Mumsy's Romantic Garden Advice

[Mrs Rebecca]

HELP!!! what the heck happened to my tomatoes! Yesterday morning they were green and bushy, not a spot of blight or a withered leaf in sigth. this morning? THIS.




not only have the leaves all wilted and died 3/4 of the way up the plant but loads of the fruit had dropped off onto the ground around the plants. partially ripe and just plain old green. even some of the smaller side stems are brown/wilted. It almost looks like frost damage but can't be, it wasn't that cold last night and the basil, which is in the same bed, and equally tender, is FINE. I brought all the fruit in, and have it on newspaper where hopefully it will continue to ripen. I looked again a moment ago and my two cherry tomatoes which are planted in pots on the other side of the garden are not affected by this horrible whatever-it-is.

Are your pots located near a house or building, or on a stone/concrete patio? If so, that will protect them from the cold weather some. Even a clay or concrete pot can hold heat and keep a cold sensitive plant warm.

 

[MumsyII]

The tomotoes look like blight took them. It can happen quickly. Only hard heavy frost would out right kill a tomato plant over night. That kind of cold would take out cucumbers too. It can happen this time of year but I think it looks like blight.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Here's a tip for green tomatoes when frost is coming. Learned if from an old gardener or 2.

Don't remove the tomatoes from the vine. Uproot the vine, tomatoes and all. Hang the vines upside down from the rafters in any place that won't freeze. A garage or out building if it won't freeze; the basement of the house otherwise.

They will continue to ripen and you can pick them off the vine as they do.

Tried it first time last year and it really works!

 

[armorfirelady]

Here's a tip for green tomatoes when frost is coming. Learned if from an old gardener or 2.

Don't remove the tomatoes from the vine. Uproot the vine, tomatoes and all. Hang the vines upside down from the rafters in any place that won't freeze. A garage or out building if it won't freeze; the basement of the house otherwise.

They will continue to ripen and you can pick them off the vine as they do.

Tried it first time last year and it really works!

Oooh I will have try it......down in the 50s again after 3 nice days in the 80s......some of my tomatoes started to pink up but I still have a lot of green ones

 

[Leahs Mom]

Just wait till you know you're about to get a frost and get them in to hang just before that!

 

[armorfirelady]

Just wait till you know you're about to get a frost and get them in to hang just before that!

I will. I was hoping for a few more sunny days to get them to ripen........but its rain for a few days instead

 

[armorfirelady]

Mumsy I am looking to make my hoop coop look more natural & thought that something that climbs would be perfect to cover it. My only concern would be weight of the plants. Now I used sturdy cattle panels so they will hold some weight. I figured I could tie string the length of the sides to give the climbing plants something to grab as it grows up (Its covered with a heavy duty tarp)

I am trying to root wild grape vines (no luck they have been sitting in water over a month) but I was wondering with the vines if they would get to heavy years later.

I figure it would also provide shade for them in the coop and help keep it cooler in the winter.

Any suggestions?
Thanks

 

[MumsyII]

Mumsy I am looking to make my hoop coop look more natural & thought that something that climbs would be perfect to cover it. My only concern would be weight of the plants. Now I used sturdy cattle panels so they will hold some weight. I figured I could tie string the length of the sides to give the climbing plants something to grab as it grows up (Its covered with a heavy duty tarp)

I am trying to root wild grape vines (no luck they have been sitting in water over a month) but I was wondering with the vines if they would get to heavy years later.

I figure it would also provide shade for them in the coop and help keep it cooler in the winter.

Any suggestions?
Thanks

Great idea! Yes. Lots of ideas! My favorite light weight vine would be any of the ornamental clematis. A wide range of colors. They like their roots cool and their heads in the sun. I put rocks and bricks over the root zone after planting. A pumpkin and squash vine grew over the top of my hoop house and the pumpkins got huge and heavy and didn't warp the steel hog panel at all. In fact the pumpkins grew so large, they broke off the vine and fell off the hoop house!

Hops would work, as would nasturtiums. Even scarlet runner beans. If you don't care about picking anything and just want green growing shade, any of these would work. In late fall after hard frost, the dead vines can just be pulled off and thrown onto the compost pile.

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote:
Wow thanks !!! Nasturtiums are the one chicks like as well? I obviously wanted some that wouldnt harm the girls either. A perennial would be awesome. I have metal fencing on one side as well in front of the coop so I would like a viney plant for that as well. I want to *hide* the fencing.....I used roses around the veggie garden so thought another plant would look cool. The coop and the fence is in full sun. Do all the ones you listed like full sun?
Here is the coop last spring.


You can see the fence on the left hand side. Its always there and is attached to the house. Its part of their winter digs.
I planted a hydrangea to the right of the coop to help with disguise & for shade. But its only 2 feet high so it has a lot of growing to go

And I want to make wooden garden boxes for the right side of the coop the whole length for fresh herbs for the hens.

 

[MumsyII]

Wow thanks !!! Nasturtiums are the one chicks like as well? I obviously wanted some that wouldnt harm the girls either. A perennial would be awesome. I have metal fencing on one side as well in front of the coop so I would like a viney plant for that as well. I want to *hide* the fencing.....I used roses around the veggie garden so thought another plant would look cool. The coop and the fence is in full sun. Do all the ones you listed like full sun?
Here is the coop last spring.


You can see the fence on the left hand side. Its always there and is attached to the house. Its part of their winter digs.
I planted a hydrangea to the right of the coop to help with disguise & for shade. But its only 2 feet high so it has a lot of growing to go

And I want to make wooden garden boxes for the right side of the coop the whole length for fresh herbs for the hens.

Yep. Everything I named likes their heads in the sun. And they grow fast too.