Fall Tomatoes

Are you thinking about September, October, November right now? Probably not. Well produce just doesn't show up. It has to be planned for, timed out, started and then planted. We are trying to have big tomatoes all season. We have planted multiple plantings and with any luck all will work out! We have already run into one problem. The hot spring and early summer pushed my first planting almost 4 weeks ahead of schedule. Usually I am picking my biggest pickings from now until the end of July. This year, I am essentially out! I timed my second planting to start producing about the 20th of July, based on previous years data. They will be ready then, but the first planting went early. So, we are low on tomatoes. It is sad, but I am happy as it will give me time to get fall stuff going! We have planted a large fall planting of tomatoes, larger than planned. We had some watering issues (trying to be helpful 3 and 6 year olds) who watered the tomato seedlings to the point of death. I thought this planting wasn't going to happen. However, after asking around I was able to locate some seedlings that another grower had extras of and we were back in business. Thank you Dennis Hatfield of Pierce City, Missouri. With his help, we were able to get this planting in, ahead of schedule. With any luck, we will hit my goal of big tomatoes for Piotique in September. We are doing a few things differently. First we are going back and using cages with one planting. Out of necessity, yes, and curiosity. It is a double row, 2 foot spacing with 18 inches between rows. I wanted to leave room for row cover and extra plastic in case of an early winter. The other planting went in a movable tunnel. 5 row, 2 feet apart. We also put in a row of cherry tomatoes. It was one of those, we have them why not? They look a little sorry, kinda spindly, but I am sure they will take off soon! Crops just don't happen. Farmers have to be planning ahead, make changes and with any luck, lots of hope and some prayers a crop can me harvested. Jay

Fall Tomatoes

Watermelon time!

I just realize I haven't posted anything on my blog for well over a month. I am sorry, I guess I have been kinda busy. :) Well I am pretty proud of these watermelons we are growing this year. I am going to start harvesting in the next 7 to 10 days and will continue to harvest for as long as we can. We have three plantings, May 20th, June 7th and July 7th. We "Should" have melons from now til frost. Let me show you the progression of the first planting from May 20th. They have been for planted 50 days as of today, July 10th. The are planted in Black plastic and are watered with drip. It is said that black plastic alone will cause them to ripen up to two weeks earlier. That said, this weather has helped out too! Pictures say more than words, so here you go. Well this isn't the melon patch, but you can see it in the upper left hand corner. This was on April 1st. May 18th, two days before planting. May 27th June 15th July 10th Yum! Enjoy!

Watermelon time!

Plastic Mulch

This year I am experimenting with using plastic mulch.  I have been using drip tape for several years,  it really changed how I water my crops.  Last year I used landscape fabric for Sweet Potatoes and Okra.  I was hooked.  Less weeding and earlier crops, I knew I am using more of this next year.

This year I am planting Tomatoes, Peppers, Okra, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Sweet Potatoes, Watermelon, and Canteloupe all in plastic mulch. 

It takes me 30 minutes to 60 minutes per bed to lay the plastic.  The plastic in the high tunnels is much easier than outside. 

Why Plastic Mulch? Here is a nice list of advantages from
http://uconnladybug.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/plastic-mulches-for-the-vegetable-garden/

Advantages:

1. Increases soil temperature, allowing earlier planting and earlier harvest, and promotes plant growth in cooler climates.
2. Soil compaction is reduced which improves root growth.
3. Fertilizer leaching is reduced because excess water runs off the plastic.
4. Water logging from excessive rain is avoided.
5. Drying of soil from evaporation is reduced.
6. Crops are cleaner and less subject to disease caused by soil-borne pathogens because they are not in contact with the soil or rain-splashed soil.
7. Weed control with black plastic eliminates the damage to roots caused by cultivation to remove weeds.
8. Weed control (black and colored mulches).
9. Harvest of crops can be 2-14 days earlier with black plastic and as much as 21 days earlier with clear plastic, depending on the crop and the temperatures.
10. The “chimney effect”:  CO₂, which is required for photosynthesis, builds up under the plastic and can only escape through the planting holes, causing a higher concentration around the growing leaves.

There are some disadvantages too.

