagated, so seeds are not commercially available. I bought one late in the summer the year before last, but wasn't able to keep it alive indoors over the winter, and they are not hardy to our zone.

I grew Touchon last year, and it was a nice sized carrot. Mine got pretty long though, so not sure if it is the best choice for container growing. You might consider Parisan, Thumbelina, or Short and Sweet.

On the cucumbers, I've had great luck with Spacemaster, which is good for containers, but it's more of a slicer. I have seeds for Northern Pickling, but not sure if I'll grow it this year, since I have seeds for about 20 different cucumbers, and space for 4 or 5 plants. I'm going to need to narrow that down a bit, LOL.

Bonnie

Hi MzFuzz,

Maybe I can help with the two herbs youre having trouble finding!

If youre looking for them locally, both chervil and French tarragon plants should be available at Paulinos. While they carry a pretty good selection even in winter, theyll have more and better plants in a couple months, probably sometime in April, as theyre getting ready to go for spring sales. Even if youre anxious to get started, I recommend waiting till they have the "new/spring" batch of herbs ready for sale since some of the herbs plants can be "a little bit under-the-weather" looking in winter! One disclaimer! Its been years now since I worked there, and I dont even know whos growing the herbs now (the person who grew them when I was there is now at Timberlinebut while shes still growing, its mostly other stuff and they dont carry much of an herb selection at all!) so I dont know if they carry as much of a variety as they used to. But they used to have a VERY extensive selection of more than a hundred different herbs, including almost 20 different basils and at least 14 different mints!

If youre thinking of going there I recommend calling first to verify that they do still have what youre looking for. Heres a link to the Paulinos site for their number and location if youre not sure exactly where they are!

Next: are you looking for seed or plants? If youre planning to start everything from seed, DONT get seed for the tarragon! French tarragonthe GOOD onecannot be grown from seed! If you find tarragon seed somewhere (and one of the sites Ill list below DOES have it!), itll be RUSSIAN tarragon.

You do NOT want Russian tarragon! I was gonna write a blurb here telling you why you dont want it, but I found a couple miscellaneous posts online that say it as well as I could!

RUSSIAN TARRAGON. THIS STUFF NOT ONLY HAS NO TASTE WHAT SO EVER, BUT IS SO INVASIVE, IT TOOK OVER A GARDEN OF MINE FOR YEARS. TRUE FRENCH TARRAGON IS GROWN FROM CUTTINGS\-NOT SEEDS.

French tarragon is not grown from seeds, it is cultivated from cuttings. French tarragon has a mild anise or licorice flavor. Grown outside, it will grow to about 2 ft. tall. The leaves can vary from fine shorter leaves to fine 2 in. long leaves. Grown indoors, it will more resemble a bushy, but leggy plant averaging more like 1 ft. tall. Russian tarragon, which if found locally, will have been cultivated by seeds, and will grow to 6 ft. tall, take over an established garden and ruin it. Since this type does produce seeds, it WILL come back every year. AND there is NO flavor to Russian tarragon--it doesn't even taste as good as bermuda grass!!!

