Hi Everyone!

Sorry I've not been involved in anything but there hasn't been much to report as the weather destroyed my tomatos because of our past frost. Don't ever recall a year that killed my plants because of frost and those that did survive will not pollinate because it has been hot one day and below forty the next.
Had to slow up a bit because of my health. Doctors orders, several of them. No lifting, no going out in the cold or heat, no strenuous gardening etc so Flip was here this morning and took about nine of my EBs because I can only keep five for myself. Still have five more to go and if Flip doesn't take them maybe BocaBob will although Bob really doesn't have anymore room and Flip said he would be back in late March.
I'll plant my watermelon next month in four EBs and leave one for my DIL's Okra which I can't stand but they do have the prettiest flowers. Of course I'll still grow my tomatos in October but only the giant ones like the beefsteaks and Oxhearts as they are my favorites so I'm still in action.

excellent to hear. glad you back in action! im getting ready to plant tomatoes in my EB's in the next week. Im hoping tonight is our last freeze.

TPlant: We all miss you and are glad you are going to be helping the rest of us out here.
joy

Joy...are you getting as sick of this cold as me. Im hoping we ust endured our last night below freezing. My tomatoes and annual baskets WILL be out this weekend.....or so Ive convinced myslef.

We got two really nice warm days and then got bit with a cold one, now, it's trying to warm up if father winter will leave us alone here. LOL I will get my red skinned potatoes planted today though. Hopefully, will have that greenhouse up this weekend too. My Spring Cheer Daffodils are blooming like crazy on the front deck, my 48 tomatoes have their first true leaves and 50 still under the dome, saw some baby sprouts this morning under there though. Here are some pics:

This is definetly sprout weather as they like it cool as long as they don't freeze. It is extremely difficult for me to walk on the lawn as my legs don't seem to bother obeying the orders from my brain. This is the curse of Post Polio. Oh! I forgot to mention that I am going to get a walker, you know the one with the large handles on wheels. I need this to walk in my garden as my legs have become very weak and becoming weaker at a faster pace then I assumed. Any strenous excercise of anything makes them weaker at a surprisingly fast pace. I now use a cane inside the house and outside when I go shopping but I will not stop gardening unless I'm dead and then I'll still fertilize the ground. LOL

This message was edited Feb 26, 2010 12:33 PM

Tplant--glad to see you back posting. Sorry to hear you are experiencing so many difficulties, but please know that we missed you and your great advice. Take care of yourself.....

Tplant, get one of those walkers with a seat and a basket so you can continue your gardening!
Carol

OCCAROL --- I have a garden scooter plus two of the garden benches with the long handles so I'm okay. The weather here is still miserable but I have at least three or four weeks to plant my watermelon seeds in my remaining EBs. Hope they are as delicious as they were last year? That's a funny thing as I grew some seedless melons and didn't even know it. What a surprise when I cut them open!

So glad to see you posting again Tplant. Whether you know it or not, you have helped my garden a lot with your advice. Thank you.

Tplant--have you considered one of the motorized scooters? That might be the easiest way to get around outside...I know that uneven surfaces can be difficult if you have any problems walking.
Please keep posting--we rely upon your expertise.
Hope your melons do well this year...makes my mouth water just to think of them.

mom -- That was one of the first things I thought of but they go for a minium of $1300 which after all my medical bills, although were only co-pays, is a little to much for me now. Don't worry though! I've got it all figured out and we are still going to have fun.

TPlant: Sometimes, when you get really good at something, it is time to become the professor and let others do the physical work? We are glad to have you here as the professor, especially when there are people like myself who are born with ten thumbs.
joy

My scooter just rusted away after being unused for such a long time so I must buy a new one but I want the one with the long handle so you can just walk along with it without stooping over to push it. I've checked Amazon but they have the short handle only. Any help appreciated as I really need it especially now in my condition. If I can't find the long HANDLE I'LL HAVE TO SETTLE FOR THE ORIGINAL?

