Raybo's EarthTainer "Farm" May 17 (At Plant-out plus 2 months)

rnewste · May 17, 2016

Plants are doing very well for mid May timeframe:

No insects or fungal problems (yet).

Brandyboy is the growth leader today. At 7 rungs of its 10 rung cage:

Currently producing some nice size fruit:

The pair of Bloody Butcher are fruiting prolifically:

Even one Bloody Butcher now blushing:

MarNar F6 doing fine:

As are the 2 Momotaro plants:

The Big Daddy Hybrid is like a jungle:

Really had to look hard to find this growing in the dense foliage:

San Marzano and Applause:

Initial fruitset on San Marzano:

Applause:

Dona F1 (left) and Carmello F1:

Carmello:

Cukes are doing great:

About a dozen fruit in development:

Blue skys and sunshine!

Raybo

Deborah · May 17, 2016

Awesome as always!

ricman · May 17, 2016

Hello Raybo,

Your plants look great!!! Always a treat to see your progress.

Rick

hovermother22 · May 18, 2016

Wow, beautiful!

Dutch · May 18, 2016

Hi Raybo!
Thank you for posting pictures of this years EarthTainer "Farm"!

Your "Farm" is truly special and your pictures of it always makes me smile.

Thanks again!

Dutch

peebee · May 18, 2016

Did you hear me yell out "Hi Raybo!" as our car passed Campbell this past weekend? We were in your area for a wedding, and driving back and forth between our hotel in Milpitas and venues in Saratoga, Redwood City and San Jose.
What variety cuke is that? Looks delicious. For the 2nd year in a row, I am having very poor cuke production. I love cukes so much that I plant about 30 plants; one row of 10 had 8 die on me recently. They just never grew beyond an extra inch or so. The underside of the leaves look speckled in white, will have to post a pic soon, and I suppose start spraying with something or other.
Won't be too long before you'll be harvesting bushels of tomatoes.

matereater · May 18, 2016

Lookin good Ray !

Barb_FL · May 18, 2016

Thanks for the update. Love your pics so healthy.

I expected your cucumbers to be much bushier; Did you prune to achieve this? I have plant (3 seedlings) already in an EB and want to follow your pruning method.

Mine are finally getting manageable in size because I've been throwing Tulle over them at night so the moths (pickle worm) doesn't invade them. The side benefit of covering with tulle is it compacted them and more fruit is being made in the center.

PEEBEE - in Raybo's April's post he is growing Sweet Success, Sweeter Yet (2 ET), Sweet Burpless - 9 seedlings per ET - 36 plants in 4 ET.

I do 2-3 seeds (mine are planted together in the middle) and get TONS of cucumbers.
I'm growing Beta Alpha, Sweet Success, and Snow (pickling cucumber) and get tons; more than we can use, pickle, or give away.

rnewste · May 18, 2016

Thanks all for the encouraging comments.

peebee,

The cukes in the photos above are Sweet Success which are my favorite. However, this variety seems to attract leaf-sucking insects (see the second cuke photo above). I am now spraying Take down as well as Spinosad on alternating intervals (1'st and 15'th of the Month) to keep them at bay:

So far, no White Flies or Tomato Russet Mites - but we are only in mid-May as of now and I am sure they will make an appearance in June / July.

Barb,

I have been pruning secondary growth from the main vines to keep foliage density in control and train the stems upward in the cage/trellis system instead of horizontal spread.

Raybo

Deborah · May 18, 2016

36 plants in 4 ET's??? How big are ET's?

rnewste · May 18, 2016

Deborah,

I plant 8 cukes per EarthBox; and 10 cukes per EarthTainer. This only "works" when I use the cages and trellis netting system to facilitate upward vertical growth. If you are planting for more horizontal growth then 2 or 3 plants in an EarthBox is probably ideal.

Raybo

Deborah · May 18, 2016

OIC. Thanks. I sure like the pictures.

garyjr · May 19, 2016

Raybo, nice pics. Think I might have to try ET's next season. Have you grown Bid Daddy before. Curious how the production was and flavor? Growing it for the first time this year.

Gary,

rnewste · May 19, 2016

Gary,

This is my third year growing Big Daddy, and for a hybrid it tastes pretty good. Prolific fruit production and disease tolerant. Will always have this variety in my garden.

Raybo

Virtex · May 20, 2016

Raybo,

I have some whiteflies already this year.

Is there a place in the bay area to get the "Take down"?