So if you wind up with Russian, youll not only have a flavorless "herb," but youll have it EVERYWHERE! Wherever you get it, BE CAREFUL! Be sure youre getting French! Besides Paulinos, where can you get them??? I have one online company where you can get both cherval (seeds) and terragon (plants), and another where you can get the chervil seeds. French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus Sativa or Artemisia dracunculus var. sativusor other variations of that, but it MUST have the Sativa or sativus part in it!) is available from [Richters](http://www.richters.com/) at the "plants" tab. They also sell seed for the Russian type, but they do not speak kindly of it! Heres a direct link to the [French Tarragon plants](http://companionplants.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=594). Richters also carries [chervil seed](http://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?product=X1720&show=&prodclass=Herb_and_Vegetable_Seeds&cart_id=671536.8673). And [Companion Plants](http://companionplants.com/catalog/index.php) also carries [chervil seed](http://companionplants.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=462). ONE MORE POSSIBILITY for the French tarragon! If youll be coming to the Spring Swap, I have a French tarragon which was "left over" at one of the Fall Swaps I had hereso I kept it and planted it! I know other people around here have it too, cause there were a bunch of them at the swap and thats why there were some left over! SO, if you can make it to the swap, Ill be glad to dig up a small division to get you started! I know for sure by now that its FRENCH tarragon because its been in more than two years and it has NOT started spreading all over the place! As a matter of fact, it really hasnt gotten that big at all yet, but Im sure I can easily get a small division off of it! So that would be the cheapest option! Just let me know anytime before thewhen/where yet\-to\-be\-determinedswap! A few other comments! Basil: If you have room I highly recommend you stick in a red\-leaf one too! They add ornamental value, AND theyre also good for all the same culinary uses as the green ones. If you do I recommend buying a plant so you can be SURE youre getting a nice red/purple color! Plants started from seed often have varying colors, some even being mostly green. If you want to try seed, Red Rubin is one thats supposed to come reliably red from seed (there may be a newer, even better variety since Ive been out of the green industry!) The older variety, Dark Opal had a lot of variable color problems, so stay away from that one for sure! And, while it looks really pretty, Ive tried Purple Ruffles a couple times, and have never been able to get the plant to evolve past wimpy! I bought a pack of Red Lettuce Leaf basil (Pinetree) this year just to give it a try, and can let you all know later if I think its worth trying againcolor and plant\-wise! I actually use very few herbs in cooking, but I love to grow them! With basil (and dill) I especially love to do the touch\-and\-sniff whenever Im walking by! CHAMOMILE: Ive said this beforefrequentlybut if you let it flower and go to seed youre going to have chamomile ad infinitum! The seeds just keep going and going and going and going............ FENNEL: Do you know that bronze fennel does not produce an edible bulb? If thats what youre growing it for, its not gonna happen! I had two (seed started) bronze fennel that I was planning to grow as ornamentals. Last summer was the first year they got big! They werent nearly as "ornamental" as I thot theyd be! The pretty bronzy "feathers" were far more sparse along the rather large stem than I was expecting, so it didnt give me that pretty fluffy bronzy look I was expecting to see. They also grew quite tall and developed some not\-pretty\-at\-all "flowers," and by then (I thought) they were downright ugly! I decided to dig up the one in the tomato area to try the "bulbs," and thats when I discovered that you had to have the "right kind" to get the bulbs! Also, the bronze fennel is tap rooted, so, since youre planting in containers, put that one in as deep a container as possible. Im sure it would be ok the first year, but since its hardy, it will need the depth in future years. I kept the one bronze fennel that I have planted in my main perennial bed and this year Im gonna keep it constantly cut back in hopes of getting that feathery look I want, and if it doesnt workits out of here! This year I did get a pack of Florence Fennel (also cheap Pinetree!) because now Im really curious about how the bulbs taste, so I decided I HAD to try it! MINT: Normally I recommend against planting mint, but since youre planting in containers, how about adding chocolate mint? Its to DIE for! Get a plant so you can be sure to get one with a really intense chocolate "flavor." They can vary quite a bit from plant to plant! BEEBALM: Monarda is VERY susceptible to powdery mildew, so maybe plant it in a separate container so you can keep it away from the other plants! SAGE: For your "culinary" sage you might want to consider "ornamental value" again and go for either tricolor sage (Salvia officinalis Tricolor") or golden sage (Salvia officinalis Aurea)! Both can be used exactly the same as the standard Salvia officinalis, but they make for more pretty in the garden! The golden is harder to grow (yes, Bonnie, even I am having some trouble with it! But its SO pretty!), but the tricolor is as easy as the standard gray/green. Heres the Tricolor, the Aurea, and then both of them in context with the Tricolor just to the right of the purple coneflower and the Aurea half off the left edge of the picture on the bottom. (click to enlarge any of them!) [](http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pNVuyYj8tjuajYYvvwBsmQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCMXL2enNwJ6jNA&feat=embedwebsite) [](http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ckWZUrJMEruTtPCaJHHNTQ?authkey=Gv1sRgCMXL2enNwJ6jNA&feat=embedwebsite) [](http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4TulOvTI-3zgjfwtH8gIOw?authkey=Gv1sRgCMXL2enNwJ6jNA&feat=embedwebsite) Ill try to get back with a list of the things Im planting this year! And, BONNIE! Ill ask! WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO PUT ALL THOSE PLANTS????? Skybird P.S. I didn't check all the links, so if any of them don't work, let me know!

Hi Sky!

Well, anything I can't cram into my tiny vegetable garden, or put in an Earthbox, will go to the community garden plot. Maybe they'll let me have TWO, LOL!

Ummmm ... and where is YOUR list? Hehe!

Oh, remember that tiny bed I added in the front corner of the backyard? I think I've finally figured out what I'm going to put there - Rovado Red Currant. One plant is supposed to produce enough berries for a family of four, it's self pollinating, NOT pink, and will grow in partial shade. I'm planning on using them for jams and jellies.

