I just ripped all my watermelon plants up to plant purple hull we went this weekend to a local farm that grows purple hull they went from $20 last year to $55 a bushel unshelled
I'm planting my watermelons on an arched cattle panel trellis this year, somehow I got confused at planting thinking I was planting sugar baby (smaller icebox size) turns out I planted black diamonds. Wish me luck on the bird netting sling hammocks being able to hold them up from falling!
I planted some Jubilee and Black Diamond Watermelons, Keep ground clean out until starting to run, installed my Straw Hay around the hills, my first Diamond was 37.5 lbs ,but it was red with White mixed inside. The Tendril was brown, so I am going to start also using the broom Straw Test also. And most of the Jubilee are rotten.
If you will till the vines 12 inches from the main plant on Both side on the old plants after you are thru harvesting the melons, basically pruning the vines off. Then turn the water on the plants and re fertilizer the plants you can be picking from them again within 45 days. I do it every year. The second crop will not be as many or as big but there will be plenty eatable melons.
Now that's how to eat a tomato, I'm still smiling at ta ta making that face in the camera 🤣. He's like my youngest grandson, never know what he gonna do or say, boys will be boys🙂. ✌🏻
Hi, Travis. Yup! I hear ya! If a little is good... a LOT is better. 🤪 Good luck with the Bradford watermelons! It breaks my heart when varieties disappear. Got my hands on 8 seeds for a variety called Navajo Winter. They all germinated, Keeping my fingers crossed that they produce fruit before we get our first frost (usually October 9-13). Best wishes, Kate in Olympia, WA - 7/8/2022
Travis, I just can't watch garden videos right now. I'm in south Texas, without rain, we aren't able to harvest anything. I got maybe like 10 peppers and 5 sun gold tomatoes. Nothing else has survived. I'm really glad you and the other homesteads are able to harvest, but just be grateful you are getting something. Instead of wanting a bigger tomato. We haven't harvest not 1 slicing tomato, cucumber, or even 1 bean. My luffa plants even died and the Sunflowers never grew. I do hope you continue to harvest your garden. Blessings!
@@LazyDogFarmThanks, us too. Now that my emotional state has passed, last year we had a better growing season during October November and December. We are going to reseed everything in September. So for anyone in our situation, maybe they need to change their growing season. That's what we are trying this year. I am glad you are getting a harvest. Blessings
I am jealous of your afternoon rain fall, we called them "Sea brezee Thunderstorms" growing up here in Southeast Texas , but this year a BIG ZERO on rain and this is shaping up to be far worse that the 2011 drought , at least in my opinion we can't buy a drop of rain here in my area (30 miles inland from the Gulf )!
Are you saying that water falls from the sky every afternoon? I have a vague memory of that from long ago. Quote Coco Chanel to Brooklyn. "If I can't have too much, then I don't want any". Since the flavor of watermelon is generally a function of its sugar content, I'd be interested in you trialing the varieties against one another with a Brix meter. Easy and fun. I'm very confident in your Fall watermelon ambitions. Your system using Azera, liquid copper and Complete Disease Control in rotation is a very solid organic IPM program
It rained today like nothing I've ever seen down here. Ditches were overflowing into the yard for a few minutes there. Good idea on the brix test. I need to get one of those devices to test it.
I just love seeing ty eating a whole tomato straight from the garden. I hope that my grandkids will be like that. So far they love trying stuff that they pick from the garden.
Those tomatoes look tasty! I really liked the part where you talked about your wife questioning the amount of watermelons planted, oh that voice of reason! Please send some of that rain up here, we are dry! Klaus
You are so funny! "Hiney high"!! You have a great little taste tester/helper there! Let the wife know that you have the neighbors ducks to support with water melons. :)
Save the seeds from the turkey creek ones.. I’d love to find something like that. I prefer tomatoes with a good bit of acidity… To me, that’s the true old-fashioned tomato flavor
If it was my corn plot, I would spray glyphosate in between the corn rows, then chop and drop the stalks and set out watermelon seedlings no-till with a trowel.
