One thing that I can't figgure out a way to use due to the way the garden is set up is those hoop tunnel type things. Maybe if I was smarter I could get them over my tomato plants and get them in weeks earlier. And it does seem like a lot of work.
Have you ever tried the Wall of Waters? They are really good for planting out early and protecting plants. I actually used one inside my greenhouse around a tomato plant but I have used them successfully outside as well. Even if you get a freeze they protect with ambient heat. Now, I don't mean constant freezing temps, but enough to get a jump start on planting out. Burpee sells them but I'm sure you can find them other places as well.
I haven't tried them. I keep reading about how difficult they are to use. But maybe I should try them. Spring is so far away, I can't make these decisions.
Name: Paul Utah (Zone 5b) Grandchildren are my greatest joy.
I've used Wall of Waters for a number of years and recommend them. I've had the water freeze and the plant inside be OK. Some times the plants grow up out of the wall and the top freezes but the plant inside is in good shape and the plant quickly grows a new top. I can get the plants out 6 weeks to two months early depending on the season. When I remove the walls I put my tomatoes cages on covered with clear plastic for a couple of weeks and then remove the plastic. Extra effort=earlier tomatoes...
All right! You know I had forgotten about these until I came across them in my gardening shed. Maybe I'll get a few more so I can have some of the first tomatoes at market!
One guy at our organic garden club uses them and told me he had his first ripe tomato early April!!! I didn't get mine until JUNE!!!!
Humm, you are both getting me to rethink this. If course I grow far too many tomato plants to use on all but just a few plants would be worth it to get some extra early tomatoes.
Name: Paul Utah (Zone 5b) Grandchildren are my greatest joy.
They are a little bother but I put a bucket over the plant and then the wall of water. Then I fill the tubes with a hose with a small stream or sometimes use a 2 gallon watering can with warm water from the house. When the W of W is full I remove the bucket and grasp the top of the wall and pull up a little. One person can do it but if a second person is available it helps. I've done it many times myself. An added benefit is the wall keeps the moisture in the soil so they don't require frequent watering. Great for root growth.
Look little zucchini forming on my second set of replacement plants. So these plants are replacements for the replacements of my original spring planted squash plants. I have younger plants than these comming along also.
Sprayed all the zucchini and squash again with the Neem. Old plants have the powdery mildew really, really badly. New plants have some also. I am just trying to keep ahead of it so that the plants do well and produce.
I have a small battery powered sprayer that I use now does really well. Easy to do and spraying goes quickly. It is so nice not to have to deal with the pumping.
Okra pods. Now I know what they mean when they say don't let the pods get larger and be sure to harvest when they are small. I tried to cut into the two larger pods and it was like cutting into wood! The smaller one was good though.
My colorful beans that are not green. Yellow ones, well have a green tint but they get yellower. And purple ones. When they are smaller you can see how they are changing from green to purple.
