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| Hi there. And happy 2014 grow season to all. Let us talk here in this thread about "your" HOW, WHAT WHENS, dos and don'ts. Never mind others; Just explain, if you will your method for a successful tomato gardening. There are plenty of threads that are seeking advice and help and those who are offering opinions. But lets just talk about how/what/when you do it. Assume that you are given a chance to write a short article or to give a short speech in front of your "Tomato 101" classmates. Lets start from PLANT OUT: WATERING: I am requesting here that we just talk about what and how we do it and not to make comments about how/what somebody else does, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. You don't have to follow a format. Just talk about your ways, about any of the subjects suggested above, in any order you want. Let's do it. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by carolyn137 z4/5 NY (My Page) on Thu, May 29, 14 at 9:17
| Let us talk here in this thread about "your" HOW, WHAT WHENS, dos and don'ts. &&&&&& So you want to know how I do it MY WAY? I semi-apologize, but not much, but when I think of MY WAY, I think of only one way, and I've linked to it below. Spoiler alert, it's a video. ( smile) Carolyn |
Here is a link that might be useful: My way
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| I grow from seed..have my garden deep plowed and tilled...spread chem fertilizer and fine till. Plant out with about 3ft spacing. Stake with 6 ft oak stakes and sucker to two or three stems. I grow too many to spray but will sometimes use Daconil ona select few. That's about it. I collect suckers and start one of about three varieties on my drive in containers July 1. I have a huge prob with blight. |
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| I grow tomatoes which have been started in a nursery (this year was Bonnie plants). I plant soon after May 15 here in zone 5, and place the plants (6 this year) in a raised bed. I like tomatoes which have excellent taste (and are, maybe sweeter), so this year I planted (2) Bush Goliaths, (2) Brandy Boys, and (2) Mr. Stripeys. This is only my third year growing, so I really haven't hit on a really successful method yet. I try to keep the beds watered and will use some fertilizer from time to time. I haven't been super successful, but I have harvested some tomatoes that I have enjoyed eating more than any other tomatoes I've ever eaten (except maybe fried tomatoes). All in all, ... it's a hoot ... Seyson ... you might want to edit your initial post to advise readers that they might want to skip the first 10-12 posts ... |
This post was edited by aegis500 on Fri, May 30, 14 at 16:06
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| Aegis 500 Thanks for posting your way of growing tomatoes. I have also mostly planted plants that I bought from various nurseries in the past. This year I started mostly from seeds and actually bought 3 plants from nurseries. BTW: I am also growing some kind of STRIPY. I took the seeds from a store bought heirloom tomato. Success is relative. Then you gain it by by experience. And thanks for suggesting to edit my first post. I might just let it go. I am not offended by those negative comments. |
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- Posted by onafixedincome z8-9 CA (My Page) on Sun, Jun 1, 14 at 13:16
| Wow. Folks, your turnaround time from a cool 'whatcha doin' with your maters' post to 'omg how offensive' is spectactular...and not nice to see. On the other hand, those who HAVE posted their methods are very educational for people like me, who have no 'clue' and just toss our tomatoes in the ground each year :). Actually, this year I got dedicated and started PLANTING TOMATOES. Forty nine varieties, yet! Yep, I'm nuts. Now it's time to put them in final containers (about 10gal), so I spend a lot of time mixing soil and transplanting! Soil...hm. Local earthworm soil factory place has compost with 20% worm castings and a fair bit of added goodies, so I start with that. Add about 30% 'Dry Stall', a rock product similar to very small cinders. Add about 20% worm castings from my rabbitry, and a 6" saucer of fertilizer ** , then mix well, check to make sure it's draining correctly, then use. **the fertilizer is a mix of basically every dry amendment that some storage-buyer sold me from a pot-grower's storage unit he bought. Very varied, from bone and bloodmeals to kelp, fish, and bat and seabird guanos. Seems to be well liked by the plants. Results? So far, so good. We'll see how they actually produce here in a while. :) |
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| Like this thread, many things in life are not what they first appear to be. For example, the deer, which last night visited one of my gardens and would convince anyone visiting it today that despite all my claims to the contrary, I believe in aggressively pruning my tomato plants. Dave |
