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Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.

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Old May 19, 2019   #1
Worth1
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Default Change.

Posting this here maybe it will help.
It may seem I am going off in a direction not related to gardening or tomatoes but hang with me if you wish.

As an example I had a brother that had a drag car.
69 Plymouth Cuda with an alcohol burning big block motor over 500 cubic inches.
Here is how it relates.
When tuning that motor he would change something and t wouldn't work.
So he would leave it that way and change something else now it is ever worse so he would yet change something else to no avail.
He was a real hard head to say the least.
Starting to get the pictuer.
When you are trying to improve something and it isn't working go back to where you started from if you can.
Yellow Stone is an example of people getting involved where they shouldn't be and ruing the system.
They made a change and then another change and it snowballed on them.

Back to that race car.
I ran him off put everything back to where it was made just ((one)) adjustment and the car ran so fast it darn near jerked his head off at the line.
The front end came off the ground about 3 feet.
When gardening look at what you have done.
Ask yourself.
Did it get better?
Didi it get worse?
Or was there no change?
Use controls to do this if you can.
Don't let your mind play tricks on you because you want to think that expensive cure all really worked you spent so much time and money on.
Don't pass on information if you haven't tested it yourself for proof.
Or you can really trust the source you got it from.

If you have a problem or an idea dont do it to every plant.
Test it on a few.
See what happens.

Things like sun, water, temperature, soil and fertilizer are at the top of the list.
Last but not least toss old habits and think outside the box sometimes.

Happy gardening and happy harvest.
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Old May 19, 2019   #2
PaulF
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Or think inside the box...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.
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Old May 19, 2019   #3
Worth1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulF View Post
Or think inside the box...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I can assure you there are a lot of things that are just fine as they are.
I thought outside the box this year and tried two new varieties I wish I wouldn't have and I knew better.
I have only three late tomato plants two wont give me anything.
I dont have the quantity to experiment.
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Old May 19, 2019   #4
xellos99
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I have only been growing toms since 2016 and every year is totally different as I try to get earlier cropping, more vigorous, better taste, less problems and disease.

Every year is an improvement but I don't just change something and hope for the best.
I try to make smart changes with real goals and strategy in my climate and growing conditions.

Everything is geared towards getting the flowering to begin ASAP because I cant extend the season to finish later so I want it to begin earlier.

Faster varieties, propane heater with anti frost thermostat in the glasshouse so I can plant them in their final positions much earlier, germinating earlier, using electric toothbrush to pollinate them daily by hand.

It has all been changes and working out the timing better and has resulted in major improvement. I pollinated a flower on May 4th this year, maybe 6 to 8 weeks earlier than my first year growing them.
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Old May 19, 2019   #5
AlittleSalt
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I know what you are saying/writing Worth. In a thread that Xellos99 started - I wanted to help but I realized that we do not have the same growing conditions by any means.

In the thread I started called "Containers Growing?" well, the title alone says that I have no idea what I am doing, but I'm trying to learn. Sometimes, you do have to try to improve on rebuilding the wheel.

In ways, I am as stubborn as a mule. I don't want to give up growing in-ground even though it has two soil-borne problems. Would I suggest to anyone else planting in soil with RKN and Fusarium Wilt 3 - NO,... but I planted my backups in it.
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Old May 19, 2019   #6
bower
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Sometimes change or the need for change just comes about... and sometimes with a little help from your friends.
I planted barley yesterday in one of my garlic rotation beds. Flax is going in another one hopefully tomorrow. If I can produce seed from these plantings, it may become a regular thing. Thanks to Nicky for passing on seeds.... Nicky and Tormato are responsible for getting me to grow quite a few things I never tried before. And some of them are... really for the better!
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Old May 19, 2019   #7
Worth1
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One example would be growing from seeds.
They aren't doing well.
Need more water not enough water or what.
Try less water and see what happens on a few of them if they are being watered.

I am an advocate of fertilizer the minute they poke the heads out of the soil.
Done it and haven't had any adverse effects.
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Old May 19, 2019   #8
bower
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As regards tomatoes this year, I was prompted to change by the aphids, whose disgusting mess in the greenhouse I was cleaning up in January. So I've only just started, and few at that. This is maybe an okay change - try a late crop instead of an early one.


