newgardener2016
Full Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:08 pm
Location: Modesto, CA.

Garden 2018 UPDATE

Hi all,
So have 3 pics of my tomatoes. Couple questions though.
On the early girl tomatoes are turning red but they are size of ping pong ball, seem kinda small?
The German queen u can see a cluster on bottom n pretty good size but a lot of blossom drop?
I've grown early girl before n they were bigger last time.
German queen never grown before.
I'm not doing anything different then previous years, same growing spot, same soil I always use but fresh and everything else. Only difference is I'm using 5 gallon buckets instead of my big tree containers which I think are close to 15 gallon.
I think what's going on is combination of the containers possibly and the weather here has been shifting n not staying steady as far as warmth. Hasn't been cold day or night but weather would be like 80 one day then low mid 70 then shift to another temp another day. I'm pretty sure the temps are playing big factor.
Love to hear your thoughts.
Attachments
German queen tomato
German queen tomato
Roma grape tomato
Roma grape tomato
Early girl tomato
Early girl tomato

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applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

It IS likely the size of the container. When I was experimenting with different varieties to try growing indoors during the winter, I found out that larger-fruited indeterminates get miniaturized in fruit size when grown in smaller and smaller containers. (I had Cherokee Purple-type variety growing cherry-sized fruits in a 7 inch container). Varieties with ping pong ball size and smaller (saladettes and cherries) fruit sizes were mostly unaffected by container size but were reduced in quantity.

Only tomto varieties that grow to ultimate height of about 3-3.5 feet (genetic dwarfs, some determinates) will do OK in a 5 gallon container — 6.5 gallon is better — UNLESS you use some kind of automated irrigation system such as rain gutter system or double-global bucket system (full 5 gallon inner bucket + the outer reservoir), both of which allow the roots to escape into the reservoir.

My understanding is that most full sized indeterminates need 10-15 gallon container to itself.

BTW, I LOVE that bamboo support — did You make it? What are the dimensions? What did you use to bind them together?

newgardener2016
Full Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:08 pm
Location: Modesto, CA.

Yeah I made the bamboo support. Really no dementions on cross pieces, just kinda winged it but the 3 main ones going into soil are 5ft bamboo. I just used super glue to tack it together then wrapped all the connections using gardening string from Dollar store. Pretty basic.



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