New experience for me

barker · November 13, 2012

Hi all, I'm new to Tomatoville and I'd like to relate my experience this season with container-grown tomatoes. I used to be a keen home vegetable and small fruit grower up until about 20 Years ago. I used to live in Victoria (a southern state in Australia) and I rarely had any pests/diseases to worry about, everything grew so well. Then I moved to Queensland (a northern sub-tropical state) and my love of tomato, vegetables and small fruit took a nose-dive after I planted a tomato plant in the first year I was here. It grew quickly and fruit set nicely, but when the first fruit turned colour it was attacked and devoured and totally ruined as I found out the next morning. I thought then, "oh no", this has never happend to me before!
So for 20 years I did not grow any more, until this season. I set 11 plants (large growers and some cherry-types) in containers with good quality mix, gave them organic fertiliser at planting time. placed bird wire around all of them - we have a wide variety of birds in the many trees around my neighbourhood - and I set a fruit fly trap near them due to fruit being grown in the area.
I'm pleased to report my tomatoes have fruited so well, the birds don't have a chance, and the fruit flies have been swallowed-up in the trap.
The only problem I had was with fungus on the leaves (I thought it was bacterial until a commercial nursery person told me it definitely was fungus) and suggested I use copper oxychloride. I used that copper and it stopped the problem dead in its tracks. However, later many leaves started to wilt and die, but I just let that happen, it was not affecting the fruit and I was happy with my feeding routine.
So, my love of vegetable (including tomato) growing is back. And it is just great to eat you own home-grown.

Redbaron · November 13, 2012

Yes it is. Just great to eat your own

coastal bend · November 13, 2012

Friendly suggestion, you might spray a fungicide every week to prevent the fungus from getting started. Down here in South Texas with the high humidity that is the only way we can make a crop. I was out of town last week and did not spray a fungicide(thought it might be over kill) and when I returned home I had signs of fungus . With the weather getting colder no problem. I have picked over 1000 toms off of my two Sungold cherry tomato plants. I don't know if that is good but it cant be bad.

barker · November 13, 2012

You are getting good results coastal, I will keep your advice in mind. I hate having to spray anything over my plants but at times you just have to.

November 13, 2012	#1
barker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Australia Posts: 7	New experience for me Hi all, I'm new to Tomatoville and I'd like to relate my experience this season with container-grown tomatoes. I used to be a keen home vegetable and small fruit grower up until about 20 Years ago. I used to live in Victoria (a southern state in Australia) and I rarely had any pests/diseases to worry about, everything grew so well. Then I moved to Queensland (a northern sub-tropical state) and my love of tomato, vegetables and small fruit took a nose-dive after I planted a tomato plant in the first year I was here. It grew quickly and fruit set nicely, but when the first fruit turned colour it was attacked and devoured and totally ruined as I found out the next morning. I thought then, "oh no", this has never happend to me before! So for 20 years I did not grow any more, until this season. I set 11 plants (large growers and some cherry-types) in containers with good quality mix, gave them organic fertiliser at planting time. placed bird wire around all of them - we have a wide variety of birds in the many trees around my neighbourhood - and I set a fruit fly trap near them due to fruit being grown in the area. I'm pleased to report my tomatoes have fruited so well, the birds don't have a chance, and the fruit flies have been swallowed-up in the trap. The only problem I had was with fungus on the leaves (I thought it was bacterial until a commercial nursery person told me it definitely was fungus) and suggested I use copper oxychloride. I used that copper and it stopped the problem dead in its tracks. However, later many leaves started to wilt and die, but I just let that happen, it was not affecting the fruit and I was happy with my feeding routine. So, my love of vegetable (including tomato) growing is back. And it is just great to eat you own home-grown.

November 13, 2012	#2
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	Yes it is. Just great to eat your own __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

November 13, 2012	#3
coastal bend Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: south texas Posts: 114	Friendly suggestion, you might spray a fungicide every week to prevent the fungus from getting started. Down here in South Texas with the high humidity that is the only way we can make a crop. I was out of town last week and did not spray a fungicide(thought it might be over kill) and when I returned home I had signs of fungus . With the weather getting colder no problem. I have picked over 1000 toms off of my two Sungold cherry tomato plants. I don't know if that is good but it cant be bad.