My mom's 15 footer - Page 2

semi_lucid · November 23, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by feraltomatoes

Guessing yield from this one plant 150-175 pounds

Wow. That is by far the highest yield number I've ever heard of.

Can you tell us what the time line was? When the seeds were started thru the end of the season?

Also can you tell us of the climate? Was it southern California?

John

b54red · November 24, 2011

John I know it wasn't south Alabama cause any thing that bushy would be disease riddled in no time.

Those are beautiful plants. I wish I could grow thick healthy plants like that. I sometimes get plants with vines 12 to 15 feet but they are never thick and bushy.

semi_lucid · November 24, 2011

I think I would need to have my plants in the ground in February for them to get that big.

There are palm trees in the background, so I'm guessing Southern California.

afrance30 · November 24, 2011

oh em gee, that plant is gigantic!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

She probably used Atomic Grow, right?

Linda

I spit tea all over the desk when I read that, thanks for the laugh

lakelady · November 24, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by loeb

And what is keeping it upright? I can imagine something like an ancient greek marble column inside

LOL....Holy Cow, those are HUGE. I've never seen tomato plants that big in my life. Ha, with plants that size, all I would need are two plants!

I need more compost too!

feraltomatoes · November 28, 2011

Most of my mom's tomatoes grow 8-10 feet every year grown in the ground. You can see a row of them on the right side of the picture. The plants are grown in Napa, California. We had a cool summer this year, almost no disease this year although I am surprised as last year was cool and it seem to blow in more disease. Most of her plants are set out in mid to late April. The Early Girl and Cherokee where planted in Late March in this raised bed and protected with plastic from a few frosts, the intent was to have some early tomatoes. This plant almost got yanked as it sat comatose and plants planted a month later almost caught up. Then it seem to tap in to the 6 years of annual compost that had been put in that bed, I do not think you can get this kind of results from one year of adding compost, I also do not think you can get this kind of results from chemical fertilizers. Except maybe Atomic Grow,

There method is to top off the raised bed every year with compost, it sinks about 6 inches a year from what the plants feed on and breaking down. You can imagine the microbial life that extends many feet into the ground.
This picture was taken around the first of October. She had not watered it in a couple weeks to try to slow it down, I am sure the roots had reached for the earths core at this point and if the old septic system had not been about 100 feet away I would have had to assume another nitrogen source had been located.
I have more pictures and will try to post.

Simone · November 28, 2011

Never mind...
I will take Atomic Grow...

just kidding!
You killed all my hopes! But i will plant one Cherokee without protection and you will see what healthy (just another joke) plant i get here in Germany!
And in 2012 you will see my plant, huge as hell but covered with all the diseases one tomato can get!
Guess this will make everybody envious too!!!

Simone

feraltomatoes · November 28, 2011

Another tomato tower picture
IMAG0234.jpg
Covering tomatoes during rare October frost
IMAG0239.jpg
Mrs. Tomato picking 1 1/2 pound Cherokee Purples. Everything came out huge in this bed, not watered for weeks, no cracks, solid fleshed 1 1/2 pound Cherokees
IMAG0241.jpg
Another view
IMAG0236.jpg

Sun City Linda · November 28, 2011

Ok, now he's just showin off!

Linda

Sun City Linda · November 28, 2011

PS - Glad you all like the Atomic Grow.

LInda

Too Tall Toms · November 28, 2011

All I can say is WOW!

lakelady · November 28, 2011

Oh my goodness, I laughed my butt off. Those aren't tomato plants, those are TREES!!! I have never seen tomato plants that large, ever!

Next year they want to hydro-rake the mucky areas of our lake and I'm trying to figure out how I can get that muck over to my yard and hauled into the garden, lol....anyone I know that has done it on their own shore front, has the most gorgeous grass planted there. Now for me, I'd put it to good use for sure. Problem is I live on the deeper end of the lake so my shoreline is sandy with some fresh water mussels that the raccoons like to sit under my dock and eat.

Since reading this thread Brad, I was a busy bee all weekend. I bagged 7 big black trash bags of shredded leaves, and probably need more. And I have a compost heap that needs more nitrogen to get moving but i'm working on it. You gave me a new goal...to see how big I can grow tomato plants in NJ next year!

