Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2 - Page 3

ginger2778 · August 10, 2015

Barb, I am growing most for the plant swap. We are expecting a lot of people, last year there were 100+ folks coming through from time to time until it was over.

Imthechuck · August 10, 2015

Its that time of year again! I am starting seeds next weekend

I just bought another 6 earthboxes..... and just built some new seed starting light setups; I attached 2 inexpensive shop lights to a 1x10x4

Barb_FL · August 10, 2015

WTG - Chuck; how many EB do you have now? I have 14.

I'm a bad tomato mom, I germinate them outside in the sun. In the late afternoon I put them under shade cloth where they stay for the rest of the day; Unless I'm caught off guard, I try to get them under the porch before it rains.

Fiishergurl · August 10, 2015

Hi Everyone,

Barb, I was in Winter Haven until last Thursday with my mom. She is doing well considering. Then flew to Kansas for 3 days with Hubby and now in Chicago working for the week. I was very lucky to be home for almost 1 1/2 years working as a programmer from home but those projects are done so now its back on the road for work.

It's been an adjustment. No plants right now. Not in any one place long enough.

I enjoy seeing everyones posts.

Ginny

Imthechuck · August 10, 2015

I am up to 12 now

and a bunch of 5 gallon swc buckets connected to rain barrels.

I try to give my plants a good start in the garage prior to acclimating them to our harsh climate hehe

Fiishergurl · August 17, 2015

How's the weather in Florida... still raining a lot? I'm in Kansas this week (Chicago last week... lol).

You girls and guys need to post more pictures.... pleeeeeease! I'm living vicariously through your gardens until October.

Ginny

kayrobbins · August 17, 2015

It is hot and rainy in north Florida. In fact it is pouring right now with lots of thunder. I know it would be so hard for me to be away from my garden as much as you have so I wanted to post some garden pics for you.

All of my tomato plants are still in 4 inch pots so I don't have any great pictures for you. I did harvest 18 Seminole pumpkins this week and have more about ready. My cherry tomato stealing, Luke, checked out the pumpkins but decided they were not worth his time. My herb garden is doing fine in the heat too. I hope to plant out my tomatoes in 2 weeks.

Zone9b · August 17, 2015

There it is a picture of a Seminole squash. I was beginning to think all they grew was lots and lots of vines and a few pretty yellow blossoms. When I was on vacation in June my Seminole squash vines jumped my back fence and busied itself trying to cover the neighbors back yard. I see he finally mowed them down. What a relief, I thought I was going to have to go over their and cut and bag all those vines. I'm on the verge of hating squash. I've tried growing numerous summer and winter squash varieties and at best all I get is vines. There is one exception, a number of years ago I had a bit of luck growing Patty Pan Squash in the sand. Maybe I will try it in a composted raised bed next spring. Hope springs eternal. Thanks so much for the pictures.
Oh, and rain well once in a great while we go a day with none. It is almost 4 in the afternoon and it has clouded up again and starting to spit a bit of rain. My guess, more is on the way. Larry

Fiishergurl · August 17, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

It is hot and rainy in north Florida. In fact it is pouring right now with lots of thunder. I know it would be so hard for me to be away from my garden as much as you have so I wanted to post some garden pics for you.

All of my tomato plants are still in 4 inch pots so I don't have any great pictures for you. I did harvest 18 Seminole pumpkins this week and have more about ready. My cherry tomato stealing, Luke, checked out the pumpkins but decided they were not worth his time. My herb garden is doing fine in the heat too. I hope to plant out my tomatoes in 2 weeks.

Kay, your herb garden is awesome! I love it! And you definitely have the knack for the seminole pumpkins.

I'm looking forward to getting home to grow some fall/winter plants. And can't wait to start my spring tomatoes... lol.

Larry - there must be some trick to it. Maybe Kay will share her secret... :-)

Ginny

kayrobbins · August 17, 2015

I am the world's worst squash grower. I can't have a successful crop of zucchini or summer squash. The Seminole is the only one I have ever had luck with. It is so resistant to almost everything from bugs to powdery mildew. Plus it can be picked young and green and cooked like zucchini or let it get ripe and it is better than butternut squash. I always just plant it in the ground somewhere and feed it Espoma Gardentone when planted and then once more when I think about. If I plant it in a raised bed and baby it, it never does well. I like to put one of the inexpensive 2 ft high fences you can get at the big box stores and run the vines through that.

One of my neighbors is from the Phillipines and is in her 80s. She never worked outside the home or learned to drive so she walks everywhere she goes. She brought me some seeds but I could not understand what she said they were. After the vine started putting on pretty peach flowers I found out it was Opo. I picked the only one it has produced today. It is 22 inches long and weighs 3 lbs. I have doubts about what it will taste like. It has been growing as long as the Seminoles so to me it does not deserve space in next year's garden.

Barb_FL · August 17, 2015

Hi Ginny - good to hear from you. I started a few tomato seeds but will start the majority when I get home on the 25th. I am bringing this: http://parkseed.com/parks-original-b...arter/p/06529/ with me minus the sponge/cells which I didn't like. I am just using the regular 6 pack cells. I have 16 big cells inside. I sowed 7 cells yesterday and will sow the rest in NC probably Saturday to give them a head start on germination but not actually germinated so they don't get leggy.