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| hi, Im new here :-) I tried doing a new thread but dont know how to do it. I put a bunch of tomato seeds into one little biodegradable pot. I had them in a baggie with a sunlight lamp and they sprouted so fast, but I have so many in one little pot . how do I move them withut hurting them? can I move them even though they are little ? help!! |
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| OK, here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions and things that have worked for me in growing many, many tomatoes over the years (but not as many as Carolyn or some of the others): For in ground tomatoes, it is usually a good idea to fertilize the plants after fruit has been set with a balanced fertilizer such as 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 or one specifically made for tomatoes. It's often recommended to make the first feeding when the fruit is about one inch in size (smaller if they are cherry tomatoes) at the rate listed on the container your fertilizer comes in. Always keep fertilizer at least 8" from the stem, work it into the soil around the plant, but be careful not to cultivate it too deeply or you may damage and/or burn the roots of your tomatoes. You can repeat feeding every 4-6 weeks through out the growing season. Plants that are grown in any kind of container will need feeding more often than plants that are grown in the ground because each time they are watered, the water run off carries away vital nutrients. Many container growers will use a dilute solution of a liquid fertilizer as often as every week depending on the condition of the plant. Container grown plants don't need drainage substrate in the bottom, and in fact, don't want it. In every growing medium, in the ground, and in potted plantings, there is a level at which the soil's "wicking" ability to suck water upward (think about a paper towel dipped in water) balances the downward gravitational pull. This is called the perched water table. Below the perched water table, the soil is saturated with water, which can suffocate plant roots and encourage root rot. Above this level is usable soil. By adding a gravel substrate, instead of increasing drainage, you're actually moving the perched water table UP in the container, so the plant has even less room to grow. In other words, skip the rocks. Dig down with your finger about 4", is the growing medium wet, dry, or just right? If it is wet, don't water, if dry then water. If it is just right, check again the next day. Water deeply once or twice a week. Watering daily encourages shallow roots which means the plant is affected more by variations in soil moisture. In my garden during the heat of the summer, I water deeply every 4-5 days, early spring I may only water every 8-9 days and when the weather is moderately warm (70-80 degrees F), about once a week. Mulching heavily (to a depth of 6 - 8 inches) with compost, straw, hay, rotted leaves, grass clippings, even shredded paper or sheets of paper or cardboard helps maintain a consistent moisture level. Our favorite tomato expert Carolyn137 wrote an excellent response to a question about Blossom End Rot (BER) and I am quoting it here:
Identifying a tomato variety from a description is nearly impossible since taste is subjective and there can be a great deal of variance in appearance of a variety in different regions due the influence of the myriad of factors in growing tomatoes. And then there are so many tomatoes that look alike, but are definitely different in other ways (flavor, leaf type, growth habit). If an "expert" examined your tomato and the plant it came from, they would be able to tell you if the plant were determinate, semi-determinate, or indeterminate; regular leaf, potato leaf, or rugose; perhaps cherry, paste, heart or beefsteak. But if the "expert" was not told what variety that "big fat juicy tomato" was, there is no way to know. They only way to be relatively sure of what tomato you have, is to obtain seed from a reputable source, start them yourself, make sure you label them and do not mix them up.....and even then it might not be correct. Where you find one hornworm, there are usually more (most of the time the moth will lay a single egg per plant, but not always). They may be small. Check your plants carefully. Pick them off, drop them on the ground and do the "hornworm twist." You can spray with a product containing Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) it is organic, won't harm the beneficial insects and will make the hornworms sick and they die. Be sure to spray the undersides of the leaves where they like to hide. You can also release lady beetles, trichogramma wasps, and lacewings to attack eggs. Parasitic wasps, and braconid wasps attack the worms. Skunks