Tomatoes are doing well

I went out last evening and dug up a patch along south side of the front porch. Slow going because of roots (BTW - I found the original root of that Wisteria that took over that side of the house last summer).There's a topsoil company that leaves huge plastic bags of their product here and there around the area. There's one about a mile from my house. I went over at sunup this morning with a big galvanized tub and two pails and filled them thinking I could build up a mound of dirt I wouldn't have to dig. When I dumped them out on the area I planned to put the tomatoes, it didn't even cover a third of the area to hardly an inch deep! I'd have to make 10 trips and lug a lot of dirt to cover theat area to a few inches. There's only so much an old lady can lug at a time. I'll need some for the potatoes soon, too. The right photo was taken from the porch looking down.

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Lewkat said:
You probably have so many roots due to the trees and underground vine growth. Rent a hand tiller from a garden center and till it which will break up those roots.
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That's a good idea, but I would probably opt for some sort of above ground planter,
such as that growing bag, suggested in one of the earlier posts,
or a large bucket or pot or barrel half, anything with drain holes.

Pepper plants, and even tomato plants, can grow and produce, potted outdoors, in containers.

Getting them to a location with the most sunlight possible, is the other goal, and a significant challenge for your situation, Deb.
 
Wow, @debodun

OOps! I had not seen your updating post, here,
telling all that you did since your last previous post!

I will take time to read it.
 

Rosemarie said:
debodun...don't want to be a know-all, but when you move your young tomato plants to their new home, make sure you plant them deeply, up to the first leaves. This will help them to form strong stems, which can support the weight of the tomatoes.
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Yes, I deliberately let my seedlings get long and leggy and then was able to plant them deep. The last went in soil about a foot deep. They matured into tough sturdy plants.
 
I went over again this morning to get another load of black garden soil from the roadside bag. This is what one looks like:
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As I looked at the galvanized tubs, the though occurred to me that I could plant the tomatoes right in the tubs instead of trying to haul 240 cubic feet of dirt.

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Inside? I doubt it. I live in AG zone 9b South Central Fl and we don't get frost. Seedlings are available and can go in ground year round.

Last August I bought a mature cherry tomato plant about 2 ft. tall and full of green fruit. It produced well but I didn't water enough and lost the mother plant but it had volunteer seedlings that grew and produced. I'm getting tomatoes from a third generation plant now. I'm also harvesting now from a plant I grew from a supermarket tomato seed.

I've also been harvesting several varieties of peppers as well as cucumbers. All grown in pots or bags at my doorstep.
 
Progress report - That the tomatoes still look healthy is a testament to their durability and not to any gardening skill. And yes, we have a blossom! The peppers are alive, but not much progress in the growth department.

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Tomatoes, peas, potatoes doing well. Greenhouse blew down last year so used the area. Miniature pear and apple tree.
Not as good as the greenhouse for tomatoes but after the strong winds last year not prepared to risk putting up another green house. ☺
 

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debodun said:
Something is after my potatoes that are in the ground. I have about half of what I started with.
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Not really much of a gardener debodun, just chance my luck and hope for the best. There is something called a potato weavel, looked in my book slugs, snails, potato cyst eelworms are all pests :unsure: I know if I don't cover the potatoes when they are showing they are bitten into from slugs and/or snails. My problem was the broad beans this year. The leaves were decimated, nothing left on them and the slugs/ snails had eaten into most of the beans and the french beans..... well just 'nil poi' ☺
 
I didn't notice bugs, but some of the leaves have small holes in them. If I had to put money on it, I'd say a chipmunk or rabbit. A little bug couldn't make a whole stem disappear overnight. The fruit in the photo looks more like green grapes than tomatoes.
 
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squatting dog said:
Finally, after running at least a month and a half late, (tons of excess rain) my tomato's are producing. (y) Everyday, I'm hauling in a boatload of them and wife's in the canning business. Here's yesterdays haul. :)

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That's brilliant Squatting Dog. I've got a few green ones still on the plants and lots of rain here at the moment. But your hoard looks fantastic. 😃
 
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