Containers Growing ?

[AlittleSalt]

As most of you already know - I am disabled. My SSI check amount goes by how much my wife makes. This month, she gets paid 3 times, so my check was a whole two dollars and fifty cents. Buying meters or anything else has to wait until June because I'm paying for all the gardening stuff. I don't want Jan to pay for an experimental garden that may or may not work.

[Worth1]

Salt I think okra can grow in a marsh.
Worth

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

They have been planted out two weeks now. I used regular tap water when planting them. Our local water comes from wells in the Trinity river water basin. The tap water is soft here.

I used 4-28-38 / 15.5-0-0 Calcium Nitrate / Magnesium Sulfate at half strength to water once, and rainfall has watered since then. Today, I need to check the mix to see if it needs watered - if so, I will use the 4-28-38 / 15.5-0-0 Calcium Nitrate / Magnesium Sulfate at full strength.

After that, I need to ask questions about how often to water with regular tap water and when to use the 4-28-38 / 15.5-0-0 Calcium Nitrate / Magnesium Sulfate to water with.

The two week planted tomato plants are larger than if I had planted them in ground which is a positive sign in my eyes.

I apologize for my confusion, but are the 2-week planted Tomatoes the ones in the pots, or the ones in the nematode soil raised beds?
A Kmark is one who turned most of us on to the 4-28-38 With the cal/mag (which I believe might be 4-18-38), and he uses the solution every single time he waters.
As an aside if you would please teach me, I wonder how you know that your fusarium Wilt is Race 3? Could you please tell me how you tell the difference between the races, since I do not know?

[AlittleSalt]

Marsha, the ones planted in the buckets are the two week planted ones.

I planted Big Beef VFFNTA and they got affected by fusarium wilt race 3. On this thread http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...t=45168&page=7 post #189 shows the results. In post #193 Bill (b54red) wrote, "Robert you obviously have that third race of fusarium."

The garden that I grew the Big Beef VFFNTA in last year - now has a doublewide home there. This year's gardens are 90' or so away from that area. I'm hoping the Fusarium wilt 3 is just in the old garden, but only time will tell.

[Ricky Shaw]

The 4-18-38 is at every watering. Exceptions might be, if you had a build up of salts or made a mistake and fed an overly strong mix, then a flush of clear water could be useful.

If it's tap water you're using, municipalities often have reports of typical values, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and pH are generally listed.

If TDS is above 300 or 400ppm, growers purify with Reverse Osmosis, because TDS ppm's are included in the overall nutrient solution values. The mix and plants can only tolerate so many solids. The problem with high TDS is that it doesn't contain the nutrients you're looking for and the plants are shorted goodies like NPK and typically overloaded on calcium. Not trying to overload you with info, but there's a lot involved. Things are just so much easier with good water to start.

[AlittleSalt]

Ricky Shaw, you are correct. I did typo the number and then copied and pasted it... It is 4-18-38 / 15.5-0-0 Calcium Nitrate / Magnesium Sulfate.

I've been friends with the people who work at the water company for 38 years (That just made me feel older). I can get the results quickly. The water company is only 2.5 miles from our house.

I watered the plants in buckets this evening, and they are growing so fast. It really is kind of unbelievable to see. There are also 3 Sungold tomatoes about 1/3 full size.

[ginger2778]

Robert, when you take nematodes out of the picture, the plants can get enough nourishment to flourish.Good roots. And no Fusarium to attack their vascular system. I told you, haha.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Robert, when you take nematodes out of the picture, the plants can get enough nourishment to flourish.Good roots. And no Fusarium to attack their vascular system. I told you, haha.

You know it and I thank you for your encouragement along the way.

