Rainy Years

[AlittleSalt]

Every once on in a while we get a year when it rains torrentially every day during tomato growing season. I have backed off on posting anything because complaining about everyday rain is boring for you - the reader and me.There are things I could have done being that the tomato plants were growing in 5 gallon buckets, but that meant removing cages and clearing out a barn just to get them out of the rain.

I wrote more, but Mods are showing signs of being mods. I can see you.

[PlainJane]

Sorry about your weather; it’s extremely frustrating I’ll bet. Think you can salvage a tomato season?

[AlittleSalt]

Yes, I still have hopes. If nothing else, It will be seed starting time for a fall garden before we know it.

[slugworth]

Maybe a modified container approach?
Instead of the 5 gallon buckets,the dollar store sells metal mesh type waste baskets I would line with newspaper and add the dirt to that.
Even totally soaked,the mesh will let the entire contents breathe and dry out faster.

[AlittleSalt]

That's what this growing season was was supposed to be all about for me. I didn't expect record below freezing days with the possibility of electricity (9 in-a-row) in mid February - seed planting time. I didn't expect all of the rain this month.

Where I edited this with the mods joke - Life does get in the way of gardening, and yet, gardening sites don't get that. It's like we all have our dream home in perfect gardening conditions, Who cares if half of the property is being sold by your brother to your son... but it turns out that your brother never did what is needed to transfer the title. I get property taxes in mine and my brother's name that are paid in full, and yet, the property is in my father's name who died in 2011.

Yeah too much rain.

[pondgardener]

[mention]AlittleSalt[/mention] Robert, I would disagree with you on the point that gardening sites don't address the fact that life sometimes gets in the way of gardening. One of the reasons that sites such as TomatoJunction exist is to provide an outlet to get our mind off of life's issues. Whether it is posting about what we are growing, adding pictures, asking for help with gardening problems, or just reading about what other people are doing in their growing endeavors...the main focus should be just on that...gardening. We are a growing community and if something is getting in the way of using gardening as a release from life's curveballs, feel free to PM myself or others that you have had contact with and maybe we can help you find an answer. Hang in there...

[brownrexx]

The controversial area is also a good outlet for subjects that may not be about gardening but are still interesting.

[AlittleSalt]

Pondgardener, yes, I know exactly what you mean. I won't add anymore unless it's gardening related on this and other gardening threads.

Brownrexx, yeah, I get it sort of.

Our tomato plants are stunted without doubt weeks ago. Today's rains were by the bucketfuls. It just keeps raining day-in and day-out. I would like for this thread to continue because I have experience in this type of year and a whole lot of whatever you want to believe in the internet stuff.

Facts are the that RKN flourishes in wet and warm conditions. That means death to crops planted en-ground. Well, anyone else want to weigh in?

[AlittleSalt]

I got a ripe F1 Sungold tomato today - the middle stage of ripeness / not yellow but not deep orange yet. Anyway, it taste like it should, but it it had a thick skin...hmm, I never thought I would see a thick skinned F1 Sungold.

This thread is about gardening with way too much rain. I'm going to start a thread in Area 51 (Not controversial) that goes along with this thread, but it's not about gardening so much.

Oh btw, yeah the plants are severely stunted.