TOMATO WORLD

Cucumber

2011-06-21T21:08:00.002-04:00

We have really enjoyed the cucumbers this year. Very tasty!

Zucchini

2011-06-21T20:59:00.003-04:00

People say these are too large to eat. They are wrong. Cut in half and rake out the seeds. Bake in oven after coating with olive oil. Cook ground beef in taco seasoning on top of stove. When squash is tender to the fork take out add the ground beef and top with cheese. Return to oven for a few minutes. Take out and enjoy.

Tomatoes etc...

2011-06-21T20:57:00.002-04:00

Again, not as large as last year's crop.

Tomatoes 2011

2011-06-21T20:54:00.001-04:00

Tomatoes are coming in a little smaller than last year.

Harvest June 18,2011

2011-06-18T23:19:00.002-04:00

Although it is hot and dry, the rainwater I am putting on my garden is working.

Bountiful Harvest

2011-06-11T23:11:00.003-04:00

The joys of a producing garden. Plenty for ourselves, friends, neighbors and strangers alike.

Tomatoes are in!!!

2011-06-11T13:42:00.003-04:00

Tomatoes are coming in daily now. No bottom rot this year. Two attacks by spider mites. No other problems to date.

Squash blossom

2011-06-11T13:39:00.001-04:00

Loads of blossoms, many bees and tons of squash.

Squash & cucumber basket

2011-06-04T19:17:00.004-04:00

Four types of squash and one lone cucumber somewhere in the pile. Garden is doing GREAT so far!!!!

TOMATO

2011-06-04T18:52:00.003-04:00

A good guess about the weight of the larger of these would be over 16 oz. The Bonnie Select came in large last year and they are doing the same this year. One difference I am seeing is the plants seem smaller than usual. We'll have to see how they grow as the summer heats up.

Monster tomatoes 6/4/11

2011-06-04T17:46:00.001-04:00

June 4, 2011

2011-06-04T17:44:00.001-04:00

Tomatoes are coming in LARGE this year again.

June 4th, 2011

2011-06-04T17:39:00.002-04:00

Plants doing well following the spider mite attack. No bottom rot this year. Still watering with rain water.

2011 Garden

2011-05-29T22:32:00.003-04:00

Smaller garden this year. Ten (10) tomato plants, ten (10) squash plants, four (4) okra plants and two (2) cucumber plants.

2011-05-29T22:13:00.002-04:00

The raised beds are doing their job. The heavy rains have not effected them at all. Also they remain 98% weed-free. The squash and cucumber plants are producing large harvest already.

2011-05-29T22:09:00.002-04:00

Tomato plants are heavy with large green tomatoes. Only the Early Girls are ripe and red on the vine to date. I had an attack of spider mites but caught them before they could do too much damage. The brown leaves are due to their attack.

May 29, 2011

2011-05-29T22:04:00.001-04:00

Tomatoes, cucumbers and squash are all coming in now. We have been eating out of the garden for about 2 weeks. Early Girls are the only tomatoes ripe, however.

May 7, 2011 - Update

2011-05-07T15:06:00.001-04:00

Good rains and temps are climbing.

Garden Update

2011-04-29T14:29:00.001-04:00

Tomatoes are getting bigger everyday.

Squash plants

2011-04-29T11:23:00.001-04:00

Tomato Blossoms

2011-04-29T11:06:00.002-04:00

All tomato plants are covered with yellow blossoms. This after pulling them for weeks.

Update

2011-04-29T11:02:00.001-04:00

Flying Saucer squash.

April 29, 2011 Update

2011-04-29T10:54:00.003-04:00

Garden is doing well. Rains are coming at a good pace and amount. All plants are growing and have blossoms with the exception of the jalapenos. They require more hot weather.

Weed-X a no go.

2011-04-27T11:54:00.002-04:00

After about a week of placing Weed-X around the base of my tomato plants, I determined the proceedure a no-go. The reason has to do with the fact that water is not passing through the material fast enough. I was going out of town for several days and I also feared that if the heat got very high while I was out of town, the plants might burn-up. So I pulled the Weed-X out of the buckets. Still a good idea to find a way to heat the soil.

