How Can I Improve the Taste of Container Grown Tomatoes?

[newatthiskat]

I found a place near me that actually might sell the Actino-Iron and Actinovate near me. Bet they have other cool stuff there. Things might get affordable if I don't have to pay any shipping. and I get one thing at a time it doesn't seem so bad.
Kat

[rnewste]

kat,

The Company that makes Actinovate is located in the Houston area. They have several dealers in Texas and Florida (but none in California). You are lucky.

Ray

[newatthiskat]

I found a place that sells Medina Plus (SP) That big bubba recommends in Tyler but have not bought it yet. I have found plant tone but nothing else along those lines. Did buy a 40 lb bag of minerals plus for 13.95. Bought the last one. I will add it to the in ground garden. DO you think it might be ok to add a few table spoons to the Earth Tainer? Just thinking that a small amount shouldn't throw off the wicking ability. Maybe put it around the picture frame of fertilizer? Just thinking out loud. Anything I can do that is Cheap!! Right now I have 4, 18 gallon tainers that will host 2 dwarf tomato plants each. I also have a 10 gallon that will hold 2 pepper plants. I have 1 10 gallon Earth Tainer up and running with carrots. I was just testing this one out to see how well it worked with slight modifications to make it cheaper. I have found it works very well so far on the carrots. I have learned so much from tomatoville. I really appreciate everyone being willing to read my rambling (or at least pretending to ).
Kat

[rnewste]

kat,

Adding that into the "picture-frame" pattern will work fine. You may want to consider doing one container with, and one without, to determine its effect.

Ray

[amideutch]

Ray, forgot all about this product. Check it out and see what you think. Ami
http://www.biozome.com/pages/farming.html

[rnewste]

Hi Ami,

I read all the links on the BioZome site, as well as the obio site. Very interesting. Discovered that all of us are carrying around 3 pounds of microbes in our bodies at this very moment! Never knew that until today.

A statement on the obio site has me concerned since all of my watering is municipal treated:

""Avoid using highly chlorinated water as it kills microorganisms. Allow the water to stand for 24 hours before applying BioZome to reduce the chlorine level.""

It would be very interesting to set up one 'Tainer with BioZome and one with Actinovate, then grow the same tomato variety in both 'Tainers.

Ray

[amideutch]

Another side by side comparison, I love it. Since you have your inline filter I don't think chlorine will be a problem. And if your filter is only being used for the Tainers I would think the contact time of the water with the filter should be longer as you are using less pressure than a whole house filter for example.
I may order some Biozome, but I havn't made my mind up. The other thing about Biozome is it should benefit you more as you plan on reusing some of the aggregate in your Tainers for the next growing season. IRT the Actinovate AG, the Sales Rep at Prolawn systems is going to work with me on ordering the products. Thanks for the offer. Ami

[rnewste]

Ami,

I will only be using the chlorine filter on the irrigation zone feeding the 30 EarthTainers. So the trickle rate should be a relatively low GPM flow.

The 'Tainers do make an excellent "clinical" test-bench for "A/B" trials in that they have very repeatable eco-system characteristics. I just need the BioZome folks to send me a sample pack of their product for the "Myth-Busters Challenge - Tomatoville Style", as I am already spending too much of my allowance that Dear Wife gives me on all these test products.

Ray

[newatthiskat]

So what you are saying Ray is that I can deduct 3 lbs of my bodyweight because of microbes. Wow I just lost 3 lbs!!! That was easy. THat is alot better than thinking I am microbe infested. Yuck now I just grossed myself out. Thanks alot Ray!
Kat

[newatthiskat]

On a side note when I had a salt water aquarium I used a reverse osmosis filter to remove the chlorine. I kept killing my 50 dollar fish because I never had enough time to clean it then I traded it for a laptop computer. Now I wish I had that aquarium back. I miss Spike my porcupine puffer fish.

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by newatthiskat

So what you are saying Ray is that I can deduct 3 lbs of my bodyweight because of microbes. Wow I just lost 3 lbs!!! That was easy. THat is alot better than thinking I am microbe infested. Yuck now I just grossed myself out. Thanks alot Ray!
Kat

Kat,

I have been pondering that factoid since learning I am lugging around these 3 pounds of microbes somewhere in my anatomy. While some ex-girlfriends could certainly "suggest" where I am carrying them, I would really like to understand where exactly they are concentrated.

Ray

[oc tony]

Most of those microbes are located in the small intestine where most of the nutrients from the food are absorbed.

[amideutch]

kat, with a saltwater aquarium you wouldn't have time to grow tomatoes! Had a friend who was a biology major at the college I lived next to who had a salt water aquarium and would drive down to the beach and fill up 5gal jugs with sea water to do water changes on his aquarium. He had a Lionfish, very beautiful and deadly. This was back in the late 50's when salt water aquariums were in their infancy. Ami

[rnewste]

Ami,

Just thinking about the differences between BioZome and Actinovate. The BioZome folks have been pretty open as to their composition - - I am waiting for Boomer to fully detail why Actinovate competes in this area.

Ray

[newatthiskat]

oc tony is right they are in your intestines. That is why you get an upset digestive system when you take antibiotics. It kills all the nautral flora. Now we are getting "super bugs" because of the overuse of antibiotics. most people get a cold and think they have to have an antibiotic when it doesn't help a virus. I do wonder when they tout these different products like actinovate as being antibacterial I wonder if it kills the good stuff as well as bad or just increases the immune system like some herbals do. I would hate to think of creating a tomato super bug that wipes out everything. No ICU for plants.

Ami I remember trying to clean my tank once when Spike my fish mistook my knuckle as a shell and decided to try to crush it in his jaws. I probably gave the poor fish a concussion. I was shaking him around trying to dislodge him. Got all covered in salt water. Immagine trying to explain that I got an injured finger from my fish Spike.

Kat