North Florida Gardening

[PlainJane]

Between rain showers I was able to plant the Major Wheeler honeysuckle in its permanent home.
The squash, cukes and melon are all up. Planted more Bush beans interspersed with zinnias and cosmos.

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[PlainJane]

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Tomatoes are coming along.
Second year for my experiment with a home-made 5-1-1 mix and I’m pretty happy with it. No BER whatsoever.

Except for a day here and there it’s been quite warm and humid, so I’m starting to see a few trouble spots on Pink Saphire, KBX, Martha Logan, Alice’s Dream, Taste Patio and Dr. Lyle.

[PlainJane]

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Green Bee kicking up a storm. This is a very unique and fun GWR tomato!

[GoDawgs]

Your stuff is coming right along and looking good. Spring is springing!

[PlainJane]

First tomato to color break is Clear Lake Heirloom, beating even all cherries.
Seeds started Jan 5th and planted out March 7th. After a couple of days on the counter it’ll be history, lol.

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[GoDawgs]

Wow, 53 days from transplant. ENJOY the fruit of your labor, PJ!

[PlainJane]

Wow, 53 days from transplant. ENJOY the fruit of your labor, PJ!

Haha, I certainly shall!

[PlainJane]

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All 3 figs have fruit starting so fresh figs in about 3-4 weeks.
Here are Smith and Green Ischia. (I also have Petit Nigra.)

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[PlainJane]

First bean harvest is always exciting; this is Helda (pole Romano).

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[PlainJane]

Jasminum Sambac‘Maid of Orléans’. Lucky for me she sits just abaft my Adirondack chair on the patio.

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[MsCowpea]

Such a nice report. Things look fantastic. I have heard of 5 /1/1 since gardenweb days but can’t remember the particulars .
Is that taplas dryer formula? How do you fertilize a mix like that. He used to use a liquid or did he put fertilizer in the mix too???
That tomato looks really good. Just the start of a deluge of tomatoes for you.

[PlainJane]

[mention]MsCowpea[/mention], thank you.
Yes, I’m getting a few odd tomatoes every few days but soon the floodgates will be opened.
I’m having to do my annual tomato tasting virtually this year. I’ll be making up tasting sheets like I always do but dropping off the tomatoes to folks to try on their own. I’ll have them send me their notes and ratings so I can see what everyone liked. Any surplus will go to the local nursing staff.
I heard about 5-1-1 from TV, but I don’t remember who the poster was. The formula is 5 parts pine bark fines and 1 part each perlite and peat moss. I use coco coir instead of peat. To each wheelbarrow full I add a couple of cups of dry fertilizer, same of epsom salt, a cup or so of granulated lime and half a cup of azomite. I like the Texas Tomato Food dry formula, or Tomato Tone. Once the tomatoes settle in for about 3 weeks I start with TTF liquid, the Tomato formula. I’m really happy with the 5-1-1 mix.

[AZGardener]

46D0F1CC-C03A-46FF-A72C-D8FBCA92F3AB.jpegTomatoes are coming along.
Second year for my experiment with a home-made 5-1-1 mix and I’m pretty happy with it. No BER whatsoever.

Except for a day here and there it’s been quite warm and humid, so I’m starting to see a few trouble spots on Pink Saphire, KBX, Martha Logan, Alice’s Dream, Taste Patio and Dr. Lyle.

Your tomatoes look great [mention]PlainJane[/mention]
May I ask what size grow bags you are using?

[PlainJane]

[mention]AZGardener[/mention] - most are in 30 gallon (2 plants per). A few are in 20 gallons by themselves because I have cages for that size.

[PlainJane]

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Here are 2 from Brad Gates (WBF) and 1 from Fred Hempel (Artisan Seeds).
Pink Saphire is a green striped saladette and Atomic Sunset is a golden elongated cherry with faint antho striping. (Lol, no antho taste which for me is just fine)

The larger elongated paste shaped tomato is Taste Patio. The colors are out of this world. It has wispy-leaved growth and these types always struggle in my conditions so I’m trying to nurse it along till I get more fruit.

[GoDawgs]

Your stuff is looking good and coming right along. Everything's looking so good, PJ. Here you are picking your first beans and I'm still coaxing them out of the ground!

Pretty tomatoes. I hope they taste as good as they look.

I hope I get some figs this year. The birds (deer?) always beat me to them.

[PlainJane]

[mention]GoDawgs[/mention] , I had them for lunch and all were really good. All 3 are new to me this year so a nice outcome.

The beans yesterday were delicious. There is a HUGE difference in taste to me; just as much as with store bought tomatoes vs. home grown. I’m about to have an explosion of beans so I’m a happy camper.

Really anticipating the figs, too. I’m keeping them well watered as it’s been dry and I don’t want them to turn too leathery.

My neighbor has a loaded avocado tree so I broke down and ordered one. If we have a hard freeze next year I’ll worry about it then.

So glad I have no deer to chomp things! Our garden in New England was swarming with them.

[PlainJane]

Tomato update

Outstanding, and a complete surprise, is Thorburn’s Terracotta. It’s loaded with fruit and a vigorous grower; not a speck of disease. If it tastes even halfway decent it will be back next year.

Doing very well health-wise with lots of fruit are:
Green Bee
Agi Red F1
Pink Saphire
Cherokee Lime Stripes
Carbon
Indian Stripe PL
Clear Lake Heirloom
Copper River
Atomic Sunset
Atomic Fusion
Karma Peach and Pink
Absinthe
KBX
Grub’s Mystery Green
Lucky Cross
GWR Wild Thyme
Ron’s Carbon Copy
Green Gables
Wild Thyme Purple
Big Cheef

Doing decently, little bit of leaf grunge and or moderate fruit set are:
Daniel Burson
Claude Brown’s Yellow Giant
Polaris
Pierce’s Pride
Peppermint
Cascade Lava
Indian Stripe RL
Akers West Virginia

Struggling:
Taste Patio (wispy leaved, which is always an issue but I keep trying)
Alice’s Dream
Paul Robeson (this was a surprise)
The other Blush 2.0

Already kaput:
Jazz
Dr. Lyle
1 of the Blush 2.0
Martha Logan

[PlainJane]

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The first Daniel Burson is a nice one.

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[PlainJane]

The first cluster of Wild Thyme Purple. Can’t wait to taste this one.

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