Just getting started - Newbie alert :) (2 new questions p9)

Farmfresh

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Glad things are doing better. It must be really scary with the oil spill so close at hand. We here will all do our best to support and help you. :)
 

kcsunshine

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AL, have you checked out The Easy Garden site? (Bottom of page). There is an absolute wealth of information there (lots of the same people who visit this site and BYC).

Welcome to all you newbies. :welcome
 

@thefunnyfarm

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My corn too I just looked afew days ago and they were tilting to the sun but after todays bad storm a different section is down like an elephant trampled through them. I think there is only 20 persentchance of rain fri and sat so I may try to straiten the bad ones then unless we get blistering sun before that. Which is possible here you know if you don't like the weather here wait an hour and it will change lol. I too wanted to avoid sprays but with 120 tomato plants I got afraid of loosing all. That will be our food and are on fixed income not much left over for extras. I too have been doing that befor the sun scalds themto badly and they ripened nicely had a blt today yeah. and was ableto can 1 quart of sauce from the ugly blemished tomato and heck that is 1 more that I dont have to buy. They have taken so long to ripen they stayed green forever seems but now we are getting new blush ever day. So exciting.
My brother got luckly and sold his boat right befor this happened Before long people are going to be giving them away i bet.Are you in santa rosa or escambia? Luckly we just bought our home infeb up above cretview in florala. So we are further away from that mess now. All of our family is in pcola area still though. And it will affect the whole country before long between gas prices and seafood not being sold the economy sure did not need this.
 

AL

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I stood up my corn, and it blew over again. But this morning it was all standing just as straight and tall as if it never happened!!
I picked 4 medium sized tomatoes that were getting some good color, a zuccini and some squash. I had 2 bell peppers evidently blown off the bush, they had a couple of bad spots but we cut those out.

I am in Escambia County - about 12-15 miles from P'cola Beach :(


Thanks FF and KC! I went to look at the site after you mentioned it, there is TONS of info there. I crawled back defeated to my little thread here lol ;)
 

@thefunnyfarm

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Good job doesnt it feel great to pick finally, We had bad storms here today just a few more days and they should stop. we wer busy canning pickles. When we went to check it today we found some cucumbers we had missed a few days ago. I bought some blossom end rot mix from the feed store today you add to sprayer and spray for 3 weeks one time a week and it should replace calium levels so we will see how it works. 5 bucks it is worth a shot. Ill let you know how it works. The back does suggest adding lime to tomatoe area before planting next time.
 

AL

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That sounds a lot like the stuff I bought for the same thing.... hopefully I will be able to spray tomorrow when I am off work (if it isn't raining - AGAIN).

I am not getting the crop I had hoped for on squash etc, but it was a pretty good haul. I think as I learn I will be able to get more (lesson 1 - make wider rows!!)

So you live in this general area - what are some fall crops you plant and when?? I was thinking of pumpkins. And aren't there some peas that will make through fall?
 

Farmfresh

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AL here in Missouri I regularly plant a fall garden, usually starting in late June or July. We grow peas, green beans, all of the salad crops and even summer squash and stuff like that. Just make sure you have enough frost free days for the things to mature (and in the south that should NOT be a problem) and keep things watered well while they are first establishing.

My fall garden is usually more productive than the summer one.

Also remember that in tropical climates tomatoes and peppers will bear year round and live for many years. Taking good care of them ensures a long long crop.
 

@thefunnyfarm

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Al Im like farmfresh beans peas carrots lettuce, now tomatoes I will prune in july and stick in wather to root and getmore plants but the ones you have now will carry you like she said/ some times we can go to dec here before cold sets in so we get a long growing season. just never know year to year. we get 3 plantings a year spring summer and winter crops after summer crop we do cabbage collards turnips winter squash
 

AL

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I would love to plant beans, but I am keeping my garden "horse friendly" - in case of both intentional or unintentional visits by my equine friends :D . They can't have a lot of bean types because of the pointed end of the hull.

I am thinking that since the plot I have available to garden is now occupied (peas are blooming!) , I might venture into the raised bed world and try to put a few things in my tiny backyard. I am limited because of the pasture. I foster starved / abused / neglected horses and the garden is more tempting than the fence is restricting sometimes!

Do y'all plant just regular peas? Like crowder and purple hull? I wonder if I could grow lettuce here? I think my neighbor has good luck with cabbage, but I haven't seen him growing lettuce.

You mean you put your tomato cuttings in water and they root!?!? That would be awesome. (I am easily amused).

When is okra planted? Have I missed it?

My tomato plants are absolutely covered with green tomatoes.... I am just hoping this spray helps them to not rot. My neighbor said all of his tomato bottoms are rotting out too. My jalapeno peppers are cruising, but my bell peppers keep just falling off of the bush?
 

@thefunnyfarm

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Yep tomato branches root very easily you really can just stick them in the ground and water really good and you have a new plant easy peasy. when planting have the branch diagnal not up and down you get a better root system and they turn up to the sun. I don't know when okra goes in I know it is planted now but you prob still have time.
Lettuce is great in planters on a porch ect. I have some that way when frost hits i can bring them inside. but lettuce is bitter at hot temps it will grow but not taste so good
Raised beds are good too my friend uses things like old plastic swimming pools people are throwing away. and one she started in just a pile of horse manure she just spread it out no tilling nothing and planted and that one is amazing she planted after me and is already harvesting beans. they are in cantonment.
I know my snap peas get about 3 good weeks and then they start dwindling down on production so at 3 wks I yank them up and plant something else.My husband is disabled so we are on a fixed income so I use my food for the year so I try to get as much as I can and squash as soon as it matures I stick a few new seeds in and by the time the newones get a good size the old ones aren;t producing as good and are out for an extended full havest.
You will find your patterns.
I think with all this rain everyone has rot bottom here in the south. It has been the perfect enviroment for it wet and humid. I am still using mine for sauces but ready for some pretty and big tomatoes.
 
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