Lake Pier Tomatoes

[lakngulf]

The dockside tomatoes are enjoying springtime sunshine, rain and growing weather. Here is the progression so far this year. Many of these are planted in fresh topsoil that I hauled from the farm.

April 22


April 29


May 07


May 15


Many have been blooming for some time and have some tiny tomatoes. The corn seems to double in size each week.

[applestar]

Looks great!

Can you tell me again what kind and how many holes you put in those giant tubs?
I have the upper 1/2 of a blue plastic barrel that has the original two round openings (about 2" diam?) in what is now the bottom. I'm trying to decide how to go about making more holes and if I need more. I'm planning to plant eggplants in it.

[lakngulf]

When I first started using the tubs I used my cordless drill and put several (6 or 7) one inch holes in the bottom.

After reading on the forum that it is sometimes hard for the water to escape the bottom, especially if the tubs are on soil, it is a good idea to put holes in the sides about two inches up. So this year, I have more holes, in the side.

[valley]

Hi, What a great place you have there, right on the water. Soon those tomatoes should be gracing your table. Good luck to you.

Richard

[gixxerific]

Looking lovely good luck

[applestar]

OK. I think I'll concentrate on drilling holes in the sides then. Thanks!

[gixxerific]

yes holes in the side can't hurt, some people say to put rocks/gravel in the bottom for better drainage. The gravity of these can make a worse drainage scenario.

Think I'm crazy look it up. Feeling lazy right now,

[lakngulf]

I tried a new method to "stake" tomatoes last year. It worked fairly well, even though I was not able to handle weeds like I should. Thick wire cattle panels laid across concrete blocks. The plants find their way thru the wire, and then spread out across it. Here is this year's version



Hopefully the black fabric will keep out some of the weeds this year. I have it alongside my Mother's garden, where we use the traditional wire hoops for support. I will compare results. Problem is: My Mom is taking care of hers and she has the best green thumb in the county.


Here is a photo from last year. Yes there are some tomatoes in there among those weeds

[lakngulf]

Good healthy look to the pier tomatoes. It is always a task to keep the water right in the containers. Most plants are putting on good fruit, with only a slight BER problem so far.

[applestar]

It's hard to believe my wimpy looking plants might be growing as lush as yours eventually.

Not long for your first harvest, it looks like.

[lakngulf]

I was at my Mom's and hunting land today to check on tomatoes there, and to cage the last of the plants. These plants are in unbelievable soil and have enjoyed the good growing temps we have had in central Alabama

These are at my Mom's house:





And these are at the hunting land

[lakngulf]

This is probably the prettiest spot of my garden right now. Right at water's edge, full green hydrangea leaves with some blooms, lemon balm, Fantastic tomatoes in containers, and healthy corn in the background.



Other Pier tomatoes not doing bad either

[McKinney88]

Lookin great!

[lakngulf]

The tomatoes at my Mother's garden are looking great. This whole area has super thick white clover every year, so any spot picked for the tomatoes will have lots of nitrogen. The plant health shows this. Interesting though, is that there are tall pecan trees to the east of this area. As late as 10am these plants are still in full shade. So much for the need for early morning sun. They do get hot sun from noon on.

[Lindsaylew82]

These look great!!!

My entire garden gets noon -on sun. Thanks also to a pecan tree. Never had morning sun, never had any trouble!

[lakngulf]

The hot, humid weather has been rough on my tomatoes at the lake, but they are loaded with fruit. Had to clip lots of leaves due to early blight. I just hope there are enough new leaves developing to keep the fruit shaded a bit.





Here is my version of the Topsy Turvy. You can see the dead leaves on this vine



This is what the fish see when they look up

[VeggieGardenGal]

I love your Lake Pier Tomato Garden.

I also like how you are caging your mothers tomato garden using cattle wire on blocks. Genius!

