What are you doing differently this year... - Page 2

rxkeith · January 18, 2011

water, and weed, more.
fertilize more.
last year was kinda busy, and the garden didn't get the care it needed.
cage them. i let them sprawl last year, and the varmints, had good eatin.
i should get the soil tested.

keith

sprtsguy76 · January 19, 2011

Chucker- nothing wrong with switching from organic to synthetic especially in container culture. Its just too darn boom and bust with organics in contaienrs for me. I generally use two synthetic ferts in my containers as I'm still testing which ones I like best. Mostly I use Lilly Miller slow release 18-6-12 and mix it in the soil, then supplement with Foilage Pro and Pro-tekt. Nothing wrong with Miracle Grow either as its very affordable and works great, I like to use 24-8-16 Miracle Grow some times.

As for things I'm doing differently 1) I'm growing tomatoes mostly in containers this year, mostly traditional pots and a few swc's. Last year the tomatoes that were grown in containers tasted so much better than the inground tomatoes and I blame my heavy adobe clay soil that holds too much water. The soil I use in containers is fast and grows great tasting tomatoes. I sacrifice in size a little bit but thats ok.
2) For the few tomatoes I em growing in the ground I'm switching to a drip system where I'm getting better coverage in the root zone. Last year I used 1 gph inline 1/4" tubing that was spaced at 1 foot intervals, this year I've got 1/2 gph 1/4" tubing that is spaced at 6" intervals.
3) I'm not growing as many 'new to me' varieties as my space is limited and I have a few homemade crosses I need the room for. But it will be fun to see what comes out of these crosses.

Damon

b54red · January 19, 2011

*Hopefully this year get my trellises built and the soaker hoses down before I plant the tomatoes.
*Try to keep to my spray regimen better. Seems every year I have lapses and pay dearly for them.
*Find some straw for mulch.
*Be more merciless in pulling out sick plants instead of trying to nurse them back to health.
*Keep a good supply of seedlings ready to fill the spots from the above action.
*Give away more tomatoes than last year.
*Label my tomatoes as I pick them so I don't have to try to keep them organized on the counter.
*Take more and better photos.

FILMNET · January 19, 2011

I keep a soft pen with me as i pick fruit off i mark the fruit with name before they come inside. Florida weave saved me , as each plants in the ground has a pole tied to the bottom of the plant for the first 30 days i cut any branches off which want to leave the center stem this early. At some time i let the plant go, if it is strong supported by my work, the huge leaves and fruit is growing through the string. Or i help them, at 4-5 ft maybe 50 days i left branches go out. Now the Florida string i tie the branches to the string. And watch for any branches coming out on the bottom, after 60 days some will come out from the ground i cut this off, doing nothing for the plants. Last year i had a 7ft plant on Black Cherry loving one, late July I found behind the 1 center stem in the ground a 2nd one coming up, it was 5 ft high, no fruit or flowers, cut this off at the ground. I lay this on the grass as i do this some times i cut a lot, the plants love it. Into the Compost they go, if you do cut a lot in July watch what the plants do? bigger fruit, more air, better color, more sun, stronger plants for sure.
I use Salt Marsh Hay.has no seeds comes from the coast here in summer. if I don't finish it all I save it inside because its dry, over the winter here. no weeds now.

Qweniden · January 19, 2011

Good ideas about labeling tomatoes in the field. How many times have I said 'I think this one is the sudduth and this one is the regular brandywine but Im not sure"

**carolyn137** · January 19, 2011

Not spending so much time at most message sites I visit reading and often posting.

Tormato · January 19, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Not spending so much time at most message sites I visit reading and often posting.

