16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

This stuff becomes unbelievably hot and cooks the plants!!! I have 4 enormous ornamental planters in my gardens, which I have planted with purchased annuals for over 20 years. I am very experienced, and these planters have excellent drainage. This year, I switched the potting soil out for Miracle Gro Moisture Control. I flooded the planters before putting the plants in - several times. I planted them, and was surprised to have to water every single day. This soil product felt moist, but none was shared with the plants - their soil root balls stayed bone dry. The 2 planters in full sun had dying plants. I plunged my arm at least 25 inches down into the planters and the soil was hotter than beach sand, all the way down. This product somehow retains heat and was cooking my plants. When I removed this soil, I was surprised to find big pockets of it that were dust dry. The 2 planters in shade did a little better, but no plant growth whatsoever. Maybe if the plants grew in this from seed, they would do better, but you can't put plants in root balls into it - this soil just won't let the moisture leach into adjacent soils. And it cooks them. If your plants are still alive, rescue them and replace the soil. I don't know what this stuff is, but I would definitely not eat anything grown in it.

It is all I have used for years with excellent results.

Number one the only way it will retain too much water is if the pot doesn't have really good drainage.
The only way it might get too hot is if you don't have 2-3" of good mulch on top.

For tomatoes make sure you use absolute minimum of 10-12 gallon pots for Determinate Bush type plants and 15" gallon pots for Indeterminate's that grow to over 8'.

Drill about a dozen 1/2" holes in the bottom of pot, use a whole 55 quart bag of MGMC and add about 1/2 bag of so of Moo-Nure cow manure and compost mix.
Plant the tomato deep, put either 2-3" of your favorite mulch on top or use a red plastic sheet.

After that water the plants every day, all excess water drains right out the bottom, the plants take a nice big drink and the soil stays moist until the next day.

My tomatoes are growing like weeds in it right now.

I also have 380 quarts of it and nothing else in my Vegtrug.
With Bok CHoy, Lettuce, Basil, Rosemary, Cilantro, Lemon Thyme all growing so fast I can hardly keep up eating it all.

Yes, roots will grow into the soil beneath the pots.

The spring I had my appendix out, I had too many seedlings and the raised bed and trellis were never completed, so I had a bunch of seedlings in 16 oz. cups that were never planted in the ground. Some had a significant root system in the soil below the pots and even produced some small fruit before the Late Blight killed everything in early or mid-July.

Hmm, I posted last night but don't know what happened. Even if roots grow into the soil it will only be what can get through the drainage hole. I'd plant the Big Beef in the ground and use that pot for the second Big Boy if it's a bush type.

Has anyone idea about the best filtered cigars available in online. I am searching it for my grand uncle he smoke only cigars and I want to surprise him by giving him this filtered cigars which have red cover on the tip. I forgot the name but I need you guys to help me .

Here is a link that might be useful: Little Cigars

Hello all,

Thought I'd bring this issue back up. I had several plants infested with this Russet Mite in 2011. The plants leaves turned yellow then crunchy brown. It was end of July.

This year I am ready with a new defense. I have researched AzaMax and will begin preventative spray this week as the plants are just starting to fruit. The hydroponic community in my town is all the buzz about this stuff and they use it for hydro, greenhouse soil and outside soil and container growing. It is expensive but shopping around on e**Bay I found it for a much better price (plus free shipping). It is listed for organic production according to the label.

Just an FYI

DL

Here is a link that might be useful: AzaMax info

Wow, consider me properly chastised. I was just inquiring. Would I do that? Absolutely not. My Dad would turn over in his grave. Sounds like one of those fairy tales from Washington. Will pass on the message to daughter. Right now she is in London and will probably have more ideas when she gets back. Hope she brings some of the Piccolino tomato seeds, if she is fortunate enough to get some dried. I really do appreciate your help. Barb

barb, I wasn't meaning to chastise you, and I'm sure none of the others were either. Sometimes three people do post at the same time (and I did check before I posted, but then I had to add that sentence about Kenny's co-worker's infallible Tums cure, and they snuck in ahead of me).

I have some of those baby cages & I use bamboo canes, 12-18 inches in the ground around the cage. The canes are 6-8 feet above ground.
I think I will make wire cages, for next years crop.

sunnibel, I am using the Florida Weave for the first time this year, one of my many experiments. The plants just got their first tying in today.

Glad to see I am not the only one who ends up with a jungle! I prune the ones touching the ground, and I have learned the hard way, if there is something Tropical heading my way, do a Hurricane Prune. Anything that is not supported enough to withstand torrential rain and winds get chopped. I had, thanks to Irene and some others, a LOT of damage, mostly splitting where a limb would break and rip down the trunk. I thought if they were o.k. during our thunderstorms they would be fine in a hurricane.
Live and learn, if anyone has a better idea I am happy to hear it.

I am making a half-hearted attempt at pruning. Pinched off the branches likely to rest on the ground, and some lower suckers. I will have to decide what to do after they grow a bit more, as I am trying the Florida Weave method of support this year so the plants will need to be taken somewhat in hand.

Sorry, but it was at Walmart 4 years ago,but it was called Tiger.

jolj,in any one SSE Yearbook one can find the following varieties, pretty much the same but from different sources:

Tiger
Tiger Paw
Tiger Stripe
Tiger Tom
Tigerella
Tiger-like
Tigerly
Tiny Tiger

And while almost all of them are called tart by the folks who list them, and almost all describe them as red with yellow orange stripes, and while almost all of them are small, I'd like to say that there are real differences between them, but can't.

Carolyn

You can buy ready to install small drip irrigation set-ups from many different sources. They are complete with timers, pressure reducer, feeder lines and drip emitters for approx. $50 or similar set-ups without the auto timer for any where from $15 to $25 if there is someone who can turn it on and off for you. Example of one below.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Container drip system

Next time put the pot in a 5 gallon bucket or Aluminum baking pan, fill the space around the pot 1 inch for every day you will begone.
This work great for short span of time, no more then 5-7 days. As soon as you get home remove the pots from the water bucket. I have done this with Japanese Maples, fig trees,& many house plant in hot August heat of the South.