Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[farmgirl19]

Western; Did you have enough okra seed to get replanted? I am making a trek to Grand Prairie tomorrow morning, and can drop off somewhere, or put in the mail, if need be. If I need to mail you any, PM me a snail mail address, and I'll get it out within 48 hours.

 

[jinman]

We just put a T post at each end of a 50 foot row and a couple in between. Then as the tomato vines start getting taller take some old plastic baler twine and go down one side and back up the other with the tomato vine stems in between. By the time that is done about 3 times 8-12" apart coming up the vines are like trees with the branches holding the tomatoes off the ground.
Nothing fancy, but it works, so we can till between the rows most of the summer.

That sounds easy enough to give it a try. I'm looking for an easier method than the cages and that certainly sounds easier. I'm going to Harbor Freight this week and will load up on sash cord. I LUV t-post and cord solutions.

BTW, I've been using hogwire field fencing for cages. I just cut it and make a loop. I have some rebar cut into a "J" shape that I drive into the ground to hold the fencing around the plants. It works good, but reaching through the hogwire to till the ground is a pain.

 

[bindian]

Are you sure we weren't leading parallel lives? I ended up with the 5.0 Mustang, with the powerful version, BEFORE they detuned them some in Feb. '79. Mine had come off of the floor, before Uncle Sam said they were too powerful for street cars. They then began using the version that I had in the police interceptors.

And my old QH gelding was faster than anyone else on the short run, and across a pasture!

Funny about you taking the mowers apart. I don't remember any of ours wearing out, due to dad's maintenance of them. I was always under a car or on a tractor with him, doing whatever project he was working on, even from toddler stage! Not something mom was happy about, but dad was happy to have the help.

We could be. What is your name?
hugs, Brandi

 

[Western]

Western; Did you have enough okra seed to get replanted? I am making a trek to Grand Prairie tomorrow morning, and can drop off somewhere, or put in the mail, if need be. If I need to mail you any, PM me a snail mail address, and I'll get it out within 48 hours.

I haven't even started them again yet, been planting trees and cutting wood before it gets hot. And it looks like I may have to go to Conroe again tomorrow night, so my sleep has been messed up again.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

My green beans came up fine but have some sort of disease, fungus, virus or whatever. I went to A&M's site and there were no pictures to compare to. It is possible but probably unlikely that the farmer to the east of me sprayed his corn crop with some round up and has curled up my leaves.

Some of the leaves look like they were eaten or curled back. I don't like what many of the recommendations involved which were fungicide or malathion or diazonon...

 

[jinman]

Kyle, is it possible that your green beans got a bit frost-bitten. Mine went through an ugly stage after one cold morning and now they are coming around and looking great. I don't think I gained a thing by planting them early though. The hail and frost made them have stunted growth for awhile and they just sat there with little growth. Maybe they were making roots beneath the ground to support topside growth.

Don: Oh no! I'm not doing a gardening blog or You-tube. I spend enough time on the computer already. I'll just stick with TBN. Besides, I'd hate for somebody to think I was some kind of gardening expert. The only reason I have good gardens is because I'm tougher than the weeds.:dance1:

 

[pacerron]

That sounds easy enough to give it a try. I'm looking for an easier method than the cages and that certainly sounds easier. I'm going to Harbor Freight this week and will load up on sash cord. I LUV t-post and cord solutions.

BTW, I've been using hogwire field fencing for cages. I just cut it and make a loop. I have some rebar cut into a "J" shape that I drive into the ground to hold the fencing around the plants. It works good, but reaching through the hogwire to till the ground is a pain.

Jim,
Here's a snapshot through the deer net in early July last year after the Super-Fantastics had been in about a month and a half. You can see in the left foreground how we tie up the tomatoes just using old plastic baling twine snake woven around the stems between the posts. Rows are 4 feet apart and the plants are spaced about every 2 feet. We take the outside tines off the tiller as the tomato plants get bigger.
Ron

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Kyle, is it possible that your green beans got a bit frost-bitten. Mine went through an ugly stage after one cold morning and now they are coming around and looking great. I don't think I gained a thing by planting them early though. The hail and frost made them have stunted growth for awhile and they just sat there with little growth. Maybe they were making roots beneath the ground to support topside growth.

It is possible they have frost damage. That last cool front did get close. And the 30 mph constant winds did a number on my 'mater plants.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Ok, I need to open up a can of worms that is associated to the spring and summer in Texas....Property taxes

My in-laws own the land surrounding my place. Roughly 25 acres. I take care of it and in the past, have made hay and sold it. The past 4 years' drought has taken its toll on the land and I have not put out any fertilizer because it would be a waste of money. Here's the problem. Somehow we lost our Ag exemption. I don't know if they sent a questionnaire to my MIL (and she forgot to fill it out) or they just somehow knew that we were not able to produce any hay last year??? Anyway, we are headed up there tomorrow or Thursday morning to find out what's up. Will tell more of the tale as it comes around.

 

[Western]

Raining!!!!:cool2: Chance was downgraded to 10%, but it's raining right now. Not hard ,but will take what I can get.

BTW, Killed a Copperhead in the dog pen yesterday. Small one about 16", but had a bad attitude for sure.....Keep an "eye" out everybody.