Next Year I'm Gonna......

[so lucky]

I want the kind of berries that @bobm talked about. The kind that produces abundantly over a long time, and are very sweet.

 

[journey11]

I have a bed where strawberries were planted. They didn't do very well but I think it's because the soil wasn't very well amended. Now that it is, I have to decide whether to plant strawberries again or hot peppers. I would like to perennialize the peppers so that I don't have to replace them each year. With our mild winters, I can easily put a cover over the hoops.

I know the strawberries will do much better but am concerned about their lack of sweetness. I have beautiful plants in a large container with big strawberries, but they are your typical unsweeten flavor that you get everywhere. I guess I just expect them to be very sweet, which they're not.

Mary

They can be bland if they ripen under too much rain. Or if they are too sour, they may need limed.

 

[journey11]

Well, boy, there is always something that needs revision in the garden. I think I'm getting better about how much and what to plant. My weak point is planting in succession. I need to be more ready and on the ball about that.

I didn't have any sweet potatoes this year and I really regretted that. Now that I know the leaves are edible I'm looking forward to trying them as a green!

DH has promised me a mountain of manure, but I have yet to see it materialize. I may have to go get it myself (although it's easier for him since he drives through there on his way to work. ) I did well cleaning off the garden plot this fall. Everything is nice and tidy. The chickens are moving on there soon as I get to moving them. I hope this will make a big difference in the bug population next year.

I haven't had strawberries for 3 years now. That needs to change. I have in mind to prep for an asparagus bed for next year too. We spent a lot of money on asparagus at the store this year, since I figured out how good it is roasted, I crave it a lot.

Three new raised beds are planned for around front. Gonna get to that...

 

[ninnymary]

Is the lack of sweetness because of your climate or variety? Try a new variety. Smaller berries are usually sweet. The older varieties were very sweet. Are their heirloom varieties?

I don't know why they aren't sweet. I just get whatever variety the nursery has. I've never tasted a sweet strawberry though.

Mary

 

[ninnymary]

I want the kind of berries that @bobm talked about. The kind that produces abundantly over a long time, and are very sweet.

Yeah, but he didn't know what kind they were.

Mary

 

[Jared77]

@thistlebloom have you ever tried roasting your veggies? We do and it makes a big difference. I quarter the tomato, the sweet peppers, onion. Garlic cloves I leave whole, and the jalapeños get cut lengthwise, remove the seeds, and into the roasting pan it goes. Under the broiler on the highest shelf in the oven and let it a good char as it work it's magic.

Then into the sauce pot to cook down with fresh herbs and let it do its thing.

That's what we do.

Next year I'm going to focus on getting my act together. Plant smarter and take advantage of what I have. Do some bush beans so I have beans to can instead of trying to picking enough pole beans. Get my cukes vertical, try some heirloom tomatoes in my aquarium greenhouse, and ultimately be more organized.

 

[canesisters]

 

[baymule]

@Jared77 we need some picture updates, especially of the trees you planted! I like your idea of placing the 5 gallon buckets by each tree with the 3/16" hole in the bottom. We will probably be using that idea when we plant our fruit trees this fall/winter. We will put in a drip system eventually to make it easier, just turn on the faucet and water everything. But until we get that done, watering will be an issue. The future orchard is kinda a blank place right now......

 

[thistlebloom]

That sounds like a plan @Jared77 ! Do you chop after roasting?

 

[seedcorn]

@thistlebloom have you ever tried roasting your veggies? We do and it makes a big difference. I quarter the tomato, the sweet peppers, onion. Garlic cloves I leave whole, and the jalapeños get cut lengthwise, remove the seeds, and into the roasting pan it goes. Under the broiler on the highest shelf in the oven and let it a good char as it work it's magic.

Then into the sauce pot to cook down with fresh herbs and let it do its thing.

That's what we do.

Next year I'm going to focus on getting my act together. Plant smarter and take advantage of what I have. Do some bush beans so I have beans to can instead of trying to picking enough pole beans. Get my cukes vertical, try some heirloom tomatoes in my aquarium greenhouse, and ultimately be more organized.

@Jared77 with the girls growing older, you will have no free time. Forget that until they leave home... Enjoy them.

@ninnymary I'm going to transplant a pepper plant and move inside for winter. Met gentleman in Louisiana that did that. His pepper plant looked like a small tree. Loaded with peppers.