Raybo's EarthTainer "Farm" - 2017

[rnewste]

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

[peebee]

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

[Sun City Linda]

Beautiful, as always! Thanks for posting.

[amideutch]

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

Ami

[Deborah]

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

[rnewste]

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

[matereater]

Lookin good Ray !!

[dustdevil]

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

[rnewste]

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

[dustdevil]

Ray, thanks for your response

[Rockporter]

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

[MSchep]

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?

[rnewste]

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

[Worth1]

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

[MSchep]

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.