South Louisiana Drip Garden

[Cajun_gardens]

I'd like to share my garden with yall.

Im using the Burpee heavy duty XL cages with extensions installed - tomatoes do grow that tall down here.

I have 17 tomato plants, 1 straightneck squash, cucumbers, red bell peppers, lettuce, spinach, texas sweet onions, sweet basil, strawberries, and 2 varieties of watermelons along with marigolds to attract pollinators and keep nematodes away. I know creole and amelia grow well as I've grown them before ... and the Creole was developed by LSU to grow in this super retarded humid hot environment down here. I like the flavor of the Amelia ..and didnt split on me last year while being grown in a half barrel container.

The cherokee purple's I also grew last year in containers. They didn't fare off well until it became swamp nuts hot and hence exploded with growth and blooms. Thus far - it is my favorite tomato to simply eat off the vine.

The others ... well .. pretty much a shot in the dark. I know the big zach can grow some monsters and have many ginormous flower sets and one big tomato growing near the middle of the plant. Rapunzel looked attractive in the photos I've seen. Was told by the gardener in Cali to grow it in a container. No way ... im gonna grow it big. The Solar Flare simply looked good ... Cherokee Chocolate - never grown one.

I'm using dynagro with a 2 gallon ez flow injector. Yeah yeah ..its not organic, but i work offshore and am gone often. Organic needs instant attention often ..something I can't devote enough time to. Besides - I've always had phenomenal results with it. Watering is 4xs a day 4 minutes each time.

I've already harvested several straigtneck squash .. and one of my red bell pepper plants must have a dozen peppers growing - one of which is starting to ripen.

The watermelons - well ... they are a looong looong way off but are just starting to send out their feelers ..

Cucumbers wont be long if some dang bees show up.

Week 5 photo

garden and a shot of rapunzel

closest row left to right:

Cherokee Purple, Cherokee Purple, Creole, Creole, Some jumbo something, Early Girl

Middle Row:

Amelia, Amelia, A yellow something, Black Krim, Roma, Hearty Cherry

Far Row:

Rapunzel, Big Zach, Solar Flare, Cherokee Chocolate, Early Girl

[Cole_Robbie]

You're going to give everyone cage envy. I know I'm jealous. Nice plants.

[Cajun_gardens]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

You're going to give everyone cage envy. I know I'm jealous. Nice plants.

no need for envy lol. thanks

i see you're from Illinois. I was raised about 60 miles north of St. Louis in the area of the Illinois and Mississippi River convergence.

Seems yall would have some mushrooms about now.

[Cole_Robbie]

Yes, morels. Hunting them is not my expertise, though.

[MissS]

Your gardens are beautiful. It makes me jealous as mine are still bare.

[Cajun_gardens]

Originally Posted by MissS

Your gardens are beautiful. It makes me jealous as mine are still bare.

ty. im sure in a month or so your garden will be full of fruits!

[My Foot Smells]

Very nice. However, I see a leaf touching the ground!! I'm like Floyd the Barber and got blight fright, so I trim 'em high and tight.

I got some of those burpee cages in a 20% free ship, and must admit, do like. Easy as pie. I haven't put extension on yet, but see you have 'em.

Nice looking setup, with good spacing (a must). HOpe you have a bountiful crop this year.

[Cajun_gardens]

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

Very nice. However, I see a leaf touching the ground!! I'm like Floyd the Barber and got blight fright, so I trim 'em high and tight.

I got some of those burpee cages in a 20% free ship, and must admit, do like. Easy as pie. I haven't put extension on yet, but see you have 'em.

Nice looking setup, with good spacing (a must). HOpe you have a bountiful crop this year.

I got the 20% with free shipping deal as well. A neighbor of mine has the texas tomato cages - rugged, but they don't look well in a garden in my humble opinion.

ive been trimming away. I dont like to cut on my plants until the first fruits set in. Don't ask me why ... just something my Granddad always did. I'm getting to all of them.

My 2 cherokee purples seem to love the ground. as soon as they stretch out a bit more ill trim them up as well.

[My Foot Smells]

white trellis looks nice too, what you got scampering up that dude? I've got to get on a cantaloupe trellis pdq.

[Rajun Gardener]

Is that a raised yard? LOL Great looking plants!!!

Are you using an emitter or is it just a 1/4 tube for watering. I need to set my system up for the 2 beds I have going and I'm trying to figure out the watering. I'd like to use an emitter to cover more soil but I also don't want blight problems either.

[Cajun_gardens]

Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener

Is that a raised yard? LOL Great looking plants!!!

Are you using an emitter or is it just a 1/4 tube for watering. I need to set my system up for the 2 beds I have going and I'm trying to figure out the watering. I'd like to use an emitter to cover more soil but I also don't want blight problems either.

its 20 x 18 with some Pooyie (11 cubic yards) compost from rayne. that entire side of my yard is low anyway lol.

I have 5gph emitters going to each of my tomato plants .. 2gph emitters on the peppers, and some 180 degree sprayers on the greens, cucumbers, and watermelons. Everything is looped as well which seems to equal the pressure quickly being i only water 4minutes 4x's a day.

I only used the bigger emitters so i could have enough flow to not use the rings on the eq flow fertilizer injector .. essentially taking the guess work out of the proper dyna gro gro formula ratio.

[Rajun Gardener]

Are you using a pressure regulator, if so what size?

[Cajun_gardens]

Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener

Are you using a pressure regulator, if so what size?

the backpressure regulator is whatever came with the rainbird starter kit. it works, as when the timer shuts off the watering some of the water blows back through it ... essentially meaning i still have pressure to spare for more emitters.

[Cajun_gardens]

The Bib along with the pressure regulated and ez flo

[Rajun Gardener]

Gotcha, it looks like a backflow preventer then probably a 25psi regulator then the injector. Thanks for posting that pic, I just bought a cheap injector to try.