Now that I am over my bronchitis, according to my doctor's exam yesterday, I am anxious to start setting up my EBs for this new season. Especially exciting for me as Beth gave me those seeds from (OSU) Oregon State University which are doing very well and will soon be ready for final transplant. The anti-oxidant contained in blueberries is excellent for relieving some of the stress caused by my post polio syndrome and lycopene as a deterrent to cancer. (Yet to be proven) I will be growing a lot more veggies because of the prices and of course lack of flavor from the store but most of all for the fun of it. I have all profucts that I need Jungle Groeth. dolomite lime and 10-10-10 fertilizer and twenty some odd new EB covers have arrived so I am just waiting for the break in weather and will take pictures from the start.
Will Be Setting - up My EBs Soon AS Weather Allows?
Glad to hear you're better!
Tplant, does planting basil with tomato really improve the flavor of the latter, or basil only deters pest?
I plan on trying companion planting next.
Thanks.
Eating the basil with tomato improves flavor but grown togeather resists pests and has nothing to do with the taste of the tomato.
Can't wait for the pictures...
Tplant - You better get going!!!!! here's some shots from today:
My corn
pepper plants
seedless cukes
bibb lettuce seedlings growing inside
ohh all of you are going to make me cry! I have months and months!
101 --- You misunderstood? The tomato is a hygenic cross between a blueberry and a tomato. It is actually a tomato that is blue-red in color with high antioxidant of blueberry plus high amounts of lycopene. from tomato.Oregon State University has been working on this genetic cross for two decades and I am honored for the oppourtunity to grow them in my EBs here in Fl.
However I do have a seperate blueberry garden with special acidic soil to improve growth. They are only a couple of years old and probably won't produce for another year. I have three more blueberry bushes on order but they are in-ground and not in my EBs.
I love that we get together here like a "pre-party" before Tplant unveils his Season's Crop.
After coupon, taxes and free shipping, my two (2) Tomato Success Kits from Gardeners came down to $61.48 each. I wish EB has free shipping, too.
Awesome collection, Bob.
101 - I grow two greenhouse types called Corona and Minar. They are self pollinating (no bees needed) I buy them from HGI Inc
http://www.hydro-gardens.com/
Warning: The seeds are very expensive You buy them by the each
BocaBob
Susan,
You might be able to grow blueberries in a home-made EB, one made from those large totes I have seen at WalMart. You could put one or two in each one. Since our soil here is red, hard clay I put them in large tree-sized pots as an easier way to provide the good drainage/acid PH for them. Very easy. I have two kinds of earlier blueberries, and am going to get a couple of later varieties to stretch out the season.
Karen
Tricky weather today! Bright and HOT. Too hot for me to do anything. Yesterday was perfect but it was the last day that the doctor told me to rest so I obeyed orders but what I think I'll take some before pictures today as it is a pure mess out there. With all the veggies that I intend to grow this season I will also be using some 20" plus containers and use my remaining EBs for the more flavorful tomatos corn, cucumbers. Zuchinni and yellow squash will do well in cedar containers. Budget may be a little tighter this year because of the current prices but hoping everything will settle back after the elections.
Okay! Took some pictures today to show you the gigantic project that I have ahead of me! It is a real mess out there after all the construction, (almost finished) rain, hot weather and of course my health problems so I am late this season but the season here is long enough so it really does not matter too much.
This was my beautiful flowery walkway which I shall of course re-do last as this is not the main priority.
This will somehow, someway be my main EB garden with the darn drain right in the middle and down a three foot slope which makes it difficult to set on level ground. Of course I'll have to again move my fig trees etc. to a new location.
I was leaving my corn stalks for the last minute to use as decorations for halloween but will clean up ASAP. The roses in the background along my neiighbors darned weeds that keep entangleing my roses and doubleing my work will have to be ripped out and my roses will have to have their fall pruning and fertilizing. I feel so guilty for their neglect because they are so beautiful when properly taken care of?
The peppers will need to be trimmed and refertilized also as they will continue to produce throughout the season. I re-fertilize them by slicing the cover down the center, gently scoop out old fertilizer , replace with two cups 10-10-10, wet fertilizer to activate and then tape the slit with duct tape. Works with all perennials. I will eliminate three pepper EBs that are not in the pictures and will probably use for other veggies. The grass will be mowed real low.
I'm thinking about using 2X8 boards to lay across the drainage area, place plywood on top as a platform, then cover and tack with weed cloth so I'll be able to use my entire garden again but I'll have to hold off on this idea until the final inspection by the county and my garden gets back to normal. I'll be darned if I let them ruin my greatest pleasure of gardening. It may not look like it from the picture but that area ia approxametly 10'X10' which is 100 sq ft of precious garden and where I grew all my melons last season. This stupid drain does absolutely no good as the water accumulates out in the road whereas when we have a heavy rain as we often do it is impossible to get to open the or close the gate (security purposes) because of 6" to 8" of standing water.
They are just about ready for the EBs so I'll have to get with it PDQ! I also have three varieties of eggplant. Round Mauve, Rosa Bianca and an Asian type that grows about 10" long and are supposed to be delicious.
IO1 show Danny Tplants post number 5625560, he has cucumbers or beans with a net the exact way we talked about. Also you should see the stinkers fig tree!
