Planting...Time

[AlittleSalt]

It has been the record hottest winter here since they started keeping records in 1898. The 10 day forecast updated tonight is for highs in the 80s with lows in the 60s. The tomato seeds I started back in January have grown big plants, and with highs in the middle to upper 80s - they're just going to get bigger sitting in those party cups. Even though it is very possible to get frost or a freeze in April here - it's time to plant the tomato plants - their roots are outgrowing the party cups.

That's part of the Planting...Time (Thread title).

(I have to add this - I am disabled with a nerve disease known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy type 2. I know a lot of you know that, but newer members don't.) We all deal with health issues in one way or other.

The other part is about the time it is taking me to plant these plants out. For me, it is frustrating, but it is keeping me busy - which is a good thing. There are only 87 Tomato plants in total. It has taken me two days to plant 44 of them. Yes, I had to stop and research some - change my mind on where to plant them - organize them.

Tomorrow is another day of planting more tomato plants. This day should be simple. The last 15 tomato plants will be planted in an interesting area. It's the area of the garden that was hit hard by RKN last year. I'm planting this row just to find out if solarizing and planting Elbon Cereal rye made a difference or not? I'm going to plant some earlier cherry types, some mid, and one late Antique Roman which is 90+ DTM.

[peebee]

Salt, "only" 87 plants?! Sheesh, I have room for maybe 24 max and it takes me at least 2 days to plant that many. Yes they are in Solo cups too and getting big, that's my sign too that they need to get planted.

Today I had high hopes of amending 4 beds out of 9, and planting 6 plants in 2 of those beds. At the end of the day, 2 beds were amended, 0 planted. Why? Cuz the cover crops that never got cut down cuz of the constant rains we've had, just got cut 2 weeks ago and stupid me turned them into the soil, not realizing it was almost planting time. So I had to sift thru the dirt to remove all the still-green stuff, then amend. I will have to use the cut cover crops as mulch, after they have dried up a bit.

Back to do more of the same tomorrow, but I'll be sure to plant those first 6 into the finished beds first. Nothing like finally putting one down. Hard work but it's all worth it right? Good luck on that last planting, let us know if that rye worked or not, hope it does.

[Gardeneer]

Have a great season, Robert!
Yeas, we all have health issues and physical limitations to some extent, no doubt.

On the plant out, after having unusual 3 nights back-to-back freeze, down to 21F, and killing some plants, I am holding until I see no low under 40F. This might happen by next Thursday.

I started mine in to batches ; The first on Jan 19 and the second on Feb 12. The first batch have gotten real big but healthy. The second batch has got time to get to plant out size. I also have some good size peppers and eggplants wanting to be planted in the garden.

SIDE NOTE:
On RKN I have read couple of treatments.

1) Granular Sugar : Mixed in planting hole and sprinkled / scratched on the top of soil , now and then.
2) Neem Oil Drench. ( same strength as sprayed )

[AlittleSalt]

I was aiming at planting around 50 tomato plants this year - which is a hundred less than last year, but... I got some seeds sent to me in mid to late January. I figured, I have to grow these, after all, it just a few more, and the list expanded...oops.

The row of 15 was planned all along. They are as I wrote above, just to see if the RKN level is lower or not. All except the Antique Roman plant are backup plants that I have planted in the other area of the garden. That way, I can compare them to each other.

I had all sorts of help getting the gardens ready. We started back in February. It's funny, our young grandchildren love to pull weeds. They get upset if they don't get the roots out. So all I'm doing to plant out is digging the hole with a hand shovel, watering, place the plant, covering, put in the sticks to try to keep the cutworms away, and then peeling the label off the party cup and sticking it to the stake near the plant. And writing down what plant is where in case the label blows off.

After typing it out that sounds like a lot, but it isn't. I'm not making fancy labels or putting up cages or supports until we see if they are growing or not. It seems like it's taking forever to get them planted this year. My body is telling me to quit it, but I have to come up with the energy to get it done somehow.

[SteveP]

I still don't even have my garden ready. Physically I seem to be slowing down a noticeable amount. I figure I will just do what I can and decide each spring how much I feel like doing.

Salt, I commend you for so many plants. I am cutting back to 24 tomato plants and I will likely have more tomatoes than I know what to do with come summer.

[rhines81]

Originally Posted by SteveP

I am cutting back to 24 tomato plants and I will likely have more tomatoes than I know what to do with come summer.

My friends start avoiding me middle of August through September because I usually come packing with bags of excess tomatoes and peppers. Some of them avoid me as early as the end of June when I assault them with tons of never to be eaten cucumbers and other earlier greens.

