Monday, February 12, 2018

Cricket's Greenhouse Plant Sales









     


Cricket's Greenhouse



Charles will bring some plants to the flea market on hwy 78 outside Jasper on weekends and Wednesdays during  April and May.

 SPRING  2018  PLANT  SALES   LIST 
Opens March 1st  or  when ever you want to come by and check things out.

Wave Petunia baskets.  
Photos below the list


Cricket's Greenhouse
Cricket (Carolyn Phillips)
1841 Prospect Road
Nauvoo, AL 35578
205-471-5285 
From Hwy 5= Turn on Prospect Rd and its 2 miles on Left  ,  or   It's   1/2 mile past Lupton School on Left.  



Tomato Plants   ready  March-  thru -  mid  June.

 6 pack $3, 3 inch wide square pot $1,  6 inch pot $3, 1 gal pot $6, 2 gallon $7  4 gal pot $10

Atkinsons OP heirloom 6 pack only
Beefmaster Hybrid 6pack, 3 inch
Beefsteak OP heirloom  6pack, 3 inch
Better Boy Hybrid  6 pack , 3 inch square pot ,  6 inch pot , 1 gal pot ,  4 gal pot
Better Bush Hybrid  in 6 inch pot   and 2 gallon only
Big Beef Hybrid 6pack, 3 inch, 6 inch, 1 gal, 4 gal
Big Boy  Hybrid 6pack, 3 inch 6inch
Brandywine Heirloom 3 inch only
Celebrity Hybrid 6pack, 3inch, 6 inch 2 gallon
Cherokee Purple Heirloom 3inch only
Rutgers OP 6pack only
Sweet Million Cherry multiflora Hybrid =3inch  wide square pot only
Sunsugar cherry


 Pepper Plants
Sweet
Big Bertha Bell  large green/red Hybrid  =3 inch wide cup only
California Wonder Bell medium  green/red OP 6pk, 3inch
Golden Wonder Bell Pepper - yellow 6pk, 3 inch pot
Sweet Banana  yellow  OP , 6pack, 3 inch cup
Fooled You Jalapeno  sweet/mild  green/red Hybrid, 3 inch wide square cup only

Hot
Cayenne slim green/red OP  3 inch cup
Early Jalapeno  green/red  OP 6pk  and 3 inch cup
Muncho Nacho large Jalapeno 3inch wide cup only $1 each

HOT HOT
Extra Hot Pepper plants.....like the weather extra hot......will be ready May 10
Scorpion 3inch wide cup $3 each
Ghost pepper  3inch wide cup $3 each,  limited supply
Carolina Reaper---too hot to touch. 3 inch wide cup $3 each.. very limited. limited

Eggplant
Black Beauty

Summer Squash  6packs
Straightneck
Crookneck
Zucchini 
Butternut
Spaghetti
Patty pan
 
 Burpless Cucumbers 6packs

Pickling Cucumbers 6packs
Homemade pickles - good variety

Watermelons
- crimson sweet
- jubilee
- sugar baby

Cantaloupes
- hales best


Okra
-clemson spineless




Bedding-flowers

Marigolds French 6packs and 6inch wide pot

Sunflowers

Zinnias dwarf 6inch pots  REady Mid of April  through Mothers Day.

Vinca

Petunias

Impatients



Wave Petunia Baskets 10 inch  $10 each..... Ready April.....largest batch selection will be ready May $11
for Mothers Day Week 

        
WAVE   petunia colors= 
blue/purple
silver and red mixed
silver and pink mixed
silver and plum mixed
Plum
Red and White
Red 
Pink
pink and purple mixed
yellow and pink mixed
Yellow and purple mixed
white and pink mixed





Prices=

6 packs $3
3inch cup/pot $1
6" pot $3 = tomatoes, peppers, geranium, double petunias.
1 gallon $6= tomato, peppers, hollyhock, geraniums
4 gallon $10 = tomatoes
4 gallon wave petunias May 1st $20 
10"  Waving Petunia Hanging Baskets $11
10" Maximus Giant Strawberry Hanging Baskets $10
10" other hanging baskets $8 = impatiens, begonias, vinca. $8
10" hanging basket Waving Vinca $11
12 inch bowl/pot $12
18" deep wave hanging basket $50 (very large and very heavy) requires truck to haul. 





