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May 12, 2017 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Campbell, CA
Posts: 4,064
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Raybo's EarthTainer "Farm" - 2017
Well, a little late in getting started this year - but everything is finally planted:
The tomatoes were first in on April 3. Early Girl have already set fruit: Momotaro have gotten in the act too: My biggest surprise is how early the Big Beef have set fruit: The cukes are doing well in the warm California Sun: So hopefully, lot's of blue sky and no infestation nor fungal issues this Season: Raybo |
May 12, 2017 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Southern CA
Posts: 1,714
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Good to see your first-of-the season post Ray !
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May 12, 2017 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal Inland
Posts: 2,705
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Beautiful, as always! Thanks for posting.
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May 15, 2017 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
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Looking good Ray. Come 1 July you should have a jungle with ripe fruits.
Ami
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Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!' |
May 15, 2017 | #5 |
Riding The Crazy Train Again
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: San Marcos, California
Posts: 2,562
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Love it all! Your Big Beef tomatoes are much bigger than mine.
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"The righteous one cares for the needs of his animal". Proverbs 12:10 |
May 15, 2017 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Campbell, CA
Posts: 4,064
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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: The Sweet Success cukes are now flowering: So, I am a Happy Camper! Raybo |
May 16, 2017 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia)
Posts: 1,264
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Lookin good Ray !!
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Steve Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult |
May 16, 2017 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: WI, USA Zone4
Posts: 1,887
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Ray, what are you using for mulch in your 'tainers? Why did you choose that topping?
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May 16, 2017 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Campbell, CA
Posts: 4,064
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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. It keeps the containers cooler in the hot Sun. The naked black plastic would simply absorb too much heat. Raybo Last edited by rnewste; May 16, 2017 at 02:10 PM. |
May 16, 2017 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: WI, USA Zone4
Posts: 1,887
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Ray, thanks for your response
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May 16, 2017 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Texas Coastal Bend
Posts: 3,205
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Looks great Ray! Good to see you still at it out there in California.
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In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~ |
May 23, 2017 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Los Gatos, CA
Posts: 70
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Looks great, Ray! Here is my own just a few miles down the road...
IMG_3370.jpg 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? |
May 23, 2017 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Campbell, CA
Posts: 4,064
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About once a week I go around and pull the stems back into the trellis netting in the cages:
I trim some of the branches that extend outside the cages to keep focus on vertical growth. My first Early Girl is now blushing: 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 Last edited by rnewste; May 23, 2017 at 01:55 PM. |
May 23, 2017 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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Looks fantastic as always Ray.
If my experiments with the sight tube work I'm going to call them Worth Tainers. Worth |
May 23, 2017 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Los Gatos, CA
Posts: 70
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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. IMG_1127.jpg 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. IMG_4288.jpg 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. |
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