That certainly describes the sweet peppers that are now being harvested from the garden. The plants are getting huge. They are so loaded with fruits, they're toppling their tomato cages and branches are breaking off from all the weight. They are also blossoming profusely, promising a continuing supply for as long as the weather allows. I have two 1-gallon bags stuffed with sliced peppers, and one 1-gallon bag stuffed with diced peppers in the freezer. I know that will be enough to get me through the winter (Mr. Granny is not fond of peppers). I have kept the kids supplied to the point where they just won't take any more. The youngest son is contemplating buying a freezer, because even though he loves peppers and eats them like candy, even he has his limits. Now he accepts them, but gives them away to his neighbors. That's fine with me. As long as somebody enjoys them, I enjoy giving them away.
.jpg)
When the tomato cages began toppling under their weight, I had to pound in a few heavy stakes to hold them upright. The yardstick on the left, shows just how robust the plants are at about four feet in height.
.jpg)
This plant lost an entire branch from the weight of four big peppers, but is still loaded with ripening fruits.
.jpg)
Yesterday's 4-1/2 pounds of sweet peppers went home with son John, as well as the 3-1/2 pounds of Fortex pole beans and the bowl of broccoli side shoots. I also gave him two of the butternut squash. I kept the parsnips, and ate them for dinner last night. I served them with.....what else? Stuffed peppers!
Your things always look so good. Very nice peppers!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ray.
DeleteIt is a good year when peppers become zucchini. You are going to have such a nice tally at the end of the year. I bet you will beat your record this year. Especially since you can have a fall garden.
ReplyDeleteI might, daphne. It's over 700 pounds now,so it remains to be seen whether I can pull in another 300+. I expect maybe another 100 pounds in butternuts, lots more peppers and hopefully quite a few cucumbers, looking at all the blossoms!
DeleteWhat kind of peppers do you grow, and which do you feel are the best producers? Please forgive all the questions-but you have an amazing crop! I am only growing Jimmy Nardello's from my saved seed from last year and they did great last year, but this year I have too much shade on them. That is a problem with our growing space. I will put them out front with flowers next year since it is their rotation to go there for year 3.Do you have full sun where your peppers are this year?
ReplyDeleteRobbie, Red Marconi are the ones in the photo, and probably my favorite. For a regular bell shaped pepper, I like both Quadrato Rosso D'Asti (red) and a new favorite, Horizon Orange. The orange one is extremely sweet. The peppers in full sun are ripening faster, but I'm getting quite a few with sun scald. The others are mostly in the shade, and they are the ones in these photos. They are just beginning to ripen, but the peppers are unblemished. Next year I will plant in the sun, but where they get afternoon shade from the garden shed.
DeleteMy goodness, you have got the ultimate green thumb! Those peppers are gorgeous, but I know what you mean when you say you have enough! Not that I have enough peppers this year, but beans, that's another story.
ReplyDeleteOh, the beans! It just kills me to give away so many of them, as I dearly love Fortex pole beans, but this has been my best year ever for yield! I'm just completely out of room. I need to do some freezer cleanout!
DeleteI hope to have such a harvest. My anaheim pepper plants are loaded with fruit, but the others were delayed in production first by too much rain then by too much heat that caused them to drop their blossoms. Now it is just right, but the end of our growing season is near and it is a mystery how many will form and grow before then.
ReplyDeleteRachel, so far all of my "hot" peppers have turned out sweet. I have two pots of them that I've not yet tasted, I'm waiting for my son to try them first, LOL! I can't take too much heat.
DeleteYour peppers look great! I have very few sweet peppers on my plants this year, but I thats because my hot pepper plants grew so big they shaded out the sweet peppers (opps more space next year I guess).
ReplyDeleteI am interested to hear you have harvested parsnips. This is my first year growing parsnips and I wasn't sure when to harvest them. I've read that they should or can go through some frost? Do you always harvest in late summer?
liveintheyard.blogspot.ca
Bacon, my parsnips are being ruined by nematodes, so I'm going to dig them and use them as soon as possible. It's better to wait until after a frost, but I don't think mine will hold out that long. I peeled and boiled the two I dug, then sliced them and sauteed them in butter with a bit of sugar sprinkled over them. They tasted sweet and delicious, so I don't think I'm missing out by harvesting them this soon.
DeleteYou sure can grow peppers and everything else! It sounds like it has been a great gardening year for you. Nancy
ReplyDeleteNancy, it certainly is turning out better than I expected, after the slow start this spring!
DeleteOh man, I'm dreaming of roasted red pepper soup. Yum. You really have lovely lovely stuff, and so much of it. When I hit my limit, it's neighbors, friends, and the food bank, and I have so much less than you. Crazy how productive your stuff is.
ReplyDeleteStefaneener, I enjoy giving produce away to anyone who appreciates it. I always grow way more than two people can use.
DeleteWow! That is a lot of peppers. :D My plants took a mid summer breather but are back setting fruit again. Most of them will not get a chance to mature but the earlier ones are getting sized up and should be good to go.
ReplyDeleteKitsap, we're still 10-12 degrees above our normal September temps. It does look like we'll be cooling down to the low 90s to mid 80s next week. I'd welcome some cooler days, even if it means I'll be picking the peppers green in October.
DeleteI tried to get sweet peppers this year. I planted a variety with 'sweet' in the name, though I forget it now. They tasted just like regular green peppers. Bummer. Yours look so pretty.
ReplyDeleteLangela, Red Marconi, Quadrato Rosso D'Asti and Horizon Orange are all really sweet. The first two can be purchased from Ohio Heirloom Seeds (Granny recommends this source)
Deletehttp://shop.ohioheirloomseeds.com/main.sc
Horizon Orange was a gift to me, but it looks like the seeds can be purchased at Hometown Seeds, among other Googleable places.
wow looks like your garden in having a GREAT year!! Too bad I didn't live closer my peppers are really slow this year and I don't think I will get too many before it freezes!
ReplyDeleteI sure would share, Mrs.P.! Although it turned downright chilly and drizzly today, but it's supposed to warm up again tomorrow.
Delete