Just showing off. - Page 2

CarolynPhillips · May 20, 2011

Rather my plants are in grow beds or in pots, I give them the same fertilizer mixture
If they are in 4 gallon pots, I put 1/4 cup of dolomite lime in each pot.
If they are in 25 gallon and or in the grow bed to grow a full size plant with little pruning then I put 2 cups of dolomite lime for each plant or 25 gal pot.
I use the micro-nutrients sold at http://www.foodforeveryone.org
The fertilizer mixture contains 20 pounds of 13-13-13, 3 pounds of epsom salt, and 8 oz of the micro nutrients. The foodforeveryone.org gives instructions for the mixture. I give them a tablespoon of calcium nitrate every 10 days or if I know I will use my entire fertilizer mixture, I will mix 3 to 4 pounds of the calcium nitrate in the mixture. The calcium nitrate dissolves easily and if it is not used quickly or kept very dry when added to the fert. mix, it makes the fert wet and nasty.
I fertilize the 4 gallon potted plants once a week ---estimated 1 tbs per week.
I give the larger plants 3 to 4 tablespoons per week. (large 5 to 6 foot plants with around 15 vines on the plants.
I just sprinkle it around the plants.

The grow bed soil consist of Peat Moss, Vermiculite, existing soil and commercial compost . Sometimes a little homemade compost is added.

This year, I grew some tomato plants in 4 gallon pots and set them 2 inches into the grow bed soil. (my idea of semi rotation) And the tomato plant roots always find their way out the bottom of the pot and take root to the ground anyway====so----this gives them a place to go to find more nutrients and a place for excess water to flow. I do occasionally put my calcium nitrate around the outside of the pots and water it in. Next spring the plants will be set directly into the grow bed.

I did not heat the greenhouse this year. I set the plants out April 1st. ish.
We never got a hard freeze after that. Had a few frosty nights and that was it.
I did have a diesel turbo heater standing by if I needed it.....I don't like using the diesel turbo heaters. After a while they start putting out too much ethylene fumes and that will harm the plants and stunt their growth and cause distorted growth. (been there, done that) If I use a turbo heater, I like for the heater to be fairly new. Cleaning the heaters never helped.

The plants growing in the 4 gallon pots have 2 to 3 vines on each plant. Some have 5(experimental)

CarolynPhillips · May 20, 2011

Watering. I have used watering systems in the past. I rather manual watering. It gives a better distribution of the water. Full soil coverage. It doesn't take long to water. Takes me about 40 minutes every morning. Plus at the same time I can inspect the plants. Every two days I will shake the plants to help pollination and I inspect while doing that too. I gradually remove all the leaves below the first cluster of fruit. Gradually.

You don't have to have a greenhouse to use the same trellising system either.
The plants growing in pots are pretty much trellised like a Clothes Line Method.
There are a few examples at the foodforeveryone.org web site. It is a non profit organization. They do offer e books. I was lucky and got my books when they offered paper back years ago. They do have some free information on the website and I think they have a small greenhouse construction plan. It is really nice.
I will take more detail pics today.

Stepheninky · May 20, 2011

Great looking plants, and thanks for that link. Seems like a very informative site with lots of free info even includes directions to make what they are offering yourself and and an easier substitute.

Keep the pictures coming. I am a month behind our frost plant out date here, so at least I can see some pics of tomatoes this year. LOL

VitaVeggieMan · May 20, 2011

I am new to this forum, and this is a little off topic, but why can't I see the pictures in this thread? I see pictures in some threads, but not in others where people are commenting on "how great your plants look". What could be wrong? I looked in the FAQ and searched on "Why can't I see pictures", but came up empty.

MrTudball · May 20, 2011

Wow Carolyn, that is a great looking setup. What do you do with all those tomatoes?

