Let's see those '09 gardens

[shilala]

Originally Posted by HK3-

Great video Scott! That fungus you spoke of wiped out my tomato plants in no time flat.

I jumped on it early and saved half of my plants. I just picked two heaping five gallon buckets tonight, and not a soul in town has tomatoes. Literally.
If I continue to take care of them, and we get a week of heat, I should be able to get at least two more batches of spaghetti sauce.
I was trying to figure out what to have for dinner tonight, and with two big buckets of tomatoes in the kitchen, it wasn't too hard to figure out I was having tomato sammiches.

[MarkinAZ]

Thanks for the video tour of your garden Scott. Looks like you put in alot of effort on the black matte in the garden, but I'm sure it helps in retaining moisture for the plants. The tobacco plants look great on the border areas too

[shilala]

Originally Posted by MarkinCA

Thanks for the video tour of your garden Scott. Looks like you put in alot of effort on the black matte in the garden, but I'm sure it helps in retaining moisture for the plants. The tobacco plants look great on the border areas too

The plastic is earth fabric called Dewitt Sunbelt. It lets water through and it lets air through, but it holds weeds down, holds moisture, and heats the garden. Last for years and years and years. I've never worn a piece out yet. It's easy to roll out and pin down. Almost effortless.
In the Spring I pressure wash it and the black cooks any soil-borne disease out of the dirt.
I've been using it for about 15 years. I have been no-till gardening for that long. I do a hybrid of square foot gardening/shilala gardening.
I use lots of compost, super absorbent polymer, and common sense.
You can't beat good dirt, though.
The dirt in my yard here in town (creek bottom flood zone) is incredible compared to the dirt on the hill where I used to live.

I've always wondered what the Indians thought when they watched the crazy Europeans building their settlements (that turned into cities) on the best farmland in the world.
Then we go cut down trees and grow food on mountaintops at twice the effort in lousy soil.
There's no substitute for stupidity.

[G G]

Originally Posted by shilala

I jumped on it early and saved half of my plants. I just picked two heaping five gallon buckets tonight, and not a soul in town has tomatoes. Literally.
If I continue to take care of them, and we get a week of heat, I should be able to get at least two more batches of spaghetti sauce.
I was trying to figure out what to have for dinner tonight, and with two big buckets of tomatoes in the kitchen, it wasn't too hard to figure out I was having tomato sammiches.

My partner here at work grew some of the best tomatos last summer that I have ever had. I bet we ate 1000 tomato sammiches.