Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies and garden pics)

[MsCowpea]

I didn’t know it was so long ago.

Just found this guy. Only my 3rd one all season. Easiest of all to control. Just pick them off.

Funny year, no other caterpillars at all, though I never get so many that I need to control.

But what is a first—no stink bugs or leaf footed bugs. I don’t ever recall that happening. They are my arch enemies mid season or maybe it’s later. Perhaps they will still make an appearance.

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[MissS]

I know that this is a pest, but WOW, that a great picture!

[Ginger2778]

I've gotten lots of hornworms this season. Most had an unfortunate meeting with the sole of my shoe. I've left 2 of them on the plant as they were parasitized with wasp cacoons. Trouble when I see one or 2 is there are many smaller ones I dont see, and unhatched eggs. So I do the BT spray, because in my yard , if I see one there are 20 more I didn't see.
Elaine, do you have a black light? Barb taught me that at night they fluoresce, so you can find them easily.

[Barb_FL]

You're lucky with the caterpillars; I haven't had hornworms in awhile but last night I went out in the dark with my black light and must have picked off 20 of the tomato worms - they are green before they turn brown. The green stinkbugs show up easy too; I just had one of them.

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Good news here - my Kent mango tree that lost it's blooms in the bad weather almost a month ago is showing new growth that it destined to set fruit. woo-hoo.

[Barb_FL]

Elaine - What is the name/brand of the liquid organic fertz you pour down the EB tube? Inquiring minds like to buy things I don't have.

[PlainJane]

You're lucky with the caterpillars; I haven't had hornworms in awhile but last night I went out in the dark with my black light and must have picked off 20 of the tomato worms - they are green before they turn brown. The green stinkbugs show up easy too; I just had one of them.

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Good news here - my Kent mango tree that lost it's blooms in the bad weather almost a month ago is showing new growth that it destined to set fruit. woo-hoo.

Fantastic news on your Kent!

[MsCowpea]

I do have a black light but have only used it when I couldn’t find the hornworm but have seen the stripped off leaves. I just don’t have many. Now I will regret saying that for sure—you know how that goes. I do admit that I just moved this guy to a lousy tomato—let him munch away. Usually I squish them and if I had a lot like Barb I would have this time. But it is pretty late in the season- what harm can he do? Famous last words. If I have bunch next year I will know who to blame. They are a beautiful moth , or at least really big , I saw one once on my outdoor light. I have let a few go before and they didn’t come back like a hornworm plague.

I once had a kids group come and we found one. They oooed and ahhhh and passed him around and they all petted him. Several wanted to take
him-for a pet. I could hardly squish him in front of them, I am not into hard lessons for 8 years olds. I told them I would rear him out and I did have a toy butterfly hatching thing. He lived just a few days, I gave him water and leaves. The poop out of that guy was a sight to see ( and clean). But he died, I think from too much love from all that petting or not having his freedom. (PS I do squish them normally , DH gives them to me to dispatch. I looked where I put him and in a couple hours he has scrammed in case I changed my mind.). (I wish some of mine were parasitized -I have only seen that twice in a lot of years. )

Barb, I will get back to you . Been meaning to talk about the inputs in that thread for a while.

[MsCowpea]

Found a nice comfy spot behind that orange fencing fabric I put up to shade tomatoes.

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[MsCowpea]

Tomatoes from ‘mini’ round raised beds. Open at the bottom. Pastes didn’t get tied properly. We have had days of rain. Sometimes it rains here and not other places that are very nearby and vice versa.

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[MsCowpea]

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The trays are filled to the brim. The tomatoes shrink. I dehydrate them to different stages. My favorite is when they are still moist . Dry a little more and they can get to be like chewy candy-like those fruit wraps. Keep drying and you could powder them or take camping and rehydrate. But I don’t do them like that unless by accident. I have a really old stove with convection fan —it has a drying setting so I can do
lg trays all at one time. The thing is you need a million tomatoes- hence Juliet fits the bill.

[Barb_FL]

I love the froggy picture. For dehydrating, at the end of the season I blend all my cherry tomatoes together and then pour onto the dehydrating sheets like a pancake and then dehydrate. When done, I break them up - tomato chips.

[MsCowpea]

Juliets and Mountain Magic

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Barb, I couldn’t resist these. I hope they will squeak by before my season is over. Will definitely do it again in the fall when everything does better.
Just have to get the tulle to defeat the evil pickle .

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[Ginger2778]

Cucumber isnt prolific in summer, but it will set some fruit.
I just staeted seeds for a variety called Taurus F1, a slicing cuke thats parthenocarpic.

[Barb_FL]

The year of my tulle cucumber experiment was in the summer. I can check for sure, but I think I sowed them in June.
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Now I realize why I can't grow cucumbers anymore - it's because of the wind - The horrendous wind is every couple of weeks now.

[MsCowpea]

I was hoping to get cucumbers before June. If I don’t , forget it. I can’t grow anything worthwhile that goes into the summer. Maybe the temps will be too high even in May. Are cucumbers like tomatoes and need a certain temp to set? I know they will not like all the rain. Marsha, are you expecting them to go past June? Oops, I saw you said not as prolific but doable. That’s good.
I never paid any attention to how long it took to get cucumbers from a transplant so I don’t have a clue. Let’s see I need 3 big jars of pickles
to make me happy with my little experiment. Then in the fall I will shoot for the 300 mark .

[Barb_FL]

Cucumbers are so fast; from seed to mouth is about 45 days. Nothing like tomatoes.

You can start seeds for your next batch - almost like lettuce. They do great in EBs if you have any around.

[MsCowpea]

Cucumbers are so fast; from seed to mouth is about 45 days. Nothing like tomatoes.

That was what I was thinking but wasn’t sure. Hopefully have cucumbers before the rains and heat start.


I was going to do them in an earthbox. I have already removed some of the diseased tomatoes from them. Won’t be solarized but different diseases. My cucumbers always get diseased super fast anyway even in the fall with the typical and common cucumber diseases. This time was thinking of using a milk spray and whatever else would help.

[Barb_FL]

So far on my replacement plants, I've been using new potting mix; but on my next replacement batch, I'm going to reuse most of the mix in the EB but still dump it out, like I do for solarizing and reset the box.

[MsCowpea]

You make these glass garden ‘art’ sculptures out of glassware at Salvation Army’s and Goodwills . Lots of samples on Pinterest. The thing is I found the outdoor glue recommended didn’t hold up in our Florida sun.
You can enjoy them for many months and then the glue starts to fail.

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[MsCowpea]

Mon. Feb 24

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