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My "garden" - labradors - 06-10-2015

Wanted to try growing a few different types of peppers, but only a few of those seeds I got germinated and they didn't grow much beyond that - not even enough to transplant out of the seed-starter cups.

Had already purchased a "City Pickers" box (the "Earthbox" that some of you had mentioned earlier wasn't available here), potting mix, fertilizer, etc., so I gave up on the seeds and bought some plants at Lowes: Anaheim, banana, cubanelle, and poblano chiles and Beefmaster tomatoes.

Here's how it's doing, so far:

[Image: SRYLAoT.jpg]

Since I was a little late getting the plants, a couple of the pepper plants weren't the best looking, but they're getting there.

Have already had a couple of really tasty banana peppers and I see more of those, some Anaheims and some cubanelles forming.


Re: My "garden" - cjs - 06-10-2015

You're lucky I've got my little garden started, Labs - having to look at this!!! Great looking.


Re: My "garden" - Trixxee - 06-10-2015

Very nice. Wish we lived in a house versus a condo so I could have a garden.


Re: My "garden" - labradors - 06-10-2015

Trixxee, "City Pickers" is (as the name implies) designed to be very usable on a condo/apartment balcony. Of course, it depends what the condo association rules are, but they often allow potted plants and this is essentially the same idea.


Re: My "garden" - Trixxee - 06-10-2015

Thanks Labs. Our balcony/porch/whatever is not too big and it already has large BBQ, large smoker and some furniture on it. Not a whole lot more space. And since they repainted (very nicely I should add), technically you are not supposed to drill any holes for hanging plants.


Re: My "garden" - DFen911 - 06-10-2015

Because they are of the same family as tomatoes, you'll want to make sure they have plenty of calcium when they start forming the peppers, and less nitrogen.

Calcium (Ca) is needed by all vegetables for normal growth and fruit development. Pepper is particularly sensitive to Ca shortages which lead to blossom-end rot. If the soil contains 300 ppm of Mehlich-1 Ca, then there is ample soil Ca for normal pepper production. The challenge then becomes one of ensuring that enough of that Ca is present in the plant when fruits are developing. Ca moves preferentially with the water stream in the plant so fruits usually do not receive their fair share of Ca when plants are under water stress. Factors that reduce Ca movement to the fruits and thus encourage blossom-end rot are:

• Water stress (drought). Since Ca moves with the water stream in the plant, any water stress, even temporary (one day) stress can lead to blossom-end rot. Dry soils, high soil soluble salts, windy conditions, etc., can reduce Ca movement to the fruits. Under these conditions, Ca moves mostly to the leaves and young vegetative growing areas.
• Excessive N and K fertilizer. High N encourages excessive vegetative growth and most Ca then moves to the leaves and actively growing shoot tips. High K leads to high soluble salt concentrations in the soil restricting water movement, and thus Ca movement, into the root.
• Damage to root system. Ca is absorbed by roots near the root tips. Anything (flooding, root disease, nematodes, mechanical damage, etc.) that damages the roots can inhibit Ca uptake.


Re: My "garden" - labradors - 06-10-2015

Thanks, Denise.

The instructions for the "City Pickers" have you add garden lime and fertilizer. The fertilizer I got was an organic 8-8-8 billed as a tomato-and-vegetable fertilizer.

We'll see.

Thanks again.


Re: My "garden" - Gourmet_Mom - 06-11-2015

Very nice, Labs! My garden was late, also, but it's coming along. As soon as I get William situated, I'll take some pictures.


Re: My "garden" - karyn - 06-11-2015

Thanks, Denise! I'll make sure to fertilize my little pepper plants tomorrow.


Re: My "garden" - cjs - 06-11-2015

I fertilize my garden once a week with Miracle Grow - have been doing this for over 40 years (or whenever Miracle Grow came out ) and I always have the best garden results.