Smaller box design 2011

2011-04-17T18:31:00.002-04:00

I had an old plant stand I torn down and turned into a smaller box. This is what it looks like. Four Okra, four Marigold and one Ark. Traveler tomato.

Early Girl 2011

2011-04-17T18:29:00.003-04:00

Always the first to come in each year. The amazing EARLY GIRL !!!

Early Girls II

2011-04-17T18:27:00.002-04:00

Still more on same plant.

Early Girls

2011-04-17T18:25:00.001-04:00

The Early Girls and living up to their name.

Weed-X trial

2011-04-17T18:20:00.002-04:00

Each year I tried new things. This year I am trying a gound cover of Weed-X. I sure it will heat up the ground which is good, but I am not sure how it will allow water to pass. If it hold water, I will rethink this approach.

Rainwater Collection System

2011-04-17T18:18:00.003-04:00

Each barrel holds approx. 55 gal.s of rainwater.

Rainwater Storeage System

2011-04-17T18:15:00.002-04:00

The large container holds 330 gal.s and each of the smaller ones holds 275 gal.s.

Garden 2011

2011-04-17T18:06:00.003-04:00

Planting is done and time to shoot photos. In addition to tomatoes,(5 varieties), this year I planted Okra, jalapeno, cucumber (3 varieties), and squash (5 varieties).

Early Girl 2011

2011-04-17T18:02:00.003-04:00

What to plant?

2011-03-29T13:49:00.003-04:00

Fielding more questions today. When I am deciding which tomato plants to put in my garden I plan for success. To do this I plant both determinates and indeterminates. Determinates produce lots of tomatoes at one time and the indeterminates produce fewer tomatoes but at different times so you have a constant supply of tomatoes coming off the vines. I also plant early producers like the Early Girl and mid to late producers. I hedge my bet my also putting in a more heat resistant tomato like the Celebrity or Solar Set. If I plant a grape or cherry tomato, I do have my favorites. I LOVE the TAMI-G Grape tomato. This is a wonderful producer that will fill your bucket all summer long. If I am planting a cherry tomato, it will be the Husky Cherry Red.

A well balanced choice of plants will ensure a more successful tomato production and keep you and your friends happy until the first freeze.

2011 Garden YEAH!!!

2011-03-22T16:46:00.006-04:00

Well it is that time of year again. Ready? Some folks have been asking me why my tomatos grow so large and produce such huge harvest each year. Hummm I don't know. What I do know I will share now. A tomato plant is like a factory, a tropical factory to be sure. It needs only three things. HEAT, FOOD and WATER

The biggest mistake people make when planting tomatoes is they fail to bury the plant deep enough. A tomato plant needs to be buried with at least 2/3 of the plant in the ground. Do not pull the leaves off. This creates a larger root system and assist your tomato factory produce larger plants and more tomatoes. The FOOD I use is Berger BM-7 it contains peat moss, composted pine bark, calcitic & dolomitic limes, perlite and Canadian sphagnum. The peat moss makes up about 65% of the mixture. Berger 1-903-945-5403. I add to this cow manure, about 20 lbs. per pot.

Next HEAT I use 27 1/2 gal. blue plastic barrels. These are 55 gal. plastic barrels cut in half. I use a magic marker and a yard stick and make dots. I then connect the dots and use a circular saw to cut the barrel in half. Black barrels get too hot and you have to water too often and white barrels don't get hot enough. Blue barrels are the ticket.

Lastly, WATER I collect and use rain water. I am not sure how much this helps but I believe the taste is imporved. Maybe not.

Well now you know what I know. Best of luck with your tomatoes. Jerry Beare

Winter Garden II

2011-01-18T22:49:00.002-05:00

We do not get much snow in this part of Texas. This snow stayed on the ground about a week. Very unusual...

Winter Garden

2011-01-18T22:44:00.003-05:00

I planted Crimson Cover and it has survived the last snow as shown in this photo.

