What are you doing differently this year... - Page 3

RinTinTin · January 20, 2011

Any good nursery.

Marko · January 20, 2011

Bag blossoms earlier. Last year I lost all bagged blossoms in extreme heat.

veggie babe · January 20, 2011

First I would like to wish Catwabbit a wonderful growing season, it must be very difficult to hold back planting/growing tomatoes during long periods of illness. Good luck.

Ray put your wife's quilt up and stop putting your dirty gardening STUFF on it for pictures.

Everything I have planned has already been listed but..............
1. fewer unknown tomatoes to me. I am trying to restrict myself to toms I know prefrom in Texas heat/humidity.
2. I crowded my plants last year trying to plant 2 or 3 of everything, no crowding.
3. Like Kat, I plan to mulch more. I can't find straw either so I guess it will ge good ole East Texas hay with all of it's problems. (grass burrs and weed seed)
4. I am planting less garden....I did not have enough time last year to weed, can, keep up the yard, house and work full time.
5. get help. I am babysitting grandkids in the mornings this summer for daughter-in-law to go to school......they can be and are usually great help.

a great season to all

Neva

habitat_gardener · January 20, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by stormymater

where does one locate this grafting wax you speak of? (or pruning sealer for that matter)

Some rosarians use glue sticks to seal pruning cuts. There's some debate about whether cuts need to be sealed at all, though.

b54red · January 20, 2011

Stormy, you will have diseases no matter what because you live in a high humidity and high heat area. It could be worse you could move further south. I have worse diseases when I don't prune than when I do prune. I quit caging about ten years ago and now use trellises which help keep the plant more open to air flow and sunshine and leaf diseases have been easier to control.

tam91 · January 20, 2011

Marking the tomatoes sure does sound like a good idea - what kind of pen is that? (I presume it just washes off, and is non-toxic)

PaulF · January 20, 2011

I am not growing melons or pumpkins and adding more tomato space. After the last several years when the topic came, I always vowed to cut back. Well, the heck with it. After reading the thread about how many varieties folks have grown and all the dwarfs and crosses that need to be grown out, I figure I need to get it in gear especially since with the birthday threads reminding me how late it is getting. If I up my output to 40, which is all the space I have and if I can squeeze out another 30 years ... still not enough. I know a farm outside town I could rent... then there is my wife's iris and daylily beds ...

barkeater · January 20, 2011

Like Marko, I will bag blossoms early for seed I want to save. I usually wait until mid summer and most of the time the bagged blossoms don't fruit.

lurley · January 21, 2011

If someone will tell me what kind of marker to use ON the actual tomatoes, I am going to label them this year. Also, putting down permeable weed fabric in the pumpkin and melon patch and turning it's care and maintenance over to my 15 year old son who thinks he'd like to try and grow them to make some money and at the same time try growing a giant pumpkin.

FILMNET · January 21, 2011

Thick Sharpie black pen the tomato must be dry, I write the simple name very close to the stem or around any cracks. Examples are BTD for Berkerly Tie Dye, Krim instead of Black Krim and so on. also check before i let to go if the ink dryed, somethimes it doesnt. just flip it over dry the other side. I put 2 whole large Stump of the world in a plastic bag. I use the vacuum plastic bag machine, i can still read the names of each fruit in bags in the freezer.

Dawningstar1 · January 21, 2011

Okay the thing I am doing differently this year is making my own tomatoe cages.... my tomatoes every year grow between 6 and 10 feet high and what are those dang cages about 2 feet high

so we are constantly looking for ways to stake them.... so this year I am going to make my own cages I figure for around $50.00 I can make 24 to 30 cages that will be about 7 feet high.... I just don't know if I will use fishing line or strong rope type string any ideas.... I worry that the string could rot in the rain before the season is over... am I over thinking it lol

dipchip2000 · January 21, 2011

What do you need the string for if using cages??

ron

Dawningstar1 · January 21, 2011

I am going to build my own cages as the ones you buy are cheaply made, and not tall enough.... my idea is to by 2 X 2's and tie three in a circle design same as cheap ones but longer lol... and the string or fishing line is the part that keeps the poles together lol

I just want to make sure if I use string it won't rot before season is through, sometimes with the cheap wire cages I found they break from the weight...

