What I learned this year - Page 3

taboule · July 7, 2015

I learned that growing big indeterminates in a 10 gal grow bags requires very regular (2x a day?) watering and attention, else you can lose crop to BER (had to cut/remove over 6 nice size fruits off one plant thus far.)Started a calmag diet and will try to set them up on a timer.

BigVanVader · July 7, 2015

--To plant everything at the same time so I can have enough produce to sell
--10 ft stakes arent tall enough
--Companion planting works, didnt have time for it this year and more bad bugs/less good than ever
--No till works better than tilling
--My soil Ph is all over the place depending on location
--I like lots of tomatoes, especially blacks and orange/yellows
--I have a wild apple tree in the woods behind my property
--Sungold is picky about location and everything else it seems (1 outta 10 survived)
--Never plant two rows of tomatoes beside each other as it is too tight once they are trees
--Start spraying earlier at first signs of problems
--Every black tomato gets mold
--Squash plants are the rabbits of produce
--Aphids love beans
--Label plants better
--Stick to 2 stems as more reduces size greatly and makes for a forest
--Tomatoville rocks

HCWithAltitude · July 19, 2015

More things I've learned:

- spraying the Neem/DE combo WILL guarantee it rains

- whatever those orange w/Black beetles are don't give a fig about the Neem combo spray

- organic gardening can be annoying at times (see above)

- once Seattle took their weather back and the sun came out everything exploded with growth

- my tomatoes love the sun

- it's okay to fertilize the containers every week, rather than every 2 weeks

- squash plants can grow to over 3 feet tall. Now I have to figure out how to save seeds from my one super vigorous patty pan plant

- Amazon takes waay too long to send some stuff

- wine makes scrubbing the kitchen better

HWA

Nematode · July 20, 2015

The beans don't care how good your excuse is for not picking them yesterday.
They are still going to be a foot long today.

SharonRossy · July 20, 2015

I learned that:

It pays to check underneath the leaves because you never know what critters are laying their eggs, like stink bugs
Definitely start spraying from the beginning for everything, even though keeping insects at bay has been a challenge
Really trim off those bottom leaves
NEVER trust your DH to properly water your container plants when you are away. Came home to drooping plants and BER on two plants!
And I'm starting my seed germination a week later. Can't count on an early spring here and my plants got too tall again.

AlittleSalt · July 20, 2015

I learned that I am even more stubborn than I give myself credit for. I'm going to grow that illusive fall garden even though the forecasted high temps this week are in the lower 100s. There still has to be a way of doing it here in Texas.

Yesterday evening, when I was trimming the lowest branches and leaves on tomato plants that I started from seed back in May, I noticed little heart shaped tomatoes on one plant and blooms on several others. At this time of year, they need air, shade, food, fungicide, mulch/leaves, and water. I use gardening as therapy fighting a nerve disease. Sure, it would be a lot cheaper going to the store and buying produce. I choose not to do that as much as possible.

naseer · July 20, 2015

-Weedless Gardening methods really work (from book by Lee Reich). I've never had fewer weeds, and for the first time I feel at ease when I walk into the garden mid-season instead of frustration and a feeling that there is just too much cleanup to do and it will never get done.
-I can plant tomatoes closer now that I have defined beds. 36" wide bed, 18 feet long can handle 2 offset rows, for a total of 10 tomato plants.
-I need to build a taller cucumber trellis next year. This year was a wedge shape frame of 2x2's, but the top of the wedge was only 3 feet off the ground. Next year it will be 5 feet of the ground.
-I know the order in which my lettuces bolt now. First Forellenschluss, then Coastal Star, and finally Concept.
-Sow kale indoors next time. It's slow to germinate outdoors and hard to keep clean of weeds in the meantime.
-For the first time in 6 years of gardening, the flea beetles have gotten the best of the eggplants. They normally just attack early in the season but the eggplant transplants bounce back and win the war. This year, they've shredded all the foliage, and I've resorted to crushing them by hand twice a day. Next year I'll try Kaolin (organic clay) spray and Neem early on.

Lastfling · July 20, 2015

I learned an Iran Squash can start at one end of a 16' trellis, go to the other end turn around come all the way back start again on another lap while overpowering any and all things it encounters along the way. LOL. So much for thinking I could get a spaghetti squash to grow on the same trellis.

efisakov · July 21, 2015

Naseer, my cucumber trellis are 7 feet tall and the plants already there.

habitat_gardener · July 21, 2015

I learned it is possible to get foliage fungal problems in a summer-dry climate. And that neem can help, but that it's really hard to eradicate once it gets going, especially if you weren't expecting a bit of mold to turn into much and you waited too long to start dealing with it.

naseer · July 21, 2015

Good point, Ella. Maybe I can go even taller. The limitation for me is that the base of the leaning trellis is still limited to 36" wide.

One more thing I learned in the "Weedless Gardening" book is a nice way to extend the lettuce harvest is to sow seed in the shade of the leaning cucumber trellis. That has worked out quite nicely.

efisakov · July 21, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by naseer

Good point, Ella. Maybe I can go even taller. The limitation for me is that the base of the leaning trellis is still limited to 36" wide.

One more thing I learned in the "Weedless Gardening" book is a nice way to extend the lettuce harvest is to sow seed in the shade of the leaning cucumber trellis. That has worked out quite nicely.

