I planted the bulk of my vegs today.

[lpbk2713]

I'm in 9b, Central Florida.

I had planted some peppers, crookneck squash and a few tomatoes about four weeks ago knowing we might have some sub-freezing temps but I wanted to see how they would do if I covered them. Sure enough, about three weeks ago it went below freezing overnight. I covered them all and didn't lose any.

I planted several seeds just before Thanksgiving. I always plant more than I need so that I will have plenty to choose from and then I give away what I don't use. Today I planted about twenty tomatoes, a couple more peppers and a couple of cukes.


The tomatoes ...

Rutgers
Golden Jubilee
Arkansas Traveler
Big Beef
Manalucie
Flora Dade

The peppers ...

Red Bell
Jalapeño
Red Hot Cherry
Cubanelle
Anaheim


I will plant some Romas and some Super Sweet 100's when the seedlings get a little bigger.

I had one Big Beef that made it through the hot summer and it started yielding fruit before it got so cold.
I covered it up and it will have some more ready to pick in two or three weeks.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. Great stuff! I am starting hot peppers this week...

We sell seedlings, so all told, I start about 50 different hot peppers, 50 sweet peppers, 20 eggplant and 100 types of tomatoes for our sales (aiming at about 5000 plants) - then another 200 or so different things for my tomato and pepper and eggplant research projects. It is pretty much a full time job from now until the end of summer!

[Denninmi]

2. Mild hot peppers.

So, you're a pepper guru, too?

Do you have any favorite mildly hot peppers -- say, less than Jalapeno level on the Scoville scale?

Some of the mildly hot peppers I've grown and enjoyed have included:

Spanish Spice, Garden Salsa, Ancho/Poblano of various types, Anaheims, Pasilla bajio, Greek and Italian Pepperoncinis, and a couple of the Numex varieties like Big Jim.

I've also grown some of the "imposters" like Aji Dulce, Sweet Cayenne, and 'Fooled You' Jalapeno.

Always on the lookout for new, mild hot peppers.

[JDPriestly]

7. Planting seeds and watching the seedlings develop is my favorite

part of gardening. Strangely, I even enjoy it more than picking the vegetables and fruits that I grow. It is just such a miracle to watch the tiny sprout rise above the ground. You never know what will happen. Sometimes my seeds do nothing. Sometimes, they sprout long after I planted them. I love the surprises of that early stage in gardening.

By the way, your videos on planting seedlings have been very helpful to me.

[HopeHoops]

3. We've got 3" of snow - first accumulation of the season.

[lpbk2713]

4. Update ...

Most of the tomato plants are about 3 ft high now, some taller. The first ones look like they should be ready to pick in 2 - 3 weeks. They were slow growing for a while because they weather was a bit on the cool side up till about three or four weeks ago. But lately it has been around the 80 degree mark and sunny. The Red Hot Cherry pepper lives up to its name for sure. I picked a couple two weeks ago. Some of the Jalapeños are ready but I haven't tried them yet. Most of the plants will start dying off from the heat around June but I should have good results until then.

[Denninmi]

5. Thanks for updating.

I live vicariously through people in the South this time of year.

[JDPriestly]

6. Congratulations. Isn't this a great time of year in your climate?

Here in Southern California, my tomatoes and peppers are still in small pots in a window. I plant to set them out this month.

I have so little space in my garden that I have to wait to plant my squash and beans until my peas have finished -- and my peas are doing so well that could take a few weeks.

I haven't been gardening that many years -- only since I retired. This is the first year that I planted peas and that did really well. I've worked on my soil (and replaced much of the clay natural to my garden with purchased composted soil), and it is just beginning to pay off.