This is a young Roma VF. The VF means that it's supposed to be tolerant to verticillium and fusarium wilts. So I guess it isn't one of those.
The news came out today that LSU has confirmed outbreaks of late blight in 4 southern LA parishes. That's the really bad one that spreads by the wind.
I apologize for being such a wimpy whiner. So please just accept that I'm overly passionate about my maters and I was scared of how bad it was going to get. I feel like the boy that cried wolf.
I accidentally gave away all but one of these plants. It's Bloody Butcher and I stumbled upon the first ripe one of the season this morning. It was planted 03/04 and that makes 61 days. It has an impressive amount of fruit set on. They're supposed to be about 4 oz.
Don it looks like you solved your slug problem. I got to eat one today too. It's so nice to find those little treats.
I went to pull an onion this morning and decided to pull all of the Short Day Sampler that I ordered from Dixondale. The tops were in such bad shape that I figured I better get them while the getting was good. The ones I started from seed are bigger and the tops still look fine.
I ate yellow squash again today. The plants are absolutely loaded down but the fruit don't get more than 4" long and are hollow in the middle. I think they aren't getting pollinated. The cukes have been blooming for several days and I don't think they're getting pollinated either. I haven't used any pesticides last year or this year and I'm just completely disgusted over not having any bees. I saw a few back when it was still chilly and had high hopes but haven't seen any in quite awhile. I'm going to try pollinating myself tomorrow.
Msrobin I hope you're feeling frisky this morning so you can attack all your chores.
I have a whole passel of cherry maters about ready to pick....... AND I am seeing first blush on my Early Girls. Woo - Hoo, won't be long now.
Oops. I forgot to add, I got little peppers too. Man! Things are happening so fast, I can't keep up.
Don you're doing great. My peppers are just setting on buds but nowhere close to opening. They all survived the aphids and I'm still eating peppers out of the freezer.
I got about 5 ripe cherry tomatoes but I really planted them for the little boy next door. I told his mama to let him pick all he wants. It's only 2 plants and they're early determinates.
My big news is that no new wilt problems have shown up and some of those plants look recovered. The real sick looking ones are going to be put out of their misery today.
The squash I hand pollinated will be for supper tonight. They grew fine while the others are still sitting there withering. I can eat the babies too but only the neck part because the rest is hollow.
Saturday night I had 2 Bloody Butchers in a salad and it was wonderful. Don I know you'll savor that Early Girl. That was the first fresh tomato I've had since early July last year. Yesterday I found 2 more blushing. I highly recommend ya'll let me send you some seeds of this for next year. I've got the other super early ones loaded out with nothing turning yet. I've begun to talk dirty to them.
My sweet potato slips are growing and the space for the bed is turning brown. I'm going to try some in pots too and try to get them to climb on bamboo sticks.
Yolie what's going on in your garden?
Twiggy - My name's Don. I'll take anything yo want to give me. LOL
My Yellow Cherries are turning like crazy.
Just hold on until I get some seeds saved. Everything that gets ripe in the next couple weeks is probably going down the hatch. I usually eat so many I get sick of them and then they can go in the pot. I'm still craving a BLT so bad. Those Sungolds look real appetizing. Last year I liked sitting by the bush eating them while I scanned the pepper plants for some ripe ones.
This afternoon the little boy went right to "his" plants and started picking and eating some that were only turning. I told him it was better to wait til they were red but he never slowed down. His mom seemed to think it was ok so as long as he ate them I guess it's alright. He'll really let loose on my blue berries in a few weeks.
Twiggy, that is sure nice of you to plant a couple for the little neighbor boy. Bet he is tickled.
I've got blossoms on at least 1 plant of 10 or so different varieties and a few tomatoes coming on. Can't wait for the first ripe tomato!
Msrobin I think that's pretty much a miracle considering you've been under threat of frost very recently. I sure hope the weather is kind to you.
Are you on track with the CSA starting date?
Oh, I forgot to mention the 10 cherry tomato plants in buckets that have several almost full size fruits and lots of blossoms!
Twiggy, it's going to be close. I had planned on starting deliveries next week, but may have to put it off till the following week.
