Joy in the Little Things

[ducks4you]

OK, Girlfriend!!
I would bring the coffee from next door!

 

[baymule]

Wow! Those are works of culinary art! Beautiful!

 

[flowerbug]

I've just acquired a mixer for the first time in my life. I wonder if the bread would still be good?

does it have enough power to knead a loaf and do you have a dough hook included?

it sounds like certain ones are better than others. watch vids on youtube. also pay attention to the owners manual or other recommendations. like i didn't know these facts:

Dough Climbing Up the Dough Hook - Stand Mixer

producthelp.kitchenaid.com

 

[Marie2020]

does it have enough power to knead a loaf and do you have a dough hook included?

it sounds like certain ones are better than others. watch vids on youtube. also pay attention to the owners manual or other recommendations. like i didn't know these facts:

Dough Climbing Up the Dough Hook - Stand Mixer

producthelp.kitchenaid.com

Thanks very much! That's a great help and very much appreciated ❤

 

[digitS']

Today, I was out and about on errands and saw the first cherry tree blooms - ornamental cherries. The neighbor's cherry will show up soon. It is 3 doors to the west and in a backyard but easily seen from my back deck.

Also ... wait for it ... 5 dandelion blooms! Not yet in my yard where there are waaayyyy too many of those plants this year. Not in my neighborhood either - I doubt if I'm alone in having a big crop. But, I had 3 block walk after about a 4 mile drive, dandelions in a lawn, very much in direct sunlight.

Arriving back home, I saw the first honey bee of the year. He landed on the driver's door as I backed the pickup into the driveway. I was slow and careful stepping out and he flew lazily off before I closed the door. That bee is definitely early but the daffodils and grape hyacinths are blooming. Maybe those will be of interest and sustain him until the dandelions show up in the neighborhood.

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

dandelions are just starting to bloom here. we will be mowing this coming week.

 

[Phaedra]

Three of 2022 chili plants (Cayenne) were kept and overwintered in the unheated room as an experiment. I trimmed their roots short as if they could survive as perennials. They successfully entered their dormancy, and I had no idea if they would come back.

In late February, some new shoots came from the nodes, and I added growing light for them.

Only one shoot has a more convincing growth, and I was not confident about how well they could re-develop.

But, so far, they show the desire to grow.

Late March

Early April, I repotted them into three 11cm pots - they all looked active.

I removed the first few flowers, but they kept pushing more.

A few days ago, they checked in even bigger pots, and there are three tiny peppers. They will grow in the greenhouse until the end of May, and then, I will let them grow in the raised bed in the bottomless planter.

When autumn comes, I will bring them back to the greenhouse again. Maybe I can eventually have perennial chili plants.

 

[digitS']

@Zeedman and others on the 2023 pepper thread should see this.

Weak seed makes for slow starts. Peppers are ridiculously slow for me, good seed or not. If I had a plant that was important for me to save seed from and I questioned the viability of the seed harvested from that plant, it might make a world of sense to keep the plant through the Winter. And yet, I know that they need lots of light ... perhaps not, if they were thoroughly pruned.

Additionally, for me personally and others needing growing conditions that don't always occur, "perennializing" the plants may be a good idea just for production. In SE Asia, I know peppers live from year to year on their own.

Steve

 

[Zeedman]

@Zeedman and others on the 2023 pepper thread should see this.

Weak seed makes for slow starts. Peppers are ridiculously slow for me, good seed or not. If I had a plant that was important for me to save seed from and I questioned the viability of the seed harvested from that plant, it might make a world of sense to keep the plant through the Winter. And yet, I know that they need lots of light ... perhaps not, if they were thoroughly pruned.

Additionally, for me personally and others needing growing conditions that don't always occur, "perennializing" the plants may be a good idea just for production. In SE Asia, I know peppers live from year to year on their own.

Steve

Weak seed (due to age) is reflected in the germination results I posted in the pepper thread. I over-seed heavily in anticipation of that. I also start those seeds in a temperature-controlled greenhouse kept between 80-85 F. degrees, which helps to compensate for the weaker seed by encouraging more rapid germination. Total ambient temperature control is more effective than heat mats.

Over-wintering peppers could be done, provided they were potted. It can be difficult though, to over-winter plants that were brought in from outside. Despite best efforts, insects tend to ride along, and they can multiply quickly in the absence of the predators which usually control their population. I've tried to over-winter plants brought in from outside several times, and always ended up with either aphids or spider mites... which forced me to destroy them (by putting them out in the cold) before those pests could spread to DW's extensive collection of house plants.

If I were to try over-wintering peppers brought in from outside, I would prune them back HEAVILY, and spray thoroughly several times with insecticidal soap. Even that can be ineffective, since the pests may be feeding on roots, and emerge later to infect the foliage.

Some hot peppers (particularly the less-common species C. baccatum & C. pubescens) can do very well as permanent house plants, and may even require indoor culture to fruit in the Northern latitudes... but I would never risk putting them outside.

 

[Phaedra]

@Zeedman and others on the 2023 pepper thread should see this.

Weak seed makes for slow starts. Peppers are ridiculously slow for me, good seed or not. If I had a plant that was important for me to save seed from and I questioned the viability of the seed harvested from that plant, it might make a world of sense to keep the plant through the Winter. And yet, I know that they need lots of light ... perhaps not, if they were thoroughly pruned.

Additionally, for me personally and others needing growing conditions that don't always occur, "perennializing" the plants may be a good idea just for production. In SE Asia, I know peppers live from year to year on their own.

Steve

My intention is to reduce some effort in growing everything from seeds. Chili is a necessary ingredient for us, but we just need a certain amount of harvest.

And yes, I pruned them hard, both the main stems (among 10-15cm for the three I kept) and the roots.

However, I still sowed one new variety as I am attracted by its ornamental character. The biggest seedling (among 4) looks so today, after one month.