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alaska
03-20-2011, 01:16 AM
I started some seeds last week. Snap peas. Wanted a jump on the growing season. I have sprouts on all.
Its funny putting them out in the sun between 1 & 3 pm only due to the temps.

Anyways wanted to share for some reason.

I will hush now lol

RedJohn
03-20-2011, 01:54 AM
Please share as you go. This is very intrresting for the city boys if they have to do it themselves one dzy.

bacpacker
03-20-2011, 02:02 AM
Alaska, I've got radishes and onions up. Taters before long. The wheat I tried last fall is growing well to. Now I just gotta figure out when to harvest it.
Of course it's been in the 70's here this week. Sorry just had to throw that in.

beginner
03-20-2011, 05:52 AM
Must be nice! There is still over a foot of snow in my backyard. I'm waiting for it to melt so I can re-till and start my garden up. Goin with snap peas, carrots, potatoes, squash and lettuce. I'm going to try and plant some strawberries and an apple tree as well. Only perennial plant I have going is rhubarb. I live in a zone 2/3 and am new to this. So, any advice you could spare would be welcomed!

bacpacker
03-20-2011, 05:32 PM
Wow your way up north. My in laws live in MI and most of their snow is already gone.
For perennial's I would suggest blueberry bushes, if you like them. They are suppose to do well up north. I have 13 goin that are southern varieties and they produce very well. I'm not sure but I think asparagus grows well up north. Garlic is another good perennial crop.I've had good luck out of both of them here.
Carrots and potatos store well, espicailly if you have a root cellar of some type. Same with Winter squash. My favorite is Butternut squash, keeps really well. I still have 2 in our basement from last fall. Other favorites are Acorn, Spaghetti, Hubbard, and Delicta. The Acorn and Spaghetti squash don't store as well, but suposedly can up very well.
Another good crop is any type dry bean you like. Very easy to grow, just plant, let them grow and when the bean pods get pretty well dried out put and shell them. You probably get back 10-15 to 1 harvest vs planting. Once shelled let the beans dry for a couple weeks and put them in mason jars, 2 liter coke bottle's, etc. Just keep an eye for any signs of moisture, if you see any just open them up and let the air to them for a while longer.You could even put the beans in a dehydrator on the lowest temp setting and let them go for 8-10 hours.
Good luck with the garden and keep us posted on how it's going.

alaska
03-20-2011, 06:53 PM
Sorry, let me add some info. i have them started in cups in side. I will transplant them. We have plenty of snow on the ground still. I take them out side in the afternoon to get fresh air & sun.
Last year was the first time since I was a kid that I did anything. I bought strawberries. I reside at the family home that I took over from my sister last summer. allready here were rhubarb & rasperries. So I just did the strawberries. Then haphazardly threw down snap pea seeds. Cauliflower & brocolli. In an existing flower bed. every thing did extremely well considering they were sharing the planter with 3 lilac bushes and some rose bushes
Last fall the neighbor moved and gave me some really nice spruce logs that he had intended for a pole barn.

I will be making a some what of a raised garden bed. Here is the plan.

I will drill holes through , one at each end. I will lay the logs out. It will be 14x12 approx. I will get some rebar and pound it through the holes to keep it steady. then I will call up one of the local landscrapers and have em deliver me 5 yards of top soil. Being a former landscraper myself I have a few lines on the good stuff. I will have em dump it and and I and the boy will move it the 60 or so feet. and fill it up and get to planting.

I intend on carrots,snap peas of course, brocolli,cauliflower, herbs and taters. I may seperate the taters into a couple old tires I have sitting around, not quite sure yet.