Thanks,

- Scott

May 17, 2016	#1
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	Raybo's EarthTainer "Farm" May 17 (At Plant-out plus 2 months) Plants are doing very well for mid May timeframe: No insects or fungal problems (yet). Brandyboy is the growth leader today. At 7 rungs of its 10 rung cage: Currently producing some nice size fruit: The pair of Bloody Butcher are fruiting prolifically: Even one Bloody Butcher now blushing: MarNar F6 doing fine: As are the 2 Momotaro plants: The Big Daddy Hybrid is like a jungle: Really had to look hard to find this growing in the dense foliage: San Marzano and Applause: Initial fruitset on San Marzano: Applause: Dona F1 (left) and Carmello F1: Carmello: Cukes are doing great: About a dozen fruit in development: Blue skys and sunshine! Raybo

May 17, 2016	#2
Deborah Riding The Crazy Train Again Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Marcos, California Posts: 2,562	Awesome as always! __________________ "The righteous one cares for the needs of his animal". Proverbs 12:10

May 18, 2016	#5
Dutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: S.E. Wisconsin Zone 5b Posts: 1,831	Hi Raybo! Thank you for posting pictures of this years EarthTainer "Farm"! Your "Farm" is truly special and your pictures of it always makes me smile. Thanks again! Dutch __________________ "Discretion is the better part of valor" Charles Churchill The intuitive mind is a gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. But we have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. (paraphrased) Albert Einstein I come from a long line of sod busters, spanning back several centuries.

May 18, 2016	#7
matereater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia) Posts: 1,264	Lookin good Ray ! __________________ Steve Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

May 18, 2016	#9
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	Thanks all for the encouraging comments. peebee, The cukes in the photos above are Sweet Success which are my favorite. However, this variety seems to attract leaf-sucking insects (see the second cuke photo above). I am now spraying Take down as well as Spinosad on alternating intervals (1'st and 15'th of the Month) to keep them at bay: So far, no White Flies or Tomato Russet Mites - but we are only in mid-May as of now and I am sure they will make an appearance in June / July. Barb, I have been pruning secondary growth from the main vines to keep foliage density in control and train the stems upward in the cage/trellis system instead of horizontal spread. Raybo Last edited by rnewste; May 18, 2016 at 02:27 PM.

May 17, 2016	#3
ricman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Ardmore,Oklahoma Posts: 172	Hello Raybo, Your plants look great!!! Always a treat to see your progress. Rick

May 18, 2016	#4
hovermother22 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Chicago Posts: 70	Wow, beautiful!

May 18, 2016	#6
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	Did you hear me yell out "Hi Raybo!" as our car passed Campbell this past weekend? We were in your area for a wedding, and driving back and forth between our hotel in Milpitas and venues in Saratoga, Redwood City and San Jose. What variety cuke is that? Looks delicious. For the 2nd year in a row, I am having very poor cuke production. I love cukes so much that I plant about 30 plants; one row of 10 had 8 die on me recently. They just never grew beyond an extra inch or so. The underside of the leaves look speckled in white, will have to post a pic soon, and I suppose start spraying with something or other. Won't be too long before you'll be harvesting bushels of tomatoes.

May 18, 2016	#8
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	Thanks for the update. Love your pics so healthy. I expected your cucumbers to be much bushier; Did you prune to achieve this? I have plant (3 seedlings) already in an EB and want to follow your pruning method. Mine are finally getting manageable in size because I've been throwing Tulle over them at night so the moths (pickle worm) doesn't invade them. The side benefit of covering with tulle is it compacted them and more fruit is being made in the center. PEEBEE - in Raybo's April's post he is growing Sweet Success, Sweeter Yet (2 ET), Sweet Burpless - 9 seedlings per ET - 36 plants in 4 ET. I do 2-3 seeds (mine are planted together in the middle) and get TONS of cucumbers. I'm growing Beta Alpha, Sweet Success, and Snow (pickling cucumber) and get tons; more than we can use, pickle, or give away.

May 18, 2016	#12
Deborah Riding The Crazy Train Again Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Marcos, California Posts: 2,562	OIC. Thanks. I sure like the pictures. __________________ "The righteous one cares for the needs of his animal". Proverbs 12:10

May 19, 2016	#13
garyjr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Mechanicsville, VA zone 7a Posts: 97	Raybo, nice pics. Think I might have to try ET's next season. Have you grown Bid Daddy before. Curious how the production was and flavor? Growing it for the first time this year. Gary, __________________ "The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts." C.S. Lewis

May 20, 2016	#15
Virtex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: California Posts: 121	Raybo, I have some whiteflies already this year. Is there a place in the bay area to get the "Take down"? Thanks, - Scott