Oh Twiggy,
I'm so happy with our gardens this year! We have a fairly large area to plant in, about an acre with veggie beds intermingled with flower and herb beds. We have eight 8'x4' beds used for square foot gardening methods. Then there are my two "Twiggy Beds." Wow! The two beds with water look like mini jungles out there and make the rest of the yard look really sick.
I'm getting ready to pick our third harvest of yellow squash with the zukes competing for attention. None of the tomatoes are turning yet and it turns out most of my plants are cherry and patio. The squirrels ate, yes acturally ate, several of our Black Krim plants. They chewed the entire plants down. We do have about a dozen Brandywines, Romas and Beefsteaks that are loaded with blooms and fruit. Best looking tomato plants I've ever tended.
Eggplants haven't bloomed yet but it's still early and the okra will be ready to cut in a few days. Both our hot and sweet peppers, over a hundred plants, are looking good with the best looking ones sitting in that water. I ended up putting my bunching onions over in a big old junked wheelbarrow and learned my garlic really didn't seem to like so much water. I think I'll keep my sweet potatoes in big tubs and barrels this year with screening over the top to keep squirrels away from the tubers.
I do believe your method is the only method we'll ever use for growing winter squash. We have my old heirloom cushaws planted in five and seven gallon containers, they are running and blooming like crazy. We've been laying scrap plastic down and covering it with a thick layer of leaves for the vines to run on. They're actually putting roots out in the leaves and I've cut back my big azaleas on that side of the yard to give them plenty of roaming room.
All in all, I'm impressed and totally grateful to you for starting this idea. I have frogs living among the pots, dragonflies perch on stakes around the plants and I love watching the birds checking for insects. Toads have burrowed in around the edges of the beds and made themselves at home. It's a wonderful mini world out there and we're doing all we can to keep the bumble bees and honey bees visiting.
My neighbors still think I'm crazy because "no one" would plant tomatoes and eggplants in a flower bed. Ha! And certainly "Nobody" can grow vegetables standing in water, and yada yada yada and by the way , they sure would like some maters when they ripen. (they know we'll share the bounty.)
Visitors still do doubletakes when they first spot the Twiggy beds but often return to check the progress while the joggers and dog walkers slow down to peer thru the shrubbery to see what's new. Master gardeners I've talked to are eagerly waiting to see the final harvest results, seems Jax has never seen such a wild way of gardening.
I'm having a ball and envision changing the square foot beds into eight more Twiggy beds next year.
Thank You. Thank you.
Yolie
This message was edited May 11, 2010 10:12 AM
Ha ha. "Nobody can grow vegetables in standing water." l guess we're all just a bunch of nuts. Yolie I'm so glad you're having some good results. It sure puts a lot of fun back into gardening to see your efforts count. You better watch out, you'll be the talk of the town.
Brandywine tomatoes set off the rage for heirlooms nationwide. I've never grown them because a lot of Southerners say they don't care for our climate. So I'd like to hear your views on that after you have a chance to compare them with your others. I surely hope you can get some control of the squirrels. That was just rotten to destroy all the Black Krims.
Somebody in your house is a serious pepperhead. I thought I had a lot. I have a lot of hot ones for my son and I told him he'd have to pick them. I like bells and those wedge shaped sweet ones. If you have any bells that do exceptionally well, I'd also like to hear about that. I'll always enjoy trying new things but I really want to collect some dependable tried and true vegs that I can plant every year.
Msrobin I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you to meet your schedule. My nerves just couldn't take it. I think your members would be tickled to death with some cherry maters and the promise of things to come.
Tonight I will have some more homegrown salad and yellow squash. I'm still having to do the hand pollination and fixing to start with the cukes too. They've been blooming for well more than a week and nothing growing yet. In the past few days, I saw only 1 butterfly and 1 bumble bee. That's pitiful. Another bad sign is that usually I have several geckos and tree frogs on my glass door at night dining on small bugs attracted by the light. They've been few and far between. I did see more lady bugs this year than ever before. It's just a mystery.
Lots of ladybugs, frogs and butterflies here. Now I wish for a little of the rain that we were/are suppose to get this week.
Not too stressed about the start of deliveries, because we will run 20 weeks regardless of when we start. Not worried about having asparagus available the first few weeks. These strawberries worry me, because they will be done in a couple of weeks. But I'm going to order some everbearers today and they will be ready in 5-6 weeks after planting.