I suck at posting pictures(always says to big) but I will try and get with the program and share best I can

alaska
03-20-2011, 06:55 PM
Alaska, I've got radishes and onions up. Taters before long. The wheat I tried last fall is growing well to. Now I just gotta figure out when to harvest it.
Of course it's been in the 70's here this week. Sorry just had to throw that in.

ya ya rub it in lol

RedJohn
03-20-2011, 10:01 PM
You guys are brave starting such a thing in hard weathers. Please keep us posted on your progress.

bacpacker
03-20-2011, 11:50 PM
Alaska sounds like you got a good plan in the works. The crops you mentioned all can tolerate cool weather so you should hve good luck with them. BTW taters do well grown in tires.
Sorry for rubbing in the weather, I'll try to refrain from now on :)

alaska
03-21-2011, 12:45 AM
lol enjoy your weather, and I will enjoy my majestic state. Winter is simply the price I pay for an Alaskan summer. hehe

bacpacker
03-21-2011, 01:25 AM
Actually I would prefer to be in Alaska. Majestic like you said and I love winter. Thats one of the thing I don't like about being here, that and the 90 degree/90% humidity days in the summer. Spring and fall are mnice however.

TEOTWAWKI13
03-21-2011, 03:50 PM
bacpacker, what type of container are you keeping them in? how big I mean, remember I'm having to do the container garden thing. My soil is too rocky and shady. On the good side, the neighbors next door have prepped for a garden. :)

bacpacker
03-21-2011, 09:10 PM
I grow my taters straight in the ground. I have known folks who grew them in a stack of tires filled with dirt. They seemed to do well. My grandpa also grew them on tilled ground, just layed them on top and covered with old hay or straw. They never got really large but he always had a bunch of them.

TEOTWAWKI13
03-21-2011, 11:04 PM
Well, we rent the house, so I'm hesitant to truly plant anything, although there a couple of old planter boxes or kids sand boxes I could use for potatoes. Hmmmm :)

bacpacker
03-22-2011, 12:04 AM
Tet just got a new catalog today that had some stuff in it that might work for you.

Gardener's Supply Company (http://www.gardeners.com)

It's just supplies and stuff. See what you think.

beginner
03-22-2011, 01:22 AM
Wow your way up north. My in laws live in MI and most of their snow is already gone.


Lol, yup.... Canadian prairies to be exact.... ;) Thanks for the info! What do you guys think of posting pics of gardens? Would that break OSPEC? I can't start on mine till mid May. (That's the "safe time" to start planting here, I'm in a zone 2/3) And, wouldn't mind seeing some ideas on how everyone has theirs set up.....

The Stig
03-22-2011, 01:32 AM
Lol, yup.... Canadian prairies to be exact.... ;) Thanks for the info! What do you guys think of posting pics of gardens? Would that break OSPEC? I can't start on mine till mid May. (That's the "safe time" to start planting here, I'm in a zone 2/3) And, wouldn't mind seeing some ideas on how everyone has theirs set up.....

I don't think so unless there's some clearly identifying landmark in the background or your name on a mailbox. But I'm not so good in the online picture department. Someone here was kind enough to point out an OPSEC fauxpas of my own.

alaska
03-22-2011, 01:38 AM
long as i can outsmart the 'puter I will post pics once teh garden is going

bacpacker
03-22-2011, 01:50 AM
I don't have much to take a picture of yet. By the time I do, maybe I'll figure out how to post a photo on here. good idea though

beginner
03-22-2011, 01:54 AM
I don't think so unless there's some clearly identifying landmark in the background or your name on a mailbox. But I'm not so good in the online picture department. Someone here was kind enough to point out an OPSEC fauxpas of my own.

Cool. Looking forward to it. Yeah, all I have to share at the moment is a pic of a backyard with a bunch of snow....

On, a sidenote stig..... Everytime I see your avatar all I can think is "Some say......he has a tattoo on his face....... OF HIS FACE!"...... lol....

RedJohn
03-22-2011, 08:51 AM
I don't think so unless there's some clearly identifying landmark in the background or your name on a mailbox. But I'm not so good in the online picture department. Someone here was kind enough to point out an OPSEC fauxpas of my own.

Beware of one thing with pictures if you worry about OPSEC. New cameras and smartphones includes GPS coordinates in the file metadata. Make sur that you turn off this feature before you take the picture.

