2014 Community garden...

[Dork Fish]

I thought I would posts some updated pictures...













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[Dork Fish]

I have a question...

Should I consider placing shade cloth over my tomatoes?

If so, how would I fasten these? Conduit? Because this is at the community garden, It cannot be an eye sore. 40% okay?

[JamesL]

Thats a neat and tidy garden!

What are your high temps going to be this summer?

[kath]

Originally Posted by Dork Fish

I have a question...

Should I consider placing shade cloth over my tomatoes?

If so, how would I fasten these? Conduit? Because this is at the community garden, It cannot be an eye sore. 40% okay?

You live in a colder zone than I do and the only time I've used shade cloth over tomatoes is when I've put them out without completely hardening them off first, or they've lost leaves due to injury or disease and left fruits exposed to the sun that were previously shaded. In our area of the country we want the plants to get all of the sun they can get.

[Dork Fish]

Originally Posted by JamesL

Thats a neat and tidy garden!

What are your high temps going to be this summer?

probably mid-High 90's for part of July/Aug

[Dork Fish]

Originally Posted by kath

You live in a colder zone than I do and the only time I've used shade cloth over tomatoes is when I've put them out without completely hardening them off first, or they've lost leaves due to injury or disease and left fruits exposed to the sun that were previously shaded. In our area of the country we want the plants to get all of the sun they can get.

Okay, it does get pretty hot here at times and was just wondering if this would help keep the plants healthier longer.

I have been spraying actinovate/ Exel LG and bio bizz from the beginning. So hopefully this will help slow down some of the diseases. I am going to start alternating this spray and take down garden spray every week.

We usually have pretty humid but cool weather in the spring. With our spring weather, I usually have a lot of foliage disease which leaves my tomato plants almost naked when the tomatoes are starting to ripen. In the bright, hot summer sun, I have to normally use some shade cloth over the plants to prevent sunburn on the tomatoes.

This year, we had a very dry (drought), but warmer than usual spring. My tomato plants this year have no foliage diseases. Many are about 8' tall with the tomatoes buried deep in the foliage to protect them from the sum.

I typically don't use any foliage sprays to delay or prevent disease. I did in the past, but it never seemed to help very much.

For me, cool and humid weather equals foliage disease. Hot and dry weather equals no foliage disease.

Ted

[Dork Fish]

I'm not quite sure what to expect for this year's growing season. Our winter was harsh. I guess we will see.

Luckily, I have had pretty good luck with the mixture I spray. I hope it stays that way. I have always approached it as a preventative and not a cure. So crossing fingers.

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[JamesL]

Does anyone else at the garden use it? What's considered an eyesore? And who decides?
In my mind 40% would be a good number.
Less about sunscald and more about keeping the temps down for fruit set and to help keep the bed from drying out. I would bet you have high humidity to go along with the high temps.

[Dork Fish]

I'm not sure, this is my first year at this community garden. Stuff slapped together without thought. It is a Village (City) garden.

Okay, I do have landscaping fabric down, with mulch on top to help hold in the moisture. Our humidity can get high.

[Dork Fish]

06/21/14 Update...

1884, KBX, Paul R, FLOH, Choco S



Cherokee P, Terhune, JD Spec, Cptn Lucky, Carbon


All Opalka


Earls Faux & Mortgage Lifter


Closer of Earls Faux and Mortgage Lifter




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[b54red]

Originally Posted by tedln

We usually have pretty humid but cool weather in the spring. With our spring weather, I usually have a lot of foliage disease which leaves my tomato plants almost naked when the tomatoes are starting to ripen. In the bright, hot summer sun, I have to normally use some shade cloth over the plants to prevent sunburn on the tomatoes.

This year, we had a very dry (drought), but warmer than usual spring. My tomato plants this year have no foliage diseases. Many are about 8' tall with the tomatoes buried deep in the foliage to protect them from the sum.

I typically don't use any foliage sprays to delay or prevent disease. I did in the past, but it never seemed to help very much.

For me, cool and humid weather equals foliage disease. Hot and dry weather equals no foliage disease.

Ted

Hot and humid is even worse than cool and humid. Dry and hot has one or two big drawbacks like mites which I am actually having after two weeks of very dry hot weather. I usually don't see them in any numbers til late July on into September. One problem may be that the natural predators haven't returned in any significant numbers after that long cold winter. Maybe a lot of them got killed by the late freezes that kept coming way past normal. Seems that the cold didn't affect the worms, aphids and other pests although it must have done some damage to cucumber beetles because I haven't seen any this year.

I rarely use shade cloth but sometimes I think I should use it more. It is just such a pain to put up. I wish I had some up now over my JD's Special C Tex that lost over half its foliage to gray mold leaving a lot of fruit exposed.

Bill

[Dork Fish]

You know, I have never paid enough attention to our weather to determine what we have the most. :/

Well, I am going to see how things do this year. Maybe I won't need any shade cloth.

I have been preventative spraying with my actinovate/exel lg and bio biss mixture since they were babies. So I am crossing my fingers that it will hold off for a while.

I just sprayed take down garden spray to help with the bugs.

[Dork Fish]

This is the first year that I am trying the mittleider mixture...13-13-13, micro nutrients and Epson salt. So far so good!

[Dork Fish]

Here is a picture of one of my plots. I can't believe how fast they grew. This shows 17 days of growth...