Also, remember that Wichita Juniper that was in the herb bed? I ended up expanding that island bed in the frontyard, where those mums are, and putting it there. It looks like it survived the move, and now I have more room in the herb bed.

Bonnie

Wow, that must have been quite a project moving that juniper! I'm pretty amazed you were able to do it and keep it alive! With that out of the herb bed, you should have plenty of room back there!

I LOVE currants! They're tart, but they're GREAT fresh too! A couple days ago I was flipping thru the Miller Nursery catalog that had just come---it's safe looking thru that one because I can't possibly buy anything that's in it!--and I stopped to look at the currants. But I was looking at the pink ones, which I had never heard of before, and which said they're sweeter than the red ones and better for fresh eating. The variety was Pink Champagne. But the red ones my brother grows, Red Lake I assume, are really, really good! I like sweet, but for some things, tart is good too!

I'll get back here with a list of what I'm growing. I just been having a lot of trouble staying motivated lately! But I'll be back!

Skybird

Yeah, I got the Miller catalog too, and saw that Pink Champagne, but I figure with all the sugar required for jams and jellies, the red ones should be just fine.

Well promise me you'll eat some of them fresh, Bonnie! I've only had them a couple times when I happened to be back in Illinois at the right time, but they really are delicious! That's why I stopped to look at them in the catalog, and I even stopped to wonder if I could stick one out in the front yard somewhere! Not this year---but I'll keep thinking about it!

I'm hoping I'm on the verge of getting familial approval for being able to plant two currants in the yard, on mounds of extra dirt with amendments from other projects. They'll be situated to get the fall lf color showing to the street as well. Wish me luck. I made some friends in WA plant currants and I hear about it every time I speak with them, and I might get some jam to take home when I see them next month...

BTW, speaking of community garden plots, it looks likely that Denver Urban Gardens will have their 100th (!) community garden installed this year, and I hear talk of big, big name coming to town to celebraaaaate....nothing firm yet.

Dan

Wow, Bonnie, Sky, thanks SO much for all the helpful hints and advice! I'll see if I can answer the points/questions.

Bonnie, I haven't found Lemon Verbena either. I just forgot to note it while typing the post. Thank you so much for the offer of the French Tarragon cutting. It sounds like I need to make extra effort to hit the Spring Swap this year. I also much appreciate the advice on the carrots. I've heard good things about Thumbelina, maybe I'll try that one. I was just looking through the new Johnnys catalog, and saw that they offer a new pickling cucumber called Little Leaf that looks like it might be really good for containers. I may try that instead.

Sky, thank you a bajillion for the helpful information. I did find Chervil in the Johnny's this time around. As to growing from seed or transplant, I'm not too picky. I bought "The Bountiful Container," and made my list out of there. They do a good job of hinting at which herbs are better to start from transplant, so I'll mostly be following their recommendations. As to the fennel...Thanks for the heads up. I'm not really too sold on it, so I may just skip it for now. I mostly wanted it for the seeds anyway. Thanks for all the tips on the different varieties of basil, sage & mint. I may toss those in as well. I'll have the room, and nothing to lose. Thanks for the Paulino's link, I'll definately check them out as time gets closer.

Would y'all mind looking at the following link for a nursery I found, and tell me if their prices are expensive? They have a lot of the more rare varieties I'm looking for, but after filling my shopping cart, it seems to add up quickly!! Thanks in advance.

Here is a link that might be useful: White Flower Farm

WOW! $20 for a THREE INCH hosta! WOW!

$12 for a THREE INCH hollyhock! WOW

I don't get their catalog, and I never checked their site before, but in my opinion they're not expensive-----they're VERY expensive!

Here in Denver you could buy a GALLON size hosta for $20---and I'll send you hollyhock seeds---free! I still have to get around to posting what I have on the Exchange thread! NOTHING could be easier to start than hollyhocks! I don't know if that happens to be something you want, but I'd shop somewhere else, and I always recommend shopping locally--so you can actually see what you're buying before you pay for it! For perennials, Timberline has the best selection in Denver, definitely better than Paulino's, which is pretty good! And get seeds for the things that are easy to start from seed! Watching them grow up is half the fun! And if you don't want to buy them locally, you can definitely find a more reasonable place online.

What does everybody else think of their prices?

