Container Makeover, Denver

[Ricky Shaw]

Thanks for the praise my tomato friends, and yes Hellmans finding Tomatoville is the best thing anyone can do if they're wanting better tomatoes. A truly amazing resource and full of helpful and caring people. Long live Tomatoville!

[peppero]

WELL Said RICKY.

JON

[Barb_FL]

Beautiful garden and harvest! No cracking either despite the heat. Well done.

[BajaMitch]

Ricky Shaw, your yields are fantastic. What is your potting mix recipe and what is your fertilizer recipe and application quantities? Amazing pics! You and AKMark really have remarkable tomato growing success.

[Ricky Shaw]

I use what Mark does, he was the inspiration. ProMix HP and three part Chemgro 4-18-38, Cal, Mag

I mix in drums and hand water with an EC millisiemens of 1500-1600 seedlings and 1800-2000 mature plants.

The cooling evaporative effect of fabric pots is important, as well as the foil top covers. Four to six quarts of vermiculite was added as top dressing and that was a factor in helping retain moisture. I share the opinion that composts complicate the process and have avoided them.

[Ricky Shaw]

thank you peppero, Barb, and Mitch.

Cosmonaut Volkov was cited by Cole Robbie for being nearly as productive as Big Beef and much more tasty. I'm going to second that and point out a couple of things from this CV that's already given a dozen tennis/baseball sized toms.

This CV was in one of the hotter spots in the garden and managed to set fruit through heat which other plants stalled in. You can see fruit in the pic through the entire column, whereas many plants had gaps.

This is a good container plant, and would be even better trimmed to 2 or 3 stems and not 4. It was a hungry plant for me and was the first in the patch to say it. Had I fed it more, this plant would have produced even better, no doubt in my mind.

[Ricky Shaw]

I've started topping out plants of the larger fruited toms this week with cooler weather coming. Keeping my fingers crossed I've got good stuff ripe for the tomato contest in ten days.

Elgin Pink is awesome. Before containers I often didn't get this good a fruit set from hybrids.

[My Foot Smells]

Thing of beauty, very nice job and harvest.

Tell me more about this "tomato contest," and good luck w/ dat. Looks like you will run the table in all events.

[Ricky Shaw]

Thank you MFS for the compliments. It's the Boulder Taste of Tomato, last Saturday in August. I've not been but I'm going to this one. There's a post in the events section I think.

The garden has peaked, some plants on the backside of that , but all are producing.

The Rebel Yell, or this close proximity, is excellent in taste and production. I've taken a half dozen nice toms already from this plant and hope a few of these are ripe for the contest.

This was one of the cold treated seedlings and it seemed to make a difference on bigger lower truss sets. And, might notice the fence is painted white now, one of the steps for lowering garden temps next year.

[Ricky Shaw]

Winding down here with a few harvest pics and planning my changes for the 2017 garden.

[Gerardo]

beautiful fruits, cracks and all.

[ginger2778]

Gorgeous, how did I miss this thread? It might be time season after this to give up the organic ferts and go the way you and Mark do. Amazing production. I am a wee bit envious.

[Ricky Shaw]

I love Tomatoville.

[Gerardo]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Gorgeous, how did I miss this thread? It might be time season after this to give up the organic ferts and go the way you and Mark do. Amazing production. I am a wee bit envious.

I'm with you Marsha. I've transitioned and can see a real difference, at least in container land. I'll continue to use both, as I won't be able to give up my alfalfa and crab meal combo.

I concur with #163.

[Ricky Shaw]

I'm stunned by it, as are the neighbors, they run from me now if I have a bowl or tray in my hands. It's the odd plant that isn't producing twenty pounds.