Kodiak
03-26-2011, 08:28 PM
Unfortunatley ill have to wait until next year to start my garden, got a new house in the works with a little bit of land but wont be moved in till later in the summer. But ill definately be keeping an eye on this thread since i havnt worked a garden since i was a kid at grandpa's house. Its amazing looking back at how easy he made it look, always had 3-5 large gardens that produced alot of food. I think those skills are slowly diminishing in todays technology savvy society.

Cant wait for the pic's. :)

LUNCHBOX
03-26-2011, 08:46 PM
I have some sprouts coming up in the window now and will be running the tiller very soon.

Kodiak, I think I can spare a few yards of space if you want to come out and work something up this year. I know you miss my peppers......

bacpacker
04-21-2011, 02:18 AM
I went out to the grden last night to see how things are going. I picked my first radishes and a small red onion. They sure were good.
Taters have come up pretty good, not many missing. And my best surprise of all, My wheat I planted last October has grown up to about a foot tall. I also found a dozen or so wheat berry heads starting to form. they are about a inch long at this point. I guess I will have a harvest from that after all.

bacpacker
04-24-2011, 07:49 PM
Yesterday we planted tomato's, peppers, and the last of the califlour. Meant to do all the seed and just didn't get to it this weekend.
I tried something My step dad put me onto with the tom and pep this year. I got several sections of 1-1/4" PVC and cut it into 12" peices. I then did the holes for the plants with a shovel, place the pvc in the hole with the plant, fill it in part way with some compost, then top it off with dirt. I leave the pipe sticking up 2-4". I have also gotton some little plastic spike things that screw on a 2 liter coke bottle. Fill the bottle's with water, screw on the spike and place it in the pvc. The spike don't get clogged with dirt and the water is put right down at the root of the plant.They don't dry out so quick, espically if you mulch (which I will be very soon before I cage the plants). I'm gonna go with a dozen bottle/spikes and with my 40 some plants, they will get a half gallon of water twice a week. If it doesn't rain. I can also mix a run of liquid fertilize here and there if I feel they need a boost.

bacpacker
05-08-2011, 01:53 AM
After the storms from a week ago that trashed the garden, we got out today and replanted the tomatos and cabbage. We also put out peppers both hot and sweet, water melons, cantaloupe, 3 kinds of winter squash, 3 dry beans, 2 green beans, lima beans, 2 summer squash, okra, horse radish, & another experiment Amaranth which is a grain and suppose to make a very fine flour when ground.
We were able to save about 6-8 tomato plants but they are so beat up I'm not sure they'll do much. They have put on some new growth low on the stems, so maybe they'll just be stocky and bushy.

bacpacker
06-04-2011, 02:42 AM
Wow forgot I hadn't updated here in a while. We planted 2 types of corn and 2 heirloom dry beans and cucumbers. Tomorrow we're gonna plant more types of cantaloups, watermelons, and winter squash, leeks, walking onions, and brussel sprouts. Also kidney and great northern dry beans and Hickory king corn that I hope to get enough from, along with the wheat harvest to feed the chickens with this winter. That will round out our summer garden. Later this summer I'm gonna try to plant some stuff for a fall crop. Never done that before, but figured I needed to learn how to extend the season as much as I can.

I've spent most of this week tilling everything, started hoeing tonight. I plan on finishing that tomorrow morning. I think it's gonna be a long day.

RedJohn
06-04-2011, 11:32 AM
You're going to turn into a real farmer soon. I still envy you.

bacpacker
06-04-2011, 02:54 PM
After 40 years of farming to one degree or other, if I'm not there yet, there is no hope for me. I think the wife will agree to that last part. :)
Thanks RJ Just came in for a break to cool down some. I'm not sure hiow much envy there would be if you were here right now.

RedJohn
06-04-2011, 06:45 PM
I'm not sure hiow much envy there would be if you were here right now.

I am not afraid by the work. I envy the self sufficiency that you have, on top of the obvious skills that you have.

izzyscout21
06-04-2011, 07:53 PM
I am not afraid by the work. I envy the self sufficiency that you have, on top of the obvious skills that you have.

and also he envies your fuzziness.