Now I have tried buying two wire cages and putting them together but that didn't work so well, I figure the wood would be stronger lol...

dipchip2000 · January 21, 2011

I am not sure I understand how you are going to put these together. Unless you have an inexpensive source for the wood, you are going to have more money in a single cage than if you make it out of concrete reinforcement wire. These will run about 3to4 dollars depending how big around you make them but they will be 5feet tall. If you use the wood and string, use hay baling poly twine as it will last a long time and is very strong.

ron

husker nana · January 21, 2011

You can find many video's on building tomato cages. If you look up the one below you can get an ideal of a better cage. We made these last year and were very pleased with them. We did go a little larger with the width. Not neccessary. The cost well worth them as they will last for years. You can reach in to get your produce without a problem.

bayou gardener tomato cage

January 20, 2011	#37
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,289	I am not growing melons or pumpkins and adding more tomato space. After the last several years when the topic came, I always vowed to cut back. Well, the heck with it. After reading the thread about how many varieties folks have grown and all the dwarfs and crosses that need to be grown out, I figure I need to get it in gear especially since with the birthday threads reminding me how late it is getting. If I up my output to 40, which is all the space I have and if I can squeeze out another 30 years ... still not enough. I know a farm outside town I could rent... then there is my wife's iris and daylily beds ... __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

January 21, 2011	#41
Dawningstar1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 36	Okay the thing I am doing differently this year is making my own tomatoe cages.... my tomatoes every year grow between 6 and 10 feet high and what are those dang cages about 2 feet high so we are constantly looking for ways to stake them.... so this year I am going to make my own cages I figure for around $50.00 I can make 24 to 30 cages that will be about 7 feet high.... I just don't know if I will use fishing line or strong rope type string any ideas.... I worry that the string could rot in the rain before the season is over... am I over thinking it lol __________________ Plant a thought, like a seed it will flourish with love, sunlight, water and shelter from the storm

January 21, 2011	#43
Dawningstar1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 36	I am going to build my own cages as the ones you buy are cheaply made, and not tall enough.... my idea is to by 2 X 2's and tie three in a circle design same as cheap ones but longer lol... and the string or fishing line is the part that keeps the poles together lol I just want to make sure if I use string it won't rot before season is through, sometimes with the cheap wire cages I found they break from the weight... Now I have tried buying two wire cages and putting them together but that didn't work so well, I figure the wood would be stronger lol... __________________ Plant a thought, like a seed it will flourish with love, sunlight, water and shelter from the storm

January 20, 2011	#31
RinTinTin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Seattle Posts: 581	Any good nursery.

January 20, 2011	#32
Marko Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Slovenia, Europe zone 7b Posts: 300	Bag blossoms earlier. Last year I lost all bagged blossoms in extreme heat.

January 20, 2011	#33
veggie babe Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: east texas Posts: 686	First I would like to wish Catwabbit a wonderful growing season, it must be very difficult to hold back planting/growing tomatoes during long periods of illness. Good luck. Ray put your wife's quilt up and stop putting your dirty gardening STUFF on it for pictures. Everything I have planned has already been listed but.............. 1. fewer unknown tomatoes to me. I am trying to restrict myself to toms I know prefrom in Texas heat/humidity. 2. I crowded my plants last year trying to plant 2 or 3 of everything, no crowding. 3. Like Kat, I plan to mulch more. I can't find straw either so I guess it will ge good ole East Texas hay with all of it's problems. (grass burrs and weed seed) 4. I am planting less garden....I did not have enough time last year to weed, can, keep up the yard, house and work full time. 5. get help. I am babysitting grandkids in the mornings this summer for daughter-in-law to go to school......they can be and are usually great help. a great season to all Neva

January 20, 2011	#35
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Stormy, you will have diseases no matter what because you live in a high humidity and high heat area. It could be worse you could move further south. I have worse diseases when I don't prune than when I do prune. I quit caging about ten years ago and now use trellises which help keep the plant more open to air flow and sunshine and leaf diseases have been easier to control.

January 20, 2011	#36
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	Marking the tomatoes sure does sound like a good idea - what kind of pen is that? (I presume it just washes off, and is non-toxic)

January 20, 2011	#38
barkeater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b Posts: 1,439	Like Marko, I will bag blossoms early for seed I want to save. I usually wait until mid summer and most of the time the bagged blossoms don't fruit.

January 21, 2011	#39
lurley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 741	If someone will tell me what kind of marker to use ON the actual tomatoes, I am going to label them this year. Also, putting down permeable weed fabric in the pumpkin and melon patch and turning it's care and maintenance over to my 15 year old son who thinks he'd like to try and grow them to make some money and at the same time try growing a giant pumpkin.

January 21, 2011	#40
FILMNET Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA Posts: 1,803	Thick Sharpie black pen the tomato must be dry, I write the simple name very close to the stem or around any cracks. Examples are BTD for Berkerly Tie Dye, Krim instead of Black Krim and so on. also check before i let to go if the ink dryed, somethimes it doesnt. just flip it over dry the other side. I put 2 whole large Stump of the world in a plastic bag. I use the vacuum plastic bag machine, i can still read the names of each fruit in bags in the freezer.

January 21, 2011	#42
dipchip2000 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma Posts: 664	What do you need the string for if using cages?? ron

January 21, 2011	#45
husker nana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Wisc. 5A Posts: 197	You can find many video's on building tomato cages. If you look up the one below you can get an ideal of a better cage. We made these last year and were very pleased with them. We did go a little larger with the width. Not neccessary. The cost well worth them as they will last for years. You can reach in to get your produce without a problem. bayou gardener tomato cage