 1.   Cost of mulch and irrigation equipment.
2.    Soil erosion can increase between the mulched rows.
3.    Weeds may grow through the planting holes close to the crop plants.
4.    Must be removed from the garden annually, along with the drip or   soaker hose irrigation tubes.  

However I believe the advantages over power the disadvantages.

 Here are some pictures from this year, so far.

Here is "Hoop B"  the big tomato building.




Cherry tomatoes


Cucumbers and Zucchini




Peppers




Watermelons








Okra




Sweet Potatoes





Enjoy!

Plastic Mulch

Pepper time

Things are looking good for my peppers in one of my high tunnels this year.  While most of these are Bell peppers, I do have one row that is Anaheims, Jalapenos and Shishitos.  The Habaneros go outside.  I have never had good luck with them inside the high tunnel. I don't know why.



Lafayette, Flavorburst and Gourmet


"Ace" out doing itself again


Grande Jalapenos



Shishitos


This year I am trying a new pepper support system. Usually I put posts in line with the plants and run twine down both sides of the plants. I have found that I smash the leaves and branches down and end up with some poorly shaped bell peppers.  So this year we are putting up posts every 10-12 feet and are attaching cross pieces to each post.  Then run twine down on each side of the plants to serve as support from the wind.  As the plants get bigger, we will attach longer cross pieces and widen out the strings or only put strings on the outsides.  So far I am very happy with it and it didn't take very long to set up or many materials but build as most of the cross pieces were headed to the burn pile!

Here are some pics

End of the Row


A little Closer



In row post


There are more than 320 pepper plants in here.  After two bad pepper years, I am hopeful for a bumper harvest this year. 

We have more peppers going in outside. I just got the plastic mulch down yesterday. They will be transplanted later this week.

Pepper time

No Rain, Day 44 and Counting

The title says it all.  Today is day 44 without significant rainfall.  We had 20 or 30 drops several times, but that doesn't count.  To go with that, we have been having highs in the 90's and south winds at 25-35 sustained for the past 4 days.  Starting to understand what the Dust Bowl went through.  Wheat harvest is starting, (a month early), center pivots have been running non-stop and dryland crops look poor.  Nonetheless, I am pushing forward. 

I have been watering almost around the clock to stay ahead, most things are looking good. We are really starting to harvest a crops and sales are picking up at the markets. 

How dry is it, I spend 4 plus hours today putting down plastic mulch for my outside peppers.  I had to run the tiller back and forth to pulverize the clods.  I ended up with a decent bed, but the soil to cover the plastic looked like this.


Here are the 4, 70 foot rows.  The plastic mulch is covered with dust, that is why it is gray and not black.


The peppers in the high tunnel are really looking great!





Pickling Cucumbers are looking really good and I am picking every other day to keep them at the right size. I have sold out for the last three markets.  They are blooming and setting like crazy!



Inside Zucchini is looking good, Kinda concerned, it isn't blooming as much as normal. 


We have been picking zucchini outside for two weeks too.


Cucumbers are looking rough, the wind has really hurt them. I am hoping they start producing soon.


Not planted in this picture, but I got half of my melons planted and they are up. I hope they didn't fry in this heat in the plastic mulch.


Not planted in this picture either, but my Okra is really popping up.


Sweet potatoes went in on Thursday, not in this picture. Waiting for the last 100 to come in the mail soon.


Inside onions are looking nice, some really huge onions in there too!


Outside onions are bulbing up nice, like the crack in the ground?  They got a good soaking after this picture.


My pride and joy, tomatoes are LOADED!


Picked a few Cherry tomatoes tonight, big ones aren't quite ready.


Sold our first Green beans of the season on Saturday also planted the 4th planting on Saturday. 


Still need to transplant peppers (later this week), get more cucumbers and zucchini planted. 3rd planting of tomatoes are suppose to go in this week.  Also need to weed some things and dig potatoes (plants are already dieing too hot!)  I also have 3/8 of an acre of winter squash to plant.  Finally, I have to get thing harvested and sold.

Sorry for the long post, but I need to share some success.  We have had too many failures already.

Enjoy!

Jay

No Rain, Day 44 and Counting