Spring's comin' a callin'

[Mantis]

Tom , no blushing on the BBH as yet. Couple of weeks I reckon.
Grub, your GMG has set some lovely fruit some of which are full size me thinks. \
Getting colour on some New Big Dwarfs but they are nowhere near the pound mark that I here about.
Heres todays harvest. The big one is another Aunt Ginny, then my F1, Stump, Kellogs Breakfast some Juanne Flammees and some Kimberlys. I am picking the JF's just when they start to colour now as I have found that the split on picking if left to ripen on the plant.

[Grub]

Yum yum yum.

Gonna have to try Aunt Ginnie next season. I don't remember JF splitting. but that's not saying much.

Glad to hear you are getting big ones again. Yours must be getting close to stable, me thinks. That would be great.

[Patrina_Pepperina]

Ray, I'll send you some Green Giant seeds - I saved heaps last season.

Patrina

[Grub]

After walking about four miles to the ferry wharf in the fog the ruddy craft weren't sailing. Thick pea-souper hanging over the harbour like a blanket this morning. Nice weather for EB.

Queue stretched for another mile for the charter buses. Or so it seemed. So I accompanied Mrs Grub, as we worked our way to the head of it. Then I waved her adios as she took her seat. I headed my way to the office just a short stroll from the ferry wharf.

Bought a newspaper and read it at the desk. Nice little letter from a bloke in Bowral (200 miles out west of here) bragging about how he looks like getting tomatoes in November thanks to global warming. Always nice to hear from a fellow backyard tomato grower.

Meantime, my plants are coming along and it's only a matter of time now. But no tomatoes for me in November. The letter writer must have been sowing seeds very early.

[Mantis]

Picked 3 NBdwarfs another Stump and some more Kimberlys and JF's.
Fruit on my potted plants in the driveway are blushing. Opalka, Bush Whopper and Momotaro.
Not looking good down here and the reports in the local rag are saying that bucketing water for plants will be stopped shortly. So, only grey water and whats left of the rainwater for the toms. Not even watering the strawberries, chard, or much else at all.
Put in a new 2000 gal tank on the weekend but I might have to buy in water to put in it as rain is a memory.
Any IT jobs up your way Grub

[Full Moon]

It's getting real bad up your way Mantis I'm really sorry to hear that.

But in the meantime those pics of yours look really good!

Grub, I lied I didn't mean to though
When you said you couldn't believe I had little Jimmy's I went in the garden to double check and the babies are on Doe Hills NOT Jimmys. Plenty of flowers though but no babies yet. Sorry

Now Tom about the seaweed....I'm not sure I can really tell because:
- I don't have much experience to compare with
- Different conditions from last year
- Brand news beds so should do well
- Put all sorts of other organic stuff in there (horse manure, homemade and mushroom compost etc)
- blah blah blah.....
But I can tell you this. All the plants are green & healthy with no sign of any disease (fingers crossed). However there seems to be fewer flowers on the plants in the beds than the ones in the pots but it's still quite acceptable and fruits are setting nicely.
I am suspecting the soil might have been slighlty too rich in N. The beds were also planted at a different date and we had some chocking weather right after I planted so that might be the only reason for the difference. Go figure.
I will try to find time to post a few pictures so you can judge for yourself.
If you ask me Will I go and collect seaweed again for next season? You bet I will! I think it's helping heaps I just can't prove it
-

[Grub]

Sounds really tough Mantis. Is that the Wimmera Mail you are referring to? No rag, I'll have you know. But saw a report on the tele the other day showing dusty wheat fields arond Horsham.

Can't you save water by other means, ie, shower with a friend then run the shower for the same time with a bucket under it? Don't flush the loo for numero unos and then toss another bucket on Brad's Black Heart. And I don't mean that kind of water. But that kind of thing.

[Mantis]

If I had seaweed nearby I would be getting it by the trailor load. Might catch a fish or two while at it.
Grub, we are showering with bucket underneath and using that to flush the dunny. Using all the grey water from the laundry on the garden.
Just a quick thunderstorm would fill the tanks but we cant even get one of them at the moment.
Oh yeah, cant wait for a Brads Black Heart. They are looking so good as are Black from Tula and Gary O'Sena my other blacks.
I need something to replace Cherokee Purple that I cant get to behave.

[Grub]

I see. You are saving every last drop. Well, once it gets past 35C again, crack a tinnie and do the backyard rain dance. That will work.

I'm glad those blacks you mention are doing well. My Brad's Black Heart is months old and an inch tall. Justy won't budge.

My Cherokee Purple is the BEST it's every been. Setting a record number of fruit over a period of time, defying the usual set-and-go-on-strike habit of our past CPs. Will save seeds.

And now, would you believe, Mrs Grub has found the lost seed parcel from Sue with the other BBH seeds and more. So I have a plan for next season.

Can't wait to see how the BBH stack up on the plate.

[Tomstrees]

Fullmoon ...

I've never used manure before ...
Just good old kitchen scraps, fall leaves,
grass, and of course seaweed ~
Sounds like your soil is getting "richer"
by the day ~
It will "level" out ...
Also, seaweed when applied as a 2inch
mulch cut down the weeds, and acted like
a natural fertilizer ~ plants spring out
of their cages ~

Mantis,

Your "BBH" is one of the better looking fruits
that I've seen come out of that line ...
But to hold you over, heres a Black from Tula ~ LOL ~ don't worry ... I know I've got it comin ~ lol ~



Grub,

I would def. trade with Mantis for seed and continue what he has as long as it turns dark ... Looks like the shape / (hopefully) color to follow ... I've seen some odd shapes and colors ~

Tom
ps.
Seaweed ... grow with it ~

[Grub]

Fullmoon,

Get some Yates Bloom Booster and feed the lush tomato plants with that. Make it slightly stronger than the directions say. Within two weeks they will be flowering like a yellow hedge. )

[Full Moon]

Thanks for the tip Grub. I was actually thinking of giving them a drink Sudden Impact.
I have used Mantis secret weapon for the potted ones and I think that as something to do with the number of flowers on these plants.

Mantis, I dissolved two scoop of pellets in a 5 gallon bucket how much do you think I should give each plant? My plan is to dillute 1 litre of this mixture in my 9 litres watering can for each plant. Does that make sense to you?

[Mantis]

Yeah thats about how much I would put in.
I reckon that Grubs hint of the Bloom Booster is the go. I have given my plants that have slowed with the flowering a shot of it.

[Full Moon]

Bloom Booster it is

[Mantis]

Don't know what is going on here. I am getting lots of hearts on my Soldacki