16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
Oh dear! Are you talking about the MiracleGro shake and feed continuous feed tomato fertilizer? There is no MG soluble fertilizer formula that directs you to use 8 tablespoons dissolved in a gallon of water. The directions for Shake and feed say: Shake plant food evenly onto soil using the illustration on the package as a guide (apply dry, do not pre-mix with water). Do not apply to wet foliage or pile against plant stem. This application rate equals 4.5 tablespoons per 4 square feet (2' x 2')
Miracle grow has also a liquid fertilizer(12-4-8) that says 1/3 of capfull for 2 gallons. That is about 2 tablespoon.
Then they have a water soluble (Green powder) that is used with sprinkler. But You can use it also in watering can. I don't remember how much of it . Probably about no more than 2 TBS per gallon.
So you have to be careful with fertilizers. I, myself, often use half of recommended strength but use it more often instead.
Started tomato seeds today, hoping for plant out May 7-10.
Neves Azorian Red-6
Italian Heirloom-6
Big Beef OP-6
Pantano Romenesco-6
Opalka-12
San Marzano Redorta-6
Anna Russian-6
Armenian-6
Prudens Purple-6
Stupice-9
Kellogg's Breakfast-6
Cherokee Purple-6
Green Zebra-6
Yellow Brandywine-6
Black Krim-6
German Pink-6
German-6
Big Boy-12
Rutgers-12
Roma-12
Good luck !
I think you are right on the target. You have 6 weeks, which is about average. I started mine over 3 weeks ago and have 3 more weeks til plant out. Our weather is unseasonably warm right now according to 10 days forecast. I hope that it stays this way. Today I worked on my raised beds, turned them over to let them aerate and absorb some solar heat. I found some worms activity, which is pretty good.
Last year I grew them both. I'm about 20 miles east of Augusta GA, and our summers are hot and humid.
We had a lot of rain last summer. What I found was Black Krim was very good in flavor, pretty good in productivity, but was more prone to cracking than other tomatoes.
Cherokee Purple was less prone to cracking, but wasn't as productive. Flavor was very good.
Overall, I think a very slight edge to Black Krim IMHO, but both are very good.
Last year I grew them both. I'm about 20 miles east of Augusta GA, and our summers are hot and humid.
We had a lot of rain last summer. What I found was Black Krim was very good in flavor, pretty good in productivity, but was more prone to cracking than other tomatoes.
Cherokee Purple was less prone to cracking, but wasn't as productive. Flavor was very good.
Overall, I think a very slight edge to Black Krim IMHO, but both are very good.
lucille, you can also use Google's Advanced Search
https://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en&fg=1
where you have additional search options without needing to enter the codes (like "site:").
[Advanced Search hides at regular Google Search, under "Settings" at the bottom right. Someday I'll remember that....]
A personal observation if I may. There are many ways to grow tomatoes successfully and old remembered tastes aren't always as good as we think we remember. :)
Dave
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
fully agree.
There are many ways (soil, nutrients, climates, ..) that one can grow tomatoes successfully. The TASTE issue, relating to one's memory can be perceptive, nostalgic and personal.
thank you so much Dave- I realized it was a hydroponics method but just did not have the formulation. Now I have something to go on to try the experiment again. I know time can enhance the flavors of one's memories, but trust me, these were the best tomatoes ever! :)
Of course more sun is better than less, but based on my experience your tomatoes will still do fine.
--you say most of the day they still get sun, so if they are only missing a few hours of morning sun, they are still getting upwards of the 6 hour 'minimum' for them to do well. I have used a spot on the side of my house where the tomatoes were in complete shade until noon, then baked by direct sun and the reflected light and heat of the foundation. Stressful growing conditions, but they still produced more fruit than we could handle.
--the caveat here is that you may have more of a fungal problem with the plants close to the fence. Without morning light, they could stay dew-damp for longer, and of course the fence cuts down on circulation.
--when I have planted that iffy spot right against the fence, I have used containers with the bottoms cut off in order to raise the height of the transplants a foot or so. (It works like a raised bed within a raised bed.) I don't know if it was necessary, but it did get those younger plants in more light sooner. Of course, I also gave my "must have" varieties priority placement just in case.
First, On which side of the bed the fence is located ? North, Northwest not a problem. East also block sun few hours early in the day, until the sun is up high and a 6 ft fence is not going to block it.Then it is going to be on the South side.
All in all, tomatoes can thrive with 5 hours of direct sun and some indirect/filtered light. SIX hours of sun is considered FULL SUN, though at the lower end. If you are getting 6, 6+ hours of direct sun, that should be enough in zone 7, Maryland. Tomatoes are partial sun/shade plants.
I am doing OK in Western Washington State with 5 to 6 hours. It is not perfect but not a deterent.
You can check out some of his videos.
Been there, done that since he seems to love posting links all over the forums here. But no thank you.
So as your problems develop you'll have to consult with him for assistance. Most tomato growers won't be able to help you because his methods are just way too off from the norm and well-proven common practice.