like to eat hornworms, but I don't recommend them as a method of control. ;-) Besides the obvious, by the time the worms are large enough to interest a skunk, they will have done a lot of damage. The best way to tell when a green when ripe (or other than red if you are unsure of when it is ripe) tomato is ready to eat, is to get touchy-feely with it. When you give it a gentle squeeze, it will give some when it is ripe. You might have to experiment a bit to find the amount of "give" that has the best flavor for you. Many peple here on the forum use CRW (Remesh or Concrete Reinforcing Wire.) Our local Lowe's store has a 150' x 5' roll for $120.00 which will make about 24 cages about 23" in diameter. That would mean the cages will cost you about $5.00 each if you don't count your time, blood, sweat, tears, swear words, and blisters. (Heavy gloves, a bolt cutter and a sturdy helper are things that are highly recommended when making CRW cages and not included in the price.) Considering that they should give 15-20 years service, that is a reasonable price. Many people use a rebar stake or two to hold them down in heavy winds. They are however, bulky to store if you don't use zip ties or some method that make them so you can open them for easy stacking. Triangular or square cages out of re-mesh could be done, but you'd get fewer from a roll, maybe 15-20 depending on the size you cut the sides. They would be easy to take apart in the fall and store in a lot less space. If you have a couple dozen plants, CRW cages work well. If however, you have a lotof tomato plants (I have more than 100 plants, I am afraid to count them) then an excellent option is the Florida Weave method of support. I use steel fence posts on the ends and 2"x2" wooden posts between pairs of plants. One year I tried to skimp and put the wooden posts between plants in groups of 3, I won't do that again. I bought a roll of 20,000 feet of baling twine (doesn't stretch much) for under $25.00 several years ago and still have a lot of it left (I gather it up each year and roll it up to reuse when possible, my Scottish granny makes me do it.) I think I paid less than $10 each for my 6 and 8 foot T posts, and about $1.00 to $1.50 for the 2"x2"x8' "furring strips". If 2x4s are on a good sale, I will buy them and rip them down the center with my table saw, so they might be 75¢ or less. I try to paint the bottom two feet or soak them in linseed or tung oil to help prevent rotting, but I don't always do that. Posts that rot get moved to the determinate rows, and then to other uses as they get shorter. I get 3-5 years out of each wooden post and I have been gradually replacing them with new wood posts. If I can pick T-posts up at a farm sale at a good price, I'll use them in the middle of the row if I don't need them elsewhere. Storage space is minimal. Using the Florida Weave has been cost effective for me and I bought a tool as a present to myself that is WONDERFUL for tying up tomato plants (and other things) and saves so much time. It is the Ty 'mup from Johnny's Selected Seeds. A Washington State University Puyallup Research and Extension Center document about Epsom salt myths that in part states There are two reports from over 60 years ago on tomato production. When tomatoes are grown on magnesium deficient soil, a foliar application of Epsom salts can relieve magnesium deficiency in tomato plants; no effect on yield was reported. An automatic application of Epsom salts to plants or soils that are not magnesium deficient is a poor management strategy that can injure the plants and contaminate the soil. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Article that shows perched water tables
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- Posted by PlanterJeff 7B GA (My Page) on Mon, Jun 2, 14 at 13:44
| I honestly am not a huge tomato eater, but I grow four plants every year because I think I am obligated to as gardener. Not to mention they are really fun to grow. I do square foot gardening and space only one per square. I have 2 Big Rainbows, 1 cherry, and 1 bushsteak. I trim the two big rainbows down to one main vine and run them up their own 8 foot steak. I allow the cherry to form two vines at the first flowering level and tie them up their own 8 foot tall steak. The only one I leave alone to a cage is the bushsteak which is a small compact tomatoe. I grow in 7 inch deep mel's mix and fortify with a dose of Jobes granular organic fert prior to planting. After a couple of weeks I sidedress/mulch with about 2 inches of compost. I reapply compost as needed and give them a shot of liquid Doctor earth a few times when I see the plant needs the growth. I planted my transplants on 4/6. right now the two Big Rainbows are around 5-6ft each, the cherry is about 5 feet, and the bushsteak is hovering around 3 feet. The cherry tomato has well over 150 flowers/small tomatoes on it, the bushsteak has about 30 flowers or small tomatoes, and the two big rainbows have about 15 larger flowers each, but still no tomatoes. I gave them another side dressing of Jobes at fruit set since it is low in N. |