I don't have anything new to show for a picture. I did post pictures of my new blueberry plants. I'm now positive that it isn't Blue Sunshine. NO ONE have BS in stock and I got emails from their site and they don't even have a picture of it. Plus selling it and their other blueberry plants for more than I paid on Etsy.

Gardening: I picked 4 pineapples last week and some Okra today.

RE: Squash - count me as one who gave up. I would grow zuchinni squash and get 1 HUGE squash, then the plant always got PM .... even in EB and that was when I used the EB kit for $8ish - much more now. Growing it in a EB made it an expensive squash.

Snails have been really bad eating the leaves on my pepper plants from earlier this summer. I finally put down the Sluggo.

MarlynnMarcks · August 18, 2015

I am about to transplant seedlings of
Druzba
Super Sioux
Black Cherry,
Bloody Butcher
What do you think? Will this work in South Florida (Port St Lucie)?

Imthechuck · August 18, 2015

Ive been meaning to try seminole squash.

I gave up on summer squash also....

kayrobbins · August 18, 2015

I have plenty of Seminole seeds if anyone wants to try them. I always plant them the first week in April so they do need a long growing season. Some try to grow them in the fall in this area but that only works if we have a very late winter. Those of you in the very southern part of the state might be able to do it. All of those pumpkins in my picture were from 4 plants.

Zone9b · August 18, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarlynnMarcks

I am about to transplant seedlings of
Druzba
Super Sioux
Black Cherry,
Bloody Butcher
What do you think? Will this work in South Florida (Port St Lucie)?

If you are growing in something other than your native soil, I would expect you're okay. However, if your growing in the soil, it could be a problem. Given that I would guess none of these have any significant resistance to nematodes. Good Luck,
Larry

August 18, 2015	#42
MarlynnMarcks Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Port St Lucie, Florida Posts: 180	Has anyone tried these for fall planting I am about to transplant seedlings of Druzba Super Sioux Black Cherry, Bloody Butcher What do you think? Will this work in South Florida (Port St Lucie)?

August 10, 2015	#31
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	Barb, I am growing most for the plant swap. We are expecting a lot of people, last year there were 100+ folks coming through from time to time until it was over.

August 10, 2015	#32
Imthechuck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: SouthFlorida Zone 10 Posts: 120	Its that time of year again! I am starting seeds next weekend I just bought another 6 earthboxes..... and just built some new seed starting light setups; I attached 2 inexpensive shop lights to a 1x10x4

August 10, 2015	#33
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	WTG - Chuck; how many EB do you have now? I have 14. I'm a bad tomato mom, I germinate them outside in the sun. In the late afternoon I put them under shade cloth where they stay for the rest of the day; Unless I'm caught off guard, I try to get them under the porch before it rains.

August 10, 2015	#34
Fiishergurl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Oak Hill, Florida Posts: 1,781	Hi Everyone, Barb, I was in Winter Haven until last Thursday with my mom. She is doing well considering. Then flew to Kansas for 3 days with Hubby and now in Chicago working for the week. I was very lucky to be home for almost 1 1/2 years working as a programmer from home but those projects are done so now its back on the road for work. It's been an adjustment. No plants right now. Not in any one place long enough. I enjoy seeing everyones posts. Ginny

August 10, 2015	#35
Imthechuck Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: SouthFlorida Zone 10 Posts: 120	I am up to 12 now and a bunch of 5 gallon swc buckets connected to rain barrels. I try to give my plants a good start in the garage prior to acclimating them to our harsh climate hehe

August 17, 2015	#36
Fiishergurl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Oak Hill, Florida Posts: 1,781	How's the weather in Florida... still raining a lot? I'm in Kansas this week (Chicago last week... lol). You girls and guys need to post more pictures.... pleeeeeease! I'm living vicariously through your gardens until October. Ginny

August 17, 2015	#38
Zone9b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Central Florida Posts: 620	There it is a picture of a Seminole squash. I was beginning to think all they grew was lots and lots of vines and a few pretty yellow blossoms. When I was on vacation in June my Seminole squash vines jumped my back fence and busied itself trying to cover the neighbors back yard. I see he finally mowed them down. What a relief, I thought I was going to have to go over their and cut and bag all those vines. I'm on the verge of hating squash. I've tried growing numerous summer and winter squash varieties and at best all I get is vines. There is one exception, a number of years ago I had a bit of luck growing Patty Pan Squash in the sand. Maybe I will try it in a composted raised bed next spring. Hope springs eternal. Thanks so much for the pictures. Oh, and rain well once in a great while we go a day with none. It is almost 4 in the afternoon and it has clouded up again and starting to spit a bit of rain. My guess, more is on the way. Larry

August 18, 2015	#44
kayrobbins Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Jacksonville, Fl Posts: 820	I have plenty of Seminole seeds if anyone wants to try them. I always plant them the first week in April so they do need a long growing season. Some try to grow them in the fall in this area but that only works if we have a very late winter. Those of you in the very southern part of the state might be able to do it. All of those pumpkins in my picture were from 4 plants.