What is your latest tomato growing experiment?

[hendi_alex]

Mine is a kind of community planting rather than individual holes or rows. My soil is very sandy and dry, and each year I have had problems with keeping the plants healthy for a long season. Part of the problem seems to relate to irregular water supply. I've noticed how well my volunteer tomatoes grow from the compost pile, even late in the season. That experience gave me this idea to grow six plants in a hexagonal arrangement, with a common community pile of compost and amended soil in both the planting holes and piled throughout the roughly circular planting area. I think that the partially composted material will provide nutrients, water retention, as well as adequate drainage. This year I have prepared three such beds. Each will be supplied with three or four drip emitters near the center of the bed and at least two feet from any plant's base. T-post supports for cages are 3-4 feet apart.

Each bed is approximately six feet across and is surrounded by a three foot border of weed blocking plastic covered by a heavy layer of mulch.
[img]https://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5598123150_d8f1b7876f_o.jpg[/img]

My test plot has three beds in full sun, but running east to west, the west most beds will help shade the east most beds from the harsh late afternoon sun.

[img]https://farm6.static.flickr.com/5188/5598123392_6a7a0dbf51_o.jpg[/img]

[Bobberman]

Very nice. I just mentioned making a compost with tomato post and growing a few tomatoes or climbing beans around the compost to hide it and benifit from the rain compost tea!

[gixxerific]

Good luck Alex I am playing with the shade this year myself. My yard, long way, is due East, West. My garden, long way, is due North, South.

Anyways the sun comes up directly right of my backyard when looking to the back. I mean smack dab in the middle it as well sets right in the middle at sunset. So I am thinking to put my Tomatoes in the south end of my garden. What this means is they will get sun in the morning slowly draining away than again full sun mid day with a bit of shade again than again full sun before sunset. They will be getting more than the 6-8 hours of sun they claim to be "full sun". But they will also be getting short breaks during the day. It is very hot and humid here so I am hoping this will help with sun-scald etc.

One more thing where my tomatoes will be is pretty much in between 2 house and it is also very windy where I live. The channel between the 2 houses is a wind tunnel so hopefully this will keep them somewhat dry to avoid any mold/fungus type problems.

I hope this works I am worried about them not having the full day of sun but again hopefully the shaded time will help them through the heat of the day.

[applestar]

I haven't planted them yet, but this year's tomato experiment will be planted along the FRONT yard fence row. The challenge will be keeping them somewhat tidy. At the moment, my plan is to build a Florida weave with T-posts and covered wire clothesline (found nice green one that should hopefully be "invisible").

The area has garlic and onions planted right now. The other usual pre-tomato crop like leafy greens, peas, and brassicas are out because this area is not fenced and bunnies are already suffing themselves with crocus leaves and some tulip leaves from other beds in the front yard.

I'm currently considering if I dare to create a patch of sun chokes in the front yard -- it's an odd shaped area with compacted clay subsoil that dries out in the summer drought but stays soggy during the spring thaw.... Lawn just gives up and gives way to crabgrass.

[Yogas]

This year I'm going to attempt to build 3 Earthtainers and place them on the south side of my house. I hope this will help with the blight that plagued my tomatoes last year.

[TZ -OH6]

Hendi alex,
What you are doing is very similar to the Japanese tomato ring method, which has no connection to Japan. Its a good way to use a compost pile IMO (Mine just grow tree roots).

https://jpdurbin.net/recipes/japanese_tomato_ring.htm


My experiment this year is to use my tomato cages as trellises/stakes. I'll grow four plants around the outer edge of each cage and then prune and tie them as if on stakes,. I estimate that this will double production for each cage and the four corner rooting should stabilize the cage against wind. It will also help me grow out many more plants than usual, which I need for making selections on some of my crosses.

[soil]

our latest is we put tomatoes out about two weeks ago. at least a month and a half before our last frost. we built small cold tunnels over them. last night it got down to 29 and there still perky and happy as hell under the tunnel. bring on the tomatoes in june!

[soil]

our latest is we put tomatoes out about two weeks ago. at least a month and a half before our last frost. we built small cold tunnels over them. last night it got down to 29 and there still perky and happy as hell under the tunnel. bring on the tomatoes in june!

[Bobberman]

I think I will try the japan ring in one area of my garden!

[hendi_alex]

The japan ring looks like a good variation of the technique, but I would substitute t-posts and concrete re-enforcing wire for support and enclosures.

