Calling Tucson/Southern Arizona Gardeners - Page 20

desertlzbn · December 7, 2012

Oh yeah, I did plant sweet potatoes too, don't know how many pounds I got out of 3 potatoes but it was quite a bit.
they grow pretty great here.

Tracydr · December 7, 2012

You know, when I think abut it, everything really did extremely well except for tomatoes , tomatillos and sweet potatoes. It's just that I put all my energy into those particular crops. The crops I really didn't do anything for-Armenian cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, a little bit of chard and the artichoke, they did extremely well. And, had some volunteer watermelon which unfortunately decided to grow in a shady spot and didn't get fully ripe. If they been in a sunnier spot I would have had about twenty nice, full-sized watermelons, too!
Just had a lovely salad. I need to do some fish emulsion tomorrow and plant some lettuce/peas and greens in a sunnier spot. Oh, that Dragon stir fry mix from Baker Creek the giant red mustard are awesome as baby greens!

Tracydr · December 7, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertlzbn

I have not planted much this summer and fall, have been battling some depression, not wanting to really do much in the garden. My parents are here now, and my Mom is helping me with garden stuff. I think I just have been so discouraged with how bad the tomatoes have been for me, that I have not wanted to do anything. I also am having a hard time with the heat in the summer. It has been so nice these last couple of weeks, and I have been really enjoying it.
I have some Napa cabbage growing, some bush beans and some tomato plants that have came up all by themselves in the same bed. I got some chicken manure from a friend that I gave tomato plants to, and those same tomato seeds are now growing in that bed. I transplanted a few to the greenhouse SWC's, so we will see how they do this winter. I do have some sulfur to combat those dreaded russet mites.
I am going to plant some snow peas, and some green peas, along with beets and other winter stuff this weekend.
In April, my cousin left her 4 yr old with my aunt, and I have been taking him on the weekends for her while she is working, and that has been a huge undertaking. I am going to get him to help me with planting this weekend.
I am in the process of painting my house and all outbuildings, but my wife wants me to wait until after xmas to paint.
Oh, did I mention my parents snowbird on our property all winter? just one more stress added, I love them but it is crazy when they are here.
I am still torn whether or not I want to sell plants this year. I want to do other stuff than just being home all weekend for 3 months selling plants.
On one hand I can make about 500 dollars, or more, but it is a lot of work, and I feel very burned out with it, partly because to really make any money I have to take the plants out to sell, it is not to far, but a huge pain in the butt. Well anyway I sure hope that everyone has a good winter season, and that your gardens are growing well.

I sure understand added stress and depression! I've had my share of that myself.

desertlzbn · December 7, 2012

The Armenian cucumbers did great for me this summer though.

satya · December 8, 2012

My summer garden was pretty dismal. A constant battle with aphids and squash vine borer on the squash... and russet mite on the tomatoes was a ton of work... but I struggled through it only to end up with very low yields. Next time I get hit with russet mite, I'm cashing in on tomatoes early cause those things seem impossible to get rid of! In hindsight, I could have just used that space to start earlier winter stuff. Aphids ravaged the cuc's as well... almost requiring daily hosing or frequent oil sprays. They just kept coming back! So, pests were my biggest nemesis. Okra was WAY dismal too, but probably my fault for not getting the soil rightfully prepared in that bed. Sweet peppers, eggplant and herbs all did well. Lacinato Kale offered bounty ALL summer and is still going! - from last winters planting! Also had a good 1st year crop of artichokes. Got winter stuff in a bit late, but everything is healthy and developing. Found a source for rabbit manure which has been a nice addition to both the compost pile and as a direct top spread after a bit of aging. A couple of Javelina squeezed through the fence a couple weeks ago... in Campbell/Ft Lowell area! They mowed my lettuce to a nub, wiped out the Brussels and strew the compost pile for 15 feet. The lettuce is coming back and I replanted the Brussels.

