My tomato season is usually done by Mother's Day. I then plant various flowers like amaranthus, sunflowers, salvia, basil and other herbs. Also have beans from Jan. to May. I have strawberries only for 2 months..got real hot to fast after Easter. I did not grow okra or cucumbers this season. I grow in 20 gallon containers all my veggies. My romaine and deer tongue lettuce was real good this season. I also grow sorghum during summer months. I have 5 mango trees that are producing good this season. They produce every other season. Will get less next year. Let's hope all the hurricanes stay out to sea this season. We got slammed by Irma a few years back..don't want to go through that again. Also I have my passion fruit vine, Passiflora Edulis Flavicarpa all season. The vines produce flowers and fruit all year. Always have fresh seeds if anyone need some. I also have tropical milkweed and Balloon Plant milkweed and Hello Yellow milkweed all year.



Douglas:)

Damsel F1 tomato variety is said by many to be nematode resistant. A major seed vendor says, "The combined disease package of Late Blight, Verticillium Wilt and Nematode Resistance are sure to please your customers." In the Spring, I had Damsel plants in 10 gallon containers and more in raised beds. I've experienced that many varieties do much better in raised beds than in my containers. Damsel was no different, with far superior performance in raised beds. I pulled the old Spring plants recently and as suspected the containers showed my nematode activity, but to my surprise the Damsel plants in the raised beds showed very significant nematode damage. Some roots as fat as my thumb. I can't imagine how well they would have done in RBs if they truly were nematode resistant.

That's interesting Larry. So even though they weren't nematode resistant, they produced well and better in the Raised Beds than the container? I still have one plant from August/September that has tomatoes.

Really consider adding the Crab Shells to your raised beds. I add a thin layer on the bottom of my root pouches and even when I put them directly on the weed barrier and they dug through, the roots were fine. I found the best (cheapest) place to buy the 4lb bag is Burpee.com when they have free shipping. Walmart.com (can have it delivered to store) is sometimes $12 something.

BTW - awhile back. I grew one of the nematode resistance varieties developed in Hawaii and I didn't think it was any better fighting off nematodes. I had also planted a ton of marigolds (from Denmark) around it.

I didn't do much Gardening this summer, but I do have a RB full of volunteer Sweet Potatoes. We planted a RB full of Broccoli late today. Mostly Castle Dome F1 but I am also giving Green Magic a try. We have quite a few tomato plants big enough to go in the garden, but they will just have to wait. Hope everybody had a good summer.
Larry

That's so cool about your volunteer sweet potatoes. Do you water your RB regularly?

I can't believe you have broccoli already planted. You planted seedlings, correct?

And tomato plants ready to go out too? It sounds like you have been really busy.

---
My tomato season was really long; it stopped b/c I needed it to so I stopped watering; then couldn't force myself to go outside in the heat other than to pull plants. My Earthboxes got full of weeds which I am contending with now. At last count, I have 12 EB currently being solarized and 8 to go. It isn't 1-1, Probably about 3-4 EB make 2 solarized EB by the time you discard the junk. All the Root Pouches have been dumped, but few have been pressure washed and they are gross. Once that is done, I just need to clean up the garden, replace any weed barrier and hopefully be ready for the new season.

I sowed some seeds; some I'm doing via the paper towel method, others into the cells.

[QUOTE=Zone9b;744604]I didn't do much Gardening this summer, but I do have a RB full of volunteer Sweet Potatoes. [/QUOTE]

That's pretty cool. I'm hoping to grow sweet potatoes; my boyfriend would like to grow potatoes which I guess will have to wait for cooler weather. Did you buy slips or start your own? I got a couple different types of sweet potatoes from Whole Foods that are organic; partly to try for taste and texture, and partly to see if they'll sprout if left in a paper bag.

Just got the fall tomatoes transplanted this past weekend. A little later than I had planned but it has been really hot here and my scheduled hasn't really let me harden them off at all. Pruned up the pepper plants and started fertilizing everything again. Hopefully, it will shape up for a good December harvest of both.

Jax - Do you grow in containers, EB, Raised Beds, or ground?

My plants are still tiny or small and on the pool deck with intense sun 100% of the time. Some have been moved from the cells to a 4" square container. I've been doing the transfer about 5 PM and the next day they are out in the sun. (I do move them at night just in case we get a huge thunderstorm or tremendous wind). Only one has wilted after the transplant so I moved that cell pack in the shade and it recovered. I would have never believed this was possible.

The last 2 years I was in Tennessee mountains for the month of September and brought back large plants which needed to adapt to Florida. Plus 2018 October was really hot.

My 4" pots are white so that really helps deflect the heat.

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Larry - how is the broccoli going? I sowed some seeds - some green magic from Johnny's last year and CastleDome seed that was pretty old so I have my doubts if it will germinate. What variety is your preference?

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Do you think we should start a new thread for the '19-20 season? I will do it and find the important posts from Marsha where she described the copper treatment to put in the first post. Let me know.

I think it may entice some new FLorida growers.

[QUOTE=Barb_FL;746086]Jax - Do you grow in containers, EB, Raised Beds, or ground?