Aphid and Ladybug

2010-07-21T15:33:00.002-04:00

Appears this ladybug is having an aphid breakfast. I suppose having ladybugs in a garden is a good thing.

Aphids (in a friend's garden)

2010-07-21T15:19:00.004-04:00

I was visiting a friend's garden and he had a problem with aphids. He allowed me to take a photo or two.

Unusual attacks on garden 2010

2010-07-15T00:29:00.002-04:00

Everything that goes wrong in my garden is my fault one way or another. I take full responsibility. Now here is a new one for the books.

On the other side of my fence is an open field. No harm in throwing "bad" tomatoes over the fence, one would think. One would be wrong. A few weeks ago something began eating the tomatoes off the vine. Ripe and green tomatoes alike. Some bite marks looked huge. Some tomatoes were totally eaten others only partially. One day my wife said she thought she saw a RAT. I said no-way but set out traps just in case. The first night I bagged three large Norwegian rats. The following nights one each and none since. What I am thinking is they found the ones in the field and came looking for more. Live and learn. I am keeping the traps out until I am sure all of my new tomato fans are gone. And no more tomatoes thrown into the field.

This weekend I am doing something I have never done before. I am pulling up my garden and replanting it. The garden looks soooooooo sad. It is the only thing to do.

Small brown eggs

2010-07-15T00:27:00.003-04:00

Found these small brown eggs on the top side of a squash leaf today. Most likely, these are the eggs of the Leaffooted bugs I have been finding in my garden.

Leaffooted Bug

2010-07-15T00:24:00.002-04:00

These guys show up every year about this time. According to Dr. Mario Villarino they are Leptoglossus or Leaffooted bugs.

Leaffooted nymph

2010-07-15T00:20:00.002-04:00

Here is one of the buggers up close.

Leaffooted nymphs in Tomatoland

2010-07-15T00:15:00.005-04:00

Okay so the Owl, rubber snakes and pinwheels worked. The birds left and stayed away. Good new right? WRONG!!! When the birds left the bugs came. I should have seen that one coming but I didn't. I am posting photos of some of them.

2010 Garden continues to produce

2010-06-22T21:45:00.001-04:00

Great year to backyard garden!

Father's Day gift basket

2010-06-22T21:42:00.001-04:00

Close up of Father's Day basket.

Father's Day Basket 2010

2010-06-22T21:38:00.002-04:00

We picked everything in this basket the night before and the day of, Father's Day and took it to Pat's Dad on Father's Day. What fun!

BHN 602 Garden 2010

2010-06-22T21:32:00.004-04:00

This is an amazing plant. Every bit as big a producer as the Merced was but with larger tomatoes. I never thought anything could be as good as a Merced. I was wrong. The foliage doesn't hold up to the heat as well as the Merced and that may be the only down side.

Yellow Straightneck Squash Garden 2010

2010-06-07T23:48:00.001-04:00

What an amazing year for this garden.

Large Zucchini on scale

2010-06-07T23:47:00.002-04:00

I just thought this was funny.

Jumbo Early Girl Tomato Garden 2010

2010-06-07T23:43:00.002-04:00

Several of the Early Girl tomatoes are growing larger this year. This is the first one picked. It tipped the scales at 18.25 oz.

Zucchini Gone Wild

2010-06-07T23:40:00.002-04:00

This is what happens when you over look zucchini squash for a few days.

Large tomatoes 2010

2010-06-06T21:57:00.001-04:00

(Pat's photo) hummmmmmmmmmmm yummy BLT on the vine...

Dollar used for scale

2010-06-06T21:54:00.002-04:00

It is difficult to demostrate the size of these tomatoes. This may help. (Pat's idea and photo).

Beautiful Squash plants (Pat's photo)

2010-06-06T21:52:00.002-04:00

Different view from the lens and eye of Pat.

Rubber snake protector

2010-06-06T21:49:00.003-04:00

Pat took a better photo of Mr. Green protecting these two tomatoes as they turn red on the vine.

Bonnie Select variety

2010-06-05T19:40:00.002-04:00

This year's Bonnie Select are crazy large. Can't wait to place some on the scales. They are huge!!!

