Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2 - Page 75

b54red · May 12, 2016

I fought nematodes for nearly 30 year in my present location and found almost nothing really worked long term. The best thing I found was building up the soil with lots of manure and compost and keeping it well mulched to keep the moisture level more even. I found that fresh horse manure applied in the fall or very early winter and tilled in really had a significant affect in reducing nematodes for a year or two. I had read an article many years ago saying that fresh horse manure had something in it that not only drove nematodes away for a while but would actually kill some of them. It did make a real difference for me so every two or three years I would go muck the horse stalls of a stable and spread it and till it in. With age and health issues I was no longer able to do that so I started experimenting with grafting.

Grafting is the answer if you have the patience and determination to do it. I use highly resistant rootstock to both nematodes and all three races of fusarium. The results have been phenomenal for me because now it is not unusual for my plants to live from March to December and when I pull the frozen plants up the roots are usually nematode free. Once in a while they get to one or two of them but that is the exception. I have had the best luck with RST-04-106-T, Multifort, and Estamino as rootstock. The biggest problem after the actual grafting is timing because the grafting can add anywhere from a couple of weeks to over a month to the time it takes to get the seedlings ready to plant.

Bill

Zone9b · May 12, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

I fought nematodes for nearly 30 year in my present location and found almost nothing really worked long term. The best thing I found was building up the soil with lots of manure and compost and keeping it well mulched to keep the moisture level more even. I found that fresh horse manure applied in the fall or very early winter and tilled in really had a significant affect in reducing nematodes for a year or two. I had read an article many years ago saying that fresh horse manure had something in it that not only drove nematodes away for a while but would actually kill some of them. It did make a real difference for me so every two or three years I would go muck the horse stalls of a stable and spread it and till it in. With age and health issues I was no longer able to do that so I started experimenting with grafting.

Grafting is the answer if you have the patience and determination to do it. I use highly resistant rootstock to both nematodes and all three races of fusarium. The results have been phenomenal for me because now it is not unusual for my plants to live from March to December and when I pull the frozen plants up the roots are usually nematode free. Once in a while they get to one or two of them but that is the exception. I have had the best luck with RST-04-106-T, Multifort, and Estamino as rootstock. The biggest problem after the actual grafting is timing because the grafting can add anywhere from a couple of weeks to over a month to the time it takes to get the seedlings ready to plant.
Bill

Bill,
Great to hear from you on this thread. I tend to agree with you. A few springs ago I tried grafting a number of varieties. I wasn't exactly good at it and I wound up with two grafted plants that I had outside hardening them off. But, the wind up and blew hard and broke one right at the graft, then there was one. It was a Summer Girl grafted onto Maxifort rootstock. That one Summer girl was the most productive tomato plant I ever grew. I had a couple other non grafted Summer Girls in the same Raised Bed but the grafted plant grew significantly more and larger tomatoes than the other 2 combined. I didn't know it at the time but I later read than Maxifort was only modestly nematode resistant.
Last fall was my first time growing Champion II Indeterminate and when I pulled the plant in February and the vine was very strong and still green and had a huge root ball and I thought to myself this thing could possibly make a good rootstock.
But I think I would use your recommendations.
Thanks for a great post Bill,
Larry

Zone9b · May 12, 2016

This is a bit of a comparison between a couple of tomato varieties that I have grown 10 gallon containers and also in a Raised Bed.
First is a photo of a 4th of July in a 10 gallon container. Because this is a vigorous variety it seems to have a bit of life left but will at best produce a few more small tomatoes.
Second is a photo of another 4th of July but this one is in a RB. This plant still looks healthy, has quite a few tomatoes on it and I believe will continue to produce tomatoes for up to a month. Many of the tomatoes are covered with foliage.
Third is a photo of a First Prize in a 10 gallon. This plant is totally spent, nothing more to expect from it.
Fourth is a photo of a First Prize in a RB. This plant has a lot of large tomatoes on it and should produce quite a number of more fruit.
Fifth in the center of this photo of a Brandywine Dark Cherry plant in a RB. This plant is thought to not be nematode resistant. This plant and another BDC in another RB have done quite nicely and should produce quite a number of additional tomatoes.
Hope these photos may be of some value.
Larry

Windi17 · May 13, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zone9b

This is a bit of a comparison between a couple of tomato varieties that I have grown 10 gallon containers and also in a Raised Bed...

Wow! What a difference.

