This Year, Finally

[tlcmd]

Thanks to all you Tomatovillians!! My posts much earlier this year were regarding the recent failures of my tomatoes and garden in general. And I promised an update later in the season.

Location is Greensboro, N.C., northern piedmont. (Zone 7)

I finally got a great garden. Following advice and methods suggested here and from my local county agricultural adviser, I'm having the best harvest and prettiest garden ever.

Got a soil analysis from the state lab, (no problems or additives suggested) fertilized with 10-10-10 and doubled tilled the garden, weed barriered with newspapers and straw, and "laterally" planted tomatoes grown from seed in Parks Grow Mix.

Did not try to get fancy with heirloom varieties, but stayed chiefly with Parks Whoppers which have done well in the past for me. Planted indeterminates Parks Whoppers (40%) and an divided the other 60% evenly between Beefy Boys, and Bolseno (spotted Wilt Resistant), and determinant BHN 444 (spotted wilt resistant).

Sprayed weekly with Miracle-Gro for the first 6 weeks, and applied Triazicide twice (May and June", and also another application planned later this week. Kept area around garden well mowed and trimmed, and adjacent flowers well mulched and weeded and sprayed.


Have 23 plants, (one more than my cages) and am getting 20+ lbs of tomatoes daily. No sign of spotted wilt or bugs. Do have toads and a black snake to handle other pests.

Not to mention great squash (crook and straight neck) production, lots of okra, pole and bush Blue Lake beans, bell peppers, and pickling cucumbers.

The garden is 40 x 50 feet, and well fenced.

IMO, Parks Whoppers have the best taste of the 4 varieties. My wife prefers the Beefy boys, but "ain't found a tomato from the garden we didn't like".

Of course maybe my plants are just smarter since I used the Wall Street Journal as my weed barrier.

Again, thanks to all who have posted on spotted wilt virus, insecticides, thrips, mulching with newspaper, etc.

Dick