I have to get my tomatoes in this weekend

[bearfan454]

I haven't been able to till because of all the rain. I found a new tomato this year. It's called Cherokee purple. I want some Early Girls too.

[Gormy Cuss]

1. Cherokee purple is a great tomato.

It produces like crazy in my garden and it's got great flavor.
Our Early Girls have been in the ground for almost a month (covered at night) and they're starting to bud. I need to get the heirlooms in the ground in the next few weeks.

[sazemisery]

2. planting is in my future this weekend also

The weather has been warming up and I am getting all my plants I ordered from the co-op today.

[Kolesar]

3. We still have snow piled up near the drive way

Had a freak foot of snow a week ago. It has been cloudy and blustery for weeks now with only intermittent sunny breaks.

[BOSSHOG]

4. I planted indeterminate Brandywine heirloom seeds

and I have some Creole plants. We have a very long growing season here in South Mississippi, so I'll have another planting about mid June. Homegrown tomatoes are a little slice of heaven. Good Luck!

[NJCher]

10. doing the same

Last year I visited a flower farm for a horticultural story I was doing. I learned that they do a mid-summer planting because the flowers and other plants start looking "down at the mouth" around late July/August.

That was when I decided I was going to do a whole second garden, with seeding going on all the way from spring through mid-summer. I'll just replace the plants with the new ones.

Bosshog, did you start your tomatoes from seed indoors? If you did, about how high are they now?



Cher

[Imalittleteapot]

5. Growing heirlooms in pots.

From seed I planted Black Krim, Black Cherry and Flamme in pots that I hope will be big enough. All three plants are about 9" tall. I'm going to start a couple of other heirlooms next week - for fall harvest.

[bearfan454]

6. I got the garden in.

I tilled my ass off all day Saturday and Sunday morning. I tilled in the turkey compost, slow release nitrogen bb's, and some topsoil just to make sure I had a good balance. I ended up with 16 Cherokee Purple, 3 Better Boy, and 1 Lemon Boy tomato plants. For peppers I put in 3 New Mexico Big Jims, 2 Hot Bananas, 2 Carribean Red, and 1 Serrano. That should keep me busy. I'm going to need to put my cover up to shade the plants probably starting in early June. I used it last year and I got tomatoes for longer than anyone else at work did. Isn't that whacky that you have to keep the sun off of your garden or it burns up ?

[sazemisery]

7. Congrats Bearfan - you beat me

I got a lot done this weekend but didn't get the veggies planted. The beds are now officially ready so I work on it after hours this week and should be done by the weekend.

[Shoelace]

8. what do you use to cover your garden?

same thing has been happening here in Oregon. My plants fry in the July/Aug. sun. I've been trying to figure out how to cover at least some of the garden which is not large and adjoins the south part of our home.
I guess that's what we get with global warming? Dunno but need some ideas so I can get it on my "To do" list. Thanks ahead~

[sazemisery]

9. Attach shade cloth to the house

and use poles to hold up the other end. I make an awning out of shade cloth for the tomatoes in the hot months.

[Shoelace]

13. thanks, that's what I was thinking

don't know where to buy it but will find it before the hot summer sizzles my 'maters. Worked in the garden all day long - very sore tonight (that delightful pain we wait for all winter long!lol).

[bearfan454]

12. I used pvc pipes and sun screen from Home Depot

[Shoelace]

14. Wow, nice garden!

thanks for the pic and the inspiration. Sounds doable to me. Lowes no doubt has it too and they are way closer. What are you feeding those tomatoes - they are gigantic? And look at the peppers, wow again. Huge thanks to you.

[NJCher]

11. shades are one step toward biospheres

Some futurist predicted that because of the decline in bees and the increasing intensity of the sun's ultraviolet rays (due to the destruction of the ozone layer), we are going to someday have to raise everything in a biosphere.



Cher

[Shoelace]

15. I believe it

my garden has gotten fried for several years in a row. Never used to happen.
BTW, nice bumper sticker!

[Reciprocity]

16. I live in East Texas and we already have tomatoes on the vine

and not just the Tommy Toes. We actually have a short growing season for tomatoes due to the very hot temps we get so early here. I have just today picked my first zucchini. It tasted great in a salad of our own lettuce. Here is a list so far of the tomatoes in the ground. Some we bought as transplants and other we grew from seeds. Oh and we have about a half dozen of each.

Tomatoes
Early Girl
Better Boy
Homestead
Celebrity
Beefsteak
Grape
Lemon Boy
Big Beef
Porter
Gulf State
Mountain Pride
Marglobe
La Roma
Golden Ponderosa
Pineapple
Watermelon Beefsteak
Cuoro De Toro
Lillian Golden Giant