What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

Anyone want to make a suggestion for a good sauce tomato?

 

[TJAnonymous]

This is the netting I used over my hoop house.

https://www.agfabric.com/collections/insect-netting/products/insectnetting3191

Not only did I have a bad customer experience with this company, the netting failed to stop the pests.... I could probably say it was user error on my behalf for the squash bugs but not the aphids & whiteflies. Those pretty much just came through the netting.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Rather than cover my hoop house, I'm thinking about making some homemade row covers. I could use 1x2's & dowels to create something like this....


Then simply cover it with the insect fabric I used on the hoop house last year. I'd only use it over the broccoli to keep the worms away. I'm going to move my curcubits out of the garden this year to another location altogether.

 

[NewBoots]

In love fried green tomatoes and would eat a fried black tomato too or make black salsa instead of green salsa.

I finally got a good fried green tomato recipe this year and couldn't make them enough.

The white ones do not look appetizing, so I am not inclined to try them.

I tried some Italian white cherry tomatoes last season and didn't get a single flower on them let alone any fruit.

Anyone want to make a suggestion for a good sauce tomato?

I make sauce out of any tomatoes I have but San Marzano are my favorite for sauce.

As far as black tomatoes go, the only kind I have experience with are black cherries and they aren't really black but are good producers with great flavor.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I make sauce out of any tomatoes I have but San Marzano are my favorite for sauce.

I've seen several people on here mention San Marzanos. I've never seen them for sale anywhere locally.... Is that something you have to order online?

 

[BReeder!]

I've seen several people on here mention San Marzanos. I've never seen them for sale anywhere locally.... Is that something you have to order online?

I grow my tomatoes from seed. San Marzano seeds are usually available at every major store in the Spring with all the other seeds - often Burpee around here. They are available online too though. I think dollarseeds.com had them, which is the least expensive online option I found next to littleshopofseeds.com.

 

[Sally PB]

marigolds,

I've grown marigolds and planted them around my tomato beds for the last two years. For the last two years, I haven't seen soldier beetles on my tomatoes. I don't know if it's coincidence, but I plan to keep doing this.

I did see GOBS of Japanese beetles on the marigolds. I didn't think this was a bad thing though, because I catch the beetles and feed them to the chickens. I probably killed off 1000 beetles this last summer, and I know the chickens ate less feed during the same time. Double win!

 

[cherrynberry]

Thank you! I will!

For the most part, I think I will keep these seeds inside, until they sprout. I have a few "sprouting" containers. Then, I will move them out and keep them covered until they are large enough. We have a few tall fences that mostly keep deer out, but my dad claims to have saw one. And of course, there are quite a few ground squirrels too. If I do have questions, I will definitely ask all of you experienced people!

My mom ordered seeds and they should come tomorrow. I finished the last of the weeding for the beds a few days ago. Exciting!

 

[BReeder!]

I've grown marigolds and planted them around my tomato beds for the last two years. For the last two years, I haven't seen soldier beetles on my tomatoes. I don't know if it's coincidence, but I plan to keep doing this.

I did see GOBS of Japanese beetles on the marigolds. I didn't think this was a bad thing though, because I catch the beetles and feed them to the chickens. I probably killed off 1000 beetles this last summer, and I know the chickens ate less feed during the same time. Double win!

Do Japanese beetles stay in the grind for several years before emerging? And if so, how many years? In wondering because we has a beetle problem 4 or 5 years ago, but never again since. I'm wondering if this has just been the calm before the storm.

 

[BReeder!]

Do Japanese beetles stay in the grind for several years before emerging? And if so, how many years? In wondering because we has a beetle problem 4 or 5 years ago, but never again since. I'm wondering if this has just been the calm before the storm.

Nvm, googled and found out they complete their cycle in one year. Maybe the population just really took a hit. I certainly don't mind.