In Montana - in March - you need to start tomatoes and peppers indoors, as there are still plenty of opportunities for freezing and other hazards to healthy garden growth. The best date to start, according to my father, is March 10th. By starting early and indoors, your seedlings will be grown and healthy enough to thrive when transplanted outside.

To start my tomatoes and peppers, I use this:



We have a pretty short growing season up here (generally considered to be 15 May to 15 September, but it usually runs a little longer), so these greenhouse things with the peat pods give a good head start.

Anyway, I started the peppers and tomatoes today...2 days late! I think we'll be okay, though.

I am not very good at getting peppers to start, grow or survive, so I planted 3 pods of each pepper, 3 seeds per pod. The seeds for all are a bit old (2011, I think), but we'll see how it goes. The Hungarian ones are from 2012, and have been vacuum-sealed since that time, so I am hopeful.

Here are the peppers:

3 pods "Peperone Piccante a Cuore" (from Emanuele Larosa Semente)
3 pods Spanish Cherry Peppers (from Burpee)
3 pods Hungarian “Paprika” peppers (from a friend who generously shared them with me)
3 pods Pequin peppers from Texas (also shared by a friend)

As for the tomatoes, my dad ran out of his Celebrity tomato seeds, which he considers to be the best canning and juicing tomato; however, he had just received a pack of a "new" variety called "Celebration," which is supposed to be an improved Celebrity. I decided to also give these a try, along with a couple of others that he had: the Granny Cantrell German and the Cor de Beouf. So, along with the seeds that I had of my own, my tomato line-up for 2016 is this:

2 pods Celebration (from Gurney)
2 pods Brandywine Pink (from Burpee)
2 pods San Marzano 2 (from Seeds from Italy)
2 pods Southern Nights (from TomatoFest)
2 pods Black Krim (from TomatoFest)
2 pods Purple Russian (from TomatoFest)
2 pods Mr. Hawkins (from TomatoFest)
2 pods Black Plum (from TomatoFest)
2 pods Black Cherry (from TomatoFest)
2 pods Super Sweet 100 (from Burpee)
1 pod Granny Cantrell German (from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)
1 pod Coeur de Boeuf (from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)
2 pods Early Girl (from Gurney)

I am much more confident in my abilities with the tomatoes, and all of those seeds are quite new, so I only started 2 pods of each (with 2 exceptions above), 3 seeds in each pod.

My dad started a few different tomatoes, including the last of his Celebrities, some Cherokee Purples, the Black Cherries that I also started, those new Celebrations, some kind of yellow plum tomatoes, Rutgers, Beefsteak and I am sure a couple of others I am forgetting. All-in-all, I think 12 or 15 plants. He also started some yellow and red sweet peppers, some of my Hungarian peppers and jalapeños.

I need to get a bunch of taller 24-ounce sourcream/yoghurt/cottage cheese containers...at least 36 of them...so that can eventually transplant these pods into them. They work perfectly as far as size goes, and are easy to tip the plant and dirt out of when putting the tomatoes and peppers in the ground. It would be better to also start in the larger dairy containers mentioned above (as my dad does), and then they could just be re-planted once; however, space limitations and cats make this impossible.

In about a month, it will be time to start the cucumbers, squashes, melons, pumpkins etc. Dad gave me a few different summer squashes to plant, and I have a bunch of different things from last year; also, there are a couple of varieties that I want to order specifically, so I'll see what I end up with. I am strongly considering tilling up a new section of the yard for the squashes, melons etc. - I have three lots, so I might as well put them to work.

Around May 15th, give or take, it will all go in the ground, along with the stuff planted directly into the ground such as corn, beans, root crops, lettuce (or spinach), carrots, maybe some radishes...maybe potatoes, probably onions and perhaps even eggplant and leeks. I'll flesh out the ideas as we get closer.

Very nice Tas, I am waiting 'til the big Mothers Day heirloom variety sales around here to get my gardens started.

A neighbor is getting in some compost-rich soil for their raised beds and offered to get an extra yard or two for me, which will be nice. I had to start my gardens really late last year so it is exciting not having to wait so long now.

&#%%&#^%#$-ing squirrels ate every single tomato from the five different vines I planted last summer. Never again!

Squirrels are tasty and air rifles are quiet, so what's the problem? I've heard the little rodents have high lead content in urban areas, but don't know it for a fact. And I'm old. So I don't care.

Yes I agree with your two points there, plus the tails are good for tying fishing lures and my dog has fun retrieving them, but there's just way too many to manage with an air rifle.

A little heat to the roots will help with the peppers. Peppers really don't like to be cold. A warm root zone will not hurt the tomatoes either. Something like this will help: http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofar...edling/dp/B0001WV010

I know nothing about this model, just linking as an example.

Tom

This thread motivated me to do some planting for the first time. Was at Costco picked up some jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, banana peppers and tomato plants. All well grown and some with vegetables growing on them.

