Hello from Tipton IN

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

Seed, maybe you could think of it this way..... when a Southerner post a pic of their gardens growing before ours.....maybe it's a photoshopped pic. they can tell us they are growing but since we weren't there to witness it......did it really happen?

 

[majorcatfish]

jealousy is expected from you yankees ...as i have posted before anyone is welcome to come by....

 

[digitS']

Hi Todd.

I have been reading your posts and thought that there was good advice on your tomato starts.

What I can add on the viability of seeds in the storage conditions I have for them is that it sure seems to be a good idea for me to renew tomato and pepper seed every 2 or 3 years.

Getting out around 5 years, delayed emergence puts the seedlings at a real disadvantage if they are competing with others when started in community containers. Old seed can be a problem in any circumstance. Failing to have any technique to my seed storage means that I just have to pay attention and set "pull dates."

The early varieties of warm-season vegetables have been important to me. The usual combination of Pacific Northwest spring weather and higher elevation night temperatures have been challenging.

Melons? Years ago, I found the University of New Hampshire's galia melon, Passport. After about 10 years of successful growing of that variety, the seed has become a little difficult to find. I followed Johnny's Seeds' advice and grew Diplomat, last year. With record high spring 2015 temperatures it was an excellent melon year and Diplomat performed just fine.

U of NH also put Goddess cantaloupe on the market. Great success with that one. I'm still searching for a charentais melon variety I can grow.

Sugar Baby watermelon has been disappointing. Yes, I tried Blacktail Mountain. One year, the seed failed to germinate. A couple years ago, on what should have been a good melon year, the vines failed to produce ripe fruit. Shoot. I can very nearly see Idaho's Blacktail Mountain from my garden!

This year, I have little Yellow Doll plants to set out this week! DW is suspicious of a yellow watermelon altho we enjoyed one from the farmers' market a couple of years ago. I have high hopes!

Your comment on Tiny Tim tomatoes: I have grown Kimberley tomatoes for several years. It is very early and comes from a British Columbia mountain community only a couple hundred miles from here. It is supposed to be a Siberia x Tiny Tim cross. Certainly, it isn't a miniature but, along with Bloody Butcher, will be the earliest ripe fruit from my tomato patch. The first miniatures I have ever grown, Red Robin, are in 8" pots for this season ... just for fun.

Nearly all my 20+ tomato varieties are early choices. I find it disappointing to be standing in the garden, expecting that first frost by morning, and realize that only 1 or 2, or not a single, ripe fruits have come off of some of the vines.

Finally, welcome to the forums, Todd. Don't pay much attention to that north/south rivalry. Realize that we are from most everywhere and benefit from each other's experiences and learning how they differ .

Steve

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

@digitS' you might not see a Charentais melon come out of UNH anytime soon. seems Prof Loy doesn't like to work with them when i spoke with him during an open 'green' house a couple years ago. maybe it's the tendency to split at the ends when they just can't contain the sweetness, or they are just not worth it because they are difficult to ship for market growers without bruising. but something that day that i remember was the issues with telling when they were ripe. i'd love to try one sometime but haven't has luck with getting them to grow well. i've had some better luck with Asian melons but our seasons lately have been more miss than hit.

 

[majorcatfish]

yellow watermelons are a very nice treat, did them last year they are a tricky melon to grow..
once you think they are ready.. nope
once you know they are almost ready you better hope it does not rain or your going to be doing the Gallagher because they split open.
but in the good side they are very prolific....

this year will be trying my hand at growing orange seedless watermelons.

Charentais melon.. now thats a great tasting melon, firm and sweet picked at the right time it's like eating honey. for the northerners would start them indoors then transplant once the soil has warmed up.

 

[baymule]

Seed, maybe you could think of it this way..... when a Southerner post a pic of their gardens growing before ours.....maybe it's a photoshopped pic. they can tell us they are growing but since we weren't there to witness it......did it really happen?

One Hoosier to another, watch out for the southerners. They like to brag with pix and taunt us northerners who do nothing but give love back.......

Now you see what I warned you about. Exhibit #1. There will be more examples..... Darn southerners...... Evil I tell you. & we do nothing but give love back to them.

I think it appropriate to mention watch out for them Nawthurn HATERS!!!

 

[digitS']

maybe it's the tendency to split at the ends ...

I'm willing to eat them the day I take them out of the garden!

yellow watermelons are a very nice treat, did them last year they are a tricky melon to grow.

Uh oh! Well, growing season rain might not be a problem. Last year would have been an excellent year to try them!

for the northerners would start them indoors then transplant once the soil has warmed up.

And, that is what I do! They will be with that last group of plants claiming their garden space .

Steve

 

[Carol Dee]

@Todd Ziegler from Eastern Iowa where the Mississippi runs east to west! Well now it looks like you just jumped right in have fun.

 

[digitS']

Todd,

You are from north of Indianapolis. Any chance that you know the country south, around Trafalgar?

And, if not ... don't Hoosiers know every square foot of Indiana? I mean, on the map it looks like a small state. I've never been there ...

Steve