I haven't used bone meal. Mostly relied on the output of a massive compost bin that is supplemented with sheep manure. Deer are not a problem here. Possums and rabbits are...
I use pots too, I grow cherry tomatoes and smaller size tomatoes and jalapenos and usually turns out well and also some cucumbers mixed in with a flower bed and that works too.
Mexican red, Eyed Jamaican and OG Kush for me this year....I think I am good at it but like uh, wow, it hahaha, ah man I just ordered a Whopper at Wendy's and they said they don't sell them here and I'm really hungry, hahaha..what was the question again?
Have you ever tried San Marzanos? I planted some last year and they make fantastic sauce and are easy to deal with with few seeds.
Yes. I always plant San Marzano's for almost strictly making canned tomatoes for sauce.
Yeah I have 3 8x12' raised beds (16 inches) so I have alot of room. But it is amazing how some plants (Zucchini) will get huge. Also had a horrible weed issue last year. I am burning everything out next week, then tilling and overturning and adding some more nutrient rich soil.
Fashion a little fence using pallets and you can train the squash up the fencing.
Tomatoes can't be planted in the same place each year, they need rotated. They'll grow in almost any soil and don't need a lot of water. Peppers on the other hand, need good, well draining soil. However they need water. Analogy I got from an uncle a long time ago was... Pepper's love water but don't like to be wet. Probably why they do well in pots if you water the sh!t out of them.
The consistency of the soil is so important. Get a few loads of compost from the garden centre if you don't have a compost heap.
My garden book says spraying the pepper plants with water can be a solution for aphids. I did that and it didn't seem to work. I was reluctant to leave them wet but it didn't harm them I tried a vinegar spray and a soap spray and that didn't work either. Two applications of pyrethrin insect spray and aphids were gone.
San Marzanos are the way to go for sauce. Easier to de-seed, less water, and higher yield that most heirlooms. Still grow some beefsteaks to slice though. Okay, I’m getting hungry now.
I don't can but blanch and eat in a stew in winter. Whixh reminds me about there being something in the freezer I forgot to cook this winter.
Watermelon not worth unless you have ton of space. Cost benefits analysis is damn near zero.
Can you share your hot sauce recipes? Been looking for a good one that isn't in industrial amounts.
Yeah my soil is heavy clay. Got a new roto tiller last year, will add more compost and fresh top soil. The clay when it gets warm and dry compacts like concrete then the rain just runs away. Was thinking of even adding some sand.
I got rid of Aphids with a mixture of epsom salts, water and a little dish soap.
You could try to grow tomatoes in a hanging container using a dwarf tomato plant. My daughter has a productive lemon tree and grows hot peppers in containers on her deck.
That's the rare veggie that grows so rapidly it doesn't pay to pot it or seed it. Just put it in the ground when the soil is warm. It really is like Jack and th beanstalk.
I'll have to dive into my wife's patch for a better look. She's crafty so I never know what I'll see each time.