Rubber snakes

2010-06-05T19:38:00.001-04:00

I use a variety of methods to scare off the birds that would otherwise help themselves to the tomatoes. Placing rubber snakes like this green one about the tomatoes that are beginning to ripen, seems to help.

Tall tomatoes

2010-06-05T19:27:00.003-04:00

Some tomato plants from the ground to the top of the plant are over 8 ft. Of greater interest is the fact they are heavy with large tomatoes.

Great year for gardens 2010

2010-06-05T19:19:00.002-04:00

So far (knock on wood) it has been a perfect year to garden here in northeast Texas.

Squash 2010

2010-06-02T21:31:00.002-04:00

In addition to the yearly tomato plants. I have added Yellow Straight-Neck and Zucchini squash to the garden.

2010-06-02T21:29:00.001-04:00

Look close and you will see tomatoes everywhere on these amazing vines!

2010 Looks to be a BANNER YEAR for Gardening

2010-06-02T21:24:00.002-04:00

The vines are heavy with large blimish-free tomatoes. YEA!!!!!!!

Garden 2010

2010-06-02T21:22:00.001-04:00

With so many green leaves it is difficult to get a good photo.

Garden 2010

2010-06-02T21:17:00.002-04:00

This year's garden is made-up of tomatoes and squash. So far it is a banner year. Large green tomatoes everywhere. Some going well over a pound. Squash is producing at a rate hard to keep up with.

Friends of the Garden

2010-05-01T18:46:00.002-04:00

Another friend...

Friends of the Garden

2010-05-01T18:44:00.003-04:00

Thought I would post a photo or two of my garden's friends. They help make my garden a success.

First tomatoes

2010-05-01T18:40:00.002-04:00

As the first tomatoes appear, my leaps with job... hummmmmmm That first BLT isn't far off now... SMILES HUGHLY

Fake tomato

2010-05-01T18:34:00.003-04:00

This is a close-up of the Christmas tree ball used to fake out the birds.

Rat Snake

2010-04-29T14:13:00.002-04:00

While putting somethings up in the loft of my shed, I made a new friend. He did have an attitude. Perhaps I scared away his lunch. Glad to have him around. I took a couple of photos and let him have the run of the place. Much better to have him around than mice or rats.

Spearmint plants

2010-04-29T14:11:00.002-04:00

Pat cut the spearmint down to ground level in the fall. Talk about a come-back...WOW!!!

Garden 2010

2010-04-29T14:04:00.002-04:00

Don't be faked-out by the red Christmas ornaments. They are there to make the Mockingbirds and Cardinals think I am growing fake tomatoes this year. An idea I got from my father-in-law. Don't know if it will work but I have some very frustrated birds in my garden already.

Squash plants are looking healthy.

Garden 2010

2010-04-29T14:01:00.002-04:00

Early Girl tomato plants are growing the fastest of all varieties. They and the Sweet 100 already have tomatoes.

Garden 2010

2010-04-29T13:57:00.002-04:00

Okay so I have been watching too much late night TV. This is my experiment with the hanging tomato plant. Looking good so far but the jury is still out... smiles.

Garden 2010

2010-04-29T13:48:00.003-04:00

The 2010 Garden has more variety than gardens I have planted in the recent past. Although tomatoes are the main crop. (13 varieties), I also planted Yellow Straightneck squash and purple onions. The tomato varieties are: Red Beefsteak, Big Boy, Better Boy, Early Girl, JS2000, Bonnie Select, Sweet 100, Husky Cherry Red, Arkansas Traveler, BHN 602, Celebrity, Ace 55 and Fourth of July. All but the heirloom Ark. T. are hybrid.

10 ft. plus tomato plants

2009-11-29T20:43:00.002-05:00

Again this year the tomato plants responded to the rain water only program. I am
5'9" and as you can see they dwarf me. This plant is a Celebrity. 2009 wasn't a great year for the early crop. However the late crop did very well. I am trying something new this year. I have cut my plants down to ground level and covered them with about 10 inches of hay. I am going to see if the root system can survive the winter. I will let you know how this turns out. I know it is a long shot.

