Mitch, I am mostly happy, but not 100 percent.
I am running Hydro Gardens fertilizer at a 2.4 EC, 6.2 ph, but I think I need to tweek my MgSO4 and KNO3 just a bit. If I can't get desired results, I am sending off a leaf sample to have the elements measured. Our long days up here always leaves me with MgSO4 deficiency signs on my lower leaves, it drives me nuts, but never seems to affect yield. My worry is chasing MgSO4, it can result in Ca uptake problems as well as K, which is really bad. Right now some vines seem a touch bully, but others are fine, this tells me I may be inducing the Mg deficiency. If it does not go away, I will have to do the leaf sample.
I get up to 50lbs off of some varieties such as Delicious, but that is from mid May- June to the end of October. I probably average 25-35 pounds on most varieties.
I use 6 gallon containers with pro-mix HP. I used to use 15-20, then 10, now 6.
When I am fully cranking, I have about 250 plants in each of the 72 foot greenhouses, 350, or so in the 96 footers. I can prune and sucker all of the plants in a greenhouse in less than a couple of hours, and lower plants in 3-4 hours. I only lower plants every two weeks or so when that starts. Last year I pulled out 20 foot vines, they were coiled everywhere, but the plants were never more than 7-8 feet tall.
Over the last several years I think my best improvement in growing tomatoes has been management of the plants. This has reduced disease, and has improved my fruit production.
|