tuk50 · December 8, 2012

Hi, guys and gals.... Seems like similar things here in Catalina. Probably the lowest tomato production in years in my garden. Got enough to eat, but no canning or drying this year. And like some mentioned a great year for peppers of all kinds and eggplant. Sweetpotatoes really struggeled early, but with the great monsoons this year they really come on strong at the end of the summer and made a great crop. I live East of Catalina in a COLD valley and have already had a killing frost, but only a couple of nights and for the last month a very warm fall. We pulled our tomato plants and hung them upsidedown in the shed in late october after the first frost that nipped the tops and they are still producing more than enough for table use. Since the maters went out early this year, I put in more winter crops than usual and they have done great.. we are eating green onions, kale, collards, turnips, radish, mustard and the brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli (golf ball size heads so far) are doing well with this warm fall weather. Sounds like we are going to get more frost this weekend, just makes the greens taste better. We have been planting annual rye in empty rows and it is about 3in tall and looking pretty and green. I have had a terrible time with nematodes this year ...about as bad as I've seen. I planted dwarf tomatoes this year from tomatoville and they did ok, but the roots are full of nematode nodules.. as well as a few other varieties. I ordered nematode resistant tomato varieties from the University of Hawaii and will try them for the first time next spring. desertlbzn, hang in there.. used to have depression years ago when life was very hectic, but by the Grace of God, with retirement and a better life style has completely healed that problem, although I'm busier than ever with garden, grandkids... LOL.

Tracydr · December 8, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by satya

My summer garden was pretty dismal. A constant battle with aphids and squash vine borer on the squash... and russet mite on the tomatoes was a ton of work... but I struggled through it only to end up with very low yields. Next time I get hit with russet mite, I'm cashing in on tomatoes early cause those things seem impossible to get rid of! In hindsight, I could have just used that space to start earlier winter stuff. Aphids ravaged the cuc's as well... almost requiring daily hosing or frequent oil sprays. They just kept coming back! So, pests were my biggest nemesis. Okra was WAY dismal too, but probably my fault for not getting the soil rightfully prepared in that bed. Sweet peppers, eggplant and herbs all did well. Lacinato Kale offered bounty ALL summer and is still going! - from last winters planting! Also had a good 1st year crop of artichokes. Got winter stuff in a bit late, but everything is healthy and developing. Found a source for rabbit manure which has been a nice addition to both the compost pile and as a direct top spread after a bit of aging. A couple of Javelina squeezed through the fence a couple weeks ago... in Campbell/Ft Lowell area! They mowed my lettuce to a nub, wiped out the Brussels and strew the compost pile for 15 feet. The lettuce is coming back and I replanted the Brussels.

Good job! Mites and aphids are the worst since its tough to spray in the summer. In cooler weather, you can use sulpher on the mites and just about anything on the aphids. Soap, neem oil works well.

Tracydr · December 8, 2012

I'm shopping for a good, super productive, determinate tomato for putting up. Any suggestions? I'm thinking about Heidi, Rio Grande, or even some sort of hybrid. Doesn't have to be a paste, either.
If anybody has seeds to trade of these or other good ones, I have about fifty varieties of seeds.

tuk50 · December 8, 2012

Tracy, I've had great luck with Rutgers for an early season canning variety.... get them in the ground as early as possible and they are super productive and taste great canned.. all ripen at the same time and then die in the summer heat, which provides space in the garden to plant something for a good late summer or fall harvest..
I don't have any seed at the moment or I would send you some.
satya, a few years ago a herd of javalina broke through my garden fence and ate all the sweetpotato crop .. both the vines and sweetpotatoes .. they dug a 30ft row up in one night.. I now have a fence that an elephant couldn't break through... LOL! Every once in a while I see tracks along the fence, but they haven't broken through.

Tracydr · December 12, 2012

I'll see if I can locate some Rutgers. I started Porter but didn't have Rutgers.
I found Rio Grande seed. Has anyone grown it?

dice · December 13, 2012

Quote:

I found Rio Grande seed.

