Discussion forum for the various methods and structures used for getting an early start on your growing season, extending it for several weeks or even year 'round.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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I planted my high tunnel today. Yesterday, I put the plastic back on...by myself, which I'm sure would have been comical to watch, especially given that it was 30x50 and started out laying in the mud. I was a little dirty afterward.
2017 should be the last year for this piece of plastic, which will be year #4. I tried to hose off the mud. It is still a little dirty. I'm thinking it will be ok. It has a few holes, too, but the more I do this, the more I understand how far from perfect things can be and still work. The three rows are about 46' each. The pics below were taken right after a thunderstorm, thus the standing water. 59 plants total: Taxi x 10 Mountain Fresh F1 x 5 Rumi Banjan x 3 Babushkin Potseluy x 1 Taos Trail x 1 Agatha x 20 Dubrava x 3 Mat-Su Super B x 3 Early Orange Stripe x 2 Mat-Su Express Plant 11, F6 x 3 Mr Bruno x 3 Poljarnij Skorospelij x 2 (Big) Russian (Red) x 3 - (I got this variety in a swap and it was labelled "Russian") Thank you to AKMark and everyone else who traded seed with me. Last edited by Cole_Robbie; April 3, 2017 at 08:06 PM. |
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Santa Maria California
Posts: 1,014
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Love it Cole. Looks like you got a big jump on your plants. Do you have to supply heat for a bit. The plants are outstanding! Jimbo
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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Thanks. Heat would be nice, but heating a greenhouse burns a ton of energy, which is out of my budget. I prefer to just plant a little later. It's going to be 38 here on both Thursday and Friday nights, which the plants will not enjoy, but should survive.
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#4 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Santa Maria California
Posts: 1,014
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 287
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How do you water?
How did you choose which varieties to plant? |
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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I have drip tape underneath the plastic.
Taxi, Agatha, and Mat-Su are proven performers. I have a yearn for experimentation, though, so I always try a lot of new varieties. I look mostly for early determinates, or other early, cold-tolerant varieties. The high tunnel is great when we have normal weather. But some years, it is very cold in the spring and then suddenly very hot. In those years, the high tunnel offers not much advantage over the outdoor garden. In a typical year, I get tomatoes about a month ahead of outdoor plants. |
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#7 |
BANNED FOR LIFE
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
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They look great Cole. I have two Mat-Su Express plants growing out in the garden. They are big and healthy looking. You wouldn't guess they were developed in Alaska.
Last edited by AlittleSalt; April 4, 2017 at 01:07 AM. Reason: whattatypo |
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#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Santa Maria California
Posts: 1,014
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My Matsu Express look like they're growing in a different media. Like they are saying eat my dust and how do my taillights look to the other seedlings. Lol.
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#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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AKMark's stuff is no joke. He credits SherryAK, with his breeding efforts. Thank you, Sherry!
Last edited by Cole_Robbie; April 4, 2017 at 09:57 AM. |
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#10 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Wasilla Alaska
Posts: 2,010
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Your tunnel looks great, I wish you the best of seasons this year. Sherry AK is a friend of ours that I met in my greenhouse, we had a discussion over the correct leaf type of Sasha's Altai. Shortly after that, she started showing me how to do crosses, we have really had fun with the tomatoes. |
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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Thanks. I don't know about "great." I was going for 'adequate.'
Everyone got their lower leaves trimmed and tied up today. My cattle gates are bent and drift a little bit away from the plants in places, so the plants not close to the gates got stakes. It is rare for me to be caught up on pruning and trellising, so this is a notable moment. |
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#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Posts: 3,148
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Very nice. It appears to be adequately wonderful!
I bet that you enjoyed playing in the mud.
__________________
~ Patti ~ |
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#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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Everyone is taking off. They all got pruned and tied up again today.
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#14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Santa Maria California
Posts: 1,014
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Looks like you're way ahead Cole! Tomatoes soon. Jimbo
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#15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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sunny day pic from this morning
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