Wall-O-Waters - looking for advice/comments if you've used them

[cleo88]

Hi,
I am trying out a Wall-O-Water knockoff called Kozy Koats, despite the fact that the company cannot spell.

http://www.mrtomato.com/product_kozycoats.html

But I think my questions apply to WOWs or KKs.

1) I set mine up ahead of time and, indeed, when you stick your hand in there, it is very warm after the sun has been hitting it all day. But it also seemed really humid. I am concerned that my tomato leaves will be more prone to disease because of the humidity. Thoughts?

2) Does enough sunlight get in for the plant to be healthy? These KKs are red, not clear, so I don't know what the idea there is for allowing the plant to get enough light.

I know this is just a temporary measure; I plan to use mine only for the next week or so, and I only have 3 so it's just an experiment on 3 plants. But maybe I was supposed to plant out with them earlier?

Clearly I don't know what I am doing - help!

[OneoftheEarls]

http://www.homeandgardensite.com/early_tomatos.htm

This is posted as an informational link only...I have nothing to do with them and the information is THEIRS. The last time I posted information I was in the middle of some outstanding controversy and am frankly ready to stop helping...but once I read your question, I recalled reading this article just days ago. I help it is helpful and does not drag up something from someone's past or whatever....

[NewWestGardener]

I 'm using the red kozy coats for the first time this year. As far as I can tell, they work great. I planted my first batch 6 weeks earlier than the mainstream planting season. We had a record cool rainy April, very little sunshine. My black krims at least doubled in height and are blooming. I even sneaked a basil plant in just to see if it can make it (nope, it rotted a few days later). Moisture/ condensation can be an issue if you keep the top closed, as i did when the outside temperature was low (2-5 c), some leaves had yellow spots, which recovered after I opened the tops on sunny days.
I was so impressed with them, I bought some more and gave a friend from eastern part of the country as gifts along with some seedlings. Some internal support system(sticks, cages) appears to be necesary. My plants were small when I put them in the ground, so I did not bother supporting them, they get very squeeshed now.

[ronsmith100]

Originally Posted by cleo88

Hi,
I am trying out a Wall-O-Water knockoff called Kozy Koats, despite the fact that the company cannot spell.

http://www.mrtomato.com/product_kozycoats.html

But I think my questions apply to WOWs or KKs.

1) I set mine up ahead of time and, indeed, when you stick your hand in there, it is very warm after the sun has been hitting it all day. But it also seemed really humid. I am concerned that my tomato leaves will be more prone to disease because of the humidity. Thoughts?

2) Does enough sunlight get in for the plant to be healthy? These KKs are red, not clear, so I don't know what the idea there is for allowing the plant to get enough light.

I know this is just a temporary measure; I plan to use mine only for the next week or so, and I only have 3 so it's just an experiment on 3 plants. But maybe I was supposed to plant out with them earlier?

Clearly I don't know what I am doing - help!

Sorry if already discussed but you may want to consider this
http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=18098

The water bottle acts simply as a heat sink... meaning it takes the dome much longer to lose heat if it has more warm mass in the form of water bottles to forstall it.

Since I was a science teacher I feel compelled to leave it at this: cold does not get in. Instead heat escapes. The more heat you have bottled up the longer it takes to escape. Hopefully longer than the time it takes for the sun to come up.

[BigdaddyJ]

I have used the green ones.

1. No problem with diseased leaves. Maybe due to usual nice spring weather here in Delaware perhaps?

2. Plants got plenty of light. So did the million weed seeds that sprouted inside the WOW...;-)

[Indyartist]

I've just removed my WOWs and mine were a near complete success. My plants got so large that a few top leaves got frosted turned black and died but the plant in its majority did so well that they needed staked as soon as the WOW was removed. My plants are about three feet tall and full of flowers and 9 of them were planted out on April 3, at least six weeks before our last frost date.

[Charley Gardener]

I've used WOW and kozy kote for years. I think they are great . I plant up to 6 weeks earlier than any I know in this area & start getting tomatoes in mid June usually , every body else waits til late July, around here.

[habitat_gardener]

I've used both the green wow and the clear ones (different brand), especially when I've planted tomatoes in Feb. or Mar. -- the recommended planting date here is mid-May, though it's still not in the 50s at night this year. I'd recommend them for early planting, but around here, it's not warm enough to remove all protection by the time the plants outgrow the wows, so I end up adding additional protection (from wind and cool nights).

