Growing plants in the Rockies» Herbs http://www.bananabender.com Greenhouse gardening at 8500ft Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:29:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Plants in general are still growing http://www.bananabender.com/2008/09/27/plants-in-general-are-still-growing/ http://www.bananabender.com/2008/09/27/plants-in-general-are-still-growing/#comments Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:36:29 +0000 Chris http://www.bananabender.com/?p=330

While everyones outdoor gardens have now died from frost and cold weather the greenhouse still looks unchanged.

We have herbs still growing strong, and tomato plants, strawberry plants, bok choi, lettuce, a cauliflower, and bell peppers. There is also some winter zuchinni seeds that have sprouted.

Poor mans heating system on the punnets, rope light. Its waterproof and really warm
Herbs still a growing
Some of the tomatoes on the giant tree tomato plants
More giant tree tomato plant
The overview
Early bird and roma toms. The early bird to the right arent looking very happy.
This is some beefsteak and early riser toms
Bell peppers still growing happily
]]> http://www.bananabender.com/2008/09/27/plants-in-general-are-still-growing/feed/ 0 A new growing season begins http://www.bananabender.com/2008/08/20/a-new-growing-season-begins/ http://www.bananabender.com/2008/08/20/a-new-growing-season-begins/#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:51:11 +0000 Chris http://www.bananabender.com/?p=306

Well as summer draws to a end slowly … and with the reminder that its going to end soon with the night time temps around 39 degrees last week!! Its time to look towards winter plants.

I found www.reimerseeds.com who like many others, had seeds for plants that tolerate cold temps.

We purchased for winter:
- Sub Arctic Tomato (fruits when in the 30 degrees temps!)
– Window box roma tomatoes
– Salad bush cucumbers ( another colder winter vegie that grows in small containers..apparently)
– Cold set tomato (another down to freezing temp type tomato)
– Tall Utah Celery (if it can grow in utah it can grow in a greenhouse here I think!)
– Artic king lettuce (the name says it all)

We have changed our planters for the winter, so we can put rope lights in the soil to keep it warm (yes rope lights are cheap and simple for heat!) We purchased some flat and long plastic storage containers from big lots for $8 each, painted the sides black and drilled holes in the bottom for the drainage.

The heater strung up and set to 60 degree for night time temps
This is where celery and arctic king lettuce has been planted for the winter
Some sub arctic tomato plants are planted here the new winter planter boxes.
This is the roma tom on the left and the early bird tom on the right, still fruiting.
Bok choi in the planter tubes along the walls, the soil was replaced after the lettuces finished in here.
Cucumbers in the planter bags for winter
Bib lettuce in the tubes starting from seed, these are great in salads
This is the poor eggplant after it was attacked by aphids, we seem to have rid the greenhouse of nearly all the bugs, and this plant is growing back slowly
Bell peppers are still growing and fruiting.
The herbs are loving it, in fact we have too many and have to freeze them weekly.
The head of the giant tree tomatoe which is now getting toms on it
The giant tree tomato plants and trying to break thru the roof.
The roma toms and early bird toms
These toms took the brunt of the aphid attack, although now aphid free I had to cut them back a bit to get them thru it all, but all it well now
Bell peppers a little stumpy but growing well
New seeds!
]]> http://www.bananabender.com/2008/08/20/a-new-growing-season-begins/feed/ 0 Weekly update http://www.bananabender.com/2008/07/18/weekly-update-2/ http://www.bananabender.com/2008/07/18/weekly-update-2/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:27:42 +0000 Chris http://www.bananabender.com/?p=287

The previous weeks heat has caused some of our lettuces on the sunniest side to go straight to seed which is a bummer, but they will be replanted and we will try again, and out tomotoes are producing now at the rate of 2-3 tomatoes per day.

The giant tree tomatoe plants as you can see are really giant, and growing, I think they will need their own greenhouse soon! We also have some bugs appearing on the tomatoe plants and eggplants, being non organic farmers… we plan on having them dead with good old fashioned insecticide shortly.

The greenhouse in its full and busy state
Herbs are growing like crazy, we have never grown herbs successfully before so we are impressed.
Peppers are everywhere now
Romaine lettuce and strawberry plants are great, the romaine is actually sweet tasting
Eggplants, some growing upside down and with some little bugs on them
Toms
A giant tree tomato
The other giant tree tomato
Some of the lettuce thats dont to seed
]]> http://www.bananabender.com/2008/07/18/weekly-update-2/feed/ 0 Freezing herbs http://www.bananabender.com/2008/06/30/freezing-herbs/ http://www.bananabender.com/2008/06/30/freezing-herbs/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:39:39 +0000 Chris http://www.bananabender.com/?p=276 We find in stores like Trader Joes and Wholefoods they sell frozen herbs, this is simple and east enough to do yourself with your home grown herbs.

All you need is a couple of things to do this yourself:

  1. Herbs
  2. Ice cube trays
  3. Water
  4. Sharp knife
  5. Zip lock bags
  6. Permanent marker pen

First harvest the herbs, here we have Cilantro, Basil and Oregano

Now you have the herbs, cut them finely

Now place them into the ice cube trays, about half a ice cube with the herb in question will do

Now add cold water (preferably bottled water, or water that has been boiled and cooled, unless you have a mountain stream like we do providing your own mineral water!)

Now freeze the trays, and tomorrow take them out and place in marked ziplocked bags. Presto you have fresh herbs for cooking for at least the next 6 mths!

To use them in cooking simply place into the dish and allow them to defrost and cook into the dish, or course you can defrost them and strain the water out, but thats too much hassle!