Skybird

Here is a link that might be useful: Timberline

jnrf,

Just wondering, what kind of proscessing did you use with Borghesi? I have never grown them, but have read they are used only as a sun-dried tomato. I have thought of growing them, but use others with great success for drying, saucing, canning. TIA

When I had the landscape business, I used White Flower Farm only if a client just HAD to have a particular hard-to-find plant. Otherwise I purchased products elsewhere, as they were too expensive.

Dan

We cut them up and somewhat de-seeded them, and then roasted them in the oven at very low heat, with a bit of oil, garlic, and rosemary. Well, my husband did :) He's the gourmet cook around the house.

They were incredible. But he got very sore standing up de-seeding and trimming them. We had quite a good harvest, in spite of losing a lot of fruit to the horrible hail storm last summer.

We saw San Marzanos sold at a farmer's market in Montreal we went to on vacation and they looked lovely, with a similar shape but a larger size. I hear great things about their taste, too. We're hoping they won't be such a pain to process.

I do lots of slow roasted toms, also. I use paste tomatoes (viva italia & amish paste). I'm also trying San Marzano 2 from Johnny's this year. Good luck!

Welcome to RMG, Katy,

Skybird

We liked the 'Amish Paste' more than 'San Marzano' last year, grown next to each other. Both made us want to purchase a tomato de-seeder but we are still taking paste/sauce out of the freezer.

Dan

I grew San Marzano the year before last, and thought they were too small (ie. too much trouble) for sauce making, and were bland and mealy. I've heard the San Marzano Redorta is much bigger and better, but haven't tried it yet. I liked the flavor of Opalka for sauce, but they ripen too late here to be of much use.

Dan, I canned tomato sauce this summer, and had nothing but one of those mesh screen colanders. What a pain! So, I treated myself, and bought the vegetable strainer attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer. Can't wait to try it out this year!

Bonnie

I think I mentioned the bulb planting effort, where I planted 200 bulbs of Winston Churchill, a double flowered, very fragrant daffodil all around the flower beds by the house, and another 200 assorted grade #2 cheapo mixed daffodils in the borders. I got these from White Flower Farms, because at those quantities, they were competitively priced. They do have good quality bulbs.

So far, that has worked out pretty well, this will be spring number 4, I think, and they multiply exponentially. The Winston Churchills all flower at the same time, so all the beds by the front door have hundreds of light yellow, heavily scented daffodils for a couple of weeks in April, some spots filling in solid now, somehow growing around the perennials in the beds. The ones in the border go off all spring long, all different shades, heights, and so on.

The deer don't touch 'em.

However, I dread the day I have to divide them.

bought the vegetable strainer attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer

(!)

I wonder if I can use this on the BH so I can plant more toms...hmmm...we like the 'San Marzano' for taste, but they are smaller than 'Amish Paste' and the 'Amish' were craaazy productive and held well on the vine until I could get to them.

Bulbs aren't on our planting list, as they are starting to go like David's. I tried a Crocus zonatus which blooms in fall - the leaves are popping now in our heat and will die back down and just the fls will come in Oct - multiplying pretty nicely and threatening to take over an entire bed (shucky darns). All the beds adjacent to what little lawn we have are planted out with bulbs.

Dan

I'm surprised to see no one here growing peas. Peas grow great for me all summer here in zone 4. they produce from spring till a few hard freezes do them in in the Fall. I grow sugar snaps and snow peas. I'm especially fond of the sugar snaps because you can eat them at snow pea stage, sugar snap stage, or if some escape notice till they are bigger, you can shell them and eat the peas. I bet you could make soup out of the mature ones, but mine never get to that point.
I also grow sweet peas (the flower) for bright little bouquets that smell heavenly all summer.
All of these peas are happy climbing a fence so they take up very little room.
This is the first place I've ever lived that I can grow peas all summer.
I can't grow tomatoes worth anything here, but that's ok, I can grow peas!

I don't have room for peas, but my neighbor does. I grow seedling hierloom toms for her to plant in her garden, and I get to pick her peas and beets. I do a bit of canning for her, she gets to share our greens. We pick some of her grapes. It all works out well.

Katykelly, that sounds like a wonderful arrangement. You are very fortunate to have good neighbors. I usually give my neighbors heirloom tomato seedlings in the spring too.

Grubbyknees, I'll be growing peas too, though they are a spring crop here. Once the heat sets in, they are done. I just didn't list them, because I just grow a couple types of snaps. I listed tomatoes and peppers, because there are so many to choose from, and I have so little space, that I agonize over which ones to do, LOL. I'll also be growing several kinds of lettuce, carrots, radishes, and cucumbers here at the house, and hoping to grow beans, squash, pumpkins, and melons at the community garden this year.

