Curiosity getting the better of me, I decided to try growing an upside down tomato plant, and being frugal, I made a planter out of a five gallon bucket It isn't as fancy, but why spend $20 if you have the parts?.

It has been outside for two weeks now, and is getting stronger, but there is one thing that I noticed; The main stem/stalk/trunk of the plant has started growing up, and I am assuming that after it sets fruit and they begin to grow, the stalk will grow downwards.

Which leads me to this thought/questions:
If the stalk is growing up, even though it is facing down, are the roots growing down, even though they are facing up??? Sounds almost like a paradox.

Would this add stress to the plant?

I also decided to put it up on an old pool deck, so if it starts to really grow I'll have enough support to just drape, and tie it around the deck.

As an ongoing project I'll update on an irregular schedule, maybe every two weeks.

Subject is a "Better Boy" started 042809........KUXJ

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KUXJ

Hi! Everyone

News from the Bucket (nftb), August 28th, 2009 ~ Vol. I ~ Edition XVI:

My apologies on missing nftb the last two weeks, I know how it is when you get used to something, and then it doesn't happen. More 'bout that later.

To be perfectly honest the last two weeks have been kind of a blur, especially from the 14th to the 22nd. BB and Anak BB have had to pretty much fend for themselves.

Not much rain to speak of 'bout a half inch or so here and at KCXY, but showers, and T-storms for the weekend. POP 100% into tomorrow morning, then 50% till Sunday afternoon. Total accumulation up to 1.25”

Anak has had a better go of it than BB (see pix) because his requirements are not as demanding as BB's.

Anak should go into a larger container that I would like to see carry over thru winter, BB has 22 green toms in varying sizes that I'll either fry up with jimjoseph's recipe or try to ripen as per Grandma's technique.

JD those pixs of your bounty look wonderful, I hope to match you for next year, and it sure looks like you had a blast during your Oregon trip.

B, my apologies on my off the cuff remark. It looks better on the pix. You have to add 3" for the ruler case to the 11 to make 14" tall for Anak.

Now........


For 'bout the last six months I have been struggling with a physical problem that I have gone to four different Doctors to figure out.

Why, after I work I end up all tired, and fatigued with total muscular and skeletal pain for the next three days. I got so tired I didn't even want to sleep. The fatigue would go away, but I continued to have the pain.

Finally, in late July, a breakthrough in finding out my Creatine kinase levels were high. At the beginning of August I received a preliminary diagnoses of having polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). I was started on low levels of prednisone, that is helping, but that was wrecking havoc with the other maintenance meds I was taking, until we got that adjusted it was a bit of a rough go for me. That, coupled with a first anniversary of a traumatic experience I had back on August 14, 2008 sent me over the edge, and I shutdown for the last two weeks.

In the interim I have also been to the Dentist to extract a broken tooth, and a neurologist for a sleep study, because of my circadian rhythm being off from working nights for the last 32 years, and then retiring, and joining the ranks of “day people” My next Doctors visit will be on the 14th of September to a Rheumatologist to verify/clarify the PMR diagnoses.

I would like to now take the time, to personally thank Ben, Shelly, and Deb for their kindness and understanding during a difficult time in my life.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm making Ham and garden green beans for dinner.
The Ham's roasting on the barby, and the beans and potatoes are from my good neighbor Casey.


Hope to see Ya 'round the compost pile!
k

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Just Dahlia

WELL, it's about time you got around to looking at my pictures! I was just about to chastize you

Hope everything turns out OK and who are Shelly and Deb? or wait! I REALLY just realized who they were How funny, I need to get a life.

binx44

hope it all starts going on the up and up for you K... I"m glad they are figuring out what is wrong with you.. it must of been rough... we're alwyas here for you.. you know it ... Anak is doing nicely... BB too by the sounds of it.. bet them toms are YUMMY

JD.. i looked too.. at your pics that is haha



Just a NOTE:::::

i have been here on and off lately... see my new posts (pets, dogs) since there is a new edition to the family. and if it all goes well we will be keeping him

KUXJ

Thank you, b. Half the battle is knowing what is wrong, and then developing a plan to understand and live with it. I'd like to overwinter 'em both. Sure are! Had one last night in my taco salad

k



eddie was wonderin' where you were........

binx44

And i bet it tasted awesome in your taco salad.. now that you've said that.. is the recipie for taco salad using your garden toms in the recipies in the garden section? if so i'm so going to try it... so when you winter them you keep'm in a greenhouse right? or do you not get snow like i do?

