• Trouble logging in? Send us a message with your username and/or email address for help.
New posts

Groovegirls

Beach Fanatic
Oct 13, 2008
524
107
It sounds like you have been doing your homework. The knowledge will prove to be invaluable! I have been landscaping professionally and personally for most of my life and one thing I have learned is to do all the hard work before you plant. Do the research, clean out the weeds, add the compost... You can go to the extreme and customize your ph and micro nutrients to each crop if you want and it will pay off but short of making a career of your garden you can do quite well with your own common sense. Water: water at the base of the plant and not during the heat of the day. Trim the leaves that hang close to the ground to reduce disease and pests. Add the compost, use mulch... you know the basic stuff we always run out time to do. Gardening organically here can be a challenge but it can be done. I like to use raised beds but I have done well with tomatoes in containers too. I usually bury the bottom few inches of the pot because it makes a huge difference in water retention (you could also put them in the kiddie pool for easy watering). I can recommend two organic fertilizers that work for me. I use them both for almost everthing. Milorganite is a granular low yield slow (very slow) release fertilizer. It is practically an idiot proof way to provide a steady supply of nutrients. This is perfect for any body with a brown thumb. It is practically impossible to burn or overfeed your plants. I don't even measure. I literally toss it out around almost everything. It is great for lawns too. Home Depot usually has it in stock. If you want to see your fertilizer at work, use a liquid fish fertilizer. This stuff will make your plants greener, stronger, bigger, healthier and more productive. In most cases you will literrally see a difference within a couple of days. It doesn't matter what brand but any good one will have seaweed too. If you haven't learned about seaweed in the garden yet, do it now. That stuff is amazing! Toni's off of Grayton road (283 I think) carries "fish food" and can be found a various places about town with a little searching and of course on line. I have found nothing to be completely effective against hornworms except for diligence. I usually weed and inspect and stuff a couple times a day. This allows me to treat or remove any problems before they ruin the whole garden. Hornworms and other pests can wipe you out overnight but not if you find them first. You will see where the small hornworms have been munching on the leaves before they are big enough to spot easily. I am always amazed how quickly they grow. Finally, This area is chock full of things that can ruin your tomatoes. I always plant Cherry tomatoes because they are the most reliable tomato crop. They produse a ton of tomatoes all season long. Many years I have fresh cherry tomatoes at Thanksgiving. I think they taste the best too. They aren't so great for slicing though. Happy Gardening!

RECOMMENDED BOOK: Organic Gardening published by Rodale Press. I call it the Bible. This book has more info than the encyclopedia but far easier to understand.

SOWALGAYBOI: I love the kiddie pool idea. I have never used it that way. Gonna use it at my moms but I will put some holes in the bottom so it doesn't hold too much water.
RAPUNZEL: Wal mart and the like usually carry them and sometimes Southbay Ace has them too.
 

Miss Kitty

Meow
Jun 10, 2005
47,017
1,131
69
Thanks for this thread! Y'all are inspiring! Punz...I will be there in April to help you look for those awful worms.

Has anyone tried those upside down tomato growing bags?
 

ASH

Beach Fanatic
Feb 4, 2008
2,156
443
Roosevelt, MN
When we put in out last garden, we laid down multiple layers of plain old newspaper, then put in boards to create a perimeter. Then we filled in with potting soil and fertilizer and planted. We had beans, tomatoes and peppers and it worked great.

Since we relocated, we know have everything in large pots. We got this idea from visiting Toni's place and seeing how they had stacked pots and pots within pots. It looks great and is very efficient.

Good luck
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
When we put in out last garden, we laid down multiple layers of plain old newspaper, then put in boards to create a perimeter. Then we filled in with potting soil and fertilizer and planted. We had beans, tomatoes and peppers and it worked great.

Since we relocated, we know have everything in large pots. We got this idea from visiting Toni's place and seeing how they had stacked pots and pots within pots. It looks great and is very efficient.

Good luck
Thanks for the reminder, ASH. I learned that newspaper trick a couple of years ago. Shredded newspaper also works well as a mulch, and you can cover with thin layer of pine straw to dress it up. Full page newspaper makes a great organic weed block, and it's free.

Tip for the day: Don't think that you can replace the shredded newspaper with shredded junk mail and shredded billing statements. I tried that and found the paper to be too thick to break down in a reasonable time period.
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
I was lucky enough to visit Jim Horton's nursery in Ft. Walton. It is a fairyland, and he is a fountain of info. I would need directions to be able to find it again though!
 

GoodWitch58

Beach Fanatic
Oct 10, 2005
4,816
1,921
Thanks for this thread! Y'all are inspiring! Punz...I will be there in April to help you look for those awful worms.

Has anyone tried those upside down tomato growing bags?

I am trying these upside down baskets for the first time this year, and I have had great luck with container gardening: I am still eating tomatoes from my container garden; and today I am having fresh collards! from containers.

I picked the last batch of tomatoes January 23...I was going out of town for a conference, and we were having a really cold forecast. All the tomatoes were still green, but I knew the cold weather would kill them, so I picked them all and put them in the laundry room on a tray...they all ripened and taste almost as good as the very first ones did last summer. I have frozen lots and use them in soup and casserole dishes. I love fresh tomatoes! and can't wait to see if I can get more with the hanging baskets on my back porch.

Love this thread, keep the ideas coming--had never thought about a kiddie pool.

Rapunzel, I bet the K-Mart on PCB will have them. That store seems to have everything that I can't find anywhere else.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
I was lucky enough to visit Jim Horton's nursery in Ft. Walton. It is a fairyland, and he is a fountain of info. I would need directions to be able to find it again though!


Jim is a great guy and a true friend to all. Here's his contact info:

James Horton
Horticulturist
709 Bob Sikes Blvd
Ft Walton Beach, FL 32547

www.JamesHorton.net
 

Santiago

Beach Fanatic
May 29, 2005
635
91
seagrove beach
I hate hornworms. They were terrible in New Orleans, too. I was trying to be organic, and bought some nicotine pesticide to spray them. The sprayer leaked a little, and my hand and arm to my elbow were numb for three days. So, tips on organic pest control would be fabulous.

I know containers are the best bet, but I really want to do some real in earth gardening. I need to figure out a way to get a load of mushroom compost before the plant closes. I just love the way an orderly, loved vegetable garden looks in the landscape.

As for that giving back stuff, you know I love nothing more. So far, the most important thing I think I've learned is the importance of the soil test. Our soil leaches nutrients quickly, so it can get out of balance with commercial fertilizers. Plus, the water that comes from the county is from deep aquifers, and is very alkaline, so it can throw off pH and make the nutrients that are in the soil unavailable to the plant. So, get a soil test first! If you don't want to drive to DeFuniak, pm me -- I head up every Thursday and will be glad to help you.

The other thing, if you are using fertilizer DON'T use the balanced formulas. If the package says 13-13-13, it's not good for your sandy soil. Use it once a year, but then switch to something low with a low middle number. The sort of blind recommendation is a 15-0-15, or 15-0-7. And we all need lots of composted organic material to retain moisture.

SJ, I'm starting way more seeds than I have room for...would you like to have some starter plants from the heirlooms so we can compare and figure out which is best?

I talked to a guy last week that had a lot of mushroom compost. I'll get you his number if you are still in the market.
 
New posts


Sign Up for SoWal Newsletter