Message Board - BigPumpkins.com

Garden Rebel (Team Rebel Rousers)

Wixom MI.

It's been a terrible start so far. It seems to rain 4 to 5 days a week. Its so muddy that i can't step off my walking boards without the risk of loosing my shoes. I planted my 48 competition tomatoes last weekend and we ended up with another inch of rain and some mild hail dammage. I just hope that they survive the current muddy conditions.i probably should be growing rice this year !!! So far most everything is still alive but i will have to replant some winter squash do to drowning and the high cucumber beatle problem this year. I think the worst is orer so i hope i can still pull a rabbit out of my hat still !!!

6/6/2019 8:51:45 AM

Lebanon, Oregon

That's a bummer with the rain! It's been pretty dry here in Oregon so got a good till in two weeks ago. Will start planting around 35 competition tomato plants and 1 bushel gourd, so big day today. Will put in drip lines next week.

6/6/2019 12:06:39 PM

Central NY

Dang wixom, you can’t catch a break this year...Just about dry enough to plant here before last nights rain...what a mucky mess...going in the ground this weekend anyhow...

6/6/2019 12:18:43 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

No complaints here.
Just waiting for the Mega blooms.

6/6/2019 12:34:01 PM

Weird Wint (Tomatoes)

Newcastle, CA

I've researched growing tomatoes in mud. the best way is to graft a tomato plant to an eggplant. start the eggplant 1 week earlier than the tomato. their roots are less affected by constant dampness.

6/6/2019 1:27:50 PM

Valencia Spain

Think u need to start eggplant 3 weeks before tomato

6/6/2019 2:32:25 PM

Valencia Spain

Sell giant in rare seeds.com monstreuse de new york

6/6/2019 2:33:25 PM

Garden Rebel (Team Rebel Rousers)

Wixom MI.

Westham how are your tomatoes doing ?

6/6/2019 5:06:39 PM

Lebanon, Oregon

Chris is asking how everyone is doing with their tomato plants, not a ramble of something not related.

6/6/2019 10:51:08 PM

SaladDoug_UK

Norfolk, UK

All good here, just early days with tomatoes sown Mid May (ish) - i’m willing them to go faster, just not a huge amount to report. Still a way off first blooms, and some (planted a little later) still forming first leaves. Others growing okay.

6/7/2019 2:20:14 AM

Jane & Phil

Ontario, Canada

1st batch of 6 tomato plants in the greenhouse are now starting to bloom.
The 10 mater plants being grown outside just got planted yesterday. They are at various heights, with the tallest being @ 8-9".
Hoping for a couple decent mega-blooms this year for our team. Good luck to all.
Jane & Phil

6/7/2019 7:35:55 AM

26 West

50 Acres

Happy to see our team has some in the ground. Mine are slow and behind were I wanted to be. But I never start till June 1 most years. It has been a tough start for some. Hope the weather gets normalized and everyone has a good finish to their season. Jim

6/7/2019 8:34:51 AM

Wolfpack83

central Nc

After 2 weeks of high 90s and drought, we are getting soaked for days in the forecast now. Right when my megas are opening up too. I hope some will set in the rain but not optimistic.

6/7/2019 10:05:55 AM

Moby Mike Pumpkins

Wisconsin

At 26" now

6/7/2019 10:59:43 AM

Levittown Long Island New York USA

The newbie reporting here on team #7,(mobymike, framac and me saberonyx), well I'm very excited, weather has settled down, Temps between 60 and 80, my wife came out and said she's never sort tomatoes with stems as thick as my wrist flowers are coming out all over just about ready to spot some megablooms,container gardening 30 Delicious, Zacs, MacCoy and Wurstens. Since I got only 30 I go through each of them everyday the most I caught was one worm and a couple of Aphids in 17 gallon containers I'm using so I believe they got plenty of room. Pruned off all suckers and bottom leaves up to a foot

6/7/2019 11:04:51 AM

megakin(Team Illiana)

west central IN/East central IL

For a few small tomatoes, most megablooms fell off.

6/7/2019 2:23:11 PM

Valencia Spain

Not good enough

6/7/2019 3:23:40 PM

Wixom MI.

Wow saberonyx stems as big as your wrist. You are growing tree tomato plants or you have extremely small wrists !!! Lol... :-) sounds like that guy who grows 12 lb tomatoes ???

6/7/2019 4:39:49 PM

wile coyote

On a cliff in the desert

Must be the secret ingredient I told Saberonyx to try. I am using it my plants plus a few other things once I get them big enough to transplant. I am doing round 2 of germinations; all of round 1 died. All of wife's cherry tomato plants survived. Go figure.

6/7/2019 5:09:18 PM

SaladDoug_UK

Norfolk, UK

If I get stems as big as my wrist on my tomatoes, i’d be sure to beat that 12lb tomato fella...

