Jay Angler wrote:
Bryant RedHawk wrote:If we had more trees, such as a full blown orchard business, I would probably espalier the trees so I didn't have to leave the ground to harvest all the fruits.
One of the big things we have to think about on Buzzard's Roost is aging and still keeping everything manageable for us as we get older.
I have just been reading, "Grow a Little Fruit Tree" by Ann Ralph and the whole book is about starting and keeping fruit trees 5 feet high or so for easy management and picking. It allows people grow more varieties in the same amount of space so they can plan ripening for continuous fresh fruit over a long season. Key to her success is summer pruning while fruit is being produced, so the tree puts its strength into the fruit, rather than in growing more branches.
On my current land, I wouldn't take her approach as we would have to spend a huge amount of time improving fencing to exclude the deer. As is, the one espalier tree I bought as a bit of an experiment for a location where I didn't want more shade, has repeatedly been assaulted by the deer despite my amateur efforts to keep them out.
Other factors are whether you have animals to feed. We tend towards a summer drought that extends through Sept and sometimes most of October. Surplus fruit would have been the traditional way of getting farm animals through that period, as the grass is dormant then.
Jen Fulkerson wrote:Like almost everyone who grows a garden I grow tomatoes. Being a serial gardener I'm always looking for ways to grow it better. Besides Permies ( my most reliable source) I spend a lot of time on YouTube. The wealth of information can make my head explode. I want to ask what you do or don't do in your gardens?
* Do you direct sow? If you plant transplants do you plant at soil level, deeper than it was in the pot, or sideways?
* Do you prune? Single stem, or just the suckers?
* How do you water?
* Do you fertilize?
* How do you support your tomatoes?
* Do you plant all your tomatoes together, on mix it up?
* Any special companions?
*What's your secret to amazing tomatoes?
* Do you do some of those things like dissolve aspirin in water, and spray on the leaves, or use Epsom salt, or any other unusual things,?
I'm interested in answers to these questions. If you post please don't feel like you have to answer every question, I'll enjoy what ever you want to share.
I'll go first I'm in zone 9b N. CA. So I have a very long hot dry summer season. I start my seeds in the house, then move them to my little greenhouse, then transplant into the garden once the night time temps are 50 or above. I did manage to direct sow some in the garden last year. They did well, but took a lot longer to produce, and didn't out perform the ones I started earlier. I always used remove the bottom sets of leaves and plant deep. This year I read that slowed production down, so I didn't do it. I think I'm already regretting it. All my tomatoes are falling over and seem to need a lot of support. Usually I only have to worry about that once it gets kinda tall. I add my fertilizer mix( what ever organic stuff I have, like blood, bone meal, azamite, greensand, biolive) twice a year when I transition from winter to spring, and summer to fall when I also add compost. I add a little of the mix to the bottom of the hole, and then soil then a bit of mycorrhiza. I strongly believe creating great soil is more important than fertilizing ( all my raised beds are hugel beet style) I usually grows indeterminate. The last couple of years I have been trying tomatoes that are supposed to do well in hot dry climate. I use tomato cages my son made for me that are awesome. That's about it for me. I water when I think it needs it when it's in the 100s that can be every day. I don't prune sometimes I remove suckers, but most of the time I don't get around to it. The last couple of years I did remove the flowers until the tomato got to a good size. I don't fertilize during the growing season, I tried compost tea in the past, but I didn't really think it made a difference. I definitely mix it up tomatoes go in every bed ( I have major gopher problem, so I only grow in raised beds,) lots of companions. Always basil, near by are always nasturtiums, marigolds, zinnias, radish, and all sorts of veggies, fruit, herbs and flowers. Bye August it's a jungle. I usually get tomatoes, the last couple of years better than most for me. Is it because of something I'm doing, or just luck, I don't know, time will tell. The last couple of years I have gotten a lot of tomatoes, and my husband says they taste great (I don't like tomatoes unless they are used for cooking) I don't get production like I see on the Internet where the vines have mass amounts of tomatoes. I'm happy with what I have been getting, but always strive to learn more. Thanks
Anne Miller wrote:
Cécile Stelzer Johnson wrote:Does anyone know an easy way to bust them up and turn them into powder to use on potatoes and other tubers that like bonemeal?
Boiling the bones or pressure cooking them will soften the bones.
I found this out by making lots of bone broth.
Anthony Jones wrote: OK, this sounds crazy but experience is the teacher. I (69yr young) work 23+ acers of wild land I am slowly building a family off-grid homestead food forest on.
I have learned to cover up and wear a wide brim straw hat and one of those wet cooling clothes to cover the neck. I wear loose fitting sweatpants, and loose fitting long sleeve shirt.
I am in South East Alabama and summer is hot and humid. I am totally soaked in sweat in just a few working minutes no matter what I wear. The sweats and shirt soak up and evaporate creating a bit of cooling effect. Protects me from mosquitos and briors.
Looks very hot to wear but not as bad as you think. I am actually much hotter in shorts and tee shirt than in the full getup. Works especially well if there is even a slight breeze.
Give it a try.