16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

Cages are by far the most popular. Cages made from CRW (concrete reinforcing wire). Just search 'cages' on this forum for all the details.

Next option is stakes - your choice of material but 6' metal works well. Many discussions here about 'stakes' too.

Then there is what is called Florida weave, cattle panels, tripods, etc. Lots of options.

Dave

Dave's suggestion is good! Cages are a little bit of investment the first year but then they last a long, long time. Here is a link that explains how to build your own.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to build tomato cages to support tomato plants

I tried this quiz. They aren't collecting much information -- anything in the name field will do. I did get them to recommend a hybrid, I had to select predictability and disease resistance over taste :)

Since I was the one who made the post, I feel like I should chime in about all the negative comments. Geesh, people, it's just a quiz...and it doesn't collect personal information. And it doesn't promote anything...from what I can tell, it indicates that hybrids have superior disease resistance and reliability and that heirlooms have superior flavor. Anybody want to contest that? OK, I admit, it's very basic, way too basic for most people on this listserv. But that's no reason to trash it. And that it's made by a seed company? Horrors! How dare they want to sell seeds! This is the kind of attitude Wikipedia has...they don't let companies provide information...and yet in today's world, often it's commercial interests that ARE providing the best information. Does anyone think that Extension websites are necessarily a better source of gardening info than, say, Dave's Garden website? C'mon people...

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato Growers Quiz #1

What's the temp in your basement? Fans always provide air circulation and it strengthens their stems...

You should also transplant them immediately after the seed emerges from the soil into a little 2 leafed plant. I use plastic cups....and sterile STARTER MIX with an organic liquid fertilizing regime.

Is your basement ventilated? Change your air filter if you have one. Also, are the seedlings on the floor? Move them up higher if they are. Also, where you buy your seeds might be something to consider.

I have about 30 different tomato varieties. Very new grower. Average about 65 plants past 2 years. Haven't had too many dampening off issues...probably about 5 plants per season. I don't use anything to prevent it.

My house stays at about 72 degrees. I let my soil almost completely dry out before watering/fertilizing.

Laccanvas, I'm at the point where I need to move my seedlings as they have developed their real leaves.

What is STARTER MIX? Could you provide a link? I use the Jiffy brand seed starting soilless for my seedlings in 1" plastic chambers, and then was planning on transplanting them to 4" pots with Miracle Gro "Seed Starting Potting Mix". Would you recommend that?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM2379012502P?sid=IDx20101019x00001a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM161909593

I love those big black and yellow garden spiders. I take the camera, get close, and tell it to say "cheese". Or maybe "Fly".

Really does go back to what you want. Personally,in one of my gardens, I have a crape Myrtle located 5 feet from the edge. Nearly every time I walk that common path(forgetting almost every time), you can find me swatting at thin air. Nothing against the spider itself, but Jesus I hate running slap dab into a web. My fault though.

Take care,
Travis

We have squirrels, raccoons, and possums that come through our yard every day. My guess is that depositing some known and trusted cat and or dog poo on in your compost pile or garden bed pretty much assures that those wild beasties won't leave any of theirs there. I would have no problem digging that cat or dog stuff well in under top-side edibles. As for root vegetables, I probably would.

For wilder dogs and cats, I'd have to say that the risk is not from the food growing out of those beds, but from the ungloved hands that handle the soil in those beds. But then again, there are those squirrels, 'coons and possums. Wash your hands.

Perfect to the point. Those varmits eat moreless more natural than most of us do. The circular model of life.

Take care,
Travis

A brief follow-up:
After reading the Burpee catalog description that said the shorter PRO cages were made of powder coated, galvanized steel, I wondered why the XL cages would not be the same. So I contacted Burpee's customer service and they replied that the taller ones are made of the same material, then powder coated.
-WC2K8

Here's a link to a past post on PVC cages (with photos and diagram) that I bookmarked last summer and am planning to build for this year. Note that the diagram only provides for cages that are 3-4' tall, but you could quite easily continue the same pattern to make them taller.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/con0722035623819.html

Here is a link that might be useful: PVC tomato cages

I'm also in Massachusetts - central. I would suggest Opalka for sauces. I might have a few seeds to share if Baker's Creek doesn't offer them.

