Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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April 28, 2016 | #31 |
Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Co-Founder
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The Niagara Frontier
Posts: 942
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This year I bought square-bottom 18oz Solo cups, they were pretty cheap, 60 in a bag. I know Donna said she has problems using scissors, but I have Carpal Tunnel in both hands and also Ulnar Tunnel in my right, and I have a very sharp old pair of Singer scissors and it's super easy snipping off 4 corners in like 10 seconds time, and with sharp scissors there's no pain & it cuts like butter! The square bottom cups "just about" fit 18 in a 1020 tray, they are a bit large and don't fit perfectly like sheet-pots, but they hold much more volume...
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April 28, 2016 | #32 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: MS
Posts: 211
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Quote:
Go to a closeout store or the discount isle and look for a discounted mini blind (the plastic ones). I can find them for $3 here on the discount isle at Walfart. Cut the strings and then cut up each mini blind into ~6 inch lengths. Pencil writes well on the plastic and will not fade in the sun. |
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April 28, 2016 | #33 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 3,825
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Pencil, eh? I didn't know that. Even permanent sharpies fade on the drink cup slices (except for the bit that's underground).
I've been lurking for discarded blinds here. Say, is that a sensitive plant in your avatar? Are you claiming to be sensitive or something? |
April 28, 2016 | #34 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: MS
Posts: 211
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Yes, I've previously found out the hard way that sharpie fades in the sun. Pencil will last for several years.
Me, sensitive? Not really. That is partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) being munched on by a sulphur butterfly caterpillar. A seed head of wood oats are bent over in the picture, too. Growing native host plants is one of my things. Edit: Hmm, apparently "sensitive plant" is another common name for C. fasciculata. That's what we get for using common names. Last edited by kchd..; April 28, 2016 at 07:19 PM. |
April 28, 2016 | #35 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Northeast New Jersey
Posts: 728
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Thank you, everyone for your suggestions. Methinks I will go with a drill. I have to check my bits to see what I have. I'm fairly certain, though, that I've tried the drill before and it didn't work (meaning the bit was the wrong size). I will ask a neighbor.
Thanks, again. (It sucks getting old ) The funny thing is, I can shovel snow all day, but cannot pull a weed. It is the thumb and the grip that disables me every time.
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DonnaMarieNJ I pay the mortgage, but my cats own the house! |
April 28, 2016 | #36 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Cuyahoga Falls,Ohio
Posts: 818
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April 28, 2016 | #37 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2008
Location: zone 5 Colorado
Posts: 942
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I use a Dremel drill for making holes, using the largest bit - aabout 1/4". I can only do 4 cups at a time.
Also, I drill the cups in a clean bucket, which cleans up much easier than having the plastic bits all over the carpet. |
April 28, 2016 | #38 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Tomato Cornhole
Posts: 2,550
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Donna, I'm glad you posted. I looked up the link that Uncle Doss posted and found some nursery pots that I think will work great. 50 for 3 cents each and no hassle with holes but they're only 4" tall. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Set-Of-50-Pl...EAAOSwmmxW5uKV
I've been using 16OZ styro cup from the dollar store and I still have some from 3 years ago, I use a pecan cleaning tool to punch 3 holes at the bottom of the sides. |
April 28, 2016 | #39 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 205
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I use a cheap soldering iron at a low setting. There are no toxic fumes, as I am not soldering or burning plastic. I am using just enough heat to *melt* a smooth hole. If you are doing this and generating smoke and fumes, lower the temperature or don't do it indoors without ventilation.
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April 28, 2016 | #40 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: MS
Posts: 211
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Hey Donna,
I use a cordless dremel tool with a small drill bit. I make a stack of 5 cups (turned upside down) and let the weight of the dremel (which isn't much) punch holes through 5 cups at a time. |
April 28, 2016 | #41 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: zone 5b/6a
Posts: 134
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Quote:
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Anything in life worth doing is worth over-doing. Moderation is for cowards. |
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April 28, 2016 | #42 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7
Posts: 3,207
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April 28, 2016 | #43 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Tomato Cornhole
Posts: 2,550
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April 28, 2016 | #44 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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Okay folks I have been waiting and it hasn't came up yet.
A good old fashioned ice pick. It has a fat handle and is sharp. It can be held in a variety of ways so a persons hands or fingers wont hurt. Plus they are cheap. Problem solved. Worth |
April 28, 2016 | #45 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: VA - Zone 7A
Posts: 344
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Very nice! The trays wont be that heavy to carry either. Do you know if the square solo cups will fit in the trays pretty tight?
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