The Sprout 2019

[shavefan]

I'm late to the game here, but I have a few questions:

Despite my beautiful tan arms and white belly (sorry for the mental image burned on the retina of your mind), my health has all but curtailed my farming activities. If being disabled enough to be forced out of a job I loved wasn't bad enough, I have had to consider growing in containers next year.

So..... any pointers?

I hope to beat the blues this winter with going back to experimental stuff, i.e., grafting tomato plants, you name it.

Anyone here with experience in those 7 gallon bags you can buy to grow in? Or those self watering containers?

Believe it or not, I kinda feel like the guy in the tv commercial that asks his friend to find him a roofer. Sorry to bug you all! To make it up to you, I will try to find some pics I took of some volunteer tomato plants my neighbors gave me that I planted in the chicken manure pile (if I can figure it out, lol)

Thanks, Gents. You mean more to me than you know.

dave (not that "nt" one)

You already have a lot of good pointers so ill just add a couple ideas about container gardening that I've noticed...

-Keep in mind that containers dry out faster than 'in ground' plantings. Even if it rains, often the leaves of the plants form an "umbrella" over the container so make sure you keep an eye on the moisture levels. Here in TX watering containers 3 times a day is fairly normal for me in the summertime.

-I've grown in both grow-bags and pots. Grow bags are great but I find that they dry out faster than pots. Plastic pots seem to hold water the best as unglazed ceramic are both porous and lose moisture faster. I like grow-bags but I find that plastic nursery pots with a saucer underneath to catch and hold water works better for me, at least here in the hot hot TX area.

I whole heartedly recommend trying container gardening, the results can be very rewarding. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[FarmerTan]

You already have a lot of good pointers so ill just add a couple ideas about container gardening that I've noticed...

-Keep in mind that containers dry out faster than 'in ground' plantings. Even if it rains, often the leaves of the plants form an "umbrella" over the container so make sure you keep an eye on the moisture levels. Here in TX watering containers 3 times a day is fairly normal for me in the summertime.

-I've grown in both grow-bags and pots. Grow bags are great but I find that they dry out faster than pots. Plastic pots seem to hold water the best as unglazed ceramic are both porous and lose moisture faster. I like grow-bags but I find that plastic nursery pots with a saucer underneath to catch and hold water works better for me, at least here in the hot hot TX area.

I whole heartedly recommend trying container gardening, the results can be very rewarding. Good luck and keep us posted!

Thanks so much. You brothers in Texas make me mighty jealous. Your growing season has to be something else!

I'm determined to try containers of some sort next season.

I think I am finally seeing light at the end of my mental tunnel after my forced retirement. I'm actually looking forward to things instead of backwards, and you Mr @shavefan are just one of those great gents that have helped. Heck, I'm even looking forward to the end of August just so's I can shave with some of the samples you PIF'd me!

 

[shavefan]

Storm came through early this morning. Looks like the weight of the habanero was no match for the saturated ground.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Storm came through early this morning. Looks like the weight of the habanero was no match for the saturated ground.

View attachment 1011725

What???

 

[shavefan]

What???

Collapsed. Luckily it missed the pool. The tomato cage helped a bit but it's now bent at the base. More rain tonight/tomorrow so I'll see what I can can do in a day or two, I temporarily tied it to the back fence like I did with the serrano last year..

 

[cleanshaved]

Ordered some seeds today. Almost time to start gemmating my seeds.

Tomato Black Cherry
Tomato Chef's Choice Yellow
Tomato Honeybee
Tomato Green Zebra
Tomato Cherokee Purple
Tomatillo Grande Verde
Organic Chilli Jalapeno Early
Chilli Bhut Jolokia
Chilli Habanero Red

 

[cleanshaved]

Storm came through early this morning. Looks like the weight of the habanero was no match for the saturated ground.

View attachment 1011725

I hope it did not snap it, that a good healthy looking plant.

 

[shavefan]

I hope it did not snap it, that a good healthy looking plant.

No breakage luckily. I need to re-think the support structure for these heavy monsters. I wish I knew how to weld, I'd fab up a cage out of rebar.

 

[pault]

slip a tomato cage over them

 

[shavefan]

Habanero haul this evening...