Water bed gardening ain't worth nuthin. This is all I got today:
Isn't that enough for a day or two? How many cherry tomato plants do you have?
LOL MSROBIN, that was purely tongue-in-cheek. I love, love, love water bed gardening! I'll never be without several beds again and already have several converts around here.
Glad you clarified that! LOL!
Don you must have been holding out on us. How did you get those peppers so quick? Did you winter over some plants from last year? All I have is buds. I WILL start earlier next year and pray for a mild winter. That picture makes me think about salsa, with some sweet onion...yum.
I think you and yolie are doing a lot of good in showing people this easy way to grow stuff. You're helping your friends and neighbors and having your own reward. Hard to beat. I just had a dmail from someone wanting to try buckets in a kiddie pool. I told her to come on over here and join us.
Msrobin it sounds like you will be sure to look out for your members. My crystal ball says they'll tell their friends and you'll sign up a bunch more for the next round.
I've got 3 more lettuces which are going fast now that the tomatoes are coming in. Have any of you ever had success with lettuce in the summer? My shade cloth came in today and I'm going to try it.
Twiggy,
Here's what greets everyone entering my driveway. I crack up when people first start checking it out. You can see where I really chopped back the old azaleas to give the cushaws running space. Well I didn't do much hacking, a friend from MD was visiting and did most of the hard work. Heck, eveybody knows I'm a cushaw nut and I'll let them have the whole front yard if they want it. I'm picking squash, cutting collards and drying dill and basil from this area. Somewhere in this jungle is an orchid tree, several marigolds and even some sunflowers.
The tomatoes are loving the water! The squirrels have left me a total of 4 Black Krim out of 20 and they have good sized fruit now.
The Brandywines are blooming, they've done fairly decent in pots for me in the past. I'll let you know how the water affects them. The Beefsteaks and Patios are loaded and it looks like I'll soon be drying cherry tomatoes around the clock. I messed up with my seeds and now have 56 cherry tomato plants.
My peppers are planted everywhere; some are in the back Twiggy bed, some are in the square foot garden beds. I have some in pots and buckets and lots are planted in my flower beds. When hubby discovered half a dozen extra cayenne seedlings in 4" pots, he stuck them in a cactus bed out front where they seem to be right at home.
Yep, I'm married to a major pepper head from TX and he want's his peppers every meal. I can peppers, freeze peppers, dry peppers. I make my own Tabasco sauce, flavored vinegars and chili powders, make a version of pepper oil that will fry your tongue and honestly by August I'm fairly sick of hot peppers. I have the standard jalapenos, the old fashioned long twisty cayennes, tabascos (two are 10' tall trees in pots that are about 15 years old and have traveled from TX to FL and I have pics of DH standing on a ladder picking peppers to prove their size) I grow the teensy weensy bird's eye and the hot hungarian wax, pimento, poblanos, and a couple of wee little ones I don't even know the name of. This year I'm trying the Holy Mole. My sweet peppers are the sweet bananas and I've had really good luck with the Big Bertha and California Wonders bell peppers. I could never have too many bell peppers! AND if I should be so lucky, they can be shared with neighbors and friends as well as our local food pantries and soup kitchens.
I have friends who have no place to raise a garden and like you, I enjoy sharing. I also have several blueberry bushes and citrus trees that I gladly share the bounty from. Grandmother taught me to always leave enough food for the critters and birds which I do and still get plenty for my own use. My only peeve about sharing is the large number of healthy well-bodied folks who could garden and won't; then expect me to grow, harvest and deliver veggies and fruits to them.
I see lots more veggies and a dozen more Twiggy beds in my future. Oh yeah, now you're being copied in MD and VA.
Twiggy beds rule!
Yolie
Yolie I'd have to walk over and look too. You've got it packed and with such an assortment that it just begs attention. I bet that is as intensive as your square foot beds. That wood strip dresses it up nice. Waterbeds in MD and VA pleases me. I think anyone that sees it in practice is sure to be impressed.
I think you've got more cherry toms and peppers than some of the market gardeners. I've finally got enough tomatoes coming in that I'm already slacking eating them and it's only been a week. I've got some sacked up to give my feeble aunt and uncle tomorrow. They'll be surprised.
