60 MPH Straight Line Wind & Maybe Some Hail.

[Shapshftr]

Originally Posted by Starlight

My ground is way to sandy and too shallow to make a system like Urbanheirloom's. I found this one this morning in the DIY forum that I am going to try next. Thing I like about it is when weather gets too hot and humid I can easily put a piece of shade cloth on the top.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...960#post569960

Urbanheirlooms.... My goodness! I can't even imagine what 400 plants would look like at one time . Seems like you would never get out of the field from picking. : )

Ha, we meet again starlight. I had the very same idea with the shadecloth that I want to try in the blistering heat of summer. I figured I would get some cheap tennis balls from the dollar store or wherever, make a cross cut in them so I can jam them over the tops of the 2x2's. That way the shade cloth won't get torn up from the posts.

[MrSalvage]

Originally Posted by Urbanheirlooms

Here is a picture of my soil after 3+ inches of rain over the last 36 hours and I tilled it this evening. I am blessed with good soil and drainage no doubt. I have much work to do over the weekend working my plants and the weeds in between the plants. My other garden spot I mulched with straw, but there is still some weeding that needs to be done and plants that need to be tied up.

I have my work cut out for me this weekend!

Here is an overview of my garden from my deck:



here is an overview of my upper garden:

Thanks for the pictures. You have done amazing work over there. That garden soil looks like a nice rich brown to me. For many years now I have wanted to move close to Smith Mountain Lake. My family line migrated out of Bedford & Jamestown VA in the 1600's. I am very familiar with Jamestown already as my youngest Daughter lived just a few miles from the ferryboats. They grow a lot of peanuts down there across the river. Don't even get me started on boiled peanuts lol. Anyway I was saying I would love to move a little west. I know the next house will be on a better soil than the clay I have now. You have certainly confirmed one aspect of my retirement requirements.

Thanks
Bill

[MrSalvage]

Originally Posted by Shapshftr

Ha, we meet again starlight. I had the very same idea with the shadecloth that I want to try in the blistering heat of summer. I figured I would get some cheap tennis balls from the dollar store or wherever, make a cross cut in them so I can jam them over the tops of the 2x2's. That way the shade cloth won't get torn up from the posts.

I have never even given a thought about shading some of my plants. This is great info and the system you posted in the other thread is really cool. I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just use 10 ft t-posts to start with? They already have the holes in them to raise and lower the frames. They would certainly last 10 or better years as well.

This also has me wondering what kind of tomatoes would do better in the shade naturally as they are a very sun loving plant. I would love to get some seeds to grow those. As I only have commercial determinate's being this is my first year gardening.

Thanks
Bill

[MrSalvage]

Originally Posted by Starlight

How'd you make out? Did your plants survive? After reading on here somewhere that it was better for them to be a bit loose that is what I have done and so far it has helped from having broken branches for when we are in tornado season.

Hope everything ok for you and others.

Darn Star, Cathy my significant other (lol) noticed a Rutger kinda wilted last night. Well we ended up pulling it up as it was cracked from the storm. It was one of the backups I have and was not staked. So i did in fact do well through that storm.

Welp it's time to go out and shake the pepper's and tomato's...

[Shapshftr]

Originally Posted by MrSalvage

I have never even given a thought about shading some of my plants. This is great info and the system you posted in the other thread is really cool. I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just use 10 ft t-posts to start with? They already have the holes in them to raise and lower the frames. They would certainly last 10 or better years as well.

This also has me wondering what kind of tomatoes would do better in the shade naturally as they are a very sun loving plant. I would love to get some seeds to grow those. As I only have commercial determinate's being this is my first year gardening.

Thanks
Bill

You certainly could do the same type of trellis system with T posts at the ends instead of individual ones on the sides. My only concern would be that it might allow too much side sway, so I would run the ropes through the panels so they can't slide out from under them.