[GrowingCoastal]

Slow and steady in the garden Salt. Age has taken a toll on my body, as it does with us all, but over the past two weeks or so I managed to dig out as much of a 20 yr old pampas grass as needed to go. My next door neighbour once criticized me (to another neighbour) for taking too long over a job in my yard. Not so much any more as he wanted the pampas done more than I did.

Since it was on the Ides of March this week....as I told my daughter.
That critical neighbour stopped by the fence Mar. 15th, while I was in my yard and asked me if we could 'end the feud', his feud that is. I extended my hand and we shook on forgetting the past.
My daughter asked why he would do that?
I replied that his neighbour went bananas on him, called the cops and the city over a garbage bag placed 2-6" over the property line, on the boulevard, on garbage collection day. (boulevard belongs to city)

I think the neighbour fears I will rat him out for having 2 too many dogs at their house.
Daughter laughed as did my other neighbour who heard part of the conversation over the fence.

I could have reported the extra dogs a long time ago if I wanted to. The reason I haven't is because they are not a problem. Simple. Why make problems where there are none, even if the rules do say no more than 2 dogs per household.

It has been a cause for hilarity to me. While digging out that pampas the neighbour's neighbour walked by while I was swinging the axe. I hesitated as using an axe while people are walking by makes me nervous. It might make me tense up and put out my back or make a 'bananas' neighbour feel threatened.
A friendly "Hi, how are you? " from me and a nice, "Fine thank-you." from him. Whatever his issues, I am sure they will be resolved with time. He seems to be having visitors and his lady still there. He will be alright.

I don't know if I will be though, with the near neighbour calling out " Atta girl!" at me when he drives by me working on the pampas. Things might have been better left as they were!

[AlittleSalt]

The row of 15 is going to be the row of 12 instead. I forgot to leave room to walk on each end. So 4 days of planting tomato plants. 84 in total = 21 plants per day.

I don't think anyone would hire me to plant tomato plants

[Gardeneer]

Good progress, Robert.
Tonight we have a freeze warning. And then there will be two more nights with lows in 34-36F. They could easily dip into freezing range.
So I am holding off any planting until I see no low under 40F for 15 days ahead. I have killed enough plants already.

[Spartanburg123]

Salt- take your sweet time planting those out, a few days won't mean a hill of beans in the long run. I hope you have a grand harvest this year!

Gardeneer- I'm sorry you lost some plants. I almost planted some today, but I held off and let them harden up a little more. I'm way ahead of last year- one of my DLH plants is almost 2 feet tall! Chomping at the bit....

[KarenO]

It's supposed to be enjoyable take the time you need
KarenO

[AlittleSalt]

I have been reading posts about tall tomato plants in the party cup stage from people all over the mid and southern US states. Somewhere between a quarter and a third of the ones I've planted out are trench planted. Otherwise, I would have to plant them a foot deep.

I do agree with taking our time planting out. It sort of goes along with my thinking - if I have to wear a coat or jacket, it's too cold to be out gardening.

[rhines81]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I have been reading posts about tall tomato plants in the party cup stage from people all over the mid and southern US states. Somewhere between a quarter and a third of the ones I've planted out are trench planted. Otherwise, I would have to plant them a foot deep.

I do agree with taking our time planting out. It sort of goes along with my thinking - if I have to wear a coat or jacket, it's too cold to be out gardening.

Take your own time with everything, worst case is that you waited too long - best case is that you unknowingly averted a disaster.
If I had assembled and put up my new greenhouse that arrived in February, it would have been destroyed before I even got 1 season out of it. Since then we had high winds, hail, 36" of snow last week --- but we also had a period of 60F+ weather for two weeks (thank you for the high winds during that time or I would have put the greenhouse up). I'll have my greenhouse up when it's right - maybe in the next couple of weeks, but not doing it in high winds or cold weather. I am going to plant out early this year, but just hoping the greenhouse will be my savior for hardening off. Chances are, we will have hard hail storms in May that will destroy 50% of my plants anyhow. How's that for positive thinking? Looking at May 8th to start, that's almost a month early.

[rhines81]

I just had a second thought about this comment, I'm sure there is a charity or shelter that would gladly welcome my overzealous farming ... I'll look into that this year.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by rhines81

I just had a second thought about this comment, I'm sure there is a charity or shelter that would gladly welcome my overzealous farming ... I'll look into that this year.

That is what I was wanting to do last year, but RKN happened. This year, I'm looking at it as 'If" there are lots of extras, then I know of a charity that has helped the community for many years.