Harvest 2005

[Tomstrees]

I'm closer than before I promise !!! lol ~ Tom

[Tomstrees]

I WILL LEARN HOW TO POST PICS YET !!! ~ Tom

[Mischka]

Tom,

I'm working on being able to upload images directly to our server; until then, you can use BBCode to link them from another hosted site (won't work from GW though)

You can just type in the URL and it will create a link automatically when posted, or use the BBCodes [img] [/img] before and after the URL, respectively.

My apologies for your frustration.

- M

[Tomstrees]

M -
I figured it out ; thank you !!!

Lets give this a try ~ Tom

[Tomstrees]

OK - needed one night to study on how to do pics ; and some help from the great state of MI (LOL) ~ OK, here's my homework:

I present : 1 Heckleman Harvest!

ps. they large yellow was 34 ounces ... could have been one for the contest !!! But will get a bigger one this year :wink: ; also I only use compost , seaweed , and water ... no fert ... ~ Tom
PSS. I hope its still there in the morning!!! lol

[MsCowpea]

Those sure are beautiful looking tomatoes--and veggies too! You must have had one gigantic tomato feast. Amazing what compost and seaweed can do. Do you make your own compost or did you use store-bought? Anyway, hope you put some of those toms in the freezer to sustain you over the winter. I make stewed tomatoes with onions and garlic and freeze in small containers--tastes so much better than the can stuff.

[Tomstrees]

thanks !
I have never used miracle grow in my garden - like I said only seaweed and home-made compost for all of my veggies ~ This was one of 5 or 6 "large" harvests for 2005 - I did not can or freeze any of them > this year will be a different story ! ~ Tom

[Mantis]

Tom, I had my best harvest ever that is just finishing down under here. I used homemade compost (lawn clippings and bedding straw from the chicken coop with some chicken poop all mowed up together) only. Had over a dozen tomatoes over a pound and I have never grown one to a pound before. Fertiliser is overated I reckon.
Great harvest in your pics. Hope you can do it again.
Mantis

[Tomstrees]

Mantis ~

Thanks ! I just wanted to add that this was one of 5 (large) harvests from only 8 plants !
(and as I meantioned, NO ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZER ! Its great to live by the beach for "free" seaweed ; and to see what a difference adding it makes to all plants)

This year I'm taking out my cucumber trellis
(moving it to another location) and adding 4 more plants - I used all of my compost throughout the summer and added it to my garden in the fall ~

Hopefully everything will turn out as good or better than 2005 ...
Also , I'm adding many new varieties to grow out so the table will have a much "better" selection for viewing and tasting!

~ Tom (who can't wait for spring, as all seeds have been procurred, layouts drawn, and seedling setup in place!)

[Full Moon]

Tom, Looks like you had a great season!
I'm trying to find out the different ways to use seaweed.
What do you do with the seaweed? Just leave it on soil and mix in after a while? How long before planting? Can we put the seaweed in the compost bin?
Thanks

[Tomstrees]

Full Moon ; Thanks !

Collecting seaweed after a storm on my beach with a big ole black garbage bag hidden in my backpack is one my favorite past-times ~

Its also a funny sight because I'm the only 30 year old I know that skates with a longboard doing it ! lol ~
(beach is just a 3 minute skate)

What I do:

I collect the seaweed (sometimes mussel shells and all)and bring it home.

I've heard you can wash it with water - but I haven't, and I have not had any ill effects with my plants so far. (fingers-crossed, lol)

Half of it will get tossed into my compost bin; always alternating with grass, leaves, kitchen scraps as usual.

Let me tell you when that stuff decomposes, its literally "black gold" ...
I do have a lid on my bin for much needed heat and possibility of stenchiness of that mix ~

The rest of it (solid seaweed) goes right on top of the soil inbetween the rows and around all of my tomatoes, peppers, cukes etc..

It just kind of decomposes itself over time and absorbs into the soil.
(also through trial and error I found if you don't lay it on too thick, there is barely a smell).

You can almost see a difference in the plants when they are absorbing all that goodness within the next few weeks, and they really take off.

