Garden'13 Update - Strong Wind Supports
The garden is growing great. Thanks to suggestions we have seen here on Hometalk, we made it a raised bed garden, used some composted dirt and a top layer with long lasting "time released" fertilizer top soil, and kept bugs and other pests away with a cayenne pepper spray / natural insecticide/pesticide.
We had a recent storm that made the HUGE tomato plants fall over. They have way outgrown their support cages. Luckily they weren't damaged. So we found metal electrical piping around the shop and used those for extra support.
Two of the pictures show how we used the supports and the rest are just general pictures of the garden. Its obviously a little overcrowded, but this was our first time trying to garden. I foresee more beds next year! And thank you for all the advice here on HomeTalk!
We had a recent storm that made the HUGE tomato plants fall over. They have way outgrown their support cages. Luckily they weren't damaged. So we found metal electrical piping around the shop and used those for extra support.
Two of the pictures show how we used the supports and the rest are just general pictures of the garden. Its obviously a little overcrowded, but this was our first time trying to garden. I foresee more beds next year! And thank you for all the advice here on HomeTalk!
Raised Garden Bed #1
Raised Garden Bed #1 again
Raised Garden Bed #2
We cut some metal piping and hammered them into the ground.
Try and weave/thread the piping around/though the cage. Stay away from the plant to try and avoid damaging any roots.
Cherry Tomatoes!
Mr. Stripey Heirloom Tomatoes!
Raised Garden Bed #1 once more.
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thats awesome lol. and I really like the newspaper to hold moisture idea. I noticed after a hot day that the top layer of soil was so dry. When that happened, I would try and compensate with a bunch of water and found that the cherry tomatoes were getting those butt cracks lol. After i noticed a few, I saw someone post a question asking about my same problem. Responses said it was do to inconsistent watering. So the newspaper would definitely help with a more consistent wetness and the bucket too for a constant source.
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YEARS AGO, my husband made tomato cages out of reinforcement wire for concrete - hard work, leather gloves, and a lot of patience getting them round, he was done w/50 of them! They are now past 20 years old and in as good a shape as the day he made them! Once the tomato plant was in the ground (my job), he carefully set the cylinder of wire over/around the plant. Then he put a steel fence post in the ground, next to the wire. lastly, tied the wire towards the top to the steel post with a piece of baling-type wire. NEVER EVER had falling over plants again! And we're still using them. And, when taken out of the ground after harvesting the tomatoes, he 'stacks' these round wire cylinders on the edge of the garden. Come the following Spring, they are in very good shape to be used again. His hard work paid off - - - healthy, robust plants that produce easy-to-pick tomatoes & far more than when we let the plants ramble over the ground. Folks in town come to our garden, to trade us for tomatoes to take home to make fresh salsa, tomato sauce, etc. Their trade may be a plant they thought we'd like, or, this past year,some bacon from a hog they raised! I too, put newspaper down between the cages, and cover immediately w/newly mown grass from our lawn. (NOTE: the FIRST mowing of lawn grass usually has no weed seeds in it!) Either before or after the grass cuttings are down, he lays out "soaker hoses" Which waters the plants deeply, leaving the foliage dry. He's 75, I am 68 - we have been gardening together for going into a third decade!
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