I don't count cherry tomatoes as tomatoes :) Although, Sungold is nice for an extremely sweet change up. It is it's own color....Neon Yellow/Orange when ripe. My favorite cherry-like is still Riesentraube. I prefer saladette types to most cherries. Thinner skins, good flavor and just as productive.
What's Going on in your Veggie Garden-Part 5
Mostly I like the grape types I have tried better than the cherry types I have tried but that is a generazation since I love Sungolds. Then there are just so many cherry types I have never tried. Never tried Riesentraube. What is your favorite saladette?
As for me I have never had a garden without Early Girls for right at 40 years the lemon Boy is a great tasting tomato and this year the Rutger was very good ..I have been raising maters fro a long time and every year try to have at least on new one but always have EGs
grits74571 ; Rutgers died on me, how did you do the cultivation with yours? I guess I cannot blame the heat after all can I?
I think the Japenese Trifele tastes like dirt as did most of my customers. We all loved the Sungolds. I grew a campari type tomato this year, can't remember the name but it had "mountain" in it. It was delicious and produced well into our July heat and was super disease resistant.
Ray_der-phan, those tomatoes are gorgeous!
Another batch of Carrots!
I never tried Rutgers and will always grow some Early Girls. Just want to try some other early varieties also.
Great, I wanted to try Japanese Black Trifele because I read (not on thus forum) Where people were raving about how good it is. Now the opposite! Honestly, no way to know for sure except judge for myself.
That's much the same usually a new try with a tomato,This year only MARGLOBE that I had grown before, Only the way it worked out.I',ve grown Early Girl before, 2003 I think it was,I liked it only never grew anymore,I have no idea of why.(most likely space).
From growing H L 's looking for good tasting easy to grow types,has not been as easy it sounds.The only thing in the garden that works good for cooking is some oregano and purple basil.Next season there will be another, there always is.
My cultivation method is quite diferent from any others and I should have some pix of it and will send if I can find them
Here in the first the plants are at the top of their growing containers these grow cylinders were made using some scrap metal roofing ...the process starts months before the actual planting by digging some fairly holes then filling the holes with aged manure..when it is time to transplant (early april) I plant the plants into the holes that were filled with manure earlier then slip the cylinders over each plant and tap down into the ground a couple of inches...As the plants grows I keep added a soil/compost mixture until the cylinder is nearly full and the tomato keeps adding roots all along the main stalk with the Cyl. I am able to cover on cold nights and all water except rain is done just in the cyl.>> we sometimes get frost as late as the first week in May which is what led to the design in the beginning
Very interesting. I am sure you get lots of tomatoes early that way but honestly, I am far too lazy a gardener to do that much work. I just plant my tomato sets in ground in early May here.
Just try and get an early start to try and beat the heat and it is not all that much extra work as I normally only have ten or fewer plants
grits74571 First I want to thank you for pic's,lots of info there. Some of this describes why my fail with the plant was so dramatic.The cultivar needed much better soil than I provided,it was placed in a new bed that I had not gotten worked up as of yet. The plant was not provided with deep enough soil is the obvious to me.
I place a couple of plants in raised beds, set them low, so I can add soil and cover them,similar only much different. The plants in the older beds did well as can be. Thank you again for the cultivation information
Here are the pictures I promised.
Rained overnight, 1.1".
More.
This is all things that we picked on Friday.
Eight people working besides my son & myself.
Then we got much needed rain overnight, 1.1".
Wow, it all looks so good. :-))
What lovely carrots, beets and cabbage. I won't see any of that until about November here.
I did plant my carrots and turnips, though. Hopefully I can keep the slugs at bay long enough for them to grow up this year.
CountryGardens; Beautiful!! Wish I was there,yum. yum.
Amazing produce!
Those are some nice looking watermelons... I can almost taste them... Oh wait, I've got one of ours in the fridge, I may actually get to taste this one...LOL... But I'll still have to fight my 5 y.o. grand daughter...LOL...
The watermelons are Sangria. Everyone's favorite here for many years.
After a nice rain Friday night, I took a tour of the garden this morning. You can go along with the pictures I took.
#1 - Basil & Cherry Tomatoes.
