Marsha's 2017/18 photo thread

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by sdambr

I especially love all your pictures at this time of year It is starting to get pretty cold here.
Please keep them coming!

Thanks and I will keep them coming. It went down to 45 yesterday overnight, that's cold anywhere, right?

Originally Posted by Salsacharley

My gosh you have great looking tomatoes!

You make me feel humble.

Originally Posted by kath

Outstanding photos, Marsha, and your plants and fruits are amazingly pretty! It's hard to wrap my head around someone being able to harvest ripe tomatoes now with snow on the ground here and temps headed for the teens!

Thanks for taking the time to share your good fortune with us!

kath

Kath, they are just starting to get ripe. It's been pretty chilly here for the last 2 days, I think it slowed down the ripening. Thanks for your Grightmire's Pride seeds, I have a healthy plant producing well thanks to you. It's one of my most favorite pink hearts. And thank you for the nice things you said too, high praise coming from you .

[sfoeyl]

Gorgeous photos Marsha! I'm living vicariously until I can start seeds next year. Keep them coming.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by sfoeyl

Gorgeous photos Marsha! I'm living vicariously until I can start seeds next year. Keep them coming.

Thanks! I will.

[maxjohnson]

Well your photos certainly give me confidence in growing beefsteaks in my new Earthbox.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by maxjohnson

Well your photos certainly give me confidence in growing beefsteaks in my new Earthbox.

Follow the enclosed directions and you should be fine. You might get a little blossom end rot your first season because the dolomite hasn't had a chance to dissolve yet but that won't happen thereafter. And I solarize the whole box in the summer, then just replenish, so I use basically the same potting mix year after year, only digging out the fertilizer strip and discarding it.
There's a reason I have 47!

[Gardadore]

How do you solarize the boxes? Do you remove the soil and then put it back? Do you use a clear plastic? I’ve never done that but it sounds like a good idea. I usually replace about a third and all every few years. But I don’t grow many tomatoes in the E boxes - maybe a couple of Dwarfs. Your results seem to be consistently awesome!

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Gardadore

How do you Solaris the boxes? Do you remove the soil and then put it back? Do you use a clear plastic? I’ve never done that but it sounds like a good idea. I usually replace about a third and all every few years. But I don’t grow many tomatoes in the E boxes - maybe a couple of Dwarfs. Your results seem to be consistently awesome!

I get the Husky clear 3 mil thick trash bags(Amazon) and take the cage off, put the EB in it, then zip tie it closed, and I leave it during the heat of summer, about 2 months. Barb_FL did an experiment with EBs solarized in clear plastic, and in black plastic. The black ones got to 108F, the clear got into the 130s. Clear does a better job of letting the sun rays through. Classic greenhouse effect.
I haven't replaced entire potting mix yet, just digging out the fertilizer strip, replenishing with new dolomite and a new fert strip, then topping it off to make the bread loaf shape. Then new mulch cover.

[maxjohnson]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Follow the enclosed directions and you should be fine. You might get a little blossom end rot your first season because the dolomite hasn't had a chance to dissolve yet but that won't happen thereafter. And I solarize the whole box in the summer, then just replenish, so I use basically the same potting mix year after year, only digging out the fertilizer strip and discarding it.
There's a reason I have 47!

I'm going to do it a little different to suit my style, such as not using a cover, and see how it goes, but I can confirm it will be 100% potting mix.

[Barb_FL]

Max - I restarted ALL but 3 of my EB this fall with new mix and have had ZERO BER. So surprising. In years past, I seemed to get it when the plants were taking up so much water; definitely not the case this last week.

[Gardadore]

Thanks Marsha for the info. I figured I would need clear plastic. My only dilemma is when to do it. Lliving in Florida you can use the summer to solarize but that is when I plant. I can only do it for 3 weeks next May. Perhaps next fall I will wrap the boxes in the clear plastic for the winter and see what happens.

[ginger2778]

Large Lucky Red (have to trim out the Early Blight, and spray)
Lavender Lake
Linda's Faux
Lithium Sunset

[ginger2778]

Margaret Curtain
Marizol Bratka
McKinley
Moonlight Mile- more variegation than I have ever had, but much less than those who grow more north, loading up with fruit

[ginger2778]

Morado de Fitero
McMurray #10
Midnight Sun, second plant
Nefertiti

[ginger2778]

Negrillo de Almoguera
Not Cocolate Stripes, my third year growing, this is a PL, almost multiflora beefsteak, sort of a milk chocolate color with mild striping, fantastic sweet flavor but with enough acid to make any high acid loving person happy.
Not Purple Strawberry
Not Vintage Wine

[KarenO]

is Not chocolate stripes it's actual name? or is it an off type that should have been chocolate stripes? Maybe it should have it's own name since its great on it's own?
KO