Vegetable Gardens ??

[H.A.F.]

Are you in the New England area? Your pictures look like they could've been taken from my property

Not even close LOL. I have 4 actual seasons, sub-mountainous hardwood region, ~1000' elevation. My property is on a hill, very rocky soil - boulders and stuff. it's naturally terraced from erosion and natural barriers. Oak, hickory, dogwood, maple - what soil I have is primo - just have to sift it. But I have no problem taking a shovel into the woods to get dirt for the vegetables.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

Not even close LOL. I have 4 actual seasons, sub-mountainous hardwood region, ~1000' elevation. My property is on a hill, very rocky soil - boulders and stuff. it's naturally terraced from erosion and natural barriers. Oak, hickory, dogwood, maple - what soil I have is primo - just have to sift it. But I have no problem taking a shovel into the woods to get dirt for the vegetables.

Yeah, I live in an area surrounded by wetlands and my soil is really nice here. I've never seen soil so black and rich.

 

[H.A.F.]

Check out "Wise Orchard". They make a WiFi hose timer that sells for $60 that you enter your garden size/type, soil makeup, and the type of irrigation you are using, and then it monitors the weather for your location and uses that (and the data you entered) to only water when needed. If you are familiar with how a Rachio controller works, Wise Orchard is basically a less expensive single zone version.

I'm a gray-man. This is the only place that knows what I'm doing, and that is half for learning and half to keep the cool new seeds coming in
No way I'm putting stuff on random aps - that's just me. I don't even take pics on my phone. Cannon PowerShot, SD card, laptop

My timer has these settings available.

I started at 30 minutes every evening, but some of the plants looked a little harsh by the end of the day. I added 30 minutes in the morning, and they have been fine, but I don't think they are drying out enough.

So now I am trying 1hr in the evening to make sure they are thoroughly soaked, and nothing in the morning. I have them in grow-bags so the roots can get into the soil and good drainage, so nature is nature as far as them getting extra rain. Just wondering if anyone had anecdotal info on a "set it and forget it" setting

 

[H.A.F.]

Check out "Wise Orchard". They make a WiFi hose timer

Don't get me wrong -keep the good info coming. That's just not me.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

Don't get me wrong -keep the good info coming. That's just not me.

No, I get it. I'm actually not using mine this year because I wanted to be more hands on with my vegetable garden this time. The app itself doesn't tie into photos or anything personal like that, though. It's only used to tell the device the type of soil conditions/irrigation you are using, wither you are using it to water plants/grass/flowers/shrubs/etc, and so you can see when it is planning on watering and for how long. The one thing I really like about it, though, is that you can mark days and times when you aren't permitted to water (when public water bans get more strict) and it will account for that and work around those days/times. It's a great device to use if you ever have to go away for a trip.

 

[BigBallzWillie]

I'm a gray-man. This is the only place that knows what I'm doing, and that is half for learning and half to keep the cool new seeds coming in
No way I'm putting stuff on random aps - that's just me. I don't even take pics on my phone. Cannon PowerShot, SD card, laptop

My timer has these settings available.
View attachment 62017
I started at 30 minutes every evening, but some of the plants looked a little harsh by the end of the day. I added 30 minutes in the morning, and they have been fine, but I don't think they are drying out enough.

So now I am trying 1hr in the evening to make sure they are thoroughly soaked, and nothing in the morning. I have them in grow-bags so the roots can get into the soil and good drainage, so nature is nature as far as them getting extra rain. Just wondering if anyone had anecdotal info on a "set it and forget it" setting

I think you need the hour to get em soaked.

 

[H.A.F.]

I have a half dozen or so unlabeled tomatoes that were either "Hillbilly" or "Mortgage Lifter" heirlooms. All but one look to have regular beefsteak shaped tomatoes and should be the mortgage-lifter. I have no clue what to expect from these hillbilly's. Grape shaped, and the larger ones (still growing) are bigger than a cherry tomato.


I also have Black Prince, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine Pink for oddballs.
The rest are like beefsteak, better-boy, early girl, etc. slicing tomatoes. Two cherries, then the genetic wild-cards from Bonnie
100'th Anniversary, which is the only determinate plant I have; and "Our Favorite Tomato" because - why not?

 

[H.A.F.]

One of five tomatillo are taking off.

the rest have lots of flowers but no lanterns.

Hot peppers - the big one at the bottom has started yellowing a bit, so it's the test pepper to see how far I can let them go.

Don't need that for the bell peppers

 

[Ozjet68]

I have a half dozen or so unlabeled tomatoes that were either "Hillbilly" or "Mortgage Lifter" heirlooms. All but one look to have regular beefsteak shaped tomatoes and should be the mortgage-lifter. I have no clue what to expect from these hillbilly's. Grape shaped, and the larger ones (still growing) are bigger than a cherry tomato.

View attachment 62021
I also have Black Prince, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine Pink for oddballs.
The rest are like beefsteak, better-boy, early girl, etc. slicing tomatoes. Two cherries, then the genetic wild-cards from Bonnie
100'th Anniversary, which is the only determinate plant I have; and "Our Favorite Tomato" because - why not?

I got tired of running out of room and chasing the growth rates staking up and supporting my tomatoes in the second half of our season so I ended up growing them in hanging pots under semi shaded trees about 6 feet off the ground and let them just hang down . It gets stinking hot some days on our coast ( 120F ) and can destroy the patch in hours so they don’t mind the semi shade . No more lifting and re staking branching under weight

 

[H.A.F.]

chasing the growth rates

I have twine coming down from overhead supports, Every few days I wrap the twine around the new growth. It supports the individual tomato-bunch stems really well.