My cucumber bed is 38 by 58 inches. I have 6 cucumbers in it. They give enough cucumbers for my family, friends, neighbors and pickling. I am not saying it is a norm. Just sharing. This is second year I am growing them in this location.

I got to read about Weedless Gardening more. Is there a thread on this forum that talks about it?

naseer · July 21, 2015

Do you ever encounter a problem with cucumber beetles? This year they really ravaged my crop, reducing yield to less than a quarter of what I'd normally get. My bed is a very similar size as yours and also has just 7 cucumber plants.

Nematode · July 21, 2015

Poughkeepsie.
Hah, grew up there off vassar rd.

naseer · July 22, 2015

I live on Alex Way, also off Vassar Road. Small world!

July 21, 2015	#39
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	Naseer, my cucumber trellis are 7 feet tall and the plants already there. __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”

July 7, 2015	#31
taboule Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: MA Posts: 903	I learned that growing big indeterminates in a 10 gal grow bags requires very regular (2x a day?) watering and attention, else you can lose crop to BER (had to cut/remove over 6 nice size fruits off one plant thus far.)Started a calmag diet and will try to set them up on a timer.

July 7, 2015	#32
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	--To plant everything at the same time so I can have enough produce to sell --10 ft stakes arent tall enough --Companion planting works, didnt have time for it this year and more bad bugs/less good than ever --No till works better than tilling --My soil Ph is all over the place depending on location --I like lots of tomatoes, especially blacks and orange/yellows --I have a wild apple tree in the woods behind my property --Sungold is picky about location and everything else it seems (1 outta 10 survived) --Never plant two rows of tomatoes beside each other as it is too tight once they are trees --Start spraying earlier at first signs of problems --Every black tomato gets mold --Squash plants are the rabbits of produce --Aphids love beans --Label plants better --Stick to 2 stems as more reduces size greatly and makes for a forest --Tomatoville rocks

July 19, 2015	#33
HCWithAltitude Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Colorado Posts: 78	More things I've learned: - spraying the Neem/DE combo WILL guarantee it rains - whatever those orange w/Black beetles are don't give a fig about the Neem combo spray - organic gardening can be annoying at times (see above) - once Seattle took their weather back and the sun came out everything exploded with growth - my tomatoes love the sun - it's okay to fertilize the containers every week, rather than every 2 weeks - squash plants can grow to over 3 feet tall. Now I have to figure out how to save seeds from my one super vigorous patty pan plant - Amazon takes waay too long to send some stuff - wine makes scrubbing the kitchen better HWA

July 20, 2015	#34
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	The beans don't care how good your excuse is for not picking them yesterday. They are still going to be a foot long today.

July 20, 2015	#35
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	I learned that: It pays to check underneath the leaves because you never know what critters are laying their eggs, like stink bugs Definitely start spraying from the beginning for everything, even though keeping insects at bay has been a challenge Really trim off those bottom leaves NEVER trust your DH to properly water your container plants when you are away. Came home to drooping plants and BER on two plants! And I'm starting my seed germination a week later. Can't count on an early spring here and my plants got too tall again.

July 20, 2015	#36
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I learned that I am even more stubborn than I give myself credit for. I'm going to grow that illusive fall garden even though the forecasted high temps this week are in the lower 100s. There still has to be a way of doing it here in Texas. Yesterday evening, when I was trimming the lowest branches and leaves on tomato plants that I started from seed back in May, I noticed little heart shaped tomatoes on one plant and blooms on several others. At this time of year, they need air, shade, food, fungicide, mulch/leaves, and water. I use gardening as therapy fighting a nerve disease. Sure, it would be a lot cheaper going to the store and buying produce. I choose not to do that as much as possible.

July 20, 2015	#37
naseer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Poughkeepsie, NY Posts: 15	-Weedless Gardening methods really work (from book by Lee Reich). I've never had fewer weeds, and for the first time I feel at ease when I walk into the garden mid-season instead of frustration and a feeling that there is just too much cleanup to do and it will never get done. -I can plant tomatoes closer now that I have defined beds. 36" wide bed, 18 feet long can handle 2 offset rows, for a total of 10 tomato plants. -I need to build a taller cucumber trellis next year. This year was a wedge shape frame of 2x2's, but the top of the wedge was only 3 feet off the ground. Next year it will be 5 feet of the ground. -I know the order in which my lettuces bolt now. First Forellenschluss, then Coastal Star, and finally Concept. -Sow kale indoors next time. It's slow to germinate outdoors and hard to keep clean of weeds in the meantime. -For the first time in 6 years of gardening, the flea beetles have gotten the best of the eggplants. They normally just attack early in the season but the eggplant transplants bounce back and win the war. This year, they've shredded all the foliage, and I've resorted to crushing them by hand twice a day. Next year I'll try Kaolin (organic clay) spray and Neem early on.

July 20, 2015	#38
Lastfling Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: NC Posts: 143	I learned an Iran Squash can start at one end of a 16' trellis, go to the other end turn around come all the way back start again on another lap while overpowering any and all things it encounters along the way. LOL. So much for thinking I could get a spaghetti squash to grow on the same trellis.

July 21, 2015	#40
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,540	I learned it is possible to get foliage fungal problems in a summer-dry climate. And that neem can help, but that it's really hard to eradicate once it gets going, especially if you weren't expecting a bit of mold to turn into much and you waited too long to start dealing with it.

July 22, 2015	#45
naseer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Poughkeepsie, NY Posts: 15	I live on Alex Way, also off Vassar Road. Small world!