This fall I plan on growing some in raised beds and others in containers to compare results. I'll solarize the area I'm building my bed on first, just in case. Thank you for the great photos.

Fiishergurl · May 14, 2016

Getting bummed about leaving the tomatoes on Monday.

Ginny

Fiishergurl · May 14, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windi17

Wow! What a difference.

This fall I plan on growing some in raised beds and others in containers to compare results. I'll solarize the area I'm building my bed on first, just in case. Thank you for the great photos.

Windi,

A late welcome to you. I didnt know anything about growing tomatoes a couple of years ago and learned pretty much everything from folks on this forum and some great people on another forum. I am totally addicted to growing tomatoes, peppers, herbs and a few flowering plants. I still can't believe anything will grow in my environment but it does!

Welcome again and good luck with your crops.
Ginny

Barb_FL · May 14, 2016

Windi - We are glad you joined us. Always learning and trying new things.

Ginny - Sorry you are leaving again. At least you have a decent harvest to bring with you (assume driving). It will be interesting if your neighbors step up and water/feed the plants. Make sure you check in with us.

Larry - Need freezing broccoli help (for next year) All the tops/buds fell off in the freezer bag. DH accused me of not making it air right but that is definitely not the case with all of the bags.

---
Does anyone else notice the buzzing is not nearly as effective as when the plants are young? One less thing to do.

Zone9b · May 14, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

Windi,

A late welcome to you. I didnt know anything about growing tomatoes a couple of years ago and learned pretty much everything from folks on this forum and some great people on another forum. I am totally addicted to growing tomatoes, peppers, herbs and a few flowering plants. I still can't believe anything will grow in my environment but it does!
Welcome again and good luck with your crops.
Ginny

Ginny,
Sorry you have to leave all those beautiful plants. I wish you and your husband the best in Philadelphia.
Larry

Barb_FL · May 15, 2016

Pics - My born again LBB - Large Barred Boar plant, my most productive Big Beef, last year Marconi Pepper plants, This year pepper plants, my WONDERFUL Blueberries - size of a nickel.

Zone9b · May 15, 2016

Barb,
Nice photos. Those blue berries look real good.
Larry

Windi17 · May 16, 2016

Barb & Ginny - Thank you for the warm welcome! I am already learning so much from everyone here.

Ginny - I'm sorry you have to go. I wish I was close, so I could try to take care of your plants. I'm still so afraid I'll kill anything I touch. I wish you all the best, too.

Barb - Those are some good-looking peppers! Yummy!

Fiishergurl · May 16, 2016

Barb,

When i buy frozen blueberries for smoothies the biggest ones are always the sweetest. Is that true with your plants? Everything looks awesome!

Ginny

Fiishergurl · May 16, 2016

Windi,

We pulled out this morning to go to Philly. Hubby is driving and we are towing my car on a tow dolly. I actually have a little bit of an upset stomach from leaving all those tomatoes behind. The neighbors were all stopping by yesterday while we were packing. I think they are working out a group watering schedule. If they watered them daily the plants should last until mid to end july and there are not only ripening tomatoes but lots of new fruit has been setting too. There are at least 400-500 tomatoes, probably more (including the cherry types and all the others).

I had quite a few varieties that hadnt ripened any fruit yet so i took two of the lowest growing from each of those plants and labled them with a sharpie and put them in a brown paper bag this morning with some ripe tomatoes. Hoping they will ripen eventually so I can try them and save some seeds.

Ginny

Barb_FL · May 16, 2016

Ginny - It's heartbreaking that you had to leave your tomatoes in what seems like a banner year. I'm glad you at least got to try some and your neighbors are stepping up. You will be back for the fall season.

Have a safe trip. RE: blueberries - I found that the blueberries are the best when they almost fall off vs any tug. I agree, the biggest really are the best.

Fiishergurl · May 16, 2016

Thanks Barb. I do like the earth boxes after all. I wasnt sure at first but then i realized most of my issues were because i was staking like I did in the swcs and the eartboxes are too shallow for that. And by the time we did the better supports the plants were growing every which way... lol.

Larry - thank you for the kind words also.

At least my sister and a couple of friends took some of the pepper plants and flowering plants home. They promised to bring the pots back in the fall... :-)

They wanted to take tomato plants home too but nobody could figure out how... lol.

Ginny

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

May 14, 2016	#1115
Fiishergurl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Oak Hill, Florida Posts: 1,781	Getting bummed about leaving the tomatoes on Monday. Ginny Last edited by Fiishergurl; May 14, 2016 at 09:43 AM.

