We had a storm blow through here yesterday afternoon. It was a real toad floater, but I honestly didn't think the wind was that bad. I got home too late yesterday to check the garden, but when I finally got out there this afternoon, I saw this:
My yellow pear that once stood to the top of the railing has broken its main stems and is fallen over. The now dwarfed tomato cage is still holding some of it up and I'm almost certain some of the tomatoes on the bent branches will ripen. I already assaulted it this weekend and cut off any limbs without tomatoes in an effort to corral the bugger, and it looks like more will be coming off tomorrow as well if the damage is more severe than I now think. I just love yellow pear tomatoes, but I've never in my life had a plant that produced such large ones, nor grew so tall. It's certainly the difference in having it in a SFG and in a pot.
The celebrity and heatwave plants are also giving up the goods now. There are no new blossoms to speak of and the plants are riddled with aphids and white flies that I can't get rid of to save my life, but they're doing fine for me now regardless. I'll let them play out and then plant a fall crop in their stead.
Someone saw fit to relieve the garden of two cabbage seedlings in the last three days. I can still either start new ones or direct sew them, but I'll indulge in some grumping anyway. I'm hoping to have a larger update with pictures this weekend. Things are really all in a holding pattern until the fall crops kick up. Those sweet potatoes, however, have really decided to join the party. I keep having to wind the vines around each other. It seems to grow faster than Kudzu at this point.
The morning comes early, and the under-eye concealer is getting thicker by the day.
Sweet gardening dreams.
Posts
sorry to hear about your tomatoes! With hurricane season in full swing its just a matter of time before mine succumb to the rain and wind as well! I feel for your cabbage...I just planted 3 broccoli starts, but alas, the 100 heat index is just too much for them. I will try again in a month, although I am sure that will be too late, lol, who can predict the strange weather this year?
ReplyDeleteErin, are they just not germinating? Start them inside and then move them out. They should be fine in half shade once they sprout. It's what I had to do for my lettuce.
ReplyDeleteOh, so sorry about your pear tomato. Maybe with a little creative pruning, you'll keep it going! Durn storms!
ReplyDeleteMy tomatoes are falling too, but not like yours (they did that a month ago). The fruit of my Market Miracles are falling off the plant. Sometimes they fall off when they are green, sometimes red. I try to pick them when they are not quite ripe so they don't get so bruised up.
ReplyDeleteRibbit - my tomatoes are beginning to look like yours, but I just keep tieing them up best I can. I've started seeds for lettuce and carrots only, and placed them underneath the umbrella of the outdoor furniture.
ReplyDeleteBummer about your tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteI have not even harvested one, and I don't expect to with these almost freezing nights.
Glad there is a farmers market.
Rosey
No, they are plant starts, I'm not doing the seed starting thing this fall!
ReplyDeleteDaphne, seriously, just falling off? That's odd. Sue, I think I can salvage most of the yellow pear and I'm not going to worry about the flies on the others since they're still producing well. I'll never have enough to can from these all at once, so it's best to have only one or two at a time.
ReplyDeleteRosey, I can't imagine freezing temperatures now. EG and I are very fortunate to get almost three full rounds of crops out of the ground before the winter comes.
I wonder if the person that invented the tomato cage ever grew a tomato. They seem to be greatly lacking in the highth department! I am growing velvet red which is a cherry and it grew over 9' long this year and did exactly what yours did.
ReplyDelete