New Garden

[custosnox]

Gonna have to move out to 5 acres somewhere north of Owasso, then.

Pots and hanging plants have a REALLY tough time here.  Gets too bloody hot.  If you gotta do that, put them in a position so that they get morning sun (until not later than about 2:00 pm) and afternoon shade.  And not on/over a concrete patio.  Good luck!

The light gets cut off at about 2 here.  Two stories with a small backyard to the NE tends to cause that.

[heironymouspasparagus]

The light gets cut off at about 2 here.  Two stories with a small backyard to the NE tends to cause that.

That might work out well for you.  One of the places I live has an east facing side and I plant a couple of large pots full of tomatoes, basil, peppers, etc.   They usually do well - except for last year.  Am going to build a new kind of planter this year as an experiment to see if can get better high temperature results.

Roses might work well, too if you give them plenty of room.  Martha's Vineyard is a very nice little bush rose (3 foot diameter or so) that blooms until Christmas here sometimes.  It has been on the Oklahoma's Proven list for a few years, and planted in another place I live for about 25 years.  Very resistant to black spot.  Lots of pink blooms.

[Red Arrow]

That might work out well for you.  One of the places I live has an east facing side and I plant a couple of large pots full of tomatoes, basil, peppers, etc.   They usually do well - except for last year.  Am going to build a new kind of planter this year as an experiment to see if can get better high temperature results.

I've tried tomatoes in a Topsy-Turvy the last two years.  In 2010, I hung it under the roof overhang on the south side of the house. I don't think it got the right amount of sun. I may have also watered it too much. The plant didn't really do anything past the first month.  Last year I hung it from a steel pole in the back yard, far enough from the house to get morning and afternoon sun.  After about 5PM, trees on the west side of the house blocked the direct rays.  The plant actually did OK but the flowers never set in the heat.  About September, it started to get some small tomatoes. I moved it into the garage when the frosts arrived. We got some tomatoes from it while it tried to live in the garage.  Eventually the vine died but the tomatoes continued to ripen with mixed success.

[DolfanBob]

I've tried tomatoes in a Topsy-Turvy the last two years.  In 2010, I hung it under the roof overhang on the south side of the house. I don't think it got the right amount of sun. I may have also watered it too much. The plant didn't really do anything past the first month.  Last year I hung it from a steel pole in the back yard, far enough from the house to get morning and afternoon sun.  After about 5PM, trees on the west side of the house blocked the direct rays.  The plant actually did OK but the flowers never set in the heat.  About September, it started to get some small tomatoes. I moved it into the garage when the frosts arrived. We got some tomatoes from it while it tried to live in the garage.  Eventually the vine died but the tomatoes continued to ripen with mixed success.

Don't waste your time with the Topsy-Turvy. I too fell for the gimmick. And believe you me that is what it is. The plant just struggles to grow upward and it has no ability to produce a very good harvest. Unless you live in a apartment there is no need to even try using them. I keep trying to find that perfect spot in our yard for morning sunshine and afternoon shade and allow for just the heat. That in itself has been a big challenge. But I will find my yards sweet spot.

[Conan71]

We picked up an heirloom variety the other day and a cherry as well.  Both plants already have blooms, so hopefully, we will get a jump on production before it turns off to dreadful hot.  MC was very adamant about getting an heirloom and not a hybrid.  Hope she's right.  Wait, women are always right, aren't they?   I might have to try growing Cherokee Purple in a pot this year, just to see how great they are.  Isn't that the one Mr. Merrill was really fond of?

[heironymouspasparagus]

We picked up an heirloom variety the other day and a cherry as well.  Both plants already have blooms, so hopefully, we will get a jump on production before it turns off to dreadful hot.  MC was very adamant about getting an heirloom and not a hybrid.  Hope she's right.  Wait, women are always right, aren't they?   I might have to try growing Cherokee Purple in a pot this year, just to see how great they are.  Isn't that the one Mr. Merrill was really fond of?

She is right.  In ground is gonna be the best shot at it, though.  I don't really like tomatoes, but Cherokee Purple and Mortgage lifter are two that I really enjoy quite a bit.   And Romas!

Mr. Merrill??  Don't know him...

[Conan71]

She is right.  In ground is gonna be the best shot at it, though.  I don't really like tomatoes, but Cherokee Purple and Mortgage lifter are two that I really enjoy quite a bit.   And Romas!

Mr. Merrill??  Don't know him...

The Tomato Man.

[heironymouspasparagus]

The Tomato Man.

Tomato Man I knew...just didn't know the real name.

CP is a great tomato, so probably was on his top ten list.  I have grown them for a long, long time - last year was the worst time ever.

[Conan71]

We learned a new watering trick from a fellow at the River Market in KC last weekend.  He ties a milk jug with a hole in the bottom of it the size of an 8 penny nail to the stem of his tomato plants early in the season.  Fill the jug and add your fertilizer.  It will trickle out over 15-20 minutes and will water very deep.  This trains the roots to grow deeper and will help protect them later in the summer as it gets hotter.  Makes sense to me.

