Yes, sunflowers! I've grown a few, but my garden doesn''t really have the full-on sun that they like. But sunflowers might be a great crop for a peak oil world, as an easy-to-grow source of vegetable oil.

And I might be off-topic a bit here, but does anybody know anything about growing olives? I'm in Zone 5, which might be too cool for growing them, but I've been told that in Italy there are many, many different varieites of the tree, some of which grow in quite cool climates.

I like olive oil, but most of what I consume comes from across an ocean and a continent; wouldn't it be cool to make my own?

I planted three varieties of Mexican peppers- one type never sprouted, but the other two are growing like weeds. The plants grown from sun dried New Mexico and Guajillos have a good show of flowers and buds. I might have babied them a bit more than Strider. I cheated too by giving them a shot of Miracle Grow when they were first transplanted to larger containers.

Thai red chili seeds that I got from store produce had about 90% fertility compared to 50% from the seeds I purchased for the same variety and they're covered with buds.

Now that they're in the ground, I'm worried about all of them as the night temps have still been dropping into the 50's! Weird weather....

- Charlotte

I've been looking at root crops. Anyone know if jicama grows in zone 9? I'd assume that it does, but I'm not sure.

Thanks to both of you for this book suggestion. I've been looking for a guide and appreciate your opinions. This book is now on our list to purchase.

Charlotte

[quote="Granny-May"]
I might have babied them a bit more than Strider. I cheated too by giving them a shot of Miracle Grow when they were first transplanted to larger containers.
/quote]

Thats not hard to do, I'm a firm believer in survival of the fittest when it comes to my garden. some of the seeds got dumped in a trench after the last frost which was back in march, roughly 2 months too early to plant. They fought through but only hit about 2 inches before the deer attack. some other seeds got the good treatment of being started inside in old flow trays but they never got direct sunlight as I had no windowsill to put them on. They are the ones that got taller when transplanted in late april/early may.

I fertilize nothing and I water when I remember to or I notice that everything has gone brown except the weeds.

I agree with your approach to some degree, but I am experimenting in my small garden and hoping to learn from my efforts and carry forth to a larger place.

My husaband and I are interested in relocating to your general area and will enjoy all you can tell about your experiences, either goood or bad.

Sad to say that we have no problems with deer eating the garden. Condos are being built on two sides of our property and I have not seen a deer since they broke ground.

Charlotte

I'm definitely not advocating my approach or suggesting that it's even a good way to go, I'm sure some people could get 5 times what I am out of the same piece of dirt. I'm just very very lazy.

Sorry for derailing your thread Kelee! I guess it’s just my nature to stir things up!

I'll split off the chemical thread to:

Better living through chemistry.

Pops..no problem..i am in this site to learn all that I can on what I can..have a great day...

When I get the chance and my connection is faster than it has been lately I’ll merge up some of the general gardening threads, but for now lets start here.

It’s been the seed catalog time for a while now, I like Johnny Select Seeds, what are your favorites?

We need to can a whole bunch more green beans this year and all I’ve ever grown were pole beans – what bush bean are good tasting canned?

We need to grow sweet, canning and field corn this year; any suggestions?

Pops -

As long as you have the Johnny's catalog, I can recommend Delectable as a sweet corn variety. We tried a number of varieties, and that was the one that consistently tasted good both fresh and frozen. So many varieties taste great fresh but like straw after they've been in the freezer for a few months. If you are canning rather than freezing, I don't know if the same would hold true, but it is a good variety for fresh use and we didn't have much in the way of pest or disease problems with it.

We used to run a certified organic farm and did farmers markets, and each year we ordered around 150 varieties of seeds. Most came from Johnnys, but we also used Territorial, Cooks Garden, Seeds of Change, and Ronnigers for potatoes.

We've never tried canning beans - seems like too much work compared to freezing. We tend to use a lot of dry beans, like navy & pinto - they're easy to grow and store, and like potatoes some can be saved for planting the next season.

purdum

Re bush beans ;Roma, flat beans, excellent canned the one year I got some canned.( I'm fairily new to bigger gardening). . I'm in Ky.
I'm trying to go away from hybrids ( to readily have seed if there is a collapse)so I'd like to hear from others as well re corn. I have grown Silver Queen my favorite, but is a hybrid. I grew Golden Bantam, open pollinated, small 5' stalks, chewy( but I understand all non hybrid are). Good taste. My dad used to grow Trucker's Favorite, I grew a little but our new Great Pyrenees guarded it from deer then , pushed thru the fence when filled out & promptly ate it.
Johonny's is A-1, though expensive.I'll stick with the best since trying to get seed stock, so to speak.I used Farmer's Seed and was OK, but I think they seemed to cut corner's, is my memory. Price was v. good. Needing to get seed too.

Thanks for the ideas.

We want to freeze more this year but need a bigger freezer now that we’re butchering more meat. I also want to build an insulated box affair to get better efficiency from a big freezer - but that’s a different thread.

I like Johnny’s, we bought 3 varieties of OP tomatoes last year and they seemed to germinate almost 100% and the seed I saved did almost as well – we’ll see how true they come out.

I had a volunteer fall crop from their zucchinis too!

The biggest problem we have here (especially with big plots that are hard to mulch properly) is spiny amaranth – turn over a clod and the next day there is a 3 foot high sticker bush there! I planted a 50x50 plot of Mandan Bride corn last year (hoping to sell for fall decorations) and though we ran the tiller down the rows and hoed it twice the pigweed (as they call it here) was as tall as the corn and I had to wear gloves and overalls just to pick it.
This year I planted some winter wheat on the plot where we grew beans and will try rolling it down and planting corn through it with an old fashion, hand operated corn planter.

POPs re freezers. If you haven't purchased, consider a no defrost/manual defrost one. The lifespan of foods is extended incredibily- my farmer, food service neighbor says by years & years, and ours hasn't needed defrosting but every 2-3 yrs, and several things 3 yrs. old still tasted good. She has used fruit frosen for 5-7 yrs. My wife would only agree to a manual if I did the defrosting. Feels good keeping it full facing peak.

I like www.rareseeds.com . It has heirloom seeds, including some very unique items. The owner has collected some varieties from asia...