May 16, 2016	#1121
Windi17 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Tampa Bay, FL (Riverview) Posts: 17	Barb & Ginny - Thank you for the warm welcome! I am already learning so much from everyone here. Ginny - I'm sorry you have to go. I wish I was close, so I could try to take care of your plants. I'm still so afraid I'll kill anything I touch. I wish you all the best, too. Barb - Those are some good-looking peppers! Yummy! __________________ Windi in Tampa Bay Last edited by Windi17; May 16, 2016 at 10:10 AM. Reason: typo... added "&"

May 16, 2016	#1123
Fiishergurl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Oak Hill, Florida Posts: 1,781	Windi, We pulled out this morning to go to Philly. Hubby is driving and we are towing my car on a tow dolly. I actually have a little bit of an upset stomach from leaving all those tomatoes behind. The neighbors were all stopping by yesterday while we were packing. I think they are working out a group watering schedule. If they watered them daily the plants should last until mid to end july and there are not only ripening tomatoes but lots of new fruit has been setting too. There are at least 400-500 tomatoes, probably more (including the cherry types and all the others). I had quite a few varieties that hadnt ripened any fruit yet so i took two of the lowest growing from each of those plants and labled them with a sharpie and put them in a brown paper bag this morning with some ripe tomatoes. Hoping they will ripen eventually so I can try them and save some seeds. Ginny Last edited by Fiishergurl; May 16, 2016 at 10:48 AM.

May 12, 2016	#1111
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I fought nematodes for nearly 30 year in my present location and found almost nothing really worked long term. The best thing I found was building up the soil with lots of manure and compost and keeping it well mulched to keep the moisture level more even. I found that fresh horse manure applied in the fall or very early winter and tilled in really had a significant affect in reducing nematodes for a year or two. I had read an article many years ago saying that fresh horse manure had something in it that not only drove nematodes away for a while but would actually kill some of them. It did make a real difference for me so every two or three years I would go muck the horse stalls of a stable and spread it and till it in. With age and health issues I was no longer able to do that so I started experimenting with grafting. Grafting is the answer if you have the patience and determination to do it. I use highly resistant rootstock to both nematodes and all three races of fusarium. The results have been phenomenal for me because now it is not unusual for my plants to live from March to December and when I pull the frozen plants up the roots are usually nematode free. Once in a while they get to one or two of them but that is the exception. I have had the best luck with RST-04-106-T, Multifort, and Estamino as rootstock. The biggest problem after the actual grafting is timing because the grafting can add anywhere from a couple of weeks to over a month to the time it takes to get the seedlings ready to plant. Bill

May 14, 2016	#1117
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	Windi - We are glad you joined us. Always learning and trying new things. Ginny - Sorry you are leaving again. At least you have a decent harvest to bring with you (assume driving). It will be interesting if your neighbors step up and water/feed the plants. Make sure you check in with us. Larry - Need freezing broccoli help (for next year) All the tops/buds fell off in the freezer bag. DH accused me of not making it air right but that is definitely not the case with all of the bags. --- Does anyone else notice the buzzing is not nearly as effective as when the plants are young? One less thing to do.

May 15, 2016	#1120
Zone9b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Central Florida Posts: 620	Barb, Nice photos. Those blue berries look real good. Larry

May 16, 2016	#1122
Fiishergurl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Oak Hill, Florida Posts: 1,781	Barb, When i buy frozen blueberries for smoothies the biggest ones are always the sweetest. Is that true with your plants? Everything looks awesome! Ginny

May 16, 2016	#1124
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	Ginny - It's heartbreaking that you had to leave your tomatoes in what seems like a banner year. I'm glad you at least got to try some and your neighbors are stepping up. You will be back for the fall season. Have a safe trip. RE: blueberries - I found that the blueberries are the best when they almost fall off vs any tug. I agree, the biggest really are the best.

May 16, 2016	#1125
Fiishergurl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Oak Hill, Florida Posts: 1,781	Thanks Barb. I do like the earth boxes after all. I wasnt sure at first but then i realized most of my issues were because i was staking like I did in the swcs and the eartboxes are too shallow for that. And by the time we did the better supports the plants were growing every which way... lol. Larry - thank you for the kind words also. At least my sister and a couple of friends took some of the pepper plants and flowering plants home. They promised to bring the pots back in the fall... :-) They wanted to take tomato plants home too but nobody could figure out how... lol. Ginny Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk