BYC gardening thread!!

[A-K-A]

Beefsteak tomotos-- I'm starting to wonder if the growing season is too short here.  Has anyone tried methods to speed up tomato maturity?? Red plastic, walls of water, that sort of thing. I'm wondering if that is worth a try to speed up the growth of the tomatos I am just planting now. Thoughts?????????

While living in Montana everyone used walls of water for their tomatoes. Gave a early start to young plants when frost could still prevail. Not needed here so much. Until a couple years ago grew Beefsteak variety. They took longer to grow- to me were worth the wait.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Ok will try to figure out if I can green house any of mine to increase the temps a bit on the cooler days, and get the soil temp up. I'm assuming too hot is a real possibility. . . .but maybe not with tomatos. lol

I have about a dozen varieties planted now. . . . took a couple tries to figure out starting the seeds ( and stopping the mice! lol) , getting the light right and planting all the transplants. It is a bit of work to have a garden. Really makes me appreciate the quick and easy from the grocery. . . . and appreciate the fine flavors only found in the home garden.

In the past we had a nice yellow pear tomato-- HUGE. About 4 x 5. Had to keep it trimmed. Prolific. Fun for the kids as it was a start done thru the grammer school. My kids sure did try those tiny pears!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Any thing you can do to hold the heat in. I like to cut the bottoms out of gallon milk jugs, then slip them over the plants. They'll last for 2 - 3 weeks, until the plants start growing out the top of them. Or you could wrap clear plastic around the tomato cages. Or make a plastic tunnel. Any thing to hold the heat in. If the soil is too cold, the plant can't take in calcium, as well as other nutrients, and will show funky colors in the leaves, even if there is adequate soil nutrient. As soon as the soil warms up, you'll see better leaf color. My tomatoes look pathetic. But, the ones under jugs sure do look better than the ones without that extra protection. This summer is turning out to be a bummer. Perhaps going to Guatemala is the only way I'll see ANY warm weather this season!!

 

[A-K-A]

Any thing you can do to hold the heat in.  I like to cut the bottoms out of gallon milk jugs, then slip them over the plants.  They'll last for 2 - 3 weeks, until the plants start growing out the top of them.  Or you could wrap clear plastic around the tomato cages.  Or make a plastic tunnel.  Any thing to hold the heat in.  If the soil is too cold, the plant can't take in calcium, as well as other nutrients, and will show funky colors in the leaves, even if there is adequate soil nutrient.  As soon as the soil warms up, you'll see better leaf color.  My tomatoes look pathetic.  But, the ones under jugs sure do look better than the ones without that extra protection.  This summer is turning out to be a bummer.  Perhaps going to Guatemala is the only way I'll see ANY warm weather this season!!

The milk jugs is another great option- even with a large amount of plants.

 

[Arielle]

lol I did have some milk jugs cut just for this reason. Though worry about the heat of the day cooking them. I would need to remove the covers by 6:30am........worry that with the cap off it still might be too hot . . . .hmmmm

 

[lazy gardener]

You're not too far south of me. I leave them in place with caps off, and they do well as long as the soil doesn't get dry. If the day time temp gets up to around 80, then, I pull the jugs. Keep them around for a few days just in case the weather takes an other nasty turn. I think I may try some spot seeding under milk jugs this fall. It would allow some seedlings to get a head start, without the chickens tearing them up.

 

[MeatTheFlockers]

A few shots from my garden this season.

 

[A-K-A]

Awesome- beautiful heirlooms mine are forming and soon should have fome ripe to show off.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I have 10 raised beds and 30 stalks of corn going right now. My beds consist of all sorts of tomatoes and an assortment of lettuce as well as all the favorite salad add ins. We have green beans and snap peas beets and squash of all sorts. At the top side of that is our coop and run for the 18 girls who would love to roam my garden. Just about 30 feet from that we have 2 blueberry bushes as well as 2 huge areas of black raspberries and an area of red ones as well. We also have 6 mature apple tree's and 2 new ones just planted today. I love growing everything my family eats .

 

[roseyred]

A few shots from my garden this season.

Those are beautiful!!!! Goodness