Saint -- I have Negra, Brown Turkey and Italian Honey which is my favorite but they are all delicious when ripe. All are in 24" cedar containers so I can control their growth otherwise they would overwhelm my property with too much shade.
Would you believe it is raining today? I have been trying to get out there to work for the past few days but if its not the heat it is rain? Oh Well! Another day of waiting...Really should not complain . Afterall, we were in a severe drought this spring-summer.
Rarin to go out their and do some planting but would you believe it is raining again today? Yesterday we really had a downpour all day so much that my Direct TV was inoperable for over two hours as it just poured like a firehose. Today it is sunny and then cloudy and then rain. At this rate I'll never get going as I am already behind schedule and the preparation work is just piling up as the weeds in the area where I will be setting up my EBs are getting bigger and higher but just give me one beautiful cool, dry day? Please???
Gee, Tplant. I wish for your sake weather.com is incorrect. Your 10-day forecast has rain/thunderstorms except Thursday the 9th.
Hopefully soon, Tplant. Just remember you could be back in NY waiting for next spring ... months away lol. It seems like it takes forever here too in the spring for the ground to dry out enough to start planting. I'm getting excited thinking about getting some EB's to try myself. I've decided to go with EB over the Garden Patch. Can't wait to get them, find some potting mix locally and get them set up next spring. At least in the meantime I can read about the progress of those of you in the southern states.
Tplant I have my fingers, toes and a few other things crossed hoping you can get out and plant. We've been cooler here than the norm (if you can call 80 cool) so it's been wonderful. I'm getting excited thinking maybe I can start a fire soon.
Can not believe this weather? Everytime I get started I am forced back in the house because of rain, thunder or worse, lightning! Today one hit the schools electronic communications tower. It did not do any real damage but it was so violent and loud that the ground rumbled like an earthquake. It really shook up the construction crew but thank goodness they were all working inside the new construction and not outside. A few walked off the job from the shock of the explosive noise as they were only about fifty feet away. They will be back tomorrow making sure to wear heavy rubber boots. This is the season for heavy thunder storms and Florida is the number one state for lightning strikes so now you realize why I am so careful working outside at this time of year. It will be safer in a couple more weeks.
Meanwhile my seedlings are definetely ready for transplant to my EBs and I've been feeding them liquid Miracle Gro to keep them healthy. My Sunglows have buds which I will pick off before planting tomorrow Lord willing?
Will you have to pot up to a larger size before you plant in your EBs?
This message was edited Oct 11, 2008 2:27 AM
No! they are in 41/2" containers
Tplant, even I am watching the weather forecast in Pembroke Pines!
Moonglow -- You won't believe this but I was just finishing a cup of coffee and ready to go out there and a thunderstorm broke loose. Didn't even see it coming? It's a beaut as there is continuous rain and rumbling thunder. Last year I had one of those 10X10 portable tents that they sell at Walmart but my son left it open after a BBQ and the rain caved it in with the weight of the water. I did not work out there in the rain because we always have lightning with our rain but I used to set a portable fan underneath and was able to do my work. I will buy another but my lawn must be mowed real low first to spray a flea med to protect my little Shih-Tzsu from flea bites as she is allergic to their bites and the grass must be low for it to work and it also makes it easier for me to walk (Post Polio Syndrome) and also place the weed mat on top of which I place my EBs for weed control. It won't take me long to do these things but first the lawn area must be mowed and you can not mow a wet loan. Maybe later this evening about 6pm? It's gettting to a point where I'm going to ask help from my Higher Power?
Went to Walmart late yesterday and bought a 10X10 carport or whatever it is called. This morning my son mowed the grass real low and we set up the tent as it was 91 today but under the tent it was great and I cleaned and set-up about seven of my 20 or so EBs using dolomite lime and 10-10-10 fertilizer.
This is the area where I shall place my tomato garden around the drainage area. As you can see it is well trimmed and tomorrow I will spray weed killer and put down weed cloth.
This is what I have to work with as I purposely left a couple of EBs to show you that you can salvage the mix for years and years. As you can see it is quite the mess. There we have the dead corn stalks and the other EBs are just some weeds that squeezed thru the tiniest opening in the cover and because of my health problems that I have had and the terrible heat I just let them go on their own. I'll show you how to salvage the EB mix.
After easily cleaning out the corn stalks because of shallow roots I simply add more dolomite and fertilizer. In this picture you can see half the dolmite side that is not mixed into the top four inches. The right side has already been mixed. The point is not to mix the lime all the way down to the bottom. I use my measured trowel to the four inch mark. You know the trowel that is used to plant bulbs that has the measurements on it? Very handy. I now add fresh mix to top it off and make a mound in the center higher than the EB so water rolls off the cover. No bugs this way especially mosquitoes.
Now I mixed in the lime on both sides , added aditional fresh mix where needed and placed the two cups of 10-10-10 fertilizer in a two inch line on the opposite side of where I will plant my tomato seedlings. Do not want to burn the roots. Next is to place the new cover, white side up in my area because of heat but you may use black side if your weather is cooler. Will cut two X's in the cover and use a tulip planter to make the holes in the x space for the plants. Makes for a deep hole and the mix is replaced by the bulb planter by simply squeezing the button on the handle that releases the mix. Now I wet the mix thoroughly but only lightly on the fertilizer to activate it.