6/7/2019 5:09:42 PM

SaladDoug_UK

Norfolk, UK

6/7/2019 5:11:16 PM

Dustin

Morgantown, WV

Team Sauce is quiet, but I'm doing ok so far.

6/7/2019 6:40:47 PM

Levittown Long Island New York USA

Yes sir Mr. Coyote, I'm sprinkling the secret ingredient all over the place. I found it at a small dealer about 20 miles away from me.

6/7/2019 6:43:18 PM

Central NY

No secret ingredients allowed...

6/7/2019 7:26:40 PM

Central NY

Woah woah woah...why we cutting bottom leaves?...

6/7/2019 7:35:03 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

Without sharing.

6/7/2019 7:35:54 PM

wile coyote

On a cliff in the desert

I'll share the secret ingredients at the end of the season. Saberonyx isn't even on my team. He wanted some help as a rookie grower and I suggested it to him.

6/7/2019 8:12:11 PM

Levittown Long Island New York USA

I have at least 3 reasons to remove the bottom leaves. I would believe the most important would be to increase air circulation at the ground levels and have better air flow up throughout the plant. Second I come across they are the first and the oldest and are usually beat up (torn, damaged) inviting disease to enter. Third would be a visual clear line of site along and up from ground level. I have come across a rabbit or squirrel hiding in the bottom and I don't want no surprises..

6/7/2019 8:13:02 PM

Wixom MI.

I will pass on wile coyote secret !!! If all his first round plants died using it, i will try something else !!! :-)

6/7/2019 8:39:44 PM

Central NY

Aren’t they in buckets?....

6/7/2019 9:13:16 PM

Green Gene

Putnam Ct.

I have 20 planted all around 8-10 inches and doing well . Plot got tilled and amended 2 weeks prier to planting along with 2 WOW Packs in each hole. Started a second batch of 12 that are still in green house. Go Team (: Salad Greens and Kins :)

6/7/2019 9:32:47 PM

Levittown Long Island New York USA

I perfer to use the term containers. Most would think of a 5 gallon pail. I have come across 17. 5 gallon Civil Defense containers from the Cold War era of the 50's.They really are large. http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=301756

6/7/2019 10:09:45 PM

wile coyote

On a cliff in the desert

My plants didn't make it into the 20 gallon pots that I am using the secret ingredient in. I don't know what killed them. I cared for them just like last year after germination; a little water in the peat pot and grow light for 12 hours a day everyday on a heating mat. The plants looked great last year. Wixom go ahead and use the secret ingredient. It's not too late. Today I received the foliar spray and compost tea mixes.

6/8/2019 12:43:25 AM

Jay Yohe

Pittsburgh, PA

I have 10lb producing first truss megas on every plant. Haha.....NOT!!!

6/8/2019 12:24:48 PM

Valencia Spain

Weighed some today on home scale not big will they be accepted only 2 pounder and less

6/8/2019 1:28:51 PM

Valencia Spain

Told u I need. To be a d grower lol

6/8/2019 1:29:32 PM

Valencia Spain

Pakistan and supermarket wouldn't let me weigh in spain

6/8/2019 1:30:17 PM

Little Ketchup

Grittyville, WA

Yellow bottom leaves might be a nutritional issue. Nitrogen/magnesium. Good luck you guys. Any gals this year?

6/8/2019 1:46:53 PM

Little Ketchup

Grittyville, WA

If the disease is not spreading rapidly then a bad looking leaf might be better than no leaf :) Ok I will zip it shut...

6/8/2019 1:53:01 PM

Central NY

Just be careful what line you fill to on those cans saber...;)....if you snipped em, you snipped em..I would’ve suggested you leave a few Untrimmed to see if the leaves helped grow bigger plants...also as a gauge to some early possible deficiencies....wanna chime in about trimming leaves Esheel?...lol...my plants look great...hardening process has begun...go team slammer!!!....

6/8/2019 7:39:32 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

Lol.’
Yeah I got a little prune happy last year too.
Good point about nutrient deficiency.
I noticed faint bronze specks on the bottom leaves this year on a plant that I had put out earlier in the spring.
Turns out it was a magnesium deficiency.
I was able to correct it,and adjust my soil for the other plants because of it.
Last year those leaves would have been gone.

6/8/2019 9:41:01 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

I understand the thought about suppressing disease.
That was my reason for trimming them off as well.
I use to use wheat straw for mulch.
I think that’s where a lot of my disease problems came from.

6/8/2019 9:45:30 PM

Orangeneck (Team HAMMER)

Eastern Pennsylvania

I have six healthy plants, 3 of which are forming the first trusses. Starting my late season plants now. Team _______ is about to drop the hammer on team sLamMer.

6/8/2019 11:47:41 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

Bring it on !

6/9/2019 1:42:57 PM

Wixom MI.

Hmmm....Team Hammer !!!! I like it !!!

6/9/2019 4:00:20 PM