Tomatoes

[Dor]

Yes we are in a drought area and Hurricane season is upon us here CG.

I will look for the fiberglass screen for my toms. I was able to eat the first one Blue. These were my 3rd, 4th and 5th, ones. My mough was ready for them yesterday and when I got home.

I couldn't sleep last night so I prayed and got up and posted the above note. I can tell this morning when I read it I was drowsy if not sleepy. If I had light outside and felt safe, I sure would have sat in my garden.

I will move my birdbath to the back today.

 

[richnkim]

Tomatoes are so precious that we have to do wht we can to protect them.

I just got a picture of you, Dor, sitting there protecting your tomatoes! LOL!! You go girl!

My tomatoes seem to be protected now. When it gets hotter they may blister though.

 

[Dor]

I want to protect them now because when the temp gets over 100 Kim I don't know what is going to happen to them.

 

[Dor]

I picked three Mama Romas and have them in the window to finish rippening. I beat the birds to them. I went out there yesterday and had to scare them away there were so many different kinds of birds around my raised beds. Yesterday in the morning a squirrel was running across the top of the fence. So now the squirrels have scoped out my garden.

 

[Randy]

The only problems I have had with critters in the garden have been moles and gophers, but we have been seeing deer more lately. So far though they haven't gotten into the garden.

 

[Dale]

Randy I put two large wind chimes in the edge of the woods and the noise from the wind chimes seem to be keeping the deer at bay for now.

 

[richnkim]

I have 2 more tomatoes that I will pick tomorrow!

 

[Mainegal]

I had peas almost ready to bloom in a container with a trellis and the darn woodchuck got them all yesterday. ate a few leaves on the maters too, put some chicken wire around the containers last night, got to put some bricks and rocks around the bottom to hold it down so they can't get under it
my regular garden is fenced in but it's not big enough so have used containers too and have never had a problem with the deer or anything eating the containers
i had some pots of plants that i was getting ready for a plant sale they have eaten most of them too, got to put them inside the chicken wire, the only ones they didn't touch was the hostas and blue forget me knots
the deer have eaten some of my hostas, tall phlox and some other stuff in my gardens this yr that i was going to dig up to sell

 

[Randy]

I might try that, Dale. But I have never had any predation from the deer yet anyway. Fiona did see them again a few days ago. I just received some wind chimes as a gift a few weeks ago and I haven't put them up yet. We have three sets on the back porch.

 

[Mainegal]

I'll have to try that. i'll put some in the trees around the yard to see if that will keep the deer out
will have to go to the dollar store and see what they have

 

[richnkim]

The only critters that I have here is cats and now the garden is big enough that they stay out!!!

 

[lynpenny]

we have squirrels, bunnies, and possums that like the garden. I think there is a raccoon also. where do they come from I live in a really populated area. of course there are some rats but I've only seen one since we moved in.

 

[Dale]

They every where, they every where. We live near a high traffic 4 lane highway with a shopping center and accross the street is the Dept. of Social Services (high traffic area). We see dead deer on the side of the road all the time. We has one jump in front of us while we were stopping for the red light one afternoon there. Talking about not expecting a deer to jump out in front of us.

 

[Dor]

I counted 83 tomatoes on the vine this morning when I watered and fertilized my gardens.

 

[Crabbergirl]

Yo go Dor! That's great!

 

[richnkim]

I counted 83 tomatoes on the vine this morning when I watered and fertilized my gardens.

That is so great!!!!!!

 

[Dale]

Dor that is wonderful. Am trying something new this year with fertilizing. Using 6-6-18 fertilizer and in another week or so going to use phospate.

 

[Dor]

Dor that is wonderful. Am trying something new this year with fertilizing. Using 6-6-18 fertilizer and in another week or so going to use phospate.

I am trying the Plant tone for the first time this year Dale. So far so good. I bought an organic liquid fertilizer from HD but I haven't used it yet. I plan to use it with the beer, dish liquid, ammonia, and karo syrup and see what happens. I am going to wait about 3 weeks before I fertilize again.

 

[Jade]

Despite all great intentions our tomatoes aren't looking the greatest. I told hubby tonight that all of the plants don't look great this year due to rain 5 days a week. The days the sun shines the trees wilt, what is with that? I am my best on sunny days. Oh well.
We do have tomatoes on the plants, but now we will have to battle blossom end rot forever to keep these guys happy. It seems that the plants in the wall-o-waters initially aren't a bit ahead of the second planting. I do know that we used to get them much earlier, but this year is a fluke. Hubby expects me to work magic on the veggies and new plantings, but I know from experience that weather has a huge part in how things grow. I kinda go with gut feeling now. I noticed that all of the plants are yellowing, and hoped to fertilize, but also know that overwatered plants will yellow, so I am waiting to see a break of at least 5 days with no rain before I go in with fertilizer.
Can we send rain in an email? I know that most of us on the East Coast would love to do it.
I know, stop my whining.

 

[Dale]

I wouldn't fertilize any tomatoes until the ground is dry again. The plants are already stressed enough. To help eliminate the blossom end rot mix equal parts of Epsom Salts and dry mortar mix. You can buy small bags at Lowe's. Mix together and sprinkle a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the mix around the plant but not too close to the stalk. Hope this helps. Keep us posted, inquiring minds want to know.