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Vegetable Gardening

EarthTainer 'Farm' July 16 - 'Best of Times; Worst of Times' pics

13 years ago

This year with all the Spring rain, we've had perhaps the worst Season for insects and fungal diseases in the Bay Area in years. Constant spraying with Sevin is barely keeping the aphids and other insects in check. Serenade treatments are not effective. Yellowing is setting in big time:

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Some of the plants have taken an early "dirt-nap" already. German Red Strawberry and Danko were the first to go:

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Some good news however, is that the plants that are hanging in there are producing wonderful tomatoes. Here is a cluster of Goose Creek that are tremendous (of course, in the Tomaten Dunger fertilizer):

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And my star performer continues to be a pair of Big Beef located on their own:

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Mostly green still and growing like crazy:

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The first crop of corn is pretty much finished:

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and the second crop is developing now:

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Peppers are doing extremely well this Season in spite of the insects:

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But are a bit too crowded. Next year, only 4 plants per 'Tainer:

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First year for Cukes in 'Tainers and just picked my first DIVA today (thanks Duane for your seeds):

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Also have Burpee Burpless which are doing well:

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So all in all, not a bad year, but I've lost some good plants way too early in the Season. Next year, the fungicide spraying will commence May 1, even if the plants look totally healthy. I waited until June 20 to start spraying, and by then it was too late for some of them.

Raybo

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Comments (4)

User
13 years ago
Nice! Those tomatoes and peppers are looking good.

I can't believe you can get away with leaving all those red/ripe tomatoes on the vine so long. Around here the squirrels/rabbits/etc. would have taken them or at least a curious bite out them.
rnewste
Original Author
13 years ago
Unfortunately, I was on a business trip for a while, as the GRS matured, and could not harvest them properly. I have taken care of the squirrels earlier in the year. No rabbits - but I have trapped 2 Opossums in the backyard over the past 3 weeks.

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In any event, no bite marks on any of the fruit.

Raybo
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Looking good Raybo! Mine are starting to reach for the stars and I have to start to consider finding more cages. I don't have dang near the amount of fruit that you do. We've been rainy and humid in the 80s here in Central Kentucky. All growth is accelerated from a year ago. The first Japanese beetles are emerging out of the soil already and it is only mid-June. I didn't expect these guys for a couple more weeks. Cherries were red and devoured by birds a week in advance and I'm having a bumper crop of raspberries already.. just insanity in the back yard! I have had 3 red perfect EarthTainer tomatoes in May and looks like a huge gap before I get more ripe.
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johnny, Thanks. fortunately, as the headline in my post says (hey, wasn't that line stolen from me by Charles Dickens?) while some of the varieties are dying, others like Big Beef are doing great (so far). I now have 20 seedlings growing and they are about 6 inches tall today. May scour some of the local Nurseries as last year at this time, they were selling Stupice and others for those wanting to do a Fall crop. I thought I could spend the rest of the Summer swimming with my Yellow Ducks in the Hot Tub - - but no joy!! Raybo
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ausbirch
13 years ago
What, no shot of the hot tub? Or can't you find it amongst all that lush growth? Your EarthTainer garden is beautiful, great job!

Tell me, how many containers of corn did you do for the first planting - just the three we can see, or are there more? And how many ears of corn did you/will you get all up?
rnewste
Original Author
13 years ago
ausbirch,

No shot of the Hot Tub (the Yellow Ducks have taken it over)!

I did 3 CornTainers for the first planting - total of 45 seedlings. I am getting about 20 ears of corn on average, from each 'Tainer. I have another 4 'Tainers now developing for a mid-Summer harvest. Shortly, I will be replanting the 3 original 'Tainers with new seedlings for an October crop.

I am enjoying watching the cucumbers grow, as they seem to add an inch per day of length to the cukes. I'm going to try to grow them well into the Fall / Winter here as I was able to keep Snow Peas growing through January last year.

(Now, back to fight with the Yellow Ducks to reclaim "The Pond").

Raybo

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