Some things are just super easy to grow, others take so much effort its too much for the average person. But hell yeah, grow ur own food if u are lucky enough to own a garden.
Yeah. When I lived in NW Florida (ugh), jalapenos grew like weeds in a small pot. Always had way too many.
Also a fun fact: in early spring you can often see green grass-like shoots growing before the grass starts and are quite tall. Those are wild alliums, the same family as garlic, onions and scallions.
Technically it’s poisonous to dogs, yeah. It’s a mild poison, but like chocolate (and grapes and raisins), they shouldn’t have it.
Leeks are part of the Allium family (which also includes onion, chives, and garlic) and are poisonous to dogs and cats. Garlic is considered to be about 5-times as potent as onion and leeks. Certain breeds and species are more sensitive, including cats and Japanese breeds of dogs (e.g., Akita, Shiba Inu).
Grapes and raisins are a different class. Alliums and chocolate are bad, sure, but if your dog has a bad reaction to grapes and really raisins, it can be 2-3 raisins cause kidney failure. They’re not quite sure about the mechanism, only that it doesn’t take much and isn’t an always thing.
I know cultivated onion and garlic are definitely poisonous to dogs. (and cats) I’m not sure though if wild allium contains the same chemical, and in the same amount, but it would be likely, which could easily lead to the hemolytic anemia.
It might benefit you to know that pepper plants can be kept alive nearly indefinitely if you give them good enough conditions. So if you keep them in a pot, you can trim them and move them inside over cold months (bare stems is fine as long as they don’t dry out), and then in spring they are already super well established and big and start putting out peppers really early.
I never do well with new pepper plants, but second season they produce like crazy.
Thanks you for the tips, I actually didn’t know they were perennial. That said, I think they just aren’t too fond of the climate here. I’d need a greenhouse (and space outdoors) or a heating mat and a decent sun light. I tried with chilies the other year, and even got a few fruits, but they were small and never ripened. The plant really struggled. To be fair, the plant was an experiment from the get-go. I germinated it from seeds I got in a cheapo chili flake jar from Lidl so I didn’t have huge expectations to begin with.
Yeah, that echoes my experience here in Sweden. I guess the reason we use so much rotted fish in our cuisine is because we had no other way to introduce stronger flavours. 😭
I will note that when I moved to MD the plant did well but grew like 1 pepper all year. Gave up after that. Heartburn also made it less viable to eat so many. :p
I have to ask. When I hear Maryland I think of a biscuit brand. Is Maryland known for chocolate chip biscuits or is the biscuit brand completely unrelated?
The growing season is so short here, you need to start them inside 2 months before planting them outside if you want them ready before the first frost in sept gets them.
Jalapenos do great, okra grows in the summer! The summer! Mustard greens will too, and the Stokes. Purple sweet potatoes. In the cooler seasons, collards, lettuces, fennel, I’ve had surprising success with broccoli and cauliflower. Tomatoes I can grow whenever but birds eat them. Radishes fail me every time. No carrots or radishes have worked, ever… I just learned asparagus is perennial here, going to try that too.
My wife and I just moved from a townhouse to an actual house with a backyard so we can garden again. We’re around the Sarasota Area and the yard is really soft and sandy. Pretty sure something’s digging under there which is why it’s so soft… But they were there first so what’re ya gonna do. Any suggestions for planting this summer? Definitely gonna try Okra
Congratulations, I didn’t know anyone could afford a house in Sarasota right now, wow!
Yes to okra, it loves our summer, unless you have the nematodes that love it more than we do. Jalafuego hybrid jalapenos are robust plants and spicy peppers that can survive summer. Hibiscus likes our summer, and you are far enough south to grow mangoes.
For the garden garden you might do better with raised bed and some better soil over the sandy soil, but mangoes and citrus like it. “Well drained” as they say.
Oh God no we’re still renting. We bounced around the idea of buying something but prices are insane, and we’re not sure we want to settle in Florida. The home insurance cost and the increasing risk of big storms would make me too anxious.
Thanks for the advice! We were definitely thinking raised beds, but wanted to try our luck with a few in-ground things.
Yeah pretty easy, have a go. Maybe a bit too mild to be ideal but if we’re talking home production that doesn’t matter much. There’s a big farm on the Isle of Wight so we can’t be too far off.
It’s relatively easy, because most pests won’t eat it and they are pretty frost resistant. There are winter and summer varieties, so don’t mix them up.
Some things are just super easy to grow, others take so much effort its too much for the average person. But hell yeah, grow ur own food if u are lucky enough to own a garden.
Yeah. When I lived in NW Florida (ugh), jalapenos grew like weeds in a small pot. Always had way too many.
Also a fun fact: in early spring you can often see green grass-like shoots growing before the grass starts and are quite tall. Those are wild alliums, the same family as garlic, onions and scallions.
We call it onion grass. I’m always yelling at my dog for eating them.
Are they bad for dogs? Or are you mad cause you wanted them?
Technically it’s poisonous to dogs, yeah. It’s a mild poison, but like chocolate (and grapes and raisins), they shouldn’t have it.
https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/leeks/
Grapes and raisins are a different class. Alliums and chocolate are bad, sure, but if your dog has a bad reaction to grapes and really raisins, it can be 2-3 raisins cause kidney failure. They’re not quite sure about the mechanism, only that it doesn’t take much and isn’t an always thing.