BP, glad your garden is coming along. I'm not sure mine is going to make it.

RedJohn
06-04-2011, 08:52 PM
and also he envies your fuzziness.

Fuzziness?

izzyscout21
06-04-2011, 08:57 PM
Fuzziness?

you know you like the sweaty, fuzzy man-bear look of someone whos been toiling the sod

RedJohn
06-04-2011, 09:11 PM
you know you like the sweaty, fuzzy man-bear look of someone whos been toiling the sod

not really then ;)

izzyscout21
06-04-2011, 09:23 PM
not really then ;)

lol:p

bacpacker
06-05-2011, 02:22 AM
Izzy I def. had the fuzzy look today, the beard was drippin ugh!

I lost a post here somewhere, so hopefully this don't double up somewhere. mods please help if it does.

RJ, my stepdad had me helping him in his garden by the time I was 8. I thought it was cool at first, before the summer was over it sucked. I am so glad he had me helping him because I learned so much I still use today. I would be a fulltime farmer if I could make a livin from it, but I don't have the land to be a sucsess, I'd go broke.

Thanks for the comp's. Just something I like to do, and eat the harvest.

izzyscout21
06-05-2011, 02:37 AM
let me know if you have any extra extra surplus this year. My garden's not fairing so well. It never did fully recover after the first hailstorm, and the second one that came through knocked out the new seedlings i put out.

bacpacker
06-05-2011, 02:43 AM
Not good Izzy, If u want there is still time for some things, beans, okra, onions, peppers, tomatos and some stuff can be grown as a fall crop to.
I'll let you know when we have extra to. let me know if I can help with anything. glad to help out.

izzyscout21
06-05-2011, 02:45 AM
come dance a magic jig over my crops. The produce gods will not be pleased with this years offering.lol

bacpacker
06-05-2011, 03:01 AM
I'll keep you posted on progress. After the storms, I'm not sure how our's will do. Kinda depends on rain fall. But I plan to start hauling water from the lake for some things before long.

BTW u talked to "Angus" lately. I need to chat with him about a calf soon.

izzyscout21
06-05-2011, 03:04 AM
yeah actually talked to him today. He got hired full time by Maryville PD

bacpacker
06-05-2011, 03:09 AM
Awesome! Tell him I said hello. If you don't care pass him my cell number and have him call me if they still have calves for sell. I hadn't talked to him in months.

bacpacker
06-07-2011, 12:38 AM
Here are some photos from our garden.

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_onions2.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=onions2.jpg)
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_maters.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=maters.jpg)
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_cabbagebeanscorn.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=cabbagebeanscorn.jpg)

There are onions, corn, beans, cabbage in these.

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_sweetpepper.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=sweetpepper.jpg)
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_squash2.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=squash2.jpg)

Sweet peppers and winter squash.
Mods please bail me out if this is screwed up, which is likely for me.

bacpacker
06-07-2011, 12:40 AM
The second photo down in the above post it my tomato's with the PVC watering sytem I put in. Here is a few more.

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_watersystem.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=watersystem.jpg)
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_maters.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=maters.jpg)
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_1sttomato.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=1sttomato.jpg)

These are all tomato's including our first one of the year.

bacpacker
06-07-2011, 12:43 AM
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_wheat.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=wheat.jpg)
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_wheathead.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=wheathead.jpg)
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_tatersandonions.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=tatersandonions.jpg)
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_corn2.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=corn2.jpg)
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/th_carrots.jpg (http://s1142.photobucket.com/albums/n607/bacpacker/?action=view&current=carrots.jpg)

Here are the taters, carrots, corn, and a couple of the wheat patch. Hope you enjoy.