Love seeing your little man. He's all boy! The late season watermelon trick used to be a method old timers employed to get triple the normal watermelon prices in October. I just planted late season okra and I will be planting late season watermelon and honeydews. I don't have a pest problem now because 90% of my garden is peppers and tomatoes, so a weekly spraying of 2 aspirin in a gallon of water tends to work. I do a tbsp of Dawn to 1 gal. water for contact pest control "as needed." Now pests are getting worse, I may start doing a 50/50 milk/water spray. The lactoferrin kills powdery mildew and fungus same as the Dawn spray, but the milk spray also gives long-term protection from bugs without having to kill on contact.
I really hope you get a Bradford watermelon. I have tried for 3 years to get one to grow. My bug pressure is so high I don't get them to survive to harvest. I really love heirloom varieties. They are supposed to be one of the sweetest varieties.
If you can get your hands on 'Legacy' watermelon they are extremely sweet at Brix 10 (if memory is correct). So sweet that they'll put me to sleep after eating it.
Everyone wants sweet melons have you ever thought about trying to plant maybe one row and try some sugar water to them . I know it will change the character of the melons. You thank doing that the sugar may rot or kill the plant or do thank it may work. Glad to see you getting back healthy and enjoy your videos. Good to have Young taster’s it easy to tell if things are good or not 😂 have a great day and good luck with the melons
How do you know that the sugars are actually absorbed by the plant? Just because it's in the water doesn't mean it gets into the plant. Just my initial thoughts on the idea ...
@@LazyDogFarm true I was thanking if you feed different fertilizer though it and the plants take it the plants would absorb it and take it to the melons. You like to try different things just thought I throw that out there. Keep the videos coming. I’m try to learn more about crop rotation and what not to plant or what to plant in with each other. Thanks for responding and looks like you recovering good you and stay safe
I’m down here in Georgia too and I’ve go disease pressure… but I planted a ton more flowers this year and I’ve definitely seen an improvement from last year! I’m also out in the yard every day hunting the adult bugs! 🤪
I commented a couple weeks ago about wishing for some rain and I’m still wishing it will always blow in from Tennessee through north ga and go right around us then head down to y’all . It’s rediculous I got grass in the yard impossible to kill that is browning out
They didn't perform very well being planted in the fall. I get better performance from the hybrid watermelon varieties, and they taste just as good to me.
how much water do you use at your farm? you must have a really productive well to keep up! I can run my well dry in just an hour running my hose I always wondered how you do it? been watching your channel every day I love it
Until we started getting some rain, we used a lot. I was running irrigation from two spigots, 24/7 for about a week and a half there. We do have a good well though.
I got some Bradford seeds this year at the Sow True Seeds store in Asheville. I'm a zone cooler than you, so I'm afraid it might be too late for this year, but I'm so excited to try them next year! Thanks for shining a spotlight on this strain.
Travis great video, I like seeing you and Titus eating tomatoes whole without peeling it. Ashley says the same thing to me about tomatoes and peppers ( why you got to plant so many). Those chocolate hobs are one of my favorite and I think I still have some left over transplants along with some chocolate ghost. I didn't need them all because I over wintered some. That turkey creek would be good for canning with it's acidity. I read the reason they recommend adding citric acid or lemon juice when canning is because the variety's of tomatoes grown now are sweeter. That turkey creek must be an old variety.
I've been looking through your other videos but did not find how your watermelons turned out. How were the Bradford watermelons? They are on my list to grow this year (as well as Cracker Jack thanks to you) and wondering if I should grow a few or grow them all!
They were just okay. I like the hybrid watermelons better because they're more productive and more consistent. Haven't ever had great experiences with the older, heirloom varieties.
If your Ali Baba turn out even half as many as mine does. You better set up a road-side strand to sell the excess. 😎The picture I sent you of mine piled high on my Gator was from only 8 plants. I had melons for a few months and gave away several. I stored them packed inside hay in our barn until it got so cold it got to them.
Hey just tell the wife your using the watermelon plants a cover crop! got to keep the weeds out! lol Ive got two (plants) for late watermelons... I got to get out... Ty didn't want to miss a bite of that tomato! I like the acidic tomatoes. I enjoy seeing people involve their kids in growing food!
Yeah I grew it two years ago. They make massive watermelons, but take forever to get ripe. It's more of a fun thing to grow. I wouldn't really count on them for an abundant harvest.
