How big is your garden and how many tomato plants?

[sixdogs]

Larro...We used to use a Dremel tool to lightly scratch names and words in pumpkins and it worked great. You have to do this while green and still growing and it will scar over as though nature did it. I think, maybe, that the same would be true with gourds.

I have learned with pumpkins and gourds to forget about saving seeds if you grow more than one variety. Too easy to cross pollinate.

 

[sixdogs]

In getting ready for this year's garden, I ran across a tomato others might be interested in. I'm buying a packet of them. It's a new Burpee hybrid called "Steakhouse" and it's said to deliver 24 oz to 48 oz tomatoes with a 75 to 80 day maturity. That's a huge tomato no matter how you slice it. It's on the front page of the catalog but here is the on-line link. I've never seen a tomato this big.

Tomato, SteakHouse Hybrid - Beefsteak at Burpee.com

Trouble is, it's $7 for 25 seeds and with shipping of $5 makes it a pricey proposition. Still, Burpee thinks enough of it to put it on the cover of their catalog so I'm going to buy a pack and think it as a wise choice. I'll post photos here in July.

This is a repost since this could be a game changer. Imagine a 2 or 3 lb tomato that tastes good. What will the neighbors think?

 

[sixdogs]

Just a bump while the season is upon us. Lots of good tomato info in here.

 

[Looking4new]

We started out with 95 tomato plants. What with slow growers and not too healthy plants we are down to 75 plants now. The D-I-L is the one with the green thumb here. I just do what I am told. I couldn't tell you one plant from another when they are young.
My roses didn't survive the winter. That is the very last time I try growing them. I've been trying for ten years and every winter they die off. I will switch that bed to Daffs and Tulips which I seem to be able to grow no problem.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I have 336 tomato plants in the ground now. Will plant another 100 around July for late season.

 

[sixdogs]

Looking4New----I'll bet Iris plants would work well in your climate. I grew them in the low PH soil of Maine and people marveled at how good looking they were.


Hunterridge farm--How do you care for that many plants? Maybe you have a hired hand?

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Maybe you have a hired hand?

No hired hand, I'm left handed and will sometimes use my right hand when I get behind

Actually my son helps some, but it really is not that bad once you get them in the ground, staked and strung. Harvest 2-3 times per week.

 

[Larro Darro]

I have 17 cherry and 17 beefsteak in the ground. The sun and rain set me back on the Roma so I just replanted them, and the Rutgers are about a week from transplanting. We have been giving away plants to anyone who will take them, and we still have way too many.

Larro

 

[Looking4new]

Looking4New----I'll bet Iris plants would work well in your climate. I grew them in the low PH soil of Maine and people marveled at how good looking they were.

We've got some planted. IF they grow good, then I will stuff some more in the ground this fall.

 

[sixdogs]

We've got some planted. IF they grow good, then I will stuff some more in the ground this fall.

I used to put ground up bone meal around some. Also ground up egg shells around others and 10-10-10 around others. There were some pretty good looking iris after that, especially the purple ones.