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What's wrong with this pepper?

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What's wrong with this pepper?

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growbot replied to the discussion Gardening Laments Jul 2

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Profile

Where do you live and garden?: NYC

How long have you been growing food?: 1-3 years

About Me:: container gardener

Dream garden travel destination:: Cuba

Favorite foods:: (to grow): chard, snap pea, lettuce

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I hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying so, but I think the nettle spray is holding down the aphids. It was drizzly and rainy here for almost a week, but I was spraying once or twice daily with nettle anyway. The aphids seem to be more or less under control on my mint. There are a few left, but the buds are developing fine, and the bugs are fewer in number. A huge accomplishment, if you ask me. Of cour… Continue

Posted on May 6th, 2008 at 8:00am — No Comments (Add)

Inventory, 5/6/08

After a week or so of gray, drizzly, cold, overcast weather, we seem to be in the clear. The sun has returned, and the forecast nighttime low temperature for the next several nights is just above 50 degrees, so yesterday I planted tomatoes, eggplant and pepper. The plants were started from seed very early (February?!?!), and they all desperately needed space. I had to sacrifice some baby kale and spinach to make room for the new plants, but we will enjoy those in a salad this week. The strawber… Continue

Posted on May 6th, 2008 at 7:30am — No Comments (Add)

First garden meal of the season

Yay! We ate our first garden food last night: bok choy, lettuce, arugula, kale, radishes and pansies. All but the bok choy went into a salad, and the bok choy was cooked up with onions into a tasty side dish. The radishes were a little weak because of all the rain recently, but still crisp and refreshing.

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Posted on May 1st, 2008 at 7:00pm — No Comments (Add)

Pest season has begun ...

... with aphids. Argh! Aphids!! Now that my plants are up and out of the ground, I knew the pests would arrive soon, and here they are. Of them all, I think aphids are the worst. Mostly because I have never successfully prevented or eliminated them. I usually struggle against them until the sad sight of my puckered, sorry blossoms overwhelms me and I pull up the victim plants, thinking at least I'll save the rest of the garden from invasion. Gah! This morning Adam commented on how well the mint… Continue

Posted on April 27th, 2008 at 3:00pm — 3 Comments (Add)

Inventory, 4/21/08

Dear Blog, The garden is really starting to take off. It's all about greens. I love them, they're so easy. The Rocky Top lettuce mix (Baker Seeds) is looking really exciting, and it's been fun to watch the perennials pop up and take off. The strawberry is flowering in abundance, which is so completely exciting that it's impossible to describe. the edibles inventory: arugula chard; lucullus, rainbow + bright lights bok choy, white stem cress, pepper pansy violet kale; dwarf blue, squire +… Continue

Posted on April 21st, 2008 at 6:16pm — No Comments (Add)

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At 11:37am on May 26th, 2008, ilex said…: Sorry- I don't check KGI's "my page" very often- I've been kicking around in the forums a lot lately.

So far, the komatsuna is still baby leaf, so (if it makes to my plate- sometimes I just stand on the porch and graze) I chop it up with other greens and herbs and sprinkle a handful or two on top of soup, or a plate of beans and rice. Then I drizzle it with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. I like my food simply prepared. Besides, good ingredients require so little work, and that suits my lazy streak just fine!

My spinach is doing miraculously well this year- I think it's due to the self-watering container (that, and our never-ending Spring). The soil stays so much cooler in the SWC.

At 9:57am on May 23rd, 2008, Carola said…: Hi, Growbot. Thanks for your comment on my school garden project and thoughts... I, too, love greens. Could eat them every day and probably do. As you say, so easy to grow, and lovely to look at... and, so nutritious. Here in southern calif we can grow them year round. Rather perfect.

At 4:07pm on May 20th, 2008, ilex said…: I share your passion for greens- I've been harvesting, leaf by leaf, a little salad for lunch every day or so. It's so great to eat living food again.

Recently I've been converted to Asian mustards- they are my new favorite raw green. I especially love a green called komatsuna, aka spinach mustard. Do you know about Kitazawa Seed company? Their array of asian greens is breathtaking.

At 7:46am on April 22nd, 2008, ilex said…: Hiya Growbot, love your handle. I did notice that we have the same garden destination- the mystery to me is why more people don't have that as their garden destination... I think we're the only ones.

I like your raised beds. Are you also involved in any of the garden groups in NYC, or do you just balcony garden solo?

At 5:52pm on April 21st, 2008, Penelope said…: I lived on east 79th street, then right at the end of the New Lots train in Brooklyn (I worked at a Lutheran church out there), then the last two years on East 11th Street and Avenue A. there was a nice courtyard on 11th street but not a lot of sun. Are your pots on a balcony or roof?