Here are directions for self watering containers. I was going to use something like this to avoid using my sprinkler system which puts out reclaimed water.
I think I got this idea from the Frugal Gardener Forum

Here is a link that might be useful: Self Watering container

Misti, you are making me drool!! That's an awesome harvest. Your 'maters look super yummy and healthy!

Cindeeeeee, nope, I never got into the dirt mixes as I went pretty much into hydroponics right away and stayed there for the most part.

What I did and still do notice is that my finest volunteers are in the most lousy soil imaginable.

The ones that also do the best are the ones that are ignored the most.

The matos I showed you a pic of that I was going to tend to this season ended up being the most healthy Matts Wild Cherry. I promptly pulled and tossed them into the compost pile.

I may direct sow a few good seeds and let em be on their own.

Sounds like something to do tomorrow.

cya
tony

Wow Misti! That's my goal!

And you're in 10b? So many of my Miami friends, including some who had grown tomatoes for years, told me last year was a nearly complete bust. Just too hot. I had a very small harvest last year, got more from a couple plants the year before than I did from seven last year.

So what did I do? Branch out, look for better varieties, and vow to plant more. Now that's the definition of tomato insanity, isn't it? Sound familiar Tom?

But I'm not giving up yet! Got little babies all over the place at this point.

Susannah

Susannah
Last year was my worst too. Tomato Forum folks all say last year sucked overall for tomatoes. The only survivor and Champion was the Yellow Pear seedling Denise (naples gardner) brought me last Sept. That is one sturdy producer. Some people poo-poo it as bland, well they aren't doing something right, or maybe it just tastes better growing in drought conditions in SW Florida. This plant Flourished from Sept. through this June! Every other plant I had, even the hardy Husky Cherry Reds, died off too soon from blight and produced little if any fruit.
I just think this past season was weird for tomatoe growers all across the country. I am hoping this fall/winter to be more cooperative. BTW...I got green Zebra seedlings popping up like CRAZY!!!! Ooohhh this tomato obsession is giving me something I do with my limited mobility AND I will have lots of plants to share with everyone!!!

Well, you've all got me rethinking this thing about branching out and trying other varieties. My workhorse Beefmaster didn't let me down last year, wish I'd taken some pictures of them...tons of huge great tasting maters.

tom-I still have some seeds left over. Email me if you want some more to try. I figure, if I have to many seedlings that survive, I can always share them! I just want to have a better than average shot at having some good healthy plants. Plus I am staggering seed planting and type (early, mid, or late season).

This last year I tried Amish Paste Heirloom seeds as opposed to the hybrid florida tomatos and had a great deal of luck. The hybrids all were hit by blight and I had given up hope of ever getting a decent tomato.
We are also planting Brandywine and Cherokee Purple. I don't have room for much more after everything else goes in or I would have as many tomatoes as cindeea.

Cindee - Thanks for the offer but I still have seeds I'm saving to try in the spring (Goose Creek, Cherokee Purple....), no more room right now.

Veggrljo - you should try the Brandy Boy vs. Brandywine. Can't remember if it was Tony or Ill-Manner'd but one of them has stated that the Brandy Boy was much more productive.

natives and veggies: we planted late in October and started getting fruit in December and the bulk in Jan and Feb. We had some through May and then we tore them down for the summer. Only a few strongholds made it that long.

Thanks for the tip on the Brandy boy!!!
I'll have to try them out. Now I have an excuse for "just one more plant".

Shoot, now I'm lusting after a Brandy Boy and an Amish Paste... this doesn't end.

But my current babies are all looking healthy, so maybe it will end in lots and lots of tomatoes. And like Cindee, I'm planning more sowing a little later in the season.

I actually bought stuff to can tomatoes last year, thinking I had done so well with a couple romas, I'd certainly have way too many to eat all at once with seven plants. I finally broke down and bought a bunch of tomatoes from a local farmer last winter and canned them, which was a fun, if messy project. It was more to see if I could "put up" tomatoes like my grandmother did, and not kill us, which my grandmother managed to avoid. My boyfriend was skeptical until he tried the chutney on salmon. It helped that I didn't kill him.

And I was reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle when I did it, so I was feeling very back to the land. Not sure if I'll bother this season. Though a bumper crop might motivate me.

I'm impressed with your success Misti. What did you do with all of them?

