How big is your garden and how many tomato plants?

[Larro Darro]

It better be strong fence wire with posts because they weigh a lot. Mid-later season snip off any new gourds that wont have time to mature anyway. Six feet would be a great fence and taller even better. not all start growing at the top--although you want to encourage it.

So, as my wife asked...what are you going to do with all those dried gourds once you get them? I'm still postulating my answer. And you?

The fence is hog wire. We had two sections of them one over the other, for a cutting pen next to our old loading chute. It has grown up in yaupon, oak and red cedar, so I have some work ahead to get it out. The post are rotted off at the ground, but they are plenty tall. If I can get the top section of wire off, I can just turn them upside down and reuse it, post and all.

One of Margie's friends uses a Dremel tool to do art and crafts kind of stuff with them. She has gave us several of the bushel gourds turned into baskets. They look alright, but take up space in a house that has too much stuff already. The other week when we cleaned out Margie's uncle's shed, we got a Dremel tool, so she says she is going to do something with them this year. I have all of last year's under the pole barn still. The cats like playing with them, so they are useful for something.

Larro

 

[sixdogs]

Larro--if you want to be real hit in your neighborhood, grow some extra large bushel gourds. Let them dry and then cut the gourd into a "Roman warrior" type helmet with the sideburns. Sort of like this but without the mohawk.



Then you can simply wear it around the town or out shopping. It's a "go anywhere and fit in" accessory. Now, if you want to receive the secret TBN messages just wrap the thing in aluminum foil and wait for the contact.

All kidding aside, we went to a gourd festival in Mt Gilead, Ohio about 10 years ago and there were maybe 50 people walking around with gourd helmets on. A fair number were wrapped in foil so they must have been in on the secret messages.


I don't suggest the following type of gourd helmet but, who knows it might look good on you.

 

[Larro Darro]

Larro--if you want to be real hit in your neighborhood, grow some extra large bushel gourds. Let them dry and then cut the gourd into a "Roman warrior" type helmet with the sideburns.

I don't suggest the following type of gourd helmet but, who knows it might look good on you.


View attachment 374336

Anything that would show less of my mug would be good.

Larro

 

[sixdogs]

Frost coming tonight and tomorrow night. Last night--at midnight--we went out and put Styrofoam cups over the very small tomato and pepper plants. We get the largest size cups from a big box store and place over plant with a rock on top. It works great. The best cups are the extra large foam cups from Sam's Club soda fountain but we can't find those cups for sale.

These poor tomato and peppers plants have been buffeted by severe winds, had five inches of rainfall and now cold temperatures. They sure will he hardy plants when they get going.

 

[Larro Darro]

Frost coming tonight and tomorrow night. Last night--at midnight--we went out and put Styrofoam cups over the very small tomato and pepper plants. We get the largest size cups from a big box store and place over plant with a rock on top. It works great. The best cups are the extra large foam cups from Sam's Club soda fountain but we can't find those cups for sale.

These poor tomato and peppers plants have been buffeted by severe winds, had five inches of rainfall and now cold temperatures. They sure will he hardy plants when they get going.

The thunderstorms that came through a few weeks ago drowned some of my Roma tomato plants. The peppers hadn't been put outside then, so they are ready to transplant now. I have several stacks of those big cups. Margie's friends were saving them for me from their fast food iced teas. I have been planting grapevines in them. I wanted something that was tall enough for good root growth, but not as big as a flower pot so I could save on potting soil.

Larro

 

[Larro Darro]

This is from a few days ago, but I got the first two rows of tomato plants tied up with the Florida Weave. It works better if you do it before the wind blows 20mph though.

 

[sixdogs]

Larro--get the gourds in yet? Remember that a high metal trellis will give straighter gourds.

 

[Larro Darro]

Larro--get the gourds in yet? Remember that a high metal trellis will give straighter gourds.

I plowed and side dressed them this morning. I haven't got the fence up yet, but I will have to soon. The snake and dipper gourds came up pretty good. But the saved apple gourd seeds haven't done anything yet.

Larro

 

[sixdogs]

Once they get growing, gourds like fertilizer. As the season progresses, don't let fruit form that will never mature. When the stems turn brown they are done although I had some green(ish) stems dry just fine.

 

[grnspot110]

I have some "patio" tomatoes set in pots that I covered the last two nights, 37* & frosty. My 14 main crop tomatoes won't be set out for another week or so. Cages are ready, weather isn't yet, 9 California Wonder peppers were set out today. ~~ Lowell