Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[ginger2778]

Also bush beans just give out after a while. I think of them as a determinate with only just so much to produce.

[DocBrock]

They were my first planting of beans I've tried, kind of an experiment. They didn't even produce enough for a meal. I'm going to get rid of them today. Not a big deal because I have more seeds and they're cheap and easy to produce. We'll see how the next batch does. Thanks all!

[DocBrock]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Mites. They may not be salvageable, but it couldnt hurt to hit them with permethrin spray. It's synthetic pyrethrins, only stronger. Pyrethrins are natural, ftom chrysanthemums. I use a 10% concentrstion, diluted into my 2 gallon sprayer at 2/3 of a tablespoon spray, and I also put in my diluted copper fungicide since thry are compatible and can be sprayed together. Mites need spray evrry 4 days for 3 times to kill the hatching nymphs.
Actually doing it this am.

In that MG soil if I look closely, I can see mites crawling around. Some are white, and some are reddish orange. I've not seen any evidence of them on the plants or stakes, like the little webs they make. That's crazy, I've seen them crawling but never gave it any thought that they were harmful. I just assumed they lived in dirt and were always around living a superfluous life. I've seen them in other pots too and the plants were fine. Maybe it's the fact that the beans were a much smaller plant and more likely to succumb to a mite attack. I might treat all of my containers that I've seen them crawling around whether the plants are fine now or not. Thanks for the advice.

[maxjohnson]

Lots of mites are harmless I found, but reddish orange sounds almost like spider mites. There are stories of spider mites and fungus gnats with MiracleGro.

Someone here recommended me sulfur powder which works well for mites, ants and other insects. Sulfur is acidifying, but shouldn't be problem used it sparingly.

[DocBrock]

Originally Posted by maxjohnson

Lots of mites are harmless I found, but reddish orange sounds almost like spider mites. There are stories of spider mites and fungus gnats with MiracleGro.

Someone here recommended me sulfur powder which works well for mites, ants and other insects. Sulfur is acidifying, but shouldn't be problem used it sparingly.

Max, most of the mites I'm seeing are decently big. Like I can see them crawling from several feet away, and they're fast. I usually just squish the ones I see asap, but I'll try to get a picture if I can get close enough with an iPhone. Most of the mites I see are crawling on the rim of my buckets and nursery pots. I saw them the other day on black nursery pots planted with pro-mix, so I'm assuming they are coming from the environment. I mixed up a batch of peppermint castille soap, peppermint essential oil, and neem oil and sprayed the surface of the soil in all my containers. I tried to add a pinch of super finely ground bhut jolokia powder from the kitchen, but it kept clogging my pump sprayer. I figure if the peppermint soap burns my eyes in the shower, it'll probably suck for a mite or fungus gnat. I use that mixture minus the neem for my pepper plants and it's incredibly effective for aphids. Wipes out the aphids and it seems like the plants even perk up and look happier the following day when I check on them.

[Barb_FL]

Question for all you Florida tomato growers. I'm just musing....but would love your opinions.

Once your tomato plants get large, do they get brittle? I have a LOT of wind where I live and think that may be the root cause. Once the plant makes a ton of fruit, it is usually large, and has outgrown the cage. I use the foam wire tie to support the plant. It works great and when the plants are smaller and haven't produced a lot of ripened fruit, the plants look great. But once the plant, outgrows the cage, everywhere I tie really ends up damaging the branch and leaves.

The new growth is limber but it is attached to a brittle stem and often in bad winds, that stem part will split and sometimes break. Normal winds for me are 18MPH but damage seems to occur on these older plants when we have continuous hours of 24+ MPH wind.

I tried going horizontal once the plant got really tall which worked for awhile, but I am noticing the same thing happening; the damaged leaves/stems is where it is attached . It doesn't seem to affect fruit set at all.

I've read of people letting a plant just flop over once it gets to the top of a cage. That doesn't work for me.; sooner or later, the wind will snap it.

I was just looking at AKMARKS setup and when his plants get long, he is able to wind them down to a manageable height. There is NO way, I could do that.

