Big Beef Tunnel Grow a Few years Back

[Hellmanns]

[Stvrob]

That is awesome

[BigVanVader]

How big is your tunnel and how many plants? I built one and still debating what to plant in it. Looks great!

[Hellmanns]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

How big is your tunnel and how many plants? I built one and still debating what to plant in it. Looks great!

That tunnel is no longer there, I replaced it with a prefab 20'x 96' a couple of years ago. But, to answer your question, that tunnel was aprox. 15'x 84' and contained 150 plants. Those 150 plants produced better than 4000 lbs. of grade tomatoes that year..

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by Hellmanns

That tunnel is no longer there, I replaced it with a prefab 20'x 96' a couple of years ago. But, to answer your question, that tunnel was aprox. 15'x 84' and contained 150 plants. Those 150 plants produced better than 4000 lbs. of grade tomatoes that year..

Very nice tunnel and tomato plants! Are you continuing to grow Big Beef in your prefab?

Ginny

[Hellmanns]

Originally Posted by barefootgardener

Very nice tunnel and tomato plants! Are you continuing to grow Big Beef in your prefab?

Ginny

Yes. I grew Big Beef the first year it was released in the open field and liked it. The next year it went into a tunnel and has been my tunnel variety since. For a few years, I would try different varieties just to compare them to Big Beef, but I haven't found a variety yet that has the size, quality, or production it does in my tunnels!

I actually don't grow them open field anymore, though I love the variety I think they shine brightest in the tunnel.

[spereira]

Question for the market tunnel growers..do you plant tomatoes year after year?

Or do you have more than one tunnel and rotate crops?

[Cole_Robbie]

Here is my Big Beef high tunnel grow from last year: http://i.imgur.com/IvVWiwN.jpg

I am going back to compact determinates this year. I like Big Beef a lot, but the indeterminate plants took a lot of work to trellis. I had them on 4' tall cattle gates hung about a foot off the ground, and the vines still overwhelmed them.

[Hellmanns]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Here is my Big Beef high tunnel grow from last year: http://i.imgur.com/IvVWiwN.jpg

I am going back to compact determinates this year. I like Big Beef a lot, but the indeterminate plants took a lot of work to trellis. I had them on 4' tall cattle gates hung about a foot off the ground, and the vines still overwhelmed them.

Nice. Do you do any pruning? I keep mine to 2 leaders until they come into production.

[Cole_Robbie]

Originally Posted by Hellmanns

Nice. Do you do any pruning?

lol, obviously I didn't prune enough. The vines would grow up to the 8' ceiling of the high tunnel, break off, then do it again.

Pruning and trellising are such a huge amount of work that I am trying to avoid indeterminates. Here is a thread I made about picking out high tunnel determinate varieties to grow: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=25071

[Starlight]

Nice tunnels both of you and beautiful plants. I imagine alot of work went into your tunnels and even more into your production.

Maybe one day I will look like that. I can dream.

Enjoyed the link Cole-Robbie too.

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Here is my Big Beef high tunnel grow from last year: http://i.imgur.com/IvVWiwN.jpg

I am going back to compact determinates this year. I like Big Beef a lot, but the indeterminate plants took a lot of work to trellis. I had them on 4' tall cattle gates hung about a foot off the ground, and the vines still overwhelmed them.

Very nice tunnel Cole. I read your post about the compact det. varieties you are growing this year. Are you growing out any BB at all for market this year?

Ginny

[AKmark]

Nice pictures of the jungle Cole, thanks for sharing those with us. Let us know what you find with the determinates, I am trying several this year too.

[BigVanVader]

4k lbs wow! Mine is only 12x24 as I am a backyard grower and didn't have that much area to use for a high tunnel. Do you grow without the tunnels? If so what would you say the % difference in production is from the tunnel to the field? I have considered covering all my tomatoes so I can better control their moisture levels. We have been getting so much rain the past few years its really hard to stop cracking/splitting. I laid out my beds in a way so I could later add high tunnels rather easily but wonder if the investment would be worth it and if it is less or more labor?

And very nice Cole, you guys seem to be at the place I'm trying to get to as a grower.

[Hellmanns]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

4k lbs wow! Mine is only 12x24 as I am a backyard grower and didn't have that much area to use for a high tunnel. Do you grow without the tunnels? If so what would you say the % difference in production is from the tunnel to the field? I have considered covering all my tomatoes so I can better control their moisture levels. We have been getting so much rain the past few years its really hard to stop cracking/splitting. I laid out my beds in a way so I could later add high tunnels rather easily but wonder if the investment would be worth it and if it is less or more labor?

And very nice Cole, you guys seem to be at the place I'm trying to get to as a grower.

I do grow a few determinates and a bicolor in the open field. As far as production differences, The tunnel has always been higher by prolly 25-30%. The only reason is a longer harvest window in the tunnel(less foliardiseases)though size drops dramatically later in the season because I don't continue to prune once harvest starts.

If I ever quit market gardening, I will most likely grow my entire garden under the cover of a tunnel.