Ty Ty cracked me up looking in the camera making his face. Tell ya wife ya have to plant a large selection to try the fall watermelons so we can have the knowledge if it does good
Bradford is a very good watermelon. I think it needs selective seed saving. It was very inconsistent and had a lot of culls. For me, the Charleston Gray and Crimson Sweet I grew along side them were much more consistent and sweeter. Another old South Carolina variety is White Stoney Mountain. Southern Exposure seeds sells it as Odell's Large White. My Father in law touted it as unmatchable back in the 1950s but he could never find seeds when I knew him. I found the seed a few years after he passed and planted them. They too were inconsistent with lots of culls. Bradford was better to me. However, White Stoney Mountain has a very thick rind that is perfect for pickling. Don't let it fool you though. The rind may be thick but they were fragile and had to be handled with care. They weren't bred for shipping. LOL
@@LazyDogFarm I think the main reason many of the older varieties are inconsistent is because of the seed producers. Farmers that grew those varieties back when they were popular saved seed from their best melons. A farmer might eventually produce by seed selection a better, more consistent strain of the variety. Historical newspaper adds and articles confirm that seeds of improved varieties were in high demand. Hercules cowpea is a good example. I've planted it from the first year the seed was offered. The seed was consistent until around the year 2,000 or so. That's when I started noticing odd growing plants, hull colors, and different seed shapes and sizes. I noticed many years the seeds weren't available because of "crop failures". ???? I like Hercules enough that I decided to see if I could improve it. In just two years of selection the plants and hulls seem very uniform this year.
Good morning Lazy Dog Farm. I might try this - extending the watermelon harvest into the fall. Meanwhile, the sun's up and I got a hard day of work ahead. Ask any farmer. With all the TV commercials showing people with their freshly laundered clothing shoved in their faces inhaling them as if fresh fabric were some kind of intoxicant, and dancing around their washers and dryers, we've lost sight of the importance of the soil. My favorite method of maintaining a sustainable pantry and stockpiling items long term for the whole family and the family dog and the family cat is what I consider to be the most practical, utilizing every type of food storage methods and technology available, both old and new. . Except for the fruits and vegetables that get canned, I keep perishable items like meat, poultry, fish, fruit, vegetables and dairy products in the refrigerator on a short term basis until I'm ready to use them for a big family meal - and for even longer term sustainable storage, a large separate freezer, which can store a half side of beef with plenty of room left over for homemade ice cream etc. . I'm considering upgrading to a walk-in freezer at some point.in the near future, if my plans to open a bed and breakfast come to fruition. Sometimes, however a nice round of cheese can do well for quite awhile on a pantry shelf at room temperature - and doesn't mind even if it has to stand there alone. Store bought canned goods get shelves.in the large pantry closet - several for canned meat like corned beef hash, spam and sandwich spread and another for canned vegetables Bread, rolls, grains, homemade pasta, cereals and the like are stored in special humidity controlled bins I order from Amazon Prime - which usually get delivered to my doorstep about an hour after I order them. . Stuff from the family garden and orchard, like onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, cucumber, pumpkins, carrots, corn celery,, potatoes and yams, cherries, blueberries and strawberries get canned in Mason Jars and stored in the cool, root cellar of this wonderful rambling former farmhouse (circa 1867) I share with my extended blended family and several rambunctious dogs raised on table scraps from the some of the finest food from a plethora of sources both commercial and home based. . There's even a special separate "summer kitchen" which I converted to store butter and ice cream churns, pots, pans, utensils, extra storage containers, foil, bags, cutlery, and other meal related accoutrement. Out back in the woods, just beyond the big pile of wood I maintain all year, (for use in an antique woodstove I keep on hand, in case the power goes out) there's even an old rusting vintage still where my great grandfather made some of the finest corn whiskey for miles. Next to it is the rusting hulk of the Ford Model A he used to transport that powerful hootch by the light of the moon on soft summer nights to his eager customers in a tri-county area. Further into this verdant forest of mostly sycamore, oak, pine and scrub, runs a cool stream into which I occasionally cast a rod or net to catch some Brook Trout, Bluntnose Shiners, or whatever takes the bait (just earthworms for the most part). And yes, hunting season means wild turkey, deer, and even an occasional wild boar. Next week, I'm planning on filing for a permit to 3-D print a smokehouse in order to be able to create gourmet artisan handcrafted, beef, bacon, turkey, and beef stick jerky, which interested local merchants can private label for other people to share with their families and their family dogs. Unfortunately, i had to break the bad news to my free range hens today that due to expected egg shortages regretfully numbered are their days of laying a couple of eggs and then basically taking the rest of the day off with ranging privileges' within the parameters of a few very nice rural acres - parts of which are rich with fat grubworms. There's even a short dirt road between the main barn and the farmhouse which they're free to cross to get to the other side as often as they'd like. My rooster Ben overheard me and he ain't too happy either, knowing full well that due to oncoming egg shortages, he'll be "workin' overtime to make sure there's plenty of eggs for me an the family.
