Donna Every plant that is supposed to have large tomatoes, has produced one. There are not many green ones left to ripen. Several of the other plants that produce a moderate sized tomato, are loaded. The big beef being one of them. I will call that a very good tomato.
The sweet Charlotte is a small tomato, ping pong ball size, is darker than any red tomato, has a very good taste and as its name sugests is sweeter than most. and more to them than the cherry. I would deffinatly grow it again. The giant tomatoes are good but I a'm not convinced, That they will give as much fruit per plant. They have time yet to prove me wrong. But I have enjoyed them so far, just don't know if they are a producer.
I do think that I will try going with a row cover next year any way. It just seems like a good idea.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` Russ
Strawbale Gardening (Part 16)
Russ, I'm not sure what your problem is. You have had ripe tomatoes for quite a while haven't you? I have had a few that the critter ate. But, you know this is still August. We almost never get ripe tomatoes until almost Labor Day. You are zone 4 and I am 5. Now my sister down the road from me, using her greenhouse heated just about 40 degrees year round, she has huge tomatoes that she has been picking a lot off of for about a month and a half. But she tries a lot of different kinds. They are very big plants when she plants them out.
Jeanette
I picked my first ripe tomato from my bales today. Unfortunately I have no idea of the variety as my brother's grandson picked up all the markers while he was visiting.
I'm not sure that it is a problem. What I was thinking is that the ones I have may not be a heavy producer, just what it does is some very large maters.???? I really don't know. But then this has been a funny year. Started out wet and cold then dry and hot. We are finally getting the moisture we normally get in June and the first week of July. That may have been a part of the reason. The ones that started bearing early were the San Marzano. They are still bearing and still a lot of green ones there. It is just these two plants the Box Car Willie an the Mule Team. I'm not worried about it, I was just noting that there were only a few green ones left and I only got one off either plant, so far. You are right too we still have all of September and a little of October. Plenty of time yet to show what they can do. But then we have had frost hold off until after Halloween. Then we have had an inch of ice and 13" of snow on the 19th. So who knows.
Was it good Darius? That's what counts.
Yes, I know exactly what you mean Russ. We have the same thing. Either warm or snow.
Jeanette
dunno... supper will be later tonight, lol.
We had some wonderful sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with blue cheese dressing on them. With stuffed peppers. Almost forgot them, the others were so good.
Jeanette
Whoops, did forget the Apple Crisp.
jnette when you said tomato and cucumber w/blue cheese dressing, I thought Ummm.
went further and you said apple crisp and my mouth almost salavated all over the keyboard. lol
It all was really good Russ.
Ok, I am going to try to post a picture of the melon. I put bird netting round it to hold it up so it wouldn't break the stem.
Here it is. I fertilized it again today so will see if it gets any bigger or starts to ripen. Think I will keep the seeds and try it again next year. Maybe I can hybridize the hybrid out of it???? Or the Genetic Engeineering? LOL
Jeanette
love dirty nails: I have no personal experience with the sulphate, but I know alot of the ones who have emailed me about bale gardening have used it, and if there were any negative results, they probably would have let me know.
Or you can just let the bales prepare themselves naturally, with no help. Just start keeping them moist for about 3 weeks before you transplant. That should give the bales plenty of time to "get ready".
darius: couldn't help but laugh at your story about your brother's grandson messing with your ID tags.
I know this is a little late, but next year you may want to use DG's journal, or blog is what they call it now, to log in what you planted and where, in case you have another stick-fingered visitor.
Kent
Thanks, Kent. Next year I plan to map each bale and contents, plus I want more bales and to interplant them differently.
Ok jnette that is a melon and not the vine peach I mentioned earlier.
I tried to grow what Gurneys called a vine peach about three years ago. There must have been some gourds close enough, as they definitely were not a vine peach. I couldn't tell the size by the picture. If you are using cattle panels it is probably 3-1/2" about now.
Yup I'm going to save some seeds too. just to see if they come close to what they grew this year.
I was also thinking of you when I was saving some of those mater seeds. I gave one of the ministers here in town several Sweet Charlott.
He really liked them. So I will save some of those for you, as well as some others. only the ones I really like.
I've been told , it is time to eat, so gotta go.~~~~~~~~~~~` Russ
Ok Russ, I would have said the melon was 4 1/2 inches but I just asked Bob who saw it after I took the picture and after I had fertilized it with liquid fertilizer and it had worked overnight, and he says 6 inches. Maybe it was the angle I took it at, plus the size. I cut it in half. So, here is a different view of it and full screen.
I would love to have seeds from Sweet Charlott. AND, I will send you some seeds from this melon if you would like to try it again. If it is as big as Bob says, it is just about the size as the one I took the seeds from originally.
I have been gone all day so haven't seen it. Now, see what you think.
Jeanette
Russ, Now after looking at that picture I am wondering if it is where I put two panels overlaped. I will let you know tomorrow. Jeanette
Do you all know that Terry has given us a forum (thread) of our own? We are no longer under vegetable gardening now. We are under Strawbale gardening. So, now we are going to have to find it and be sure to mark it so it is on your thread watch or you will get lost.
I will try to keep it close to the top for a while on the list on the home page.
Hope to see you all there. Let me know if you can't find it.
Jeanette
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/strawbale/all/
Here is the new forum.