I also get aggravated with people that don't try to help themselves. If they don't want to garden for whatever reason I can accept that. But I know people with yards full of grass that get food stamps and they're able bodied. Those are the ones that I get extremely upset over. Too much poverty that we're always hearing about is self inflicted/perpetuated and therefore mis-labeled.
I enjoy sharing but it burns me up when people have the audacity to ask for something such as my finest green tomatoes to fry. Those same people have no use for my extra tomato plants. I guess they think I'll take it as a compliment when they inquire whether the plums are ripe yet or the tomatoes. Just because I gave them some once doesn't mean I have surplus forever. Grrr.
Something has stepped up to start pollinating just in the past couple days. Ants are all I see. I've got lots of yellow squash and cukes growing normally. The zukes just started blooming yesterday and it's too soon to tell. Lots of blooms open on peppers today. I fed everything their spoon full and now it's raining. It's been 2 weeks since the last it always does a lot of good.
I set out 5 eggplants today. I've never grown them before because the only recipe that I know of that I like is parmigiana. I don't know yet what I'm going to do with them but they're so pretty growing that I felt like giving it a go.
I'll get some pics soon.
Yolie, beautiful!
Twiigy, my sentiments exactly regarding the moochers.
I agree and think the key to it is ever giving them away for free. I get aggravated when I give away extra tomato plants. Nine times out of ten ~ they profess to want them and then let them die. Had they paid for them, they would feel obligated to plant them.
Yolie ~ glad to see you join us. Sounds like the Twiggybuds waterbeds have another convert. On my second year and can't believe how labor free they are. No weeding, digging, no daily watering ~ it is wonderful.
I see my pumpkin blooms opened this a.m. Off to play in the waterbeds...
We're finally getting some rain....1 1/2" of rain since yesterday afternoon.
I'm trapped in the house for a VERY rainy day. Msrobin I know you're proud you pushed yourself to get most of it planted ahead of the rain. Great timing and maybe divine intervention.
Pod I saw you mention waterbeds on another forum (tomato?). You better watch out. You'll be perceived as a nut case and lose all credibility. This is about the only place/thread I feel comfortable talking about it. Raised beds rule. Everybody knows plants can't possibly grow in standing water. If anybody is on dial up or wants a new thread, speak up. I've certainly enjoyed this thread. It reaffirms my sanity which feels good. I learn plenty of good things here on DG and it feels good to give something back even though our numbers are small.
Twig
I am laughing at what you just said since I have had the same reaction when I mention it. I think they would easier believe that I had seen a UFO. Honestly, I would not have tried this if I had not been familiar with roots being constantly wet in hydroponics systems.
Pod
You are so right about giving people plants. Now I germinate only 10% above my needs and only give plants to friends that I know will use them. In the past I have had people beg for plants and later found out that they had given them to their friends.
Mseobin ,Don,Yolie
Shush, mum is the word. This growing system will be our little secret! Smile!!
Oldude
I have strived for the past 60 years to be thought of as different after all who wants to be like everyone else? If I am thought of as a "nut case", I will smile and say thank you. After all, if they are talking about me, they are giving someone else a much needed break! LOL
Yum! Garlic water...
Do you suppose the Peter Pan squash will be pre garlic seasoned?
Thanks Robin. I love these beds and want more.
Podster, I read and reread this thread before actually trying it because this goes against everything I thought I knew about gardening. I raised gardens in VA, TX and FL with FL being my biggest challenge and I am just thrilled and bragging to everyone about my first FL squash in 10 years.
The only plants most of my acquaintances want me to give them are the flowering plants, the veggies are just too much work.
Here's a couple of the peppers that will NOT grow in standing water. OOPS.
Yolie
It is amazing isn't it but it stands to reason when you see the garden centers build waterbed frames to keep the plants that are for sale hydrated out in the blazing sun on hot asphalt.
First blooms and first year for pumpkins in the waterbed. These will be a small sugar baby pumpkin.
That pumpkin flower does it. Now I find it necessary to build one more water bed this year and pick up some pumpkin seeds at Lowes. All I have growing in that family is crook and straight neck yellow squash, zucchini and two varieties of cushaw. I can already see the cushaw is taking over the driveway side of my front yard. I'm hoping to provide lots of "pumpkin" pie filling around my little community but hadn't thought about raising real pumpkins.
