Tomato Tuesday for the PNW

happycamper wrote:I found the culprit a MOLE with an orange chest, dead, right next to the cat.

I hope you gave that garden guard a noogie and lots of 'Good Kitty' praise!



GG

Congratulations, happycamper, on your choice of cat! Not many cats will catch moles, though we did have one years ago. He'd sit in front of a mole hole very quietly, then, like fired from a coiled spring, he'd leap forward, thrust his leg down the hole and fish the critter out. Moles are fragile creatures, and die quickly, which made me wonder why he hunted them, they wouldn't "play" with him like a mouse would. You are lucky to have such a good kitty. Nonna

Happycamper give that kitty and hug!!!



way to go kitty!!



hugs

rose....who needs a slug catcher

BOO HISSSSSSS

Yesterday afternoon we had 35 MPH winds come through the tomato garden and my tomatillo did not fare very well.

Two stems, about 22 inches each, were broken off one plant. Does anyone know how long it will take to root these big stems?

One stem

Both stems

This is what the plants looked like yesterday - two plants in one five gallon bucket

Fubalsmom, I am so sorry to hear about your tomatillo.

This is what I consider a gardening emergency. I keep miracle grow around for two reasons only and this is one of them.

You could try putting the plant in a solution of 1/4 teaspoon miracle grow per 1/2 gallon of water and it will start to root. I did this last year when a San Marzano broke and it had several blooms on it. It did not die and once it had 1 inch roots I planted it in MM. It was short but I did get a few tomatoes from it. I do not remember how long it took to root and I know that it is nearly August.

As an alternate, you could plant it directly in MM and water only with fertilized water and hope it starts to root.

I hope others have more suggestions for you.

Thanks, HappyCamper.

Both broken stems were recut before being placed in the white 5 gallon bucket with just plain water (actually from our dehumidifier). I may follow your suggestion and put a tiny bit of Miracle Grow in the water (Gasp)

But these stems are so big, if they will root quickly, I may still get some tomatillos from the many huge blooms already on them. We can always hope.

awww how are the plants doing furb?...(((hugs))) hope they are doing good!....you just never know about gardens....they tend to surprise ya

when we were out today in the SFG guess what we found?



We have been keeping an eye on two volunteer plants in the first 4x4 box....we were not sure what they were so we decided to let them grow and see what happens....as they grew...i smelled them and thought maybe tomato???....whats weird is there has never been a tomato plant in that box....last year was our first year of planting and we only put tomato's in the box next to them.....well....

take a look!..........looks like tomato flowers to me its such a skinny guy too....it even had to fight its way thru those nastu...sp? flowers and beans ....there is another one growing on the other side of that box as well





....its tucked in with the beans, stivea and a store bought tomato plant along with everything else growing in there.....now watch...he will end up being the only one giving me ripe fruit!



hugs

rose

FamilyGardening wrote:
....its tucked in with the beans, stivea and a store bought tomato plant along with everything else growing in there.....now watch...he will end up being the only one giving me ripe fruit!



hugs

rose

The second year I grew romas I didn't plant romas - they were volunteers from the year before. They were definitely my best producing tomatoes of the season. Go figure!



GG

Compost, that wasn't finished. I'd bet that's where your volunteer tomatoes are coming from. So far, I've pulled five young tomato plants from two SFG beds where I swear no tomatoes were planted. Discovered another this afternoon while preparing a square for fall planting. I admit to using home-made compost in the Mel's Mix for the west long bed, so, unless one of the manure-based composts had viable seeds, it had to have come from my own compost box. Kind of a fun discovery though, isn't it? Nonna

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:Compost, that wasn't finished. I'd bet that's where your volunteer tomatoes are coming from. ...snip...this afternoon while preparing a square for fall planting. I admit to using home-made compost in the Mel's Mix for the west long bed, so, unless one of the manure-based composts had viable seeds, it had to have come from my own compost box. Kind of a fun discovery though, isn't it? Nonna

My two best boxes are 100% homegrown compost.



And +1 on where volunteers come from



side note....Nonna you are just starting your fall planting? Kewl, I'll join you, it has been such a bummer of a summer that I haven't started mine yet. For the first time in years I just want to fold.

Debs, there has not been a day that goes by in the past 3 weeks that I have not considered just giving up for the year. Everything here is just at a standstill except the Southern Peas.....

Don't fold, just when I thought we'd get nothing, I'd drop a few seeds in the ground and get the best harvest from them I could imagine. Go for it. Seed a lot of different varieties, and wait to be surprised. Keep notes on what does best at what temp/rainfall received, so you'll know what to do in future years. One of the best things about planting seeds is the pleasant surprises you get.....or not, but more good than bad, IMHO. Debs, I've put in seeds for baby bok choy, a saurerkraut cabbage, more carrots, and after removing the chives, will bulk up the mix with more compost and plant more Tuscan kale (our favorite). What are you considering for fall planting? Nonna

Lavender Debs wrote:..... it has been such a bummer of a summer that I haven't started mine yet. For the first time in years I just want to fold.

