LOL, Angie... just think -- if you were living up here you would be WAY ahead of the game!

Sandy, When summer heat arrives, I will be wishing I were
in your neck of the woods! Although, come to think of it, last summer
you were also experiencing record heat, I believe. Maybe Yukon Territory?

My heirlooms are up and growing. I promise to give them the MOST dedicated attention this year.

Yardenman said:My heirlooms are up and growing. I promise to give them the MOST dedicated attention this year.

Following all of these posts with interest. I'm still 3 weeks away from starting tomatoes. Still trying to narrow down my personal list.....my selection for our Master Gardener plant sale was decided a few months ago. Now just hope nobody jumps the gun and starts too MG seeds too soon, although I know how hard it is to wait. All the harder this year, as we've had an unusually warm winter and have had temps in the 50s and 60s for several weeks now.

I started my tomatoes but high winds knocked the spindly plants over and they aren't propping themselves up. I'm thinking I will restart them again. Growing Pantano Romanesco this year.

http://www.rareseeds.com/panta...

pepper23 said:I started my tomatoes but high winds knocked the spindly plants over and they aren't propping themselves up. I'm thinking I will restart them again. Growing Pantano Romanesco this year.

http://www.rareseeds.com/panta...

I grew some of those last year and they are quite tasty. Going to have at least one plant again this season.

Amanda, try using cattle panels fro support. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/w...
We grow a lot of things on them.

I used t posts last year for the tomatoes. Since they will be in concrete blocks the posts will be easier to use.

Here they are right now. Beat to death by all the wind we had. Ok, email not working so I can't get to my pics there. I'll try later.

Well one went through so that's better than none. Tomatoes laying down and Ozark Beauty bell peppers on other side. They all got a mild fish fertilizer drink today.

Yep, looks like the wind got them. They're pretty small to stake at that point. Can you salvage them?

I'm giving them a chance just in case they manage to stand back up but some look pretty bad. I'm thinking I might pull a few and start some new seed. Hopefully I catch them before they hit the top of the lid and can keep them from getting so spindly and get stronger plants like the peppers.

Do you plant them from seed outside?

Until last year I always bought my plants except for radishes and last year squash. I've decided it's not worth the hassle of looking at the purely evil and ugly squash bugs so no squash this year. My grandma usually grows it but she's been sick and can barely walk right now. Also try to do radishes but the seeds I had from last year have disappeared so no German Giants for me this year.

This year I'm giving up on squash. Rita is gonna have to move down here and be my supplier because them squash bugs kill my plants every year.

We grow pie pumpkins and summer and winter squash. Last year we had a terrible time with vine borers so we're going to take a proactive approach and hopefully avoid a repeat of last year. We get squash bugs and have managed to control them to the point where we don't get much damage. They require constant attention. Sorry to hear about your grandma. Take good care of her.

Amanda: try repotting your tomato seedlings into larger pots and add more
soil around them to hold them up and grow more roots in.

Hemophobic said:Amanda: try repotting your tomato seedlings into larger pots and add more
soil around them to hold them up and grow more roots in.

pepper23 said:

This year I'm giving up on squash. Rita is gonna have to move down here and be my supplier because them squash bugs kill my plants every year.

I have those evil SVB here but I just plant so many plants that I have plenty of fruit anyway. Sometimes a plant does but I always have many plants. But the time most of the plants are ready to do it is time to pull them anyway because so late in the season.

Thankfully no Squash bugs . Hope I never get those!!

Hemophobic said:Amanda: try repotting your tomato seedlings into larger pots and add more soil around them to hold them up and grow more roots in.

I agree with Angie -- re-pot them deeper, and then give them more light; they shouldn't grow that spindly if they have enough light.

McCannon said:We grow pie pumpkins and summer and winter squash. Last year we had a terrible time with vine borers so we're going to take a proactive approach and hopefully avoid a repeat of last year. We get squash bugs and have managed to control them to the point where we don't get much damage. They require constant attention. Sorry to hear about your grandma. Take good care of her.

Can you share what you are doing to avoid squash vine borer? I struggle with this every year. I'm sure I'm the only person in the state that cannot grow zucchini. SVB gets them every year.