Tomato methods and ideas

I was looking to share ideas about tomatoes. Things you have tried and whether they worked out or not. Ric

There's a whole forum for tomatoes and there's tons of ideas and suggestions.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/tomatoes/all/

I have tried a lot of ways to keep my plants up. I probably was the most successful with cages using at least 1 strong metal fence post. This year I was thinking of trying to use 2 cattle panels mounted about 9"s apart, on sturdy post and train or tie the plants to them, sot of like a wall. It should be strong enough and stand up to some gusty winds. Has anyone tried something similar? I was planning on moving my tomatoes to the NW corner of the garden, and the"fence" would have good SW exposure and not block anything else. Comment would be appreciated. Ric
Thanks, I'll check it out. Ric

This message was edited Apr 9, 2010 11:38 PM

Ric ~ the cattle panels should be more than sturdy. How did you arrive at 9" for a distance? I am using a couple of 4 foot sections of 4 foot cattle panels with t posts for the inground tomatoes this year. I intend to just tie the tomatoes to the panels. Am a bit worried about the intense heat scalding the plants where they touch metal but will try it... Those I am growing in waterbeds will grow on bamboo trellises again. That worked well last season.

I have also been saving, drying and crushing eggshell to add to the soil where tomatoes will grow. Suggested as a supplement for preventing blossom end rot. Don't know if it works but when doing this I've not had a problem with BER.

I cannot manage to grow a tomato to eat to save my life!! All I do is feed hornworms & stinkbugs! : ( However, I am determined (or, a glutton for punishment!), b/c I am trying AGAIN this year!!

Last year (my first year for tomato growing), I supported each plant with a teepee of four bamboo poles tied together at the top. The poles were only about 6 feet long, but I grew hybrids that didn't get too unruly. Still, I would've been better off with longer, thicker poles, and I'm looking for some online this season.

graceful, do you plant your tomatoes in the same area as your herbs and flowers, or in a separate area? I don't know if you've done any reading on companion planting, but I feel that it works. If you plant certain small flowers, such as sweet alyssum, it attracts braconid and other parasitoid wasps that prey on hornworns and other pests. Some people say that the scent of really fragrant herbs (and flowers such as marigolds) can confuse pests to the point where they have trouble finding their target.

I didn't see one single hornworm on my tomatoes or anywhere else. And this is in an area where my sister-in-law had previously planted tomatoes (and not much else) for a couple of years. And she kept telling me, "Watch out for those nasty bugs (hornworns). We get them every year." Mysteriously, they never showed up. Was it the fact that I'm so nuts about gardening (I want to grow everything!) that the various squashes, nasturtiums, marigolds, 18 different herbs, green beans, cucumbers, melons, peppers, cosmos, and so on that I packed into the garden attracted and repelled the right combination of bugs? I think so, but I also noticed a happy accident. In my picture, behind the bamboo teepees, see that taller teepee made out of branches? I grew all kinds of vines on it - cucumber, cypress, hyacinth bean - and it was just tall enough that the birds felt comfortable perching on it, even when I was in the garden. And I also noticed that the birds perching on it were intently looking down at the tomatoes? Perhaps looking for hornworn treats? I think so.

So I agree with what other people say about seeing your garden as a small ecosystem. No chemicals (unless you reeeally have to), feed the soil (and the microbes living in it) with organic matter, and observe what works and what doesn't.

Stink bugs, though, I can't help you with. I haven't figured that one out yet.

Hornworms are funny insects. Thier large size and constant eating remind me of Augustus Gloop. The only compative caterpillers I have ever met. Even chickens are scared of them.

If I do see any on my tomato plants they are pretty easy to spot and pick off. The moths are huge and can be easily caught, too. I am sure that careful digging early in the season will help with them. Like scarab/Japanese beetles, cutworms and other insects gustate in the soil. Gently dig up your garden beds to expose them to the surface and remove them. Of course, all grubs are favorites of chickens, ducks, geese, moles, voles, wild birds and pretty much all insectivores.