But the wows are tedious to set up, and when I've planted in April, I've used mostly bubblewrap around the cages. It's easier to set up and take down, does not foster mosquitoes (as the water tubes do), and does not collapse onto the plants during storms.

[TomatoDon]

The best advice is to plant them when the time is right. You can't rush Mother Nature. You can plant yours in any artificial environment as early as you want. Your neighbor can plant his/hers after the last frost date. In 30 days there will be no discernable difference in size.

I found it more difficult, but also more effective, to cultivate my capapcity for patience rather than finding new ways to make a tomato produce before Mother Nature is ready for it to. I don't even worry with the artificially early stuff anymore.

That's been my experience.

[matilda'skid]

I have tomatoes much earlier with wall of water or season starters. The size of the plant is not something I care about, so I don't know about that. I do like to have early tomatoes to eat and I don't like to wait until late July for the big guys.

[ArcherB]

So far this year, I've picked six fruit.

1 from a BW Sudduth Strain
2 from JD's Special C-Tex
3 from... well, the seeds were labeled "Chapman", but it's a heart shaped tomato.

All three of these plants were planted three weeks early under WOW's. I have not picked any ripe or blushing fruit from any other plants. It is obvious to me that WOW's will give you earlier fruit. I planted six plants under WOW's total. Not all WOW plants have produced ripe fruit yet.

Of course, I have not done an official test by planting the same variety under WOW's and not to compare them, but I've never heard anyone complain about any type of Brandywine being early, especially earlier than a cherry type. I have Matt's Wild Cherry that has not produced anything ripe yet.


While it was obvious early on, it is hard to tell which plants were under the WOW's and which ones were not. The other plants have caught up in size and even in fruit set. I have fruit from the WOW's because they set earlier.

So while YMMV, my WOW plants did produce an earlier harvest, but it's too soon to tell if I will get more fruit from the WOW's by season's end.


***Edit***
It may be worth noting that the BWS I have picked was two fused fruits. I don't know if the early start and possible cold weather caused the deformation or not, it I felt it should be noted.

Pics:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

The BWS is in the back. It weighed in a 1.25 lbs.

[TomatoDon]

I'm glad it works for you; I just never had much success with getting them ahead of time. I've been in areas 125+ miles south and bought tomatoes in the early spring with some baby tomatoes already growing. I'd bring em home and start them early and I might get an early tomato or a very few, but nothing more than a brief and token victory over nature's schedule. The other plants always caught up quickly and with 30 days of good weather I couldn't tell the difference in any of of them.

But again, I'm glad it works for you. Success is success...whatever works, works. Hope you got a good early start this year and will have some good ones.

[ArcherB]

You are correct Don about rushing nature. My WOW's were planted two weeks before my general plant out, but I doubt that these plants are a full two weeks ahead of the "general population". As far as plant size, it's hard to tell which plants are which any more. But this was not the case in early April when these plants were setting fruit. If you look at the gallery of the picture I attached, you will see the extreme difference early on.

I should have also noted that these plants were stuck in the ground exactly one month and one day from seed start (all seeds started on Jan 15, WOW's went in on Feb 16, the rest on Mar 6). These plants were planted very immature. Had I started seed on Jan 1, like I had planned, who knows what the results may have been. Also, at the time of planting, the WOW plants were the healthiest of the bunch. That's why these plants were chosen. Like I said, hardly a scientific experiment. Maybe the plants produced first because they were the healthiest. Maybe it's the spot they were given in the garden (they got some of the best spots). Maybe the cups I had them in were too small and the ones that were planted out later were root bound and stunted. Who knows.

So, yeah, Don, you're right. All the plants will catch up. All the WOW's may have done for me is give me fruit a bit earlier than the rest, but I don't think I will get fruit the full 15 days earlier that these plants were stuck in the ground. I'll certainly know for sure in 13 days as my first fruit was picked on Friday, the other five yesterday.

[salix]

TomatoDon - I read your comments with interest, and agree with your conclusions; BUT you must have a thought for those of us who may get frost in any month of the year and whose growing season may only be 90 days in a good year. Just sayin'...

[Jeannine Anne]

Originally Posted by salix

TomatoDon - I read your comments with interest, and agree with your conclusions; BUT you must have a thought for those of us who may get frost in any month of the year and whose growing season may only be 90 days in a good year. Just sayin'...

Hi Salix, are you using the WOWs I have several packs of them that I bought last ytear and didn't try, just wondering if there would be any use in trying with all this rain we have I have a very high raised bed that has good drainage I could plant in but the rain is making things cold as well as wet.

XX Jeannine.