What’s growing - 2025 Garden Thread

[ISUCyclones2015]

What are you growing this year?

I just got done pruning my seedlings after some prolific germination this year. I usually do a few seeds per pod to help germination rates but I had multiple pop through in nearly every pod.

My seed planting this year:

Peppers
Biquinho
Hungarian Hot Wax
Zapotec Jalapeño
Chocolate Beauty
Mini Bell
Piri Piri
Moruga Trinidad Scorpion
Carolina Reaper
NuMex 6-4 Hatch
Sandia Hatch

Tomatoes
Wooly Kate Yellow
Rio Grande Valley Tomatillo
Queen of the Night
Peron
Blush Tiger
Chadwick Cherry

Fruits
Alexandria (Alpine) Strawberry
Schwartzenbeeren Blackberries(aka Huckleberries)

After trimming:



I have some quite leggy tomatoes at the bottom which concerns me a little but I’ll go the burying the stem route when I repot to the next container and likely again when I move them to the final container.

Also as you can see, only 3 pods didn’t germinate out of 72. All the same plant, the Carolina Reaper, which were free seeds from the pepper seed haul AND they’re known for taking up to 45 days to germinate so having one healthy looking guy after less than 2 weeks is pretty decent in my book. Maybe the rest will come through.

I absolutely do not have the space for all these to go to full maturity since I am balcony gardening in downtown Chicago. The plan was gonna be 5ish of the best looking plants as more of a testing season. But I might try for 10 now, don’t think I can fit 1 of each type (18) out there but maybe we’ll create an urban jungle.

What have you got this year CF?

 

[cycloner29]

I just got my very first 40 cell seed starter. I’m all about San Marzano and an heirloom Roma tomatoes. I’ll do basil later on as I plan to can a bunch of marinara sauce. I will put a couple cucumber plants, a trellis of sugar snap peas, some carrots, radishes, and bell peppers.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

Got about 20 plants from seedlings and transplanted to cup #2.

I royally ****** up once and got unlucky once for a two handed punch in the last couple weeks.

1.) I never plugged in my temp sensor for my heating mat and when it was warm last week it meant my soil was 15° warmer or 90°+! Not great for seedlings… Killed a few that way.

2.) Aphids. At the two week mark and I’m still battling them. I spray them with neem oil and just pray. If the plants were bigger it wouldn’t be so bad but this is the worst possible stage to do that.

So they’re not looking as good as they should a month in but they’re there. No Tomatillos, Peron, or Blush Tiger. Will probably go to the Chicago Tomato Man pop up and see if they have tomatillos and maybe a Peron. Blush Tiger is whatever as long as one of the Chadwick Cherry ones go well.

Will go into final containers probably the weekend of Mothers Day. I would do the first weekend normally but got a bachelors party and another week will probably help.

Also got the fan on them



Enjoying the view of the Sears Tower

 

[CYdTracked]

I don't have the time and patience to start some things from seed. Maybe when I am retired but right now with 2 active kids and other things just don't have the desire to start my own. I'll buy my pepper and tomato plants already started and everything else I grow like lettuce, onion, squash, and green beans do just fine planting from seed in the garden once threat of frost has passed that I can plant them.

 

[Nader_uggghhh]

Got about 20 plants from seedlings and transplanted to cup #2.

I royally ****** up once and got unlucky once for a two handed punch in the last couple weeks.

1.) I never plugged in my temp sensor for my heating mat and when it was warm last week it meant my soil was 15° warmer or 90°+! Not great for seedlings… Killed a few that way.

2.) Aphids. At the two week mark and I’m still battling them. I spray them with neem oil and just pray. If the plants were bigger it wouldn’t be so bad but this is the worst possible stage to do that.

So they’re not looking as good as they should a month in but they’re there. No Tomatillos, Peron, or Blush Tiger. Will probably go to the Chicago Tomato Man pop up and see if they have tomatillos and maybe a Peron. Blush Tiger is whatever as long as one of the Chadwick Cherry ones go well.

Will go into final containers probably the weekend of Mothers Day. I would do the first weekend normally but got a bachelors party and another week will probably help.

