Peppers are finally turning RED: Vegetable Garden Update

Hey guys! I just wanted to give everyone an update on how my vegetable garden is doing as summer comes to an end. I think we have only a few more weeks of good weather, so hopefully I'll still be able to harvest a good amount before the cold settles in.

I'm sad to say that the tomato garden is no more. Tomato plants are pretty sensitive to cold weather and they MUST have sunlight in order to survive, so I guess the few days we've already had of rain and cloud did away with the heirloom, cherry, and grape tomato plants. Here is a picture of my last summer tomato harvest.

Tomato harvest

I had an excellent haul of tomatoes this year, and I definitely want to expand next year's crops and grow  roma varieties too. Luckily my tomatoes did not contract any diseases, although a few of my tomatoes cracked a bit.

My peppers, on the other hand are still going strong! My habanero pepper plants are still doing well and some peppers are even starting to turn red-orange. I picked a few when they were still green, and they were already spicy, but I'm thinking leaving the peppers on the vine.

Habanero Pepper

My bell peppers are also doing well, a few of them are starting to turn red as well. Bell peppers are still coming up in  a few plants, so I hope the weather stays warm enough to allow them to grow.

Bell pepper

Gardening is a great experience and I am glad to share my stories with you. Leave your comments below!

Grow Fall Vegetables in your Garden!

Fall is getting closer, but that does not mean gardening season is over. Believe it or not, there are many vegetables and herbs that can be grown in the fall and thrive in cooler climate. Dark green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and collards to name a few. Root vegetables such as beets, radishes, and turnips are also popular crops to grow in the fall. Some vegetables, such as collards, actually taste better and are more nutritious after the first frost.

Fall gardening can be a great nature lesson for schoolchildren, and make for great salads, soups, and other meals during the holiday season. Some fall plants can even be grown in containers, which saves you space and time. Now is the time to consider fall gardening. I hope you try it!

To find out the best vegetables to grow during the fall, check out the article- Top Ten Vegetables to Grow in the Fall                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Tomato Cracks and How to Avoid Them- Garden Tips

Cracked tomato from my garden harvest

My heirloom tomatoes are ripening beautifully, but when I checked in my garden for more tomatoes yesterday, I found that one of my tomatoes had cracked on the side. I wasn't too worried because the tomato is still good and can be used for cooking if I cut out the bad part , but I still have to check for any insects, worms, or bacteria that may have entered through the crack.

There are two types of cracks seen in tomatoes. The crack I have in my tomato is called a radial crack, which is when the crack extends from the stem from the blossom end. The other type is called a concentric crack which is a crack that the goes in circular patterns across the tomato.

Cracking usually occurs while the tomato is ripening and reaching maturity. There are some tomato varieties that are more susceptible to cracking than others and those tomatoes usually crack when they are green. 

Cracking occurs when the tomato skin does not stretch well during growth under certain conditions. There are numerous reasons why tomatoes crack including:

1. Large variations in temperatures throughout the day which can cause the epidermis of the tomato to expand and contract quickly, resulting in cracking
2. High heat and humidity
3. Irregular plant watering which causes uneven tomato growth and cracking
4. Tomatoes left on the vine too long

To avoid cracking, you can choose to grow tomato varieties that are less susceptible to cracking such as Rutgers, Juliet, Sungold, and Mountain Fresh. You can also try harvesting more regularly to not let the tomatoes stay too long on the vine, and make sure the soil is evenly moist so growth is more even. Taking care to prune tomato leaves carefully and not remove too many leaves will also prevent tomato cracking. 

Because the weather in New York has been a bit crazy,  (tornadoes in Queens?!!) maybe thats why the crack developed. Hopefully no more tomatoes in my garden will crack!

For my site, check out atomatogrowsinqueens.com

Anyone's Garden Still Going Strong?

Growing Tomatoes in the Garden

Sadly, summer is coming to an end, but my garden is just starting to come alive with red tomatoes, bell peppers, and spicy habaneros. Its exciting to see all my hard work pay off; everytime I step out to check on my garden, there's always something that's ready to be picked to make lunch. The cherry, grape and heirloom tomatoes are all looking great, I can harvest about five tomatoes every couple of days. The habanero peppers, are also doing well and maturing, but they have'nt turned into the red-orange color, so I am trying to exercise a little patience and wait until they are red until I pick them, but its really hard!

The green habaneros are still pretty hot; I used one just yesterday to make spicy beef quesidillas. Habanero plants are perrenials, which means that as long as the weather is hot and sunny, the plants will still produce peppers. But because the weather is getting colder, I'm afraid the frost will come to soon and kill the plants off before the habaneros are able to mature fully. Last year at this time, most of my habanero plants were turning red already and I was harvesting them by the handful, but for some reason the habanero plants are just now getting started. I'm still happy, though, that my garden is thriving now, and hopefully this cold air will recede a little for a few weeks to allow my plants to continue growing.

Gardening can be something of a crapshoot; you may plan for the best, but if the weather takes an unexpected turn for the worse, or there is  a sudden increase of pests you didn't foresee, your garden is toast. So instead of feeling worried, I'll say that I am grateful that my garden is still going strong :)

Is Organic Food More Nutritious?

Sample of organically grown tomatoes and pepper from the garden

Last week, several major news media, including USA Today, reported that  researchers, including Stanford doctor Crystal Smith-Spangler, have determined that organic foods do not contain more vitamins and minerals than conventionally grown foods. Researchers did find that organic foods are 30% less likely to have pesticide residue than conventionally grown food. The researches looked at 240 studies from 1966 to 2011 concerning the nutrition value and pesticide level of organic foods, and found that organic foods do not have a significant health advantage. The reason the researchers conducted this study was to be able to advise their patients on whether they should buy organic food, which is often 25% more expensive than other foods.   I found this article interesting because it is often just assumed without any scientific data that organic is healthier, and to be honest, I still stand by that. 

Pesticides are used to kill organisms. WE are living organisms. We may not have complete scientific data on the effect of small traces of pesticides on our health, but I would rather be safe on the safe side and avoid excess chemicals. It may seem our world revolves around science, but common sense is important to survival, too, and its common sense to not want pesticide residue on your food.

Organic foods is not only better for your health, but also better for the environment. Organic farming processes are more eco-friendly and help preserve the soil, water, and air quality than conventional farming practices. Organic meats are safer than other meats, because they are less likely to have residual growth hormones or antibiotics,which can disrupt normal human metabolic processes. And organic just taste better (in my opinion!). Organic foods is a better and safer choice; go ORGANIC!



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I Think This is Ready to be Picked!

Sadly, summer is coming to an end, but this is also the time when my tomato and pepper plants are ripening and ready to be picked. This particular bell pepper plant eventually turns red, but it was already grazing on the ground and it was so big, so I decided to pick it!

I didn't think harvesting bell peppers would be difficult, but my mom kept peering over my shoulder and making sure I didn't ruin the vegetable; it seemed as if I was performing surgery! 

Usually I use bell pepper to make stew or soup, but I decided to make stuffed bell pepper with beef instead. I've been trying to watch my diet, and it is really hard to cut down on carbs, because it is so prevalent, and super-filling. The stuffed peppers is low on carbs, tastes great, and fills me up. 

Check out my site: http://www.atomatogrowsinqueens.com/urban-organic-gardening-blog.html

If you know any other bell pepper recipes, leave it in the comments below.