[hendi_alex]

I've been planting tomatoes in containers, as well as in the ground, for many years, but most always plant in very large 25 gallon or larger containers. Last year I tried the combination of three gallon containers with drip irrigation. That experiment was a disaster. The same season I put a couple of egg plants in three gallon containers but buried about three inches of the pot in the ground. Those plants did extremely well. So this year I decided to try tomatoes in three gallon pots again. I set the bottom three inches in the ground with half and the other half are sitting on concrete and watered daily or as needed. After just a few weeks there is a big difference in the plants. Those set in the ground evidently get a much more even supply of water. The plants in free standing pots look less vigorous and are already developing yellowish leaves at the bottom of the plants. I set those in the ground today, to see if the plants pick up. The reason for planting in containers is that the yard soil is filled with disease as well as root knot nematodes. But when planted in pots with sterile soil the plants start out growing much more strongly. So this somewhat hybrid method of in pots but in the ground may turn out to be a useful strategy for getting healthy plants all the way into production.

[kimbledawn]

My experiment this year was to move my plants to a hot box outside in late Feb. and plant outside in mid March. Overall it worked out great. It would be a true experiment if I actually kept up with which plants were which so that I could say which ones were the least affected by the cold weather.

The lowest temps that they saw while in the box was about 30'f and outside was 34'f.

None of the plants lost leaves or wilted or died. some turned purple and I have seen the affects of stunting on 4 out of 24 plants.

I have a total of 20 tomatoes on 9 of the plants. Lots of flowers on 18 of the plants and new growth on all of them as of two weeks ago.

The varieties were; roma, black and brown boar, black from tula, black russian, beauty king, virginia sweets, aunt ruby's green, taxi yellow, berkely pink tie die, chocolate cherry, haleys purple comet, and one more I can't remember.

My computer crashed with all of my gardening info from this year

[tedln]

Alex,

Along with other tomato experiments, I am doing the same thing you are doing except I am using my compost pile and I've planted cucumbers instead of tomatoes with drip irrigation. Since I am growing tomatoes in straw bales already, I decided to not try tomatoes in the compost pile. Maybe next year.

Ted

[Bobberman]

I put down a very large area with black plastic! I am using the 4 mill from Wal mart. The platic rolls are 10 by 25 feet and I have 4 completed as of today. I have about 6 dozen planted but willadd another 20 dozen with 3 more 10 by 25 plastic shets. My experiment is not just using black plastic but the way I make the hole in the ground through the plastic hole.
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I mentioned before that I take a 3 foot metal table leg that is pointed on one end & about a 1 &1/ .2 inch diameter on the fat end. I push it into the ground about a foot and the pointed end goes in easy and makes a 4 to 6 inch funnel hole. I set the plant about 6 inches down and push the sides around the plant! Its fast and no digging involved at all! The plastic should be put down on a wet ground for better growing and more moisture retention!
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To stop any weeds from coming up I put a mulch around the tomato. I just got a truck load of old wet leaves that are all crumbled up and they are working great! I put in today Monster omatoes, Black Cherry, Early Girl, Hillbilly orange & red, Maglobe, Green Tomato and a 1/2 pound orange red taste tomato I saved from last year. I also put other plants all through the plastic to seperate the different types of tomatoes!, I seperated the 10 by 25 sheets by 3 feet open row 25 feet long and put two rows of a sugar enhanced 68 day bi color corn between them. I have a 83 sugar enhanced white corn I will plant tomorrow!
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This ground is fantastic.. There are 2 big apple trees on the south side of the garden that shades the area around 7 pm so its great to work in the hot evening. I also made use f the shade by planting parsley near the trees. Beans will go in tomorrow with I hope another 4 dozen tomatoes like super beefstake from Burpee. I have about 6 more varities I will put in soon! Has anyone tried my funnel hole method of planting tomatoes?

[Runningtrails]

This year I planted a Tums in each hole under the plants. I'm hoping it will help deter BER. I also dug in manure and added a little lime, so I won't be sure the Tums worked, but it's cheap and free, so I'm adding it to my yearly Tomato planting routine.

[gardenbean]

What I am doing differently this year with my tomatoes (in containers) is to not "baby" them and get myself all worked up with the little things. Maybe if I stop "loving them to much" they will do better. And I can appreciate and enjoy my gardening more.

[tedln]

Runningtrails,

I have used tums in my planting holes in the past. I typically crushed each tum with a pair of pliers as I dropped it in the hole and then mixed it into the dirt a little. It always seemed to help with the BER. Since I started growing in raised beds, it's a lot easier to control the moisture level without wide fluctuations. I rarely have any blossom end rot. We have had a lot of heavy rains (down pours) this spring, but I haven't had a single tomato with BER. I think the Tums really helped control it when I was still row cropping in a traditional manner.