Wowzers, Deb, you sound like me last year! I had all kinds of stuff growing but nothing much to eat or put up. Except that, since you lived in a cool valley for 20 years, I would think the weather last year and this year wouldn't slow you down. What gives?!

One of the adjustments that I made after last year was to approach things a little differently. This year, I have a winter planting for spring, a spring planting for summer, and a summer planting for fall. 3 distinct growing seasons. Since the weather this year was worse than last, it has worked out wonderfully. My warm crops suck! But my early crops were above average, which gives me optimism about planting fall crops. Be advised: when we finally have an above average warm growing season, we'll be complaining about all the work it takes to put up the bountiful harvest! Just something to think about.

I remember that you got a weather station for a present within the last year. I have one too. I disagree that keeping historical weather records help you have a better harvest next year. Last year's weather has no influence on this year's harvest.

hugs

rose

Fold on the fall/winter garden.....not the garden But THANKS to everyone who thought I was going down and tossed me a life ring! You guys are awesome!!

Debs, Yes, let's get this fall planting stuff under way. Finally my garlic has matured and is dug, leaving space in one of the long beds. With a couple of trowels full of compost, I'm planting more cabbage, broccoli, carrots, perhaps another couple brussels sprouts, and more Tuscan kale (though I'm not sure how well it will do as a fall crop). And just as I was looking up my mom's recipe for making green tomato mincemeat, I found the first (hidden) red tomato. Since then, we've picked three more red, and six dark orange-turning-red ones. Maybe the weather will finally cooperate and we'll actually have home grown tomatoes. Hang in there, gal....bet your lavender is wonderful, too. Nonna

ok...i know its NOT tuesday....but....guess what i found



I think moving the rainbow into the red rock SFG to get some heat was just what he needed!

as i was moving the leaves around trying to get a pic....well...look who else pop up in there.....





do you think that is blight on the leaves?

oh....since its a rainbow....and i bought it from our school plant sale....i dont know what color he is.....do you think orange or red?



hugs

rose

I finally saw 4 green cherry tomatoes and 1 small green heirloom. We'll see how they grow though this week is supposed to be nice, sunny, and warm in PDX so hopefully they'll get nice and juicy!

Cherokee Purple with typical gnarly shoulders and lumps

Japanese Black Trifele Grafted better than the standard in fruit production

Ground Cherry making more husks

Stupice these look a little less round than on the other stupice plant, wonder if it is mislabled?

Broken Tomatillo stalks still surviving in water bucket. Had been broken from the plant during last Tuesdays windstorm (45 mph winds)and placed in water to see if they will root
Tomatillo what is left of the plant is creating husks

your plants are looking good Furb!....glad to see that your Broken Tomatillo stalks are doing so well....are they forming some roots?

I think we are almost there.....i think in the next couple of days we shall pick our first ripe tomato we have two that are almost red We almost picked them today....but decided to check on them in the morning...our area is finally getting some nice weather

here is our rainbow from school..still the smallest of all and yet growing lots of fruit!



here is his second red fruit hiding



here are the three brothers from seed in one pot...they are setting some small green fruit



here are the two brothers that never got transplanted from seed...they have some green fruit setting...they really need a cage around them



here is our replacement in our SFG...his fruit is turning yellow



here are the two boys from seed side by side and our second replacement in the ground ....out in our three sisters garden...they all have set green fruit



here is one of our ground cherries...lots of paper lanterns but no fruit yet...they feel hollow and the one fruit that did fall off was just a small green thing inside





hugs

rose

I did check the tomatillo stalks this morning and no roots yet. Will give them a couple more days, maybe until the weekend, and if no rootlets, will chuck them. It was an experiment anyway. The stalks of tomatillos don't have the fuzzy hairs like a tomato so they may not root as quickly.

I actually ate a ripe Black Krim yesterday, and have 3-4 more that might be ready this weekend. I planted one Roma, and it's got a half dozen that are starting to blush. These are all in my H3. The rest of the tomatoes that have had to struggle with our cool temps this year, are looking pretty sad.

You're killing me. I have had one stupice that was about the size of a ping pong ball, and it cracked while I was in DC.

Must get my H3's up and running this fall.

My tomatoes are not doing well. I noticed in some pictures that people are mulching. I didn't think SFG had to do that. Could that be my problem? I'm confused and frustrated. 1st year SFG not going well at all.



kari

Kari
I think mulching in very warm weather or to help keep the MM moist is just another way of coping with extremes.

It is true that Mel does not discuss mulching, except in walkways or for winter storage of vegetables, in his ALL NEW SQUARE FOOT GARDENING book. But, he does not instruct us not to use mulch to protect our plants. I think mulching may have its place to protect plant roots from extreme heat, to help maintain moisture in dry conditions, or even to protect winter growth from extreme cold.

Personally, I do not mulch. The conditions where I live are cool in the summer, fairly temperate during the winter. During the summer, I water every few days and that seems to be sufficient.



Are you in Canada? What are your climate conditions, perhaps tomatoes would not normally mature until late August or even September where you live. Are your plants small and unhealthy or just failing to produce ripe fruit?