I have. Sweet flavor, good production, twice the size of Roma.

Tracydr · December 15, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertlzbn

The Armenian cucumbers did great for me this summer though.

I had so many I was feeding them to the chickens.

Tracydr · December 15, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by dice

I have. Sweet flavor, good production, twice the size of Roma.

Good to hear. Started some yesterday.

AZGardener · January 23, 2013

Hello friends in AZ~ Just joining the discussion since I'm in N. Phx. Glad to have found you! Thank you TracyDr!! I have two trays of about 160 tomato and pepper starts and I'm about to start another tray for good measure and maybe for extras to sell

I have a good mix of tomatoes and peppers and I will post my list soon. I was reading through all the messages and I too have had my white fly issues and hornworm issues so I'm glad to found a local group to bounce ideas and information off!

desertlzbn · January 23, 2013

I am not going to sell plants this year, it has been far too time consuming for me. I have other stuff I want to do, like fishing, and working on my pottery. I also have had to take care of my 5 year old nephew every weekend, since his mother left him with his grandma last April. Grandma has been working on the weekends so I have had him. It is exhausting. I waiverd for months whether I was going to sell plants or not. I just have so much else I want to do. I may just winter sow seeds for the tomato plants and see how they do. I am going to plant a bunch of cucumbers, and squash this year since I can grow those pretty easy. I also am planning on growing quite a few beans. If you need any other advice please just ask, there are lots of people that know A LOT about gardening here.

December 8, 2012	#291
tuk50 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tucson, Arizona (catalina) Posts: 413	Hi, guys and gals.... Seems like similar things here in Catalina. Probably the lowest tomato production in years in my garden. Got enough to eat, but no canning or drying this year. And like some mentioned a great year for peppers of all kinds and eggplant. Sweetpotatoes really struggeled early, but with the great monsoons this year they really come on strong at the end of the summer and made a great crop. I live East of Catalina in a COLD valley and have already had a killing frost, but only a couple of nights and for the last month a very warm fall. We pulled our tomato plants and hung them upsidedown in the shed in late october after the first frost that nipped the tops and they are still producing more than enough for table use. Since the maters went out early this year, I put in more winter crops than usual and they have done great.. we are eating green onions, kale, collards, turnips, radish, mustard and the brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli (golf ball size heads so far) are doing well with this warm fall weather. Sounds like we are going to get more frost this weekend, just makes the greens taste better. We have been planting annual rye in empty rows and it is about 3in tall and looking pretty and green. I have had a terrible time with nematodes this year ...about as bad as I've seen. I planted dwarf tomatoes this year from tomatoville and they did ok, but the roots are full of nematode nodules.. as well as a few other varieties. I ordered nematode resistant tomato varieties from the University of Hawaii and will try them for the first time next spring. desertlbzn, hang in there.. used to have depression years ago when life was very hectic, but by the Grace of God, with retirement and a better life style has completely healed that problem, although I'm busier than ever with garden, grandkids... LOL. __________________ Hangin on for dear life!

December 8, 2012	#294
tuk50 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tucson, Arizona (catalina) Posts: 413	Tracy, I've had great luck with Rutgers for an early season canning variety.... get them in the ground as early as possible and they are super productive and taste great canned.. all ripen at the same time and then die in the summer heat, which provides space in the garden to plant something for a good late summer or fall harvest.. I don't have any seed at the moment or I would send you some. satya, a few years ago a herd of javalina broke through my garden fence and ate all the sweetpotato crop .. both the vines and sweetpotatoes .. they dug a 30ft row up in one night.. I now have a fence that an elephant couldn't break through... LOL! Every once in a while I see tracks along the fence, but they haven't broken through. __________________ Hangin on for dear life! Last edited by tuk50; December 8, 2012 at 02:58 PM.