Is that just during the Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US?

barefootgardener · January 19, 2011

*Not grow so many different varieties of tomatoes and vegetables in garden.
*Will not try to cram in so many plants and vines in 12x16 greenhouse..(New) I grew 50 tomato plants alone in ground and pots ..Spaced good, but by the end of season..combined with everything else growing..it was a jungle!
*Put up better fencing around garden so the free range chickens cant get in and have a picnic.
*Try not to do everything on the honey do list in one season...Having a big garden, Building a GH, Buying Sheep w/twin lambs..Buying milking goats w/tripletts, building milking parlor, hatching out 60 chicks in spring (well I didnt hatch them the chicks did, but had to feed them all LOL)..Building new fences..
*Try to stick with #1

**carolyn137** · January 19, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tormato

Is that just during the Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US?

No, it's them plus any other live tennis that the Tennis Channel or ESPN2 or NBC or Versus features.

So there.

Dewayne mater · January 19, 2011

Build some of Ray's new and improved (and easier to build) earth tainers.

As soon as the foundation work is done on my house, I will re do the watering methods with drip irrigation vs. spray now. I hope to reduce leaf disease significantly.

I will be using a combination of actinovate, serenade and daconil this year with the same goal in mind.

Build a four wheel "tray" to dolly out earth tainers from the garage to the outdoors so I can start earlier without fear of killing frost.

ddsack · January 19, 2011

Try to remember all the things I was going to do differently this year .....

I found a handy change apron that my son had when he worked at some restaurant. It's got 4 or 5 handy sized pockets across the front. I going to stock it with a little spiral notebook, pencils, a sharpy marker, some pre-cut lengths of string, and a very small pruner that I found at a dollar store. I will hang it by the back door and TRY to remember to put it on when going out to check the garden. I can't begin to count the times I've wished for one or more of these items and didn't want to go back to get them.

maf · January 19, 2011

Grow more tomato plants.

stormymater · January 19, 2011

Grow in ground this year!
First time in years to be in the ground - not in raised beds or containers!

Going to be mighty different - I have had baaaad luck with pruning down here - seems to give easy ingress to disease - & I am sooo accustomed to my 8' tall CRW cages! Will be learning Florida Weave for my big beautiful indeterminants!

RinTinTin · January 20, 2011

If you are having disease issues at the pruning site, try sealing the spot with a pruning sealer, or grafting wax.

stormymater · January 20, 2011

where does one locate this grafting wax you speak of? (or pruning sealer for that matter)

January 19, 2011	#19
FILMNET Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA Posts: 1,803	I keep a soft pen with me as i pick fruit off i mark the fruit with name before they come inside. Florida weave saved me , as each plants in the ground has a pole tied to the bottom of the plant for the first 30 days i cut any branches off which want to leave the center stem this early. At some time i let the plant go, if it is strong supported by my work, the huge leaves and fruit is growing through the string. Or i help them, at 4-5 ft maybe 50 days i left branches go out. Now the Florida string i tie the branches to the string. And watch for any branches coming out on the bottom, after 60 days some will come out from the ground i cut this off, doing nothing for the plants. Last year i had a 7ft plant on Black Cherry loving one, late July I found behind the 1 center stem in the ground a 2nd one coming up, it was 5 ft high, no fruit or flowers, cut this off at the ground. I lay this on the grass as i do this some times i cut a lot, the plants love it. Into the Compost they go, if you do cut a lot in July watch what the plants do? bigger fruit, more air, better color, more sun, stronger plants for sure. I use Salt Marsh Hay.has no seeds comes from the coast here in summer. if I don't finish it all I save it inside because its dry, over the winter here. no weeds now. Last edited by FILMNET; January 19, 2011 at 12:30 PM.

January 19, 2011	#21
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Not spending so much time at most message sites I visit reading and often posting. __________________ Carolyn

January 19, 2011	#26
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Try to remember all the things I was going to do differently this year ..... I found a handy change apron that my son had when he worked at some restaurant. It's got 4 or 5 handy sized pockets across the front. I going to stock it with a little spiral notebook, pencils, a sharpy marker, some pre-cut lengths of string, and a very small pruner that I found at a dollar store. I will hang it by the back door and TRY to remember to put it on when going out to check the garden. I can't begin to count the times I've wished for one or more of these items and didn't want to go back to get them. __________________ Dee **************