CarolynPhillips · May 20, 2011

Vita, I have no idea why you cant see the pictures. If you have dial up= maybe it takes a while for them to load like it does for me on some web sites.
Maybe you can view the pictures at my photobucket account. /but you will also more than just tomatoes and gardening at this link. You will also see burned home, mobile home, and new home construction.(currently in progress) And you will see my greenhouse plant sales business which is now currently out of plants and closed for the year.
http://s262.photobucket.com/albums/i...etsGreenhouse/

What do I do with all those tomatoes. I can some, and make salsa. And I sell some. My big hobby supports itself. I sell from right here.==down in the boondocks. Not really the boondocks. Just seems that way. I live on a busy road in the country.

Took a few more pictures.

I am 5ft 11 inches tall. I don't have small hands but I don't have big hands either. So I will compare this brandywine fruit with a tennis ball.

CarolynPhillips · May 20, 2011

more

CarolynPhillips · May 20, 2011

Big Beef - should be ripe around June 8th= ish

CarolynPhillips · May 20, 2011

Big Beef growing in 25 gallon pots. They are much younger than the ones under the greenhouse roof.

roper2008 · May 20, 2011

Very nice. Some of my tomatoes will be in 5 gal containers. I don't
have the micro-nutirents but I do have calcium nitrate, dolomite lime
and osmocote 14-14-14. How much calcium nitrate? 1tsp per week?
Thanks for all the details.

CarolynPhillips · May 20, 2011

Sometimes I get bored and just want to talk tomato. (my obsession)

I only grew 8 tomato plants in the 25 gallon this year. I could of done 26 but have too many other responsibilities this spring.

Top of the trellis system in the greenhouse structure. Chain Link Fence railing.
trellis is for the plants in the 4 gallon pots.

CarolynPhillips · May 20, 2011

Roper= I guess I should of added to start out with small amounts of fertilizer and gradually build the dose up as the plants get bigger.
I start my young plants out with just a pinch of calcium nitrate for a few weeks then up to tsp ==then up to a tbs when they are about 4ft tall

CarolynPhillips · May 20, 2011

thanks for all the lovely comments. I do what I love and I love what I do.

Happy Gardening

panhandler · May 22, 2011

Awesome job. Thanks for the pics and the good info. Very inspiring.

camochef · May 23, 2011

Nice, very, very NICE!

I just have to ask...What type of Brandywines?

May 20, 2011	#16
CarolynPhillips Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Nauvoo, Alabama Posts: 184	Rather my plants are in grow beds or in pots, I give them the same fertilizer mixture If they are in 4 gallon pots, I put 1/4 cup of dolomite lime in each pot. If they are in 25 gallon and or in the grow bed to grow a full size plant with little pruning then I put 2 cups of dolomite lime for each plant or 25 gal pot. I use the micro-nutrients sold at http://www.foodforeveryone.org The fertilizer mixture contains 20 pounds of 13-13-13, 3 pounds of epsom salt, and 8 oz of the micro nutrients. The foodforeveryone.org gives instructions for the mixture. I give them a tablespoon of calcium nitrate every 10 days or if I know I will use my entire fertilizer mixture, I will mix 3 to 4 pounds of the calcium nitrate in the mixture. The calcium nitrate dissolves easily and if it is not used quickly or kept very dry when added to the fert. mix, it makes the fert wet and nasty. I fertilize the 4 gallon potted plants once a week ---estimated 1 tbs per week. I give the larger plants 3 to 4 tablespoons per week. (large 5 to 6 foot plants with around 15 vines on the plants. I just sprinkle it around the plants. The grow bed soil consist of Peat Moss, Vermiculite, existing soil and commercial compost . Sometimes a little homemade compost is added. This year, I grew some tomato plants in 4 gallon pots and set them 2 inches into the grow bed soil. (my idea of semi rotation) And the tomato plant roots always find their way out the bottom of the pot and take root to the ground anyway====so----this gives them a place to go to find more nutrients and a place for excess water to flow. I do occasionally put my calcium nitrate around the outside of the pots and water it in. Next spring the plants will be set directly into the grow bed. I did not heat the greenhouse this year. I set the plants out April 1st. ish. We never got a hard freeze after that. Had a few frosty nights and that was it. I did have a diesel turbo heater standing by if I needed it.....I don't like using the diesel turbo heaters. After a while they start putting out too much ethylene fumes and that will harm the plants and stunt their growth and cause distorted growth. (been there, done that) If I use a turbo heater, I like for the heater to be fairly new. Cleaning the heaters never helped. The plants growing in the 4 gallon pots have 2 to 3 vines on each plant. Some have 5(experimental) __________________ Happy Gardening Carolyn