When repotting a plant.. should you use 100% new soil or should you leave the large ammount that sticks to the roots....


Sometimes living with it is harder than knowing what is wrong.. i wish you the best and i want you to know... you know where i am if you need anything.. just because i'll be in college doesnt mean i wont be here on the forum.. where else would i go to spread my new found knowledge

KUXJ

Ummm....not yet We have a small sun porch. We have this unique micro-climate here in Central Pa. It has to be a really strong front to affect us from the West. In my 58years, our worst Alberta clipper was 5". The worst damage we receive is from systems that come outta' the Gulf of Mexico, and up the East coast....Blizzards of '93...'95. Our avg. is 35inches, last year 15.5"

I've always tried to disturb the root system as little as possible, so I leave whatever comes along.

Knowing. That if your plant is "root bound" one may have to make adjustments in the size of the new pot, carefully relax, and untangle the roots, and if the plant is suffering from nematodes, they will have to be trimmed.
If you know your compost/soil is disease free it is perfectly fine to use that.

Thank You again b,....What's that, eddie?.....b... eddie sez he'll be makin' up some test questions just for you.

k

KUXJ

Hi! Everyone

News from the Bucket (nftb), September 4th, 2009 ~ Vol. I ~ Edition XVII:

That chance for showers I talked 'bout last week, ended up makin' for a dreary Friday into Saturday morning, but since then, sunny all week with temps in the upper 70's to low 80's. Lows in the mid to lower 50's, as a matter of fact we made our first below on 50 reading August 31st at BBX. 47°.

Officially at KCXY it dropped to 55 KCXY is 9miles away, and 100' closer to sea-level.

Rainfall for the week at BBX 0.93” ~ KCXY 1.27”
Next slight chance of rain 10% Wednesday into Thursday

BB's getting his second wind, and is starting to produce flowers again, not sure how I'm going to tell the DW 'bout bringing BB indoors. Still have 'bout 16 toms on him.

Anak still doin' real well, fruit is getting larger and he has a nice deep tom green color. Just found a larger pot to transplant Anak, so he'll be moving today.

I have one of my projects next to Anak (see pix). I want eddie to drop one of these off to all my friends houses on his Christmas Eve route, but eddie sez he doesn't want to be held liable for the broken glass.......Hey eddie!...How ya coming with the little parachutes?.... He's over there at the work bench mumbling somethin'...eddie is that your I.Q.?

Lucked into havin' two lawn tractors givin to me, these past weeks. Will have the craftsman 18h 42cut for keeps, I'll sell the Amftrac 1414 14h 42cut maybe next year. Getting' that time of the year here, be soon thinking 'bout puttin' the plow on the craftsman, do have some grading to try it out on in case it doesn't snow..The craft's a step up from my Toro 12h 38cut, shaved an hour off my mow time, and the yard almost looks like a golf green.

That vertical frame is the 14 when it was in tear-down, clean-up, re-paint mode, its 'bout half re-built. Hope to have pix next week.

Missed on getting pix of a fawn and its mother feeding this morning, maybe later in the week....Stay tuned!

Health is hangin' in there, but my sleep took a beatin' in the last several days, still getting' 'bout 6 to 7 hrs. a night, but it backed-up to 9-10pm to 4am, all edt times.

Have a happy and safe Labor Day in America, Independence Day in Brazil, and Victory Day in Mozambique.




See Ya 'round the compost pile!
k

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Just Dahlia

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!
I have three days to myself as DH is in Chicago. I have already started digging up part of the front lawn and I have 3 days to go. I LOVE it!!

Hope you are feeling better and in a week we can find out what the Doc says.

KUXJ

Thanks JD, Ya'll be the second persons to find out...DW comes first.

Ahhh....I'm afraid to ask..."digging up part of the front lawn"?....whatcha' plantin'?

k

Just Dahlia

My DH is convinced that the green lawn is grass. (such a silly man)
It is sculptured and where he tends to water "A lot" to get that 'grass growing' I have dug up to replace with other plants that I can move around. I can't do it when he is home because he feels he needs to help and he can't. I try to do major and minor changes when he is gone, he is happy with the results and doesn't feel bad about not contributing in the work.

Maybe I'll take a before and after picture.