Time to Put Down Plastic

[pacerron]

I sell at a local farmer market, buy word of
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.

Do you have a problem with your "sweet 100" splitting on the vine?

We used to raise them but have switched to "Juliet" which is a little bigger and grape shaped. They don't split
and will keep after being picked, without refrigeration, for quite a few days.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

This is the first year I have planted Sweet 100's, so we will see how they do. Was the splitting from too much water?

 

[pacerron]

This is the first year I have planted Sweet 100's, so we will see how they do. Was the splitting from too much water?

Possible but not likely here. By August it is quite dried out around here. We water the garden when needed, but not over watered, since the source is our well.
When they go from green to red, on the vine, which happens quickly in clusters, they just split open. The skin is very thin.

Did you pound all those tomato stakes in with a hand driver?
They sure look nice and straight.

 

[sld]

How about some Roma's? To us, they are the best for salsa and the best for canning.

 

[randy41]

How about some Roma's? To us, they are the best for salsa and the best for canning.

i grow san marzanos but they are similar to romas. you can freeze them whole. When you defrost them the skins come right off and they are ready to be used for cooking. they are also good dried.

 

[DFB]

Finally talked my boss into using plastic this year for the business's produce production so put down almost an entire 2000 ft roll today with my equipment. Now he says lets do more for the second (late) squash and cuke plantings...well guess will order up another roll again tomorrow.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Did you pound all those tomato stakes in with a hand driver?
They sure look nice and straight.

All 168 of them with a T-post driver about 2 hits per post.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

DFB, if it does good you may get a hugh pay increase!!!

When do you plant late squash and cukes? I plant in July.

 

[DFB]

DFB, if it does good you may get a hugh pay increase!!!


When do you plant late squash and cukes? I plant in July.

Didn't they tell ya...there's no money in farming!

That's funny to me because yesterday I took my contractor pal with me to lay down the plastic. Told him he could be my Mexican helper for the day. Basically just to stand on the end of the plastic while I got started and to walk ahead raking off any large rocks that might cause a potential problem and anyhow he was trying figure how many plants per row x # of rows x estimated yield per plant in lbs x the going market rate per lb. I think he wants to be farmer now :laughing:


For late planting about the same...4 to 6 weeks after the first crop gets started. Many growers up here try to start planting as early as its possible using row cover for frost protection, though never much before mid to late May. We have exceptional warm weather right now night time lows in high 40's but a had frost three nights in row over the past weekend.

 

[pacerron]

All 168 of them with a T-post driver about 2 hits per post.

Did you skip your home gym workout that day?

My wife noticed in your pictures that the ground shows through the opacity of your plastic.
Is it still supposed to control weed growth underneath?

We tried a rather transparent plastic one year and the weeds loved it; like being in a greenhouse.