LUNCHBOX
06-07-2011, 12:49 AM
BP, that looks like a nice size garden. I will work on some pics of mine soon also. Good luck with it.

bacpacker
06-07-2011, 12:55 AM
Thanks LB. I have 3 seperate spots. The big one is somethng like 120x175-200, the new bed is maybe 100x100. Our original bed, which got cut down when I built my shop, is now about 50x30.
I try to rotate my stuff around every year and not plant the same thing in the same spot more than every 3 years. I'm also considering expanding both of the larder sopts and leaving maybe 1/5 - 1/4 of each empty so I can grow cover crops on them each year to replentish the soil. I like buckwheat and clover in the summer, annual rye thru the winter.

BTW look forward to seeing your garden photo's.

LUNCHBOX
06-08-2011, 12:50 AM
I am doing something new this year....I planted corn and bush beans and I put them in the same holes. I am wondering if the corn will act as a natural stake for the beans since I don't stake the corn anyway. I will keep everyone posted on the outcome. Anyone have any other ideas like this.

bacpacker
06-08-2011, 12:54 AM
I have read that the indians in the southwest did exactly what your talkin about Corn grows tall, beans climb the corn, and they use squash in that area and it shaded the ground to help with mositure retention. Called it the 3 sisters. Supposedly it works very well.

Grumpy Old Man
06-10-2011, 06:42 PM
BP have you ever had your tomato leaves curl in on themselves, kind of like cigars? I'm growing Burbank Slicer Heirlooms this year to get some variety in my heirloom seeds and my biggest plant has this going on. It appears healthy in all other respects, blooms are good and have tomatoes on them as well. I can't recall seeing this before, but it's been 2 years since I had a crop- Mr Stripeys died last year. Also I have a touch of CRS.

piranha2
06-11-2011, 12:43 AM
i hate it when the CRS kicks in. This fall, I will be getting a garden going so, keep on with the awesome ideas and info.

bacpacker
06-11-2011, 02:37 AM
+1000 on the CRS, it eats me up sometimes.
I have seen the leaf curl before, but it's been a while and I can't remember what it was. I will look back thru my journal and see if I made notes on that. I have several gardening book in the library and will look thru them and see what I can find. I'm sure I can locate it.
Question, have you had rain or watered the plants recently and regularly? For some reason something with that seems to come to mind.

Grumpy Old Man
06-11-2011, 03:13 PM
Yes, I watered recently but it's only one of my plants. And I may have over-watered that particular one. My friend MotherEarth over at Mrssurvival thought that over-watering may have been the cause. So based on what she and you have told me I'll let it be for a week and see what happens. I checked last night for aphids and didn't find any so that was a relief. This plant is my biggest one and is full of blooms and has 3 tomatoes on that are about the size of golf balls.

bacpacker
06-11-2011, 06:00 PM
I have a Rodale book titled "Garden Answers". In the tomato section it says as a description " leaves curl down, small pink, green, or black insects on leaf undersides, it says the cause is Aphids. It says you can wash the undeerside of the leaves with an insectasidal soap, neem, or pyrethrins. You could also just trim off all affected leaves.

The issue with getting the leaves wet in the evening in particular, is the possiblity of a fungus getting started. Should that ever happen be sure and make up a bleach formula and dip your shears between cuts when removing limbs or leaves. It'll spread otherwise.

Keep us posted on what you find.

Grumpy Old Man
06-16-2011, 05:47 PM
In researching leaf curl (I use Ixquick as it does not record your IP address and is much more precise than google) I have found that it is difficult to trace the exact cause as it can be environmental, viral, or contaminants driven. I've ruled out, I think, viral, I am still watching for aphids and whiteflies, but as I live in a rural and agricultural area in the Inland Empire I am leaning to a combination of environmental and contaminants.

About 300 yards east are year round fields that have just been harvested of the wheat crop. Watermelons will go in next so I am sure that a variety of agrochemicals are used in this production. Wind may be carrying some of these over my way. Environmentally speaking, we are in the "June Gloom" and the mornings are high humidity, foggy, misty and cool. Some days this will burn off and it will be 95F in the afternoon. Other days it will stay cool. I think this may be the cause of the curl. The fruit seems to be developing okay and the blossoms aren't falling off so I am leaning toward this explanation. I am including some helpful links with this post.