Bonnie

We grow bush peas in spring and fall. Last year I tried thru the summer by shading and didn't cool down enough & helped the powdery mildew.

Dan

Well, you all have convinced me that I need to try a San Marzanos vs. Amish Paste grow-off! That will make three tomato plants which is more than we need, but full speed ahead!

I'm still involved in a Sungold/SunSugar grow-off, Jnfr. For me, it was about the best idea I've had lately. I figure it will take me about another 10 years to come to some decision on 1 or the Other being the best choice for a golden cherry.

Bonnie, Fushimi peppers are apparently an open-pollinated variety. Kitazawa and Evergreen Seed seem to be good about indicating their hybrids and neither list Fushimi as a hybrid.

There are a couple of Asian peppers I will NOT be growing again this year: Yatsufusa and Takanotsuma. Good Gracious they are HOT!! Some fire-eater can grow those, not me!

digitS'

I think I'll go with the Sahuaro pepper as my Anaheim choice.

It seems to be fairly widely available this year. But, it is a Hybrid.

Steve ♪

I'm new to this forum and here's my grow list for 2010:

Veggie List:

Basil, Sweet Basil
Beans, Tenderpick
Beets, Early Wonder
Brussels Sprouts, Long Island Improved
Cucumber, Alibi (a pickler)
Cucumber, Greensleeves
Garlic
Kale, Winterbor
Lettuce, Green Ice (great performer last year)
Lettuc, Little Ceasar
Onion, evergreen bunching (great performer last year)
Onion, white Lisbon bunching
Pak Choi
Parsley, Italian Flat
Peas, Sugar Daddy
Peas, Sugar Sprint
Peas, Sugar Snap
Pepper, Carmen
Pepper, Gusto
Radish, Crimson Giant
Sage - overwintering from last year
Spinach, Melody Hybrid (great perfomer last year)
Thyme - overwintering from last year
Tomato, Better Bush
Tomato, Brandywine
Tomato, Tiny Tim
Tomato, Tumbling Tom
Zucchini, Fordhook (if I have room)

Annuals and Perennials I'll be sowing from seed:

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Cosmos, dwarf
English Daisy
Lupine, Minarette
Lupine, Russel's Rize Mix
Marigold
Pansy, Blueberry Sundae mix
Petunia
Prunella, Pagoda
Salvia, Saluti
Snapdragon
Strawflower, dwarf mixed colors
Trailing Soapwort

Dorothy

Welcome Dorothy!

Nice, adventuresome list of things to start from seed.

Tell us why you have 3 snap peas, please. . . no shell or snow peas? Snaps are one of my very favorite vegetables and very worthwhile to have in the garden. I've grown those 3!

Steve

Thanks for the welcome. I'm growing 3 kinds of snap peas because I've got half a package of the Sugar Daddy variety left over from last year to finish. And then I'd like to try the other 2 varieties on my list to compare yield when grown side by side. Snap peas are one of my favorite crops too - they often don't even make it to the kitchen because I snack on them right in the garden! I'd like to grow snow peas sometime down the line too, but since I'm growing in planter boxes, I need to be mindful of space, so this season it'll just be snap peas. On the other hand, I could just build more boxes, huh? - Dorothy

Yes, very nice list, Dorothy! Welcome to the forum! What part of the Rocky Mountains are you in?

I have finished placing my seed orders for the season, and also just completed a couple recent trades, so I have quite a few more pepper varieties, and I'm currently in an annual tomato swap on the Round Robin forum, so I'm already questioning some of the things on the list that I originally posted when I started this thread. The tomato list seems a bit heavy on pinks, and I am debating adding one paste type in there too ...

I'll try and post an updated list soon with all the veggies included this time. My goal is to get the tomatoes wintersown and peppers started indoors the first week of March, so time is ticking away on the decision making.

Bonnie

I'm in Buena Vista at 8000 ft - Dorothy

My 2010 tomato grow list is at 80 varieties but I can only grow 40 - UGH.

