I finally got around to fixing my gate, not due to the hurricane but being old. It's not professional work, but it's what I can managed with some help lifting. Cost $140 in material including some extra 4x4 poles to straighten out the leaning fences.

I was supposed to move to the north after the hurricane, except a family member here has alzheimer so I stayed. Still is unsure right now. It's a trade off between finding a barely decent job here and able to garden or get a better paying job elsewhere (guaranteed), but with renting and less gardening freedom.

I have an epiphany last night. I will completely switch to fabric grow bags as containers after this season. The transitioning cost is minimal. Based on what I observed so far I'm getting the best results from them. It's going to let me use more compost in the mix while not getting anaerobic.

Secondly, I know I should be contributing to the dwarf project, but I'm not getting success with them, especially being indeterminate they take long to produce and by the time they do they're dying from blight. I'm going to grow mainly regular indeterminate and a bunch of microdwarves. The microdwarves also takes long to produce, but they take much less resources, caring time and their cuteness makes a better gift.

I would love a microdwarf that tastes as good as Black Cherry, then I wouldn't mind growing 10 of them instead of one Black Cherry and still have space.

Also I'm now a big fan of dwarf banana, but I think what I need is microdwarf banana.

[QUOTE=maxjohnson;674730]I finally got around to fixing my gate, not due to the hurricane but being old. It's not professional work, but it's what I can managed with some help lifting. Cost $140 in material including some extra 4x4 poles to straighten out the leaning fences.[/QUOTE]
Your gate looks professional to me. Good Job I grew Black Cherry this season in a RB. Not too productive for me but taste is good. Esterina Cherry is growing next to the Black Cherry and is much more productive. This tomato season is not even close to as good as 2016 fall season for me, but I am getting some pretty tasty tomatoes.
Larry

[QUOTE=Zone9b;674734]Your gate looks professional to me. Good Job I grew Black Cherry this season in a RB. Not too productive for me but taste is good. Esterina Cherry is growing next to the Black Cherry and is much more productive. This tomato season is not even close to as good as 2016 fall season for me, but I am getting some pretty tasty tomatoes.
Larry[/QUOTE]

Professional looking to me too. Besides EB, I've grown in Root Pouches for years now. This year I added Coir and Vermiculite to the promix and can't believe what a difference it makes with watering. When it was just ProMix, it was always drying out.

For RP, I still have the original brown ones I bought in 2011/2012. In the last 3 years, I bought the cheaper 3-4 year grey ones. Last summer they all were so gross that I pressure washed them and they came out great/looking almost new.

---
The storm last weekend did a little havoc to my plants and it's been really cold at night all week, but I have high hopes for the season. I am growing fewer plants and more cherry tomatoes. The esterinas and SunPeach ;)have been outstanding. I have several BigBeef that are turning red now.

How's the broccoli doing? I have heads about the size of a baseball on the earliest ones I planted.

[QUOTE=Barb_FL;674746]Professional looking to me too. Besides EB, I've grown in Root Pouches for years now. This year I added Coir and Vermiculite to the promix and can't believe what a difference it makes with watering. When it was just ProMix, it was always drying out.

For RP, I still have the original brown ones I bought in 2011/2012. In the last 3 years, I bought the cheaper 3-4 year grey ones. Last summer they all were so gross that I pressure washed them and they came out great/looking almost new.

---
The storm last weekend did a little havoc to my plants and it's been really cold at night all week, but I have high hopes for the season. I am growing fewer plants and more cherry tomatoes. The esterinas and SunPeach ;)have been outstanding. I have several BigBeef that are turning red now.

How's the broccoli doing? I have heads about the size of a baseball on the earliest ones I planted.[/QUOTE]
Barb,
For me everything got pushed back in the garden, due partially to the hurricane. The other factor was the use of large amounts of mushroom compost, but that’s a long story for another time.
Both raised beds (RBs) of Castle Dome Broccoli are doing well. The one I will harvest first was transplanted on Nov 13th. Many of the plants are heading and I hope to have this RB completely harvested and replanted by Jan 1. That will be 49 days from transplant. There seems to be an advantage to transplanting very mature broccoli plants, which seems to cut time to harvest significantly. Less time to harvest could result in an additional crop being produced in a RB in a single season. The plants for this RB were 57 days from seeding to transplant. The plants transplanted to the 2nd RB were 69 days from seeding to transplant into a RB.
I keep the plants in the 3 1/2” cups up to transplanting. If I would have transplanted to a 1 gallon pot for a period before transplanting into to final RB, many would have in all likelihood buttoned, i.e. prematurely headed. I used to add kelp meal, fertilizer etc in the hole when transplanting. I have discontinued this and merely drop the transplant in the hole push in the soil around it and move on. I don’t see any difference in the final outcome.
As you might expect these transplants were heavily root bound at time of transplant. Many point out that root bound transplants are very bad. I don’t find this to be the case at all. Also, I used to rough up the roots on root bound transplants. I do not do this anymore and can’t tell the difference in the results. For example the transplants in the first RB, which were heavily root bound at transplant, were showing improvement in their new environment 3 days after transplant.
It is possible that these results may not accrue to all Broccoli varieties. Most of my experience with changing growing methods have been with Castle Dome.
Larry

Question for Barb and Ginger, do you put in one or two plants in the Earthbox? I want to put in two beefsteaks.

