Plant management - Page 6

zipcode · June 11, 2016

heirloomtomaguy, are those the summer suns?

sjamesNorway, how much mgso4 you using? Assuming you add them manually and not fertigate (even fertigate would give me a rough idea).
I already started seeing some signs even though I just started having 1-2 tiny tomatoes (Crnkovic also the culprit, since I removed Aunt gertie from the growout). I added quite a bit, I have a feeling I'm just feeding them with magnesium at this point.

AKmark · June 11, 2016

Thanks for the links Nematode, there were some tidbits in there that I thought were interesting, one was the runoff amount per time of the day. I also noticed they were running a really low pH, but that may be required for coco media. I am going to ask someone in the loop that I know about that.
Thanks for adding to the thread, plant management is all about producing tomatoes, not just growing them.
Mark in AK

PureHarvest · June 11, 2016

Interesting too that they feed a little bit throughout the day.
I did that last year. Pump came on for 3 minutes every two hours.
I got away from that this year and just run it for 10-12 minutes in the morning.
Also noted that they start at 2 hours after sunrise.
I had been starting at daybreak around 630.
Lastly, interesting that they end at 4 because they don't want the media very wet going into the night to prevent splitting tomatoes.

Nematode · June 11, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKmark

Thanks for the links Nematode, there were some tidbits in there that I thought were interesting, one was the runoff amount per time of the day. I also noticed they were running a really low pH, but that may be required for coco media. I am going to ask someone in the loop that I know about that.
Thanks for adding to the thread, plant management is all about producing tomatoes, not just growing them.
Mark in AK

Low ph is for Iron availability with EDTA Chelation. Everris uses edta and the plants are iron starved even at 5.6.

Chem grow uses a superior DTPA which is available at higher ph.

My chem gro arrived today will start feeding it monday.

Nematode · June 11, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by PureHarvest

Interesting too that they feed a little bit throughout the day.
I did that last year. Pump came on for 3 minutes every two hours.
I got away from that this year and just run it for 10-12 minutes in the morning.
Also noted that they start at 2 hours after sunrise.
I had been starting at daybreak around 630.
Lastly, interesting that they end at 4 because they don't want the media very wet going into the night to prevent splitting tomatoes.

I think the reason to shoot for 10% drying at night is to aerate the root zone, and steer generative.
I noticed your watering regime and thought you might be better off with.a.couple mid day waterings rather than morning and evening. No actual experience here just book learnin.

Nematode · June 11, 2016

I am not sure if steering has large role in a normal summer situation.
The plants are vegetative in spring, cooler temps, lots of water, low competition, low ec (wet) this is necessary to get some size on the plants so they can support fruit.
As spring turns to summer there is a drying out (higher ec) and temperature increase.
This pushes the plants generative. It is the natural way. Most of us are working with the seasons and the plants know what to do. I will use some of the techniques to tinker with my plants, but have so few that it is difficult to know if I am doing harm or good.

I would think this gets much trickier and more important when trying to keep a tomato productive over a 6-10 month stretch with varying light available.

AKmark · June 11, 2016

Fruit production is indeed driven by length of day, heat, EC, and management of the actual plant itself. The worst culprit I have experienced with lack of fruit production is poor pruning. I grow my plants for about 8 months, and we have the most extreme light variation of most other places, we adjust our fertilizer to met these cycles, if it is good, and plants are managed, production is insane.
The best path to perfection is a leaf sample once a month, this will tell a grower exactly what they need to add or reduce.

heirloomtomaguy · June 11, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by zipcode

heirloomtomaguy, are those the summer suns.

No these are Esterina F1. So far its the most productive and best tasting tomato this year.

sjamesNorway · June 12, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by zipcode

heirloomtomaguy, are those the summer suns?

sjamesNorway, how much mgso4 you using? Assuming you add them manually and not fertigate (even fertigate would give me a rough idea).
I already started seeing some signs even though I just started having 1-2 tiny tomatoes (Crnkovic also the culprit, since I removed Aunt gertie from the growout). I added quite a bit, I have a feeling I'm just feeding them with magnesium at this point.

I started out with 1 tbs. epsom salt mixed in, in a 17 gallon container, and added 1 more on the top.

