What a weird growing season for Ducks!!
All of the tomatoes that I planted along the three 6 ft fence lines have survived. DD's pulled my hoses to the drip hoses a few days after my July 10th surgery, but the tomatoes that I DID transplant don't look bad, green, not a lot of growing but some green tomatoes and DH and I went on a field trip, him walking, me walking with "Peanut" (my knee recovery walker, since I am 17 days from my left knee surgery,) and we picked 3 small tomatoes to have with frozen leftover (microwaved), grilled hamburgers last night.
I think that all of the methods of transplanting are viable but I Knew that my tomato care would be sketchy for July and August, so the 15 inch holes that I rounded out for these babies certainly has worked.
Sometimes we don't calculate the time and $water costs for gardening.
I Meant to poke holes in my collection of water jugs, leaving the tops on, to tie next to each tomato so that I hose could fill each, but I don't think it's necessary for the rest of the growing season.
Yesterday I did some gardening, 15 ft from the back steps. DD's were away this weekend at a convention, so DH had to put out sweet feed for the ponies. They don't really need it, but you get to take a look at your horses to be sure that they are ok. I asked him to retrieve my shovel. I had 5 tomatoes that were temporarily planted in 2 planters--I meant to transplant before surgery, but it didn't happen--so I got them transplanted in my leaky 100 gal Rubbermaid water tank by the house. I had earlier rescued 2 small tomatoes from my abysmal seed starting this year, got them in a 1/2 gallon milk jug, and, since they were about to outgrow it, I also planted them in the tank.
I had 5 sweet and hot peppers that I had purchased in a smaller pot, and They are now growing in the tank, too. I had started a handful of sweet bell peppers in a gallon jug and They are now in an old horse water bucket, sans drainage holes. The 6th pepper went into a small muck bucket that has no drainage holes.
It has been SO DRY that I am not worried about the peppers, but I will monitor them all to be sure that they don't dry out and their little roots reach deep for water.
A few years ago, when my knees were starting to bother me, I kept 17 bell peppers in a plastic windowsill planter all summer. It was a wet summer, and they loved the water. Lesson learned...
We went out to eat all weekend. This Son of a Bxxxx shelf cloud poured BUCKETS of water on C-U, NW of my property, NONE for us!!!
. Nice little, quick, tender-skinned, flavorful tomato! DW thought the beautiful color was "weird." . . . no accounting for some people . .