Susannah

Susannah-for short term storage, you can also blanch, skin seed(optional) and freeze until you have enough to make large batches of tomato sauce for pasta or stewed tomatoes, salsa etc.

Well, our first seedlings are up! I'd say about 1/3 are up and by the end of next week most will be up I bet.

We made alot of salsa and some tomato sauce. I am going to get a canner from my mom when I go back to Texas in October so we will try a lot more this year.

Misti, what seedlings do you have growing? I have more seeds to share if you guys have the room. I am tickled with all the seedlings popping up all over the place. Today I re-potted green zebras, husky cherry reds, sun gold, black pear and cherokee purple seedlings. Sounds like a rainbow!!

I got tomato mania last fall and havent stopped since.Last fall sunmaster and heatwave set fruit well in late august so this fall i put them out the earliest,both have alot of fruit now.I have a stupice and a champion 2 that are doing well.Champion 2 is supposed to be risistant to TYLCV and so far so good.I seem to have problems with TYLVV more in the fall than spring ,i pulled 3 palnts yesterday with it.Went to 2 of the big box stores and the palnts they had looked horrible so i came back home and took cuttings off stupics,champion 2 and bigbeef.I dont know how that will turn out but today the cuttings were looking good.I put them in small pots with real wet potting mix and plan on leaving them in the dark a couple days and see how they do.Has anyone had much luck with cuttings ? well i gotta run for now.

kirk

Kirk-I have not had great results with my Sunmster seeds. Seems I have only 2 seedlings out of 20 that may make it. Did I start them too soon?? The seeds just did not germinate. I was looking forward to growing Sunmaster due to it's heat tollerance and disease resistance.

Last year I did my tomatoes in an in-ground bed using mostly mushroom compost that I got at Volusia Shed Company here in Deland - they seemed to love it, but here's the problem: I'd like to follow the advice here and spread my plants farther away from each other, so I'll have to use pots, and I think the mushroom compost would be too rich and heavy for pots. What's a good specific-to-tomatoes type of potting blend for maters?

Cindee last year my sunmaster and heatwave plants came from walmart.This year i used seeds i ordered from totally tomatoes.I started them in the little sixpacks and then moved them into 4 inch pots before putting them out.I started theses seeds middle of june and put in the ground around the 1st of august.I should have waited a little longer on the big beef plants,i had 2 bigbeefs over 6ft tall and only 1 tomato on 1 of them.I ended up pulling the one with no fruit because of TYLCV.

I started my Sunmasters 7/6 from peat cubes in a six-pack. Five germinated but one was a runt so I only potted up four of them. They're about a foot tall now with flowers just starting but really are not growing much in the 4 gallon pots I have them in, probably too hot and I have not been the best at fertilizing them. Isn't TYLCV transmitted to our maters by the white fly, which we sure can't control well during the summer...maybe that's why most have given up on growing them this time of year.

Karen i use mirracle grow potting mix in the few containers i use,but that can get expensive.If you do a search in the container forum you should be in buisiness.

Tomncath at 8 weeks old 1 ft plants seems about right to me.If you think the soil might be getting to hot maybe try putting some burlap losely around the pots to keep them shaded.

Did you plant your whole fall crop of maters or do you have some other varieties you plan on putting out ?

I dont think the whiteflys will be going anywhere anytime soon.Just make sure to pull the plant soon as you notice the virus.I spray with saver soap to try to keep them from getting out of control but i still lose a few plants every year.

Karen, I also use MG potting mix but I keep an on going mix of soils going. I add granulated organic mix, perlite, coffee grounds. Once they go into their perm containers I am planning to add Epsom Salts, Bone Meal and corn meal to some of the containers and see how they do.

Has anyone tried Tomato and Blossom Set Spray to increase yields and speed harvests? I ordered some this year with a round of seeds I ordered. Cap'n I am saving a bunch of seed to put in later too. Last spring I started ALL the heirloom seeds Treefrog sent me at the same time and way too early. I started them all indoors and lost every single plant! Learned there, tomatoes ARE NOT houseplants...lol I have been shading my seedlings, keeping them moist and out of the wind and direct sun. I am hoping to have some decent plants, but already a couple weaker ones are succumbing to the heat. I need to move some more babies out to the patio and pool cage where it's cooler. Right now my CHAMPION seedling is the Big Zac that Denise(naples gardner) brought me a few weeks ago. I am babying this big baby. If weather permits, tomorrow I may take some photos of my seedlings.

