Discussion forum for the various methods and structures used for getting an early start on your growing season, extending it for several weeks or even year 'round.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 23
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Hi everyone. I live just south of Greenville, SC, zone 7b/8a and would like to try extending my lettuce/broccoli growing season with shade cloth. I seem to remember some tomatovillians from my area using 50% for tomatoes (though my tomatoes seem to do fine without any shade cloth), so does that mean I should try 60% or so for these cooler weather crops?
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: NC
Posts: 511
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60 Percent would probably be overkill, causing leggy-ness in the crops.
This year im using 50 on my lettuce. The secret is also using micro sprinklers. Found at Lowes in the aisle with drip irrigation stuff. I just upped the time to every 4 hours, from the previous 6 hours. They run 5 minutes. Just enough to cool everything down. Within a couple day after installing the shade cloth, I noticed increased growth. |
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Upstate SC
Posts: 23
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Thank you! Interesting about the micro sprinklers. We have drip in that bed right now, but the micro sprinklers cool thinks down better?
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#4 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: NC
Posts: 511
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Heres the exact product I use. It is probably compatible with what you already have. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mister-Land...-Spray/1098643 Then you will need this, or something similar: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mister-Land...sembly/1172843 |
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 1,437
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I need a large crop of Broccoli this year because all the children in my family love Broccoli to eat every day. So, looking for the next generation farmer for my mini farms, I must grow a large crop.
In the past, The 2 plants of Broccoli I plant each year just to get the seeds did not do well or were secretly eaten by one of my children during the time I spent in Hawaii. Now since I know the facts about the secretly eaten Broccoli, I need all the information about Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter crops if possible, Amen!!. The money that the next farming generation would save each year, will bring me a Family Farmer, Amen!!!
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May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs ![]() |
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 1,437
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I want to report my Broccoli is doing "Great". I have all healthy Plants that will be enough to supply the Family favorite vegetable and save seeds this year.
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May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs ![]() |
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 1,437
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I just want to report my Broccoli growth slowed Down, but still doing O K. My 6 year old said she will never wait for Broccoli to grow again: She will buy only Groceries Store Broccoli for the rest of her life.
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May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs ![]() |
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#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SE PA
Posts: 971
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That is one picky 6 yo. But it is nice that she is willing to use her allowance to buy broccoli for the family!
My broccoli here petered out a couple months back, but I have the fall crop still under cover. They went in during July and I have yet to lift the AG19. I may lift that today to give them more room, then replace it. I was amazed this year, using BT for the first time, just how effective that it was to keep the cole crops worm free. Sideshoots continued for a long time before I pulled the plants. After the success on broccoli and cauliflower I've had using row covers and/or BT spray, I would never consider store brought broccoli if I had a choice. But 6 yo girls have a different view of the world, I'm sure! |
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#9 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 1,437
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__________________
May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs ![]() |
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#10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 1,437
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I just want to report my Broccoli growth is doing fine in this strange weather. I should be saving my first "Angel Field Broccoli Seeds" soon. My Grandchild in Happy amen. She looked at them today and told them that "I cannot wait to eat you-up. Then we saw the Heads developing.
Any "Tips on Saving these Broccoli Seeds"?
__________________
May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs ![]() |
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl.
Posts: 2,498
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KURT |
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#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 1,437
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I have a lot of "Respect for Broccoli Farmers". They are Farming for Children of the United States. "Broccoli and Cheese are the best Thin Since Slice Bread". If the American Families added up all of the money they spent on Broccoli in 2023, then add in The Price of Tomatoes. Farming your own yard will come back in "Garden Fashion in 2024, Amen!!
__________________
May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs ![]() |
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#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 1,437
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I cooked my Husband some fresh Broccoli from our Farm today. It was good with Rice and onions, with Ham. I cannot believe I grew Broccoli from 2023 - 2024. I saved a lot of money on food this year from my Farms, Amen!!
__________________
May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs ![]() |
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#14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SE PA
Posts: 971
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I started making some ham and green beans a few weeks back...I cut up the last spiral ham (fully cooked and still in package) still in the fridge from Christmas. Froze some, the rest to the crockpot. After I had the ham in the crock pot, cut onions, cut potaoes. Then, I could not find the beans! Buried in the deep freeze. So I took a head of broccoli left over from November - still good in the crisper drawer - and steamed that. Put it in the crockpot, not enough though. So I took two quart bags of frozen broccoli, thawed them, and added it in. Now it looked good.
I could not believe how good that tasted. It was almost like split pea soup, which I used to love. The next week I used more of the ham for split pea soup...but the broccoli soup was better! My spring starts will be going in soon. |
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