Twiggy, please keep your thread going. It's been an inspiration for me and I really would like to keep up with how others are faring with their water gardens.
Twiggy, please keep your thread going. It's been an inspiration for me and I really would like to keep up with how others are faring with their water gardens.
LOL Yolie ~ I have lots of seed for this pumpkin and will gladly share? If you are interested, this is the description for these seeds.
"Small Sugar pumpkin
115 days. This variety is famous for the making of pies. Small handy size but good producer. Fruits round 6 to 8 pounds, flattened at ends, rind hard, smooth, deep orange, somewhat ribbed. Flesh thick, sweet and dry, bright orange color and high quality. Sometimes called New England Pie."
Just dmail and let me know if interested.
Twiggybuds ~ I will echo the sentiment to keep this thread going... but maybe a part two? Getting slow to receive it here in the deep east TX pineywoods.
Pod that flower is gorgeous. I haven't started mine yet and will put some in when I trash the early tomatoes. Winter squash too. I had some birdhouse gourds go crazy here one year and they reminded me of white moon flowers. Very pretty.
If that patty pan tastes like garlic please let me know. It would save a step in making the tom sauce. My cats and dogs love garlic. At least I think they do because they scarf up my cooking at every opportunity. It took me awhile but I finally figured out that my net gain for following the herd was dust.
Dude the UFO analogy is perfectly true. You were the first respondent when I started this thread and I took it for encouragement to keep going with it. I notice that I've ran off all the other hydro people. They probably figured the forum has been corrupted and bailed. I really don't understand why real hydro isn't more popular. If I lived in snow country I think I'd at least try to have some hydro lettuce growing in the house. With the prices going up it will soon be economical. I'm still trying to figure out a simple drip arrangement for several strawberry towers.
Some of us are older if not retired already and it gets a little scary sometimes with all the funny business going on with our economics. I really believe it will become increasingly helpful to increase our food production and thereby stretch our $ and to know what we're really eating. So if any of you come up with an idea that compares with sighting a UFO, please feel free to post it here or direct me to it.
It stopped raining about an hour ago and I made a quick pass by the cukes. I've got some Asian types that I never grew before. Yesterday I couldn't figure out if they'd been pollinated or not so I was surprised to find one about 1 1/4 X12" . I'm sure it's supposed to get bigger than that but I pulled it anyway. It's so prickly that it was like holding a handful of briars. I couldn't find one on my regulars so I guess I'll take it and be grateful. Maybe it'll taste better than it looks.
Part 2 of this thread. Please come join us over there.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1097836/
RE: MOSQUITO DUNKS: if you put these in the water where your veggies have their roots........this does not sound very healthy.
I am not an organic gardener, but I try to avoid necessary chemicals. Can anyone tell me if these are safe?
I felt the same way but the ingredients say... Bacillus thuringiensis . Reputed to be nontoxic to fish, birds, wildlife and pets. http://www.pestproducts.com/mosquito_dunks.htm
Like you, I am not totally organic but I must add that is why I used crushed garlic for the water used in the vegetables.
I tried something similar, just plunking two pots of Brussels Sprouts in an 11x22" grow tray filled with water when I ran out of Earthboxes. I mentioned this on another forum and got some warnings that the roots might rot or they might not be getting enough oxygen. But then someone pointed me to this thread where I find out that lots of others have tried a similar technique with some success, so I think I'll continue the experiment and perhaps try the same thing with some late germinating peppers that are about ready to be put out.
I suppose this really isn't true hydroponic gardening, but if the roots extend into the water trough I suppose it could be called semi-hydroponic agriculture or SHAG for short!
Hi Twiggy - new to the thread.
Wanted to let you know that you are NOT crazy and that I worked at a native wetland plant nursery in MD using this "method" to grow wetland plants. Raised beds were lined with 10 mil black plastic and anchored with staples (they change the plastic every season). Plants were placed into the beds and then filled with water to a certain level depending on the preference of the species, i.e. obligate, facultative upland, etc.
Our media was soil-less - 2 parts pinebark fines to1 part sand. We also used Osmocote.
I think if you find something that works for you then you should go with it. Apparently you have. :)
A.
Amanda, that's what I do with many of my perennial potted plants. It is SO much easier to keep them watered and healthy that way. Sure cuts down on my watering time as well as using up my well water, too.
Shoe