OTOH I bought promix to start my seedlings in. In spite of trying and hating it a few years ago. Reason I have some way to go before I get my container mix happy, and I've been using a mixture of 'old container' and 'fresh compost' for greens etc not 100% about it being ideal as yet. So I now have my tomatoes stuck in a mixture of promix and fresh compost, and tbh they aren't looking fantastic yet. So we shall see, if I DOH remember that I don't like promix next time.
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Old May 19, 2019   #9
Nan_PA_6b
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I learned the vast improvement in quality of seedlings that comes with me being completely fracking paranoid about fungus gnats and waging all-out war on them.
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Old May 19, 2019   #10
bower
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I haven't given up on co-habitation with vegetables, rest assured. We had a good round of cut and come lettuce, baby kale and arugula and some fine Sherwood mini romaine. Mom is loving the romaine and the gai lan, which is new. Still in the pic with these other romaines, they are regrowing those tender shoots as we cut.


Worth I've been thinking a lot about 'getting back to where you started' re my container mix. I need some authentic my-own-garden compost into it, and that is a fact. And more kelp. No kelp at my beach this winter, unfortunately.
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Old May 19, 2019   #11
peebee
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Change/experimenting is exactly what I'm doing every year, to see if anything can be improved. Weather & growing conditions change every year so we must be in tune with our surroundings. This year I'm trying single-stem pruning. Last year I tried water blasting leaves on a regular basis, to prevent spider mites, with great success. So the less leaves there are, the easier it will be for me. So far I love pruning .
Good post to encourage people who need to tweak things when they've hit a wall Worth.
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Old May 19, 2019   #12
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I have been a slow learner when it comes to growing tomatoes and have found myself trying something different the last 5 years. Mostly trying different varieties, growing all hybrids, growing all Heirlooms, using only organic fertilizers, only using manmade ferts, different pruning habits, blah blah blah. Being the Rocket Scientologist that I am, I was ignoring the soil.

I am now focused on improving the soil with compost, planting a winter cover and keep adding compost. Instead of focusing solely on taking care of the plants, I am going to focus on taking care of the soil and let the soil take more of the care of the plants.

I still flounder around a bit with my gardening, but I am having fun and enjoying more fresh tomatoes than I could ever eat.
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Old May 20, 2019   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveP View Post
I have been a slow learner when it comes to growing tomatoes and have found myself trying something different the last 5 years. Mostly trying different varieties, growing all hybrids, growing all Heirlooms, using only organic fertilizers, only using manmade ferts, different pruning habits, blah blah blah. Being the Rocket Scientologist that I am, I was ignoring the soil.

I am now focused on improving the soil with compost, planting a winter cover and keep adding compost. Instead of focusing solely on taking care of the plants, I am going to focus on taking care of the soil and let the soil take more of the care of the plants.

I still flounder around a bit with my gardening, but I am having fun and enjoying more fresh tomatoes than I could ever eat.
You’re on the right track. Taking cafe of the soil is crucial.

Bill
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Old May 20, 2019   #14
SueCT
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I changed one thing last year, I bought new T12 bulbs. My plants all got leaf curl. I racked my brain to determine what else it could be. I posted here about it. They were the same darned lights, bought at the same store, and I compared what was written on the new ones and the old ones and they were identical. So I tried using them without the plants over the last year thinking they would dim a bit and not be so strong this year. So this year, I put plants under the new lights again. This time I raised them higher, more than 8-10" above the plants instead of almost touching. I put ONE of the old bulbs back in one of my 4 lights, knowing it was too weak and the plants might get leggy. This year ALL my plants started getting leaf curl EXCEPT the few under the old light. I moved the good ones and as many of the curling ones out into the sun light as I could 5 days ago. They already look a little better. So I guess I tested my theory, and I know what the problem is, I just still don't know how to fix it. The old lights are getting dimmer. The new lights are too hot or too bright or something. But identifying the problem doesn't always lead to a fix. Scratching my head and hoping I don't have to buy all new fixtures of some new type next year. I tried to fix the car, and it didn't work. But I don't know what to do if the old part isn't available any more.
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Old May 21, 2019   #15
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Ain't much you can do when the weather is broke.
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