As if the neighbors don't think I'm already crazy wanting to rip out my beautiful lawn....lol

ddsack · November 29, 2011

Well, all I can say is - I now have a lot more respect for Early Girl!

afrance30 · December 5, 2011

Amazing, those plants are so big they almost don't even look real. Incredible!

November 28, 2011	#21
feraltomatoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Home=Napa Valley/ Garden=Solano County Posts: 245	Most of my mom's tomatoes grow 8-10 feet every year grown in the ground. You can see a row of them on the right side of the picture. The plants are grown in Napa, California. We had a cool summer this year, almost no disease this year although I am surprised as last year was cool and it seem to blow in more disease. Most of her plants are set out in mid to late April. The Early Girl and Cherokee where planted in Late March in this raised bed and protected with plastic from a few frosts, the intent was to have some early tomatoes. This plant almost got yanked as it sat comatose and plants planted a month later almost caught up. Then it seem to tap in to the 6 years of annual compost that had been put in that bed, I do not think you can get this kind of results from one year of adding compost, I also do not think you can get this kind of results from chemical fertilizers. Except maybe Atomic Grow, There method is to top off the raised bed every year with compost, it sinks about 6 inches a year from what the plants feed on and breaking down. You can imagine the microbial life that extends many feet into the ground. This picture was taken around the first of October. She had not watered it in a couple weeks to try to slow it down, I am sure the roots had reached for the earths core at this point and if the old septic system had not been about 100 feet away I would have had to assume another nitrogen source had been located. I have more pictures and will try to post. __________________ Brad Gates-Wild Boar Farms ______________________________

November 28, 2011	#23
feraltomatoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Home=Napa Valley/ Garden=Solano County Posts: 245	Another tomato tower picture IMAG0234.jpg Covering tomatoes during rare October frost IMAG0239.jpg Mrs. Tomato picking 1 1/2 pound Cherokee Purples. Everything came out huge in this bed, not watered for weeks, no cracks, solid fleshed 1 1/2 pound Cherokees IMAG0241.jpg Another view IMAG0236.jpg __________________ Brad Gates-Wild Boar Farms ______________________________

November 28, 2011	#27
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Oh my goodness, I laughed my butt off. Those aren't tomato plants, those are TREES!!! I have never seen tomato plants that large, ever! Next year they want to hydro-rake the mucky areas of our lake and I'm trying to figure out how I can get that muck over to my yard and hauled into the garden, lol....anyone I know that has done it on their own shore front, has the most gorgeous grass planted there. Now for me, I'd put it to good use for sure. Problem is I live on the deeper end of the lake so my shoreline is sandy with some fresh water mussels that the raccoons like to sit under my dock and eat. Since reading this thread Brad, I was a busy bee all weekend. I bagged 7 big black trash bags of shredded leaves, and probably need more. And I have a compost heap that needs more nitrogen to get moving but i'm working on it. You gave me a new goal...to see how big I can grow tomato plants in NJ next year! As if the neighbors don't think I'm already crazy wanting to rip out my beautiful lawn....lol __________________ Antoniette

November 29, 2011	#28
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Well, all I can say is - I now have a lot more respect for Early Girl! __________________ Dee **************

November 24, 2011	#17
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	John I know it wasn't south Alabama cause any thing that bushy would be disease riddled in no time. Those are beautiful plants. I wish I could grow thick healthy plants like that. I sometimes get plants with vines 12 to 15 feet but they are never thick and bushy.

November 24, 2011	#18
semi_lucid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Texas, zone 6b Posts: 100	I think I would need to have my plants in the ground in February for them to get that big. There are palm trees in the background, so I'm guessing Southern California.

November 28, 2011	#22
Simone Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Germany, NRW Posts: 225	Never mind... I will take Atomic Grow... just kidding! You killed all my hopes! But i will plant one Cherokee without protection and you will see what healthy (just another joke) plant i get here in Germany! And in 2012 you will see my plant, huge as hell but covered with all the diseases one tomato can get! Guess this will make everybody envious too!!! Simone

November 28, 2011	#24
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	Ok, now he's just showin off! Linda

November 28, 2011	#25
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	PS - Glad you all like the Atomic Grow. LInda

November 28, 2011	#26
Too Tall Toms Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 116	All I can say is WOW!

December 5, 2011	#29
afrance30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 212	Amazing, those plants are so big they almost don't even look real. Incredible!