As for the shading, I haven't done it yet. My gardening got interrupted for a couple years when my husband got diagnosed with cancer. That became a full time job taking care of him. I did do a lot of research on it tho, and I have read that it is good to do even for sun loving plants like tomatoes during the hottest months of summer. The problem is that while the plants like a lot of light, they heat up so much from it, and get very heat stressed. Think about how hot black pavement gets vs concrete. Those dark green leaves absorb more heat and get hot, so a little shade helps keep them cooler.

There are different colors of shade cloth for different plants. Some do better with red vs other colors, and I think tomatoes are one that does, but I can't remember for sure. The biggest factor is the amount of light blockage they give. You have to select the right percentage of blocking for different plants. I think I was going to do 40% blocking for my tomatoes. And I wouldn't leave them covered all the time. I was going to roll it back on cooler shady days. Large commercial greenhouses have shade cloth systems inside the roof that they can open and close.

[MrSalvage]

Interesting, i know last year we had some cuke's potted up on the front deck. I remember them dropping the flowers off. I thought I had a crazy squirrel or something knocking them off. Looking back now i laugh at myself for thinking that. It had to be to much heat & some shade would have solved that problem.

I have not be mulching my rows this summer. I learned yesterday that I should in fact mulch the whole darn thing. In an effort to keep all the soil cool so my flowers don't drop off. (Maybe someone can tell me the term for that as well)

My learning process continues. Now if i can only remember all this stuff...

[MrSalvage]

I wanted to add that Cancer is the worst thing I have have ever witnessed in my life. We lost my brother-in-law to it in 02. I am going with the love of my life on Tuesday so she can get a biopsy. She has really been scared & crying a whole lot as the time is getting closer. I am trying to be as supportive as I can.

I can't say i have been directly in your shoe's. I certainly have compassion & respect for all that half to travel down this road.

Cancer sucks...

Bill

[Shapshftr]

Originally Posted by MrSalvage

Interesting, i know last year we had some cuke's potted up on the front deck. I remember them dropping the flowers off. I thought I had a crazy squirrel or something knocking them off. Looking back now i laugh at myself for thinking that. It had to be to much heat & some shade would have solved that problem.

I have not be mulching my rows this summer. I learned yesterday that I should in fact mulch the whole darn thing. In an effort to keep all the soil cool so my flowers don't drop off. (Maybe someone can tell me the term for that as well)

My learning process continues. Now if i can only remember all this stuff...

Blossom drop is the only term I know for it. My learning process is still continuing, which is why I joined this forum to see what other's have learned and what works or them. And yes you really need to mulch the whole thing. My garden is too big to pay for enough straw, and I'm concerned about herbicides in it, since I know the farmers in my area spray it with Round Up to kill down and dry it fast for harvest. I am strictly organic, especially since my husband got cancer. Dark soil heats up from the sun, roots don't like hot soil. So I have to switch over to covering all the ground with plastic for mulch.

Originally Posted by MrSalvage

I wanted to add that Cancer is the worst thing I have have ever witnessed in my life. We lost my brother-in-law to it in 02. I am going with the love of my life on Tuesday so she can get a biopsy. She has really been scared & crying a whole lot as the time is getting closer. I am trying to be as supportive as I can.

I can't say i have been directly in your shoe's. I certainly have compassion & respect for all that half to travel down this road.

Cancer sucks...

Bill

Yes Cancer sucks... BIG TIME. Thankfully my husband is in remission, thanks to Cancer Treatment Centers of America. I will never go anywhere else. They have a great success rate and I highly recommend them to everyone. Their motto is, "Winning The Fight Every Day". Please try to reassure her there is hope. She doesn't need the added stress of worrying right now. When my husband was first diagnosed he was all doom and gloom, and I caught him crying. I told him not to worry, we were going to beat it. He said: "I wish I had the same rose colored glasses you have". So I replied back, "Well we are going to get you some and you are going to wear them gosh darnoodleyit!" He placed all his trust in me, which is a hard thing for a man who has always been as tough as a bull. CTCA gave him is life back when the Doctors in our area told him he had 6 months to live. July 7th will be 2 years! Best wishes to you both.