Hopefully florida heat and my attentive watering helps.

Mike

Mike,

It is tempting to leave those fruit on the small plants. But, you might want to pull them off, at least a few plants, and let the plant put energy into getting bigger.

Either way, have fun!

Tom

Taz, you know that peppers are considered a perennial, right? I've over-wintered my Pequin's the last two years by bringing the pot inside and putting them by the patio door where they get afternoon sun.

Both times they still had active growing peppers and blooms on them, and I pollinated the blooms with a Q-tip.

You'll get a bit of die-off as the weather cools down but the plants grow large enough that they need cutting back anyway. Just in the last couple of weeks I've noticed a growth spurt and will put them outside around the 3rd week of May. By the second week of June I hit them with a fertilizer with a high 3rd number and that encourages fruit growth.

I have always advocated not to put out my tomatoes until after Easter;however the true test here in central Texas is to watch the pecan trees.When they start to bud out the last frost is done.Works 100% of the time.Got my 10 year old grandson a .22 BSA Martini single shot that I D+T ed + installed a little 4X. He is hell on squirrels.His other grandpa has MS + can't get about so I take him over there + while gramps sits on the porch the boy does his business. Gramps makes him clean them as well as they cook them up + eat them.Good sound instructions to a young man I believe.

WannabeBwana, I introduced pequin peppers up here after doing a job for an older gent several years ago. He just ripped the plant out of the ground + handed it to me.Seems he got his parent plants in the 30's while working on a WPA project. Ripped them up,put them in his backpack,worked out the day + planted them when he got home that night.A very hardy plant indeed.Mine have spread all over the property.I put them in clean tabasco bottles + fill w/ vinegar + it makes great Christmas presents.I have a friend that uses the same peppers over + over.When the vinegar runs out he just fills it again + lets it set a couple of weeks. He's been using the same peppers (so he says) since the mid 1950's.Mine are not that old but that theory does work.

Instead of hunting up the yogart containers, go to the grocery store and buy a couple of stacks of large plastic drinking cups. Heat a nail on the stove and run it through the bottoms of the cups. You can do several at a time.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
WannabeBwana, I introduced pequin peppers up here after doing a job for an older gent several years ago. He just ripped the plant out of the ground + handed it to me.Seems he got his parent plants in the 30's while working on a WPA project. Ripped them up,put them in his backpack,worked out the day + planted them when he got home that night.A very hardy plant indeed.Mine have spread all over the property.I put them in clean tabasco bottles + fill w/ vinegar + it makes great Christmas presents.I have a friend that uses the same peppers over + over.When the vinegar runs out he just fills it again + lets it set a couple of weeks. He's been using the same peppers (so he says) since the mid 1950's.Mine are not that old but that theory does work.

I do this with pequin peppers too and we love the vinegar sauce. They are really hardy little peppers.

Win-win for the boy and the .22.

I am waiting 'til Mothers day for planting. Plenty time for making raised beds until then.

Thank you.

In TX I have already got my garden in the ground and it is doing well. I planted:

Heirloom Tomatoes
Grape Tomatoes
Eggplant
Green/Red/Yellow Bell Peppers
Anaheim Peppers
Jalapeno Peppers
Yellow Squash
Zucchini Squash
Southern Bush Squash
Cucumbers
Green Beans
Purple Beans
Swiss Chard
Beets
Radishes
Carrots
Onions
Chives
Parsley
Oregano
Basil
Mint
Rosemary

And I have grapes and blueberries going nuts! Looking forward to the feedin' to come! The last ting I want to get is a couple of Loco Pepper plants but I haven't found any yet.

quote:

Originally posted by TWall:
Mike,

It is tempting to leave those fruit on the small plants. But, you might want to pull them off, at least a few plants, and let the plant put energy into getting bigger.

Either way, have fun!

Tom

Jalapeno peppers have done real well. Good harvest and I expect more thru the summer. It just starting to get Florida hot.

Banana peppers are good but they are too bland for me.

Tomatoes are good too.

Just bought a few more peppers - red chili, serrano peppers, tabasco peppers, habanero, golden cayenne.

But the biggest bonus is my mango tree is in full bloom.

Mike

Got tomatoes, peppers, onions, cilantro, strawberries, squash, and watermelons in the ground with more herbs than I know what to do with in pots... and the guard dog on duty.



The chicken wire is more for him- he doesn't differentiate between ferns and tomato plants if there's a critter to hunt out. My neighbors came through with the compost dirt and I hauled nine wheelbarrow fulls up into my yard to fill the 10x3 garden beds and pots. The plants are taking off nicely.

Got these blooming now too, it's a great time of year!

Evan, do you get good, sweet watermelons in Minnesota?
Randy, I had not heard of pequin peppers. Neat little dudes.
Tas, how is your garden coming along? My best tomato so far is Bloody Butcher.

I have no idea how well the watermelons will fruit or not, but we'll see. I planted a couple of varieties.