Early Girl - more plentiful, but terrible leaf curlI had promised an update of this popular 'Topsy Turvy' planter and - so - here it is! The Early Girl was grown in near full sun. Despite watering every day the leaves developed a terrible leaf curl that left the plant looking yellowed & spindly. The dirt was not quite to the top - perhaps I needed 3 more inches? Was that the problem perhaps? Was the sun just too dang hot? I opened the top of the planter to 'vent' it a bit and remembered to water at the end of the day so that the roots would not 'boil' in the heat of the day. None-the-less , despite the leaf issues, I did get some tomatoes from this plant but not anywhere near as many as I would have had the plants been in the ground with a cap. Our nights can get pretty cool even in summer (one of the great benefits of where I live!) and perhaps the plant just did not like it.
Roma's - very good!These Romas were is a slightly shadier place on the deck and experienced some leaf curl too but not as badly as the Early Girl's. Lots of tomatoes - many of which are still ripening. The leaves were rather too yellow as well after awhile. Perhaps both plants would have benefited from more fertilizer - but there again who knows what happened! Next year I think I may just grow tomatoes in a huge pot & I will try growing sweet peas or some other hanging flowering plant in the 'Topsy Turvys'. Perhaps I will discover what the error of my ways was and I will try tomatoes again. One way or the other this was an interesting experiment in alternate ways to grow vegetables and plants.
The roses seemed to have liked the extra heat and sun this summer. This 'Joseph's Coat' is still blooming furiously & beautifully. My favorite damask rose, 'Rose deRescht' is also still giving me a precious few late blooms. It is thriving in it's new home - a large, comfortable pot that is against the house and in a spot that enjoys lots of sun & summer warmth. I think I may buy a few new damasks and grow them similarly. I have lots of fungus issues with my ramblers & I think fighting it will always be a constant battle that requires chemicals that I prefer not to use. Thankfully the 'Joseph's Coat' seems more resistant and all I will do with it is a severe pruning this winter.
A soft, gentle 'volunteer'. I wait for these to appear each year!
These shelf mushrooms, on an old cedar stump, are one of my favorites.They are so beautiful in a very 'wabi sabi' way!
6 comments:
Oh so you eat the mushrooms and mess up the tomatoes :) !! just kidding if you need tomatoe help just email me and I m pretty good with tomatoes . I think it is the topsy turvy thing my aunt has one and they stink for growing tomatoes . No good and not anything you did . great blog love roses by the way too have tropicana and a don juan and a gold medalion here . talk to you soon .
I think it very likely that you tomatoes have some sort of leaf fungus or insect. They generally love full sun. We are getting a lot of rain and cloudy weather her so my tomatoes are just sitting there green, and not ripening very fast.
My tomatoes have not done that well this summer but the ones in our church garden are 5 feet high and loaded. I love the pictures of your flowers and mushrooms.
did i tell you how much i love pictures? well, i do...so thanks..the words weren't bad either. i wanted to get a couple of those planters but i've been grounded and dh i know would not remember to water daily.
great pix and nice info..
I think that where you are the growing season is so short that it makes it hard....Last year on Whidbey I had a hard time with the tomatoes too. same kind of thing....I havent got to visit in a long time, it is fun to see what you have been up to! I am having a giveaway on my blog, come visit.....Melinda
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