 

[cleanshaved]

I see hot sauce in your future. How the plant hanging in there after it fell over?

 

[shavefan]

Hanging in there, literally. I did my best to prop it up but it still leans sideways quite a bit. Seems perfectly happy though...

 

[kelbro]

 

[DoctorShavegood]

View attachment 1017668

 

[Scarry Knight]

I planted some seed potatoes this summer in the compost pile. Last week when nights cooled, one plant faded so I culled them all. I am not familiar with ther care and feeding needs, but they didn’t do too bad considering. There were also lots of teeny ones less than a half inch in diameter.

I’ve not tasted any yet. At first, after brushing the dort off and rinsing them, many hand sandpaper like surfaces, but those have smoothed out as they sat. Are they supposed to be heat cured for a whil in controll3d humidity at around 90°? I think I’d heard a guy from a group called Driftless Organics say they did this (to sweet potatoes?) when I visited their farm one fall. They had semi trailers set up for it, next to a trailer that was there for processing sunflower oil for trials as a jet fuel, iirc.

If no black hearts, I expect I’ll make a pot of colcannon.

 

[FarmerTan]

I planted some seed potatoes this summer in the compost pile. Last week when nights cooled, one plant faded so I culled them all. I am not familiar with ther care and feeding needs, but they didn’t do too bad considering. There were also lots of teeny ones less than a half inch in diameter.

I’ve not tasted any yet. At first, after brushing the dort off and rinsing them, many hand sandpaper like surfaces, but those have smoothed out as they sat. Are they supposed to be heat cured for a whil in controll3d humidity at around 90°? I think I’d heard a guy from a group called Driftless Organics say they did this (to sweet potatoes?) when I visited their farm one fall. They had semi trailers set up for it, next to a trailer that was there for processing sunflower oil for trials as a jet fuel, iirc.

If no black hearts, I expect I’ll make a pot of colcannon.

View attachment 1022325

I see you farm like me! I've had creatures from the black lagoon come from my pile. One time I had a tomato plant that produced fruit worthy of a photo shoot. No kidding. You've eaten hothouse tomatoes? These had absolutely NO taste. Like eating hard air.

 

[Scarry Knight]

I see you farm like me! I've had creatures from the black lagoon come from my pile. One time I had a tomato plant that produced fruit worthy of a photo shoot. No kidding. You've eaten hothouse tomatoes? These had absolutely NO taste. Like eating hard air.

A bit of a farmer at heart, yes. A great “heads-up” as well. We did buy two batches of bad ones from the markets this summer, and I’d considered the taste possibly being off due to a crazy spring, or being grown on the compost pile. I was adding some light amendments during the season...chickety-doo and compost tea, extra clippings and sifted compost. I’ve just sampled some with breakfast, and all is well.

Thanks for prompting me to taste test first, sir! I might have forgotten and ruined a dish otherwise.

 

[FarmerTan]

A bit of a farmer at heart, yes. A great “heads-up” as well. We did buy two batches of bad ones from the markets this summer, and I’d considered the taste possibly being off due to a crazy spring, or being grown on the compost pile. I was adding some light amendments during the season...chickety-doo and compost tea, extra clippings and sifted compost. I’ve just sampled some with breakfast, and all is well.

Thanks for prompting me to taste test first, sir! I might have forgotten and ruined a dish otherwise.

Lol, I'm pretty sure you would have tasted it without my prompting! You're no rookie!

Once I had a "volunteer" tomato plant come up. My son found it, he was about 4 years old. I made a big deal about, told him we would name it after him, he may have discovered the next great tomato.... really layed it on.

Usually those things revert to what my dad called "7 sisters" I think he called them. They produce roundish 2 inch tomatoes in groups of 7. This plant wasn't that. Beautiful, looked like a pink Rutgers. Tasted like something you'd pay $2.50 a pound for in February, and has no taste. Yuck. So my son's chance at tomato fame disappeared!

 

[cleanshaved]

A few tomatoes and pepper to start.

 

[FarmerTan]

A few tomatoes and pepper to start.

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View attachment 1025444

I'm coming to your house for the next six months! That's how long winter lasts in Michigan!