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Old December 14, 2017   #3061
maxjohnson
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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.
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Last edited by maxjohnson; December 14, 2017 at 03:11 PM.
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Old December 14, 2017   #3062
Zone9b
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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.
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
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Old December 14, 2017   #3063
Barb_FL
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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
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.
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Old December 15, 2017   #3064
Zone9b
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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.
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
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Old December 20, 2017   #3065
maxjohnson
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Question for Barb and Ginger, do you put in one or two plants in the Earthbox? I want to put in two beefsteaks.
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Old December 20, 2017   #3066
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Question for Barb and Ginger, do you put in one or two plants in the Earthbox? I want to put in two beefsteaks.
2. Please call me Marsha.
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Old December 21, 2017   #3067
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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.
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Old December 21, 2017   #3068
Barb_FL
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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
https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Labor...s=tomato+maker

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.
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Old December 22, 2017   #3069
ginger2778
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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.
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Old December 22, 2017   #3070
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First significant harvest of Broccoli this season. 16 heads
Larry
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Old December 22, 2017   #3071
ginger2778
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Oh Wow!
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Old December 22, 2017   #3072
efisakov
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Second that. Wow...

btw, happy holidays to all my friends.
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God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”
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Old December 22, 2017   #3073
ginger2778
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Happy Holidays Ella, great to see you. Are you going to visit Florida this winter?
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Old December 23, 2017   #3074
efisakov
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Not sure about it yet. I definitely want to.
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Old December 23, 2017   #3075
ginger2778
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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!
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