Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[Western]

Just found out why we where so lucky, boss lady said it was also 38* this morning at 6am. Wheeeew

 

[farmgirl19]

Western; I buy plants, but they are small. Some in 2 inch pots, and others in 4 inch pots. I grow heirloom varieties, with the exception of a couple of Celebrity plants, that are behind the others currently. The Celebrity are "insurance" in case the heirlooms don't produce due to some weird Texas weather. They are not my favorite flavor, but will work on a burger, and to freeze for recipe use in the winter. I could never give $7/plant, as I put out WAY too many to give that (usually 45-75 plants!).

I grow organically, so use lots of compost from here on the garden. If I feel the soil needs a bit more, I'll buy the occasional bag of Back to Nature, cotton burr compost, and top dress around the plants. it does cost about $7/bag, but I never need more than a bag or two a year, with the "home grown" compost that I have.

If you end up short on okra seed, let me know, I will probably have an ounce of seed leftover, even if I have to replant okra, yet again. I grow an old heirloom variety of that, and it produces better than anything I have ever tried, and tastes great too! I could drop it off somewhere, for you to pick up, or mail it to you. I have friends that like the same variety, and I order it, so always get plenty, so we can all plant it. Most years, I have some left over, but with replanting this year, and others replanting, might be able to get all of that seed in the ground! You are welcome to it, if you need/want it!

 

[farmgirl19]

PS. I plant my tomatoes deep. There is usually only the top few leaves above ground. I pinch off most of the lower leaves, at planting time, and set the plants down to where the pinched areas are covered. Maybe everyone does this, but I've been doing it that way for years. The plants look sickly the first week after transplant, but the roots get established, and the stems get thicker, so growth is rapid, once the pinching and transplant shock passes, in about a week to 10 days. I lost all of my first planting of tomatoes with the doggone freeze that came the first week of April. These went in right after that.

 

[Bird]

Do you just stand the plants upright when you take them out of the pots? A lot of years ago, after I had some poor luck with tomatoes, the fellow where I was buying my plants said to lay the tomato plants down horizontally in a trench, pinch the lower leaves off, as you said, and when you pull the dirt up around each plant, bend it so the top is vertical even though the roots are horizontal. That didn't make much sense to me, but it worked. We always had more tomatoes than we could use and/or give away.

 

[farmgirl19]

Bird; I dig a deep hole and set them out upright. If I couldn't get the hole deep enough, then the trench method might be an option, but I'd have to wonder how deep the roots could go, after planting, if I was sitting on rock. It was told to me years ago, that each of the fine "hairs" on the tomato stalk will become a root, if it is placed undergeound. I can't tell that all of them become roots, when the season ends and I uproot them and put them inthe compost pile, but they do have a really good root structure. That might explain why your trench method has worked so well for you, since it allows more stem to form roots.

 

[Bird]

I never uprooted my garden plants and put them on a compost pile. Instead, I just mowed them down, then tilled them in. That let'em compost all they wanted to that Winter.:laughing:

 

[Western]

Thanks farmgirl, if I need some seed I would try those! I will know by the weekend. I have always heard to bury them deep too, so thats what I do, but short of removing the leaves, usually bury to the leaves. I may try that next time around. you sure plant allot of tomatoes! do you can them? We have been thinking of getting a few more. Next year I may just start some early, used to do that when we had a bigger place.

Going from 376 acres to just under 16, shoot I cant even find a place to store my tools:laughing:

Bird, I have never heard of planting them like that either?? but now you can buy those upside down patio tomato plants:shocked:, what do I know:confused3:

74* and breezy, but otherwise a nice day! Been repairing a water leak in the line from the well to the house, funny how those "little leaks" seem to 'pop" up. looks to have been leaking for a while too, noticed the grass was thicker than the rest and wallah...mud under the thatch.

 

[farmgirl19]

I never uprooted my garden plants and put them on a compost pile. Instead, I just mowed them down, then tilled them in. That let'em compost all they wanted to that Winter.:laughing:

Bird; How do you do that with okra? I don't think I could mow over the stalks, so pull them up and stick them into a compost heap. Just do the same with the entire garden. That way, if I need a little more compost in one area, v. another, can add where needed. Of course, I don't use the tiller either. Mine is all a simple hoe, and me on the other end!

 

[farmgirl19]

Western; Yes, I can them, I freeze them, I share, and one of my dogs loves them too, so helps himself, as well. I can also make a meal of fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. Won't touch a store bought tomato, at all, but enjoy doing everything with my home grown ones.

I heard a song once that said, "Only two things that money can't buy, and that's true love and home grown tomatoes!"

Not sure I'd be good at going from 376 to 16 acres. If I ever move, it will be onto 375-500 acres! I'll need to win the lottery first though. :confused3:

 

[Lou66]

I have done my roots both ways with good result,, if I use a lot of compost then bury then deep with a raise bed,, if I top fertilize then I use the horizontal method,, right now I dig them deep and straight up with a little foliage showing.. I too cut then down and till then under at the end of the season or when I get tried of pulling tomatoes.. you can only eat so much hot sauce in a year.:licking:. Lou