This message was edited Aug 27, 2007 10:26 PM
Thanks very helpful. Be sure to click on "favorites" in the right hand corner.
Jeanette
Jeanette, I followed instructions to get to click on add this forum to your favorites, but I am so confused I can't find any place where Favorites in right hand corner is on my screen. There must be something to click on to show me favorites.
Donna
Donna you are right. I don't see it on this screen either.
By now you probably have the forum. Terry said anybody that had been using the Strawbale thread would automatically be moved dto it.
Let me know if you didn't get it on your "watch thread". Check that under "my info".
Jeanette
It isn't found on THIS page, but on the FORUM page. This is a "thread" for the strawbale forum .... At the top of this page on the LEFT side - you can click the link to take you to the FORUM. On the forum page - on the upper right - is the "favorite" option.
...which is a tiny yellow file folder, no markings.
Maybe Mac does it differently than PC - but UNDER the yellow file folder is the hot link for favorites - on my Macster.
Maybe Mac does it differently than PC - but UNDER the yellow file folder is the hot link for favorites - on my Macster. On the other hand - I DID just click the yellow folder and that works, too in marking fav's.........thanks for opening my eyes.
I certainly wish they hadn't made a mess of this. Even without having a problem I don't like it. I suppose this is the "new" people?
I have been emailing Terry but I am afraid we lost Donna. We haven't heard from her for a bit. I told Terry this was going to happen with a lot of people. They even could have given us a little bit of heads up before just doing it.
Jeanette
Finally, a pic of my bales.... they really ARE under all that vegetation. I have learned a lot with this first year's trial, mostly what not to do.
Next year, the tomatoes will be spaced better, and the squash VERY separate. Perhaps I will put down weed fabric covered with mulch next to the bales with squash just to keep down grass 10 feet from the actual planted bales... the squash vines travel SO much.
darius: you did a fine job. Proud of you!
Kent
That looks great, Darius. Speaking of Appalachian Mts....went to the University of Michigan vs Appalachian State football game today. Too bad U of M lost. BOOOO HOOOO :)
Darius that really looks good. Wonder what would happen if you helped one or 2 of the squash plants to climb the cattle panels?
Jeanette
When they are small that is. LOL, not those big ones.
This message was edited Sep 1, 2007 8:16 PM
Jeanette, actually some squash have started climbing the cattle panels... maybe I will remember to get a close-up tomorrow.
That's pretty cool Darius. I have a cantaloupe hanging about 3 or 4 feet off the ground. I used bird netting to keep it from breaking off the stem.
Jeanette
I've been following this ever since I joined DG and find it fascinating. I currently use EB's for growing tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. I can't help but wonder what all I could grow in my "little piece of heaven" waaay down south. Think I'll show this to the DH and see if I can peak his interest a bit. Otherwise he might think I'm off my rocker if I start talking about growing a garden in bales of straw! LOL
~Susan
Susan: many of the folks I introduce to bale gardening give me the "deer in the headlights look" alot. No matter how vivid I describe my garden, they just think it's another fish tale, until they see the photos!
And especially if they come by my house and see it first hand, up close.
So, just direct your DH to this site and have him see for himself.
Come on and jump in, the water is great! :-)
Kent
Susan: just remember our motto: "No weeding, no tilling, no hoeing!"
That sounds pretty easy!
Kent
I can't wait to get this started next year. After my pitiful garden this year...ANYTHING would have to be better!!
Jnette wrote;"I have a cantaloupe hanging about 3 or 4 feet off the ground. I used bird netting to keep it from breaking off the stem."
I'm going for that next time around. It'll make them safely "self harvesting" I think, as when they're ripe you just need to touch the vine and it falls off. What a guess/work saver!! It will also keep them away from those nasty little things that ate holes in them, I hope....
Margo
Well, so far so good. It appears that it might be turning color a bit. Margo I am going to let you know how it does with coming off the stem bit. It isn't getting any bigger so the netting should work good.
And yes, the netting is keeping Mr. Squirrel away from the tomatoes except for one end that I was short of it. Today I reworked it so that should take care of it. He sure did like those nice big pink ones with the red meat.
I think that is what Brandywine does Margo. Pink with nice red meat inside.
Jeanette
I would put a little thumb pressure on the blossom end when you think it is ripe, if it don't give, I would wait a few days or a week. When you have just one you don't want to pick it too early, Right???
Which reminds me. I forgot to put some straw under my watermelons. Better go do that right now. Before those crawly things start working on them. They arn't quite ready yet.
Russ
What crawley things go after watermelons Russ? I would think their rind would be too thick for anything to bother them.
I will do that to the blossom end Russ. I worked in a fruit stand when I was 15 years old. A mighty looooooong time ago. I remember the smell of a ripe cantaloupe. gooooood. Now, I just pick the worst looking one in the store and leave it on my kitchen counter for another couple of days or a week and then cube it and put it in a plastic container in the refrigerator.
I guess that is what we love about this time of year. All the fresh fruit, and produce. Definitley worth the work.
Jeaneette
Not very many other than stink bugs and I have had a little black and yellow bug get into them It may have been because of wet earth on the bottom side causing it rot first.
The stink (ie squash beatles) attack the stems.
I think if you catch that melon when it gets ripe, you will probably be growing more melons next year.