I planted tomatoes in southern New Mexico. The ground had no previous garden, looked OK. I tilled in organic compost to 10", lots of compost. Planted several varieties, 15 plants, in a row. Automatic watering with drip hose, ground covered by black plastic weed stopper (breathes). Killed grass around with roundup (had bermuda reaching into garden). Covered all plants with plastic bags first. Bags seemed to make hot house and make tomatoes grow but Ieft them on 2 days and it killed plants on one side of garden (more sun). Replaced those with new plants. Put time release fetrilize on soil and soaked in when first planted, have used liquid fertilizer two times since. Direct sun
5 - 6 hours a day, lots of indirect light (shade under tree) otherwise.
Planted 1.5 months ago. All plants, old and new, at just sitting there, no or very little increase in height...all except one plant on the end away from new plants. This one is growing very well, lush, getting taller. Others have green tops, lower limbs died some time ago. The green tops look healthy but donig nothing, some scraggly. Don't know why but get the feeling some of them are on their way to dying, or maybe they just won't grow.
Why aren't they growing? Searched the web, I see lots of diseases, and will try to look close at the plants when I return (on vacation for few days).
Any advice would really be appreciated. I only grew tomatoes once before, in New Jersey, and they were a spectacular success with little effort.
I was thinking the same thing. She may have poisoned the soil and would have been better off pulling the weeds.
I know that I sure don't trust Monsanto's claims and only use roundup for total kill in the gravel driveway. I don't use it in plant beds, ESPECIALLY around plants I'm using for food.
Maybe you can help regarding driveway kill chemicals. Here's the story. My house is on a bit of a hill. The front yard is downhill from that. The circle type gravel driveway, flat of course, just outside and in front of the front yard.
I had no lawn in the front yard, just rocks and caliche and native foliage that barely grows in that. Hill country, central TX. So, made a short rock wall downhill wide enough for the mower to negotiate between the fence and the wall. Spent weeks moving brought in soil uphill from the rock wall to the house. Its got less of slope now as a result. Dropped some bermuda grass seed and some 10-5-5 fertilizer pellets, and raked into the soil. Finally got some green in the front yard.
All the seed didn't stay put due to all the rain here. All has been soaked and washed for more than a month. Some of the seed made its way to the gravel/roadbase driveway. The washed soil never made it that far, just the fenceline.
Due to the wash, I've gotten alot of bermuda grass there in the driveway now. Some native weeds have taken a liking to it as well. Expensive, but works is charcoal lighter fluid. Used motor oil as well. Anything out there that kills bermuda grass?
If not, in a couple of years, plan to repave with asphalt over the area with another layer of roadbase beneath. Dave
The version of Johnson grass the grew behind the backyard in my parent's home when was growing up was a problem. It finally submitted with low cutting lawnmower year after year. Removing the rocks and filling the divots was key to allow this. Johnson grass needs height to proliferate. Dave
Roundup would be fine in most of the gravel driveway area. Some not as wash would go to my edible food garden. Will try roundup where appropriate.
Will landscaping fabric holdup to light automobile/truck traffic? Can I just throw a heavy tarp over it instead? Area is about 100' long by 12' wide on straight section of gravel driveway. Dave
A tarp would work too. Any kind of covering that will block light. Old bits of carpet will work for awhile and hold up to traffic, but after awhile, things will sprout thru carpet. It's good for initial elimination. :-)
I wouldn't mess with landscaping fabric or a tarp; they are just too lightweight for vehicle traffic. You can get a length of road fabric, geotextile, from a contractor supplier, that will be very good; I use the woven (vs. nonwoven) which is much better and comes in the wide widths. In 1982-83, Crown Zellerbach had a massive world-wide advertising campaign introducing it to engineers, departments of transportation and contractors which brought it into the "modern" mainstream. Of course, like all successful products, many others started manufacturing it so there is a wide variety available now, even root barriers. Geotextile fabric is now required under the rock/gravel on roads and freeways. There, it is to keep the dirt and gravel separate so the gravel doesn't work into the dirt; it decreases gravel use and road failure resulting in substantial savings, both at construction and in later repairs. Because it is designed to hold up with gravel and rock, it will work for your driveway traffic. It cannot be torn but must be cut; puncture rate is extremely low, it's tough stuff, especially the woven. One of the widths in which it comes is 12-foot. At our supplier here, we can order ahead and get custom lengths or you can buy an entire roll (100-feet is one of the roll lengths I think). This is not to be confused with landscaping fabric which is very much lighter weight.
One of the things I use it for is to put in the pickup on dump runs, especially with yard debris. I have a piece cut 2-1/2 lengths of the truck bed with one end just over the top of the tailgate and the rest over the cab. When the truck is ready to go, we pull the front back over the load, tuck in the edges, throw a rope over it and have it all "sealed" inside the bed for no loss of trash. It takes only a couple of minutes to secure the load and, at the dump, we are usually able to just release the ropes and pull the entire thing off the pickup bed, remove and fold the fabric and be out of there while everyone is still shoveling and throwing. Since the first year I used this "envelope," many others have started doing the same - it only takes most folks once to see how they can simplify that unpleasant task of unloading for them to incorporate it. They mostly use tarps which work fine for that though the tarps (unless canvas) will have limited use as they will get holes poked in them. Holes in the geotextile fabric are not a problem (been using it for eight years and not a puncture yet). It is also allows water through; it has to for roadways, so it is not for protecting things from the weather. One could, however, use a high-mil plastic sheet covered with geotextile for that purpose because the fabric will divert most of the rain simply because it is not an absorbent fabric and the plastic would divert the remaining water.
There are thousands of web pages out there (geotextile fabric); you can read about one agricultural use at
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though they seem to be talking about the non-woven which I would not use (have, and it wasn't satisfactory for what I wanted and in narrower widths and was concerned about leaching into the soil).
A more comprehensive description is at http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:Z7yzvXBU0BUJ:
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with a link at the top for a pdf version.
DOT specs are at:
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In 1982 & 83, I worked for the secretarial service who had the mailing contract with Crown for the year-long advertising mailings; I later worked many years with a contractor who used it. It was so effective for reduced gravel use, that most of his customers used it before it became required because the gravel savings greatly exceeded the fabric cost. (It was a cool thing to be able to tell him about it; if you knew him, you'd know how difficult he could be to convince to try something new.) He often used it even when the customer didn't want it because it saved him money in labor and materials due to less gravel applied and less time needed which saved the customer money. (Once he did that for a customer, that customer used it on all future projects - saving cash talks.)
I purchase mine from CSI Geosynthetics, who may be able to tell you where it is available in your area to buy direct. Their telephone number is (360) 699-1426.
We just had a driveway put in on our wooded property up north in NY. The driveway goes back around 120 yards from the main "road". The guy used large gravel, item 4, etc... He refused to do it with out the geotextile. It came out pretty well and according to him, it'll be there for years and years inspite of the rough winters in that area.
Well, it's only been in a week and hasn't gotten much rain but I suspect having just been up there for 6 days, ain't much gonna grow through this sob.... If you want to know exactly what was done, I can ask Rick the next time I talk to him, probably some time this week to make sure the well's in. Getting water without that was a royal PITA. ;)
LANDSCAPING?!? lol, *What* landscaping?!? ;-) Heck, that was the first time we'd been able to use the property. The road was done and the trailer put back there literally the day before we got there. Haven't had a chance to do much of anything 'cept get a little wood cut and a fire ring built.
Next time up the clover gets planted for them 4 legged critters.
We have to get away from where were are in a few years. This place is becoming a suburb of NYC and we just can't take it any longer. It used to be a beautiful area 30 years ago, but no longer. :(
I have a bag of clover in the back of the truck. Hmmm... Maybe I'll go ahead and scatter THAT in the front yard instead of purchasing a flat of St. Augustine.
If you still like that kind of territory, the area East of Houston is similar, as is a small area in the Austin area called "Bastrop".
Thanks for the heads up but we really like the northeast, 'ceptin' for the winters of course. ;-)
As for the clover, I figure it's good for the deer and I may have to mow it once a year if I happen to feel like it. Not sure if the black bear will like it or not. I'm hoping, not. ;-)
My dogs oughta keep the deer out of the yard. There is a small herd that grazes across the street. I'm a 'burbanite unfortunately so pardon me for envying your acreage!
As for bear... I'm glad to say there are none here. Those things scare me.
:-)
Winters in central Texas have been colder lately, but that's not a bad thing. Cuts the skeeter population! I do rather love our growing season.
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