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  1. W

    Killer Wind

    I'm down near Houston and i'm in the same boat as you right now. Luckily, there is pretty good tree line about 15 yards south of my garden that gives me a pretty decent windbreak. I don't know if you have access to a tractor and/or hay, but if you're looking for a quick/temporary windbreak...
  2. W

    Tomatoes for the Garden!

    I'm definitely excited about trying the new varieties - hopefully most of my surprises will be pleasant! I tried to pick a good variety of both yellows/golds and blacks/purples with the hope that I will find a couple varieties of each that will perform well in my hot, humid climate...
  3. W

    Tomatoes for the Garden!

    I'm also a big time tomato-head. I've grown mostly hybrids in the past with a couple heirlooms mixed in. This year is my first year to grow any non-red/pink varieties. Here's my list for this year: CHERRIES: - Sun Gold (2) - Sweet 100 (1) - Black Cherry (1) - Texas Wild (1) - Matt's Wild...
  4. W

    Where to get non Monsanto ONION PLANTS from.

    I had the same experience as you - placing the order was very easy and I received my order very quickly. Also, when the plants showed up, I found that I received WAY more than 60 plants per "bunch."
  5. W

    Where to get non Monsanto ONION PLANTS from.

    Check out Dixondale Farms in Texas: http://www.dixondalefarms.com/
  6. W

    That takes the cake (Disease pics on post #10)

    According to the online label, there is no waiting period when used on tomatoes: http://www.gardentech.com/pdf/msds&labels/Daconil%20Labels%20&%20MSDS/2112%20Daconil%20Ready%20To%20Use%2032oz%20Label%202011-%20Eng%20&%20Span%205-3-11.pdf
  7. W

    That takes the cake (Disease pics on post #10)

    It's impossible to completely get rid of the blight but spraying with certain fungicides can effectively slow the spread of the disease. I would consider spraying with Daconil every 7-10 days. Daconil is not organic, but I'm pretty sure there is no wait time before you can harvest.
  8. W

    That takes the cake (Disease pics on post #10)

    I don't have any first hand experience on solarizing soil but it seems to me that could help prevent blight as it should help eliminate soil bourne fungus. In addition to crop rotating, it may also be worthwhile to use a soil treatment at initial planting to fight off fungus diseases. I...
  9. W

    That takes the cake (Disease pics on post #10)

    I agree - Early blight. Growing tomatoes in Houston, I've got more experience with it than I'd like to admit. If I were you, I'd pull the affected plant and start spraying your remaining plants immediately with a fungicide. Fungicides won't cure early blight, but they can be very effective...
  10. W

    Pics of some of the tomatoes I picked yesterday

    The mocking birds do alot of damage to tomatoes around here. So, alot of times, I pick the tomatoes as soon as they start to "turn" (as soon as they start showing any pink). I place them inside in front of a window and let them finish ripening. Larger tomatoes take a little longer than the...
  11. W

    Last year was stink bugs

    I feel like my gardening career has been one big epic battle against blight, stink/leaf-footed bugs and birds. It's generally a losing battle for me, but I have found some techniques to help minimize my losses. When it comes to birds, mocking birds are the worst (because they are pretty much...
  12. W

    Pics of some of the tomatoes I picked yesterday

    I think everyone in my extended family has eaten tomatoes twice a day, everyday for the past month (and I haven't heard a single complaint yet)! Most of the tomatoes are getting used fresh, but we have put up about 10 gallons of salsa as well! The tomatoes are getting a little bit uglier (more...
  13. W

    Pics of some of the tomatoes I picked yesterday

    I do have a pretty big puppy! My two year old mastiff, Waylon, weighs almost 200 lbs. Just to try to put the picture into perspective, his crate (where the majority of the tomatoes in the picture are) is 55" long and 37" wide!
  14. W

    Pics of some of the tomatoes I picked yesterday

    Thanks for all the nice compliments! To all of you out there in cooler climates that are jealous because you're just now starting to get blooms - if it makes you feel any better, I'm sure yall will be collecting fresh tomatoes long after me since my tomato plants will be done by the end of...
  15. W

    Pics of some of the tomatoes I picked yesterday

    That's a great point - I've had success deterring birds with red Christmas tree balls and baseballs painted red. However, in really dry years like this, the birds don't give up as easily. In order to be effective in really dry years, you pretty much need to have the "fake tomatoes" outnumber...
  16. W

    Pics of some of the tomatoes I picked yesterday

    There are several different kinds of local birds that have quite the taste for tomatoes. The worst (by far) are Mockingbirds - Those things are absolutely fearless! It's not uncommon at all for them to attack cats, dogs and the occasional human so it's no surprise that hanging owl/hawk decoys...
  17. W

    Pics of some of the tomatoes I picked yesterday

    It's not hard to find good homes for fresh tomatoes so I'll probably be giving alot more to friends and coworkers. I'm planning on trying to make some salsa too, but if that doesn't go well, I'm sure we will can anything before it goes to waste! Anybody have a good salsa recipe to share?
  18. W

    Pics of some of the tomatoes I picked yesterday

    Despite all the wind and high temps in the Houston area, our tomato plants are still producing pretty well. We're having alot of problems with birds, so we're picking the bigger tomatoes as soon as they start turning to keep them from being ruined (which is why you will see alot of tomatoes in...
  19. W

    Bulk Seeds - where to buy?

    I've had good luck with this company: http://www.reimerseeds.com/
  20. W

    New to the forum - already have a question

    Thanks again for all the warm welcomes and great advice. I think I finally found some info that at least gets close to figuring out concentration rates and coverage area. While the MSDS label for the CuPRO 2005 didn't help me out much, the MSDS label and other application info I found for...
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