16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

We have Ground Squirrels...nothing has worked with them. Have trapped, used pellet gun, flooded their holes (one goes under our house!), and put poisoned bate in their holes. Any suggestions?

The famous 5-gallon-bucket chipmunk trap:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/ipm/msg0502514826494.html

We've had both the 18" and 24" for about 8 years. They are spendy but there is nothing that I've seen that is nearly as good. We have a limited amount of garden space which also translates into limited storage space or I'd make my own from rewire. These fold flat and I can store all 12 of my cages in an area about 2 foot wide by a foot or so deep.

The 18" cages aren't really large enough for a full sized indeterminant tomato but we grow stupice and some skinnier varieties in these cages.

I can't recommend them highly enough.

I use the 24" BUT always grew indeterminates until this year, since I decided to try one determinate. I am zone 5-6 (on the line). I might try the 20" next. I am very happy with the 24" but I am not sure they are REALLY necessary, and if the 20" are less expensive, I am sure they will be fine. I kinda like the idea of having both sizes. :)

Like suncitylinda said, I wouldn't be too quick to set them in full sun. They've been in shade, are small and might have trouble with hot weather. Let them grow a bit and slowly expose them to the sun. A bit more sun every few days and you should be OK. Same with planting them deeper. Fill the pot until only the leaves show.

You could have planted those sprouts as well if you wanted too. They prolly would have done fine.

And now you know that once again, it was obvious what would happen! Sandwiches!!!!! lol

Were you pruning and taking out the suckers? That would have helped the situation. Next yr try growing a smaller variety that will not get so bushy. I always stake mine and forget the cages. I then tie the larger branches to the one supporting stake.
You could transplant the pepper plants to another section of the garden. I hope you have good luck w/ good, red, ripe tomatoes! I always go w/ smaller tomato plant varieties anymore!

You should invent a compost blower, something like they use to do blown in insulation. As long as the compost is pretty dry it should work fine. If you are the inventing type that is. Otherwise, just use your hands.

Good idea about the scoops MTO! By the handfuls works for me as I can work it in with my fingers at the same time. Especially when I can get the grandkids to help.

Otherwise it all depends on what kind of cages you are talking about and what the opening size is. I find that the grandkids' kid-size gardening tools are quite handy for many things adults do in the garden.

Dave

My roma was similar. Found it at walmart. Someone had deliberately pinched it to have 3 main stems, perfectly spaced. I kept those and have rooted most of the suckers. I never saw this done this way before.

My roma was similar. Found it at walmart. Someone had deliberately pinched it to have 3 main stems, perfectly spaced. I kept those and have rooted most of the suckers. I never saw this done this way before.

I had a bad experience with Burpee some years back. Sweet potato starts arrived nearly dead (dry). Most of the soil for a potted astilbe had escaped from the pot; the pot was loose in the box, not secured in any way. The astilbe was way too tiny, and I don't remember if it survived.

I will buy seeds from Burpee if it's something I can't get anywhere else, but not plants.

I only ordered plants from them once, and actually it's
the ONLY time I ever ordered plants from anywhere, but I was mad.

They had introduced what they called Red Brandywine Hybrid, this back in the 90's and I'm sorry, but I don't like OP heirlooms being converted to hybrids, and especially back then b'c it was the first time it happened.

So I ordered seeds and a 6 pack of plants, started some from their seed, started plants from my heirloom Red Bandywine and put out a few of their plants.

There was absolutely NO difference in my RB plants as compared to their supposed hybrid.

They changed the name several times and I think ended up calling Buck's County Hybrid.

I agree with the suggestion to buy plants from Darrels website Selectedplants.com it comes right up when you GOogle it. Prices are reasonable as compared to many other plant sites I know and packing and shipping are very good indeed. And a huge selection, but of course at this time of the eyar I have no idea what he might have left. You can e-mail him off his website about that or I think he may even give his phone number as well/

Another place with a good reputation is SSE ( seedsavers exchange). Go to the PUBLIC catalog at seedsavers.org and take a look. Not as many varieties as Darrel usually has, but plants are good as are prices and shipping.

Carolyn, who thanks you for tweaking her memory about her one time plant buying experience. LOL

It could be that the tent isn't getting enough air flow, I have some hydro stuff going on in the tent too, so humidity could definitely be an issue. BUT all the other plants in the tent (mostly chillis) are doing really well.

I'm growing in a tent because it's winter in Australia.
Game plan is to move things out of the tent as soon as the weather permits.

I'm growing in a tent because it's winter in Australia.

Okay, it's winter and they're indoors. But an indoor tent would seem to be overkill. I assume you put the tomatoes in the tent to share the hydro lights?

Anyway, humidity is not the friend of tomato plants once they've sprouted. Why not add one of the little 5" fans? Mine were cheap but are real workhorses.

Lovely short stems: I assume they're dwarfs.

I am growing Guernsey Island for the first time this year. It is a neat looking tomato and a lil bit larger than a cherry with great flavor.

It's pretty late for a response now, but Ildi is a good yellow oblong shaped cherry tomato that all my friends like and I think kids would too. So you could mix that one in with a red, etc. I also love black cherry, so that would make a good 3 way mix
Did you ever find any at the farmer's market? I like the idea of mixing 3 plants together, might do that and sell at the market next year.

Just to be clear, the "first two photos" I was referring to were the first two in Lesuko's most recent post, not the first two when counting from the top of the thread.

Thanks Carolyn and everyone.

I am now seeing leaf curl/roll on my cherries. Humph. I rarely use chemicals and if I need to it's something organic. So, no roundup. And I doubt my neighbors are using it too- though I'll ask. No manure and my straw bales are from last year which didn't seem to cause any problems to plants- and I only just mulched yesterday (We're late but were putting in an irrigation system).

I have flowers but no fruit forming yet- that I can see. Of course I don't know if our 95 degree saturday rendered the buds pollenless? If thats what happens when it gets too hot- when they can't fertilize.

At a closer look, some plants are curled on top, some in the middle. It's not consistent. I guess I'll wait some more to see what happens. It's going to be hot this year so I imagine it will stress my plants out even more.

Thanks again!