my tomato garden 9-24-2011

kygreg · September 24, 2011

The tomatoes plants are still looking really good even at this late date.

kenny_j · September 24, 2011

Nice looking plants KY. Can you explain the buckets to me, I assume the bottoms are cut out. How does that affect the root system. Yours are staked, would the buckets work with cages and unpruned plants? My plants got septoria late in the season, they always have. Been removing all plant matter at end of season for a couple years now, and it seems to have helped a lot, the septoria comes later now. Had plenty of maters right til it was time to pull and winter cover. Do you spray? Never sprayed before, but am going to try several home made brews next year. Don't care for commercial sprays, I am not totally organic with fertilizer, but use no toxins, although every thing is toxic at the right level, lol, even water.

Tania · September 26, 2011

wow, they look great! Very healthy and robust. And looks like you will be harvesting many more tomatoes later

amideutch · September 26, 2011

Looking good Greg. Ami

feldon30 · September 26, 2011

Impressive considering the punishing heat this year.

kygreg · September 26, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenny_j

Nice looking plants KY. Can you explain the buckets to me, I assume the bottoms are cut out. How does that affect the root system. Yours are staked, would the buckets work with cages and unpruned plants? My plants got septoria late in the season, they always have. Been removing all plant matter at end of season for a couple years now, and it seems to have helped a lot, the septoria comes later now. Had plenty of maters right til it was time to pull and winter cover. Do you spray? Never sprayed before, but am going to try several home made brews next year. Don't care for commercial sprays, I am not totally organic with fertilizer, but use no toxins, although every thing is toxic at the right level, lol, even water.

Yes they are 5 gallon buckets cut in half with the bottom cut out. I dig my hole, fill it with potting soil/mix and tap the "bucket sleeves" down an inch or two. The bucket sleeves help with keeping my big feet off seedlings while I am working in the garden and also help with cut worms (I think). In addition I ony have to water inside the sleeves and put any soil ammendments there also. Also as the seedlings grow, I add more soil mix to the bucket sleeves, perhaps simulating "potting up".

I think they would work well with cages. I prune plants primarily for disease prevention, not because of the bucket sleeves. Pruning however does make the bucket sleeves more accessible. This year my plants did not look good early on; septoria I assume but I am not real knowledgeable on diseases. I use Daconil every year. This year I also used a copper solution and in addition sprayed with diluted molasses and also some hyrogen peroxide.

BigBrownDogHouse · September 27, 2011

Great job!
21 of my plants have already been pulled. The others are hanging on but aren't doing much! Instead of a table full of tomatoes, we have a plate full and the plate is getting smaller and smaller.

Enjoy the late harvest!

lakelady · September 28, 2011

I am so jealous. Your plants look great! I have only a few pineapples hanging on for dear life with a few tomatoes left and hardly any leaves ! Great job!

September 26, 2011	#3
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	wow, they look great! Very healthy and robust. And looks like you will be harvesting many more tomatoes later __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

September 26, 2011	#4
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Looking good Greg. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

September 26, 2011	#5
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Impressive considering the punishing heat this year. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

September 27, 2011	#7
BigBrownDogHouse Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Northern Illinois ZONE 5a...wait now 5b Posts: 906	Great job! 21 of my plants have already been pulled. The others are hanging on but aren't doing much! Instead of a table full of tomatoes, we have a plate full and the plate is getting smaller and smaller. Enjoy the late harvest! __________________ Brian

September 24, 2011	#2
kenny_j Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: holly michigan Posts: 380	Nice looking plants KY. Can you explain the buckets to me, I assume the bottoms are cut out. How does that affect the root system. Yours are staked, would the buckets work with cages and unpruned plants? My plants got septoria late in the season, they always have. Been removing all plant matter at end of season for a couple years now, and it seems to have helped a lot, the septoria comes later now. Had plenty of maters right til it was time to pull and winter cover. Do you spray? Never sprayed before, but am going to try several home made brews next year. Don't care for commercial sprays, I am not totally organic with fertilizer, but use no toxins, although every thing is toxic at the right level, lol, even water.

September 28, 2011	#8
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	I am so jealous. Your plants look great! I have only a few pineapples hanging on for dear life with a few tomatoes left and hardly any leaves ! Great job!