Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[Barb_FL]

Ginny - I think AKMARK will get 100 times as many because he will have double the number of plants; so double the number of first trusses.

[Fiishergurl]

I probably wasn't clear but that's what I was trying to say.

Ginny

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

I don't think the reason was obvious to us because we don't grow as many tomato plants. A lot of people cut that first truss off that grows below the main stem because they think it gives the plant more energy to grow more in the long run (I'm not saying it does or doesn't... I personally leave the first truss). But it seems amazing that you could get an extra 500-1000 tomatoes (100 times however many tomatoes are typically on that first truss) by doing 200 single stem plants rather than 100 two stem plants. Fascinating!!
Ginny

First there is the discussion of a Y. When to tomato plant creates this Y, which has it's first truss below it, is one stem of this Y a sucker or does the plant just produce 2 stems without one being a sucker? This probably isn't essential to understand, in order to learn a bit about what AKmark was talking about. My guess is that after the first truss is harvested then the single stem plant is lowered by curling the lower part of the plant around on the medium/soil in the container. My next guess is the advantage of this is to bring more of the plant in contact with the medium in order to get more of it to root, therefore, offering more nourishment to the plant for greater production. If this is true he must have the hands of a surgeon, because if I tried this I would probably break my plant in more than one spot on the lower stem. There certainly are quite a number of people here on Tomatoville that are truly brilliant with plants and I am the first to admit I ain't one of em.

Anyway for me gardening in a Raised Bed with compost which sets on the native soil, here in Central Florida, my goal is not to get more of the plant in contact with the soil but less. I trim a lot of the lower foliage to keep it from contacting the compost, because there are potentially a lot of nasty fungus down there such as Early Blight. Also, I try to keep the water from splashing up on the foliage when I water the plant.

I more than welcome comments on this topic, even if it is to shoot holes in my way of thinking.
Thanks
Larry

[Barb_FL]

Larry, I don't think AKMARK lowers the plant for contact with the mix. I think he does it so the plant doesn't get out of hand tall.

There is someone else here from Alabama (I think) and he grows in the ground (maybe raised beds) but has a system for lowering the plants.

When is that cool weather coming?

[kurt]

I have seen How Its Made TV Greenhouse videos where some operations actually have vines that can be lowered with a pulley type system for mater harvest.Some vines were 20/30 ft grown in coco coir in constant recirculating nutrient troughs.Those vines were only two per plant. Mindboggling.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Larry, I don't think AKMARK lowers the plant for contact with the mix. I think he does it so the plant doesn't get out of hand tall.

There is someone else here from Alabama (I think) and he grows in the ground (maybe raised beds) but has a system for lowering the plants.

When is that cool weather coming?

Originally Posted by kurt

I have seen How Its Made TV Greenhouse videos where some operations actually have vines that can be lowered with a pulley type system for mater harvest.Some vines were 20/30 ft grown in coco coir in constant recirculating nutrient troughs.Those vines were only two per plant. Mindboggling.

You are probably right, it is probably just a heighth issue. I've seen pictures of tomatoes in green houses in the Netherlands where they single stem their plants and use sizzor lifts to pick the toms up high.

Looks like the weather next week is looking much better for gardening. I'm hoping my Rattlesnake and Fortex Cross beans can get serious about setting beans. I'm getting an appetite for fresh green beans.
Larry

[kayrobbins]

I had my first ripe tomato today! It was a Sugar Drop cherry. It was not as sweet as I thought it would be but maybe I should have left it on the plant another day or two. I will wait on the next one.

I am having so much trouble with my Cherokee Tiger. Since I have had leaf issues in the last two growing seasons I decided to try Marsha's Bt & Copper mixture. It really seems to be working on the other tomatoes but all the leaves on the CT look bad. Is it more prone to diseases?

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

I had my first ripe tomato today! It was a Sugar Drop cherry. It was not as sweet as I thought it would be but maybe I should have left it on the plant another day or two. I will wait on the next one.

I am having so much trouble with my Cherokee Tiger. Since I have had leaf issues in the last two growing seasons I decided to try Marsha's Bt & Copper mixture. It really seems to be working on the other tomatoes but all the leaves on the CT look bad. Is it more prone to diseases?

Most of the dwarfs have such close together thick leaves, not so good airflow happens. I find some of them to be a lot more disease prone, and I spray the you know what out of them. You probably already did this, but trim some of the leaves out so you can get better air flow, and keep on a-sprayin!

I have CT black pear growing. The chartreuse foliage is so unique. I wonder if that causes the weakness?

[kayrobbins]

I had wondered that too but I hope not because I really like it. There is much less air space between the leaves than any other dwarf I have grown. I will try giving it more breathing room. I want this plant to thrive.

[Barb_FL]

Kay - that is so exciting getting your first tomato. A few of my plants have flowers and I'm doing the Ginny electric toothbrush method.

Sunday night was the first night where temps were low enough to set fruit.

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I have 8 Earthboxes done; it takes me a long time b/c I have to dump it first b/c there is so much mix in the reservoir. Only 3 left to do because I want to save 3 for the Artisan seedlings which are really small.

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Larry - When you plant the Premium Brocolli, do you plant single plants? or double/triple up? Also, In a raised bed 4x4, how many plants would you grow? I am doing 3, but if I can do more, I would. I planted the first 3 a few days ago; single plants; and today I planted another 3 in the next RB but they were doubled up.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Kay - that is so exciting getting your first tomato. A few of my plants have flowers and I'm doing the Ginny electric toothbrush method.