#2 - Hot Peppers & more Cherry Tomatoes.
#3 - Large tomatoes left to sprawl.
#4 - Carrots.
#5 - Watermelons.
Continuing the tour;
#1 - Another view of Watermelon.
#2 - Hot Peppers.
#3 - Beans.
#4 - Sweet Peppers.
#5 - Cabbage.
This message was edited Aug 5, 2012 8:06 AM
And on we go --
#1 - Kale.
#2 & #3 - Muskmelon.
#4 - Slicer Cucumbers & Cabbage.
#5 - Pickles.
Last stops;
#1 - Kohlrabi.
#2 & #3 - Strawberries.
#4 - Beets.
#5 - Sweet Potatoes.
Checked out chickens & cats before going for breakfast. (Note black cat on the railing, that is Blackie, our cuddliest kitty.)
You just grow so much! So much to take care of!
I love the way the kitties are all sitting there looking like they want attention. And I really, really had to look for the cat up on the railing until I spotted him. You seem to have lots of chickens too.
300 + or - on the hens. They are just stating to lay. Got 15 dozen each day for Thursday & Friday.
We have 9 kittens, 5 older cats, & 3 old toms.
3 of our mother cats, mothers to the kittens, must have got taken by coyotes.
If coyotes are after the cats then they must REALLY want to get to the chickens!
I wish I could have chickens. A few hens just for eggs. But here in out town it is illegal. Really gets me mad that there are no chickens allowed here. It is typical suburbia but still. Even parts of New York City allow a limited amount of hens.
Your farm is beatiful this year Bernie.
The sweet potato you brought us was divine!!
Hope mine turn out half as good.
Rita, sounds like you need to dress up nice and go use your right to speak and get on the agenda at the city council meeting. You can print up fact sheets about all the good things about having a (limited will sound good to them) limited amount of hens (roosters make more noise), such as soil building, health from the fresh free range eggs, insect control, cite the reasons (from past city council minutes) originally used and debate them with good facts, teaching children to care for "animals" and about their food, nutrition of free range eggs versus store eggs (and versus those that claim to be free range but only have a 6x8 yard in egg factories- look up some facts on http://www.mercola.com http://naturalnews.com and others). If they balk, tell them it could be by a special use permit (for the zoning board) and those who do have chickens should be required to keep the pens clean to avoid flies, etc...although I suspect chickens eat flies too. Get some of your neighbors (and a lawyer friend if you have one) to go with you to speak for their 3 to 5 minutes of public time before the council. Good things are worth fighting for.
CountryGardens - thanks for sharing your photos. Everything looks so gorgeous. WELL DONE!
Oh, and Rita: Make a list of cities where it's legal and in-vogue to raise hens. Show them pictures of cute chicken houses (especially if the council's full of hawty-tawties :)
Rita - Chickens are allowed here in Charlotte with a permit - you can add that to your list.
(Wish I had some chickens)
Here's the permit requirements...
http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/CMPD/organization/Support/AnimalControl/LocalOrdinances/Pages/Permits.aspx
copy of application:
http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/CMPD/organization/Support/AnimalControl/LocalOrdinances/Pages/PermitApplication.aspx
I believe Raleigh, NC allowes them, too!
Honestly, I am just not up to it. I know that is what someone in town needs to do but it is not going to be me. And I can understand no roosters (although I had a neighbor once have some chickens illegally and the rooster didn't bother me any). And I can also understand a limit. But a few hens really should be legal to own.
Bernie, the cantaloupe and watermelon were the best I've ever eaten!
This year I do have to spray my tomato plants weekly with the Daconil to keep the deseases mostly at bay. Most years I don't need to spray but this year have to spray weekly. Must be a bad year for tomato funguses. I just sprayed them today.
I was counting watermelons on the vines while I was picking five of the saddest red tomatoes I ever saw. I have four or five small Orangeglo and about the same moon &stars melons,if I get any, even if late I will be delighted.
I have picked a couple of calypso cucumbers,from the one remaining vine after the voles came early.
My yellow tomatoes have really been a season saver for me this year.
Oh no. Tomatoes have been fabulous here this year. Wish I could zap over some nice ripe ones to you right now!