I'm looking forward to watching you all cut a Alibaba melon, super crisp melon.. Probably best red melon all the way around..... The Diablo Red melon may be the sweetest red melon I ever tasted but since covid the seeds have not been available... If you get a chance to try a Diablo melon please try it, you won't regret it... Some Diablo gets to 40lbs... Great show, have a great day....
Spraying liquid copper on days where temps are +/- 90 degrees and above has not worked out well for me on most any vegetable plants ... even when using less than directions recommend. Have you ever experienced this? I've read many articles urging caution when higher temps are present and some even say don't do it. What are your thoughts on this? ALSO, do you use a surfactant / spreader with your liquid copper? This also has not worked out well for me. Thanks Travis !
Tim, copper-based fungicides can be problematic on some plant species at these higher temperatures through phytotoxicity. I was able to fry about half my Asian melon plants in a hoop house during an early warm spell. Field tomatoes and cucurbits were unaffected. I used Bonide Liquid Copper which is the same formulation as Bayer Cueva and the lowest percentage of actual copper of any brand. Good fungicide for cooler weather. During the heat of summer, I have moved to the bio-fungicide b. amyloliquifasciens D747 which is marketed as Monterey Complete Disease Control (which Travis uses) or Bonide Revitalize which I use. Haven't had any phytotoxicity issues since and have virtually no diseases present, knock on wood. I use Bonide Turbo sticker/spreader adjuvant also and without any ill effects. Pretty sure Travis doesn't use adjuvants.
Bubby might have another farm stand opportunity with all those watermelons. That small tomato was supposed to be yours, Travis. 😀 You can save the seeds from that turkey Creek tomato for growing it next year. *Question:* Have you grown Amish Paste tomato? I'm growing 3 of them for the 1st time. All 3 look a bit sickly but they grow like crazy but not really producing that many tomatoes. The San Marzano (my go to paste tomato) right next to them, are growing fine and producing a bunch of tomatoes like they always do for me.
I have grown Amish Paste. It's one of the least impressive Roma varieties IMO. So many better options out there as far as production and disease-resistance.
@@LazyDogFarm Thanks Travis. I have been checking with our people to see if it was just me this year. 😃 It's definitely a variety I will not grow again.
The peach ones are our favorite here! How’d you like the fuzz that’s on them, it’s pretty cool!! That’s a really nice looking Giant Mater!! That’s a big zac lineage so you can still pull out a win with that rascal but please cover it 😂😂😂. I think you’ll do good growing the watermelons into fall. I think you may have a better harvest!
@@LazyDogFarm it’s a dandy for sure! I’m excited to see how big it gets, hopefully you’ll grow a state record!! Probably going to need to hammock it as well!!
Get that cute little boy a hair cut dad. Talk about a good mater sandwich that turkey creek was the bomb. I ate my first ripe maters today with fresh cukes in a salad. I'm going to try to find some of the turkey creek for next year.
I'll be interested to see how those Bradfords turn out. My go to watermelon is still the crimson sweet, still the sweetest, easiest growing melon I've found. We only get one go around here in zone 4a, although last year, my watermelons made fruit, left them growing and got a second batch from the same plants late in the season. I always have good luck with watermelons, but have issues with canteloupe, which I love. I have some canteloupes looking really good right now and hope I get some good ones this year. For whatever reason, I have had really low bug pressure this year, so I'm sure that's helping. Not a cucumber beetle in sight. I did have a nasty run of potato beetles earlier, but have kept on picking them off and think I won the battle there, potatoes looking awesome. I love it that you guys keep trying different things and sharing that with all of us. Keep up the good work!
