What Did You Learn This Past Season? - Page 3

Black Krim · January 8, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw

Based on nothing more than my experience last year, and definitely no reflection on the short comings of any plant. Knowing ultimately it's on the grower to get it right, and that many other gardeners may of had no problems.

Of 36 plants, 33 indeterminates, the 3 determinates (EMChampion/Marglobe/Champion II) were the only plants not to make it till season end. All plants were in 15 gal fabric pots, watered and fed exactly alike. All succumbed to a mold or bacteria of some kind. It was quick and fatal, but had the same thing on two GWR indeterminates and was able to cut out affected branches and the plants keep producing.

The irony was I'd planted the determinates as the sure thing back-up in case the idea of big indeterminates in bags was a flop.

Lol you have blown a big hole in my plans for success next year. Hybrids apparently are not tough and durable. Maybe AK Mark has it right.....no determinates.

BajaMitch · January 9, 2017

I am in hardiness zone 10a, Southern California. Heat almost killed my plants this past summer. Had an unusually hot day in early June 2016 that nearly killed my plants; certainly burned out the first 3 trusses of flowers and the tips of many plants as well which put a big damper on the plants for the rest of the season. The temps hit 107 F that day and the surrounding few days were in the low 100s. I was in Baja at the time and my conscientious neighbor called me in Baja and did what he could to shade and water my plants to minimize the damage.

Lesson learned. When I leave the plants for more than 3 days at a time, I will put all the plants in the shade for the duration of my absense. BTW, the plants that did the best throughout the season were in the partial shade of an avocado tree. Not sure, but it appears to me that tomato plants may be able to do quite well in partial shade throughout a Southern California summer. I will test for that specifically this coming season.

Cole_Robbie · January 9, 2017

I think I remember reading that tomatoes only require about 40% of full sunlight. That figure would vary by climate.

ContainerTed · January 9, 2017

Well, I learned how easy it is to grow tomatoes in straw bales. Thanks to Craig and his wonderful book.

MissS · January 9, 2017

I learned not to allow people that can not speak English to to water your plants. Sigh......

Rajun Gardener · January 9, 2017

I learned that if I continue participating in the MMMM swap I will never be able to grow every new tomato I receive.

MissS · January 9, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener

I learned that if I continue participating in the MMMM swap I will never be able to grow every new tomato I receive.

Well..... many of us have learned that. It does not seem to stop us though.

FourOaks · January 12, 2017

More water. I need more water.

Also, more nutrients. Need more nutrients.

creeker · January 12, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rajun Gardener

I learned that if I continue participating in the MMMM swap I will never be able to grow every new tomato I receive.

I learned I have a compulsion to buy too many varieties of tomato seeds, especially potato leafs. I don't think less than 3 plants of a variety is a good test. At that rate I have time and a need for about a third of them.

RJGlew · January 13, 2017

Beet curly top virus (BCTV) attacks tomatoes, cannot be treated, and for me, took out 60-80% of my crop.

weaselbean · January 13, 2017

Don't try to grow something in every square inch of garden you have. Spread things out.
Now I know why there are Hybrids
Sometimes its just as hard to give tomatoes away as to sell them. Toss up there.
Texas Tomato food really works..

Black Krim · January 15, 2017

T5 grow lites are hot and will cook the tender leaves.

Tomato seeds and catalogs are an addiction. I need TAA....Tomato addiction anonymous!

agee12 · January 15, 2017

I put rocks in the bottom of my containers, which I've read may not have been necessary, but that was not the lesson leaned, the lesson learned is that if I do use rocks again, I need to put the rocks in a bag or something, a good suggestion I read was to put them in the mesh that onions come in, so that they don't get mixed in with the potting mix. Ugh it's been a bear fishing those rocks out. I cannot figure out how rocks that were put in the bottom of a container migrated to the middle and top of the container.

Hatgirl · January 16, 2017

Double-post deleted

Hatgirl · January 16, 2017

I had my first whitefly infestation. As well as various sprays, I found moving my plants from the house/greenhouse to the chilly Irish outdoors for a few days helped reduce the scale of the problem. And I've invested in some yellow sticky sheets for trapping individual insects before they become an infestation. I think they're keeping the fungus gnats down too

January 9, 2017	#34
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Well, I learned how easy it is to grow tomatoes in straw bales. Thanks to Craig and his wonderful book. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

January 9, 2017	#35
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	I learned not to allow people that can not speak English to to water your plants. Sigh...... __________________ ~ Patti ~

January 16, 2017	#44
Hatgirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Ireland Posts: 211	Double-post deleted Last edited by Hatgirl; January 16, 2017 at 11:13 AM.

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January 9, 2017	#32
BajaMitch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: California Posts: 84	I am in hardiness zone 10a, Southern California. Heat almost killed my plants this past summer. Had an unusually hot day in early June 2016 that nearly killed my plants; certainly burned out the first 3 trusses of flowers and the tips of many plants as well which put a big damper on the plants for the rest of the season. The temps hit 107 F that day and the surrounding few days were in the low 100s. I was in Baja at the time and my conscientious neighbor called me in Baja and did what he could to shade and water my plants to minimize the damage. Lesson learned. When I leave the plants for more than 3 days at a time, I will put all the plants in the shade for the duration of my absense. BTW, the plants that did the best throughout the season were in the partial shade of an avocado tree. Not sure, but it appears to me that tomato plants may be able to do quite well in partial shade throughout a Southern California summer. I will test for that specifically this coming season.

January 9, 2017	#33
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I think I remember reading that tomatoes only require about 40% of full sunlight. That figure would vary by climate.

January 9, 2017	#36
Rajun Gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Tomato Cornhole Posts: 2,550	I learned that if I continue participating in the MMMM swap I will never be able to grow every new tomato I receive.

January 12, 2017	#38
FourOaks Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: NC Posts: 511	More water. I need more water. Also, more nutrients. Need more nutrients.

January 13, 2017	#40
RJGlew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 643	Beet curly top virus (BCTV) attacks tomatoes, cannot be treated, and for me, took out 60-80% of my crop.

January 13, 2017	#41
weaselbean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: nc Posts: 57	Don't try to grow something in every square inch of garden you have. Spread things out. Now I know why there are Hybrids Sometimes its just as hard to give tomatoes away as to sell them. Toss up there. Texas Tomato food really works..

January 15, 2017	#42
Black Krim Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: New England Posts: 661	T5 grow lites are hot and will cook the tender leaves. Tomato seeds and catalogs are an addiction. I need TAA....Tomato addiction anonymous!

January 15, 2017	#43
agee12 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Georgia Posts: 196	I put rocks in the bottom of my containers, which I've read may not have been necessary, but that was not the lesson leaned, the lesson learned is that if I do use rocks again, I need to put the rocks in a bag or something, a good suggestion I read was to put them in the mesh that onions come in, so that they don't get mixed in with the potting mix. Ugh it's been a bear fishing those rocks out. I cannot figure out how rocks that were put in the bottom of a container migrated to the middle and top of the container.