Ted

[gardenbean]

Does anyone know if one can use Tums for Eggplants too?

[gardenvt]

My experiment(s) are a bit different. Last year I grew Black Prince and it produced larger tomatoes than described. So, this year, I purchased seed from another company whose seeds I would definitely count on. Same with one of the cherry toms - growing the same named plant from two different companies for the same reason.

I'm known for growing great tomatoes and last year it was suggested I grow some for the local county fair. It was flattering to hear that but I am not a seriously competitive person. (I DO like to challenge myself.)

So, my experiment is with a tomato called Big Zac which is supposed to produce 5-7# tomatoes. I read somewhere that if you keep the number of tomatoes on a plant down, then the rest should be larger. The plant has blossoms in clusters of 5 or more. I am thinking that I am going to keep the one that produces a tomato first - keep 1 tomato per cluster and limit the number of tomatoes to about 6 (seems reasonable - 1/2 dozen). I may never grow this tomato again but it will be interesting to find out just how large of a tomato I can grow in our short season. My father would have loved this experiment.

[tedln]

Does anyone know if one can use Tums for Eggplants too?

I don't think it would hurt the eggplants, but since they typically don't produce until hotter weather, I've never had BER on an eggplant fruit. I don't think the tum is needed for an eggplant. The BER I've had on tomatoes before I started growing in raised beds was always on the fruit which set earliest in the spring. Later fruits didn't have it for me.

Ted

[lily51]

Ohio!

[lakngulf]

So this year I decided to try tomatoes in three gallon pots again. I set the bottom three inches in the ground with half and the other half are sitting on concrete and watered daily or as needed. After just a few weeks there is a big difference in the plants. Those set in the ground evidently get a much more even supply of water. The plants in free standing pots look less vigorous and are already developing yellowish leaves at the bottom of the plants. I set those in the ground today, to see if the plants pick up. The reason for planting in containers is that the yard soil is filled with disease as well as root knot nematodes. But when planted in pots with sterile soil the plants start out growing much more strongly. So this somewhat hybrid method of in pots but in the ground may turn out to be a useful strategy for getting healthy plants all the way into production.

I have a similar experiment going on, and for the same reasons. There was a time that I could get a couple of seasons out of soil for tomatoes, but it seems not to be the case anymore. Also, one year I had a brand new spot that was converted from yard to garden, never had tomatoes, but the soil must have been diseased because the beautiful plants put on good fruit but slowly curled and died.

I have some three gallon and seven gallon pots. So far the three's are in the ground about five inches, and the seven's are on top of some black cloth. I may go back and put some of the seven's in the ground a bit to mimic your experiment. Couple of questions:

1. Do you really use 25 gallon containers?
2. What is a good source for containers? I do no plan to put another tomato directly in the ground, but rather will be using containers and fresh soil. Of course, I get the soil from some farm land so will always run the risk of it having some disease as well
3. It is my opinion that the plants do well until the roots hit the affected areas. Is there something we should put in the bottom of the container, or under the container, to allow water to escape but keep the roots from reaching any affected soil?
4. I am assuming that the wind is more troublesome to plants in containers.

Good luck with your experiments

[hendi_alex]

I have a friend who runs a nursery business and he gives me very large 25-35 gallon black nursery pots. Takes a lot of synthetic soil for those six plants though, and they still have to be watered twice per day during the over 90 degree days. One day I may try some kind of hydrophonic system for a few container plants. It seems that those might be o.k. in three gallon pots with something like perlite, and with nutrients circulated over them throughout the day. Will take a good bit of research and maybe expensive first time set up cost though.

[tedln]

I wanted to try some recently released dwarf varieties which were bred to provide good production of full sized, tasty tomatoes of various colors on short stature, very stout plants. The photo shows four varieties which I had to plant in containers ranging in size from three gallons on the left to five gallon on the right. I set them up with drip irrigation in order to keep the soil moist without hand watering them two or three times per day in this 97 degree heat. When the photo was taken, they were only about 26" tall and blooming. They are now over 36" tall with a lot of fruit on them. I think I am going to need to change to larger drip emmiters on the smaller containers because they get pretty dry before the evening watering occurs.

Another interesting thing about these plants is the fact that due to the late release of the seeds after a five year development program, I had to plant the seed direct in the pots, in early March; instead of growing seedlings and transplanting them.

