The EarthTainer "Farm" Update June 1 - Tomatoes, Peppers, & Cukes

[rnewste]

naysen,

Here are the 2 grafted plants:



They were planted 5 weeks after the others in the garden, for reference. Right now, they are the most vigorous plants I have and I am expecting good disease tolerance from them as we get into pest Season here.

Raybo

[z_willus_d]

Those look great. Very strong and healthy by appearances. I just got back in from outside (95F already), and I noticed out there my first goose creek has just started to blush. It looks like it will be my 2nd tomato to ripen. Can't wait for that one (your seeds too).

Thanks,
Naysen

[kforbs126]

I'm jealous raybo. Those are amazing looking plants. So you said that you pruned the bottom to try to eliminate the fungus. Have you seen fungus still with the pruned areas?

[rnewste]

I am seeing Septoria on some of the leaves, but it would have been much more prolific if I had not premptively pruned.

Raybo

[Virtex]

Looks really great, I wish I had planted more red tomatoes, they sure do look nice.

I have a better boy but it hasn't even fruited yet.

Really nice photos, fun to compare since we planted around the same time.

Enjoy the hot tube!

- Scott

[greyghost]

Your plants are just amazing!

[Riceloft]

Looking good as always Ray. My 'Tainer plants are noticeably paler than the plants in beds nearby. I followed instructions to a T (biotone starter, lime, fert strip, etc). The only difference between this year and last is the pine fines. I got them from the same place, but its a different brand. It had quite a few larger pieces mixed in which I removed to the best of my ability. Any thoughts?

[rnewste]

Riceloft,

Next year, I would reduce the amount of microbark you add. Be sure to follow the Thread by Virtex, as his Grow Media is doing great in his EarthTainers and may be a formula you want to try.

Raybo

[BucksCountyGirl]

Ray, everything is looking beautiful. Congrats. I think I might go out and trim some of the lower leaves on mine since it worked so well for you. Cheers!

[tnkrer]

Great looking farm Ray! I hope to have a tainer farm like you at some point in future ..

So when you prune bottom 12 inches, do you leave the fruit truss? At what point did you prune those branches? My tomato plants are now 2 ft tall. Is that sufficient to prune bottom branches?

[rnewste]

When my plants grew to about 30 inches tall, then I trimmed the lower 12 inches. As I understand it, all foliage below the first truss is not necessary for plant / fruit development.

Raybo

[SIP Gro-Tubs]

Originally Posted by rnewste

When my plants grew to about 30 inches tall, then I trimmed the lower 12 inches. As I understand it, all foliage below the first truss is not necessary for plant / fruit development.

Raybo

You are absoulutly correct.

Its also why in greenhouse growing of tomatoes, trimming the the vines below the bottom truss, is the most labor intensive job. Go behind the greenhouse an look at the mounds of branches with leaves.

Then picking the fruits of that labor is reduced since the fruit has been exposed.

Bellpepper growing the leaves are picked below the peppers.

It's also true for a lot of other vegetable and fruiting plants.

Terry Layman

[tnkrer]

Thanks Ray and Terry. I cut off the bottom branches of the plants. (shortest is now 28 inches tall) It looks cleaner at the lower level and it should allow more air to flow through the remaining plant.

[Jnak808]

You inspire me.

I can't believe it, even a hibiscus plant.

[aclum]

Hi Raybo,

You mentioned somewhere, sometime, that you top your plants at about 6.' I was wondering what you do after that in terms of keeping a crop going into the fall - particularly the large indeterminates. Do you just let them "play out" then put in a new crop for fall, or do to let new leaders grow up to replace the old?

I had been planning to let my single stem tomatoes grow up one leg of my trellis string, then sort of bend them and get them to head downward down the other leg. But I discovered that this won't work for me more a number of reasons, so wondering how to proceed after topping.

Also, do you customarily do a fall crop? I never have, but my interest in the subject (for CA) has been piqued (?) by Delerium who mentioned starting a fall crop..

Thanks!
Anne