Garden Report at two months

tomatoguy · June 15, 2008

Here is what is happening around my garden. All plants, except Church #2 went in on April 16. Church #2 went in on May 1. No ripe tomatoes yet but Matina looks like it will be the first in a week or so.

The weather here seems to have limited my early production. We had very wet, cool days for several weeks followed by unseasonably dry, hot weather. Our normal pattern (highs near 90, lows in 60's, shower or two a week) seems to be returning and fruit set has been good for a few days now.

The second plot seems to be the most productive but it also has by far the most earlies. The containers and the main garden are about even.

So, here's the lowdown:

Plot 2 - full sun - natural ground

Church #2 - 3' tall - buds, no fruit - healthy
506 Bush - 2' - some fruit set - very healthy
Healani - 2.5' - nice fruit set - healthy
Red Rocket - 2.5' - nice fruit set - healthy
Anahu - 2.5' - nice fruit set - healthy, bushy
Mountaineer Mystery - 3' - large fruit near bottom, healthy
Matina - 4' - very heavy fruit set - healthy

Containers - 8-9 hours sun - 17-30 gallon containers - topsoil, coarse sand, compost

Big Burgundy Cherry (growout project) - 4' - very heavy fruit set - true to type so far - some Early Blight
Belgian Farmers Beefsteak - 3' - large fruit near bottom - started great but getting a bit spindly now - some EB
Early Large Red - 3' - some fruit set starting - probably my puniest plant - haven't quite figured out what the deal is with it yet
Golden Monarch - 6' - large fruit at bottom - like BFB, started strong but hasn't liked the excessive heat - some EB
Tennessee Britches - 6' - slow starter coming on strong now - lots of buds, no fruit set yet
Tennessee Black - 4' - starting to set fruit

Main Garden - 4" natural topsoil, 16" topsoil/coarse sand/compost - 8-9 hours sun

Ed's Millenium - 3' - not really thriving at this point - no buds or fruit - some EB

Stump of the World - 3' - slow starter - EB

Big Red - 2.5' - scrawny seedling starting to come on - buds, healthy

Cuostralee - 4.5' -getting bushy - large fruit on bottom but didn't like the heat so just now setting again

Earl's Faux - 4' - buds, no fruit - some EB

Big Zac - 5' - buds, no fruit - EB

New Big Dwarf - 2.5' - nice fruit set - some EB

Church #1 - 5.5' - massive plant - lots of buds, no fruit yet - healthy

Mortgage Lifter Estler's - another scrawny seedling coming on strong now - 2' - lots of buds - healthy

Guido - 5' - massive - buds but no fruit yet

Tennessee Heirloom - 5' - large fruit near bottom - delayed fruit set due to heat - healthy and bushy

Mong - 5.5' - the most massive of them all so far - lots of buds, no fruit set yet

Rita's Black - 5' - large fruit at bottom - delayed fruit set due to heat

That's about the story from here. It hasn't been a great start, compared to the last 2 years but maybe things will improve. It was a good year to start the second plot because it has saved my bacon, productionwise.

mater

June 15, 2008	#1
tomatoguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rockvale, TN Zone 7A Posts: 526	Garden Report at two months Here is what is happening around my garden. All plants, except Church #2 went in on April 16. Church #2 went in on May 1. No ripe tomatoes yet but Matina looks like it will be the first in a week or so. The weather here seems to have limited my early production. We had very wet, cool days for several weeks followed by unseasonably dry, hot weather. Our normal pattern (highs near 90, lows in 60's, shower or two a week) seems to be returning and fruit set has been good for a few days now. The second plot seems to be the most productive but it also has by far the most earlies. The containers and the main garden are about even. So, here's the lowdown: Plot 2 - full sun - natural ground Church #2 - 3' tall - buds, no fruit - healthy 506 Bush - 2' - some fruit set - very healthy Healani - 2.5' - nice fruit set - healthy Red Rocket - 2.5' - nice fruit set - healthy Anahu - 2.5' - nice fruit set - healthy, bushy Mountaineer Mystery - 3' - large fruit near bottom, healthy Matina - 4' - very heavy fruit set - healthy Containers - 8-9 hours sun - 17-30 gallon containers - topsoil, coarse sand, compost Big Burgundy Cherry (growout project) - 4' - very heavy fruit set - true to type so far - some Early Blight Belgian Farmers Beefsteak - 3' - large fruit near bottom - started great but getting a bit spindly now - some EB Early Large Red - 3' - some fruit set starting - probably my puniest plant - haven't quite figured out what the deal is with it yet Golden Monarch - 6' - large fruit at bottom - like BFB, started strong but hasn't liked the excessive heat - some EB Tennessee Britches - 6' - slow starter coming on strong now - lots of buds, no fruit set yet Tennessee Black - 4' - starting to set fruit Main Garden - 4" natural topsoil, 16" topsoil/coarse sand/compost - 8-9 hours sun Ed's Millenium - 3' - not really thriving at this point - no buds or fruit - some EB Stump of the World - 3' - slow starter - EB Big Red - 2.5' - scrawny seedling starting to come on - buds, healthy Cuostralee - 4.5' -getting bushy - large fruit on bottom but didn't like the heat so just now setting again Earl's Faux - 4' - buds, no fruit - some EB Big Zac - 5' - buds, no fruit - EB New Big Dwarf - 2.5' - nice fruit set - some EB Church #1 - 5.5' - massive plant - lots of buds, no fruit yet - healthy Mortgage Lifter Estler's - another scrawny seedling coming on strong now - 2' - lots of buds - healthy Guido - 5' - massive - buds but no fruit yet Tennessee Heirloom - 5' - large fruit near bottom - delayed fruit set due to heat - healthy and bushy Mong - 5.5' - the most massive of them all so far - lots of buds, no fruit set yet Rita's Black - 5' - large fruit at bottom - delayed fruit set due to heat That's about the story from here. It hasn't been a great start, compared to the last 2 years but maybe things will improve. It was a good year to start the second plot because it has saved my bacon, productionwise. mater