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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I hear you. I just wanted to try the weave process and it was so adaptable and simple, I saw no reason to get the cages.

Right now, my 3 large (flowering/bearing) plants are doing great with one stake/no ties, even with the strong winds we had last week. The starts aren’t tall enough yet to worry about. I crowd my plants because I am short on space and then prune severely, especially after it sets fruit. I leave the feeder leaves, but being on flat land in the middle of an oak barren, I don’t worry about sun scald and as soon as the fruit is a couple inches across, I prune the shade leaves. So my plants (also pruned totally for 12”-18” at the bottom) grow straight up with more room for more plants...maybe a foot between them. The weave method means I don’t give space to the cages, I can selectively/easily support fruit-bearing branches selectively, and I get good airflow. Lost one tomato to a bug last year. Crows and blue jays are a worry, but we’re fenced for 4’ in front of netting and by the time I set out plants on 5/23—5/28, bunnies have other grazing choices. Our raccoons are more interested in how to get into the garage. We can tell, because they set off the motion-sensor lights, which freaks them out. We only partially mow in the back area, trying to let the soil build up on our *sandlot*. Seems to be working as we have wildflowers (some sort of Indian Paintbrush) this year.

Everyone I know cut back this year because they had so much left over. I used my last frozen tomatoes a few months ago and I still have dried....but I do buy/use commercial canned sauce/tomatoes. I have shelves full plus homemade spaghetti sauce in the freezer from 2 months ago.

The main reason I planted 18 plants (down from 24) this year is I am trying out several new (for me) varieties. I have 2-3 Siberians and a couple of Stupice, both short season, cold hardy. We’ve had some cool nights. They are doing well.

I also have some drought-resistant varieties...don’t recall offhand which ones....as we regularly get 30% humidity days. Temps over 85 mean no growth for tomatoes, too.

Haven’t set up drip bottles yet....just no need, but I may for the last 6 weeks.

We’ve had crazy temps: from over 85-95 to under 50 at night within a week and from ultra-low humidity to drenching rains and high winds. The rains mean I need to make sure the watering stays consistent to avoid BER (my bete-noir...hate to see that lovely ripe fruit and then find the bottom all brown and mushy.) Had it happen to one red pepper last year, too.

I think I love growing tomatoes because they are such survivors. And they do well with and without fussing, altho usually I like to fuss. I see farmers just letting them fall over and leaving them there, but somehow, I don’t like to do that. Takes too much room and can mean bugs get the fruit or it rots.

It’s so different up here compared to SW WI clay, hills and thick weeds. Both have their problems, but gardening on Glacial Lake Wisconsin is almost like figuring out how to terraform another planet.


94 posted on 06/19/2022 9:17:42 AM PDT by reformedliberal (Make yourself less available.)
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To: reformedliberal

I never want to live any further south than I do now. The years I lived near San Diego were a drag - you could garden ALL YEAR - though producing tomatoes and peppers was impossible - it never got HOT enough! 72 and sunny every. damn. day. LOL!

I, too, like a challenge. :)

My only exception would be Tennessee. I was all set to pull up stakes and move there at retirement, but then Beau enticed me with 160 acres to play on, and all the raised beds I could fill, AND a greenhouse! Who could say no to that? ;)


96 posted on 06/19/2022 10:31:17 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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