2007 Elkus Ranch Demo Tomato Trials: We purchased 4” pots from Baia Nicchia, and planted May 6, 2007. The purpose was to see what grew best on the inland coastside (Zone 17).
We planted 8 types of tomatoes (Supersweet 100, Green Grape, Maglia Rose, Spike, Purple Cherokee, One, Sungold and Austin’s Yellow Pear.
Our favorites were: Supersweet 100, Purple Cherokee and Sungold.
We had no pest problems except for the raccoons eating the Purple Cherokee.
Click on the 'Tomato Trials' link below to see all the details of the trial.
2007 Elkus Ranch Basil Trials: Seeds were sown mid-May, planted in the ground on June 3, 2007. The purpose was to see what grew best on the inland coastside (Zone 17)
We planted 11 varieties: Lemon, Lime, Cinnamon, O.b. minimum, Narfur, Green Ruffles, Purple Ruffles, O.b. Piccolo, Genovese Sweet, African Blue, Holy Basil (Tulsi). The basils that struggled were: Green Ruffles, O.b. Piccolo, Holy Basil.
Our favorites: O.b. minimum, Narfur, O.b. Piccolo, Genovese Sweet.
Click on the 'Basil Trials' link below to see all the details of the trial.
Soil Solarization:
Two beds of raspberries were planted at the Elkus demonstration garden and they were too successful! The roots and plants soon filled the beds and beyond. The decision was made to take them out without hours of digging or using herbicide. Soil solarization was the answer. In mid July 2008 one bed was covered with clear plastic. In April 2008 we pulled off the plastic and found the soil to be quite pliable and we found only ONE tiny weed near the corner. Now we are in a second phase of solarizing another raspberry bed, however, we made an error! Solarizing should only begin in mid-summer, when the sun is at its peak. We solarized this bed in winter and had a very nice crop of weeds underneath; it looked like a greenhouse and we were afraid it would break the plastic. But, now we can see the berries dying.