This post was edited by PlanterJeff on Mon, Jun 2, 14 at 13:54
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| Lindalana, what does that mean, that tomatoes love sugar? You mean you add sugar to the soil? |
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| Deeby, I have been using molasses and dextrose with my foliar applications like kelp, probiotics like EM from SCD, sea minterals or fish. It seems to be doing very visible positive effect on plants. |
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| Oh ! Thanks. Dumb question: Do molasses and dextrose make tomatoes sweeter? Also, have you ever had perfect but stay green apparently forever tomatoes? We're having long sunny days here but so far no color. The tomatoes are perfect because I bagged each one in little white organza bags. I don't think the white color would filter the sun, but I'm not a tomato expert. Maybe they do? |
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| Deeby, yeah, many organic biological gardeners report increased sweetness as in improved brix numbers. I am not sure it is that simple as pour sugar under your bush to sweeten the tomato, I think one has to have properly build soil with all bacteria, fungi and microbs that utilize sugars and in return bring more nutrients to the plant´s roots but in the end I can see why tomato that gets better nutriens will be sweeter and tastier. Sorry am not following on your tomato colors questions. It takes a while for tomato to turn color after it gets big size. But I do not live in hot climate so things with you might be a bit different. I like the hot sun as we often short on it LOL |
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| Lindalana and Deeby, I've never used molasses as a foliar spray, but I have used an organic fertilizer that is pretty much watered down molasses. It has an NPK value of 1-0-5. I like it because it is low in nitrogen and promotes the overall health of any plant. (Up, down, all around! LOL!) PlanterJeff, (I am jealous of people who got caps when they registered, they wouldn't allow them way back when...) YEP! what are you going to do with a newbie! We will answer your questions and convert you to a tomato fan. (grin) While it seems that many of the people on this forum grow heirlooms, we aren't going to toss you out if you grow hybrids. But most of us will think you are missing out on the fun and satisfaction of growing future generations of your tomatoes (and peppers and other heirlooms & open pollinated veggies and flowers) from seeds that you harvested and saved. Plus there is the fun of trading and collecting seeds (for the first year that may be buying, borrowing or saving from produce purchased at farmer's markets or other placed that carry NAMED heirloom's.) There are always some Before too long you will be SCENE 1: The local coffee shop. SCENE 2: A busy street corner just after last frost. SCENE 3: Months later in a darkened alley. Bets |
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| Bets, ha ha, this is why I host fairly large Chicagoland Plant swap and I grow almost all heirlooms with some rare exceptions like Sunsugar, Sungold and Momotaro... I have distributed this year about 1000 seedlings of tomatoes, sweet peppers and eggplants to ¨unsuspecting¨ bystanders... Also have made display of varied tomato pictures, thanks Tatiana website! because I am tired to explain that there is more to it than red and pink, large and cherry tomato varieties. Since most home gardeners rarely use pesticides on their cukes, tomatoes and peppers am hoping current generation of bees will be happy around the area. |
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| Linda and Bets, thanks, that makes sense. Linda, in about a month I'll be hot and sweaty and cussing and wishing I could MAIL you the hot sun ! |
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- Posted by PlanterJeff 7B GA (My Page) on Tue, Jun 3, 14 at 14:49
| "We will answer your questions and convert you to a tomato fan." I sure hope so! My brother said he is going to make me slice one of my big rainbows this year and eat it with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Apparently this will make me a fan, he says I just need to have a garden fresh slice. Last year I gave away most of my tomatoes and made sauce with the rest. I figure I just need to give them another try! I like the idea of heirlooms too. I just need to start trading or picking up some seedlings from the local farmers market. I still have so many of the cherry and bushsteak seeds left that I may have to continue sporting them for a little while longer:( |