Oh yes, they’re not a “mild” on the poison scale compared to like, grass onion and such.
Very true.
I know cultivated onion and garlic are definitely poisonous to dogs. (and cats) I’m not sure though if wild allium contains the same chemical, and in the same amount, but it would be likely, which could easily lead to the hemolytic anemia.
I struggle so hard with peppers. Jalapeños growing like weeds sounds like a dream.
It might benefit you to know that pepper plants can be kept alive nearly indefinitely if you give them good enough conditions. So if you keep them in a pot, you can trim them and move them inside over cold months (bare stems is fine as long as they don’t dry out), and then in spring they are already super well established and big and start putting out peppers really early.
I never do well with new pepper plants, but second season they produce like crazy.
Thanks you for the tips, I actually didn’t know they were perennial. That said, I think they just aren’t too fond of the climate here. I’d need a greenhouse (and space outdoors) or a heating mat and a decent sun light. I tried with chilies the other year, and even got a few fruits, but they were small and never ripened. The plant really struggled. To be fair, the plant was an experiment from the get-go. I germinated it from seeds I got in a cheapo chili flake jar from Lidl so I didn’t have huge expectations to begin with.
I live in Norway and one year I planted 10 chili plants. I treated those plants like royalty and in the end I got like maybe 2 chilis per plant lol
Yeah, that echoes my experience here in Sweden. I guess the reason we use so much rotted fish in our cuisine is because we had no other way to introduce stronger flavours. 😭
That’s tough. 🌶️
I will note that when I moved to MD the plant did well but grew like 1 pepper all year. Gave up after that. Heartburn also made it less viable to eat so many. :p
I’m not sure what MD is, my brain just thinks “markdown” or medicine doctor. I hope your heartburn is doing better now!
Perhaps the US state of Maryland?
Oooh, right! I didn’t know that was a place, my only reference to Maryland is a brand of biscuits. Thank you!
Maryland! US state on the eastern seaboard near the capital, Washington, D.C.
I have to ask. When I hear Maryland I think of a biscuit brand. Is Maryland known for chocolate chip biscuits or is the biscuit brand completely unrelated?
I’ve never heard of that before but I did find this when I looked:
https://www.burtonsbiscuits.com/our-brands/maryland-cookies/
Birmingham! They’re not even from Maryland then, what a sham. 😅
The growing season is so short here, you need to start them inside 2 months before planting them outside if you want them ready before the first frost in sept gets them.
Right now I only have an inside. My balcony gets morning sun, but not for very long. :(
Could always get a little tent and a grow light to grow them indoors. Peppers need decent light
Florida gardener too.
Jalapenos do great, okra grows in the summer! The summer! Mustard greens will too, and the Stokes. Purple sweet potatoes. In the cooler seasons, collards, lettuces, fennel, I’ve had surprising success with broccoli and cauliflower. Tomatoes I can grow whenever but birds eat them. Radishes fail me every time. No carrots or radishes have worked, ever… I just learned asparagus is perennial here, going to try that too.
My wife and I just moved from a townhouse to an actual house with a backyard so we can garden again. We’re around the Sarasota Area and the yard is really soft and sandy. Pretty sure something’s digging under there which is why it’s so soft… But they were there first so what’re ya gonna do. Any suggestions for planting this summer? Definitely gonna try Okra
Congratulations, I didn’t know anyone could afford a house in Sarasota right now, wow!
Yes to okra, it loves our summer, unless you have the nematodes that love it more than we do. Jalafuego hybrid jalapenos are robust plants and spicy peppers that can survive summer. Hibiscus likes our summer, and you are far enough south to grow mangoes.
For the garden garden you might do better with raised bed and some better soil over the sandy soil, but mangoes and citrus like it. “Well drained” as they say.
Oh God no we’re still renting. We bounced around the idea of buying something but prices are insane, and we’re not sure we want to settle in Florida. The home insurance cost and the increasing risk of big storms would make me too anxious.
Thanks for the advice! We were definitely thinking raised beds, but wanted to try our luck with a few in-ground things.
Same luck with tomatoes. Everything surey them long before the were ripe.
Isnt that just chives.
Is garlic easy? Uk climate
Oh i have no idea, i have never grown garlic so far.
Often you can get hardier breeds and i would expect it to be possible in the UK as longs as its not freezing.
This looks like a decent guide. Basically lots of sun, not too much water, lil bit of fertilizer and you are sure to get something.
https://getbusygardening.com/growing-garlic/
Thank you
Yeah pretty easy, have a go. Maybe a bit too mild to be ideal but if we’re talking home production that doesn’t matter much. There’s a big farm on the Isle of Wight so we can’t be too far off.
It’s relatively easy, because most pests won’t eat it and they are pretty frost resistant. There are winter and summer varieties, so don’t mix them up.
Wild garlic might be a better option if you’re able to forage for it.
I do walk about a lot so I’ll keep an eye out. Thanks.
I live near a garlic town and it gets fuckin hot there
Gilroy?
Garlic is fine unless you’re way up north, it’s semi hardy so won’t like a prolonged or hard frost but will survive outside just fine.
Lettuce and tomatoes are surprisingly good value. I’d put them top tier.
Not sure what else is really good. Beans are easy but you never get enough.