December 7, 2012	#286
desertlzbn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tucson Posts: 659	Oh yeah, I did plant sweet potatoes too, don't know how many pounds I got out of 3 potatoes but it was quite a bit. they grow pretty great here.

December 7, 2012	#287
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	You know, when I think abut it, everything really did extremely well except for tomatoes , tomatillos and sweet potatoes. It's just that I put all my energy into those particular crops. The crops I really didn't do anything for-Armenian cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, a little bit of chard and the artichoke, they did extremely well. And, had some volunteer watermelon which unfortunately decided to grow in a shady spot and didn't get fully ripe. If they been in a sunnier spot I would have had about twenty nice, full-sized watermelons, too! Just had a lovely salad. I need to do some fish emulsion tomorrow and plant some lettuce/peas and greens in a sunnier spot. Oh, that Dragon stir fry mix from Baker Creek the giant red mustard are awesome as baby greens!

December 7, 2012	#289
desertlzbn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tucson Posts: 659	The Armenian cucumbers did great for me this summer though.

December 8, 2012	#290
satya Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Tucson, AZ, USA Posts: 12	My summer garden was pretty dismal. A constant battle with aphids and squash vine borer on the squash... and russet mite on the tomatoes was a ton of work... but I struggled through it only to end up with very low yields. Next time I get hit with russet mite, I'm cashing in on tomatoes early cause those things seem impossible to get rid of! In hindsight, I could have just used that space to start earlier winter stuff. Aphids ravaged the cuc's as well... almost requiring daily hosing or frequent oil sprays. They just kept coming back! So, pests were my biggest nemesis. Okra was WAY dismal too, but probably my fault for not getting the soil rightfully prepared in that bed. Sweet peppers, eggplant and herbs all did well. Lacinato Kale offered bounty ALL summer and is still going! - from last winters planting! Also had a good 1st year crop of artichokes. Got winter stuff in a bit late, but everything is healthy and developing. Found a source for rabbit manure which has been a nice addition to both the compost pile and as a direct top spread after a bit of aging. A couple of Javelina squeezed through the fence a couple weeks ago... in Campbell/Ft Lowell area! They mowed my lettuce to a nub, wiped out the Brussels and strew the compost pile for 15 feet. The lettuce is coming back and I replanted the Brussels.

December 8, 2012	#293
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	I'm shopping for a good, super productive, determinate tomato for putting up. Any suggestions? I'm thinking about Heidi, Rio Grande, or even some sort of hybrid. Doesn't have to be a paste, either. If anybody has seeds to trade of these or other good ones, I have about fifty varieties of seeds.

December 12, 2012	#295
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	I'll see if I can locate some Rutgers. I started Porter but didn't have Rutgers. I found Rio Grande seed. Has anyone grown it?

January 23, 2013	#299
AZGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Zone 9b Phoenix,AZ Posts: 390	Hello friends in AZ~ Just joining the discussion since I'm in N. Phx. Glad to have found you! Thank you TracyDr!! I have two trays of about 160 tomato and pepper starts and I'm about to start another tray for good measure and maybe for extras to sell I have a good mix of tomatoes and peppers and I will post my list soon. I was reading through all the messages and I too have had my white fly issues and hornworm issues so I'm glad to found a local group to bounce ideas and information off!

January 23, 2013	#300
desertlzbn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tucson Posts: 659	I am not going to sell plants this year, it has been far too time consuming for me. I have other stuff I want to do, like fishing, and working on my pottery. I also have had to take care of my 5 year old nephew every weekend, since his mother left him with his grandma last April. Grandma has been working on the weekends so I have had him. It is exhausting. I waiverd for months whether I was going to sell plants or not. I just have so much else I want to do. I may just winter sow seeds for the tomato plants and see how they do. I am going to plant a bunch of cucumbers, and squash this year since I can grow those pretty easy. I also am planning on growing quite a few beans. If you need any other advice please just ask, there are lots of people that know A LOT about gardening here.