Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[Barb_FL]

We're so lucky with Marsha's Mangoes. Kind of catchy .. Marsha's Mangos. Yummy!

Ginny - Your tomatoes look great. Absolutely NO Cracking on those huge tomatoes. Are they in the ground or your buckets?

Larry - Your summer garden looks so great.

Cucumber Update - I surpassed 100 from the single plant. I think 105.
The other 2 plants are together in an EB so can't tell what plant they come from. Combined for all 3 plants is > 270 now.

[efisakov]

It looks like this is a good year for everyone after all.

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

We're so lucky with Marsha's Mangoes. Kind of catchy .. Marsha's Mangos. Yummy!

Ginny - Your tomatoes look great. Absolutely NO Cracking on those huge tomatoes. Are they in the ground or your buckets?

Larry - Your summer garden looks so great.

Cucumber Update - I surpassed 100 from the single plant. I think 105.
The other 2 plants are together in an EB so can't tell what plant they come from. Combined for all 3 plants is > 270 now.

100 from a single plant? I am lucky to get 5! I definitely have bad cucumber mojo. I have to learn about this.... :-) Barb that is so awesome.

Forgot to answer about the pots. Wes, Anna Russian, and Orange Strawberry are in pots from lowes... maybe 7 or 10 gallon size? Berkeley Tie Dye, Costoluto Genovese, and the rest are in the ground. You can see parts of the red tomato cages in the CG pic and BTD pic.

Ginny

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by efisakov

It looks like this is a good year for everyone after all.

Yes and your plants look amazing and your tomatoes too. Do you bury your fish carcasses?

Ginny

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

I saw this and went and checked my mail box and had a wonderful package too... :-) thank you Marsha!! You should sell it! Its the best ever... :-)

Ginny

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

I got mine yesterday. I have had fresh mango and I use the frozen ones in my smoothies but I have never had the dehyrdrated ones. When I opened the package it was just before dinner since my mail comes late. I was only going to have one piece but had to have that 2nd one. I waited until after lunch today and was going to have two but had three. It is so much sweeter than any mango I have ever tasted. I have got to try to pace myself because I am going to be so sad when this wonderful treat is gone. Thank you Marsha!

Ginny and Kay, thank you for posting of their arrival. It makes me feel so good to hear of how you both are enjoying them. I'll be freezing, and dehydrating all this next week. We are going away for 2 weeks, so I will miss out on the last few. Very sad.

Did either of you ever hear of a Yonana? If you freeze bananas or mangoes, peaches, really any fruit, you can put it into this and it turns it into instant sorbet. I have to get one.

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

My Summer Heat Garden is not a total failure.
Picture of a couple rows of Astro Arugula, a few Okra plants and a row of Pinkeye Purple Hull Cowpeas.
I've been eating the Okra for some time. The Arugula was ready to eat in 30 days. First time for me to grow or eat Arugula. For me it has a bit of the taste of peanuts with a little bite. It didn't seem to be negatively influenced in the least by a very hot July.
Also, the Cowpeas are growing fast, but no flowers as of yet.
Larry

Larry,

Your aummer plants look very robust and healthy. Do you have rope on those poles on the right for support?

Ginny

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Ginny and Kay, thank you for posting of their arrival. It makes me feel so good to hear of how you both are enjoying them. I'll be freezing, and dehydrating all this next week. We are going away for 2 weeks, so I will miss out on the last few. Very sad.

Did either of you ever hear of a Yonana? If you freepze bananas or mangoes, peaches, really any fruit, you can put it into this and it turns it into instant sorbet. I have to get one.

Never heard of it but sounds like something to look into. But not until I get home and get a Masterbuilt Smoker, the cold attachment, and a food mill. You ladies are a baaaaaad influence. And by bad I mean good! The best!

Ginny

[efisakov]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

Never heard of it but sounds like something to look into. But not until I get home and get a Masterbuilt Smoker, the cold attachment, and a food mill. You ladies are a baaaaaad influence. And by bad I mean good! The best!

Ginny

I agree, Ginny.

Marsha, what is the temperature you set on the dehydrator for mangoes and how many ours does it take?
Do you use the same temperature for tomatoes?