Can't help you with stink bugs. I've seen them but never had a problem. I agree with dividedsky. Intercropping and healthy soil w/ lots of OM makes a big difference in the health of your plants. As my garden has matured over the years, I have less and less problems.

Dividedsky ~ I used bamboo for trellises and the tomatoes traveled on some on them up to eight feet tall. I hung hummingbird feeders on the bamboo. My plants were grown in pots in standing water and there were also many birds that also came to drink from the standing waterbeds. I still had an ample amount of hornworms but must admit they were far easier to spot and remove from tall trellises than from tomato plants that would sprawl on the ground.

Of course maybe the hummingbirds and wrens were afraid of being toted off by these critters...

Ha ha! You can't blame them for not wanting to eat those nasty things!

Your garden sounds lovely, with the bamboo and birds.

If anyone wants to know how cattle panels work for tomatoes, go to the straw bale gardening forum. There is much discussion there on their use. (the two most recent columns both show it's usage) Many have used them (no scalding problems) in several different ways. Check it out!

I use pea fences that I buy from Burpee. I set one plant in each "-V-" shape, then add another fence (3 fences in all)

Thanks, that is like what I had in mind. Since I end up using 2 sturdy fence post to support the baskets. I figured I may as well put up something more substantial from the git-go. Ric

Ric, what type of tomato is that in the picture?

Supposed to be a potato top. Ric

Did you grow them?

Sorry dbailey, been busy and missed your question. Yes, I did grow potato tops last year and they were yummy. I got the plants at a local swap from someone that grew them from Limbaugh's Legacy seed, a Pa. heirloom. Ric

I guess what you call potato tops are what we called in England potato leaved varieties. Having moved in old age to a part of the world with a very short growing season I now grow no others, as PTs are generally earlier than others. This year I'm growing Stupice, which is a fairly cold tolerant PT variety and tastes good. I've just sown the seeds yesterday, and am now waiting eagerly for them to appear.

patgeorge, I had quite a bit of success with my Pt's last year, the early fruit set was especially heavy and with as wet as last year was here that was good. I'm moving them to a fresh bed this year and hoping for the best. Last year was great for peppers and a new one I tried was great, Holy Mole. It was a cocoa colored banana type with a lot of zing and not a lot of heat. Ric

podster...how did you prevent root rot, with your pots standing in water?


Evelyn

Evelyn ~ I'll dmail you as I don't want to take away from the mater thread.

Everyone: I have searched "my info" for threads/posts made in veg garden on tomatoes. Someone years ago went to a lot of trouble to give detailed instructions on how to successfully grow tomatoes from seed. I am trying to find it. The DG "search forums" feature has been disabled since Dec because it was "making the site slower" so I can't search ALL threads for "tomato growing". Anyone have any clue what thread it is? AGH! Thanks in advance.

On the tomato forum there's lots of good stuff on the stickies at the top. There are as many methods as growers and I believe most people take bits and pieces of info and come up with what is easier for them. Houston is a lot different from NY so keep that in mind. Good luck.

Thanks to both :) I'm still on the hunt for that dg thread. I'm sure once I find it I'll bump it for all.

Tir_Na_Nog---Are you Sure that what you are looking for isn't a sticky in the Tomato forum?
There are very detailed stickys there.

Or perhaps you can remember the one that started the thread? If so, we can search by member threads...

Another thought... if you have keywords that you would search for in the DG forums search, try using them in a google search (or other outside search) adding "Daves Garden" to that word search. I have found that works fairly well.

This message was edited Apr 22, 2010 8:45 PM

Terry suggested this old thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/870295/ (a good one) but if you see my post a few down I brought up this older thread about how to successfully grow strong tomato plants from seed....

Oh I know I'll find it. Your tips are helping. I keep digging and when I uncover it I'll share :)