How Can I Improve the Taste of Container Grown Tomatoes?

[maryinoregon]

My pot grown tomatoes never equal the taste of my in the ground grown tomatoes. I have always assumed that this is so because the ones in pots get 4-6 hours sunlight tops. They are grown on the edge of a covered patio. So a few years back I decided that the only tomatoes to plant there were cherry types. I don't have a fancy set up. Just regular pots. I always try to add organic fertilizer blends produced locally, or I stick fish/shellfish remains in the pot. If I have some completed compost, I stick some of that in. Not sure how much that helps. My microclimate is not the best. Neighbors have some major shade trees, so I plant in the same spots every year.

[Raymondo]

Great to read a bit about brix here. I did a soil health course some months back and it we used brix meters to determine the benefits, if any, of various approaches to soil management.

Just to refer briefly back to boron, without it, plants cannot utilize calcium effectively. Most additives these days have all the necessaries though. I just thought I'd throw that in.

As a complete aside, I wonder whether slightly low boron levels would make a plant more susceptible to BER.

[dice]

[boron]

Some documentation suggests that boron deficiency is usually
only a potential problem in sandy soils. (I interpret that as
"loams have plenty.") It is possible that a considerable excess
of some other nutrient or a radically inappropriate soil pH could
block boron uptake even if the soil has sufficient boron in a
water soluble form.

[amideutch]

The answer to your question concerning Boron and BER is yes. If Boron is deficient it can cause BER. The deficiency symptoms of Boron and Calcium are very similar. There is strong evidence that the two elements are very likely related in plant functions and growth.
When the calcium supply is low, plants have a lower tolerance for boron, and the reverse is also true. Thus, when the supply of calcium is high, there will be a demand for extra boron. Ami

[outsiders71]

Ray:

Just add a little more sand to your mix when you use animal manures and you won't have drainage problems.

As for what you can do to get more flavor, well you can only provide the essentials. There are so many factors that effect flavor, the major one being the growing season in itself, that its impossible to control the outcome.

On top of what you put in your mix, making your own tea concentrate using kitchen scraps, seed meals, fish guts, coffee grounds, and yard waste and diluting it and watering your plants with it every few weeks might be something you want to try. The more varied the sources the better.

[rnewste]

Outsiders,

While I got outstanding production from the EarthTainers last season, I do consider the soiless potting mix to be somewhat of a "synthetic" growing environment.







My quest is to approximate the "organic" taste in my tomatoes by adding in ingredients like kelp, and others to make a "cocktail" supplement to achieve a facsimile of true in-ground growing.

This may take years of trial and error to achieve - - but I've got the time (and motivation). I'm just looking to suggestions from more experienced growers who have been through the process before.

Ray

[outsiders71]

I don't think any grower, no matter the experience, has ever found the formula that produces good tasting tomatoes consistently year to year.

The best thing you can do to make your synthetic container environment to match soil is to feed its soil web. The more diverse the compost the better!

Out of curiosity how are you measuring "flavor", I assume you're growing varieties in the ground as well and that is how you're noticing a difference in flavor composition?

[outsiders71]

Did a little google scholaring and found a couple studies you might find interesting:

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/j...52692/abstract

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/j...TRY=1&SRETRY=0

http://www.actahort.org/books/761/761_64.htm

[rnewste]

Outsiders,

Thanks for the articles. I am using a fertilizer that has done well for me in the past, and seems to replicate the essence of the articles in your posts:







I guess what I am looking for are additional supplements to give the tomatoes a more "earthy" flavor.

Ray

[outsiders71]

If you ever find it Ray, be sure to patent it .

[amideutch]

The one thing about this thread is today we are dealing with two types of container growing.
1. Closed containers (Earthbox, EarthTainer,) which is basically a one shot deal, where once it's planted thats it's for the rest of the season. You provide water and watch it grow. You can provide foliar amendments.

2. Open containers, top watering with drainage at the bottom. Various amendments can be added during the course of the season wet or dry. Better aeration as air is drawn through the aggregate as the water percolates down.

So in the closed system the aggregate makeup is more critical and I would think the volume as well because once the nutrients are used, thats it. What would be interesting is to do a soil nutrient test if you will of the potting mix prior to plant out and after harvest to see what's left.
Ferts can be applied to close containers either by injectors in Ray's autotop system or by hand in manually watered systems. But that defeats the design concept of this type of growing system.
Another interesting test would be is a side by side comparison of two tainers, using the same tomato variety with one plant grown in the traditional close container configuration and one in an open configuration. Then make comparisons on taste and production. The actual reason I'm suggesting this is Ray's wife said ever since he automated the watering system he's been putting on some weight. Ami

[rnewste]

Ami,

I put on the weight last year from eating all those Earls' famous BLTs!!!

This year, I am planning on doing more "A/B" comparisons in the controlled 'Tainers with Actinovate vs. none, Actinovate vs. Actino-Iron, and other experiments on both tomatoes and my CornTainers, to see what comparative results I get.

Ray

[amideutch]

Let me know when you find a supplier for Actino-Iron. I found one, ProLawn Systems but they only ship UPS which doesn't help us APO Types. Ami

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by amideutch

Let me know when you find a supplier for Actino-Iron. I found one, ProLawn Systems but they only ship UPS which doesn't help us APO Types. Ami

Ami,

I have a 3 pound bag on order. I'd be happy to fill up a Zip-Loc bag and send to you - - no problem!!

Ray

[amideutch]

Thank's Ray, I will let you know. Ami