Once they get head high I just let them go. It should look like a vineyard with tomatoes instead of grapes at the end.

 

[H.A.F.]

I saw a video from one of the tomato-factories that gave me the idea.

They had plants several years old, supported on a rope from above like I have, but they kept the plants about 6-8 feet high.

They gradually lowered the ropes to keep them the same height from the lights, pruned away the lower growth that was done producing tomatoes, and coiled up the stems like a fat coil of cable.

 

[Ozjet68]

I saw a video from one of the tomato-factories that gave me the idea.

They had plants several years old, supported on a rope from above like I have, but they kept the plants about 6-8 feet high.

They gradually lowered the ropes to keep them the same height from the lights, pruned away the lower growth that was done producing tomatoes, and coiled up the stems like a fat coil of cable.

Several years old wow. I was just wondering how long you can sustain them for . I have one indoors under my SP250 during our winter and I was thinking how big it it going to get before spring and soil temps warm up enough and life expectancy . I guess I’ll find out .

 

[H.A.F.]

Several years old wow. I was just wondering how long you can sustain them for . I have one indoors under my SP250 during our winter and I was thinking how big it it going to get before spring and soil temps warm up enough and life expectancy . I guess I’ll find out .

For indeterminate tomatoes they keep pumping out new limbs (secondary shoots) so I think they just kept pruning away all but the thickest main trunk to keep the nutes flowing. It was in a big warehouse with 20' ceilings, looked like a weed grow-room but taller.

 

[Deleted member 60]

The tomato plants in our Dome greenhouse can go well over a year if that is you goal. Generally they start to lose some vigor after the first year.... then the skins get a bit tougher because *IMO) they take longer to grow.finish. The fruit on some varieties will get a bit bitter. Suckers get 12 ft tall and wind up/all over the cattle fencing I have mounted to the sides of the dome. Everybody is rockin this year.

 

[gwheels]

I am going to need more supports. tomato cages are going to be too small for the tomato plants so i will hunt around for more hockey sticks.

My neighbors kid was in the juniors and he gave me a bunch. Or I will have to get some. I might just get 8 foot 2 x 2s and sharpen and hammer them in. I have never had a garden go so bonkers. My shade plants just started showing. Beets turnips and potatos all popped up.

I was wrong about the summer squash. I think i have 6 or 7 of those plants going. And there are little yellow squash coming out all over the place. And once you start picking them BOOM !

The 25 litre pots (6.5 gallon) were a perfect size for the squash too. They will grow 6 to 12 squash at a time on each planter no problem. Those autopots are good for something !


Gardening and swimming today. It was 76 at the crack of dawn...it will hit 82 today for sure.

I can goes to my right....i can goes to my left, im whatcha call amphibious (I believe that was the Shaq)

 

[H.A.F.]

The tomato plants in our Dome greenhouse can go well over a year if that is you goal. Generally they start to lose some vigor after the first year.... then the skins get a bit tougher because *IMO) they take longer to grow.finish. The fruit on some varieties will get a bit bitter.

I give you - the perfect description of the grocery store tomato that those dudes were growing.

And the "longer to finish" part is perfect for shipping just turned tomatoes and having them red at the store.

But I'm not coiling or keeping - it's just an easy way to keep plants from getting demolished by the wind and their own weight.

 

[H.A.F.]

I grow peppers because I love them and they are expensive at the store.

I grow tomatoes because that's the only way to get good tomatoes.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

I was lazy with my garden this yea, started late, and just tilled it before planting because the soil looked and felt great. Now I'm regretting that because the plants don't look happy at all. I did a soil test this morning and it looks like it is pretty depleted of N and K is a little on the low side. Looks like I'm going to need to do some fertilizing this weekend.

 

[Deleted member 60]

We usually take down most of the tomato plants in the GH in early winter. Even so...the ones we let go still beat the fuck out of the grocery store offerings and we have fresh tomatoes all winter. @ that point we make sauce with em. The wife has that shit down but good. We eat a lot of red meals.

Yer gonna have some seriously crowded monsters there @gwheels. I foresee a lot of trimming and general wrangling to keep those girls in line and get some airflow in there. Wowsir. After the chop yesterday my plants are all less than 18" tall....LOL.

 

[BigBallzWillie]

Garden is having some moments. Currently....

Lettuce............we are now giving full heads away, lol, absolutely jamming

Broccoli..............big plants, small heads so far..........heading for the juicer

Garlic............booming, just finished taking in the scapes. We keep 5 gallons and gave one gallon away, only family gets garlic scapes, lol. Pulled one variety entirely which is always early, put 9 sweet potato's in it's place. Black-eyed peas in between them
Tomatoes..........booming, lot's of flowers, Mark Twain's are 36" and thick.
Peas.........a small bowl every day
Peppers...........are just starting to grab, they are small and slow because of that late freeze we got in may.
Radishes............lots..........but also a lot of duds.
Sweet Potatos........booming
Cukes.............slow start........a couple just getting legs
Pumpkins, watermelon, winter squash.........look ok so far
Chard............looks good, the slugs appear to like it too
Clones........saw 5 weeks in the tent @ 12/12, then outside covered with barrels for 12/12 for the balance. Put out 7 plants and will net average a zip each. Almost zero rain for weeks yet a couple of small bud rot spots on a few.