From left to right, the varieties are Emerald Giant (green when ripe), Mr. Snow (yellow to white when ripe), New Big Dwarf (Red when ripe), and Beryl Beauty (Green when ripe with a red blush on the bottom) The New Big Dwarf variety is actually an old variety developed in the 1800's. It was a contributor to the parentage of many of the new varieties. I had no involvement in the breeding program, but followed it with excitement. All of the new varieties are open pollinated and include many other colors like blacks, pink, gold and red. The short development period was accomplished by utilizing the growing seasons of the Northern Hemisphere (United States) and Southern hemisphere (Australia and New Zealand). By doing this they were able to utilize two full growing seasons each year.

[img]https://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll308/tedln/2011%20Garden/005.jpg[/img]

Ted

[Duh_Vinci]

Great looking dwarfs, Ted!

Same here, for the first time, growing the same dwarfs as ted. Really terrific plats for the patio, and I love their compactness! Lots of flowers on all, but have not seen a fruit formed yet. Then again, these are mid/late season, and the weather has not been stable yet.

I do hope that if not production ( I know these can't compete with indeterminates), but the flavor and "enough" tomatoes would make me want to grow them out again and again! Definitely adding more dwarfs from the project next year. Having 8-10 pots on the deck is not trouble at all!

This is the first time I've attempted the "grafting"! Why... Well, there are few odd spots around the garden where I planted some "succession" crop tomatoes in the past, tend to have fusarium. I do get the enough fruit to make it worth my time, but they still die.

So in hopes to battle this, I've grafted Kosovo stem onto the root stock I grew from F1 seed of variety called Emperador (not suitable for eating if grown to the fruit), known for it's vigorous roots and resistance to soil born diseases. Kosovo has also shown some resistance to fusarium according to some folks who has grown them.

To take it a step further, I've inoculated the roots at the early stages of growth with "soil probiotic" containing the following microorganisms, that have reportedly prolonged the resistance of the plants to fight out fusarium:

Trichoderma harzianum
Trichoderma viride
Trichoderma koningii
Trichoderma polysporum

I've planted these two grafted plants this morning (finally). Now we wait and see

Regards,
D

[Gary350]

My Grandfather showed me how to grow tomatoes 50 years ago in Southern Illinois. Dig holes about the size of a 10" diameter flower pot in rows for each tomato plant. Holes are about 24" apart. Throw a small hand full of 15/15/15 fertilizer in each hole. Throw in a hand full of lime and a very small hand full of Ammonium Nitrate. Fill the holes with water then come back later after all the water has soaked into the soil. About an hour before sun down put about 2" of soil in each hole then plant the roots deep. Plant at lease 1/2 of the tomatoe plant stem too. Pack the soil down tight then give the plants a drink of water. The stem has the ability to grow roots any place soil toughs it so in about a week the plant will take off growing lightning fast. In about another week the roots will be down into the fertilizer soil and the plants will all turn very deep dark green. Lime keeps the tomatoes from having blossom end rot. Keep the plants watered for about 1 week then let mother nature take over. If you do not water the plants it forces the roots to grow deep in search of water then during the hot summer sun when there is no rain for several weeks the plants will do fine on their own.

Here in TN it gets very hot so I croud my tomatoes I want the plants to shade each other to keep the ripe tomatoes from getting sun burned in the hot summer sun.

I use to not use tomato cages but I learned the plants will produce 2 times more tomatoes if the plant are tied up on in cages so now I use caged on all my plants.

[GomoIsGardening]

My experiment, the Topsy Turvy Towers. Snagged a few last year on clearance.

Plants did really well until it got hot and I couldn't keep the soil consistent with moisture.

Solution and experiment, water with ice cubes from my portable ice maker. It's working! The stinkers grew at least 6 inches in the last 2 days and put on a ton of blossoms!

I wouldn't recommend this idea unless it's 98, before noon at your house.

[ozark_rocks]

We have a "cess pool" where all of our gray water drains from the house . This area stays to wet to mow. So this year I covered it with black plastic, cut holes, and planted tomatoes. I always have tomatoes coming up volunteer in this area anyway, so this year I won't have to cut back the weeds.

If the tomatoes taste soapy,(I don't think they will) it is no big deal, because I have planted tomatoes all over the yard.

[Bobberman]

Has anyone planted a hanging tomato in the ground at the same time so it gets roots on both ends??

[jasbo]

My experiment is pretty basic: I have Early Girls, Sweet 100s and Red Cherry tomatoes in both raised beds and deck planters. Just want to see whether one outperforms the other.

