Vegetable Garden 2014 Update

Parent Cafe
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<p>Remembered that I had a couple of videos on my Pinterest regarding tomato pinching.<br>
<a href=“Sunset's Backyard TV: How to plant a tomato plant video”>http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/how-to-plant-tomato&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Cook’s Garden has them. The alpine strawberries grow like crazy–they’re almost invasive. They also come up every year–at least that’s been the case with my plants.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.cooksgarden.com/fruit-plants/strawberries/strawberry-alpine-alexandria-prod000805.html”>http://www.cooksgarden.com/fruit-plants/strawberries/strawberry-alpine-alexandria-prod000805.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

83

<p>I harvested my first 3 cherry tomatoes this morning!!</p>

84

<p>$7 for an alpine strawberry plant?! Wow. I thought $5 was way too much. Bare roots sell for much less, but one has to wait for the open shipping window. </p>

<p>There are “alpine strawberries” that produce runners and spread out like a ground cover, and there are runnerless that DrGoogle is looking for. The Mignonette variety would probably fit her criteria perfectly:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/strawberries.html”>http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/strawberries.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I still have a couple of jars of Mignonette preserves in the freezer from my last year’s harvest. Those berries make absolutely heavenly strawberry pies, too. </p>

85

<p>^^^The ones from Cook’s Garden are runnerless. </p>

86

<p>“Where are you, Shrinkrap?”</p>

<p>Technically Bay Area northeast of San Francisco, but weather is more like Central Valley/Sacramento. </p>

87

<p>Critters (which ones???) just got my sweet red pepper plant- and there were actual peppers, sigh- no leaves, it’s a goner. Found a couple of green tomatoes in the front yard (how???). Sprayed again with Liquid Fence as fencing the area- up against the pool enclosure screening- would ruin the pond view. Oh, well. Glad I didn’t go to a lot of trouble and expense. Since I bought my 2 tomato plants locally this spring I THINK they’re okay for hot weather. Blossoms and fruits ripening. Also missing the summer gardening season of up north- getting too hot here. Backwards planting seasons…</p>

88

<p>Aaack! Bunnies ate my green pea plants!!!
Mr B the kindest of all human souls says he wants to get a BB gun. I know that he is kidding, but this bunny issue must have got on his nerves!</p>

89

<p>BB, I dug my peas out yesterday - they had been growing quite well but once they got tall enough out of the raised beds the bunnies (or whatever) dined on them. Buying chicken wire on the way home today. They also got one of my square feet of kale and one pepper plant. </p>

90

<p>My &#)#&_$!@+#)+#%*%)& chipmunks are back! Ugh. I have that nasty smelling spray stuff. Will try it around the plants as well.</p>

91

<p>Gardening is war…</p>

92

<p>I don’t know what eats my tomatoes. I am sure we have a few culprits. The last few years the gophers convinced me to plant in containers up near my house. Even with chicken wired raised beds I fought a battle that I never seemed to win.
This year I planted a few different varieties of tomatoes and a Serrano and jalapeño plant. I have a lot of green tomatoes but no peppers yet. I also grow mint, oregano,thyme and sage. I always attempt basil and cilantro but it doesn’t seem to like my weather. So far we seem to be having a sunnier June so I am hoping I get at least a decent crop of tomatoes.
Suggestions for feeding tomato plants that are already blossoming in containers.?
Last year I got so frustrated with the dogs and moles eating my tomatoes right out of the container that I chicken wired a cage around them. My lab ended up trying to get under my barrier and cut a deep cute on the top of his paw. He is super hyper and it was a long recovery with him and his cone. So no chicken wire barrier for me this year.</p>

93

<p>“Suggestions for feeding tomato plants that are already blossoming in containers.?”</p>

<p>What mix are you using in containers? Mine are in self watering containers with Pro-mix BX, and I use tomato tone, but some say if you are using a peat or coir based soiless mix, a liquid fast acting like schultz for tomatoes might be good on a regular basis as well. Something about soiless mixes not having microbes to break down organic stuff. Like growing hydroponically. When you start looking it up, you pull up a LOT of stuff about growing pot!</p>

<p>Gardenweb
<a href=“Miracle Gro Tomato Vs. Tomato Tone”>Miracle Gro Tomato Vs. Tomato Tone;

94

<p>We’re trying a garden this year after a leave of absence. I’m hoping the groundhogs have forgotten about us but am not holding my breath. We live on 6 acres so have plenty of room. I just planted 14 tomato plants with plans to plant a couple of eggplants, some peppers, yellow squash and zucchini (the state vegetable of New Hampshire I swear!) and a couple of pumpkin plants. I really hope to not fight off groundhogs. Any suggestions?</p>

95

<p>We just had new sod put down. Hope it lives and critters stay away from it and the garden.</p>

96

<p>We put our garden between two retaining walls. I’m not sure if anything can combat groundhogs, crows, deer, etc. So far so good - I planted things like habeneros and jalapenos and herbs and onions around the garden in hopes of warding them off. Who knows - someone mentioned today to put red christmas balls on top of the tomatoes right before the tomatoes ripen to fake out the crows to not bother them. Not sure if that really would work. And I can’t find anyone who has a fool proof deer protector. </p>

97

<p>We have bunnies in our neighborhood, I saw one was eating one of the rose flowers. Once we finish our backyard, I will put a small screen to keep the bunnies out. They are cute but not that cute if they eat my plants. I too am ready with a BB gun.
On the front garden, I have 4 volunteer tomato plants, there is one plant with a tomato the size of a small plate, there is also one cherry tomato plant, this one is my favorite, very sweet. I planted 10+ citrus trees so far, the only type of fruit tree allowed by the HOA for the front garden and that is my sunny part. I just love the smell of the citrus flowers and I don’t care if the neighbors pick the fruit. I will make room for 2 more orange trees for next year, Costco just closed its garden center.</p>

98

<p>Bunsen, he’ll need a Howlitzer to fight off those malevolent rabbits.</p>

99

<p>AAARRRGGHHH!! I just bought another package of 6’ bamboo stakes and a 9’ galvanized pipe (just one to try it out) to stake up the tomatoes that are too tall. I got the stakes in, but was going inside to get twist ties to attach the plants when a huge storm rolled in (wild rain, etc) and blew over 3 [post, breaking off at least on of the HUGE stalks that was FULL of tomatoes and flowers!! ARGGGHH. Did I say ARGGHHH??!!??</p>

100

<p>ARGGHHHH - I’d feel the same. I’m really sorry :frowning: This is why I haven’t done a garden for a long time - I get too emotionally involved.</p>