I like EASY

[ReptileAddiction]

My container tomatoes NEVER look that good. How large are those containers? I use 15 gallon nursery pots among some smaller ones. Do you grow determinate varieties or indeterminate varieties in pots? I grow pretty much only indeterminate ones. I did have my biggest harvest of container tomatoes though this morning (sadly it was only one large tomato and a dozen cherrries )

[lakngulf]

My container tomatoes NEVER look that good. How large are those containers? I use 15 gallon nursery pots among some smaller ones. Do you grow determinate varieties or indeterminate varieties in pots? I grow pretty much only indeterminate ones. I did have my biggest harvest of container tomatoes though this morning (sadly it was only one large tomato and a dozen cherrries )

I am not sure how many gallons for the containers. They are tubs that protein lick for cows and horses come in, and it sells by pound. They are huge, and I can hardly spin one around when full.

I do not make a distinction of type of tomato in the tubs. The ones in the picture have Fantastic in the green tubs and Better Boy in the black.

Growing in containers does not eliminate soil issues when growing tomatoes in the same tub each year. I have one container on the pier that had tomatoes last year. I put a plant in it this year and it put on beautiful growth. Got about three feet high, curled up and died. I took it out, put in another tomato, grew great to about three feet, curled up and died. That tub now has some squash plants in it.

[ReptileAddiction]

Do you notice that certain varieties do better in containers? I find that a lot of heirloom tomatoes do not do very well in containers for me. I do have luck though with varieties like better boy.

[lakngulf]

Gotta love these mild July temps we had during the 4th weekend. I think the produce put on extra color to celebrate. The abundance is beginning:



About to deliver some to my neighbors. They will get most of the peppers from the picture above, as well.

[Lindsaylew82]

What an abundance! I love your thoughtfulness for your neighbors. we have been enjoying the milder temps in SC!

I'm so ready for a big tomato! They're going to come in when I'm on vacation... I just know it!

[lakngulf]

I have some crazy lake neighbors. One guy thanked me for the produce by posting this picture on facebook:

[applestar]

what a great way to show appreciation

[Lindsaylew82]

What a great little community!!!

[ReptileAddiction]

That looks awesome. I am so jealous.

[lakngulf]

Success At the risk of boasting like the guy in the Bible who decided he needed to "build bigger barns" I am going to declare this year a production success.

As many of you know, I have had serious issues with soil bourne diseases with tomatoes over the years, with limited production. This year I planted seed after seed in the greenhouse, with hopes of getting some very healthy plants for different planting dates, and I planted tomatoes in three different locations. Here at the Lake I brought in some new top soil for some container gardening, and made sure I used garden spots that did not have tomatoes last year.

Over the last week I have had a few days with this type of harvest:





I have been able to supply friends, family and freezer, and my taste buds, with some delicious tomatoes.

I talked with my Mother yesterday. We have picked a few baskets of tomatoes from the plants below. She told me she had picked two baskets one afternoon, and four more the next morning. She called her house "tomato central". She enjoys tomatoes as much or more than I do, and loves to give them away as well.



This year was about mass production. It worked. I am seriously considering letting my lake pier garden take a break from tomatoes next year.

[applestar]

What a gorgeous sight! That would surely bring smiles.

Are you saying no tomatoes on the pier or no tomatoes at all? (As if you could! )

But it would be fun to rotate crops and place emphasis on different kinds.
That pier garden has a lot of potential for fun planting designs.

[lakngulf]

What a gorgeous sight! That would surely bring smiles.

Are you saying no tomatoes on the pier or no tomatoes at all? (As if you could! )

But it would be fun to rotate crops and place emphasis on different kinds.
That pier garden has a lot of potential for fun planting designs.

I would have more tomatoes at my Mother's house, and need to go there more often so she would not have to do too much with them. At home I would plant more corn, okra, pepper, and have 6 or 7 containers with fresh soil, along with a little manure. I think the pier with tall stalks of okra would be a pretty site.

Here is my Mom (89) in the garden recently with some of her favorite garden helpers: