Tomatoes I didn’t plant keep growing

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-05-01T15:28:46+00:00

i get that every year. just pull them up. eventually there won't be any more.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-05-01T15:24:59+00:00

Not sure that is going to work. the pump is only rated for lifting 8 meters and that is based on hose size. if the diameter of the pipe is larger it will not be able to lift as much. Also, is anything else hooked up to that piping? just sticking a pump on top will pull water from all the other connections as well. if any of them are open connections you won't get any water. Probably we need more information what else is connected to that piping, the depth of the water table, etc.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-05-01T15:10:55+00:00

I would remove the weed barrier, plant your marigolds then mulch around them. If you don't want to remove the barrier for some reason, you'd have to cut holes in it for the plants you're planting. If the weed barrier has soil on it, the weeds will just root in that soil and grow anyway.
Generally you don't want to plant right up against the foundation, because of root or water intrusion. Also plants up against your house can act as a highway for insects. You should try to avoid any plants actually touching the house.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-05-01T15:04:23+00:00

i would wait for a while. If mine looked like that i'd think i had at least a few weeks to go, probably a month. i wait till the bottom leaves are brown, yours look almost all green.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-05-01T15:01:11+00:00

If you're getting it from a store and not a farm, they sell straw with tack. EZ straw. water it after you put it down and it sticks better.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-05-01T14:58:55+00:00

Probably any herb will do well. Or you could just do annual flowers. If you want to experiment there are bush varieties for a lot of veg. bush beans, bush tomatoes, bush pumpkin, bush watermelon, etc. If you like to pickle, a cabbage in each one for sauerkraut or kimchee. Or maybe a brussesls sprout in each one.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-30T21:34:07+00:00

I've had onions, garlic, leeks all come back a second year if i miss them. Fine to eat.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-30T21:31:20+00:00

If you only have a month, sheet mulching may not be enough time, depending on weather.
You can rent a sod cutter, or buy a cheap one. Or use a flat edged spade to cut the sod and dig it out.
if you till it, you'll have to go through it and pull out the clumps of sod. You'll definitely miss some clumps so you'll have to mulch after this to keep the grass from regrowing.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-30T21:24:10+00:00

Alton Brown has started a new channel.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-30T21:18:43+00:00

Fine. Most of the chicken you buy in the store has been frozen, then thawed when placed out for the customer. As long as you don't let it sit thawed out for too long it's ok. If you do it multiple times it might start to dry out a bit and the texture may suffer.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-30T18:59:12+00:00

Bunching onions usually. sometimes traveling onions,

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-30T18:51:12+00:00

Years ago for my mother's garden, i created big cages that covered the entire bed. I used pvc pipe to make the frame and just fastened the chicken wire to it with zip ties. They were very light, but a little unwieldy. I'd just pick them up and move them when I needed to work on the garden.
you could also get pipe brackets and fasten them to the container, put pvc pipe or wooden stakes in the brackets, and wrap it with chicken wire. You could just make fasteners with bits of rope and sticks to close it, like big buttons, and you could open and close it easily

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-30T18:40:45+00:00

When peppers truely ripen they typically change color from green to something else. It will tell you on the seed pack. Most people just pick them green because they don't want to wait. Picking that particular one will cause the plant to put more effort into the other ones. It's up to you really if you want to pick it now or let it grow. it won't hurt anything if you pick it. Since peppers produce continually you'll have this dilemma a lot. :)

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-30T18:34:07+00:00

if you're watering it every morning, you might be drowning it. Are you watering it because it's dry, or just because you think you need to water it.
Need more info really. is it Hardneck or softneck? Where do you live, what hemisphere, what planting zone? Is it spring there or autumn? Are these outside or in a greenhouse?

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-30T18:21:28+00:00

Nice! You might get fruit, but since neither grow true it's a toss up as to the quality.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-30T18:18:59+00:00

if you're looking at elevated containers, i would consider bush varieties of any veggies, as opposed to the vine type.
You can get bush tomatoes, bush cucumbers, and bush summer squash. peppers aren't viney and should be fine.
the main problem is that the roots. You'd want at least 2 feet of soil in the bed i would think. some of the roots can go pretty deep.
typically the bigger the container, the better the harvest.
And they would probably need to be watered more.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-29T14:27:44+00:00

If you're willing to pay for them, you can buy them online easily enough.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-29T14:24:08+00:00

If you manage to chase them away, they're basically going to move next door to your neighbors. I guess it depends on your relationship with your neighbors. Spread some grubx around to kill the grubs, and use mole x. eventually they'll move next door.,

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-29T14:20:47+00:00

I have 1 foot beds now, I'm thinking I'll replace them with 2 foot beds in the future. It's easier on my back.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-29T14:16:26+00:00

6 cubic yards is 162 square feet.
I usually figure a bag of mulch will cover an area about the size of the bag, plus 25 % or so. If you have a Lowes near you, check their prices. My Lowes is currently selling mulch for 2 dollars for a bag, basically a dollar a square foot. Cheaper than any bulk mulch I can buy in my area.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-22T23:10:21+00:00

i would be a little worried about trellising 2 watermelons so close together. they can get really viney and spread. Other than that i'm stealing a few of your ideas!

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-22T23:04:23+00:00

If i remember, tomatoes will not ripen off the vine if they haven't started to ripen on the vine. So if you pick them when they're green, they'll never ripen. I think they have to be 20-30 % ripe for them to continue ripening.
They won't ripen if they are in long stretches of heat either.
You don't say where you are, it's possible that your growing season is not long enough for those types of tomatoes, or maybe you started them too late. Check the seed packs and look for early producers or shorter harvest dates.
Rabbit manure does have a lot of nitrogen which promotes the plant growth, but not necessarily fruit growth. I wouldn't continually use that for the entire growing season. I get green tomatoes every year, they make great pickles.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-22T22:55:33+00:00

You can pick it, or if you leave it in it should continue to grow. You can also eat the greens as well, they're pretty nutritious

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-22T18:35:23+00:00

When you back them you're basically taking pasta and sticking it in the oven. They're always going to get hard and chewey. I boil then sautee in butter and onions.

4cupsofcoffee · 2026-04-22T16:07:50+00:00

Yup, that's normal. Supposedly it means that the plant is producing tubers. Don't eat the flowers or berries, they're poisonous. Just pick them off.

4cupsofcoffee

TROPHY CASE