Ontopic Springtime Thread 2015

I'd always find some 'lost' zucchini in the fall. They were as big as my thigh, and you'd swear it was only a couple days since you last checked the garden. tbh, I'd actually like to measure the growth timeframe from 'pickable' to 'giant.'

its like 34 seconds, tied to how often you look at them in an inverse relationship.

i ran over one with the lawnmower, making a number of nicely proportioned zuchinna slices.
 
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not when you trellis em. I will never grow cucumbers on the ground again.

45 degree trellis with 2 inch netting mean the cukes grow up in the air, keeping em away from bugs and slugs, and you just walk under the trellis and pick em as the hang down.
 
Now that it's cooling down my peppers are flowering again and I planted a tomato. I need to remember to water it tonight. It was a cutting from my cherry tomato plant in the spring that provided about 50 pounds of cherry toMatoes a day. We really should throw in some more broccoli and carrots or something but have been short on time.
 
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Last Toe-Mae-Toes of the season

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Dehydrating em up.

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oh, those little yellow ones are awesome. Ill never grow cherry or grape tomatoes again. So much more flavor in the yellow pear ones.

My camera is all fucky on the new phone, all these pictures are stupidly oversaturated.
 
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oh, those little yellow ones are awesome. Ill never grow cherry or grape tomatoes again. So much more flavor in the yellow pear ones.

My camera is all fucky on the new phone, all these pictures are stupidly oversaturated.
I planted an orange variety, sugar sweet, sun sweet, I don't remember (cherry ones) last year and they were awesomely delicious. Didn't get the yield I got off my 100 plant but definitely loved the taste.
 
i've gotta do something better with tomatoes. I currently do this

vQDbHN0.jpg


tie em up to stakes to keep em upright, about 6 feet off the ground, but the plants just get too heavy, and snap off no matter how well they are tied.


I think im gonna try to do a 45 degree trellis next year, and just drape the tomatoes over it so then they get heavy they can rest on the trellis.
 
i've gotta do something better with tomatoes. I currently do this

vQDbHN0.jpg


tie em up to stakes to keep em upright, about 6 feet off the ground, but the plants just get too heavy, and snap off no matter how well they are tied.


I think im gonna try to do a 45 degree trellis next year, and just drape the tomatoes over it so then they get heavy they can rest on the trellis.

So is the issue with the large tomatoes because of their weight? My mom used a simple teepee trellis when she grew giant beefsteak tomatoes. Kind of like this, but thinner wood. I think it might have been bamboo?

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When I grew beefsteaks I ran a line overhead and then supported the fruit bearing trusses from that. Inch wide strips of fabric are better for tying in too as they don't have as great a risk of damaging the main stem. If it's particularly windy you could maybe do with some protective netting alongside the plants too. Your idea of a trellis leant over would work too.
 
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The other thing I forgot to mention is that when tying in, you should wrap the fabric all the way around the stem so it ends up with the stem and the support stake in separate loops (like a figure of 8). Simply wrapping it around as in your picture allows too much movement in a breeze which can damage the stem as it rubs on the stake..
 
So is the issue with the large tomatoes because of their weight? My mom used a simple teepee trellis when she grew giant beefsteak tomatoes. Kind of like this, but thinner wood. I think it might have been bamboo?

9715d7cf6e73545ab2f02eeb016c5abe.jpg


And the weight of the plants to be honest. When I pulled em down last weekend, i estimate the greenery alone on one of the big ones was 40-50 pounds, no tomatoes.

That picture isnt exactly whta i do. I have biodegradable stretchy plant ties that dont chafe, pinch, etc. its about 3/4s of an inch wide like ya said

used to use cut up nylons, thta worked well too
 
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Got seeds started and a grow light station set up away from curious cats.

We're going to shoot for a 50'x50' garden this year surrounded by an 8 foot deer fence.

Have to have a couple of trees taken down first, then take up what remains of the lawn. Then we'll amend in peet, manure, and maybe vermiculite if I can find some. Or if a local place has premixed garden soil, we'll get a truckload of it.

Have to go get our free, county provided compost bin too.
 
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