A Volunteer Raised Bed

[AlittleSalt]

Yes, I even thought about some okra and eggplants and ...

Depending on how tall and wide Bishop's Crown pepper plants grow, I think I have it figured out.

Worth, we bought some of the Valentina hot sauce. Our grandchildren love it on chips - and they don't like hot peppers yet. It's my favorite on chips so far.

[AlittleSalt]

Okay, here goes:

First two plants will be Sweet Cayenne 3'
Second three plants with be Bishop's Crown 4'
The back two will be Peppadew 5+'

On the tomato support that I haven't finished building yet will be three of the volunteer tomato plants already growing there.

It should look really nice, and putting these pepper plants in this bed makes more room to plant in the main garden. "An extra row of okra "

[AlittleSalt]

While weeding the bed this morning, we found another volunteer tomato plant growing in the center/between of 4 pepper plants. I'm thinking of putting a pole and let it grow on that. I've never done this - just seen it in pictures. What do you think?

[AlittleSalt]

Here are how the tomatoes are growing on the 3 volunteer plants. I have no idea as to what they are, but all three plants have tomatoes on them that look like this:

[bower]

Nice looking clusters! Hope they taste good.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by imp

The rain has not happened here - yet. Supposed to be a good chance through tonight, but I am not liking that it is still here. I mean STILL. Not a whisper of breeze.

I associate that with tornadoes or earthquakes. I'll take the earthquakes over tornadoes any time.

Yeah, know what you mean.mhad both when we lived in Lawton.

[AlittleSalt]

Here they are ripe compared to a quarter. The only two tomato varieties we remember growing that are shaped like these are Blush and Juliet F1. The volunteer tomatoes are nowhere near as big as either of those varieties.

The Blush were grown beside Russian Mini Yellow (A tiny tomato) Neither are red or pink.

The Juliet F1 was grown beside Matt's Wild Cherry - I think the Volunteers are a cross of Juliet F1 and Matt's Wild cherry - that would explain the shape and the plant producing like a wild cherry tomato.

[jmsieglaff]

That's great you've got a mystery tomato. How's the flavor? Maybe it is a segregating F2 from the Juliet F2? My mom grew 2 Sungold volunteers last year. One was a lot like the F1 and was quite good. A red cherry a pretty good flavor but kinda thick skin. I'm not a fan of thick skin on a tomato. A firm tomato is fine but I don't like thick skin.

[AlittleSalt]

I agree, I don't care for thick skin tomatoes either. The taste is lacking, but that may have a lot to do with too much rain.

I had volunteer plants growing like weeds all over my garden this spring. I try to keep fallen tomatoes picked up each year to prevent volunteers each spring, but I must have done a poor job last year. I kept pulling the volunteers like weeds along with the springtime weeds. Some plants were so healthy and strong that I finally started staking them where they grow. I think I know which variety most are, but not all. I actually became curious how well some of the volunteers will perform in the same bed as transplanted seedlings. I wonder how much difference the undisturbed tap roots will make on the volunteer plants.

I reworked one of my raised beds this year. I changed it from twelve inches deep to six inches deep. I used the top six inches of soil removed to top off some 28 gallon containers behind our house where I am growing fig trees and some other stuff. It's interesting to see all the different plants growing in the pots with volunteer tomato plants growing on stakes along with the other stuff. I only know the volunteers will be cherry tomatoes since the soil came from my former cherry tomato bed.

Ted

[Gardeneer]

I like your "Volunteers" Robert.

Nothing volunteerly doe anything in my garden. I have to beg them.

Gardeneer

[swellcat]

. . . you don't know what you are going to get . . .

Much like a wrapped gift.

Surprises can be pleasant.