I admit that I was stubborn about the RKN that you diagnosed in 2016. I thought I could get rid of the RKN. Yeah right, It didn't happen - you did tell me so, and you were right.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

I apologize for my confusion, but are the 2-week planted Tomatoes the ones in the pots, or the ones in the nematode soil raised beds?
A Kmark is one who turned most of us on to the 4-28-38 With the cal/mag (which I believe might be 4-18-38), and he uses the solution every single time he waters.
As an aside if you would please teach me, I wonder how you know that your fusarium Wilt is Race 3? Could you please tell me how you tell the difference between the races, since I do not know?

Yep, every time, sometimes 3 times a day in mid summer, and the plants grow like crazy. We do the same thing with flowers, we care for some pretty big baskets in smokin hot GH's, they drink like crazy, and get fed every time, and they grow and grow.
I probably never mentioned this, but a sunny 70-75 degree day will put an unvented GH up around 130 degrees, we try to keep it at 78. So anyway, I deal with heat too, and do water a lot on hot days. Of course we vent, don't grow cactus.

If we follow the experts advice, in this case HG, the feeding part is in the bag.

[zipcode]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I used regular tap water when planting them. ur local water comes from wells in the Trinity river water basin. The tap water is soft here.

Ok, then you're set. Using that formula in hard water would have been really difficult.

[AlittleSalt]

Mark, thank you, and Wow 3 times watering per day. Last year, I read that Worth had to water every day in containers - so it's not new to me to read this, but it is something I'll keep an eye on.

The more I read about container gardening - until you get things fully set up - it is much more difficult than growing ground. I will get that meter as soon as I can. The money for this month is already needed elsewhere. Things that are needed by the many, and not the one.

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Zipcode and Rickyshaw, getting those records from the local water supply is going to be more difficult than I expected. The local water supply is small and ran by locals who are my elders and don't put forth a lot of effort. One lady (Evette) took care of many things there including the details I need. She passed during post surgery in late January. I knew her as a personal friend that I worked with. I met her when I was 4 years old, and I just turned 53.

Another lady that I have known since 1984 working at the local water company said it will take time for her to find the info I need because Evette did all of those things "As she put it". But with every story, there is a lot more to it.

It may be a while before I can post results.

[Worth1]

Salt I wasn't watering every day last summer in the tubs, I cant remember how often I watered.
Two three times a week?
I did water and fertilize yesterday when I came home though.

As for the raised beds that is a different story and could be more like two to three times a day.
I think only once did I see the okra wilt in the heat all summer and that was when I set the timer to one time a day.

If your okra leaves are drooping they aren't getting enough water.

I honestly don't think you need to go out and buy a bunch of fancy stuff right now at this time to grow plants in containers unless you have problems.

You need to some way get hold of the person running the water plant they will know what the water is or should.
Right now you are dealing with bureaucrats not the guy testing the water.

Worth

[AlittleSalt]

I have had a week or so of down time due to health diseases and more. Seemingly nonstop - more important things needing attention first. The tomato plants in the buckets are still looking good. I haven't been able to buy and spread out the cypress mulch, but I have watered using the 4-18-38 / 15.5-0-0 Calcium Nitrate / Magnesium Sulfate every three days. The mix is not drying out as expected - it's nothing like growing in-ground.

The MG Nature's Care is surprisingly a lot like pro mix. The regular MG is difficult to know when to water. Worth, the okra is growing at the rate it should be in mid-May, but the MG soil is showing signs of needing a one tenth Hydrogen peroxide spraying.

Yes, I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I never figure in being disabled as part of the equation. I've written this so many times before, "You do what you can and try to improve on it." That's a catch phrase for me - then I try my best to push it.

I wish I could say that I've done everything I could for these plants, but I can't help but wonder if I have done anything right?

[bower]

Salt, if the tomatoes are looking good, don't worry!
When life (including illness and disability) gets in the way, the miracle of nature gives us cause to marvel and be grateful. Here's hoping you enjoy a bountiful crop, whether you can follow a strict routine or not.

[Worth1]

I'm not following a strict routine by any stretch of the emagination.
Worth