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| Planter Jeff A fresh ripe tomato is a treat!! I remember a story my Dad used to tell, he said he stopped at a restaurant for a little something, and spoke with the waiter. He was not really hungry enough for a meal, but just wanted a snack. The waiter brought him a perfect, ripe tomato on a plate, knife and fork and a salt shaker, and my father said it was wonderful. |
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- Posted by theforgottenone1013 5b/6a MI (My Page) on Tue, Jun 3, 14 at 15:53
| I'm with you, PlanterJeff. I'm not a fan of raw tomatoes. Cooked is fine, sauce is fine, and salsa (cooked/canned salsa) is fine. But raw... it's just not for me. I've tasted tomatoes raw on several occasions and I've truly wanted to like them. Perhaps I'm just not tasting the right ones. So this year I've planted 23 plants of 12 varieties. That's about 7 times the amount of plants I've ever grown before (I've only planted tomatoes 2-3 times and it's been a few years since I last grew them). Maybe, just maybe I'll find one that my tongue agrees with. Rodney |
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| When I was first married, my father allowed me space for a garden on the family farm. I very successfully grew broccoli, Swiss Chard, and tomatoes. There were so many tomatoes that I was able to can 48 quarts off my dozen plants. My dad's favorite varieties (which I would recommend) were Marglobe and Rutgers- old fashioned and dependable. The big deal was great soil and full sun, along with keeping them weed-free. My dad passed away soon after, and I have tried to grow them in my yard- but there is too much shade from neighbor's trees. This year as a last resort, I'm trying gigantic pots with potting soil in the very sunniest spot in my backyard. We will see, hoping for better things this year. BTW, the tomatoes from back in the day were often made into tomato sauce and the Swiss Chard became part of a meat/cheese filling mixture for for homemade ravioli. Good luck! |
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| Lucille, that's my favorite thing-a huge thick slice and eaten with knife and fork like a steak. I have a scoop of cottage cheese with it, sometimes adding chopped green onions to the cottage cheese. Talk about a feast ! |
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| Planter Jeff, I think Big Rainbow is also an heirloom tomato, not a hybrid. I gre it last year. I got some big tomatoes. I personally wasn't that nuts about it, but my son really liked it. I love tomatoes, raw or cooked! But I think I get the most satisfaction watching them germinate then get transplanted and seeing all that beautiful fruit growing! Sharon |
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| I like tomatoes, obviously it shows. That is why I am here and I am growing more than a half of dozen varieties. I like them freshly sliced (got to be juicy), add a bit of salt. Or slice with some garden fresh cucumber, w/salt/pepper ... best salad. Grilling small Roma types with steak, barbeque, Kabob .. Making fresh sauce with spaghetti and other pasta ... I can go on. Ye'all enjoy your garden fruits of labor and love ! |
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- Posted by johns.coastal.patio USDA 10b, Sunset 24 (My Page) on Thu, Jun 5, 14 at 9:43
| This is a funny thing to admit, but as some others above, I don't really like fruits and vegetables as much as I should. I'll eat a slice of tomato as if it were my vitamins. On the other hand ... burritos are my mainstay, and lettuce, tomato, green onion, cilantro, chilies, all make them better. I'm starting to get one (or two) cherry tomatoes every few days, and the two (three!) ripe ones (ha) will go in my breakfast burrito a little later. |
This post was edited by johns.coastal.patio on Thu, Jun 5, 14 at 11:00
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- Posted by PlanterJeff 7B GA (My Page) on Thu, Jun 5, 14 at 10:51
| Sharonie, you are correct. Both my Big rainbow and cherry variety are heirlooms, but my bushsteak is a burpee made hybrid. I am looking forward to trying the big rainbow, but I have read some reviews of people saying they are very bland. Maybe it will help ease me into the whole raw tomato eating. I plan on expanding my garden next year, so I will definitely add some more heirlooms. I live near downtown Atlanta, so my space is very limited. I am going to try some of the purple varieties next year for sure. |
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- Posted by carolyn137 z4/5 NY (My Page) on Thu, Jun 5, 14 at 13:19