I do it alot in July and Aug as thats when mulching becomes essential because it gets into the heat of Jersey summer. This year I was going to try to make it into some kind of foliar spray...

I will also meantion that each fall, I dig 12 inches of soil off my garden and spread the entire compost bin over it.
I then cover it back up with the soil and let the worms do their thing over the winter.

In the spring some light work will smooth everything out, and I put in my cages and seedlings and start all over again.

wow ... the memories ...

Is it spring yet ??? !!! lol ~ Tom
ps.
its really full of nutrients, and I really suggest utilizing it if you can.

[Full Moon]

Tom, thanks for all the info.... I'm sold!

Ok now this is what I'm thinking let me know if you think it will work.....Everything in the garden should be finished and pulled out by end of april and I will delay next season planting til begining of november. So it leaves me six months. I intend to put in brand new raised beds at the begining of May. What if I was to layer (12" of seaweed, manure, soil, leaves, etc) directly in the beds. I know I will have to add stuff as it decompses but do you think it would be ready in 6 months to plant in? I do not get frost here (maybe one or two nights) and temperature average between 10-20C during the day. I'm thinking maybe cover the whole thing with black plastic to hepl heat things up. Does that make any sense or is it a silly idea.....
I am determine to eat tomatoes next year!!! Lost almost everything this year (fungus, plants collapsing, crap potting mix, possum, birds, white flies, extreme heat/sun!!!) I am learning the hard way

[Tomstrees]

Full Moon,

Bummer to hear about the season ~ ...
Hopefully next year will be much better for you ~ :wink: ...

Rock on; raised beds sound cool ~
How come you don't like the spot your gardening in now ? Bad soil ? bad spot ? bad everything ? ...

Do you have a fence to keep those critters out?
or some kind of mesh to go over the plants for those birds?

I saw that Grub (and others) who garden in Aust. or have bird probs. put hats on top of the stakes to keep them away ~ might be something to try ~

About your idea ...

I'm sure you need to make sure all of those ingredients are properly decomposed before you plant in it ...
6 months should do it for you ~

Otherwise you may have too much nitrogen in your soil and have bushy plants but no tomatoes ; or more importantly bad fungi which could def. kill those little guys and put a damper on the season ~

I think as long as you apply even amounts of everything and not got to heavy with one ingredient you should be fine ...
However I would add much more soil than anything and build it up that way -
you also need to make sure you turn it over to get air in there ...

Here is what I would do :
(and please remember I'm no pro here nor am I really familiar with your climate; just giving you my opion :wink: )

4 Parts Top Soil / 1/2 Part Manure / 1 Part Leaves /
1 Part Kitchen Scraps / 1/2 Part Seaweed ~ Turn it over to get air in there and make adjustments as you go - Feel the soil ... does it feel like the kind of dirt something would grow good in? Muck is no good ; and sand is .. well ? sandy with no nutrients ~

If all else fails, and you think I'm a raving lunatic about building up your soil using certain natural or kitchen ingredients; tell me so ...
then hit www.google.com and search there !!! lol ~ hope this helps alittle ~ Tom

ps. sweet was able to log back in and my paste stuck , lol !!! sweet !!!

[Full Moon]

Tom,

The present veggie patch was a one year deal only. It is backed up a fence that needed to be replaced this summer so we didn't want to spent to much money on something temporary. The fence has been replaced now so we will built the permanent beds.

I'm all for the organic stuff and have two compost bins going at the moment so NO I don't think you're a raving lunatic! Or maybe I do LOL! but that's fine with me. I was wondering about how to add the seaweeds to the mix. Now I know.
From what you said and to be on the safe side, I think I will put a little bit of everything when we built the beds and put the rest in the bins. That way I can have control over when it goes in.

Man it's going to be a looooooong winter! LOL! Cheers

[Tomstrees]

Sounds like a plan ~ I like the idea of raised beds - just have no room for them ; well I could, but I like my pool ! lol ~ You will def. see a diff. with the seaweed - I guess you live by a beach - its the best right ???!!!

re:
Man it's going to be a looooooong winter!

You've got that right ! ~ Tom