Taking a few tips from Charles Wilber...

[Thawley]

This is only my third season of tomato growing. Or growing anything for that matter...

I've read a few books, scoured the web (tomatoville.com is my favorite resource by far) and chatted with the local farm supply owner. All in the search for tips and wisdom on a hobby I previously new nothing about. Among the books gifted to me from my Amazon wish-list this year – thanks Honey – was Charles H. Wilber's How to Grow World Record Tomatoes.

There's no motivation on my part to challenge Wilber's record-setting tomato heights or yields. But he had some serious growing mojo in his day so it worthwhile to see what the man had to say about tomato growing...

A few of his tips/opinions stood out enough that I though I'd give them a try this season:

• using staw-bale "blocks" as mulch
• using a drilled PVC pipe watering system
• using organic compost as a soil amendment/fertilizer

From day-one, I've used paper mulch. Not because I though it was best – but because I had it... The bed between my house and driveway is about 30" wide. Nearly a perfect fit for the 36" rolls of contractor's paper I had left over from another project. I just roll it out, weight it down on the edges and cut crosses in it for every plant. Its worked well to keep down the weeds, but it gets pretty ratty toward the middle or end of the season. Be interesting to see how the straw-bale approach compares.

I liked the drilled PVC watering method as soon as I read it. The emitter-hose drip irrigation system I've been using is a pain. I hate all the wire staples it takes to keep that stuff straight. Don't like the barb connectors. And its expensive. (I'm a tool guy with a drill press – so 20' sections of 1/2" PVC for $3.50 seems like a bargain to me...) The water pressure here was a bit much for Mr. Wilber's recommended 3/32" holes. So I ended up using a single 3/16" restrictor in the supply line to drop the pressure – but it seems worth the effort.

Finally, I'm giving up on Miracle Grow and am going to try organic. It's not that I got religion and turned vegan or anything. I'm just beginning to see the value in thinking about my soil beyond the immediate season... Organic compost makes sense to me even if my OH–major neighbor says it'll never work as well on such a small scale as mine.

Anyway – that's the plan for this year. I'd be interested to hear if others have thoughts or experiences with any of Wilber's methods...

[troad]

Thawley,
Read the Wilbur book too. His use of pond water as opposed to tap water (with chlorine) caught my attention as did his method of removing the lower leaves before transplanting his tomatoes. Yet, he said he planted them at them same depth as they were in the containers rather than burying the stems. Wish he would have explained his reasoning there.?? Now if I can just find some Kudzu on Craig's List ----

[amideutch]

Nothing wrong with organic anything. Even the Hydroponic growers are using organic ferts versus inorganic. Our cannibis friends and companies that cater to their growing needs especially here in Europe have given a new meaning to organic nutrients in the products they are offering today. Bio organisms and mycorrhiza are being used more and more as word is getting out what they can do in plant nutrition and disease prevention.
I also have a copy of Wilber's book and a lot a good information to be gleaned from his experiences. So keep us posted on your experiences so we can learn from your successes and things that didn't work out. Ami

[Thawley]

Originally Posted by troad

Read the Wilbur book too. His use of pond water as opposed to tap water (with chlorine) caught my attention as did his method of removing the lower leaves before transplanting his tomatoes. Yet, he said he planted them at them same depth as they were in the containers rather than burying the stems. Wish he would have explained his reasoning there.??

Forgot to mention that. I'm trying that too. I got the impression he was trying to promote more growth of existing roots rather than growing more roots. Regarding planting depth – I do recall him somewhat dismissively saying "The plants know what to do."

It's hardly a scholarly work. But I like a balance of practiced advice with that of the theoretical when I can find it.

[Barbee]

Straw bale blocks. I think this is what we call flakes. If so, that's what I've always used as mulch. Easy to lay them down and just walk/kick along and it's done
I claim all the busted bales or bales that get wet and are unsellable. I use it in my compost bins and as mulch for my tomatoes.
I have not read the book but I may have to try it now.

[Thawley]

Originally Posted by Barbee

Straw bale blocks. I think this is what we call flakes.

Wilber calls them blocks in the book. Flakes is indeed a better description.

[Ruth_10]

Thawley, put your contractor's paper down and then put the straw flakes on top of the paper. They work very well together and look nice, too.

[Thawley]

Sounds like twice the work to me... What's the theory behind doing both?

[Ruth_10]

A layer of paper first, with straw on the top, is more effective in my experience, in preventing light from reaching the soil and allowing weed seeds to germinate. Without the paper, the straw layer needs to be quite thick. Straw is fairly expensive if you have a large area to cover (which I do).

[Thawley]

Gotcha.

This is my first time using straw so we'll see how it works. I'm using pretty thick flakes – as Mr Wilber suggests – took about three bales for my beds. More than the cost of the paper but I'm hoping it will last longer.

[Woodchuck]

Originally Posted by Ruth_10

A layer of paper first, with straw on the top, is more effective in my experience, in preventing light from reaching the soil and allowing weed seeds to germinate. Without the paper, the straw layer needs to be quite thick. Straw is fairly expensive if you have a large area to cover (which I do).

I've had the same experience.


<Woodchuck>

[BigdaddyJ]

Straw FLAKES? Can someone explain? Is this chopped up straw? You get a bale and chop it up into FLAKES?

I just picked up a few bales and was going to use it scattered as is...

[Barbee]

OK, if you bust the ties on the bale.....you'll find that the straw falls over in sections. These sections are called flakes. What I do is lay the straw down while they are still in the flakes. So little squares of straw, like laying tiles.
Now mind you, straw is free for me, so that's why I use it. If I had to buy it, I'd probably just fluff it up and make it go further.

[Polar_Lace]

Originally Posted by Barbee

OK, if you bust the ties on the bale.....you'll find that the straw falls over in sections. These sections are called flakes. What I do is lay the straw down while they are still in the flakes. So little squares of straw, like laying tiles.
Now mind you, straw is free for me, so that's why I use it. If I had to buy it, I'd probably just fluff it up and make it go further.

Ok, this is good to know, many thanks Ruth, and Barbee. (News paper first; straw second.) Then I don't have to buy some expensive ground covering!

~* Robin

[fourtgn]

Robin, I'm in the same zone same state and the newspaper under the straw/hay definitely keeps the weeds away. (And you know how persistent Texas weeds can be!) I have been enjoying how nicely the newspaper and all disintegrate each year. Most of it just decomposes into the soil. Hope it works for you, too.

fourtgn

Almost forgot: when I lived up north in Colorado, I would only use 1 or 2 layers of newspaper and the weeds were goners. Here in Texas I find I need more, usually 3-6 layers for me. Guess it depends on where exactly you live. It gets rid of most bindweed problems and the other stuff,too.