Time to Put Down Plastic

[buckeyefarmer]

Looking great on the planting. Every year I say i'm going to do drip irrigation for my garden, but I never get it done. After reading this today, I went ahead and ordered a small drip system from rain-flo.
I use landscape fabric in my garden, between the rows to keep the weeds down.
My dad used to grow a lot of veggies and sell at the farmers markets. That was one of his hobbies after he retired. Growing up, we grew acres of strawberries, which we picked and delivered to people.

 

[charlz]

Looking great on the planting. Every year I say i'm going to do drip irrigation for my garden, but I never get it done. After reading this today, I went ahead and ordered a small drip system from rain-flo.

Drip on a timer is where it is at, never have to worry about forgetting to water and killing off everything you worked so hard on.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Rain-flo has good systems but Berry Hill Drip Irrigation also has some good home garden and large farm systems.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Timer on order also. I thought about a roll of plastic mulch and put down manually, but will stick with landscape fabric. It works good except crab grass will root right thru it.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Updating growth. Looks like I will have zucchini and straight neck squash by the end of the week. Both are about the size of my finger. Cukes, beans, watermelon, and cantaloupes look good. Tomatoes are suckered and staked.

 

[randy41]

the best way to know when to irrigate is to feel the soil. what variety of tomatoes are those? where do you sell them?

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Randy,

I sell at a local farmer market, buy word of mouth, and have several people that pay up front and come by weekly to pick up produce. We also donate a lot.

I current have one row of Early girl and Better Boy. I have some customers that this is the only tomato they will buy.

I also have one row each of:

Red Rose #5818 This cross between Brandywine and Rutgers produces good yields of 6 to 10 oz. delicious dark pink fruit. Disease and crack-resistance are inherited from Rutgers, and the tomato's taste and texture is more like that of Brandywine. Indeterminate. 85 days.

First Prize VFFNT Hybrid #3300 - Exclusive release of Tomato Growers Supply Company. The kind of tomato home gardeners would love to grow for a county fair entry. Vigorous plants produce loads of delicious 10 to 12 oz. fruit, even when conditions are not ideal. This one was a winner in our trials for its high yields, good disease resistance, mid-early maturity, and great flavor. First fruit mature early and low on the plant, which continues to bear tomatoes over a long season. Indeterminate. 75 days.

Brandywine Red (Landis Valley Strain) #5940 This special strain of Red Brandywine comes from Chester County, Pennsylvania, where it originated in 1885. It produces medium-sized, 8 to 12 oz. round, smooth red fruit that are juicy and loaded with intense tomato flavor. This is a different strain than regular Brandywine Red, which has a much larger and more ribbed tomato. This foliage is shaped like a regular tomato leaf and is not potato-leaved. Expect high yields of this very flavorful tomato. Indeterminate. 78 days.

Also half row of Beefsteak with the other half a seedless verity, and 4 plants of sweet 100's.

I have not decided what I will plant the 7 row. But will plant it sometime mid-late June.

Feel free to offer suggestions on tomatoes, I am always looking of a good tasting producer.

 

[randy41]

your stuff looks great. if you want a ton of good tasting tomatoes within a short period of time try BHN589 (red) and BHN871 (orange). the plants do well weaved. the other really good seller is cherokee purple. do you have late blight problems?

 

[hunterridgefarm]

The only year I had late blight problems was last year, due to excessive rain and not being on plastic.

Where do you order the seeds for those BHN589 Red? Are they determinate? If so how long do they produce?

I prefer indeterminate types but have considered indeterminate.


Okay, found it Tomato growers Supply

But how long can you harvest determinate tomatoes?

 

[randy41]

these determinants will give you ripe tomatoes for a few weeks (3?). i plant them inside and can get 2 crops off of them but the second never yields as well as the first. The BHN varieties were bred for producing a lot over a short period of time. late blight occurs here just about every year.