My plants are still tiny or small and on the pool deck with intense sun 100% of the time. Some have been moved from the cells to a 4" square container. I've been doing the transfer about 5 PM and the next day they are out in the sun. (I do move them at night just in case we get a huge thunderstorm or tremendous wind). Only one has wilted after the transplant so I moved that cell pack in the shade and it recovered. I would have never believed this was possible.

The last 2 years I was in Tennessee mountains for the month of September and brought back large plants which needed to adapt to Florida. Plus 2018 October was really hot.

My 4" pots are white so that really helps deflect the heat.

----
Larry - how is the broccoli going? I sowed some seeds - some green magic from Johnny's last year and CastleDome seed that was pretty old so I have my doubts if it will germinate. What variety is your preference?

---
Do you think we should start a new thread for the '19-20 season? I will do it and find the important posts from Marsha where she described the copper treatment to put in the first post. Let me know.

I think it may entice some new FLorida growers.[/QUOTE]

Self watering 5 gallon buckets (Rain Gutter Gardening). My plants were kind of small and we have been having streaks of 97 degree weather. I didn't want them to fry but I may try it next year and just have some back up plants ready if things go wrong.

I think a new thread may peak some new interest.

I'd definitely appreciate hearing more from fellow Floridians. :) I'm learning from everyone's discussions, but the conditions and timing we have here are rather unique.

Hi there,
New Florida grower here. Recently retired, so Im starting some gardening. Im so envious all the tomato pictures I am seeing. Your plants and tomatoes are so gorgeous! I never would have thought you could grow tomatoes like that in Florida.

Im going to use grow bags; Im finding they are easier to manage, easier on my old back, and you can move them around like furniture! Just started some vermicomposting bins in my house, and now everyone is positive Ive gone loco.

Going to do some reading here, I can see Ill be busy with that!

Welcome Ocalagal.

I use grow bags (root pouches) and Earthboxes. I do really well with the Root Pouches; but during the season they get super gross looking (moss growing). I pressure wash them during the season to get the algae ??? off and at the end of the season when they are empty.

I'm going to start a new thread for the 2019-2020 season so look for it.

On the first post I will put the important info like Marsha's copper spray formula for fungal diseases, sticky card info - there is only one to buy b/c lizards get stuck on the others.

NEW THREAD is Active: Here it is:
[URL="http://http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=49703"]http://http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=49703[/URL]

Fall Garden
 

I have a number of the University of Florida tomato varieties in my fall garden. Harvested first crop of Cassidy Green Beans last week end and finished harvesting my first crop of Broccoli today. More Broccoli to go in a bit later. Hope everyone's gardens are doing great, in case anyone looks at this thread anymore. :) Larry

Larry - WTG on the broccoli - I have seedlings but having planted out yet due to it being hot.

What U of F tomatoes are you growing? Were they fast sending the seeds? I did try to germinate the 3 I had and none germinated and then it seemed like they were slow to mail so I didn't bother. My seeds were from them - 2016 - I had older (2014) germinate. The ones I tried were Garden Gem, Garden Treasure, and their experimental "W" which is a determinate.

BTW - I ordered from TGS (tomato grower supply) this Monday morning, got a notice they shipped that day and got my order on Weds.

I may have asked this before, but do you plant in containers? We have a condo in Aquarina pretty close to Indiatlantic. My son will be there for a month and then we may be there for the next month and everything is so sandy even flowers don't do well let alone tomatoes and other vegetables. Or maybe it takes a native's knack.

One of these years we will have to become snowbirds and try a full growing season just to see what can be done.

[QUOTE=PaulF;760342]I may have asked this before, but do you plant in containers? We have a condo in Aquarina pretty close to Indiatlantic. My son will be there for a month and then we may be there for the next month and everything is so sandy even flowers don't do well let alone tomatoes and other vegetables. Or maybe it takes a native's knack.

One of these years we will have to become snowbirds and try a full growing season just to see what can be done.[/QUOTE]

I grow in Earthboxes and Rootpouches; I have a raised bed for broccoli and use the Florida sand/earth for pineapples, but everything else in an Earthbox or Rootpouch.

Try it; the Florida winters are fabulous.

February seems to be our chosen month. What a nice change from Feb on the plains.

I'm down to growing Caiman F1 in Raised Beds and Neptune in 5 gallon pots. They are starting to set fruit. But I'm also growing squash, peppers, sweet potatoes and pineapples. I'd be interesting in hearing from other Florida Gardeners.

[QUOTE=Zone9b;765893]I'm down to growing Caiman F1 in Raised Beds and Neptune in 5 gallon pots. They are starting to set fruit. But I'm also growing squash, peppers, sweet potatoes and pineapples. I'd be interesting in hearing from other Florida Gardeners.[/QUOTE]

Are they the only types of tomatoes you are growing? I will look them up.

I had been away until 10/2 so am mostly starting this week.

Plan: Onions, tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, a few kohlrabi.

I've been growing pineapples for years; so easy - the perfect plant.

Where is your broccoli listed? You were the guru of broccoli.

Getting ready for in ground/containers.
 

Beans,Fava,Gigantis,Gullah Geechee,Red yardlong.
Corn,Mammoth,Silver Queen.
Sunflowers,Mongolian,Skyscraper.
Tomato’s,ten cherry,five determinate.