Tomato 444

[inlikeflint]

Today was an interesting day with prompts...

I recently signed a lease for a small 1200sqft building and I started receiving a lot of 44's, 444's, and 4444's...
Between yesterday morning and today I have received more 4's than I have ever noticed being thrown at me. My part time truck driving job needed me to drive, but I am too busy to drive for them so, I told them that I couldn't. All they could talk about were numbers but they wanted me to start filling out a sheet relating to the number of hours I receive from another employer. Since I do not work for anybody else except myself, we came to the agreement that I would fill out the paperwork and record seven zeros for the week before I drive for them... every time I drive for them. I agreed that I would write the zeros out on the paper whenever it was again that I was going to drive (never.) I think letting them know that I couldn't drive for them anymore/right now was a big step for me... At least when I hopped back in my car the clock on the dash read 2:22. And this felt good.

0000000... a new beginning for the week, but not for them.

After showing up at the shop to discuss numbers and times, I went to the dump to get rid of my yard debris from the sod job I worked on today. I had the idea that since I was on this side of town, I would stop and look to see if the tomato plants were in yet at the farm and tractor supply place. (I was looking for Sweet Millions hybrid.) I picked up a Green Zebra, two San Marzanos, and would you believe that they have a tomato plant called Tomato 444? (I had to buy it.)

Seems like the things I am doing right now are pretty important. they are big steps... I think "everyone" else is in agreement with this. There is always something big going on 4's...

Oh yeah, and today is 4/4 (Which, the lease is dated 4/4 even though I signed it yesterday.)

[jack6251]

Wow all very 4'tastic!

I verrry rarely have 4 making any appearance how it did for you there, in fact, can't remember the last 4's I had.

I'm just wondering though, was that job you let go something that was bringing you down a little? If so, well done! You should never stay in something that kills your soul!

Jack

[Sandy]

Dear flint,

I was just talking about you and your gardening today as George and I strolled along the path by the lake. We saw an interesting garden going in with all kinds of interesting embellishments, useful things a lovely gentlemen had creatively scrounged from bits and pieces of this and that. Anyway, I was wondering how your green house was coming together.
I cannot wait to here how you garden progresses this year. I hope that this summer season is a bit cooler and wetter than the last one...Oh and how are the mushrooms coming along? Oh boy would they taste good about now! Can you tell I'm a little hungry?

You should never stay in something that kills your soul!

I agree, Jack, especially when one is as talented and creative as Flint here...he is a brilliant artist as well as a fabulous gardener. I suspect you will continue to land on your feet, Flint.
Love,
Sandy

[sammy]

That is a really neat story! Makes me wonder who "invented" the "Tomato 444"!

LOVE!!!!
Sammy

[inlikeflint]

Thanks everybody!!!

I don't have the greenhouse up yet, but things seem like they are starting to happen again for me.

As far as my truck driving job, it is just another direction that I have decided not to travel.

I just leased a building that I have to clean up and fix up.
It's going to be some sort of artsy-fartsty kind of place. It's sort of a place where people can gather and do stuff, and exchange ideas.

The gardening has not made me independent, but it has been a nice start to get away from the thing that drives my life away.
I'm still dreaming about having a mushroom garden...

One of the other things I have been doing is something called Guerrilla Gardening.
I use red terracotta clay powder and mix it with an equal part of garden soil, and then I mix it all together with water until I have a soft clay. I then start making marble sized balls that I put seeds into. I then let the seed balls sit for a day or two and then I travel around my neighborhood looking for places that need flowers, or plants of some sort.

So far I have seed-bombed the back of a cemetery, a handicapped living center near their raised garden beds. some vacant lots, REPOed's homes, public parks.... The seeds I am planting are sunflowers, wildflowers, apple seeds, pear seeds, red bud seeds, mimosa seeds, liatris seeds, and various other seeds I collected last year from other people's garden debris that I hauled away.

Since it has been a real mild winter, we have had lots of plants called Henbit and dandelions all over the place. (more than usual.) I have never seen so many of these plants. What makes it nice is that I was able to experiment with some of these seeds to see if I can intensify the amount of dandelions in a specific area to see if my seed bombing is effective... However, I got tired of making seed balls out of tiny seeds from dandelions and I ended up just collecting seed puff-balls into a paper bag and then I blew the seeds all over the place in my target area.

