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June 25, 2016 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 2,000
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2016 Summer Florida Garden
These seeds (2 in the EB), 1 in the Root Pouch were planted as a test to see if the bees would pollinate in the summer and also for me to learn how to prune cucumbers.
Well the bees came and I didn't have the heart to prune. Other than the yellow sticky traps and covering the plants since inception with tulle at night, I have not sprayed or used any bug control. With cucumbers, the male flowers come first; and finally a few female flowers showed. Being impatient but not totally knowing what I was doing, I thought I would take matters in my own hands. I thought I could get pollen from the male flowers using the vegibee. So I ripped off a few male flowers and started buzzing them over the spoon. Suddenly a bee appeared and started buzzing around from flower to flower....probably thinking "You're kidding me right?" So I gave the pollination duty back to the bees and they didn't disappoint. Now, the plants are full of flowers and bees are plentiful. The first cucumbers will be ready in a few days. |
June 25, 2016 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 2,000
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So the tomato season is over in East Coast Central Florida, but peppers are going strong.
I have 2 areas of peppers; both get shade in the hottest part of the day. The longer red pepper is Red Marconi, the smaller one is Giant Marconi. It was the first ripe Giant, so hopefully the other Giants are bigger. For peppers I'm growing Yellow and Red Marconi, Giant Marconi, Shi★★★★o, Ajvarski, AJI Amarillo Grande, AJI Amarillo (small), Charleston Bell, a very hot cross of Tequila Sunrise. I also have seedlings or germinating the following: Jimmy Nardello, Albino Bullnose, Emerald Giant, Beuna Mulata Hot Pepper. Last edited by Barb_FL; June 25, 2016 at 03:06 PM. |
June 25, 2016 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 2,000
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Here's something you don't see in Florida in the summer;
Romaine Lettuce - I let the lettuce go to seed and apparently a couple of seeds blew into this root pouch which was the former home to a dwarf tomato plant. In this instance, it was beneficial to procrastinate cleaning up. |
June 25, 2016 | #4 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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Quote:
Great thread Barb. Jealous of your cukes. What variety? |
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June 25, 2016 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 2,000
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Cuke is Beit Alpha - I've grown them a lot. Everyone I give them to said they are the best cukes they ever had. Very productive plant.
This spring I grew them along with Sweet Success and Snows (a pickling cucumber) but usually it's just Beit Alpha. I got the seeds originally from Seeds From Italy. GrowItalian.com Cukes, Peppers are way easier to grow in Florida than Tomatoes. If I were half as good growing tomatoes as you, I'd be a happy camper. |
June 25, 2016 | #6 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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Quote:
I must get some of those cukes. Is it too late to start them now? |
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June 25, 2016 | #7 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 2,000
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Quote:
I will take a picture of them all dressed in their bridal veils. If I weren't going away in August, I would start another 2 seeds now. I treat my cucumber plants like determinate tomatoes; once they slow down or worms get them, they get replaced. You will have to shade them while they are young plants but they can take full sun after that. I can send you some Beit Alpha seeds. If you decide not to plant them now, you will have them for September. I've grown them in EB, RP, even a Walmart bag. The one in the RP is in a tray; I put a colander upside down in the RP so it had air by its roots even if the tray gets full of water (too much rain - a rare occurrence) . Do you have bees around? Otherwise, Diva is suppose to be good; Gynoecious and parthenocarpic. Never grown so I don't have seeds. I probably have a few spare Sweet Success seeds I could send; they don't need bees either. |
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June 25, 2016 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 2,000
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Going to the Chapel
Here they are ready in their PJs.
middle pic is the same plant just over a month ago (variety says very early 50-55 days which will be spot on) Last pic is Sweet Success - plant set 6-8 fruits really fast, then grew a lot more foliage and set lots more later. |
June 25, 2016 | #9 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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Quote:
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June 25, 2016 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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That sweet success looks fantastic.
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June 27, 2016 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 2,000
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I picked 3 Beit Alphas yesterday; definitely within the 50 days since sowing.
Today at 7AM, as I was taking the tulle off, bees started flower hopping. Marsha - Seeds going out today. Do you grow peppers? I picked 2 ripe Ajvarski peppers yesterday so I will have more seeds. Will post pics in the Florida thread because Kay is growing them also. http://www.rareseeds.com/ajvarski-sweet-pepper/ I have lots of yellow or red Marconi seeds if you want. Easy and big producers in Florida. Love the dehydrated mango offer, but that would be too greedy of me to accept when I have 35-40 Kents. My other first time producing mango tree is the fibrous kind. Pineapples are yellowing too. |
June 27, 2016 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: NJ, zone 7
Posts: 3,162
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Nice pictures, Barb. Thanks for the info. Apparently it is possible to grow some things during the summer in Fl. Good to know.
__________________
Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!” |
June 27, 2016 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: AL
Posts: 1,993
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Barb .... So glad you posted the pics of your Beit Alpha cukes and info about them. Nice looking plants. Think I will order some seeds of them to try here. How do the plants do as far as humidity goes? I've planted two crops of different cukes and am ripping out both. Mildew from the humidity is a major problem here. Having to go out and spray everyday is getting to be a pain.
Your bridal veils are cute. : ) Gonna google pickle worms and see what they are about. Always good to learn about potential pests. |
June 27, 2016 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 2,000
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Starlight - It's super hot and humid here; typically 90% humidity. Summer daytime temps rarely exceed 90 but humidity is always constant. A day in spring with 45% humidity is a rarity; anything under 70% we notice (and appreciate).
I didn't have any mildew /leaf problems with any plants this spring. I think the sun took care of mildew. Seems like when it rained, it poured but then it wouldn't rain again for another month. |
June 27, 2016 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 2,000
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Pics - Today's pepper harvest, first cucumbers grown/picked during high heat, Arvarski peppers.
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