[QUOTE=maxjohnson;675283]Question for Barb and Ginger, do you put in one or two plants in the Earthbox? I want to put in two beefsteaks.[/QUOTE]

2. Please call me Marsha. :D

Okay here it is. Yes I know I didn't follow instruction. Don't judge me!

I put in two Marianna's Peace. It's a bit late in the season so I hope they won't get diseases too quickly.

It have some slow release fertilizers, but my plan is to dilute synthetic fertilizers in the water when I refill the reservoir.

PRICE ALERT
 

Max - why is it late in the season? I used to start my spring plants on Jan 1.

BTW - Lettuce grows amazing in the EB.


Marsha - Tomato Maker $10.60 at Amazon
[URL="https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Laboratories-Number-3-Blossom-Prevention/dp/B002GK648E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513914852&sr=8-1&keywords=tomato+maker"]https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Laboratories-Number-3-Blossom-Prevention/dp/B002GK648E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513914852&sr=8-1&keywords=tomato+maker[/URL]

Last I checked they still had the yellow sticky cards for $12.50 prime and $10.64 plus a prorated shipping which is what I did and came out less.

Thanks Barb. I already bought 4 of them, some website had them for $8.99, and about $6 shipping for the 4, I think that works out similarly to your link. That is a good price with the free shipping. I love that stuff so much for the 2-6 week old seedlings. I wouldn't dream of using anything else.

Been soaking wet dew on the leaves every morning. Not liking that.

First significant harvest of Broccoli this season. 16 heads
Larry

[SIZE="7"] Oh Wow![/SIZE]

Second that. Wow...

btw, happy holidays to all my friends.

Happy Holidays Ella, great to see you. Are you going to visit Florida this winter?

Not sure about it yet. I definitely want to.

Let me tempt you......Low is 64F, high is 82F. And if you come to my house I will send you home with a box of fresh tomatoes, muahaha!

Weather has been dynamite; My daughter is in from LA (moved there from Hawaii in August) and has had unbelievable weather in Florida. First thing she said was how much she loved the humidity.

Tomato plants are loving the cool nights and warm days. My plants are drenched with dew in the AM too. It is dried off by about 9 AM. Haven't seen anything bad from it.

If things continue, it is definitely going to be a banner season.

[QUOTE=Barb_FL;675478]Weather has been dynamite; My daughter is in from LA (moved there from Hawaii in August) and has had unbelievable weather in Florida. First thing she said was how much she loved the humidity.

Tomato plants are loving the cool nights and warm days. My plants are drenched with dew in the AM too. It is dried off by about 9 AM. Haven't seen anything bad from it.

If things continue, it is definitely going to be a banner season.[/QUOTE]

I hope it will. All of you working so hard, it just has to be.

[QUOTE=ginger2778;675441]Let me tempt you......Low is 64F, high is 82F. And if you come to my house I will send you home with a box of fresh tomatoes, muahaha![/QUOTE]

It is very tempting. We are looking for a house. Having hard time to choose area. My DH really likes Marathon. Even hurricane did not scare him. The prices are higher there.

Ella I don't suggest it, too hot, and too expensive. Plus only 1- 2 lane road to evacuate from, makes hurricane prep a nightmare.
Have you tried Sannibel, or Marco Island?

Maybe go there in July to see if you can stand the heat?

Got ten 7-gallon growbags for free from my neighbor. No handles, but the fabric is sturdy.

Also found these bed's head frames (?) on the curbside and made them into trellises or shades for my seedlings.

And a couple compost bags for half price.

Overall not a bad Christmas day.

Something in one evening appears to have eaten many small heads of Broccoli in a Raised Bed with my latest plantings. My first guess is a rabbit. Any other guesses?
I can't imagine what to bait a trap with given that he has a whole RB of Broccoli to eat.
Any ideas would be helpful.
Larry

Row cover fabric would be my suggestion, or a thin cotton sheet.

Larry, sorry you got intruder. If it is a rabbit, carrots will be the best...
The other possible culprit is deer.

Larry, do they have deer in central Florida?

[QUOTE=efisakov;675883]Larry, sorry you got intruder. If it is a rabbit, carrots will be the best...
The other possible culprit is deer.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=ginger2778;675885]Larry, do they have deer in central Florida?[/QUOTE]

Yes there are quite a few deer in Central Florida, but not where I live. I live in a urban area.
Thanks,
Larry

[QUOTE=Zone9b;675977]Yes there are quite a few deer in Central Florida, but not where I live. I live in a urban area.
Thanks,
Larry[/QUOTE]

I'm now more convinced it is a rabbit. I see where I think he is digging under the chain link fence in the back. I placed a have a heart trap there, maybe I will get lucky. If nothing else I may be able to close off his entry points and maybe he will just go away. He may not show up for a few nights. It is getting pretty cold here.
Below is a picture of a little owl setting outside one of my windows tonight. Poor thing. He sure looks cold.
Larry

Larry, that owl probably targeting your intruder.:yes:

So it's pretty much massive disease outbreak in my garden, and it come so quick, just after all the rain. Overall pretty horrible season. Except some plants are simply immune in a specific section of the garden.

On the other hand, getting great success with corn in containers. 2-3 cobs every stalks. They're so fun and easy to grow. Sometimes I wonder why I put so much effort into tomatoes.

For a while I was starting to think I was living in a Frostproof, FL, but no it seems as I am still here in Orlando, where heavy frosts and hard freezes are all too possible.
Pictures taken on Jan 6th, after 2 or 3 early mornings at 32.
Larry