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Thread: Spring Garden

  1. #1

    Spring Garden

    Frances Ann's post about Roses got me thinking as to my garden.
    I enjoy my yard. After the builders left my place was a solid red mud(dirt) area.
    Over time I have changed that. There is nothing wrong with Carolina red dirt, it will grow anything. Improving any soil is always a good thing. I have no lawn or even a mower. Over time have hauled in millions of loads of mulch, and leaves from my trees add to that. Leaves are your friend if you have no lawn.


    A good time to buy plants if you have no clue is in Winter. Go to a large plant seller and buy what is green. My yard in Winter is now a green contrast to land surrounding it.
    I don't grow for show. I grow for me. Neighbors wish I would conform and put in a lawn, but ~~
    My yard gets more shady every year. I used to take out trees and now am sorry I did that. Shade is good and the many plants that prefer shade are interesting. I had several irrigated raised beds for veggies, but shade took that away. Veggies need Sun. Now I have several large beer barrel type planters on my my boat dock which gets full Sun. Right now my Butter Crunch lettuce is growing great. I will then put in tomatoes, and in middle July replace them with Cowhorn peppers. (I am getting hungry). Having a bigger ground garden is better, but we do what we can/chose.


    Off my porch where I sit (like now with cold beer), my yard is interesting to me. It changes minute to minute and season to season. When I take a short trip, I find myself wondering what is going on at my home and am eager to return. I spare no expense or labor out here. Some of my best plants were gifts or people sharing with me. I like different plants, have killed a bunch and a few survive.


    My friend Carol Faircloth and I took the Master Gardner courses together - kinda. She was in Arkansas and I took them at CLEMSON.
    Go TIGERS !!!
    I am the only guy in a tie

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by AgentOrange View Post


    My friend Carol Faircloth and I took the Master Gardner courses together - kinda. She was in Arkansas and I took them at CLEMSON.
    Go TIGERS !!!
    I am the only guy in a tie

  3. #3
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    Cherokee Purple Tomato Plants
    Hey Bill, I planted some extra. If you want a few of these plants, I can drop them by one day next week. I will move mine to the top of my boat dock this weekend. I think we will be through with the cold weather by then. The plants get big, and require some kind of support. I have rails on my dock, and fasten them to the rails with velcro type tape as they grow. Anyway, let me know if you want a few. They already have blossoms.
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  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck Farley View Post
    Cherokee Purple Tomato Plants
    Hey Bill, I planted some extra. If you want a few of these plants, I can drop them by one day next week. I will move mine to the top of my boat dock this weekend. I think we will be through with the cold weather by then. The plants get big, and require some kind of support. I have rails on my dock, and fasten them to the rails with velcro type tape as they grow. Anyway, let me know if you want a few. They already have blossoms.
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    YES !!! and also some you grow.

  5. #5
    Registered Users TOAD's Avatar
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    On the advice from a friend, I tried out the Cherokee Purple Tomato two years ago.
    At the first of the season the tomatoes were very good, however as it got hotter the tomatoes got a bad taste. It was almost as if they were souring in the hot sun. I don't think the wife ever liked the dark look of the inside of the fruit.
    Hope you have better luck than I did.

    These days I plant Celebrity tomato plants upside down in hanging 5 gal. drywall buckets. Nice taste and the medium size fruit doesn't put too much strain on the upside down vines.
    I also just put in 3 of the old heirloom Rutgers in an Earth Pot I received as a gift years ago. They were the type my Pop planted long ago and I like the acidic taste.

  6. #6
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    I didn't notice any change in the taste of my Cherokee Purple tomatoes last year, but I don't have all my eggs in one basket. I also have better boy and lemon boy tomatoes. I can't wait till one is ready to pick and eat.

  7. #7
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    I'm been eating tomatoes from my boat dock tomato garden for probably a month now. The plants are starting to look a little ragged, but are still producing. These plants have to be watered thoroughly every day. A rain shower isn't enough. I also fertilize occasionally with Miracle Grow for tomatoes, and spray for worms with BT, and spray with something that is supposed to prevent blossom end rot.
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    I've invited AO to come get some tomatoes and drink some beer.

  8. #8
    Calsium helps with blossom end rot as does consistent moisture.

    My 'maters started out poor, but have rebounded. My plants are heavy with 'maters and new blossoms.

    My dock peppers are producing at a high rte.

  9. #9
    Registered Users TOAD's Avatar
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    I had an odd thing happen this year with the 3 Rutgers tomato plants I set out. The plants were strong and healthy but they never produced any blossoms.
    Last year I had the same thing happen to one of my five Celebrity plants.

    Is it gay plants? Or is it quality control problems at Bonnie Plants?
    Bonnie Plants is the supplier to all the local big box stores like Wal-Mart ,Lowes, Home Depot and even the grocery stores.
    I could understand errors perhaps when first introducing a new hybrid plant but the Rutgers is a heirloom tomato introduced in 1934.

    Any how's......I finally pulled these non producers up and replanted in hope of getting some late season 'maters.

    Any thoughts from you Master gardeners out there?

  10. #10
    ..obviously I am not an expert at this and not seen as that on things I might know a little about by my relatives, as I am the blackest sheep in Toad's family.

    Toad do you remember Pops 'maters? He grew them and sold them to the supermarket. His plants looked kinda sad but were filled with fruit which is the goal.

    Try planting and never adding fertilizer until the plants set bloom.
    If plants have too much nitrogen they will grow healthy leaves and not blooms.

    Add fertilizer after blooms appear.

  11. #11
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    Boat Dock Tomatoes 2019
    Last year (see above pictures) I grew tomatoes on my boat dock as that's the only place I have enough sun. I didn't plan well, and had no means to stake them, so they sort of hung over the back rail on the dock, and debris fell on the back of my boat. This year, I had a plan.
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    I used "Earthbox" planters. I built roll around holders, that hold two each of the Earthbox planters, so I've got three each of Cherokee Purple, and Better Boy verities.
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    I used 2X12 boards on the ends so I would have enough height to attach these lightweight aluminum fence posts. I had from previous years, cages I made from concrete reinforcement mesh. So here's how that worked.
    I have a bunch of little tomatoes, many more blossoms, and a few that are close to peach size. I'm hoping to harvest a few by the Forth of July.
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    I had to order a few more Rainbird Tee fittings from Amazon. When they come in, excess water will be drained at one place, and not on the back of the boat as last year.

  12. #12
    Last year Chuck brought me some maters.
    My crop this year is doing well, so hope to take him some.
    Plants are better in the ground as opposed to a container like me and Chuck.
    My Squash did well. Today pulled all those and planted zucchini.
    My need for zucchini is above normal as my aquarium fish are huge fans.
    I am the only guy in a tie

  13. #13
    Chuck you are neat and efficient. How do you get water to those?
    I am the only guy in a tie

  14. #14
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    As far as watering the plants, right now, I make three trips up and down the steps to the top of the dock with a 3 gallon watering can. I also have a garden hose run down to the dock, so if they get to needing more water than I'm willing to carry by can, I'll use the hose. I'm thinking lake water is better for them. Last year, I had two plants per planter. I think that was too much. I had to water so much they were water logged. I think the reason my plants petered out early was they probably had root rot. We'll see if my changes make any improvements this year. I'm betting I'll get more tomatoes for a longer time.

  15. #15
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    We are now eating our first Homegrown tomatoes of the year and it is a happy time!

    I forgot about this old song about Homegrown Tomatoes.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TWwyhCVBDg

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