Cindee bigzac is one of my favorites,i have a freind who lives in ky who grows bigzac as his work horse.I drive over the road and stop in there often.He loaded me up with bigzacs and brandywines earlier this summer to bring back to florida and give to some of are freinds,he is a snowbird and lives next to me in the winter.I tried to grow 2 bigzacs this spring and niether produced well,i got 4 tomatoes in all.They just wouldnt set fruit for me.I started them dec 25th to try to get them as far along as i could before putting them out in early febuary.I had the same luck with brandywine too,just didnt set fruit.I just ordered a tomato called florida pink yesterday that is a big pink like branywine that is supposed to set fruit well here in florida,i sure hope so.Il be growing them next spring.I also ordered carmella,burbank slicer(i hope its the one trrefrog speaks highly about)black cherry,creole,and orange cherry in place of sungold because this place didnt sell sungold.I been trying to find a place that sells goose creek but having no luck.I am thinking about becoming a member of sse where i would be able to get just about anything.

Cindeeeee,

Yes, I have tried the fruit set spray. It seems to work. It can be used on peppers and I think egg plant. Many times, the fruit will not have seeds at all or as many seeds as usual.

I used to use it when it was too hot for the flowers to set fruit in the hot summer.

Tony

Captnkirk - Thanks for the tip about the burlap, may give that a try.

I have not set any of my plants yet as I thought this was going to be a repeat of the 2004 fall season with one hurricane after another and I didn't want to see everything drown again...way more plants than I know what to do with as I've decided Bill, Tony et. al. were right and the plants need more room to grow to stay healthy and not spread disease, consequently I'm cutting down from 36 maters last season to 13-15 this season. I'm also still a few weeks away from setting my plants because I have not made my mix yet AND I've decided to do pot-in-pot in the ground. It just stays too hot where I'm at and I'm sure the soil temps in the containers are too high so I'm going to sink 10 gal. pots in the ground so the soil will remain cooler, insulate with a layer of oak leaves to discourage nematodes, and set the 7 gallon containers inside my little bunkers... we'll see how it goes.

Tom

Tom that sounds like alot of work,the things we will do for tomatoes lol.It soundls like it should work pretty good .I wouodnt think you would need 10 gal pots but i guess if you have a good source for you potting mix then go for it.I do wish i had more room here to spread mine out some,and maybe rotate them year to year.

I was just going through some of me seed packs.I need to make a list and give some of these away that will never get used.I shouls get them into the freezer too from what i have read somewhere on this site.

Cap'n thanks for the heads up on Big Zac. I am anxious to see how it does. The past 2 season my best tomato has been a seedling that comes from Denise! Last year it was Yellow Pear! Mus be the combo of us 2 babes having out hands on the plant (now, now, Tony-don't get excited-LOL!) Tom sounds like you have a real plan there. I am doing most of mine in planters as usual, some near each other others spaces around a bit. Tony, thanks for the info on the bloom set. I have more seedlings popping up in the garage this morning that need tending to before the rain sets in...Wishing everyone Terrific Tomatoes!!
An array of seedlings at various stages
{{gwi:933930}}From Tomatoes 2008

Tomato Condo
{{gwi:933931}}From Tomatoes 2008

Husky Cherry Reds
{{gwi:933932}}From Tomatoes 2008

Black pear and Homestead 24
{{gwi:933933}}From Tomatoes 2008

And, a drum roll please........Denise's Big Zac!
{{gwi:933934}}From Tomatoes 2008

ps-anyone going to Ricky's that has those milk crates that they do not want...please let me know. I want more. They work fantastic for shading seedlings.

I typically grow maters, sweet peppers, pole beans, squash and cukes. Soil temp. in the containers can be problematic and I'd like to step down the size of many of my containers from 7 gal. to 5 gal. and 3 gal. but unless I can cut down on some of this heat in the potting mixture that will be hard to do, I think. I'd sure like to hear everyone's experiences with container size, fruit variety and success and failures - if Cindee doesn't mind me hijacking her thread....

tom i would think 7 and 5 gal containers would be fine.I have 6 earthboxes that will grow 2 plants each,it takes one of the 2yd bags to fill one of these comtainers.Im only using 1 earthbox this time around and the rest of my plants are going in raised beds and a few in the fround using posthole method.

tom if you have some places that get partial shade during the day might be a goos spot for a few of the ones you put out early.You might try using some shade cloth too .Im probably not the best person to be giving advise as i just started growing maters last fall.

