Big BER Boo Boo

travis · July 3, 2006

Boy did I ever make a huge mistake ...

I let my seed garden out behind the construction shop get a little too weedy. Rain, rain, rain kept me from gettin' necessary work done out there (it's about six miles from home).

When I finally got to it, I had to run a roto tiller through the rows to get it under control before mulchin' the heck out of it with straw. I have six rows planted 3 - 4 feet apart with plants about 3 feet apart in each row ... so there's plenty of room to roto till.

Here it is after tilling and mulching 6/17

But ... the plants were fairly advanced with lots of advanced green tomatoes, one or two breakers, and loads of little greenies.

And I got a little too enthusiastic with the roto tiller ... like tillin' a little too close to the plants and probably cuttin' lots of spread roots. The plot looks great now ... but let me tell you ... the BER went rampant about a week or so after the tilling. Everything, or nearly everything, but the dwarves showed some BER.

Lesson Learned: Don't disturb the roots when the plants are loaded with developing fruit.

Most everything is back to normal now, but it took two weeks and I lost about half the seed fruit.

Now the big problem is Mockingbirds

... they sit up on those stakes and cackle at me with tomato juice drippin' from their beaks

PV

July 3, 2006	#1
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	Big BER Boo Boo Boy did I ever make a huge mistake ... I let my seed garden out behind the construction shop get a little too weedy. Rain, rain, rain kept me from gettin' necessary work done out there (it's about six miles from home). When I finally got to it, I had to run a roto tiller through the rows to get it under control before mulchin' the heck out of it with straw. I have six rows planted 3 - 4 feet apart with plants about 3 feet apart in each row ... so there's plenty of room to roto till. Here it is after tilling and mulching 6/17 But ... the plants were fairly advanced with lots of advanced green tomatoes, one or two breakers, and loads of little greenies. And I got a little too enthusiastic with the roto tiller ... like tillin' a little too close to the plants and probably cuttin' lots of spread roots. The plot looks great now ... but let me tell you ... the BER went rampant about a week or so after the tilling. Everything, or nearly everything, but the dwarves showed some BER. Lesson Learned: Don't disturb the roots when the plants are loaded with developing fruit. Most everything is back to normal now, but it took two weeks and I lost about half the seed fruit. Now the big problem is Mockingbirds ... they sit up on those stakes and cackle at me with tomato juice drippin' from their beaks PV