Steve

zipcode · June 12, 2016

Nematode, nice links, I think this one is the most useful in regards to generative/vegetative (from same 'collection' basically): http://maxa.maf.govt.nz/sff/about-pr...growth-no5.pdf
What is interesting is that pretty much all that is generative are various stresses. I guess the first and easiest one is one stem pruning, which is definitely a stress.
I probably said this in another thread, but if you have problems setting flowers for some of the late varieties (not the case in this thread

) just top the tomato. They will set in no time, even in same conditions as before.

PureHarvest · June 12, 2016

Another great link.
Had to look up the next article on EC and H2O management.
Good morning reading with my coffee!

sjamesNorway · June 12, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKmark

I will have some F7's of a Sudduth's mystery cross I would like to send to some of you guys to try. They are unbelievably good, 4-6 OZ , mid-late season, but the taste... oh my goodness. I have been working on it for four years, I have a red and pink version from segregating the line a few years back, taste is the same. I have the F6 going now, will have plenty of seed at the end of the season for next year.

Mark, I remember you mentioned the cross in a thread I started about varieties with old-fashioned taste, and I'll be keeping my eye out for your offer.

Steve

AKmark · June 12, 2016

Steve, it is my favorite out of hundreds and hundreds I have grown. This year I have many of the classics to compare it with "again" side by side. Same story.
I am planning on saving a bunch of seed to pass around, but I need to name it??????

Salsacharley · June 12, 2016

Mark's alaskan bonanza!

Quote:

Originally Posted by akmark

steve, it is my favorite out of hundreds and hundreds i have grown. This year i have many of the classics to compare it with "again" side by side. Same story.
I am planning on saving a bunch of seed to pass around, but i need to name it??????

Nematode · June 12, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKmark

Steve, it is my favorite out of hundreds and hundreds I have grown. This year I have many of the classics to compare it with "again" side by side. Same story.
I am planning on saving a bunch of seed to pass around, but I need to name it??????

Wasilla Thrilla

June 11, 2016	#76
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	heirloomtomaguy, are those the summer suns? sjamesNorway, how much mgso4 you using? Assuming you add them manually and not fertigate (even fertigate would give me a rough idea). I already started seeing some signs even though I just started having 1-2 tiny tomatoes (Crnkovic also the culprit, since I removed Aunt gertie from the growout). I added quite a bit, I have a feeling I'm just feeding them with magnesium at this point.

June 11, 2016	#77
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Thanks for the links Nematode, there were some tidbits in there that I thought were interesting, one was the runoff amount per time of the day. I also noticed they were running a really low pH, but that may be required for coco media. I am going to ask someone in the loop that I know about that. Thanks for adding to the thread, plant management is all about producing tomatoes, not just growing them. Mark in AK

June 11, 2016	#78
PureHarvest Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b Posts: 1,369	Interesting too that they feed a little bit throughout the day. I did that last year. Pump came on for 3 minutes every two hours. I got away from that this year and just run it for 10-12 minutes in the morning. Also noted that they start at 2 hours after sunrise. I had been starting at daybreak around 630. Lastly, interesting that they end at 4 because they don't want the media very wet going into the night to prevent splitting tomatoes.

June 11, 2016	#81
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	I am not sure if steering has large role in a normal summer situation. The plants are vegetative in spring, cooler temps, lots of water, low competition, low ec (wet) this is necessary to get some size on the plants so they can support fruit. As spring turns to summer there is a drying out (higher ec) and temperature increase. This pushes the plants generative. It is the natural way. Most of us are working with the seasons and the plants know what to do. I will use some of the techniques to tinker with my plants, but have so few that it is difficult to know if I am doing harm or good. I would think this gets much trickier and more important when trying to keep a tomato productive over a 6-10 month stretch with varying light available.

June 12, 2016	#85
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	Nematode, nice links, I think this one is the most useful in regards to generative/vegetative (from same 'collection' basically): http://maxa.maf.govt.nz/sff/about-pr...growth-no5.pdf What is interesting is that pretty much all that is generative are various stresses. I guess the first and easiest one is one stem pruning, which is definitely a stress. I probably said this in another thread, but if you have problems setting flowers for some of the late varieties (not the case in this thread ) just top the tomato. They will set in no time, even in same conditions as before.