2025 gardens

[sixdogs]

Indeterminant. I use heavy duty cages, set a T-post every 5 plants, then make 3 runs of Florida Weave around cages and tie off on posts. Variety is Celebrity Plus. Advertised to be a little more tolerant to blight than regular Celebrities, and I do believe they are. I run a string than use an auger on my cordless drill to plant them 30" O.C.

Rows are 6' apart. Even caged they get quite a bit of foliage, and this was last year during the drought. I mulch everything with around 6" of leaves I collect in the Fall. Sheds a heavy rain, yet lets the water down through and olds the moisture. If it weren't for the leaves last year they'd have been brown. I did water them enough through the summer to keep them alive. They came back to life and produced heavily after the rains from Helene came through.

View attachment 3521980

Very impressive. Do you have pictures of your cages before the foliage? I think I have seen before on TBN but can't remember where.

 

[DJ54]

Top pic is from 2 years ago with everything installed, and approx. 12-14 dozen tomato plants.

Hard to see the cages in the second picture, although they are multicolored, T-post haven't been driven yet, nor any Florida weave. This was last year.

 

[sixdogs]

I don't understand the Florida weave or what holds it up. I do remember the thread and was impressed by it but somehow it got away from me. It's a great idea.

 

[Torvy]

I buy all my seeds from Gurneys. They are all produced in Ohio.

Gurney originated in Yankton, SD (southeast near the Missouri River). We used to buy from them often when I was a kid.

 

[jyoutz]

Gurney originated in Yankton, SD (southeast near the Missouri River). We used to buy from them often when I was a kid.

Yes I remember when they were located there. But they relocated to Ohio a couple of decades ago. Probably a more favorable growing climate.

 

[Torvy]

Yes I remember when they were located there. But they relocated to Ohio a couple of decades ago. Probably a more favorable growing climate.

I think there was an ownership change, iirc. I don't think it's in the family anymore.


We have Roma tomatoes blooming. I like them better for sauces and salsa. Potatoes are in bags this year, so we'll see how that works out. Various hot peppers and onions are growing as well. We have perennial herbs (sage, oregano, rosemary) doing nicely. Lavender didn't do as well. Also have some mint out near the fence line. That way it can spread as much as it wants. Basil is a bit behind.

Wife is trying some melons this year, too. This climate is new to us. We get 12" more rain annually here than in Ft. Worth. Soil is different, too.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Are all those leaves from your place? I wonder how adding mulch would do in my garden spot? I would have to use something like chip drop. Just not sure if they contain herbicides/diseases etc.

 

[masseyrider]

Are all those leaves from your place? I wonder how adding mulch would do in my garden spot? I would have to use something like chip drop. Just not sure if they contain herbicides/diseases etc.

It's still too cold and wet here in Kanuckistan's banana belt.
After today 4 days of rain and cooler temps. predicted.
OH F'N joy.

 

[Torvy]

Just picked a handful of blackberries. I've only got 2 plants and they are only a couple of years old. We have many wild ones, but size and taste make them better bird food.

I know one is Natchez, the other is similar, but a cross-polinator. "Thornless" types.

Blueberries are still ripening. Same age as Blackberries. 4 bushes all different varieties. The Tiff Blue plant struggled last year, so we didn't let it set fruit again. Our soil is acidic, so the berries are happy. We have some strawberries, too, in big pots. They aren't as good. I may need to try other varieties.

 

[Engineer42]

Our romaine lettuce and spinach was ready for its first picking last week. This is the same plants yesterday when we got back so it it looks like it will be ready to pick again in the next few days.