Third Year SFG in Canada

sanderson wrote:Nothing prettier than top-dressing with fresh homemade compost!  Did you have any feather friends help you with the worms?  

No birds this time around. Have not seen the yard robin for some time.

With the remaining 1 inch PVC pipe and some of the many leftover fittings I was able to create a frame around Mrs TD's raspberry bushes. She can add string/wire to contain the bushes and cover the whole thing with something to keep out the birds and bugs. The frame is on the right of the photo next to the hedge.




Flowers on a melon plant in the U-bed ANSFG.  The seed for this plant came from SR.




Some of the leaves on this Brandywine Tomato plant in the ANSFG are curling. Is this a major problem?



Veronica (Speedwell) in Mrs TD's perennial bed.



A small rose in Mrs TD's perennial bed.

trolleydriver wrote:Some of the leaves on this Brandywine Tomato plant in the ANSFG are curling. Is this a major problem?

I had a tomato plant that had some leaves like that the whole season. IIRC it's a stress response due to weather - too cold/hot, and/or uneven watering - or possibly other things. The leaves never uncurled for me, but later leaves weren't curled, so it might be a side effect rather than a barometer (i.e. doesn't uncurl to let you know when the problem is fixed.) The plant produced just fine, and contributed to the tomatoes I had on the table until sometime in November.

Someone, I think Sanderson?, has had issues with a leaf curl virus that infects tomatoes. I know I looked pictures of that up last year, and I know the curl or other disease features was somehow different than what I was seeing on my plant - and your plant looks like mine did. So I don't think you have a major problem.
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Wow, that domesticated speedwell looks so different from the wild weed version! Thanks for sharing it.

Both of my Amish Paste tomatoes at home have curled leaves, but the two o planted in putting soil at work do not. The ones at home or in ANSFG beds. The ones in the ANSFG beds are also like half the size of the ones set work now. They did start growing after sombre fish fertilizer and a top dressing of worm castings.

They are starting to catch up size wise to the others, butt the leaves are still cured.

So from my very limited experience this year, it would seem to imply it does signify stress (in my case possibly nutrient deficiency) but it doesn't seem to go away once you fix the problem. Not yet for me anyway.

Concerning Tomato leaf curl ... I read that it can be caused by too much watering. The leaves curl to expose the stomata on the underside so that the plant can release excess moisture. We have had an awful lot of rain this Spring and early Summer. So maybe that is the problem.

As well, there is this explanation ... "Cool, rainy weather can cause the lower leaves to thicken and roll. This stress response doesn’t interfere with fruit production or cause permanent damage to the plant, and new foliage that grows in warmer weather will not be affected. No treatment is necessary." That quote is from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/remedies-leaf-curl-tomato-plants-39900.html

So although the plants may be stressed I will be stressed by their condition. 

TD,  I call that leaf "roll" instead of curl.  I'm tickled to death to only have leaf roll, especially in this 100*F+ weather.

2014 (downward) leaf curl virus on tomatillo  

2014 leaf curl virus on tomato

2016 other leaf virus (upward) on Snow Fairy tomato. I can't find any other good photos of tomato plants from 2016.

I just harvested my only Broccoli plant. It was grown in one of the OSFG beds. Yesterday, I harvested four Kohlrabi plants from one of the ANSFG beds.  Only one of the four had a good bulb. I still have four Kohlrabi plants but these are in an OSFG and are not as far along. All the Kohkrabi were transplants from winter sowing starts.

Over the past few days I've sown two squares of Golden Wax Bean. Will have to see if they germinate. I pre-soaked some of the seeds but not all.

I have a lot of empty squares and will have more when I harvest the garlic. Just don't seem to be able to get my act together to do something with the empty squares. The wet and relatively cool weather has been hard on some of the plants (e.g., peppers, okra) as well as on me. It's like I've run out of steam.

trolleydriver wrote: Just don't seem to be able to get my act together to do something with the empty squares. The wet and relatively cool weather has been hard on some of the plants (e.g., peppers, okra) as well as on me. It's like I've run out of steam.

The heat is doing the same thing to me, TD.

I'm planning on finally doing something with my empty squares myself. Finally decided I'm going to sow more beans, beets, and broccolini. Apparently I like vegetables that start with B.

I still have not fully cleaned out my 3x3x3 compost bin. So that was the job for this morning. There was only about 15 inches high (probably less) max of material left in it. So I began the sifting process and got two large plastic trash bins and a half size one full of sifted compost. And I still have about the same amount left in the 3x3x3 bin. There seems to be no end to the amount of compost that bin produces.