Any of the Cherokees - Cherokee Purple, Green Cherokee, Golden Cherokee are good...

Omars Leb is a good gigantic tomato...

just a few off the top of my head.

Hi Tom8olvr, thank you for the suggestions! I would like to try the Opalka, and Baker's Creek doesn't have those seeds, if you could spare a few, that would be wonderful! I could send you a stamped envelope. I'm happy to share seeds I have, although I don't have any saved seeds, only purchased seeds :)

I'm in Central IL. Temps are more similar to Chicago than St. Louis.

Mid size tomatoes I've had good luck with were:

Big Beef
Better Boy
Brandywine Red (Landis Valley)
Bradley
Traveler (also called Arkansas Traveler)
Rutgers

I've heard the Moreton Hybrid is good but haven't tried it yet.

Amanda - I am in Southern California inland between LA and San Diego and I plant out about April 1 or later since we have a long season. Where are you located? Linda

Hi Amanda,

If it ever happens again, stretching is tomatoes is pretty easy to fix. Tomatoes will sprout roots all along stem that touches soil. Therefore it you replant legging seedlings in a deeper container and bury them so that just the upper leaves are showing, all that step underground becomes part of the root system and you have stretch no more.

One of the ways to help fight stretching is to get them in natural light as soon as possible. I start mine inside under lights because I need inside temps to get them started, but as soon as they get their first real leaves, they are transplanted deep and moved outside into a coldframe. Sometimes I have to bring them in at night if temps get to cold but it is worth it for stocky, hardened off seedlings.

Stacy

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The Fullerton Arboretum has a famous annual tomato and pepper seedling sale in March with over 250 varieties.

Carla in Sac

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.fullertonarboretum.org/ps_MonsterTomato.php

Don, Can't help you on seedlings which as you found out is a crap shoot but the seed suppliers that Carolyn listed are some of the best. I have personally bought and grown seeds from Victory, Glecklers and Tatianas and have had nothing but excellent results as far as germination and variety trueness.If you want to take a walk on the wild side check out the selections of Wild Boar Farms which is located in Napa.
I have heard of and have gotten seeds that were not true to the stated variety from Tomatofest and Baker Creek.
As far as KBX sources are concerned I know Glecklers has the true variety because I was their source and my source was Martha Hufford which I first grew out in 2007.
If there is anything in particular your looking for maybe I can help. Ami, born and raised in Whittier.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wild Boar Farms

If you have a recycling center near you, one that includes plastics, they are often a wealth of inexpensive container possibilities.

You might also want to look in "Grow Pots", a brand of heavy fabric containers. They are just one type of inexpensive large containers for gardening.

Dave

As a tomato grower in Oklahoma, I want to punctuate Dave's suggestion for MUCH larger pots. Remembering that we had more than 60 consecutive days of 100 degree plus temps last year, you are fighting an uphill battle with such small containers. While that size is sufficient in other parts of the country, and CAN be used here, it is really tough to keep them not only adequately, but also evenly watered.

I'd also encourage you to think about DTM (Days to Maturity) in your choice of variety. My average last frost date is April 15, emphasis on average. For the last several years, we've gone well below freezing around the 5th of May. Then, we've gone from 80's in the third week of June to 100s in the fourth week. We just skipped right over the nineties. Since production of many tomatoes drops significantly once temps are in the nineties, DTM is an important consideration. From the 5th of May to the fourth week of June is less than 50 days, which excludes many of my favorite tomatoes. One way to beat that is to plant out earlier, then be prepared to protect your plants from freezing if needed. Secondly, consider varieties with shorter DTMs. That's the one that's hard for me, because so many of my favorites are in the 85-90 day range.

Now that I've given you things to ponder, I'll share the varieties that did well for me in last year's heat. Notice, that despite what I just said above, several of them have long DTMS.

Bar none, my top producer last year was Dana's Dusky Rose. The other producers in the heat were Indian Stripe, Sioux, Big Beef, Black Cherry, Sun Gold, Tumbling Tom (Red and Yellow), Mountain Magic and Ananas Noire.

Lastly, I want to invite you to stop by the Oklahoma Gardening forum here at GW. We talk a lot about tomatoes, and the challenges specific to our climate. Hope you'll drop in.

Seedmama