Mark's 2018 crop - Page 3

AKmark · April 10, 2018

If you want to move your plants, lower and lean, plant two per container, and have two supports overhead about two feet apart. I use airplane cable and roller hooks. This is how we move them. I used to coil mine, but that takes too long, this is the best method I have found for managing tall plants. You will also keep your production up for a long season.
Plants should also be pruned for heavy production, and only need 13-15 sets of leaves to keep producing good quality fruit. I suggest trimming off the leaves around ripening trusses, and continue that up the plant as trusses mature. Some refuse to do so, and that's okay, its their garden.

AKmark · April 24, 2018

The plants are looking good, nutrients are moving well now that the root zone temps have improved. We have a lot of fruit set happening, several of our crosses are loading up, and some heirlooms are starting to set fruit.

The plants are all caught up on pruning, and are strapped up for now. You can seee the massive amount of flowers that are set, if they all turn into tomatoes I will be pruning many off.

I am now running 1700ppm, and the pH is 6.2. I have also had to spot water a few twice a day.

KarenO · April 25, 2018

Amazing.
Wondering, do you prune your outdoor tomatoes the same ?
Do you grow indeterminate plants outside also?
Everything looks just beautiful Mark.
KarenO

AKmark · April 25, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenO

Amazing.
Wondering, do you prune your outdoor tomatoes the same ?
Do you grow indeterminate plants outside also?
Everything looks just beautiful Mark.
KarenO

Hi Karen. Being so far north I tend to grow more very reliable determinates outdoors, but have grown several indeterminates too, like Early Girl, Fourth of July, Mat-Su, etc. I tried several of the Saraev varieties and they did great, and they are determinates, so I mostly grow them outside. The indeterminates I do grow are pruned the same, and I always get fruit, some yield pretty good too.

MissS · April 25, 2018

Holy Toledo Macaroni! Look what has happened in two weeks time. Seeing how you manage to get such great growth and have a long season, I bet that you could get two sowings per year on your experimental tomatoes which would allow you to stabilize them quite rapidly. Is that what you are doing with yours and Sherry's crosses?

AKmark · April 25, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissS

Holy Toledo Macaroni! Look what has happened in two weeks time. Seeing how you manage to get such great growth and have a long season, I bet that you could get two sowings per year on your experimental tomatoes which would allow you to stabilize them quite rapidly. Is that what you are doing with yours and Sherry's crosses?

Yes, I can easily grow two generations per year. I will be harvesting some seed in a few weeks, will sow them ASAP for a nice summer run.
We will see how things go, I do have a great line up this year. I did a good cross the other day, Rebel Yell x Mat-Su Express. Those should be good a little bit earlier than RY.

AlittleSalt · April 25, 2018

Mark, you are kicking some arse. You set the bar for growing how you do in your growing situation. Congrats, I hope you profit, but more so, I hope you enjoy it all.

Gerardo · April 25, 2018

Beautiful as always. I dig the diagram.

Barb_FL · April 25, 2018

As always, love your photos. I hope you get updating them up though out the season; I would love to see how it looks when they are lowered.

MissS · April 25, 2018

Rebel Yell x Mat-Su Express, Oooooooooo that should be very good. yum

BigVanVader · April 25, 2018

Best tomato porn on the internet. Teach me Obi-Wan.

newgardener_tx · April 25, 2018

I always start from post #1 of this thread. It is just that enjoyable.

agee12 · April 29, 2018

Hi Mark,
Impressive! Can you post a close up of an individual container where we can see the two plants in the container at the soil level. Thanks.

AKmark · April 29, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by agee12

Hi Mark,
Impressive! Can you post a close up of an individual container where we can see the two plants in the container at the soil level. Thanks.

Here is the shot you asked for, then a head level, and then some pics of what we are after, fruit production.

Spartanburg123 · April 29, 2018

Wow, absolutely gorgeous setup!! How do you keep the pollen falling, do you have fans, bees, or a giant electric toothbrush? Best of luck Mark!!

April 25, 2018	#35
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,149	Holy Toledo Macaroni! Look what has happened in two weeks time. Seeing how you manage to get such great growth and have a long season, I bet that you could get two sowings per year on your experimental tomatoes which would allow you to stabilize them quite rapidly. Is that what you are doing with yours and Sherry's crosses? __________________ ~ Patti ~

April 25, 2018	#40
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,149	Rebel Yell x Mat-Su Express, Oooooooooo that should be very good. yum __________________ ~ Patti ~

April 25, 2018	#33
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	Amazing. Wondering, do you prune your outdoor tomatoes the same ? Do you grow indeterminate plants outside also? Everything looks just beautiful Mark. KarenO

April 25, 2018	#37
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Mark, you are kicking some arse. You set the bar for growing how you do in your growing situation. Congrats, I hope you profit, but more so, I hope you enjoy it all.

April 25, 2018	#38
Gerardo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Diego-Tijuana Posts: 2,598	Beautiful as always. I dig the diagram.

April 25, 2018	#39
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	As always, love your photos. I hope you get updating them up though out the season; I would love to see how it looks when they are lowered.

April 25, 2018	#41
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Best tomato porn on the internet. Teach me Obi-Wan.

April 25, 2018	#42
newgardener_tx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: austin, tx Posts: 249	I always start from post #1 of this thread. It is just that enjoyable.

April 29, 2018	#43
agee12 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Georgia Posts: 196	Hi Mark, Impressive! Can you post a close up of an individual container where we can see the two plants in the container at the soil level. Thanks.

April 29, 2018	#45
Spartanburg123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 1,262	Wow, absolutely gorgeous setup!! How do you keep the pollen falling, do you have fans, bees, or a giant electric toothbrush? Best of luck Mark!!