I have finally whittled my tomato list down to the 60's. Need to pare it a little more if possible. I have around 12-15 garlic varieties already planted, will grow 6-8 pole bean varieties, 500-600 onions, 30 assorted peppers, carrots, squash(winter and summer), egg plant 4-6 varieties of okra. The theme this year on okra is cowhorn. Will grow different varieties of it. I have the name of all but would make for a long post if I listed them all. Jay

I order from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds: http://rareseeds.com/cart/index.php?p=home

This is what I'm trying to grow this year, in addition to keeping my apple tree and berry bushes alive and thriving:

Broccoli x3 (early, late, purple)
spinach x2 (typical, heat loving)
tomato x5 (paste, slicing, cooking, gold medal, lady lucy)
pumpkin x2 (warty baking, smooth traditional pie)
asparagus x 1
artichoke x 1
beans x2 (purple, soy)
beets x1 (red, basic)
brussel sprouts x1
carrots x4 (basic, short sweet, short/fat, )
corn x2 (white, sweet white & yellow)
eggplant x 3 (standard old, diamond, black champion)
Mustard Greens
Collard Greens
Kale x 2 (typical, dwarf)
leeks
rocky top lettuce mix
european lettuce mix
charentais melon (looks like cantaloupe)
honeydew melon
onions x3 (brown, red, yellow)
parsnips
radish x2 (cherry belle, scarlet)
peas (wando garden, sugar snow)
jalapeno (hot, not so hot)
giant emerald bell pepper
basic bell pepper
yellow star pepper (hot?)
yellow crookneck squash
zucchini squash
rainbow chard
turnip (purple top)
watermelon (golden midget)
strawberry spinach
garden huckleberry
sunflower x2 (mix, edible mammoth seed)

herbs: basil (genovese), thai basil, borage, bee balm lemon, catnip, caraway, chives, cilantro/coriander, cumin, dill, echinacea, feverfew, fenugreek, greek mullein, chamomile, hyssop blue, lavender, marjoram, oregano, parsley, savory, tarragon, thyme, toothache plant, fennel

Marigolds (for companion planting with tomatoes)
Yeti (white) nasturtiums (bug attracting for other plants)
Scarlet Flax (flowers for the front bed)

Will be interesting to see what grows well, what hates it here, etc! :)

All my seed orders have been placed!! Most have arrived but there is still too much disorganization to list every single thing to be grown this year. Probably a little less than 'o9 anyway but still, a boatload!

I wanted to comment on BekaJoi's list, just a little. I hope the "charentais melon (looks like cantaloupe)" grows well for you. Honey Girl has been an absolute favorite since I first grew it but this year, I'm going with Edonis from Johnny's. I hope, hope, hope it does well!

The trick with a charentais is to harvest at just the right moment. Too early, and you'll think, "so what's so special about these??" Too late and they'll be orange mush . . . Use your nose! They will become incredibly fragrant when they are ripe - get 'em right then!

You will grow soybeans, BekaJoy? I grew an entire "collection" of them last year with seed provided by a Wisconsin gardener & seed collector. The plants were so few that I've barely got more seeds of the ones that grew well than I had to start with (and some of the varieties didn't mature well). Still, it was my 1st experience with edamame!

Unfortunately, the ones that made DW's favorite list weren't the very productive Bei variety. Instead, she especially like the one from North Korea (!?!) and another called Hidatsa. I say "unfortunately" because Hidatsa (which are from Japan, not the North American Indian tribe) grows as a small plant and isn't terribly productive. Still, it is early, early for a soybean! The place that I can find that sells the seed is the very low-key Peace Seeds in Corvallis, Oregon.

Steve' digits

Here is a link that might be useful: Peace Seeds

Here is the list...so far.
Celery-Tall Utah
Onion-Mini Purplette, Long Red Florence, Red Wethersfield
Summer Savory
Resina Calendula
Carrots- Amarillo, Chanteray Red Core, Cosmic Purple, Snow White, Danvers, St. Valery
Lettuce-Little Gem, Iceberg, Baby Oakleaf, Red Iceberg, Forellenschuss, Reine Des Glaces, Tango
Rhubarb-Paragon
Aspargus-Precoced' Argenteu
Dill-Bouquet
Feverfew
Lemongrass
Beans- Bumble Bee, Calypso, Empress, Provider
Corn- Golden Bantam, Stowell's Evergreen
Cucumber- A+C Pickling, Double Yield, Early Fortune
Pea- Amish Snap, British Wonder
Potato- La Ratte
Pepper- Alma Paprika, Ancho Gigantea, Golden Treasure, Mini Chocolate Bell, Orange Bell
Swiss Chard- Five Color Silverbeet
Squash- Black Beauty Zucchini, Golden Zucchini, Long Island Cheese, Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck, Table Queen, Waltham Butternut,Ronde de Nice
Radish- Cincinnati Market, French Breakfast, Plum Purple
Spinach- America
Tomitillo- Green, Purple
Tomato- Beams Yellow Pear, Black from Tula, Black Plum, Cream Sausage, German Pink, Gold Medal, Japanese Trifle Black, Red Fig, Tommy Toe, Green Sausage
Basil- Genovese, Dark Purple Opal, Thai
Chives- Garlic, Reg
Cilantro
Thyme