Early on, if part of my plant is outside the cage, the plant is flexible enough to bend and push back in; however, later on if I try that part will snap and I end up using it as a cutting.

Also, after your plants have set a lot of fruit for a long time, do they look like crap?
Mine pretty much do. even though they will still be producing new fruits.

For example, I had a Momotaro which probably had 25 fairly large fruits at once. Now that they've all ripened / picked, the plant looks terrible.

I have plants that I started in late January and have fruit set, look great but nothing ripe yet. (Rebel Alliance, a Big Beef Cutting, Marsha's KARMA Pink). Is there anything I can do to keep these looking good ALWAYS, (like AKMARK and maybe yours) or is it a function of growing outdoors.

The dwarfs with the rugose leaves tend to look the worst after they have produced a lot. I'm starting to think maybe grow them as determinates or not at all. I have some on my porch which has been much less affected by the wind and they stayed looking better than the others in the elements.

I would be interested in hearing about your very mature plants.

[kurt]

Here in 10 b,all around me the predominant method is rows of bush maters,rows of cherry tomatoes,2 or three football fields long,pushed in ground as plugs 8/10 inches apart.Steel rods through,sometimes metallic cable,now that thick red bailing twine ( poly) and the Florida Weave.Plants are no higher than the service tractors underside(a contraption that looks like a transformer toy,up in the air with a million attachments).This machine has a fumigator,injectors,pump for the multitude of wells throughout the land,installed maybe a hundred years ago.They have 1/2 poly water lines,under black mesh,now black plastic, 4 foot wide,enough for two rows of punctured plastic dimensioned mater beds.Three months later,school buses of day farm workers descend down,get red plastic buckets,pick walk to truck/conveyor,get a paper ticket,and at end of day turn that paper into cash the man in the F1000/air conditioned cab doles out said money’s.All the determinate set at once,they are shipped so green they support their own weight,imagine following a tractor trailer open topped rig full of greenbaseballs that are jumping out at each bump and turn.The cherrys are hand picked per grocery chains wants and desires.Field grown same way,mass quantitys,waste,deasease,bugs,you name it.For them its a race ,for me the same.Pick your main stalks(leaders)trim a lot,no growth below 1 foot,determinate die after first set.cherrys last as long as plant stays alive.Soon enough something gets them.For me when the plant gets a bronze funny look,second growths look good then wilt.The maters look good hard as a rock,and when no water is pulled up,whole flowers dropping off,adios,chop,chop.
Ter

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by kurt

Here in 10 b,all around me the predominant method is rows of bush maters,rows of cherry tomatoes,2 or three football fields long,pushed in ground as plugs 8/10 inches apart.Steel rods through,sometimes metallic cable,now that thick red bailing twine ( poly) and the Florida Weave.Plants are no higher than the service tractors underside(a contraption that looks like a transformer toy,up in the air with a million attachments).This machine has a fumigator,injectors,pump for the multitude of wells throughout the land,installed maybe a hundred years ago.They have 1/2 poly water lines,under black mesh,now black plastic, 4 foot wide,enough for two rows of punctured plastic dimensioned mater beds.Three months later,school buses of day farm workers descend down,get red plastic buckets,pick walk to truck/conveyor,get a paper ticket,and at end of day turn that paper into cash the man in the F1000/air conditioned cab doles out said money’s.All the determinate set at once,they are shipped so green they support their own weight,imagine following a tractor trailer open topped rig full of greenbaseballs that are jumping out at each bump and turn.The cherrys are hand picked per grocery chains wants and desires.Field grown same way,mass quantitys,waste,deasease,bugs,you name it.For them its a race ,for me the same.Pick your main stalks(leaders)trim a lot,no growth below 1 foot,determinate die after first set.cherrys last as long as plant stays alive.Soon enough something gets them.For me when the plant gets a bronze funny look,second growths look good then wilt.The maters look good hard as a rock,and when no water is pulled up,whole flowers dropping off,adios,chop,chop.
Ter

Bronze funny look,second growths look good then wilt = Tomato Russet Mites.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Question for all you Florida tomato growers. I'm just musing....but would love your opinions.