Also got the fan on them

View attachment 146472 View attachment 146473

Enjoying the view of the Sears Tower

View attachment 146474

I've had good luck with bonide systemic granules / bonide horticultural spray. The owner of a plant store told me she switched away from Neem because more plants were sensitive to it. I also rounded up like 200 ladybugs and put them in my grow tent while it was warm this weekend lol

 

[BCClone]

Got about 20 plants from seedlings and transplanted to cup #2.

I royally ****** up once and got unlucky once for a two handed punch in the last couple weeks.

1.) I never plugged in my temp sensor for my heating mat and when it was warm last week it meant my soil was 15° warmer or 90°+! Not great for seedlings… Killed a few that way.

2.) Aphids. At the two week mark and I’m still battling them. I spray them with neem oil and just pray. If the plants were bigger it wouldn’t be so bad but this is the worst possible stage to do that.

So they’re not looking as good as they should a month in but they’re there. No Tomatillos, Peron, or Blush Tiger. Will probably go to the Chicago Tomato Man pop up and see if they have tomatillos and maybe a Peron. Blush Tiger is whatever as long as one of the Chadwick Cherry ones go well.

Will go into final containers probably the weekend of Mothers Day. I would do the first weekend normally but got a bachelors party and another week will probably help.

Also got the fan on them

View attachment 146472 View attachment 146473

Enjoying the view of the Sears Tower

View attachment 146474

First looks like you’re growing some cockelburs.

 

[cowgirl836]

Winter sowed jug #88 today which is actually #94. Expanding our garden this year. Most of those jugs are flowers though. Trying a couple tomatoes from seed.

 

[NWICY]

Sweetcorn, tomatoes, and strawberries in a hanging basket. Oh and probably some cucumbers and green beans.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Sweetcorn, tomatoes, and strawberries in a hanging basket. Oh and probably some cucumbers and green beans.

I gotta ask: how does sweet corn in a hanging basket work?

 

[NWICY]

I gotta ask: how does sweet corn in a hanging basket work?

Did I improperly punctuate?
I thought and Strawberries in a basket was pretty clear.
But Sweetcorn in a basket would be pretty cool.

 

[RagingCloner]

Gardening newbie here. Started peppers and Tomatoes on the kitchen counter. At what point do i or can i transplant into our garden? Or do i need to put them in a bigger pot first? All seedlings currently

 

[JEFF420]

Gardening newbie here. Started peppers and Tomatoes on the kitchen counter. At what point do i or can i transplant into our garden? Or do i need to put them in a bigger pot first? All seedlings currently

4-6 weeks

 

[RagingCloner]

4-6 weeks

For bigger pots, or just plant them outside at that point?

 

[Nader_uggghhh]

Gardening newbie here. Started peppers and Tomatoes on the kitchen counter. At what point do i or can i transplant into our garden? Or do i need to put them in a bigger pot first? All seedlings currently

Chances of frost look pretty low at this point, but I've always done it around Mothers Day. I'm using containers this year- went from 2" seed tray to 32oz yogurt containers, and I'll go to 7 gallon fabric pots next.

 

[JEFF420]

For bigger pots, or just plant them outside at that point?

yes, my plants are all in 128 trays... about 6 weeks

 

[ackatch]

Not directly related to this, but close enough.

What are people using (if anything) to track what plants they have around their lawn? I want to find an app or something where I can take a picture of a plant, save it, label/indicate where it is and track it over time.

 

[RagingCloner]

Not directly related to this, but close enough.

What are people using (if anything) to track what plants they have around their lawn? I want to find an app or something where I can take a picture of a plant, save it, label/indicate where it is and track it over time.

Truthfully, I have been using ChatGPT for a lot of my gardening things. I understand its not super accurate, but it does allow me to save the pictures.

I do pay for ChatGPT, however as i also use it for work!

 

[JEFF420]

a couple peppers

 

[DSMCy]

Truthfully, I have been using ChatGPT for a lot of my gardening things. I understand its not super accurate, but it does allow me to save the pictures.

I do pay for ChatGPT, however as i also use it for work!

I do the same for weeds and trees around my property. I keep a chatgpt thread for just that, and then I can go back and look at the pictures. Chatgpt has been really accurate.

I don't pay though, so I can only upload 4 pictures a day.

 

[RagingCloner]

View attachment 150241

a couple peppers

Are you planting all these?