Dave
I always seem to get bugs and diseases when I buy transplants. The only ones that were without both I bought at the high school Ag. center. I try to remember to look underneath the leaves before I buy any plant. I'm amazed at how many have bugs on them. Your plants look so much better!
Right, Dave.
I wouldn't waste my money on things that I don't know what it is.
A lot of water soluble fertilizes ( like MG all purpose green powder) are water soluble and can be foliar sprayed.
Foliar spray is good if your soil chemistry prevents uptake of certain elements, for some reason, I think. Otherwise it is best to feed the roots. JMO
All,
Thanks for the various suggestions and tip on the forum.
When I say posthole, I am actually digging areas with a shovel. I had filled in a rectangular area last year and included some sunflowers which grew amazingly large and blotted the sun out for the other plants. This year I plan to expand that out and the ones I need to keep farther away would be sunflowers. A rectangular plot for tomatoes and peppers would likely be fine without the sunflowers included. I'll be sure to keep enough room for expanding roots.
Was also thinking about seed starters inside the house and transplanting later.
Thanks,
Bernard
Bernard,
You may want to consider researching "double digging" or "French Intensive" gardening method if your garden area is not too large. It is extra work but you may reap the benefits especially if the soil has not been worked for a long time.
George
Here is a link that might be useful: double dug garden
Agree about the syrup. Vasoline, motor oil, or tanglefoot will suffice. If you want the sticky cards usable over and again, put clear plastic over them(ziploc bag), then spread the substance. When it fills with corpses, remove plastic and start over.
Kevin
Just wanted to give an update---- after treating all my plants with bti, my two seedlings are finally seeing growth! Fungus gnats aren't gone by any means but I am just happy the baby plants are growing after weeks and weeks of doing nothing.
The two plants that weren't growing so well in the mixture of soils is finally seeming to grow! Yay! I believe the problem was with fertilizer. After adding fish emulsion & a lot of mg tomato fertilizer, they seem to be much happier in just a week. The other two plants in 100% mg moisture control are huge, perhaps 5-6 times larger than the others plants, all of the same age. Unfortunately I planted them too close together and the leaves are touching so I will expect disease later in the season and plant further apart next time.
I leave for vacation next week, so I'm excited to see what will happen in the 2 weeks that I'll be gone. Will update. I will def do another fish emulsion treatment before I leave.
Weather in SoCal has been amazing. :)
Btw I have been pinching off all the flowers and suckers off every plant, big or small. Should I start leaving the flowers on the larger plants? They're about a foot and a half tall now, not exactly huge but I wouldn't mind getting some tomatoes first ;)
Yeah, I was feeling the urge to see something green about mid-Dec haha, that's why my onions got started a couple weeks too early.
I use a lot of Bot. Int. seeds, I like the quality, they have a pretty good selection, and most of all, they are local. I have never had a problem with them, and the two nurseries I use down here in Littleton carry a wide selection from them so I don't have to pay shipping.
So last year what did you do with the seeds in baggies? If you haven't started seeds before the most important part is hardening off. This has to be gradual or the tender seedling with shrivel up dried out and broken in the wind and get sun burned. At the beginning of summer a fair skinned human should not go to the beach and lay in the sun. A tomato seedling can't go outside directly in the sun and wind either. Gradually put them out in a protected shady spot and increase the time as they get used to it.
This was years ago when I took my dog's place and grew plants there. 
I guess I'm getting my terminology mixed up, I thought seed starter mix was the same as soil-less mix. The latter is what I intend to use.
There are soil-less seed starting mixes and soil-less growing mixes.
The seed starting mixes are normally a much finer texture, mostly just peat and vermiculite to retain water, and have no or very few added nutrients since the young seedlings don't need or tolerate them well sometimes. They are used in very small amounts just for germination and nothing else.
Soil-less growing/potting mixes have a more coarse texture for better drainage, include pine bark, perlite, lime, and added nutrients along with the peat. Many use them for both seed starting and for growing on as well as for container gardening.
I didn't think of that. I did buy transplants last year so I was thinking I would save money there this year
You can save money buy growing your own - after the initial outlay for decent equipment - lights and a heating pad. But the primary reason for growing your own is different variety access and the fun, not saving money.
For example (over-simplified but I think you'll get the idea) since I was price shopping today - would you spend more than $11 on transplants? Since you already have your seeds, 1 2 cf bag of MG Potting Mix - enough to grow 150 transplants easily for the garden costs $11.
Would you spend more than $21? The bag of MG and 1 shop light at Walmart plus 2 fluor. bulbs for it costs $21.50 and you'd have the light to use next year. Got any plastic butter tubs, yogurt cups, old containers, a bag of plastic drink cups from the Dollar Store you can make holes in the bottom of? Then you are set except for your hardening off issues. That has to be done right or it all goes down the tubes in just a few hours.
Dave
PS: edited to add I am not advocating Walmart or MG or any other product, just using it at an example since I happened to note the prices today.
This post was edited by digdirt on Fri, Mar 21, 14 at 15:38
You are probably better of to post this in your regional gardening group forum. Me Thinks !