Going simple

[HunkieDorie23]

This year I am going simple. I am planning a garden that we will use but nothing "fancy". I am not planting the selection I normally do.

Lettuce: Buttercrunch
Rainbow carrots mix
Peppers: Alma Paprika, Hungarian Hot Wax, King of the North
Celery: Utah tall
Summer Squash mix: Bianco di Triste, Cocozelle di Napoli, Tondo di Piacenza, Early Prolific Straightneck
Tomato: Amish Paste, Black Krim, Thessaloniki, Koralik Cherry, Caspian Pink
Herbs: Basil, Chives, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Sage
Corn: Golden Bantam Sweet
Beans: Blue Lake Bush
Cucumber: Marketmore and a pickler (I forget what I have it's from last year).
Butternut squash.
Garlic and onions.

This is really all I need to live and not have to buy stuff from the store. I may have to buy some brocoli but I tried to grow it this year and it didn't do well at all I still have some seed from last year so if I get energic I may start some. I already ordered my seed, $51.00 and it is all heirloom so next year I may not be buying any seed at all. I am also not growing potatoes because same thing, been there done that and not worth the space or effort. If I have the space I may throw some craving pumpkins into a hill.

Problem, I have never grown celery and I am hoping it isn't too hard. I am planning on growing in raised beds using a simple version of the square ft gardening plan. Any hints or suggestions?

 

[curly_kate]

I've never grown celery, but I've heard it's kind of fussy about the site. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I hear you on the simple. I'll add eggplant, beets, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower to your list and take away a couple of things, but you got the basics. I do a variety of tomatoes and pepper every year because different varieties do differently each year. I can't seem to get any specific variety to give consistent results. Last season, Super Shepherd sweet pepper was lousy. The previous season, it was tremendously productive with great quaklity.

I tried celery one year, direct seeding in the garden. Very little came up. What did looked exactly like a common weed around here until it got fairly developed, so I could not keep it weeded while young. Then, it did practically nothing the first year, but it lived through the winter and came back in the spring. It never did bunch like it was supposed to, and it was real strong, but I used it fresh when making chicken broth and in some other cooking. It was too strong to eat fresh. If I were trying it again, I'd probably try direct seeding in the garden in August, getting it established with a lot of watering, mulch it for the winter, and hope to get something the next spring.

Obviously I have not been successful with celery so I don't know that this would work, but yeah, I found it hard.

 

[digitS']

Celery? I only tried it once and it more-or-less failed.

I'm not sure if this one is easier but it has been a success in my garden for a number of years. Homely as can be and requires the entire season and then some. I start it indoors quite early and transplant out:

Yes, the leaves can be used but I leave it alone to grow those nice big roots - celery root (celeriac). I've got quite a few and they store well.

An advantage over celery is you know how they say that you burn more calories chewing celery than you gain from it? I don't know, might be true . . . Celery root is real starchy. So, you've got the celery flavor AND the calories .

Wait a minute! I'm supposed to trying to keep the weight off this winter!!

Steve :/

ETA: Oh hey! I've grown this before: Par-Cel (click). It was easy to have the leaves right from a real young age and on thru the growing season.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

Wow Steve those look awesome. I should have tried them instead. I saw an episode of Good Eats where Alton used them. If you blanch the tops will they turn white like regular celery?

Have tried broccoli and eggplant but honestly the bugs eat them and they never turned out. Which is why they aren't on the list. The Buttercrunch is because several people recommended it last year so instead of the several variety I normally go with and try to harvest before it turns bitter I am going with it. If I get my greenhouse (and I am pretty sure I am going to) I may try broccoli again. Last year it took forever to develop then when it did I found little blue worms all over it. They seemed to enjoy it though. I fed what was left and the worms to my chickens. I didn't get any.

We went out to a Japanese Steakhouse tonight and I had the grilled veggies broccoli, carrots, zuchinni and mushroom with a little onion, too good. I might try some again.

 

[digitS']

'Dorie, I've grown them for about 5 years.