Tplant
I'm so thrilled to see you back again. I've missed you, and agree with Joy. We'll need you to help us ... I knew *nothing about tomatoes until DG. Thank you for always answering my many many questions and never treating me stupid. You must get so tired of explaining the same ole thing over and over again ... You're so kind and patient with all of us. I want to thank you for sharing all your knowledge and years of experience with me. :-)
~Susan

TPlant: Just got back from Winn Dixie, and paid almost $4 a lb for tomatoes, can you believe it? They commented to my comment of "wow, that is high for tomatoes isn't it?" "that it has been a bad year for tomatoes", where do they get their tomatoes from, and they also told me they expected the price to go even higher, so we will definately need your help here. I got 27 left out of the 48 and 50 almost ready to come out of dome and heating mat, with about 20 more to follow.
joy

TPlant: what kind of scooter are you looking for? Perhaps if you can point us to short-handled one at Amazon, someone might have some ideas.

In the meantime, glad to see you back posting...we'll need your advice as we head into the tomato season!

Found the long handled garden scooter at Gardeners Supply Company and immeadiately ordered it with my son's credit card.(IOU $107 till the 3rd) It is far better than my old one. Hope they hurry up and ship it.

101 -- So nice of you to say those kind words! I love sharing with people as it feels that I'm needed and that is what keeps me going. This season I'll only have five EBs but that will give me one for my DIL's okra (which I hate the slimy stuff) and four for me which I can still plant sixteen watermelon in next week and eight tomato plants in October so that is good enough for me. I don't mind becoming a lazy farmer but don't forget, I still have my ten beautiful roses so I'll be OK.....and with friends like all of you - WHAT MORE DO I NEED???

Hello - Your posts have entertained and inspired me to grow grow grow. The pictures you sent last year show us all what a nice haven you have made of your home and garden. Thanks for all of your help. I am looking forward to following your latest adventures. Keep on posting and keep us all up to date.
P.S. Okra can be divine. Maybe a new recipe will help. Fried sure is yummy.

Just sprayed weed killer on my weed cloth of three years as some weeds (grass) does manage to sprout but I just kill it and it makes a straw mat for my melons. I know I haven't been showing any pictures but I will now as my new garden scooter with the long handle arrived today and I'll be able to get around a lot easier without falling at least twice a day as my legs are shot from stress and post polio strives on stress and keeps weakening the muscles.

Hi, TPlant--let us know how you like your new scooter. I hope it makes getting around much easier for you. We'll look forward to hearing how your garden progresses.
Those of us in the northern zones always look forward to hearing your successes, so we can anticipate our growing seasons.

I've always had the garden scooters but this one has the long handle for easy manipulation. My tires on the old model dried out and found out it would cost me more to buy four new tires ($27.00 each) so I bought the model that I've always wanted since I first saw it. It cost $107.00 total which included Fedex shipping. Can't put it togeather today as it must be done outside because the tires have a heavy rubbery odor and they advice outside assembly. The odor will go away in two days. Hope we
see some sun soon?

Yea, Tplant ... so glad you found that scooter. :-) Am looking forward to all your pictures and hearing about your garden.

No work again today as it is raining again and the tires of the scooter have a heavy chemical smell so I can not assemble it inside. Darn!!! The odor will pass in a few days so I hape I'll be able to finish my assembly. Very difficult for me to do because of my finger numbness in my right hand. Can't feel the tiny screws. My son will assemble but will have to wait till Saturday as he has a long work week due to shift change.

So sorry to hear that, Tplant. I know some meds of mine make my fingertips feel numb, so maybe that's what is happening with you. At least it's a rainy day and not one of those "gorgeous, just got to be out" sort of days! LOL Hope you get that scooter put together this week-end. Take care! I'm hoping to get my maters planted out soon. Come join us over on my mater thread on the tomato forum when you post your pictures, okay?
Hugs&blessings to you!

Think the dirt farmers will allow me to post there?? LOL

Toooo funny. I plant in EB's and I started the thread. :-) Here's a pic of mine ...

IO1: Beautiful tomato startings, they are tall for sure. TPlant, I got the people around here that are dirt farmers growing in E buckets and they are the ones helping me out with learning about gardening. LOL You are good at both I would think with the results you get from your EBs and from the advice I've seen given from you.
joy

101 --- What Joy says! They are remarkably healthy and look like little trees. You should have a good season with those beauties.... NICE JOB!!!