]]> http://www.bananabender.com/2008/06/30/freezing-herbs/feed/ 0 Weekly update http://www.bananabender.com/2008/06/29/weekly-update/ http://www.bananabender.com/2008/06/29/weekly-update/#comments Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:40:13 +0000 Chris http://www.bananabender.com/?p=262 Check out the growth, its amazing….we need a bigger

Its a bit squishy in here Steak toms and early bird toms with eggplants Lettuce some ready to eat Lettuce, mesculan mix and a pepper plant Giant tree tomatoes at 1 ft high Herbs are ready for their first big harvest A zucchini I wish the tomatoes would ripen! Eealt bird toms look like they are going to burst Early riser toms, with 3 plants now appearing Toms , the roma tomatoes are still slow to fruit, but they have some

]]> http://www.bananabender.com/2008/06/29/weekly-update/feed/ 4 Week 5 http://www.bananabender.com/2008/06/07/week-5/ http://www.bananabender.com/2008/06/07/week-5/#comments Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:41:36 +0000 Chris http://www.bananabender.com/?p=185 A little later reporting the growth this week as I had to go to training in Dallas this week for work, but the greenhouse is growing growing growing…

Outside onions PLants Happy plants Early bird tom Beefsteak tomatoes Beefsteaks showing their buns Roma tomoatoes finally have started growing! Bonnie select toms have gone mad this week Zucchinnis Attack of the killer zucchinnis Hello bok choi More bok choi Green peppers Red and green peppers planted last week - from walmart Yellow peppers within tiny peppers on it Red peppers with bok choi Onions growing really well in a bag in the greenhouse...who knew? Ichiban - eggplants, on a growing spurt Mesulan mix planted a week ago is here Sickly little early tomatoe that came with the giant tomato trees Giant tomato tree becoming a giant Other giant tomato tree Herbs and herb seedlings Tubs of herbs 2 weeks since planting and they are ready to move Strawberrys a little word for wear Some cos lettuce

]]> http://www.bananabender.com/2008/06/07/week-5/feed/ 0 Week 4…the sun is shining http://www.bananabender.com/2008/05/29/week-4the-sun-is-shining/ http://www.bananabender.com/2008/05/29/week-4the-sun-is-shining/#comments Thu, 29 May 2008 14:14:40 +0000 Chris http://www.bananabender.com/?p=154 Well week 4 of the growth cycle has come and gone, and everything is on track and no deaths… Althought the Giant Tree Tomatoes are still faultering. Here is what is all looks like:

The greenhouse bathed in sun for a change Onions go crazy in a greenhouse Green peppers, with a couple little peppers growing already Toms gorwing really quickly The early riser tomatoes are growing fast Beefsteak tomato plants Beefsteaks bulging slowly Ichibans / eggplants getting there slowly The first early bird tomatoe seed is planted Bok choi after separating and dividing, still too many though probably Bonnie select tomato plant, slow to grow Zucchini plants, we had to separate one from the pack this week A store bought zucchini on the right and one of our seedlings on the left Roma Tomatoes are really slow starters, only just getting flowers Sedling area, 5 days and they appear when in the greenhouse The herbs, Thyme Oregano and Basil ( although we now notice the basil is labelled wrong and its lemon basil) Green and yellow peppers just getting flowers and fruit The strawberry tube is thriving

]]> http://www.bananabender.com/2008/05/29/week-4the-sun-is-shining/feed/ 0 Week 3 of growth…its getting there http://www.bananabender.com/2008/05/21/week-3-of-growthits-getting-there/ http://www.bananabender.com/2008/05/21/week-3-of-growthits-getting-there/#comments Thu, 22 May 2008 01:48:19 +0000 Chris http://www.bananabender.com/?p=129 Week 3 has come along, the greenhouse averages 50 degrees at night and 90 at its hottest during the day. Our plants are coming along slowly but surely, so far the winner is the strawberry plants bought from seedlings.

Outside onions survived the snow last week and are coming back to life Bok choi in its 10th day of living Green pepper has fruit A little green pepper Early toms Early riser tom plant Beefsteak toms doing really well Beefsteaks growing really fast Eggplants growing Onions inside are growing fast Giant tree tom seedlings on the right, Early bird tom single seedling on the left Green pepper just getting fruit from its first flowers Yellow peppers just getting flowers on it Oregano is coming along Basil Lemon thyme Oregano slowly coming along Basil very slow, but when we bought them they were half dead Italian parsley has recovered zucchini coming along Toms only just getting flowers Toms slowly growing, and just getting flowers The first strawberry The strawberries and reall growing

]]> http://www.bananabender.com/2008/05/21/week-3-of-growthits-getting-there/feed/ 0 Herbs http://www.bananabender.com/2008/05/10/herbs/ http://www.bananabender.com/2008/05/10/herbs/#comments Sun, 11 May 2008 00:22:52 +0000 Chris http://www.bananabender.com/?p=64 Suprisingly herbs are hard to get up here in the hills of Colorado, we did get some seeds, but live plants are just not around, we did find some just alive herbs in Walmart, we got Flat leaf parsely and some Basil, not the most healthy plants… we plan on using the plastic shelves in the back of the greenhouse for the herbs, hopefully our seeds will sprout and we can get some more.

Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically

Your Backyard Herb Garden: A Gardener’s Guide to Growing Over 50 Herbs

The Herb Society of America’s Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking With Herbs

Indoor Culinary Herb Garden Starter Kit – Everything You Need to Start Growing Fresh Cooking Herbs & Spices

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