Bobberman
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2437
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:31 pm
Location: Latrobe Pa.

Planted tomatoes today using black plastic!

I bought 4 10 by 25 foot rolls of 4 mill black plastic to start my tomatoes! I rolled the plastic out 25 feet long but left it folded. I got the scissors and cut a semi circle in the fold of the plastic. Actually ther are 4 folds 3 on one side and one on the other side. I cut them about every15 inches! When I rolled out the full 25 by 10 foot sheet all the holes were lined up with about 120 holes. I threw dirt along the outside borders to hold it in place and stretched it!
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Now I am ready for my method of funnel shapped holes and it worked perfect with the funnel hole the same size as the hole and a foot or more deep! You can make the funnel bigger just by angling the pipe or stick you use as you spin it in a circle! I used a walking cane for awhile till it broke then I went to the tapered table metal leg that I used before! In 15 minutes I planted 3 dozen tomatoes! I will also add some pine or leaf mulch around the tomato! where the hole is in the plastic. There are tons of weeds in this new garden area.! My neighbor had this garden for 30 years and died so they let me use the area to keep it up.
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It is a great garden area with black rich soil like I alwaya wanted ! Three apple trees on the border and 20 foot of grass yard on both sides a real garden paradise!. The area I have to plant is 30 by about 60 a nice big garden. I am planting everything using black plastic in this garden except some corn that I will plant in rows!

ameliat
Full Member
Posts: 48
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:13 am

That's a nice plan you have. I like your methods for digging holes.

I remember when I was growing up, my sister had a garden and she used black trash bags as mulch our small garden. I know you are enjoying that wonderful soil in PA! (I miss CT soil). I read a book called Heirloom about farming in PA and he raved about the soil.

Bobberman
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2437
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:31 pm
Location: Latrobe Pa.

Everyone should try to make the tomato hole using the funnel method because its great. You can sprinkle some blood meal or anything you think will work on the surface of the ground before you make the hole. The funnel will move the mix you add above the hole all along the sides of the hole the whole way down to the bottom of the new tomato planting hole! I simply push the dirt around the tomato or you can add a mix to fill the hole!
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I will plant most of my started plants this way and use smaller holes for the cole crops and peppers! No digging involved with this method and it gets the roots down deep with a small hole even below the roots for more root deeper movement as the tomato grows! I plan on planting some of my direct seeds this way also! I put alot of my started sunflowers in the holes this way and it does not disturb the roots with this method!



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