Once your tomato plants get large, do they get brittle? I have a LOT of wind where I live and think that may be the root cause. Once the plant makes a ton of fruit, it is usually large, and has outgrown the cage. I use the foam wire tie to support the plant. It works great and when the plants are smaller and haven't produced a lot of ripened fruit, the plants look great. But once the plant, outgrows the cage, everywhere I tie really ends up damaging the branch and leaves.

The new growth is limber but it is attached to a brittle stem and often in bad winds, that stem part will split and sometimes break. Normal winds for me are 18MPH but damage seems to occur on these older plants when we have continuous hours of 24+ MPH wind.

I tried going horizontal once the plant got really tall which worked for awhile, but I am noticing the same thing happening; the damaged leaves/stems is where it is attached . It doesn't seem to affect fruit set at all.

I've read of people letting a plant just flop over once it gets to the top of a cage. That doesn't work for me.; sooner or later, the wind will snap it.

I was just looking at AKMARKS setup and when his plants get long, he is able to wind them down to a manageable height. There is NO way, I could do that.

Early on, if part of my plant is outside the cage, the plant is flexible enough to bend and push back in; however, later on if I try that part will snap and I end up using it as a cutting.

Also, after your plants have set a lot of fruit for a long time, do they look like crap?
Mine pretty much do. even though they will still be producing new fruits.

For example, I had a Momotaro which probably had 25 fairly large fruits at once. Now that they've all ripened / picked, the plant looks terrible.

I have plants that I started in late January and have fruit set, look great but nothing ripe yet. (Rebel Alliance, a Big Beef Cutting, Marsha's KARMA Pink). Is there anything I can do to keep these looking good ALWAYS, (like AKMARK and maybe yours) or is it a function of growing outdoors.

The dwarfs with the rugose leaves tend to look the worst after they have produced a lot. I'm starting to think maybe grow them as determinates or not at all. I have some on my porch which has been much less affected by the wind and they stayed looking better than the others in the elements.

I would be interested in hearing about your very mature plants.

Barb, after mine produce a lot of fruit they start looking like crap too. I think that's why tomatoes are considered an annual even though technically they are a perennial plant.

[kurt]

Maybe wrong description,no mites on these,5 months old from your swap.Sorry.

Got three sets of growth,eating for last for seeds.
One indigo
One apricot
One Bacon lettuce and This?
One indigo reg leaf other potatoe no name or origin

[Barb_FL]

Kurt, Did you check your leaves/stems with a scope. I have what I think is TRM for awhile now and my plants don't look anywhere near that bad.

Last year when I finally got a cheap scope, I learned that TRM was the culprit to a lot of my problems over the years.

When I first noticed some of the bronze effect this year, I started foliar spraying with soluble kelp. I did it 4 nights in a row. I really think it helped a lot. I did not have any loss of fruit set. It has been way over a month since doing that. Maybe I should try again.

This year, I have not found any of the mature TRM, just eggs and juveniles (I guess). But somehow they are getting on the leaves/stems.
If it is something else, I would love to know what.

Even my 2 seedlings that I started on 3/1 had those same eggs. I sprayed them with Garden Safer neem oil extract.

Last night I sprayed all my younger plants like KARMA Pink, Rebel Alliance.

Last year, I really never got control of the TR mites, so I was just spraying up water in the middle area of the tomato plants. Seemed to keep fruit set going. This year, I bought a mister nozzle to do the same. (way more mist than the mister on the hose nozzle). I've done it once but need to start regularly doing it now that it is hot.

I hope Marsha chimes in for a diagnosis for you.

[DocBrock]

Can anyone recommend a good pH meter? I took a look at a few at HD and Lowe's and they seemed like a joke. Years ago I worked in a microbiology lab and we had some pretty incredible digital equipment, but that seems a little over the top for testing soil. Is there a decent one that isn't outrageously expensive?

[ginger2778]

I just got the meter HD sells for around $15.

[DocBrock]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

I just got the meter HD sells for around $15.

Does that work pretty well for you? I didn't want to waste money on it if it wasn't accurate

[ginger2778]

For my needs yes. I only have to use it in my Earthboxes, to see whether to add the dolomite for the next year.