It's been interesting. The original idea for this was to make sure that my area had plenty of pollinators available for my garden... Hopefully I will see some sort of result from futzing around with seeds... (I have learned a few things.)

Side note: The Osage Orange tree that a bunch of guys tried to cut down last year in my yard has returned from the dead. It has leaves springing out and it looks healthy. (Osage Orange is one of the hardest hardwood trees that was once used as a hedge fence before the invention of barbed wire. Wood from this tree is usually used for fence posts for barbed wire, or bows to shoot arrows with.
( link gone ) (Link to a blog about some guy who turns bowls from Osage Orange...) One of the trunks/limbs of the tree had carpenter ants inside of it at one time. It appears that the tree wore them out and it remained standing.

[Sandy]

Side note: The Osage Orange tree that a bunch of guys tried to cut down last year in my yard has returned from the dead. It has leaves springing out and it looks healthy.

You must have read my mind, Flint. When I wrote my last post I was thinking of your parent's Osage Orange Tree. I was hoping it had survived the mauling it received from those "crooks" but was a fraid to ask. ( You know, no news is good news. )
Wow! Those Osange orange carved bowls are stunning!

I love the idea of seed bombs. You are a modern day Jonny Appleseed, although some people would not be too thrilled with the danelion seeds. Not me though...I grew up eating dandelion greens among other leafy weedy plants.

I am looking forward to hearing how the artsy warehouse takes shape. It sounds like great things are happening in your end of the world.
Love,
Sandy

[inlikeflint]

things have been interesting so far.
I think I will plant my tomato plants sometime this week.
I have been busy watching money go into one hand and out the other hand.

This year i am planting Sweet Millions (heavy producer of small cherry tomatoes), Sweet Chelsea (more cherry tomatoes), Juliet (cherry sized Roma tomatoes.) San Marzano (plum tomato) Tomato 444 (Celebrity Tomato hybrid.) Celebrity Tomato (standard determinate.) Green Zebra (Green striped Heirloom tomato) and... I think that is it for the tomatoes... Then I have some tomatillos and purple tomatillos that I started from seeds. I was going to make salsa this year.

One of the things that I have experimented with so far is something called, mycorrhizae. It is a symbiotic fungus that stimulates root growth from most plants. I tested some out on seeds that I sprouted off a napkin and the sprouts have thin hair like roots growing off of them into the napkin. It's impressive for sprouting seeds in a sandwich bag.) I am using this on most of my plant starts and they are much larger now. (I have not checked out their roots yet.) Anyway, the better the root structure, the more efficient the plant is in getting the nutrients it needs and this means that the plant spends less time growing its roots and more time growing fruit. (We will see how this works out.)

[Sandy]

It all sounds wonderful, Flint. Please let me know how your salsa turns out. I could use a good salsa recipe.
I cleaned out one of our raised beds last week just before the monsoon rains hit so I have yet to plant anything in them now. It will be getting cooler here soon so we will probably plant some bean seeds and maybe some silver beet, lettuce or broccoli plants. I would love to have all of the above but the poor little thing just isn't big enough to support it all.

we have some cherry tomatoes growing like crazy and they are doing fabulous because of all the rain. George and I have never eaten so many tomatoes.

I am anxious to see how your plants grow with the addition of the mycorrhizae. Hopefully your summer growing season will be a little kinder than the hot dry one of last year.

There's nothing like gardening to set the world right again...(we won't mention the back aches, of course)
Love,
Sandy

[inlikeflint]

I have only seen one bee this year so far, but I think it is still early. The weather is much warmer much earlier this year and I think it has motivated people to start planting earlier.

One of the other things I have planted a lot of is basil. Not to eat, but to attract pollinators. (Other than my guerrilla gardening on other property.)

So far I have cilantro, garlic, onions, peppers, tomatoes... and I think that is about all I need for salsa.

The mass amounts of cherry tomatoes are a good thing to me too. (I have more of these this year than the standard slicers because I know that they will produce really well no matter where I plant them.

I think if I had real limited space, I would find a place that I could build up vertical for things like lettuce and herbs, and then reserve the larger planters for tomatoes and squash... Sometimes half the fun of making a garden is creating the space. (Sometimes.)