Tomato Pest Management Guidelines--UC IPM (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/selectnewpest.tomatoes.html)

What Are the Causes of Curled Tomato Plant Leaves? | Garden Guides (http://www.gardenguides.com/95515-causes-curled-tomato-plant-leaves.html)

Tomato Plant Leaf Curl Virus: What Causes Tomato Leaves Curling? (http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/vegetable/tomato-leaves-curling.htm)

bacpacker
06-16-2011, 09:43 PM
Good info Grumpy, thanks for posting the links, very helpful. Hate to hear so much chemicals so close, not good.

Update on our garden. We hadn't had rain since late May, mid 20's IIRC, Yesterday we got 1.21". Garden looks like it grew a bunch over night. Hopefully we'll get more this weekend. This should kick everything into gear, what watering I had done was just keeping stuff alive.

bacpacker
06-21-2011, 02:38 AM
We got another inch of rain over the weekend. garden is kicking again. We harvested our white onions tonight and got a half bushel from a wide row maybe 30' long. I'll start harvesting my wheat this week as well. Beans, squash, melons are all blooming. There are lots of small tomatos on, peppers getting started. I've dug a couple hills of potato's and boy they were good.
On the down side, I lost all my lettuce, cauliflour, and cabbage. The hail storm was just too much for them.
Next week I will be planting brussel sprouts for the first time, along with onions my step dad started from seed and gave me yesterday.

LUNCHBOX
06-23-2011, 12:42 AM
My tomato plants are not 2 feet tall yet but I got a half dozen small cherry ones off.....So sweet. Some peppers are starting to show also. Beans are popping up good (although the corn is falling off a bit....oh well, the wife wanted to try)

LUNCHBOX
07-02-2011, 01:44 AM
I finally went out and took a couple shots....first photo is mostly tomatoes, peppers and onions. The second photo is the corn and beans (3 sisters style) rows.
http://i56.tinypic.com/f5bpts.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/snjt5t.jpg

bacpacker
07-02-2011, 02:26 AM
I have stated harvesting Serrano peppers this week. probably start on the tomatos with 2 weeks, green beans about the same time. Still haven't had time to harvest the wheat. Hope to do that Monday while I'm off work.

LUNCHBOX
07-02-2011, 02:32 AM
Sounds good Bp, I got a late start this year but at least I got the garden in. I will still pull some good produce out of it in time. Canning comes next.

Kodiak
07-02-2011, 11:26 PM
Make sure you keep up on those peppers Lunchbox, im all out of the powder :P

LUNCHBOX
08-02-2011, 12:48 AM
I am pulling cheery tomatoes and a few different peppers off at this time as I'm sure most of us are. My corn is showing ears and the beans are doing good. The "powder" Kodiak refers to is last year I dried 6 or 7 different types of peppers by hanging and dehydrator, then ground them with a coffee grinder to make a rub. It only took a small amount to go a long way. I made red and green rubs/powders.

bacpacker
08-02-2011, 02:03 AM
That rub sounds good. What kind of peppers do you use? We have a lot of serrano peppers coming on, the wife just told me she's thinking about trying to make our own hot sauce.
We have been puttin up green beans, corn, tomatos, & onions. We've also put up pickles, kraut, & peaches. Our okra is just getting started and I'll be picking a couple types of dried beans and digging our taters in the next 3 weeks. Melons and winter squash should come on very soon.
I have some late corn, and beans coming up. I think I'm also gonna plant some other stuff for fall crops. I've never tried a fall garden and if TSHTF growing food as long thru the year as possible will be important to supplement what's been stored.

LUNCHBOX
08-02-2011, 05:07 AM
You know with the way the warm weather has stayed the last couple years you could do a fall garden. Last year I was pulling peppers in Nov. I have chilies (red & green)- seranos, bells (yellow, red, green)- cherry pepper, bananas (hot & sweet)- and of course penos. We made salsa with ours a few times last year....couple of nice spoonfuls on a medium steak and a beer and your set...lol.