May 20, 2011	#17
CarolynPhillips Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Nauvoo, Alabama Posts: 184	Watering. I have used watering systems in the past. I rather manual watering. It gives a better distribution of the water. Full soil coverage. It doesn't take long to water. Takes me about 40 minutes every morning. Plus at the same time I can inspect the plants. Every two days I will shake the plants to help pollination and I inspect while doing that too. I gradually remove all the leaves below the first cluster of fruit. Gradually. You don't have to have a greenhouse to use the same trellising system either. The plants growing in pots are pretty much trellised like a Clothes Line Method. There are a few examples at the foodforeveryone.org web site. It is a non profit organization. They do offer e books. I was lucky and got my books when they offered paper back years ago. They do have some free information on the website and I think they have a small greenhouse construction plan. It is really nice. I will take more detail pics today. __________________ Happy Gardening Carolyn

May 20, 2011	#18
Stepheninky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 682	Great looking plants, and thanks for that link. Seems like a very informative site with lots of free info even includes directions to make what they are offering yourself and and an easier substitute. Keep the pictures coming. I am a month behind our frost plant out date here, so at least I can see some pics of tomatoes this year. LOL __________________ tomatoprojects.blogspot.com

May 20, 2011	#21
CarolynPhillips Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Nauvoo, Alabama Posts: 184	Vita, I have no idea why you cant see the pictures. If you have dial up= maybe it takes a while for them to load like it does for me on some web sites. Maybe you can view the pictures at my photobucket account. /but you will also more than just tomatoes and gardening at this link. You will also see burned home, mobile home, and new home construction.(currently in progress) And you will see my greenhouse plant sales business which is now currently out of plants and closed for the year. http://s262.photobucket.com/albums/i...etsGreenhouse/ What do I do with all those tomatoes. I can some, and make salsa. And I sell some. My big hobby supports itself. I sell from right here.==down in the boondocks. Not really the boondocks. Just seems that way. I live on a busy road in the country. Took a few more pictures. I am 5ft 11 inches tall. I don't have small hands but I don't have big hands either. So I will compare this brandywine fruit with a tennis ball. __________________ Happy Gardening Carolyn

May 20, 2011	#22
CarolynPhillips Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Nauvoo, Alabama Posts: 184	more __________________ Happy Gardening Carolyn

May 20, 2011	#19
VitaVeggieMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Clifton, VA Posts: 33	I am new to this forum, and this is a little off topic, but why can't I see the pictures in this thread? I see pictures in some threads, but not in others where people are commenting on "how great your plants look". What could be wrong? I looked in the FAQ and searched on "Why can't I see pictures", but came up empty.

May 20, 2011	#20
MrTudball Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Nebraska Posts: 48	Wow Carolyn, that is a great looking setup. What do you do with all those tomatoes?

May 20, 2011	#25
roper2008 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b) Posts: 1,337	Very nice. Some of my tomatoes will be in 5 gal containers. I don't have the micro-nutirents but I do have calcium nitrate, dolomite lime and osmocote 14-14-14. How much calcium nitrate? 1tsp per week? Thanks for all the details.

May 22, 2011	#29
panhandler Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Northwest Florida Posts: 49	Awesome job. Thanks for the pics and the good info. Very inspiring.

May 23, 2011	#30
camochef Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Posts: 707	Nice, very, very NICE! I just have to ask...What type of Brandywines?