Raybo's EarthTainer "Farm" - 2017
 

Well, a little late in getting started this year - but everything is finally planted:

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The tomatoes were first in on April 3. Early Girl have already set fruit:

[URL="http://s253.photobucket.com/user/rnewste/media/EarthTainer%20pix/IMG_4611.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/EarthTainer%20pix/IMG_4611.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Momotaro have gotten in the act too:

[URL="http://s253.photobucket.com/user/rnewste/media/EarthTainer%20pix/IMG_4618.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/EarthTainer%20pix/IMG_4618.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

My biggest surprise is how early the Big Beef have set fruit:

[URL="http://s253.photobucket.com/user/rnewste/media/EarthTainer%20pix/IMG_4620.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/EarthTainer%20pix/IMG_4620.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

The cukes are doing well in the warm California Sun:

[URL="http://s253.photobucket.com/user/rnewste/media/EarthTainer%20pix/IMG_4626.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/EarthTainer%20pix/IMG_4626.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

So hopefully, lot's of blue sky and no infestation nor fungal issues this Season:

[URL="http://s253.photobucket.com/user/rnewste/media/EarthTainer%20pix/IMG_4617.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/EarthTainer%20pix/IMG_4617.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Raybo:D:D

Good to see your first-of-the season post Ray :yes:!

Beautiful, as always! Thanks for posting.

Looking good Ray. Come 1 July you should have a jungle with ripe fruits.:)

Ami

Love it all! Your Big Beef tomatoes are much bigger than mine.

Hi peebee, Linda and Ami and Deborah,

After a VERY wet Winter / Spring the warm weather has finally returned (will be 92 on Sunday). Haven't heard from Anne or Sprtsguy76 in a while....

The Big Beef have really surprised me with the rapid fruit growth:

[URL="http://s253.photobucket.com/user/rnewste/media/IMG_4632.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_4632.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL="http://s253.photobucket.com/user/rnewste/media/IMG_4634_1.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_4634_1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

The Sweet Success cukes are now flowering:

[URL="http://s253.photobucket.com/user/rnewste/media/IMG_4635.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_4635.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

So, I am a Happy Camper!

Raybo:D

Lookin good Ray !!

Ray, what are you using for mulch in your 'tainers? Why did you choose that topping?

dust,

On the EarthTainers I use the same Microbark (from HD in the gold bag) that I use for the 3-2-1 combo mix. On the EarthBoxes I use the small size Orchid Bark.

[URL="http://s253.photobucket.com/user/rnewste/media/IMG_0166.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_0166.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL="http://s1066.photobucket.com/user/raybo31/media/IMG_3912_zpsdx6sxwla.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u405/raybo31/IMG_3912_zpsdx6sxwla.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

It keeps the containers cooler in the hot Sun. The naked black plastic would simply absorb too much heat.

Raybo:D

Ray, thanks for your response :)

Looks great Ray! Good to see you still at it out there in California.

Looks great, Ray! Here is my own just a few miles down the road...

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Quick question on your layers of mesh netting...do you manually guide the vines/branches thru certain vertical "channels" or do you let them just find their own way, as they wish?

About once a week I go around and pull the stems back into the trellis netting in the cages:

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I trim some of the branches that extend outside the cages to keep focus on vertical growth.

My first Early Girl is now blushing:

[URL="http://s253.photobucket.com/user/rnewste/media/IMG_4645.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh67/rnewste/IMG_4645.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

I'm just down Winchester from you in Los Gatos, at Hacienda. Really like the copper foil bands you installed to keep away the snails. Great idea!

I would also recommend you cover your black plastic mulch with the microbark as in my post above. Our hot Sun will dry out the roots otherwise.

Raybo:yes:

Looks fantastic as always Ray.
If my experiments with the sight tube work I'm going to call them Worth Tainers. :lol:
Worth

Thanks Ray! Yep, the copper works great. I need to replace some sections of it each year as the adhesive isn't the greatest, but much better than resorting to any sort of bait/poison, since my dog is too nosy for her own good!

I've got three Early Girl plants, but I think I'm about 3-4 weeks behind you. Just starting to set the first fruit.

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This is my first year growing cukes, and I'm amazed at how fast and lush they are growing. This is just a little more than 3 weeks of growth.

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My next project is to rig up a rudimentary watering system to keep these watered when I go on vacation in July. I don't think I need to go all the way to the set up you describe in the Earthtainer instructions, but I'll probably just rig some hoses on a timer, and deal with some temporary water waste for the time that I'm gone.

I know your area well...I've got some good friends that live by Jack Fisher Park. I'm out on the East side of LG, near Leigh and Blossom Hill.