[Sandy]

HI Flint,

About the only thing in the tomato line that George and I have been able to grow is cherry tomatoes. This year we have a ton of them and you are right they are not fussed about where and how they grow. I would love to have some hot peppers...not the super hot but maybe some jalopenias or the standars Hungarian hot wax.
I lost my basil while I was away and my parsley is almost gone too. George was in the hospital for awhile and couldn't water it) Otherwise my herbs seem to be doing well. They like the tomatoes don't seem to be terribly picky about the growing conditions.

I think if I had real limited space, I would find a place that I could build up vertical for things like lettuce and herbs, and then reserve the larger planters for tomatoes and squash... Sometimes half the fun of making a garden is creating the space. (Sometimes.)

Now there's a good idea! I need to start thinking outside the gardening box.
Love,
Sandy

[sammy]

Now there's a good idea! I need to start thinking outside the gardening box.

[inlikeflint]

Here is a space saving idea;
It works for shoes and gardening!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =1&theater

The best producing variety I have grown is called Sweet Millions. (I don't know if they sell this in Australia, but if you can get a hold of these hybrids, they are well worth it.) The bad part is that you can't save the seeds and grow the same tomato plant the next year. You have to buy either the hybrid seeds or the starts from a nursery.

[Sandy]

Now that is a fabulous idea for using verical space gardening! I think we might be able to make that work for us! Thanks Flint!!! UDABEST!!!!
Love,
Sandy
I'll look for Sweet Millions in the Australian seed catologs...

[inlikeflint]

I thought those were pretty neat.

You can also use used guttering, soup cans, practically anything that will hold a few inches of soil and water.

I am going to try to start growing straight neck yellow squash because it is supposed to be able to be grown vertically on a string trellis. It's supposed to increase the yields of the squash... I think it is also possible to grow spaghetti squash and other varieties this way, but you would need to figure out how to support the larger vegetables somehow.

I am trying out a new variety of sage that is variegated called golden sagehttp://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/4655-product.html
It looked neat and the leaves had a nice aroma. It's supposed to be a perennial so this will make it nice to have around.

[Sandy]

I am thinking that our landlord has some old guttering stacked in his disposal pile behind the garage. So that might be an option too as we have a very sunny backyard just not much in the way of soil for gardening.

Those variagated sage plants are lovely. That is one of the staple herbs I don't have right now, well sage anyway. It keeps dying on me. Maybe it needs more sun then the spot where I planted it.
Oh I am missing that yellow summer squash. Haven't seen any of it here but they have some yummy varieties winter squash and pumpkins... I just need to get my hands on a seed catelog and see what is available.

Do you have any good ideas for keeping deer out of your garden? My Dad has developed a problem the past several years. His garden now sits on the local deer super highway... so as you can imagine it is sort of the McDonalds of deer kind. He is going to make a scare crow that hangs from two trees and moves around with the wind and someone suggested hanging Irish spring or dial soap. But I am not sure how effective it will be especially if they are exposed to it repeatedly.
Love,
Sandy

[inlikeflint]

I'm not sure about how to keep deer away. I've read though a few tips and tricks but I don't remember much because I have not had a deer problem.

Coyote urine is supposed to work, but I wouldn't know where to get it.
I would think an electric fence would keep them out, but they jump fences without ever touching the fence, so maybe not.

Maybe motion detectors that will turn on car headlights directly at the deer. The deer should stop what they are doing and stare at the light.

[Sandy]

Thanks Flint,
I'll pass those on. I spoke to him this morning and he said that he finished the scarecrow and has hung out the soap too. These guys are so acclimated to humans though, I'm not sure a human scare crow figure would deter them in the least. There are coyotes in the area but collecting their pee might prove difficult.
Love,
Sandy

[jack6251]

Hulloo

I'm just waiting for all this rain to stop here in UK and then I'm going to attemt some growing of something or other on my balcony. We've had a horrible month where things have lived up to the term "April showers", not one day has gone by without rain lol (not lol really, can't get any clothes dry boo hoo grump grump) hehe.

I'll definitley post back once I can begin. My dad recommends tomato's, I'll probably go for them but would like a few other veggis too.

Jack

[Sandy]

I love rain, Jack, and would feel right at home up there in rainy Yorkshire.