 


This melon and the Canada Crookneck Squash to the right of it are making their way up the megatrellis. Their longest vines are about 15 inches above the level of the MM. 




This Acorn Squash is getting flowers but the leaves are still pale.



The Snow and Sugar Snap Peas continue their climb higher and way above their trellis by about two feet. They really like the cool wet weather we have been getting.





The first Sweet Million Tomato fruit are showing on this plant in a 4x4 SFG bed.



These True Black Brandywine tomatoes are developing but it looks like one of them may have a split.




Finally, these three Tomato plants are really taking off in one of the old style SFG 4x4 beds.

Looking good TD! Clearing our my compost bin is on my to do list as well.

trolleydriver wrote:
These True Black Brandywine tomatoes are developing but it looks like one of them may have a split.

Heirlooms can catface.  Maybe that's all it's doing.  Altho with all the rain you've had...
...hard to say.

My peas are about done. Most will come out this weekend.

Looking good, td

sanderson wrote:Looking good, td

Thanks sanderson.  Today I am reloading my SoilSaver black plastic compost bin with leaves from last Fall, recent grass clippings, weeds and plant trimmings from Mrs TDs perennial beds, and thin layers of compost from the 3x3x3 bin. I should throw in some horse manure and coffee grounds as well. The leaves are stored in bags under our big evergreen tree. I'm putting them in a trash bin and shredding them with the weed wacker. That is working well. There are a few problems including the fact that a lot of the leaves are wet and stuck together. As well there seems to be a preponderance of oak leaves but I'm using them anyway. And finally, I went under the tree to get more leaves and got stung on the hand by what looked like a yellow jacket. Ouch! It had some friends flying around so they may have a nest in there and I will have to be very careful. Now taking a break with a cup of tea to see what the impact of the sting will be. So far so good.

I've got my first Banana Pepper growing on a plant that I started indoors and transplanted into one of the 4x4 SFG beds. The plant has been struggling due to the cool wet weather but has still managed to produce fruit. 

Sorry for the out of focus photo.

This is a worm's eye view of a Melon (Sakata?) and Canada Crookneck Squash in the U-bed.



White Scallop Squash (in front) and Golden Zucchini (behind) also in the U-Bed.




A "spare" Golden Zucchini plant that I put in the dirt in front of the hardware cloth compost bin. It is doing very well as are the Yukon Gold Potato plants inside the compost bin.

Worms eye view???

Everything looks pretty healthy!

Looking at your scallop squash, and by looking at mine, it seems they grow upwards more than a zuchinini. I think it might be possible, maybe even decently easy to stake it and have grow vertically. Tis what I'm going to try for mine

Megatrellis.  Love the term!

Nice updates TD! Question I've been meaning to ask...what's the purpose of the cups around the base of your plants?

Fiz wrote:Megatrellis.  Love the term!

Nice updates TD! Question I've been meaning to ask...what's the purpose of the cups around the base of your plants?

I use the bottomless cups to protect seeds and seedlings from critters.  Those cups in the photo have sunflowers growing in them. Without the cups the critters steal the seeds.

trolleydriver wrote:

Fiz wrote:Megatrellis.  Love the term!

Nice updates TD! Question I've been meaning to ask...what's the purpose of the cups around the base of your plants?

I use the bottomless cups to protect seeds and seedlings from critters.  Those cups in the photo have sunflowers growing in them. Without the cups the critters steal the seeds.

Made a believer outta me! I lost 2 batches of asparagus beans before figuring out it was the rollies eating the sprouts. Since using TD's cup method, I haven't lost a single plant.

Harvested some Beets today.

 Wow!  Lucky you!  Those greens are gorgeous.
Detroit Red?

Robbomb116 wrote:I'm planning on finally doing something with my empty squares myself. Finally decided I'm going to sow more beans, beets,  and broccolini.  Apparently I like vegetables that start with B.

Not a bad idea.  I do have a square that's mostly free.  Think I'll attempt some more beans there.

Best case scenario; BEANS!
Worst case: added nitrogen in the soil

So looks like a win win, no matter how it plays out.

I filled some empty squares by sowing radishes, carrots, kale and pak choi. So far only the radishes (2 squares) have sprouted. And here they are ...



Sugar Snap Peas harvested today. These made it into the house.




I have four Amaranth plants (started from seed) growing in one of Mrs TD's flower beds. Here is one of them.




These Zinnias were started indoors and have taken forever to flower.




And now several photos of the veggie beds.









Pond area.