| Planter Jeff, it was Dororthy Beiswinger from I think MN who introduced Big Rainbow, a gold/red bicolor, many many years ago. There are way over 200 or so similar varieties, and I've grown about 20 of them. Grow variety A in one season and it can be fruity and delicious. grow the same variety the next season and it can be bland and mealy. So they are very much influenced by environmental conditions. For many years I grew Big Rainbow, but there are other similar bicolors that I think I like better, such as Lucky Cross and Virginian Sweets. Taste is perceptual and personal, so aside from most bicolors being finicky from time to time, just see which ones do best for you. Carolyn |
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| John, what's wrong with that? The beans for the burritos are vegetables. IMO burritos and pizza topped with vegetables are healthy. I make burritos too. They're fast and easy and it's impossible to make a bad one. |
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| Best breakfast ever: huge tomato slices with a side of scrambled eggs Best lunch ever: huge tomato slices with a side of cottage cheese Best dinner ever: huge tomato slices with a side of steak HAHAHA!!!! Oh, I can't wait....... As for the how, etc, we have better luck with a raised bed. The side boards are not quite all the way on the ground (about 1/3 of an inch maybe) for drainage, lined with landscape fabric. We use a good soil-less potting mix and add compost to help feed the worms which then feed the soil. I replenish the potting mix and compost every year before planting. After the plants are in, we put down some landscape fabric and then a nice thick layer of pine bark mulch goes on. Some sturdy stakes and we are all set. I do give the plants some tomato tone after about a month as I figure by then most of the initial nutrients that were in the potting mix are about gone. I will feed them about every 2 weeks with just a bit until they start setting fruit then I up it a little more. It might not be the "proper" way to grow them but it works for us. Edie |
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| Edie, whatever happened to that little tomato you saw growing in a crack? |
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| LOVE pizza and burritos. I make and freeze black beans in portions so they can go into burritos along with green onions and tomatoes, make them spicy but not too spicy. |
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| Never mind, my bad-I thought that was an older post but it's new. Deb....meds.... |
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| Hello all, Newbie here...just had to chime in :) I also love steak like slices with salt and pepper yum!! My favourites are heirlooms. Makes me think back to the days....a lady used to drive up from Georgia every year in a big white box truck FULL of homegrown tomatoes. She parked by the roller rink and had a nonstop flow of buyers every year. I'm not sure how many trips she made back and forth each season, but we were always sad to see her go. Those were the best tomatoes and I'm sure that's where my love began. I would take my salt shaker and go buy a bag and sit and savour every juicy bite lol. Never got sick of them as they were sooo delicious! I don't know how many years she did this and bless her heart she finally had to give it up due to congestive heart failure. I'm sure she did very well as she had tons of loyal regulars. Yummy memories :) I'm curious and have to ask if any of you have had tomatoes like this?...... Tomatoes on buttered toast with salt and pepper yum!! I saw my mother eating them like this years ago and said "eeww gross". She asked that I try it saying it is delicious...she was right! I've been hooked ever since :) Any of you tomato lovers eat them on toast? (If not....try it ;) |
This post was edited by lilsprout on Mon, Jun 9, 14 at 16:35
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- Posted by prairiemoon2 zone 6a/MA (My Page) on Mon, Jun 9, 14 at 16:40
| Seysonn, thanks very much for starting this kind of a thread. I am looking forward to reading the whole thing. I love to hear about how someone is succeeding in the garden, but also all the different trials and efforts people make and how it all worked out. |
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- Posted by johns.coastal.patio USDA 9b, Sunset 24 (My Page) on Mon, Jun 9, 14 at 20:00
| OK, my friend had her first Cherokee Purple ripen, and I had a plain slice, and it was good. :-) She grows in 3.5 gallon pots with Miracle Grow potting soil. Not a huge amount of fruit but very tasty. |
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| You should have tried in on buttered toast ;) |
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- Posted by prairiemoon2 zone 6a/MA (My Page) on Mon, Jun 9, 14 at 21:15
| Lilsprout, I've never tried that on buttered toast, I'll have to try it. My mother hooked me on Tomato and Cucumber sandwiches with mayonnaise. She used to love them years ago! I can't eat one without thinking of her and I can't wait for the first such sandwich of the year. Thanks for the reminder. :-) |
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