I knew a lady once who grew and amazing number of vegetables from her balcony garden at the retirement center. She put my larger in the ground garden to shame. But whether I grow a little or a lot it is always great fun to see the results..well, most of the time. sigh...sometimes the little bug pests have their own agenda.
Good luck with those tomatos and what ever else you choose to grow.
Love,
Sandy

[inlikeflint]

Most of the people I know that are in the UK are fanatical about horticulture and gardening.
...And I am okay with this.

"April showers", not one day has gone by without rain lol

I'll definitely post back once I can begin. My dad recommends tomato's, I'll probably go for them but would like a few other veggis too.

Jack

You might need to use some horticultural grade gypsum or agricultural limestone and some bone meal to your containers to prevent blossom end rot if you have a lot of heavy rain for a long period of days... With a balcony you might be able to have upside-down tomato plants in hanging containers hanging off the balcony. This sounds like a neat challenge.

[jack6251]

Most of the people I know that are in the UK are fanatical about horticulture and gardening.
...And I am okay with this.

Glad you're ok with it Flint as I may need you for extra advice through summer since the rain has STOPPED haha No need for an ark afterall, phew! Just now the sun is growing in strength and my clothes should dry, yay!

Funny thing is, they called a drought in March. We have one of the worst water systems in the UK of any western country in the world I think, it's soooo outdated and there's no real efficiency on managing excess rain water with depleting reservoirs (something strange is afoot with water around the world I feel ). So for a few decades now, from around March onwards, we all expect a drought (hosepipe bans for gardens etc) to be issused.

This year seems to be the wettest drought since records began

Jack

[jfarris]

Do you have any good ideas for keeping deer out of your garden? My Dad has developed a problem the past several years. His garden now sits on the local deer super highway... so as you can imagine it is sort of the McDonalds of deer kind. He is going to make a scare crow that hangs from two trees and moves around with the wind and someone suggested hanging Irish spring or dial soap. But I am not sure how effective it will be especially if they are exposed to it repeatedly.
Love,
Sandy

I can't speak to the effectiveness, but I have heard that human hair clippings from the floor of barber shop are good for keeping deer away. At least in a small area anyway. You just sweep them up into a bag then sprinkle them out wherever you do not want the dear. I guess it would take lots of hair to cover an entire garden. Just a thought that might be worth trying.

Light & life,

Jody

[Sandy]

Thanks for that deer tip, Jody. I'll pass it along as well. Dad has gone to the same barber shop for probably fifty years so I have no doubt that they wouldn't save him a little or a lot of hair for his garden.
So far so good the little plants are out of the ground and no hoof marks to be seen.

We are experiencing something similar to the Uk . Australia is known as a dry country but from the looks of the past few years you would never know it. This has been a very wet year already yet the water limits are still in place. I guess water conservation is a good habit to cultivate all the same. I have gotten very used to hanging clothes to dry. Most people do that here because of the favorable climate. I have found I really like it better than using a dryer. I go out to get the clothes when it is convienient for me instead of being scared into it by a blaring dryer buzzer.
Love,
Sandy

[jack6251]

Hulo

I do have a dryer myself, but, unfortunately due to being broke alllll the time, I'm reluctant to put it on and what with the length of days I would've had to have used it, I kinda sit on everything, don't use a lot and only have basics on the go, it would've gobbled up my electric and it's reallly noisy as it's an old model. It's a bit of an issue living where I do as I'm electric only and the companies here in the UK really like to screw you over and regularly put prices up. I don't even put my heating on through winter, that's how bad the bills can get lol (boo hoo hehe).

The beauty of living as high as I do, the wind dries pretty much anything really fast...when there's no rain blowing in hehe.

Fingers crossed anyways, day two of no rain, just hope I get some when it's time to grow something, would be nice to have a little then

Jack

[jack6251]

You might need to use some horticultural grade gypsum or agricultural limestone and some bone meal to your containers to prevent blossom end rot if you have a lot of heavy rain for a long period of days... With a balcony you might be able to have upside-down tomato plants in hanging containers hanging off the balcony. This sounds like a neat challenge.

Thank you Flint!

I'm going to have a hunt around my local gardening type stores this weekend and make a start, I'll see if I can spot anything you mentioned there, looking forward to having a go

Jack