Well, it'll soon be time to plant tomatoes in Southeastern In. Last year we had severe drought, sunscald and blossom end rot. Nothing I can do about the weather, but I've been told to put lime pellets in the tomato bed for the blossom end rot. What I need to know is how much and when do I use the lime. For the sunscald, can I use floating row cover if we have the same bad weather conditions as last year? There's nothing like an Indiana tomato, fresh off the vine on a sunny summer afternoon. And don't ya just love opening home canned tomatoes in the dead of winter. Speaking of summer's bounty, there's the Jackson County canteloupes, juicy red watermelons, Michigan peaches and of course corn on the cob. Old farmers tell me nights used to be so hot you could hear the corn growing. And one of favorite things to do, picking black raspberries.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), May 01, 2000

Answers

I can't wait till Ican have fresh tomatoes again. I put out about 60 tomato plants each year. but this year since we used up all the paste we had, i'll plant an additional 24 paste tomato plants. What is your favorite paste tomato?

Not only Indiana tomatos, but any tomato fresh off the vine is great!

I mix about 1/2 to 1 cup of lime with the soil when I plant them.

By the way I plant about 48 sweet bell peppers, 24 pimento peppers, 12 hot wax and a couple habanero peppers.

Favorite food in the winter stuffed peppers with homemade tomato juice on them.

-- Rich (pntbeldyk@wirefire.com), May 01, 2000.

Hi Cindy, getting my tomatoes harden off now to put outside in the dirt. Can't hardly wait till their ready to pick. Growing all different kinds this year. Really anxious to try. Last year I had trouble with Marglobe and the blossom end rot. A neighbor of mine always puts powdered milk around her plants for it. Says she has never had trouble with it. Seems like it is lack of calcium that causes it. Makes sense, so I'm going to try it.

-- Anne (mistletoe@earthlink.net), May 01, 2000.

I have in last several years placed 2 Tblsp of epsom salt in each tomato hole as well. they like the magnesium sulfate. will try the dry milk powder too. In SD I am also harding my plants to plant by the end of the week. We are to have 70 to 80 all week. Also can't wait to pick the red maters. Has anyone had experience with not tilling your garden and just keep placing mulch/compost on it like Ruth Stout did. My dh does not believe that that could work-thinks like the old timers need to work the soil but think I will just spade it a little when mix in manure, sand and garden lime. the dirt is really luring me to plant most of my garden here this week. May be sorry later. Anyone tried the hot caps that are sold in greenhouses. What type of paper are they made of? Seems to me it is like freezer paper so may try to make some of my own!! What are your thoughts??

-- ckksdgal (ckrein@taz.sdsmt.edu), May 01, 2000.

Well, I don't plant that many pepper Rich, but I do plant a whole lot of hot peppers. Mostly jalapenos and cayenne, but this year I'm starting several other kinds, can't find a wide variety of pepper plants aroung here. I have a use for each one, though, I pickle most of them and enter them in the county fair, I won Grand Champion the last two years (only entered the last two years). They look so good on the shelf. I dry some and can some, and grind up some of the dried ones. I've heard that freezeing peppers makes them hotter, don't know if thatk's true. Have you had jalapeno poppers? Arby's sells those, I tried to make my own from a cookbook called Jump Up and Kiss Me-spicy vegetarian recipes. They didn't do too well, breading wouldn't stick. Maybe someone can tell me what I did wrong. The only paste tomatoes I've planted are Romas, that's what's sold around here. What do you think is best? Next year I'll start my own. I Started green zebra's this year. They're ripe when green, they are delicious, but the seedlings are doing too well, Suggestions. Thanks

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), May 01, 2000.

Cindy, the only thing better than a fresh Indiana tomato right off the vine on a hot summer day is a Kentucky tomato right off the vine on a hot summer day!!!!!!!

-- barbara (barbaraj@mis.net), May 01, 2000.

Barbara, having worked in produce markets, I know Ky. tomatoes are quite good(being so close to Indiana and all). All the other states have good tomatoes, it's just that Indiana are the best tasting of all.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), May 01, 2000.

ckksdgal, thanks for the measurement on the epsom salt. Did that last year, and couldn't for the life of me, remember how much. Indiana and Kentucky tomatoes are real good, but Tennessee tomatoes...mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!:)

-- Anne (mistletoe@earthlink.net), May 01, 2000.

My tomatoes are the size of eggs, right now,still green of course. I'm lucky to be here in S.C. Sunscald has been a problem for me that I have solved by very early setting out of my seedlings. Seems to give my plants more time to develop thicker,heavier growth of the vines[leaves]. I also apply "Ironrite", sold at Walmart, it contains iron,and calcium,....I have terrific tomatoes every time. I set out my BetterBoy plants around March 1, last frost here is supposed to be Mar 15..Earlygirl does well too ,nice thick stems and vine growth...I counted about 100 small tomatoes today on 17 plants. We are in a drought, so I will have to water soon,but so far ok with that since I plant very deep [to bottom leave, that I pull off] Good luck gardening !

-- Margaret (gjensenii@mindspring.com), May 04, 2000.