Late November tomatoes

2009-11-29T20:40:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is the last day of November 2009 and fearing a freeze before I will have time to pick the last remaining tomatoes of 2009, I went ahead and picked the last of them. Here they are:

TOMATO WORLD: New Book out

2009-11-22T21:36:00.000-05:00

TOMATO WORLD: New Book outwww.jerrybeare.com

TOMATO WORLD: New Book out

2009-11-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

www.jerrybeare.com

New Book out

2009-11-22T21:23:00.003-05:00

My new book is out and will soon be available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Check out website: www.jerrybeare.com for immediate purchase.

TOMATO WORLD: Lucky Shot

2009-11-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

TOMATO WORLD: Lucky Shot

www.jerrybeare.com

Updates

2009-01-24T21:43:00.006-05:00

Check out the following link: http://www.myairshoes.com

I am still doing photography as a hobby.

2008 Year of the Tomato

2008-06-19T10:38:00.001-04:00

This year has been a perfect year for tomatoes. Finally after two bad years we are rewarded for hanging in there.

2008-05-04T15:27:00.002-04:00

Planted 2008 garden the 21st and 30th of March.Recieved minor freeze damage once but didn't lose any plants. So far so good. Plants are health and blossoms are staying on the plants. Plants have great color.

Garden 2008

2008-05-04T15:21:00.002-04:00

The Tomato Garden of 2008 i s off to a good start. This picture was taken May 4th, 2008. I am watering with 100% rainwater. Even though I have been pulling tomatoes to encourage plant development. I have noticed many tomatoes I have missed and may allow them to grow.

Lucky Shot

2007-07-24T12:36:00.001-04:00

I just happened to be standing next to this flower with a camera in hand when it had a visitor...

Payton & flower in her hair.

2007-06-02T16:46:00.000-04:00

Such a cutie...

Payton w/flower

2007-06-02T16:44:00.000-04:00

Hummmmmmmmmmm Smells sweet!

Blackberries II

2007-06-02T16:42:00.000-04:00

Blackberries

2007-06-02T16:39:00.000-04:00

Planted three blackberry plants. One Arapaho and two Apache (all thornless).

Celebrity Gone Wild II

2007-05-29T10:14:00.001-04:00

A closer view.

Celebrity Gone Wild

2007-05-29T10:11:00.000-04:00

I removed the lower leaves with the mold. I see one had a worm visit that I need to pull. This plant has gone wild with its production.

Sweet Cherry Peppers

2007-05-29T10:09:00.000-04:00

Still growing...

Martinless Martin House

2007-05-20T20:26:00.000-04:00

I do not know why no Martin's came to inhabit this nice Martin house I put up for them. I must not have a good location perhaps... I would be a good landlord, I promise... Any Martin's listening?

Jack's Bean Stalk

2007-05-20T20:22:00.000-04:00

Look! Ashley, Tyler, Emily and Andrew it's Jack-In-The-Bean-Stalk's magical bean stalk growing in Pepa's backyard. WOW!!! Should we climb it?

Leaf damage

2007-05-20T20:18:00.000-04:00

On this Celebrity the bottom the leaf damage is visable but the plant is loaded with tomatoes. I may be over-watering. I will sumit a photo to Dave's Garden and let the folks there tell me what it happening.

Big/Little

2007-05-20T20:16:00.000-04:00

Big tomatoes on a little plant. Not sure what is going on here but the tomatoes look healthy.

Sweet Cherry Peppers

2007-05-20T20:13:00.000-04:00

Although they are still green, these are Sweet Cherry peppers. I am growing them on my swimming pool deck in pots.

JS 2000 turning red

2007-05-20T20:09:00.000-04:00

This is a JS2000 and it is coming on strong. Looking to be the first large tomato to ripen in the '07 garden. (Beating the Early Girls) hummmm...

Grape Tomatoes

2007-05-20T20:06:00.000-04:00

These are not the first grape tomatoes to ripen but they are the first I thought to take a picture of on the way to my mouth.