How's your tomatoes doing?

I didn't know girls went snipe hunting. I thought it was just us guys.

I cow tipped ONE time and the poor beast let out the most pitiful moan I've ever heard. I felt sooooo bad. I just wish they didn't taste so good :-( I can't bring myself to look into the eyes of a cow. They're the most soulful things you'll ever gaze into.
I didn't know the hornworms played dead!! thats pretty interesting. It could be called a possumpillar I guess! don't get the same feeling gazing into their eyes, but again, I could never kill one.

Y'all are welcome to come tip these guys. I'd LOVE to have a ringside seat for that. I suppose I could rig some lights....

BTW, "cow" is a bit of a misnomer. They are steers. Sizeable, too:) The biggest issue with them is that they were bottle babies, and still want to play like puppies.

I thought I knew everything there was to know about cattle but cow tipping is a new one on me.

how about bovine tipping. That covers all bases.

Steers are intact males, yes? "Cow" is the generic term for bovines of all varieties, except Longhorns.

No, no, Steers are NOT intact, bulls are. How come Longhorns aren't called cows?

Because they're Longhorns.

Thats a breed, like Angus. Still a cow. Here is my steer Lucky.

Heres one more. Isn't he cute?

Right, but it just seems like everyone always says "Longhorns" rather than "cow" when referring to them.

That's a very pretty steer. Love his color! Not sure I'd like those horns, though. LOL

You all are funny! I work in the meat industry and this is how we refer to members of the bovine persuasion...

bovine = an animal of the family Bovidae, including cattle, buffalo and bison
heifer = female that has not yet had a calf
cow = female (after she has had her first calf)
bull = uncastrated (intact) male
steer = castrated male

Shhhh. Please don't mention "meat industry" around Lucky. He's scared of everybody but me and will go after people that are near me but I love him. He does have beautiful eyes. He'll be 5 years old at the end of July, and he is a Zebu. We use to have 4 others but now just him as far as bovines go.

Mums the word Lucky! He's a beautiful steer!

If nobody minds I may post some pictures of my pigs and other critters I know its way off topic.

I like critters!

I like pigs

I love pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, doves, quail, deer, elk, squirrel, rabbit and coons. They are all delicious.

question about the tomatoes (since that's where this thread started ;) )

We planted the young plants 80 days ago (Early Girl, Park's Whopper, Jet Star, Supersonic, Roma, and Supersweet cherry) and have a ton of green tomatoes everywhere, but not a single one has turned yet. It's been plenty hot here in NC for a good long time, seems like I should be slicing by now. Any tricks to get them to ripen faster?

Threaten to pick them....

I have made an excellent crop of tomatoes. Some of the biggest and best that I have ever raised. I turned the corner with mine today. Yield was cut by two thirds today. I picked the last of the bottom crop today. I have a good many on up toward the top of the vines but they will be smaller and not as many. I have ten that I started from seed and they are over six feet tall but will make very few tomatoes. I got them out to late and the heat has hurt the fruiting. I'm not complaining, just stating the facts. We have really enjoyed eating and giving our tomatoes away. I've probably given away twenty for every one we ate. Just thankful for a good mater crop with no hornworms and stink bugs.

Congratulations, Bro. Jim!

Now, jump over to the new thread and guide us into the fall growing season.

dm440c -

Days to maturity is a relative number and depends on a lot of things - temps, precipitation, soil - your particular growing conditions... As long as you have fruit I'd say your plants are doing just fine. Hopefully they will start to turn red really soon.

Not really sure you can hurry them along. Some people pick them at first blush and let them ripen on the counter. I would let them ripen fully on the vine for best flavor! Unless you have problems with birds or critters going for your 'maters. Then I'd say pick 'em when they blush so you make sure you get some 'maters!

I tried that "blush" picking, and it WORKS! Even my bell pepper turned fire engine red!

The tomato plat that I planted with a whole egg has one big mater (Green ) on it, the two others that I planted two months before.... NOTHING!!! That egg did the trick...

Last year we didn't have any problem with the stink bugs but I have seen a few on one of the Bull's Hearts. It looks like they're going for the fruit! What do you do about them? I've only seen a couple really, but don't want it to get any worse.
Also on one of the cucumbers the other day I say a very pretty blue critter of some sort on a stem. when I went to pluck him off he scurried around the stem and back again when I came from the other side. I finally "pinched" the stem from the side opposite his perch and he darted away, I didn't see any damage and he might have just been chillin' in the shade - it's been really HOT here recently - I just hate to have to wake up one morning and take my Straight 8's straight to the compost heap!

KILL EVERY STINKBUG YOU CAN, WHILE YOU CAN! It does not take long for them to lay enough eggs for an invasion, so catch e'm while you can. And mash those cut little orange ants with the black legs. Those are STINKBUG NYMPHS!

EXCEPTION: If you see what looks like a Stinkbug nymph all along by itself and it does NOT have a black BUMP on its butt, it's NOT a Stinkbug nymph. DO NOT KILL THIS ONE. It is an Assassin Bug -- a friendly warrior in the war against the bad bugs!

Linda

The person who comes up with what kills or deters Stinkbugs will be very, very, very rich...

When I pick tomatoes, I pick every thing that has a blush. One reason is I never know when I will be back to pick again. This year I had so many big tomatoes on my vines I was trying to lighten them up a little and give the others a shot at growing.

Jim Are you in USDA zone 8?

Bro. Jim,
Remind me again what your raised beds are filled with as your growing medium.

Thanks!

Linda

OK WAY OFF Topic but here are a couple pictures of the critters. I wish I could post more then 1 at a time. Spencer- an 8 yr old Boar

1 more of Spencer

This is Tigger he's a feral pig that somebody bottle raised. Then I got him.

SH.. Here is another one I swear he had a head in my picture

Uh, TMI...

Ray-Naw these pigs missed the freezer, they are pets. (best dogs I've ever had) We have raised some for slaughter but once they get named they're safe. Tigger-was always a pet. Spencer just never got to the butcher and now he is too old, and he is a boar so I don't even think he would be edible. They usually get slaughtered at about 6mo.
that's when their feed to weight gain ratio slows down. I know TMI

Lisac,
Thanks for introducing us to your tribe. They are adorable!

Gyngirl-this is only the beginning. But I know its way off topic so I'll stop. People don't usually refer to them as adorable. Thanks!

I like the critters. Maybe you can do a thread for them here or isn't there a livestock forum or something?