Excellent planning for a Fall H2Omelon crop!! Heard gr8 things bout those Bradfords!! My melon patch was a bust here in 9b, so 1st time planting Sorghum sudan grass on this sand plot to improve it. If I recall correctly, you pull up ur drip tape before planting that particular cover crop right?
Travis, I grew that Bradford watermelon along side 30 other varieties last year (I'm in zone 5b here in Michigan)... It was one of our favorites of all time. Excellent watermelon. I can't wait to see how they do for you.
Short corn I planted bodacious and Yellowstone both type got to about 5 ft High. But they both had very good ears some too good ears explain that. Back when I could get it I planted Merit it grew about 7 ft tall and I like the type e a r It produced. It would seem Merit is no more!
I think you talked about the square tomato cages but if you don't mind let me know where you got em or ordered from. Need to replace my world out ones for next spring.
@@LazyDogFarm thank you so much my friend! That boy is growing. Mine was that age yesterday and today 18 and just graduated high school with honors! You hear everyone saying oh they grow up so fast and you don't think much about it but they know what they are saying!
Ours were a pale red and not sweet at all. Some people did make pickles from the rine and that was pretty good. We grow hundreds for our maket sales and people did not like as well either. Our customers and me also love the Sangria so we stick with that now.
@@LazyDogFarm Actually, it really looks like Okinawan Spinach to me... Green on top and Purple on bottom. And yes, if that's what it is, then it's very nice. It's very similar to Longevity Spinach (which is fully green, no purple), but I like the Okinawan one more in the taste department. They both grow very well in the hot summertime and take very well to being cut and come again cropped. Each branch will root very easily like a tomato plant does in water for fast and simple propagation.
Are you still working with your dad at Hoss Tools? On another topic, I would appreciate if you would list information mentioned in your video's "show more" section with links to some of the products you're using. For example Azera. I'm struggling to control pest in my collards with Neem oil and the other insecticides sold through Hoss. I've had to result to some of the labeled pesticides (poison) we used in our tobacco operation to gain control. We just have to wait to harvest for a period of time.
I'm not. I resigned from there in early 2021. We do put a bunch of links in the description of every video. We also have a "LDF Approved" section on our website at lazydogfarm.com
I have had many of my alibaba watermelon get end rot. So I have not had one that is fully ripe but it is kinda like Charleston gray. Do you agree? Or is it different when you get a fully rip alibaba? Also I gave it calcium nitrate. What else does it need to not get the rotten end spot? My Charleston greys did no have the same problem.
I haven't harvested any of the Alibaba melons yet, so not sure. It could be that the plants are having a hard time getting the calcium, not necessarily that the calcium isn't there.
@@dand7056 Good question. Supposedly having a regular watering schedule and plenty of organic matter in your soils help. Seems like I have much less blossom end rot since I stopped using the blue stuff.
We spray it late in the evenings or at night once the bees go to bed. I've sprayed it directly on produce a day prior to harvesting and haven't noticed any differences in taste.
Travis Our tomato leaf curled bad this year and the horn worm have worked over time. What do you use to combat horn worm? Seems anything done to the plants once they are in bloom knocks off the bud. Any advice is welcome. Thanks; your fan club!
Bt spray or Dipel Dust (same thing I found out) works really well but you have to keep applying it from when you plant. Once a week or so. Just have to stay on top of it.
The best way to get rid of tomato hornworms is to get a black light flashlight, go out at night and shine it on your plants. Those things will light up and you can just pick them off. You can google it to see more about it and pics.
Them chickens would enjoy some of them watermelons, mine do, and it's good for them, but since yours are in a chicken tractor, once they have had their fill, I would move the tractor away from where ever any melon or juice fell on the ground, because it will attract fire ants! So give the a little treat of it then, move the tractor! My chickens are so funny, now that they know how good watermelons are will holler, squack and pace their run until I give them a quarter or half a melon! Summertime melons are the best in more ways than one! I think your late planting will do well as long as your don't have too many downpours!