But since this is the first year I've really tried to garden, after a few half-hearted attempts a couple decades ago, it's all an experiment.

Jim

[hendi_alex]

The self watering planters whether commercial or home made seem to work very well at out performing ordinary planters. I've not used any yet, but am considering construction of some of the home made ones. Steady supply of water is always a problem for my tomatoes in containers, even very large planters of 20 gallon or more. The self watering containers solve that problem. I tried drip irrigation with them last year, but it seems I could never get the flow of water right and ended up drowning the plants.

[imafan26]

I would not exactly call it an experiment but I am growing some new tomatoes for the first time. Black cherry, beefsteak, and German Johnson. Beefsteak went in first and is already fruiting. The Black cherry just got planted out this week and German Johnson has sprouted but does not have true leaves yet.

[dtizme]

Growing a few different kinds this year. 2 cherokee purple, 2 yellow plums and 2 hybrids as well as 3 cherry tomatoes. All transplants. Always had good success with the hybirds but well see how the heirlooms grow compared to the hybrids. gonna try the slow watering technique as opposed to just dumping water om them through a picture glass because what I read watering mimicing as the rain poromotes deeper roots. As well I'm gonna get a rain barrel and use the water out of that instead of tap water. well see how things turn out? I'm sure it wil be nothng but the best. we'll c. Best of luck everyone

[lakngulf]

I would not exactly call it an experiment but I am growing some new tomatoes for the first time. Black cherry, beefsteak, and German Johnson. Beefsteak went in first and is already fruiting. The Black cherry just got planted out this week and German Johnson has sprouted but does not have true leaves yet.

Good luck with the new varieties. So many people rave about Beef this and Beef that, so I tried some last year. I did not get the right ones I guess. Did not have good luck. I have heard great things of Black cherry also.

[hendi_alex]

Blackcherry has become one of our favoites, very abundant with great combination of sweet and tart and rich flavor. We have also come to love the super sweet golden plums over the past couple of years. Very productive, mild, sweet. One unknown slightly pear shaped also lasted a long time off the vine and has a pleasant crunch when bitten. It came in a mislabled pack and I'm still trying to find the variety.

[lakngulf]

Blackcherry has become one of our favoites, very abundant with great combination of sweet and tart and rich flavor. We have also come to love the super sweet golden plums over the past couple of years. Very productive, mild, sweet. One unknown slightly pear shaped also lasted a long time off the vine and has a pleasant crunch when bitten. It came in a mislabled pack and I'm still trying to find the variety.

I googled black cherry to get info on them. Wow, they look like muscadines. I may have to give them a try.

[hendi_alex]

You won't be disappointed!

[Bobberman]

I am using funnel holes with a 10-10-10 fertilizer at the bottom! I just planted 3 dozen mixed varieties that way this past week ! I explained the funnel method in another post!

[probe1957]

Very interesting thread.

My "experiment" this year involves support and pruning. I am using the Florida weave system using T-posts and baler twine. With 18 tomato plants and being 57 years old, I really think the 4000 foot roll of twine will outlive me.

Growing both determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. Pruning the indeterminate varieties to 2-3 stems. Just don't have what it takes to prune them all the way back to a single stem. The determinate varieties are just being pruned of the bottom leaves to avoid soil splash.

For support in the past I have tried individual 2X2 treated lumber stakes for each plant. Although that method works, it is a bit of trouble especially if you let indeterminate plants get out of hand between tying sessions. Cages was a total disaster and I consider pre-made cages to be absolutely worthless for tomatoes. They do adequate on peppers though.

I am a relative newbie to gardening. Last year my garden was a tremendous success for the first time. I am going to attribute that success to recognizing that my garden needs a lot of water, in the absence of rain, here in central Illinois. In prior years, if we didn't get an inch of rain in a week, I would turn my sprinkler on the garden for an hour. Last year, if we didn't get an inch of rain, I would water for 4 hours. The additional water made a very noticeable improvement in production in tomato and pepper plants.

[JosephsGarden]

My tomato experiment this year is selecting for varieties that are highly attractive to bumblebees. The goal being to develop my own strain of tomatoes that is promiscuously pollinating. Last growing season I grew two varieties that the bumble bees were constantly visiting. I replanted a few hundred seeds from those plants and will watch for naturally occurring hybrids. Also added about a dozen varieties to the trial that may have traits that would attract bumblebees. I'll also be watching the general tomato population for any plants beloved by the bumblebees or other pollinators.