Tomatoes - A Complete Planting Guide

The How Do Gardener ^ | 04/01/2015 | Rick Bickling

[orsonwb]

Tomatoes - A complete planting guide including state specific planting dates and varieties, tips for soil preparation, planting, watering,fertilizing, insect and weed control...

[Madam Theophilus]

The best garden experiment I ever conducted was last year - determinate tomatoes in grow bags, sitting in a kid’s wading pool. I stuck cheap wire supports in the bags so the plants stayed upright. Covered the potting soil in the bags with a nice layer of compost. The tomatoes grew beautifully and I harvested more tomatoes from the bags than the other six plants that were in raised beds.

This is the video that gave me the idea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf5fB3fnTuE

I did not use the gutter system, but just put the bags in a plastic wading pool. Watering was super-simple, just filled the wading pool with the hose. Plants sucked up the water without a problem. I purchased the shopping bags from Amazon in a lot of 15 for $10.

[ansel12]

I’m probably one of the few here to grow a 16’ tall x 12’ foot wide foot tomato plant, and have the same plant (a volunteer) continually producing for years and years, until the lot was scraped for a new house.

[Banjoguy]

Thank you for the suggestion....
Ed

[Banjoguy]

...good idea!
Thank you.
Ed

[JimRed]

I’ve had zero luck planting tomatoes. Doesn’t matter if they’re ripe or green, nothing ever sprouts.

Try planting the SEEDS next time!

[JimRed]

LOL! You must be doing it wrong. I have 12 coming up where a tomato fell to the ground last year and I didn't pick it up.

I used to get the greatest "volunteer" tomato plants from sprouts on my compost pile.

[Ken H]

Try planting the SEEDS next time!

Ah, good idea!

[JimRed]

Has anyone here tried the hanging planter in which the plants are upside down? I used to see it advertised on TV, but not recently.

[CynicalBear]

Glad to help. It works for me. I’m in nothing but sand here in SC actually worse then it is in Orlando. I can’t even plant in it and fertilize because it just washes down. the black plastic bag cooks it pretty hot and I’ve never had issues.

[CynicalBear]

>>I used to get the greatest "volunteer" tomato plants from sprouts on my compost pile.<<

It's amazing isn't it? I grow all heritage so I never know for sure what is growing. I have taken some of them from the compost pile and set them far away from my others and have had some really good tomatoes from them. In fact, last year I was still canning tomatoes from them after the others were done.

[gundog]

Yeah. Here in coastal Oregon, there’s a patch that germinated in February where someone must have tossed a slice off a sandwich. Started flowering last week.

[June2]

bookmark

[greeneyes]

Of interest to the Gardening Thread?
######################################################

For sure. I’ll try to remember to link to it on Friday. Thanks for the heads up.

[EternalVigilance]

Yeah. They’re basically a weed. And they grow like one pretty much wherever the seeds land. At least out here in Iowa where we have the best soil on the planet. :-)

[greeneyes]

While it helps to pinch off suckers, the most likely scenario for plant with lots of healthy green foliage and not so much fruit, is too much nitrogen in the growing medium/soil additives.

[piasa]

I soaked some unused adult diapers in miracle grow water - boy do they swell up- and they’ll hold about a gallon. Then I tear open the diaper and remove that gel that formed and mix that in with the potting soil in the biggest pot, foam cooler or tub I can find. I planted tomato vines in there, burying 2/3 of them with just the tops sticking out. The gel reduces drought stress between waterings. So far they look awesome and husky. Did eggplant that way too.

This is Florida, I use fresh soil mixed with rabbit and chicken manure and lots of old eggshells rather than waste time with our sand. Fresh soil with manure - to avoid the nematodes that plague us. Haven’t tried baking old soil, usually I just use the old soil from last year’s tomatoes to grow Swiss chard.

My parrots’ used wood pellet cage bedding goes on top of the soil like mulch to hold in moisture and provide a little fertilizer.

[greeneyes]

I have tried it, and didn’t really get better results than normal. The bag only lasted a couple of seasons. The tomato plants also quickly grew down to the ground and along the ground, so I would suggest a variety that is compact.

[CynicalBear]

>>At least out here in Iowa where we have the best soil on the planet. :-)<<

That's a fact. I grew up in Iowa. I wish I had a semi load of that down here in SC where I have nothing but sand. I can only create micro spots with compost and black cow in buried pots and raised beds. I have reached the point where my tomatoes taste like those raised in that dirt up there however!

[mmichaels1970]

the most likely scenario for plant with lots of healthy green foliage and not so much fruit, is too much nitrogen in the growing medium/soil additives.

Thanks for the tip. I'll let my dad know about that one. Based on what I've read, it sounds like he should probably mix some sawdust, wood chips, or some grass clippings into the soil.

[Yaelle]

I am not putting this up as an ad. I just love when gardening time rolls around to read the descriptions of these different heirloom varieties. I’ve bought from her and she does happen to be local, but if you are sitting around in freezing weather dreaming of homegrown tomatoes, this site is very inspiring. Just for fun.

http://www.heirloomtomatoplants.com