Jim Inman's (jinman) Garden - 2007

[Bird]

Ray, I don't think I've seen any tomatoes, or even tomato vines, that looked quite like that. And that looks like a real commercial corn crop. I also suspect the shredded paper for mulch will work just fine. Several years ago, I bought our first paper shredder specifically to shred our newspapers to use for nest material for my rabbits. That worked much better than hay or straw. And then I dumped the used material in the garden and tilled it in.

Jim, I agree about the ****** Melons. I had been raising cantaloupe, with mixed results, a few years ago when a neighbor gave us an ****** Melon. It was so good that I saved the seed and planted them the next year. Better than cantaloupe.

 

[randy41]

Ray- i would love to try that tomato seed.
i grow san marzanos that dry very well in my food dryer.
if you live in a dry area, you can just leave the maters on the vine until they dry. this will not work for me.
is the ****** melon seed available from a seed company?

its been kinda weird at the farmers market...i am the only one with any quantity of tomatoes and its the end of july. my price is still $3/pound and i sell out. 140 pounds yesterday.

 

[jinman]

Is the ****** melon seed available from a seed company?

Randy, do a Google search for Israeli or Ogen melon and you will find something similar. I just don't like their pictures because I think my melons look different. Here is a picture of the distinctive colored skin and vein pattern. The only way to describe the color of the flesh is white and firm. It tastes like vanilla ice cream to me, very sweet and aromatic. If you cut one, everyone close will notice the sweet aroma. These large melons (8-10" diameter) sell for $4-$5 here at the big vegetable stand on the highway.

If you PM me with your address, I'll be happy to send you a few melon seeds.

I can't believe the price you are getting on your tomatoes. At the vegetable stands here, perfect tomatoes are $1 per lb and some that don't look as pretty are $0.75 per lb. Nice, sweet peaches are $0.79 per lb and $0.50 lb for very ripe peaches. That's why I don't try to sell this stuff. Within 5 miles of my house, there are three big vegetable stands. Remarkably, okra seems to be green gold so far this year. It's selling for $3.00 lb.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

We've been blessed with fresh cucumbers and tomatoes this year in abundance, nice to have friends. One of our treats is these fruits of our friend's labor blessed with Rox's spicey olive oil, liberally blessed. I would never have considered putting so much olive oil on anything, I thought of olive oil as cooking oil. But this stuff from Rox has taste and it really brings out the flavor of the tomatoes and cucumbers.

Glenda's up in OKC grandparenting one oh one'n but she'll be home Wednesday or so. Talk to Kathy and maybe we can get together for a Jinman garden tasting party, we'll bring the blessing.

 

[Bird]

okra seems to be green gold so far this year. It's selling for $3.00 lb.

About 55 years ago, okra was my summer money crop in Healdton, OK. I'd start out early in the summer selling it to the grocery stores for $.35 a pound (don't remember what they then charged consumers) and by late summer, I'd be lucky to get $.05 a pound.

 

[randy41]

Jim-I found seed by googling as you suggested. thanks!
the tomatoes i'm selling for $3/pound are pretty ugly looking...they taste real good but they don't look like much. i expect my good fortune to change as more are available at the market but i'm enjoying the ride for now.
there's another vendor at the market that was doing very well with okra in past years...if they don't show up with some this year it'll be in my garden next year. if they have a good quantity again this year i'll pass on cutting into their take.

 

[BB_TX]

Okra seems to be just about fool proof. Have never had a bad okra crop. Only planted one 16' row this year. We love it, but I have to pick it every day. And by this time of summer, when I bring in a new double handful, my wife just kind of rolls her eyes at me.

 

[wushaw]

I am like you Bill picking Okra every day and my cherry tomatoes every other day, I am going to start freezing my Okra for winter eating

 

[Ray2310]

Ray, I don't think I've seen any tomatoes, or even tomato vines, that looked quite like that.

Bird,

I have not see anyone with tomatoes like these either. My friends Dad got the seeds from a old man years ago. Ever since they have been the pride and joy of all our gardens. They are a excellant tomatoe because because of high yields of large fruit, very meaty, very low in seeds and acid. (extremely sweet). will post pictures of our first large harvest

Ray

 

[txdon]

Okra seems to be just about fool proof. Have never had a bad okra crop.

ANTS!

The fire ants here are beating me to the okra. When the okra gets one inch long the ants bite holes in it and eat the juice (slime) out of the okra. ??

Question: How do you know when sweet potatoes are done? This Is my first time trying and the slips are growing quickly.