Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - I think I'm going no-till

Cole_Robbie · June 17, 2015

I think I over-did it.

I have a massive whitefly infestation in my high tunnel. My dwarfs have it the worst. I am wondering if making the soil too rich has something to do with attracting pests.

My high tunnel plants that are supposed to be "compact determinates" are all 6-7 foot tall giant hedges. The first year I grew Taxi in unimproved soil, the plant got about 2 1/2 feet tall. Now my Taxi is a 7' tall bush. It is no longer a compact determinate, by any means. I planted one row of indeterminates in the high tunnel, and they are ridiculously gigantic. They are up to the high tunnel roof already.

My outdoor plants are getting so big that the rows are growing together. It's going to be one massive jungle of vines that all grow together.

But my giant plants are not giving me giant yields, at least not yet. It could be the whiteflies. It could be the weather. Or I could have too much nitrogen in my cow field dirt.

I don't exactly have any regrets. This has been a learning experience. Maybe when I expand my garden next year, I will grow a different crop where I have tomatoes this year. I'm thinking if I was growing many other crops besides tomatoes, I would be having a huge success. Unfortunately, there's not a market for tomato vines w/o fruit on them.

June 17, 2015	#45
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I think I over-did it. I have a massive whitefly infestation in my high tunnel. My dwarfs have it the worst. I am wondering if making the soil too rich has something to do with attracting pests. My high tunnel plants that are supposed to be "compact determinates" are all 6-7 foot tall giant hedges. The first year I grew Taxi in unimproved soil, the plant got about 2 1/2 feet tall. Now my Taxi is a 7' tall bush. It is no longer a compact determinate, by any means. I planted one row of indeterminates in the high tunnel, and they are ridiculously gigantic. They are up to the high tunnel roof already. My outdoor plants are getting so big that the rows are growing together. It's going to be one massive jungle of vines that all grow together. But my giant plants are not giving me giant yields, at least not yet. It could be the whiteflies. It could be the weather. Or I could have too much nitrogen in my cow field dirt. I don't exactly have any regrets. This has been a learning experience. Maybe when I expand my garden next year, I will grow a different crop where I have tomatoes this year. I'm thinking if I was growing many other crops besides tomatoes, I would be having a huge success. Unfortunately, there's not a market for tomato vines w/o fruit on them.