Got Em' In!

[huntoften]

We're finally out of the frost danger here in
Kansas City and I've got all my plants in the gardens! 49 plants a mix of Brandywine, Brandywine Red, Amana Orange, Juli Child, Florida Pink, Striped Cavern, Beam's Yellow Pear, Super Snow White, Hawaiian Currant, Jumbo Roma, Russian Big Roma, Martino's Roma, and one lovely Cherokee Purple. I also have some hybrids...Roma VF, Better Boy VFN, and one Rutgers. All plants except the Cherokee Purple and the Rutgers were started from seed back in late February.

All are in raised beds with silver reflective mulch film with 1gph drip emitters installed...should be a relatively weed free tomato filled year!

I found this site after I bought all my seed for the year and am DROOLING over some of the varieties you guys have talked about...especially Carolyn's favorites (I ordered her book last week...should be here any day now!). Already looking forward to some new varieties next year!

[gardengalrn]

If I had had a bit more time and it wasn't so wet yet, I would have started putting in my tomatoes today as well. I did get all my peppers out but I had prepared that bed before it rained yesterday. I'm pretty envious of anyone who can be weed-free; I can see weeds will be a nightmare here in this new garden. I weeded today but didn't even put a dent in it. Dandelion, bind weeds, and a few others are everywhere.
I've got some Brandywines as well, they are in my top 10 for sure.

[barkeater]

H.O., why do use silver mulch for tomatoes? I know it's popular for cukes to disorient insects that transmit CMV.

I used to use white on black because it kept the soil cool and reflected more light. I imagine silver would do the same, and help repel daytime insects.

Have you used it before for tomatoes, if so, what were the benefits you found?

[huntoften]

I've used the red plastic for years...not sure if the red color helps with fruit production or not, but it keeps the weeds to a minimum and retains moisture very well. I ran out of the big roll of the red last year, so I did some research on films and found some positive stuff about silver reflective mulch keeping thrips from infesting the underside of tomato leaves. We'll see if that works or not as the year progresses. I have my cherry and tomato plants mulched with straw because they are not convenient to run drip lines to.

As for weed free....the only major weed problems I have is with bind weed...that stuff crawls across my paths, under the film, and through a field of landmines to try and grab my tomato vines! I hate it!

[dice]

[bindweed]
I had something about 10-15 years ago that would kill
it to the roots, but it was some harsh systemic herbicide
(Ortho Kleen-up maybe), and I would be afraid to spray
it around vegetables (not to mention berry plants, trees,
shrubs, etc).

I just pulled it every time I saw it in any of the tomato beds
last year, getting as much root as would easily come up,
and it was not much of a problem over the summer. As I look
around this spring, I am only seeing a few shoots of it in those
beds. Not letting it have any foliage over the summer seems
to repress root growth.

[huntoften]

The bindweed is easy to see and remove from the tomatoes, but it looks VERY similar to my pole beans...I used some...gasp...roundup on the areas with the bindweed a few weeks ago...killed all that was showing, but I just KNOW it will return...hopefully after the beans have had a good start.

Here's some info on the reflective mulch I found:

Reflective Mulch. Reflective mulch or mesh confuses and repels certain flying insects searching for plants, apparently because reflected ultraviolet light interferes with the insects’ ability to locate plants. Most uses of reflective mulch have been against winged aphids, but infestation of young plants by other pests including leafhoppers, thrips, and whiteflies has also been prevented or delayed. In flower and vegetable crops that are especially sensitive to viruses, the added cost of reflective mulch may be justified because the mulch can be significantly more effective than insecticides in preventing the spread of viruses and other diseases vectored by insects. It is most effective during early growth when plants are small; as plants grow larger, it is less effective, and other methods may be needed. Reflective mulches cease to repel insects when the plant canopy covers more than about 60% of the soil surface.
Transplant through holes in the mulch or apply the mulch before plants emerge from the soil by leaving a thin mulch-free strip of soil along the planting row. Liquid reflective mulches are also available that can be sprayed on the soil and plants emerge through them. Reflective mesh is also available for application over the top of a crop that can lift this lightweight material as it grows. Various materials, such as polyethylene plastic film, can be used. Silver or gray is the most effective color for reflective mulch or mesh, but white also works. Commercially available products include aluminum-metalized polyethylene and silver-embossed polyethylene from suppliers listed at the end of this publication. Aluminum foil is also effective but is expensive, delicate to handle, and probably not feasible on a large scale but may be fine for a home garden.
Reflective mulch may improve crop growth beyond that provided by pest control, possibly due to warmer night soil temperatures, more even soil moisture, and increased light levels. Certain mulches have other beneficial or negative effects, such as weed control, water conservation, or increasing crop susceptibility to root diseases, so investigate which material is likely to work best in your situation.

[elkwc36]

Glad you got yours in. I'm in extreme SW KS. Besides the direct winter sown project I haven't dropped any in yet. Plan on starting this evening. Had a light freeze yesterday morning and 93 today and supposed to be 71 tomorrow. So a yo-yo here. Lots of wind today. Not sure how planting will go. But need to be getting them in. Have around 80 to put in. Finished all potting last night. Will spread planting over the next 7-10 days so won't be too bad. But some of the plants really need to be in. I put most that I will plant myself in cowpots and will see how they do. The direct sown are really growing. If production is good I will do at least half of mine that way next year. Happy Gardening. JD

[PaulF]

Everything planted here except tomatoes and peppers. The darn 40 mph wind gusts kept me from feeling good about putting the tender plants out; maybe tomorrow.

[gardengalrn]

Paul, we had that terrible wind here today, too. I had planned on putting out the maters if the ground was dry enough but no-way with that wind.
Huntoften: In my experience with this bindweed...nothing kills it. You can hack it, pull it, burn it, smother it, cover it in chemicals, and it still comes right back to laugh in your face. Don't let it get a hold on your beds, for sure. We have 3 raised flower beds by the patio that were literally choked in bindweed when we moved in. I did everything possible, to include (as a last resort) dousing the bed in Roundup then covering the whole thing with black plastic that remained in place for months during the hot summer. I am now seeing it rear its ugly head yet AGAIN!!! Grrrrr!