23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
Great news. We picked our first 2 red tomatoes on Thursday of last week. They came from the plant that's apparently a cross between last year's "regular"-sized big tomatoes and last year's cherry/grape tomatoes.
Even better news. Those 2 tomatoes taste dee-lish! They're so juicy and flavorful. I was surprised how good they are, after reading I might be disappointed. I hope their seeds produce true next year. Wow, that 84-count plant (it probably has over a 100 toms on it now I guess) not only produces tasty tomatoes but it produces them fast. We have another 4 toms ripening red right now, and, although we have lots of toms on our "regular," big-sized tomato plants, they're all still green as of today I think.
By the way, the size of the first 2 red toms on that 84-count plant was about 1.5 inches tall and 1.5 inches wide. They're pretty round. I guess each tomato is about the size of 2 ping pong balls.
The roots are probably restricted because of where you planted them. Melons and their roots need lots of space, and planting mix is not ideal, and neither is daily watering in such a restricted space. You have some type of wilt, and the plant is probably toast. Next year, pick a better spot; the one you have is not ideal.
This post was edited by rayrose on Fri, Jul 26, 13 at 8:29
This looks like it could be Phytophthora blight. Here's a recent discussion of it.
Here is a link that might be useful: phytophthora blight
Re: compost it depends. I always prefer to do as much composting in place as possible, first mulch, but I get such healthy vegetables by burying kitchen scraps and/or dead plants at the end of season that I do that as well whenever possible (to avoid spreading diseases, I bury all dead plants in a single bed, then plant something that does not get diseases). The fine compost you are referring to, I use it only for direct seeding, most often by simply mixing, say, one tbsp of seeds in one bucket of compost, then I spread it.
Mulch has a lot of advantages. If wood chips, it is free, lasting, and conditions the soil. it encourages slugs and mice, though. slugs are dealt with sluggo, but at my previous garden I would occasionally get mice colonies.
So, lots of way to skin this cat. given soil and local fauna.
Start with the soil tests. The first year you might have to buy compost (make sure it's been tested for herbicide residue) to amend as early in the spring as you can to plant your summer annual garden, and any perennials you want to start the first year. You can start the compost going the first year too, with a large extended family (I have one too) maybe you can get lots of kitchen scraps, leaves, grass (no weed and feed!) etc. to add to it. I assume your family doesn't garden themselves - mine does, so I rarely get anything to compost since they compost their own (I forgot to ask my uncle and cousin for chicken litter this spring when they cleaned out the coops - have to see if they have any in the fall, I'm not sure when they clean). Also look around the area for dairy, beef or horse farms with free manure (esp. with the horses, ask where they got their hay and straw to make sure it's herbicide-free). The goats will be a great source of manure for you. I personally won't use pig manure.
Sounds like you're starting a small farm! Hope the extended family will put in some labor too. Good luck!
I bet its borers. I live in Texas, and 95 is a nice and cool day for us!! When it gets over 100, my plants will wilt a little bit, but as soon as shade hits them in the evening they perk back up right away. (even when its in the upper 90s in the evening).
One way I can tell borers is not only the frass, but look at the vines. If they look green and healthy they they are OK. But if they look swollen and yellow, its time to inject with BT or stab them with a needle.
I've found that if you keep watering them after they fall you risk splitting, which is when the onion swells quickly and splits a few layers of skin. While this isn't the end of the world, it does mean the onion won't keep as well.
If there is some ground moisture that should be fine to keep them growing larger till they are done, which should be in just over a week. If it's bone dry, by all means give them a little water.
I see no reason to leave them in the ground till the tops are brown, by that point sunburn becomes an issue. I lift mine while mostly green but dry, brown skin has formed. Then I cure them with tops on in a well ventilated, dry, shady place.
But this is just the advice from someone that grows thousands of pounds of onions every year :)
-Mark
>Main thing it make sure it is sturdy as it turns into a wall of beans and a good wind can lay it all over.
Yes. Beans have tiny root systems, nothing to hold them in the ground!
I like pole beans. I grow some on colored string wrapped around my porch posts, some on a trellis screwed to a south wall, some on a tripod of 1x2s with each stick stuck inside a concrete cinder block, some on a tepee/wall structure tied to a hedge....
I am describing all these so the OP or other readers can get ideas of how to make bean supports tip-proof :).
Scarlet runner beans are very purty, but some varieties are sterile and don't make beans! I was disappointed to get a packet like that last year. I normally save my own seed but I had not saved enough.
I have some bush beans. The first batch is getting loaded,
The second batch ,which also includes some yellow and purple, are couple of weeks behind and doing well. We have perfect weather here at the PNW for beans and peas. Our highs rarely climb over 85F. Anyway, I have come to like bush types. They are not labor intensive and require no investment in trellis.
Aili: some varieties are more resistant to cracking, but basically what lgteacher said. Not sure about the whole fertilizing thing, but mine stopped cracking when I started mulching heavily. My watering ritual is about ONE deep long soak per week -- not the every other day soaks I did in the past WITHOUT mulch; and still had cracking. My mulch starts out about 4" thick.
Kevin
Sunscald. Thick fleshed varieties, like bells, are more prone than others.
How to prevent it... well, if their in a container, rotate the container occasionally. In ground, shade cloth during hot, bright hours of the day can help. Or, you just accept the fact that some fruit may not make it.
Kevin