Thank you.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by efisakov

I agree, Ginny.

Marsha, what is the temperature you set on the dehydrator for mangoes and how many ours does it take?
Do you use the same temperature for tomatoes?

Thank you.

Ella, it takes about 8 hours, I set the temp on approx 125 F. I spray the tiniest layer of Pam, then wipe most off with a paper towel. I have a 9 tray dehydrator with the air circulation fan. Cost is approx 8 cents per hour. Excalibur brand. I use it for tomatoes during the season too. One of the best things I ever bought.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

Larry,
Your aummer plants look very robust and healthy. Do you have rope on those poles on the right for support?
Ginny

No external support. The support comes from the stakes in the ground which the poles are attached to. 4 corner posts are 7' steel T posts. The other 12 posts are 5' treated 2"x2" driven 30" in the ground. The poles are attached to these posts. I assume the poles will deteriorate (rot) long before the posts. They were originally old Fascia boards that I ripped up into 3/4" wide poles which are approx 9' long. It is the second time around for the poles. I used them before in my last pole structure. But I mistakenly drove them directly into the ground. They were thin and not treated in any way and after a few short seasons they rotted off.
If this structure lasts a few seasons I will be happy. I don't know for sure if I will continue to grow pole bean varieties. It seems to me that it is hard to buy modern disease resistant pole snap bean varieties. I assume this to be due to the fact that pole beans appear to be rarely grown commercially, therefore the seed companies see no significant demand for highly disease resistant pole bean seeds. On the other hand there are a number of highly disease resistant bush snap bean varieties available to choose from.
Another thing about pole snap beans that leads me to the above conclusion is that many pole bean varieties have 2 significant strings in them. But for now I carry on and have several new, to me, pole varieties to try this fall.
Larry

[efisakov]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Ella, it takes about 8 hours, I set the temp on approx 125 F. I spray the tiniest layer of Pam, then wipe most off with a paper towel. I have a 9 tray dehydrator with the air circulation fan. Cost is approx 8 cents per hour. Excalibur brand. I use it for tomatoes during the season too. One of the best things I ever bought.

My is just 6 trays L'EQUIP. It was present from relatives. It was seating for years in a box until couple years ago.

[efisakov]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

No external support. The support comes from the stakes in the ground which the poles are attached to. 4 corner posts are 7' steel T posts. The other 12 posts are 5' treated 2"x2" driven 30" in the ground. The poles are attached to these posts. I assume the poles will deteriorate (rot) long before the posts. They were originally old Fascia boards that I ripped up into 3/4" wide poles which are approx 9' long. It is the second time around for the poles. I used them before in my last pole structure. But I mistakenly drove them directly into the ground. They were thin and not treated in any way and after a few short seasons they rotted off.
If this structure lasts a few seasons I will be happy. I don't know for sure if I will continue to grow pole bean varieties. It seems to me that it is hard to buy modern disease resistant pole snap bean varieties. I assume this to be due to the fact that pole beans appear to be rarely grown commercially, therefore the seed companies see no significant demand for highly disease resistant pole bean seeds. On the other hand there are a number of highly disease resistant bush snap bean varieties available to choose from.
Another thing about pole snap beans that leads me to the above conclusion is that many pole bean varieties have 2 significant strings in them. But for now I carry on and have several new, to me, pole varieties to try this fall.
Larry

Larry, have you tried using PVC pipes for support?

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Larry, have you tried using PVC pipes for support?

I've thought of it but have not tried it or even compared it to the price of using wood. With PVC I'd have to keep it painted, because the sun destroys it quite quickly here.
Larry

[efisakov]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

I've thought of it but have not tried it or even compared it to the price of using wood. With PVC I'd have to keep it painted, because the sun destroys it quite quickly here.
Larry

I meant the bottom portion that goes into the ground. Wood usually rotten inside the soil faster.

[Fiishergurl]

One more picture. San Marzano. My husband loves this plant and the picture doesnt do it justice. It has almost 100 tomatoes on it and still setting more. Its the only plant I didnt top or remove suckers. He said I should grow it this fall but I'm growing Cow's Tit instead.



Ginny