How big is your garden and how many tomato plants?

[jinman]

Some of you guys sure know how to make a guy feel humble. I'm on Chemo this year and don't have the energy for a big garden. We have just 14 tomato plants and 8 sweet banana pepper plants. Our tomato plants are a mix of early girls, BHN 602 --Texas A&M hybrid for hot weather, and some Super Fantastic.

 

[Looking4new]

So this year you take life easy and recuperate. There is always next year.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Jim,

Your gardens over the past few years have made us look like beginners I am sure the Chemo will slow you down but you will bounce back with garden revenge next year:thumbsup:

I need to look into the BHN-602. I am trying a tomato call Red Rose which is supposed to be heat tolerant. We have several weeks of 90* + days and I am looking for a heat tolerant tomato. Did you order the seed online?

I am growing early girl, betterboy, red rose, first prize hybrid, beefsteak, Brandy Red, and a seedless tomato this year. The first prize, red rose, and brandy red are trials to see how they do. I planted around 72 of each of those.

 

[RandyBell]

jinman Sorry to here this, take care and keep your energy up, there is always next year for the garden!

 

[RandyBell]

I think you guys are way ahead of me I just got the garden tilled tonight, and hoping to get corn in the ground tomorrow night after work! I tried a light cover crop over the winter and it is more of a pain in the spring. I think I will just put cow manure on it and forget it this year! I hope to get my tomato plants this weekend.

 

[lakngulf]

jinman, best of luck with the therapy. Keep that garden and gardener going. I think you are the one who got me on Super Fantastic. I tried some last fall and they were great. This year I have 15-20 plants at various locations. Looking forward to tasting them in summertime.

 

[RandyBell]

I have learned more about drying gourds over this winter and even ones that seem not fully mature will dry just fine a long as the stem browns some before picked. Some may mold but you can scrub them clean with an aggressive scrubby brush and detergent when they are fully dry. Leave them outside for the winter and they will mold less.

Sixdogs All the ones I have dried molded, your right a scrubber and some detergent takes it right off! Is it to early to get some gourds in the ground? I have been not getting them mature enough before the frost starts killing them off!

 

[sixdogs]

Sixdogs All the ones I have dried molded, your right a scrubber and some detergent takes it right off! Is it to early to get some gourds in the ground? I have been not getting them mature enough before the frost starts killing them off!

Ones that I left in the barn are dried out and now light as a feather. Some that I thought were too young dried just fine although all are discolored my mold. As long as the stem was dried/brown when picked, they dried just fine.

I have seen this mold on other gourds before and I just scrubbed it off with kitchen scrubber that I think was maybe brass or stainless. Those gourds dried fine and the 10 or so gourds I have now will get scrubbed up when I get a chance. Even the gourds I thought were not mature dried OK.

This year I'm putting gourds in again--soon-- and all will climb on a trellis. I'm doing the same snake gourds mentioned earlier plus I'm going to let some other gourds such as the bottle gourd grow up a trellis and see what happens.

 

[Larro Darro]

I got my gourd patch planted last week. I have dipper, apple and snake gourds. I'm going to use fence wire from an old overgrown cow pen for them to climb on, but it still has to be cleared out around and taken down. That will be a job for next week, or if they are slow growing, the week after.

Larro

 

[sixdogs]

I got my gourd patch planted last week. I have dipper, apple and snake gourds. I'm going to use fence wire from an old overgrown cow pen for them to climb on, but it still has to be cleared out around and taken down. That will be a job for next week, or if they are slow growing, the week after.

Larro

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?