Hey Cindee
Nice looking seedlings. I can see you sometime in the future at the Farmers Market as Tomato Queen, lol.
I'm not bragging but I gave you one of the better Big Zac seedlings and mine are now over 12 inches tall. Difference? Maybe using tapla's soil recipe which is very fast draining (meaning: has to be watered daily), some Dynamite pellets and one app of liquid fertilizer.
My goal this year is BIG tomatoes and I suddenly realized I hadn't started any cherries (just did yesterday).
If you have a Galina to spare please save me one. It's a sister to Dr. Carolyn and I'd like to try it out.

Denise
tomato mania-ack

Denise, send me your addy and I'll send you some Galina's seeds. I have plenty. Also, let me know if there is anything else. Have you tried Golden Jubilee? I just got some seeds from containerTed on the Tomato Forum. I was babying my Zac and keeping him in the garage and out of the wind so I guess he prob didn't get as much sunlight as yours. However, his roots are really amazing as I just potted him up again. I also burried him deep picking off the 2 lower groups of leaves so only the top 3 are above soil.

Tom, you aren't railroading...it's all about tomatoes, ain't it? I use all kinds of different large containers so I can put 2-3 plants in each pot. This year I have some basket type tomatoes too that I will try hanging from trees and on my patio. Here's a couple pots pre-season last year. Each had 2 or 3 plants.
{{gwi:933935}}From Fruits 'n Veggies

Denise - I'm making Al's mix for the first time this year. Since you're doing so well tell me exactly what your mix is? Which Dynamite product are you using? I really don't want to make a trip to Florikan in Sarasota right now so I'll have to bite the bullet and pay for some Dynamite.

Cindee - I've had really good success with the Beefmasters BUT they are a tall indeterminate with lots of tomatoes so they need a lot of room for root growth, I'd say 7 gal. is a rock-bottom minimum size container to put them in...that's just shy of a cubic foot. I want to step down to either 5s or 3s for the Cherries and maybe the cukes and squash so I don't have to use more that one yard of pine fines (27CF) for everything. Thus my interest in setting pots in the ground to keep the soil mixes cooler.

I just noticed i have a stupice starting to blush,looks like il pick it in the morning and take on the road with me.All my cuttings are still looking good so far.If these cuttings work out il be doing it alot more in the future.Some of these cuttings i cut at lengths over a ft long so its like a six weel old plant,a good way to replace plants that have been lost to tylcv and other problems.

captnkirk2112,

I used to do it that way too. Its like chain smoking. Lighting one up with the other before it goes out.

Captn, that's a great idea. Did you root them in water?
AND, is it possible to save a plant with TYLCV that way? Would the virus still be in the top stem and leaves and show up later?

Tom i think once the plants get the virus cuttings would have it too.When taking cuttings i think you would want to take the cuttings from new shoots coming off the main branches nad usally like you said above the new growth is where you usally see the signs of TYLCV.

I just cut my cuttings off and stuck them down into very wet potting mix.On the longer cuttings i tried to stick them 3 to 4 inches deep.I didnt have no rooting solution around to use.I took them out of the dark today and put them under my carport where they will get a few hours of sun in the mornings.Il be leaving out on the road in the morning for about a week so when i get back hopefully they will have started new growth.

Here is a nice site with great pics and info on different varieties of tomatos.I go here often

http://t-garden.homeip.net/mwiki/index.php/Main_Page

can someone post the site i mentioned in my last post as a link?Im not sure how to do it

Here it is.

Here is a link that might be useful: tomato stuff

thanks so much barbcoleus.Hope everyone enjoys it.I see they will have purple haze seeds available next spring.I want to try that one .They say it comes from black cherry,cherokee purple and brandywine.

http://t-garden.homeip.net/mwiki/index.php/Purple_Haze

Here is a link that might be useful: purple haze

Oooohhhh I have to put Purple Haze on my want list. Sounds like an interesting combo of tasty parents!