[Gaspar]

We learned a new watering trick from a fellow at the River Market in KC last weekend.  He ties a milk jug with a hole in the bottom of it the size of an 8 penny nail to the stem of his tomato plants early in the season.  Fill the jug and add your fertilizer.  It will trickle out over 15-20 minutes and will water very deep.  This trains the roots to grow deeper and will help protect them later in the summer as it gets hotter.  Makes sense to me.

An inexpensive drip line under the soil works best for me.  I do a 20min water in the morning and 20 min in the evening.  NO WATER ON THE LEAVES.

Because I use cow dung and compost, I rarely fertilize tomatoes.  If we get a cool spell in the middle of early summer I may hit them with some miracle grow, but typically don't need to.  In order for most fertilizers like Miracle grow to work properly, they must be absorbed through the leaves.  I don't like to leave any moisture or residues on the leaves of my tomatoes because that breeds disease.

[rdj]

I use a drip irrigation system in my raised garden beds.  I have a timer that waters 30 minutes at 5 AM and then again at 5 PM.  Works great.  I actually am expanding the drip irrigation lines to my other ornamental beds.  However, I'm using sprayers on stakes for those beds.  It is amazingly easy to install and is actually fairly inexpensive.

[Conan71]

An inexpensive drip line under the soil works best for me.  I do a 20min water in the morning and 20 min in the evening.  NO WATER ON THE LEAVES.

Because I use cow dung and compost, I rarely fertilize tomatoes.  If we get a cool spell in the middle of early summer I may hit them with some miracle grow, but typically don't need to.  In order for most fertilizers like Miracle grow to work properly, they must be absorbed through the leaves.  I don't like to leave any moisture or residues on the leaves of my tomatoes because that breeds disease.

Oh, forgot to mention, he waters once a week.  I'd love to see the system you constructed, never any problems with the system plugging?

Miracle Grow is advertised as working both through the foliage and the root system.  I'd never heard it works best via the leaves. 

[Gaspar]

Oh, forgot to mention, he waters once a week.  I'd love to see the system you constructed, never any problems with the system plugging?

Miracle Grow is advertised as working both through the foliage and the root system.  I'd never heard it works best via the leaves. 

My whole yard, front and back, is on a combination drip/micro irrigation system.  inexpensive to do and runs on two timers.  Never have clogging problems, but occasionally I bust a line with a shovel or something and have to replace it.  Very inexpensive parts at Home Depot.

Miracle grow and most soluble fertilizers are considered "leaf-feeders".  They are not nearly as effective when watered into the soil because they are filtered very easily by the top soil before ever reaching the root system.  If you want to "root-feed" you need to use a time release granular like Osmocote or an organic, and mix/scratch it into the soil. 

Most soluble fertilizers like miracle grow also contain micro-nutrients that have little or no effect through root absorption, but produce remarkable results when absorbed through the leaves.  The only Miracle Gro product I don't recommend using as a leaf-feeder is Mir-acid.  Azaleas dig it, but overspray on non-acid loving flowers causes leaf burn.

[custosnox]

That might work out well for you.  One of the places I live has an east facing side and I plant a couple of large pots full of tomatoes, basil, peppers, etc.   They usually do well - except for last year.  Am going to build a new kind of planter this year as an experiment to see if can get better high temperature results.

Roses might work well, too if you give them plenty of room.  Martha's Vineyard is a very nice little bush rose (3 foot diameter or so) that blooms until Christmas here sometimes.  It has been on the Oklahoma's Proven list for a few years, and planted in another place I live for about 25 years.  Very resistant to black spot.  Lots of pink blooms.

We are going to add roses under the window (love natural security) when we have it in the budget. 

An inexpensive drip line under the soil works best for me.  I do a 20min water in the morning and 20 min in the evening.  NO WATER ON THE LEAVES.

Because I use cow dung and compost, I rarely fertilize tomatoes.  If we get a cool spell in the middle of early summer I may hit them with some miracle grow, but typically don't need to.  In order for most fertilizers like Miracle grow to work properly, they must be absorbed through the leaves.  I don't like to leave any moisture or residues on the leaves of my tomatoes because that breeds disease.

I've been trying to figure out what to do for watering since we are doing it with a sprayer until we can get some kind of irrigation system in.  How often and how long should we be doing this?

[Gaspar]

We are going to add roses under the window (love natural security) when we have it in the budget. 
I've been trying to figure out what to do for watering since we are doing it with a sprayer until we can get some kind of irrigation system in.  How often and how long should we be doing this?

$20 drip irrigation kit.  This should be more than what you need.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Orbit-Vegetable-Garden-Drip-Kit/16564921

Orbit Timer (keep the recept, they break at least once every two years and I go get another one.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Orbit-1-Dial-Electronic-Hose-Timer/16332345?findingMethod=rr

If you like roses, go to Depot/lowes and buy the $4.50 roses in the bag.  They should be on clearance soon.  It takes about two years for them to really root in well, but after that, they are fantastic.  If you want security, look for a 'Climbing Joseph's Coat'.  It's a great rose that has more thorns than anything I have ever seen.  I just call them "The Devil".