Thanks Tplant! That's a real compliment coming from you, especially!

And thank you too, Joy! :-)

IO1,
I read on another thread you replied to that those Jiffy pellets are King-Sized?

I'm thinking I could use them inside my milk jugs to start my fall crop seedlings in June. Do tell me what they're called. Thanks!

IO1 - Never seen King Sized Jiffy Pellets....very interesting. What varieties you got going this year?



This message was edited Mar 24, 2010 1:31 PM

Okay, I had to do a bit of research to find them, but here's what I used. It's called a Jiffy tomato Greenhouse Kit. I found mine at my local Lowes. Here's a review I found. It's true the tray isn't made any bigger, but the proof is in the "puddin" if you know what I mean. LOL Those are by far the healthiest looking plants I've ever had. I just took them out from under the dome just as soon as they came up, so it wasn't any problem about the lid being too close. I wanted to get them under the lights just as quick as possible anyway, so I take them out one by one as they come up. Hope this helps. :-)

http://www.blossomswap.com/products/jiffy-tomato-starter-greenhouse

I'll have to go back and get my list. I have 26 different heirloom varieties. LOL

I used those one time and wound up with dampening off disease, the reason I switched to the seed starting kit I use exclusively now.
joy

Knock on wood ... I've never had that, but I move my plants the minute they pop up. :-)

Never had Dampening Off problems either. But then again, I don't keep them covered with the dome and have a fan on them 24/7 (even before they sprout).

Okay, here's my list!

1. Box Car Willie
2. Buckbee's New 50 Day
3. Beauty King
4. Depps Pink Fire Fly
5. Super Choice
6. Belize Pink Heart
7. Lady Lucy
8. Brandywine Landis Vally
9. Eva Purple Ball
10 Cherokee Purple
11 Black From Tula
12 Fireworks
13 Rowdy Red
14 Bella Rosa
15 Aussie
16 Giant Belgium
17 Early Wonder
18 Cour Di Bue
19 Schwarze Sarah
20 Delicious
21 Rostova
22 Marglobe Supreme
23 Royal Hillbilly
24 Illini Star
25Black Brandywine
26 brandywine Sudduth

Nice tomatoes! Looks like I've only grown 6 off of your list.

1. Box Car Willie - Did pretty good for me in a 10 gallon pot. Haven't tried them in a EB yet.
10. Cherokee Purple - Good flavor and extremely productive for me last year in a EB. Trying a few different blacks this year to compare.
16. Giant Belgium - Wasn't very happy when I grew it. Will give it another try at some point.
17. Early Wonder - Was very surprised by this one. Grew them in 7 gallon containers and did great! So far, my favorite early tomato.
22. Marglobe Supreme - Hope you like it better than I did :)
26. Brandywine (Sudduth) - Love it....who doesn't?

Gonna be trying Royal Hillbilly and Cour Di Bue for the first time this year.

I'm thrilled to hear that about the Early Wonder. This is the first year for that one. As for the Brandywine Sudduth ... my opinion is the same! LOL Can't wait to try the Landis Valley side by side. They're suppose to be more heat tollerant which would be great for me. And as far as blacks go, I'm an all time lover of the blacks! LOL

Tplant, do you have any experience with the Brandywine Landis Valley?

I have had some tomatoes that weren't on the top of my list, but I really have never met a mater I didn't like. hahaha

Hey TP,

You know I rarely get over here but read thru the thread and it seems you're in better spirits than when I came by in late Feb. Thanks again for all those eb's. I just finished getting them cleaned up and sorted out. Planning on some peppers and maybe a few melons to tide me over to fall. Even tho I'm a dirt boy I really DO like eb's.Next season I'll have one-half in the containers and the other half in the ground. But - only one tomato plant per eb for me. Next time I'm up your way I'll pass by again.

IO1 - just fyi, I've grown the Brandywine Red (Landis strain) many times and it has always done well for me. RL, with md-late season round red fruit, fairly prolific, good taste (but doesn't compare to Sudduth). This year it was one of the few plants that survived our mid-January "ice week" down here and I picked about 15 of them a few days ago.- maybe totaled around 50+ fruit this season.

Flip