One year, I had them too far into the shade. They only grew to about the size of tennis balls. An entire season with an early start indoors - tennis ball size. I decided that they should have whatever I could guess that they needed, be treated well or they were hardly worth growing.

I never bother the top of the plant just be patient and begin harvesting the roots in September.

Steve

 

[HunkieDorie23]

This year I am going simple. I am planning a garden that we will use but nothing "fancy". I am not planting the selection I normally do.

Lettuce: Buttercrunch
Rainbow carrots mix
Peppers: Alma Paprika, Hungarian Hot Wax, King of the North, Chili
Celery: Utah tall
Summer Squash mix: Bianco di Triste, Cocozelle di Napoli, Tondo di Piacenza, Early Prolific Straightneck
Tomato: Amish Paste, Black Krim, Thessaloniki, Koralik Cherry, Caspian Pink, Super Italian Paste, Mountain Princess, Gilbertie Paste, (and one more that I haven't decided on yet)
Herbs: Basil, Chives, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Sage, Lavander, garlic chives, lemon basil
Corn: Golden Bantam Sweet
Beans: Blue Lake Bush, kentucky blue pole beans
Cucumber: Marketmore and a pickler (I forget what I have it's from last year).
Butternut squash.
Garlic and onions. I am at 6 types of onions and 7 types of garlic

This is really all I need to live and not have to buy stuff from the store. I may have to buy some brocoli but I tried to grow it this year and it didn't do well at all I still have some seed from last year so if I get energic I may start some. I already ordered my seed, $51.00 and it is all heirloom so next year I may not be buying any seed at all. I am also not growing potatoes because same thing, been there done that and not worth the space or effort. If I have the space I may throw some craving pumpkins into a hill.

Problem, I have never grown celery and I am hoping it isn't too hard. I am planning on growing in raised beds using a simple version of the square ft gardening plan. Any hints or suggestions?

Everything in bold is what I have added. Why do I even try to down size every year? Plus:
Broccoli: Waltham
Peas: Lincoln
Asparagus: Mary Lincoln
Cabbage: Coir de blu

 

[catjac1975]

This year I am going simple. I am planning a garden that we will use but nothing "fancy". I am not planting the selection I normally do.

Lettuce: Buttercrunch
Rainbow carrots mix
Peppers: Alma Paprika, Hungarian Hot Wax, King of the North
Celery: Utah tall
Summer Squash mix: Bianco di Triste, Cocozelle di Napoli, Tondo di Piacenza, Early Prolific Straightneck
Tomato: Amish Paste, Black Krim, Thessaloniki, Koralik Cherry, Caspian Pink
Herbs: Basil, Chives, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Sage
Corn: Golden Bantam Sweet
Beans: Blue Lake Bush
Cucumber: Marketmore and a pickler (I forget what I have it's from last year).
Butternut squash.
Garlic and onions.

This is really all I need to live and not have to buy stuff from the store. I may have to buy some brocoli but I tried to grow it this year and it didn't do well at all I still have some seed from last year so if I get energic I may start some. I already ordered my seed, $51.00 and it is all heirloom so next year I may not be buying any seed at all. I am also not growing potatoes because same thing, been there done that and not worth the space or effort. If I have the space I may throw some craving pumpkins into a hill.

Problem, I have never grown celery and I am hoping it isn't too hard. I am planning on growing in raised beds using a simple version of the square ft gardening plan. Any hints or suggestions?

I haven't had luck growing celery from seed. However when I buy plants they are quite easy. They need a lot of water, are prone to a worm that tunnels in the stalks. BT should work. They are smaller but more plentiful stalks then store bought. They have a much stronger flavor but I have grow to really like them in cooking. I can't always find seedlings in my area.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I have never seen celery plants in the stores here. As a matter of fact I don't know anyone who has every grown it period. I don't even remember seeing any in my grandma's garden and she had a huge garden.

 

[The Mama Chicken]

I'm trying celery for the first time this year. I'm hoping it will do well, but not expecting too much. Here's an article from Mother Earth New that I found helpful. http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/all-about-growing-celery-zm0z11zkon.aspx