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January 18, 2011	#16
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,848	water, and weed, more. fertilize more. last year was kinda busy, and the garden didn't get the care it needed. cage them. i let them sprawl last year, and the varmints, had good eatin. i should get the soil tested. keith

January 19, 2011	#17
sprtsguy76 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Santa Clara CA Posts: 1,125	Chucker- nothing wrong with switching from organic to synthetic especially in container culture. Its just too darn boom and bust with organics in contaienrs for me. I generally use two synthetic ferts in my containers as I'm still testing which ones I like best. Mostly I use Lilly Miller slow release 18-6-12 and mix it in the soil, then supplement with Foilage Pro and Pro-tekt. Nothing wrong with Miracle Grow either as its very affordable and works great, I like to use 24-8-16 Miracle Grow some times. As for things I'm doing differently 1) I'm growing tomatoes mostly in containers this year, mostly traditional pots and a few swc's. Last year the tomatoes that were grown in containers tasted so much better than the inground tomatoes and I blame my heavy adobe clay soil that holds too much water. The soil I use in containers is fast and grows great tasting tomatoes. I sacrifice in size a little bit but thats ok. 2) For the few tomatoes I em growing in the ground I'm switching to a drip system where I'm getting better coverage in the root zone. Last year I used 1 gph inline 1/4" tubing that was spaced at 1 foot intervals, this year I've got 1/2 gph 1/4" tubing that is spaced at 6" intervals. 3) I'm not growing as many 'new to me' varieties as my space is limited and I have a few homemade crosses I need the room for. But it will be fun to see what comes out of these crosses. Damon

January 19, 2011	#18
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Hopefully this year get my trellises built and the soaker hoses down before I plant the tomatoes. Try to keep to my spray regimen better. Seems every year I have lapses and pay dearly for them. Find some straw for mulch. Be more merciless in pulling out sick plants instead of trying to nurse them back to health. Keep a good supply of seedlings ready to fill the spots from the above action. Give away more tomatoes than last year. Label my tomatoes as I pick them so I don't have to try to keep them organized on the counter. Take more and better photos.

January 19, 2011	#20
Qweniden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Sacramento, California Posts: 267	Good ideas about labeling tomatoes in the field. How many times have I said 'I think this one is the sudduth and this one is the regular brandywine but Im not sure"

January 19, 2011	#23
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	Not grow so many different varieties of tomatoes and vegetables in garden. Will not try to cram in so many plants and vines in 12x16 greenhouse..(New) I grew 50 tomato plants alone in ground and pots ..Spaced good, but by the end of season..combined with everything else growing..it was a jungle! Put up better fencing around garden so the free range chickens cant get in and have a picnic. Try not to do everything on the honey do list in one season...Having a big garden, Building a GH, Buying Sheep w/twin lambs..Buying milking goats w/tripletts, building milking parlor, hatching out 60 chicks in spring (well I didnt hatch them the chicks did, but had to feed them all LOL)..Building new fences.. *Try to stick with #1

January 19, 2011	#25
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	Build some of Ray's new and improved (and easier to build) earth tainers. As soon as the foundation work is done on my house, I will re do the watering methods with drip irrigation vs. spray now. I hope to reduce leaf disease significantly. I will be using a combination of actinovate, serenade and daconil this year with the same goal in mind. Build a four wheel "tray" to dolly out earth tainers from the garage to the outdoors so I can start earlier without fear of killing frost.

January 19, 2011	#27
maf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: England Posts: 512	Grow more tomato plants.

January 19, 2011	#28
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	Grow in ground this year! First time in years to be in the ground - not in raised beds or containers! Going to be mighty different - I have had baaaad luck with pruning down here - seems to give easy ingress to disease - & I am sooo accustomed to my 8' tall CRW cages! Will be learning Florida Weave for my big beautiful indeterminants!

January 20, 2011	#29
RinTinTin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Seattle Posts: 581	If you are having disease issues at the pruning site, try sealing the spot with a pruning sealer, or grafting wax.