Sunday night was the first night where temps were low enough to set fruit.

---
I have 8 Earthboxes done; it takes me a long time b/c I have to dump it first b/c there is so much mix in the reservoir. Only 3 left to do because I want to save 3 for the Artisan seedlings which are really small.

---
Larry - When you plant the Premium Brocolli, do you plant single plants? or double/triple up? Also, In a raised bed 4x4, how many plants would you grow? I am doing 3, but if I can do more, I would. I planted the first 3 a few days ago; single plants; and today I planted another 3 in the next RB but they were doubled up.

Barb
I know some growers say they group more than 1 broccoli plant together in order to get more smaller heads, but I've never tried it. Maybe I will in the future to see what results. This year I put the Premium Crop Broccoli 11" apart in the RB and 5" from the sides of the beds. Now the plants are large enough and planted close enough that it is getting hard to identify individual plants for watering. Most of the plants are probably 15 to 17 inches high. I'm hoping to start harvesting a few in 3 - 3 1/2 weeks.
I ate my first batch of fresh Rattlesnake pole beans for dinner tonight. The fresh beans certainly taste better than the frozen ones I have been eating.
Larry

[ginger2778]

Barb, if you have solarized, then the potting mix remaining in the reservoir is basically sterile, and doesn't hurt anything. I don't rinse it out, I just remove the old fert strip, mix in new dolomite, place a new fert strip, and finally add about 1/3 earthbox of fresh promix. The plants grow excellently well. Why go to all that extra work?

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Kay - that is so exciting getting your first tomato. A few of my plants have flowers and I'm doing the Ginny electric toothbrush method.

Sunday night was the first night where temps were low enough to set fruit.

---
I have 8 Earthboxes done; it takes me a long time b/c I have to dump it first b/c there is so much mix in the reservoir. Only 3 left to do because I want to save 3 for the Artisan seedlings which are really small.

---
Larry - When you plant the Premium Brocolli, do you plant single plants? or double/triple up? Also, In a raised bed 4x4, how many plants would you grow? I am doing 3, but if I can do more, I would. I planted the first 3 a few days ago; single plants; and today I planted another 3 in the next RB but they were doubled up.

What was taking me so long was dipping in the mycorrhizae, then putting little tomato cages around each tomato baby, then the large outer cage we made for each EB. Last year I only used the outer cage, and when the fruitset got heavy they sagged down to the EB cover. I am finished now, I will definitely get photos tomorrow. I also bought landscape fabric to put a liner over my soil, because I have to get about 15 - 7gallon pots made up for all the extra varieties that are more than I had EB room for. So much work, but WORTH IT.
The swap is Saturday, and it's going to be a huge showing, I think. Gee, next year I might have to bring many more plants! I only have about 325 for this year. Plus 8 basil types, 3 lettuces, kale, and 4 broccoli types.
I have decided to have wine this year too. Fun, but a bit of work.

[Barb_FL]

Larry - Thanks; so I've done single/double ways in the RB. The rest of the broccoli will get ground. Please take a picture of your plants when you have a chance.

Marsha - You're amazing getting all that done. I can't wait to see your pics. Honestly, I can do 5 tomato plants per day. Yesterday was a big day and I did 6. What are you using for mulch on the containers? I've used straw the last 2 seasons but hesitate to use it now that I've made the solarizing effort.

I did the EB solarizing a little different. I only have 14 EB and found out early on the Solarizing in EB is way better than just the bags lying on wooden pallets. I also dumped all my EB b/c I thought they were too wet, and am obsessed with the pot worms and wanted to know. Really, I just emptied one EB into another clean one. By doing that I removed the top and fertilizer strip then and added the dolomite. I also added some Espoma crab shells. Then I packed them into the biggest LOAF imaginable and rolled them into the bags.

ETA - then when it was time to use them, is when I found out so much mix fell into the reservoir.

One thing, as lousy my pool deck is for baking tomatoes, it excels in the solarizing department.

BTW - of the 8 EB I've done so far, I've done 2 with those HD compactor bags. I will try to take a pic tomorrow; so easy to slide over since there is no elastic (I put the plants in first). I did the 2 with Compactor bags in the middle, and then when I went back to the shower cap, it seems so flimsy.

[Fiishergurl]

Hi Everyone,

We are back from Kansas city for the winter and ready to get the garden growing again!! Unfortunately my seedlings that I started a few weeks ago died... long story. But thanks to Barb on this thread my fall season is not going to be a bust. Barb generously shared about 25 incredible seedlings ready to transplant.... so many awesome varieties... Captain Lucky, Cosmonaut Volkov, Rebel Yell, GGWT, Pink berkely Tye Die, Big Beef, Brandywine Dark Cherry and so many others. My husband was so excited and my neighbors and most of all me.

We met Barb part way between where we live and where she lives and she handed over all these awesome plants to us. Barb - It was awesome to meet a fellow gardening enthusiast in person. Thank you again and again... :-)

Happy gardening to everyone this fall.

So excited to be back home and kicking off a fall garden.

Ginny

[kayrobbins]

That is so wonderful for both of you. It was great that you had someone to help you out, I know she enjoyed being able to help a fellow Florida gardener and you got to actually meet each other.