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  • Slow and steady wins the tomato

    From Drew Lawson@3:633/10 to All on Friday, July 03, 2026 21:52:29
    After being set out later than intended, half of my tomatoes (4 of
    8) got chewed off by something, probably rabbits. But they didn't
    get them at ground level, so there were secondary buds left for
    regrowth. They are now looking vibrant despite the heat and lack
    of rain. And they are finally forming flower buds.

    The other 4 are also looking killer and all have small green fruit.
    If history is any guide, those will ripen fully around the weekend
    later this month when we are out of town.

    These normally deliver sauce sized harvests around early August.
    Given the late planting in the partly-reclaimed garden, that may
    be a few weeks later this year. But I'll have sandwiches and
    salads until then

    I'm still finishing off my 2019 pasta sauce. Fresh will be nice.
    The old sauce is going slowly because I won't feed it to anyone but
    myself at this point.

    --
    Drew Lawson | Though it's just a memory,
    | some memories last forever

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From songbird@3:633/10 to All on Saturday, July 04, 2026 07:13:00
    Drew Lawson wrote:
    ...
    I'm still finishing off my 2019 pasta sauce. Fresh will be nice.
    The old sauce is going slowly because I won't feed it to anyone but
    myself at this point.

    i just put up tomato chunks because they are very versatile
    in many recipes.

    usually the tomatoes last a year or two at the most before
    they're gone. i've also downsized from more plants because
    Mom is not cooking as much. nine plants is enough now and i
    can usually put up 100-150 quarts of tomato chunks.

    a good fence is very important here. i have an ok fence
    which normally keeps the bunnies and deer away and sometimes
    the bleeping groundhogs will still sometimes raid. :(


    songbird

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Drew Lawson@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 14:32:45
    In article <113nihs$1tepf$1@dont-email.me>
    T <T@invalid.invalid> writes:

    Do you fertilize yours? If so, with what?

    -T

    Not a lot. My soil is ugly, but generally delivers pretty well.
    There is a bunch of previous years' mulch mixed in. That may provide something, but certainly not nitrogen at this point. It mostly
    helps moisture retention.

    When I put them in the ground I put some bone meal and blood meal
    in the bottom of the hole. I assome that mostly helps with shock
    and early growth.

    In the past, I've used some organic glop -- Neptune's Garden or
    such -- but haven't this year. I misplaced my watering can and
    haven't shopped for another.

    I may yet pick that up for the non-tomatoes that are still pretty
    small.

    --
    Drew Lawson Some men's dreams
    for others turn to nightmares.
    I never would have thought this
    in my wildest dreams.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From songbird@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 23:39:17
    Drew Lawson wrote:
    ...
    When I put them in the ground I put some bone meal and blood meal
    in the bottom of the hole. I assome that mostly helps with shock
    and early growth.

    if you've been doing that for all your transplants
    and starts then it may be attracting some animal to
    dig thm up...

    raccoons sometimes do that here for starts that i
    get from the greenhouse because they may use a
    fertilizer that smells like fish or something else
    edible to a raccoon.



    In the past, I've used some organic glop -- Neptune's Garden or
    such -- but haven't this year. I misplaced my watering can and
    haven't shopped for another.

    I may yet pick that up for the non-tomatoes that are still pretty
    small.


    songbird

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Drew Lawson@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 00:13:33
    In article <5kq5jm-17d1.ln1@anthive.com>
    songbird <songbird@anthive.com> writes:
    Drew Lawson wrote:
    ...
    When I put them in the ground I put some bone meal and blood meal
    in the bottom of the hole. I assome that mostly helps with shock
    and early growth.

    if you've been doing that for all your transplants
    and starts then it may be attracting some animal to
    dig thm up...

    I had considered that (and don't yet rule it out), but the digging
    happened regardless of feeding. The peppers got hit still in the
    tray, just in peat pots fed with weak miraclegro.

    raccoons sometimes do that here for starts that i
    get from the greenhouse because they may use a
    fertilizer that smells like fish or something else
    edible to a raccoon.

    Over the fall/winter I will look at making seedling cages for this.

    Whatever does it doesn't pay much attention once things are
    established.



    --
    Drew Lawson | And to those who lack the courage
    | And say it's dangerous to try
    | Well they just don't know
    | That love eternal will not be denied

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From songbird@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 00:21:58
    Drew Lawson wrote:
    ...
    Whatever does it doesn't pay much attention once things are
    established.

    same here. that is why i suspect it is some component of
    the compost or fertilizer being used.


    songbird

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Drew Lawson@3:633/10 to All on Friday, July 31, 2026 01:09:34
    In article <6obojm-qa2.ln1@anthive.com>
    songbird <songbird@anthive.com> writes:
    Drew Lawson wrote:
    ...
    Whatever does it doesn't pay much attention once things are
    established.

    same here. that is why i suspect it is some component of
    the compost or fertilizer being used.

    That makes sense. I can't imagine miraclegro (used while the
    seedlings are in the basement) smelling tasty. Then again, I hear
    that squirrels will chew into anything that smells like propane.

    So much for my instincts.


    --
    Drew Lawson | And to those who lack the courage
    | And say it's dangerous to try
    | Well they just don't know
    | That love eternal will not be denied

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)