16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
It all happened in 2008:
Wanted : determinant, GOOD TASTING, productive, EARLY ....
Sure thing, why not > Let me know. :-)
I may come close by saying : Siletz and Rutgers (the det version). And how about Rio Grange ? I am growing them this season and have grown Rutgers and Siletz in the past
Seysonn
I think the best way to find out is to try it. But I can imaging the lumber having these disadvantages :
1- warping
2- A haven for bugs and insects,
3- compacting the soil ( depending on thickness and water absorption) .
I don't even like the cardboard idea. In my opinion mulch has to be someting that the soil underneath can breath. Plants roots also need some air.
JMO
Seysonn
I might try it on the paths in the bed if there are any but not around the plants themselves. Like Seysonn said - a great hideout for insects and slugs would be in hog heaven. :)
And even cardboard is permeable allowing for both water and air to pass through. Both are very important to the plant and soil health and neither would have access to the soil with lumber.
Plus the roots don't stay in the hole you cut in the wood. They run for feet in all directions. So getting water out to the roots where it is needed would be difficult.
Dave
I prefer using liquid supplements - either synthetic or organic as they are immediately available to the plant. The slow-release in MG and similar products depends on the moisture content of the soil to provide any nutrients.
Fish emulsion, fish with kelp, and several similar things are readily available and can easily be diluted to 1/4 to 1/2 strength for use. How often and at what intervals - average 10 days to every 2 weeks - all depends on how long before the plants will go outside to the ground or containers.
I commend you on restricting the water as most go to the other extreme. In the photo the soil surface appears extra dry but soil surface isn't a valid indicator for watering. Learn to read the leaf turgor - its flick response - as a good indication for watering.
Dave
Sounds like you're on a slope, which should be safe against ponding. That may mean that your raised bed will have the downslope wall higher than the upslope wall, but that should be OK. You may, as a result, have deeper soil on the downslope side of the bed. I would not recommend making the surface of your raised bed sloped.
Try to hit all of the plant when spraying your Daconil. One year I sprayed only the bottom half of my tomato plants and not the new growth. You can figure out the rest. Get the bottom of the leaves too. Spray enough that it begins to run off the leaves. When it dries it seems almost impervious to rain (key word "almost") It's great stuff and really does work well. Use it on any of your plants that are susceptible to fungus.
I have both limited space and a short growing season. For me, Gold Nugget, Taxi, and Green Zebra produce a lot of tomatoes for their smaller plant size. Pink Brandywine is a huge plant for me and always produces a ton of tomatoes, but most never fully mature before the cold weather hits. :p
Certainly you will get differing opinions about varieties from different people. However, I feel the value of forums like this is: when you consistently see people here talking about a variety that they like or dislike...pay attention. That does not mean everyone will agree. Many commercial growers will only hype their products...and they make everything sound great. I have learned so much here in the last 3 years. There are mostly honest and helpful people on these sites.
I am loving it so far. Though it has cooled down a bit to more seasonable temps. here.
The bed with my store bough transplants. Bottom left is Pablano pepper. Middle is Bush Goliath. (Already setting fruit.) To the right of it is a Thia Hot ornamental. Top left is Black Prince. (It is blooming like mad now.) Behind them is a Jalapeno I over wintered. It has looked stunted for a while, and is now starting to show signs of coming back.
Carrie said it well.
I am just getting some plants in the garden. AND this is by all sort of tricks and risks and pushing my season by about 40 days ahead. Normal/conventional plant out time here is around mid May.
I aim to have ripe fruits by The Fourth of July celebration.
Seysonn
Last count I have 28 varieties and probably should have close to 50 plants (10 In pots and 40 in raised beds) . This will be a record number for me. So far I have planted 10 and 40 more to go.
In addition to tomatoes I have close to 20 peppers, all to be planted in containers.
I'll be busy.
Seysonn
So sorry to hear that, Wertach. But you did your best for him and gave him love and a home. No stray cat could ask for more.
We took in two feral kittens last summer. Took all of 20 minutes to get them to stop hissing at us. Now one cuddles up on the couch with me every night. Got them fixed last december, but they're both still hunters. So far, just 3 voles, and I know this sounds heartless but I hope they develop a taste for the rabbits that are the bane of my garden.
When the time is right, Wertach, I hope you find another gardening buddy.
To insure 100% genetic purity, yes you would have to bag blooms. There is a FAQ here all about how to do it. If you are content with 85-90% purity then it isn't necessary as the actual amount of crossing in low.
Dave
I get a kick out of threads like this, with a lot of history, controversy . Even my own old posts sound interesting to me. It shows how much I have learned over time.
DET or INDET?
I read a lot of post talking about the plant size as indication of det/indet. But to my understanding det/indet is not all about the plant size, BUT a different growth form. For example you can have a dwarf indeterminant tomato plant. Hmmm
INDET:
The plants grows like a vine with fruit clusters at the nodes just above the leaf branch, while the branch keeps growing and producing more nodes.
DET:
The plant has a more bushy shape (if not pruned) BUT that does not mean the real indication of being determinate.
The REAL indication of a DET is that fruit clusters appear at the tip/end of branches, NOT on the lower nodes. So the fruit cluster terminates the end of that particular branch. So to get more fruits there will be more lateral branches coming to play to produce fruits, IFF your season is long enough you might continue harvesting fruits all season long. That has been the case/my experience with Siletz and Legend (both det)
Semi Det/Indet ? : hahaha . what is that ? I need acollege degree for that one.
4th of July ? OR Independence Day ?
Well historically they are the same but according to Burpee IT IS NOT DETERMINED. hehe.
BTW. This year of 2015 I am growing 4th of July.
I could not locate my seeds packet. So what should I expect ?
Time will tell.
Seysonn
I keep learning .hehe
@ Jennie..
Yeah. Rosella has RL. It is so obvious. They already have 4 true leaves. The other one with PL also has about 4 true leave and twice as tall. I just separated them. I labeled the other one " ?1 SURPRISE !!??" . It is very vigorous. That is why I am keeping it.
Seysonn
Update!
I gave up on them and trimmed them all back so that I could keep them alive, except two plants that I gave to our secretary at the shop. She put them in a very sunny window in her office. I don't have a sunny window at home so all of my light has to be artificial.
They have ripening tomatoes on them now and I am pretty sure that they are black cherry plants because of the color and size of the fruit. They are very tall and spindly but have fruit! She will have fresh toms before anyone! :)
I planted the ones that I trimmed back in an old bed over a week ago and they are growing fast! They had a lot of roots and they will probably be my first toms too. I'm not too crazy about the taste of black cherry, but since they are early I'm sure they will be better than store bought, I can accept that!