I haven't gone entirely through the seeds that I saved from last year as well as the leftover. I am sure this list will grow still. I would love to find Amish Pie Pumpkin seeds but it seems everyone is sold out. I am planning on planting strawberries and quite a few more herbs. I don't think I will be able to get in grapes this year but I hope so. I am going to try thyme again but it seems I cannot grow it in any zone. I also have a hard time growing cilantro here in zone 5. I will be putting in flowers and flowering bushes in the front yard too. I love to cook and am still leaning to can slowly. Any suggestions or advice would be helpful.

Thanks for the head's up on the melons! I plan on hand watering everything this year so I can keep a really good eye on things and see when things ripen as they do, etc. So I hope I'd have caught them without the heads' up but it's good to know! :)

With the soybeans I figured I'd try them for the edamame and if it doesn't grow here, well, it's only one packet of seeds down the drain. :) It looks like they don't want to be planted near any other legumes so I'll be sure to plant them alone and see how they work out. I managed to get some pretty good pinto bean plants when I tried them, so I figure it's worth a shot. Worst case, I don't do them again next year. :)

I did my taxes this weekend, so I feel I'm entitled to work on something more enjoyable, like my grow list.
Beans - Early contender bush, Blue lake pole
Carrot - Danvers half long
Corn - Hybrid northern extra sweet
Cucumber - Straight eight
Herbs to be grown in a strawberry pot till I find what I love:
Basil - sweet and large leafed italian
Sage - broad leaf
Rosemary
Oregano
Parsley - dark green italian. I think I'll let this one have it's own pot. Mom's spread like crazy.
Lettuce - green ice and mesclun
Pepper - Anaheim, Big Jim and Sweet banana. Sounds like these will be a challenge from seed, but it'll give me something to do till spring comes.
Potato - All blue and Yukon gold
Pumpkin - Jack-Be-Little, Giant Magic, Hybrid Spirit and Connecticut Field.
Tomato - Beefsteak, Heirloom rainbow and Sweet baby girl
Radish - Cherry belle
Snow peas - Oregon sugar pod II
Sunflower - Velvet Queen
I really enjoy seeing your grow lists. It's helpful to see what you are trying out. I went to Paulino's this weekend and bought 4 seed packets. I think I showed remarkable restraint especially while visiting their clearance section. They have some pots I would have loved to come home with. It's a good think I didn't bring the truck!
Barb

Well, here is a revised version of my grow list. The entire thing is 9 pages long, so I think I'll leave off the flowers for now : )

HERBS:
Basils - Red Rubin, Genovese, Lime, Mrs. Burn's Lemon, Sweet
Black Cumin
Chamomile, German
Cilantro, Slow Bolt
Dill
Feverfew
Lemon Balm
Marjoram
Oregano, Wild Zaatar
Parsley, Big Italy
Perilla, Moonlit Seas
Stevia
Summer Savory
Tagetes lucida (aka. Mexican Tarragon, also called Sweet Mace) - I've read it can be used for pesto
Thai Red Roselle - 2nd attempt, not much luck last year

LEAFY SALD STUFF:
Amaranth, Red Leaf
Arugula
Lettuces - Freckles, Nevada, New Red Fire, Mascara, Simpson Elite, and Tom Thumb
Orach, Rose

BEANS: Haven't got these figured out yet. Probably have over 40 kinds to choose from.

CARROTS: Jaune de Doubs, St. Valery, Touchon Long, Lunar White, Tendersnax, Nutri-Red

CUCUMBERS:
Homemade Pickles, County Fair, North Carolina Heirloom, either Mexican Sour Gherkin or West Indian Gherkin (any recommendations on those?), and still trying to decide on a long slicer, maybe Armenian?

GROUND CHERRIES: Aunt Molly's, Giant Cape Gooseberry, and Pineapple

MELONS: this is another work in progress, but I'm leaning towards Honey Rock, Sierra Gold, Noir de Carmes, Collective Farm Woman, Rocky Ford Green Flesh, Cream of Sascatchewan, Blacktail Mountain, and maybe Sweet Siberian

PEAS: Sugar Ann, Sugar Snap, Super Sugar Snap, Lincoln

PEPPERS: I have spent WAY too much time on this list, and I'm still unsure, but here is where I'm at now. (The more I work on narrowing the list, the more things get added!!!)