                                       Wave Petunia  10 inch  Hanging Baskets $11   ready April
                                          Sells out  around  Mothers Day thru June 1st.






Easy Wave Petunia Raspberry Ice













 wave petunias growing in barrel planter.




year 2015  photo = 18 inch / 5 gallon hanging basket 4 ft spread  $50




year 2015  12 inch hanging basket  $40 3ft spread


Example  color for this spring
Easy Wave 
African Sunset


Easy Wave Yellow

Zinnia  Queen Lime 



Zinnia Purple Prince
 

Zinnia Raspberry Ripple

Zinnia Sahara Starlight Rose


Angelwing Begonias








Giant Cockscomb


Four Oclocks

Balsam  touch-me-nots


Hollyhock Carnival Double  Blush Pink


Purple Cauliflower


Burpless Cucumber


Premium Crop Broccoli......almost ready


                                    Giant Strawberry Hanging Baskets  =   Maximus  $8  Ready mid April-May



                                  Illdi  yellow cherry tomato,  multifloral,  sold in 3 inch cups $ 1  each , Limited


Sun Sugar cherry tomatoes




Sweet Million Cherry tomato










                        
                          Sweet Million Hybrid Red Cherry, mutifloral,  plants sold in 3" cups $ 1 each,



Sweet Million cherry growing i n a 50 gallon barrel. 
Awesome cherry tomato.
#1 seller

Some clusters on the Sweet Million cherry spread up to 2 ft wide.  
So Fun
 

                       Big Zac tomato growing in 5 gal bucket




Big Beef Tomato growing in 25 gallon pots





                                         Brandywine  tomato=  , potato leaf ,  plants sold in 3" cups  $1  each
                                      thin skin, easy to crack when over watered. best to harvest just as they
                                      start to ripen.   Great flavor, small seeds, lots of meat.  Some fruits large,
                                           some fruits small.  Can grow  3 to 4 pounds


Big Beef Tomatoes

 Big Beef




Friday, January 9, 2015

Cauliflower

Spring Cauliflower should be transplanted into the garden about 3 weeks before your expected last spring frost and for 3 to 4 weeks after that to have a staggered harvest later. Plants should be at least 5 to 7 weeks old when set out
Cauliflowers are grown for their central white heads (curds) and can be grown all year round as long as the correct variety for the time of year is chosen.
Try to prepare your soil at least 2 months before planting. I like to add Bonemeal or anything high in phosphorus. Phosphorus is good for flowering , fruit production, and root system. After all, Cauliflower is a giant bloom. You can also add other amendments according to your soil test a few months before planting or at least 2 weeks before planting. Loosen the soil and amend with chopped leaves or compost about 8 to 12 inches deep.
The soils pH should be neutral or slightly alkaline.(6.5) Lime if necessary.
Transplant into garden about 12 to 16 inches apart. Same for growing by the Square Foot. 12 inch x 12 inch Or 16 inch x 16 inch.
Cauliflowers are a cool weather crop. Hot temperatures can reduce head development. In summer you can cover the head with the plants leaves.

Apply a fertilizer just after planting out. Organic or chemical. I like to use homemade manure compost and bury it a little around each plant.
Growing cauliflower requires regular continuous growing conditions. Steady even water supply. Any stress to the plant will result in a reduction in head growth which is often known as 'Buttoning'
Start to harvest Cauliflowers when they reach the size the variety says they should be or harvest a little sooner to stagger harvesting. Harvest before the head starts to separate. If the head starts to separate , it is about to bloom . Best to harvest before it starts to bloom but still edible even as it starts to form its bloom buds. It starts to turn a little purplish when it starts to form bloom buds.
To harvest Cauliflower, cut the stalk with a sharp knife under the head.
Harvest the cauliflowers in the early morning