OK Guys, Treefrog sunk me! I just got an envelope full of tomato seeds, most of which I never heard of! I requested 3 seed types from him-Brandy Boy, Earl's Faux and Goose Creek, which he sent along with over a dozen more! I spent the whole afternoon researching each. The most interesting is the Sungold x Juliet x Blackcherry F2 seed. There's a couple other rather exotic ones I plant to try. Sheesh, I need a FARM!!

Very nice cindee ,Im waiting on my envelope from treefrog now,lol .Guess im gonna have to learn how to save seeds now.Cant wait to grow some goose creeks.You folks south of me got it made with not having to worry about frost.

kirk

Capt'n someone on the Tomato Forum showed this seed saving/fermenting technique using common cleanser, like Comet or what have you....let me go see if I can find it. I haven't tried it yet, but wonder if it works ok. Anyone else have some tomato seed saving secrets? The saved seeds I get from others looks so pure and mine still look mucky with gunk holding on. I would like to be more of a purist if I am going to share my seeds in the future. Get your fields ready Kirk if you are expecting seeds from Froggy! LOL

Here's the Link to the Tomato Forum seed saving technique. I printed it up last week and plan to try it with my seeds from my HOPEFUL PROSPEROUS TOMATOES this winter! LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Saving Tomato Seeds by Trudi

I potted up seven more seedlings today, and repotted a couple that I purposely put in small pots, to repot a little bigger as they matured. Trying a couple different techniques with babies this year. Some outside, some inside, some in the same pot until they go in the ground, some repotted twice.

And the grand tally _ I have 29 plants, assuming not a single one of the other seeds I have started makes it _ and some of them are looking pretty good.

I'm actually starting 15 different varieties this year looking for the best of the best for my conditions. I can't believe I went this nuts! And now y'all are making want to look for a couple other varieties! Someone stop me!

For those going to Ricky's swap, I'll have a bunch of tomatoes there. I planted two of each, a few more of some, and I clearly don't have room for that kind of tomato patch on my little 1/3 acre! Seriously, if you want tomatoes and don't want to bother starting them, I'm going to have waaaay too many. And if anyone wants to start some, email me, I still have way too many seeds because I wanted to try so many varieties.

Tomorrow: I finish hoeing up weeds in the veggie-bed-to-be (it goes to weeds in the summer, with a few beans, in hopes they improve the soil a little.) And I will mulch it tomorrow. I swear. Yes, that was my plan for today, but gosh it was hot. It won't be so hot tomorrow. LOL. I've got some cow manure I'm going to rake in. Already spread some compost. Then I'll let it sit mulched, with newspaper underneath, for a few weeks before I set out the plants in October. I can't wait!

I'm also thinking of trying to do a raised bed in an area where the soil is particularly poor. Actually, I'm thinking of putting tomatoes just about everywhere!

I've got a couple of those grow bags, came free a couple years ago with an order of I don't remember what. I'm wondering if I can put some cherries in them and hang them on the wall? And I'm seriously planning to take an unused garment rack out into the yard this year to put a hanging tomato planter on and then plant beans under it, with string for them to grow on. Is that crazy? The soil there could use some bean improvement.

The one I can't get to start: Everglades cherry. That surprised me. I thought they were pretty easy.

Susannah

Susannah you have it bad...TOMATOMANIA....that is.lol .

Im planning on a few raised beds for next spring myself.Out here in on the road driving a 18 wheeler i have so much time to think about tomatos lol so many plans.

thanks treefrog...got the seeds all 10000 of them lol.Now which ones to grow 1st lol,Cant wait till spring to give them a go.

kirk

captnkirk-when I got treefroggy's mail I nearly fell over...tomato seeds by the thousands indeed!! He belonged to a round-robin seed exchange at one time and EVERYONE on the face of the earth sent him seeds I guess...he's just sharing the wealth! lol!!

Susannah-I read on the Tomato forum, that potting up a tomato plant is not only good for the roots but also necessary. When they are at the 1-3 leaf layer stage, poting up helps the roots structure to concentrate on re-settling and branching out rather than becoming closley wrapped tap roots. So this year I am starting all my seeds in small cups and then up-planting them once they have at least 2 leaves above soil. I hope you find the link interesting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato Root Structure

Thanks Cindeea, interesting link. All of mine are potted once _ I start them in peat pellets and then go to pots. But I'm up-potting a bunch because they grew too fast for their little pots and it's still to early to put them in the ground. But so far everything seems to still be alive! Yay!