Alma Paprika - this is a definite, love it!
Anaheim
Beaver Dam
Boldog Hungarian Spice (paprika)
Botinecka Zuta
Cascabella
Chervena Chushka
Chinese Giant
Keystone Giant
Feherozon (paprika)
Giant Szegedi
Gourmet (orange bell)
Healthy
Lipstick
Mariachi
Poblano
Patio Red Marconi
Red Cheese
Senorita - one of my favorites last year
Soroksari
TAM Jalapeno
Sweet Pickle
and maybe Tollie's Sweet Italian

RADISHES: Cherry Belle, Early Scarlet Globe, Easter Egg, French Breakfast

SQUASH: Bush Zuchini, Bush Buttercup or maybe Delicata, Gold Nugget, some type of acorn squash, and a pie-type pumpkin

... so now we are down to the really troublesome list ... the tomatoes. Honestly, I only have room in the garden for 8 plants, and can fit a couple in an earthbox, but I may be able to squeeze a couple more in at the community garden.

TOMATOES:
Reds: Neves Azorean Red
Pinks:
Giant Belgium
Caspian Pink
Earl's Faux
Lancaster Pink (maybe)
Soldacki
Rainy's Maltese (trying again)
Blacks:
Amazon Chocolate
Black from Tula
Cherokee Chocolate
Indian Stripe
Orange/Yellows/Bicolors:
Hillbilly (maybe)
Gold Medal
Striped German
Cherry: either Chocolate Cherry, Brown Berry, or Black Cherry ... can't seem to decide
Paste: Amish Paste

Okay, folks, there you have it. The almost complete growlist for 2010!

Whew! I need another cup of coffee
Bonnie

It's wonderful to see everyone's grow lists... Here's mine:
Garlic
shallots
green onions
corn
strawberries
raspberries
bush beans
peas
cucumbers
Black Pearl hybrid tomatoes
turnips
okra
dill
oregano
basil
carrots

I wish I had room for more but I only have 11 raised beds and an 8 1/2 foot greenhouse. I have loads of fun seeing what all of you are growing though.
BTW, I've been saving all of my toilet paper and paper towel rolls this Winter for cutting up and using as seed starting containers. Have any of you done that? I saw it on a British you tube gardening video and thought it was so clever...
Looking forward to another season with all of you!
Karen

Karen, 11 beds sounds like a LOT of space to me. How big are they? I have one bed that is approx. 5' x 12', two earthboxes, and hopefully a plot at the community garden, which should be 10' x 20'. It's amazing how much stuff you can cram into a small space if you have to : )

Bonnie

Hi Bonnie,
My two larger 3 x 12 beds have strawberries and raspberries in them... one of my 3 x 8 beds has garlic and shallots in it...one of my other 3 x 8 beds I like to keep empty accept for the garden compost in so I can crop rotate...two of my 4 x 8 beds will have corn, one will have tomatoes and dill. My other 4 beds will be for all of the other veggies I mentioned depending on the time of the Summer...The greenhouse will house most of the herbs and some container cucumbers.
It does sound like lots of space but I guess I never feel like I have enough : )

Karen

Wow, 3' x 12' for just strawberries, and another 3' x 12' for raspberries? That would be awesome!

I haven't grown corn, winter squash or watermelons up to now, because I just haven't had the space (plan to use the community garden for some of the space hogs), but here is what I manage to fit in the 5' x 12' space I have:

Tomatoes - 8 plants
Peppers - 12 plants
Radishes - a couple dozen, when they are done the cucumbers fill in the empty space
Cucumbers - 6 plants
Onions - 1 dozen
Carrots - a lot, probably 5 dozen or more
Peas - a couple dozen plants, when they are done, the tomatoes fill in the extra space along the fence
Lettuces - probably 6 sq. ft. planted thickly
Basil - as many as I can squeeze in there, usually 8 or 10
Marigolds - 6 or 8 plants

I have tried broccoli and cauliflower, but they take up too much room, and take forever to form a tiny head. I've also tried beets, chard, and spinach, but the leaf miners get to them before I do. I've tried beans too, but the grasshoppers eat most of them. There seem to be fewer grasshoppers, at the comm. garden, which is only a mile from here, so I will try growing the beans there this year.

I know some folks on the wintersowing forum use the TP and paper towel rolls for sowing seeds, but I have never tried it. I use mainly milkjugs and 2L bottles.

Bonnie