 Cauliflower has anti-inflammatory properties. This versatile white vegetable is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, as well as Vitamin K, which gives it its ability to assist in preventing the chronic inflammation in the joints, that is the prime cause of arthritis.
Health benefits of cauliflower include healthy digestion. A typical serving of cauliflower provides over 3g of dietary fiber, which is essential to maintain a healthy digestive system. The vegetable also contains glucoraphanin, which is believed to help protect your stomach lining from bacteria.
Cauliflower is high in antioxidants. Cauliflower contains beta-carotene and phytonutrients, antioxidants that, with regular consumption, will reduce the risk from free radicals and help protect against cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

25 Gallon Pots with single vine tomato plants

25 Gallon pots with  single vine tomato plants.

I normally grow two single vine tomato plants in a 5 gallon pot or grow bag  in  the greenhouse  and they are set in a permanent   place and trellised .  I pruned them to single vines because it allows more air circulation, earlier tomatoes, and the fruits are about the same size all the way up the vine.
Last year,  I grew one plant in 25 gallon pots in the greenhouse and only pruned  a little  with cages  so I could hand truck the pots out of the greenhouse  when it got warmer outside and I needed the space for other young plants.  It took much longer to get that first ripe tomato because there was many more vines on the one plant instead of a single vine plant.
This year  I wanted to grow  6 to 8  single vine tomato plants in the 25 gallon pots ,  using 20 gallons of soil and I wanted to experiment with  using only organic method with Non-GMO amendments.  I also knew I would need to move those plants out when it gets too warm in the greenhouse.  Each pot has a reinforcement wire cage but the cages are only 5 ft tall minus a 6" portion that is in the soil.   I  will need to add another cage on top of the existing cages   if the plants are still healthy  and growing over 5ft. 

The soil in the 25 gallon pots is used soil from a fall crop that was grown in 4 gallon pots and some soil was already in the pot that was used for growing  cole crops and  previous to that was tomato plants. Since tomatoes have been grown in the soil before that had a few fungus problems,  it may  cause issues in this crop.
The soil mixture is 1/2 peat  or ProMix BX and 1/2 commercial compost from Marvin's Building supply.
I added to the soil :
1 cup of Azomite
1 cup of dolomite lime
1 cup of gypsum
1 cup of bonemeal
1/2 cup of OMRI   organic slow release 9-3-4  = kelp, feathermeal, and other.  = about 1 tbs per plant.
I also added a small handfull of earth  worms that included both adult and baby worms.

The seeds were sown Dec 28th, 2013
transplanted seedlings around Jan 20th
and transplanted to 25 gallon pots about Feb 15-20th.


                           As of March 9th

The plants are growing like crazy and most are already loaded with blooms.
Big Beef Hybrid
Big Beef Open Pollinated
Brandywine
Cherokee Purple
1884
Caspian Pink
Steakhouse Hybrid(burpee)
Beefsteak
Beefmaster Hybrid
Omar's Labanese
Indigo Rose
Artisan Purple Bumble Bee
Rose Quartz   multifloral cherry
Pineapple

The Big Beef Open Pollinated  has a mixture of extra large megablooms(more than one bloom fused together) similar to beefsteak  but these are more massive than I have seen on beefsteak.
The Big Beef Hybrid is a cross of Big Boy and Beefsteak and produces medium to large fruits with smooth red shoulders and good tomato taste.. Almost the perfect tomato.

A bloom on the Big Beef OP.(picture of just before it opened)    I tried to count the fused blossoms.  At first I thought it was two double blossoms fused together making  a total of 4 blossoms,  but after the flower  petals fell off,  It looked like a total of 5 blossoms===one blossom having 3 and the other having 2  that were all fused together, making it a total of 5 blooms fused together.  I don't know how else to explain it.  I will take a picture soon.


The same blossom after the petals fell off......Looks like three fused blossoms on the left and two fused blossoms on the right=  5 fused blossoms.








There are many  megablooms that have already flowered and pollinated and now have several small giants growing on Big Beef OP, Brandywine, Big Zac, and the Cherokee Purple.

                                   Plants as of March 19th 
                                     one with fruits up front  is a Cherokee Purple.