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General discussion regarding the techniques and methods used to successfully grow tomato plants in containers.

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Old July 15, 2019   #586
AlittleSalt
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This part could go in the general discussion area as it isn't just about container gardening. Some of it could go on the weather thread too. Anyway:

This has been the coolest summer I can remember in my 54 years (So far, it's July 15 and no 100F days.) However, the real heat is about to hit this week. My plans are to get every ripe and semi-ripe tomato off of the 7 plants today (Monday) and spray the plants with some 'Worry Safe' Pyrethrin spray. I've squashed two stinkbugs yesterday in my yard but not on the plants yet.

Why am I going to do this? "I might be wrong about this" but to me, it's part of over-summering. The temperatures are going to be above 95F, and I am to understand, tomato plants don't bloom well when it gets that hot. I know that blossoms and tomatoes themselves draw a lot of the plant's energy. To over-summer, those plants need their energy to survive. It gets complicated during and after that. Not only is it going to be hot, but it's very humid too - the Gulf of Mexico is only about 300 miles away to our south and our prevailing winds are from the south. Hot and wet is not a tomato plants' best friend.

I could graft, and I am going to, but to over-summer good looking plants is special. I have already started adjusting how I feed the plants. I'm going to concentrate on feeding them 15.5-0-0 Calcium Nitrate in half dosage along with some magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salt for uptake.) The idea is to keep the tomato plants happily surviving without the need to reproduce during the hot days. Will it work? I don't know, but I feel that I'm giving those plants a good chance.

I wouldn't be much of a gardener if I didn't try. As always, I respect whatever you would like to reply.
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Old July 15, 2019   #587
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At least you can probably save the remainder of the ones you have that are already full of soil and roots. Once they can be emptied you could add a fine flexible screening from the inside. I would probably try something like the rolls of screening they sell to replace the screening in windows. The stuff I bought was as soft and flexible as fabric and would be easy to work with and mold to the shape of the pots. I would keep my eye out at yard sales and stuff until then. I have a time or two seen the rolls of screening at those kind of sales, but if you not you always pick up old damaged screens cheap or even free on trash day, lol, and cut out the screening to use.
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Old July 15, 2019   #588
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That sort of screening could be used on the outside of the pot for now too, could it not?
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Old July 15, 2019   #589
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just put the pots over the screen
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Old July 16, 2019   #590
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlittleSalt View Post
.... the real heat is about to hit this week. My plans are to get every ripe and semi-ripe tomato off of the 7 plants today (Monday) and spray the plants with some 'Worry Safe' Pyrethrin spray. I've squashed two stinkbugs yesterday in my yard but not on the plants yet....
Is there a connection between the heat and getting the tomatoes off, or the "Worry Safe", pyrethrin and stinkbugs? Does pyrethrin (vs permethrin, which sounds like more than I want to use) help with stinkbugs?

I am just learning about stinkbugs. It sounds like if you find them in the yard, they will eventually be on plants. Does squashing help? I'm thinking of one of those bug vacuums.

Last edited by Shrinkrap; July 16, 2019 at 01:24 AM.
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Old July 16, 2019   #591
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shrinkrap View Post
Is there a connection between the heat and getting the tomatoes off, or the "Worry Safe", pyrethrin and stinkbugs? Does pyrethrin (vs permethrin, which sounds like more than I want to use) help with stinkbugs?

I am just learning about stinkbugs. It sounds like if you find them in the yard, they will eventually be on plants. Does squashing help? I'm thinking of one of those bug vacuums.
Any means of getting rid of stinkbugs works for me. The same with aphids, harlequin bugs, and leaffooted bugs..

I'm in more pain than ever before. I did water the tomato plants tonight, but
I'm not sure about tomorrow.
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Old July 16, 2019   #592
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlittleSalt View Post

I'm going to concentrate on feeding them 15.5-0-0 Calcium Nitrate in half dosage along with some magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salt for uptake.) The idea is to keep the tomato plants happily surviving without the need to reproduce during the hot days.

The thing about nutrition is that you need to match the needs of the plant, the plant will generally do what it wants. So, for example, if you have lots of growing fruit, and want good upper plant growth, you need to come with lots of potassium, if there is not enough potassium passing the fruit, the plant will not grow even if it has nitrogen.
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Old July 17, 2019   #593
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It's 3am and the pain...

Zipcode, you are right. I watered today with just water. I forgot to bring out the 4-18-38 and 15,5-0-0. I didn't want to go back inside to get them. Pain will do that to you.
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Old July 17, 2019   #594
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I hope you feel better soon, Robert.
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Old July 18, 2019   #595
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Thank you Sue. I'm doing better.However saying/writing it sounds encouraging - when the fact is that level 7 pain has dropped to level 6. The difference in gardening-speak: Yesterday, I watered because I had to. That was enough motivation. I can't let plants die because of the heat. Today, I refilled the 4-18-38 and nitrogen jars before watering. I finally picked a lot of tomatoes but 4 plants still need picking.

I noticed that the Sunsugar plant isn't doing so well with the heat. It tastes great as a sweet yellow/orange tomato that does not split near as much as Sungold. However it's a hybrid, and Sungold has grown and produced in my native diseased soil. I'll be buying Sungold seeds. (If whomever came up with Sunsugar is a member here - I apologize. I'm just writing what I observe in my garden.)

That is step to recovery. Noticing things. Knowing that others have feelings is instilled in me no matter how much pain diseases toss at me.
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Old July 20, 2019   #596
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When I first started learning about growing tomatoes (Before I was a Tomatoville member) I read a lot of books from the 1940s through the 1990s. They all said not to over-summer tomato plants in my area because 100+ temperatures will zap all of their energy and most likely kill them.

They are right. I have seedlings with their first true leaves growing outdoor in dappled shade. They look like the seedlings started in winter indoors.

So when to say when for those tomato plants that did so well up until now? My thought is to get rid of them and solarize the buckets.

I thought this was a local thing, but I just replied to Sue in Connecticut. The high temperature there is higher than here in Texas. Heat causes problems that taxes a plant that mimics diseases or maybe helps the diseases - IDK, excessive heat is just as bad as freezing to me. Thank about how excessive heat affects you.
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Old July 21, 2019   #597
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Salt I figured it was a pipe dream to over summer the plants but what the hell we have to try.
I pulled mine today.
The container soil is all tilled up watered and ready for the next installment.
That installment may very well be a corn experiment.
Not decided yet.
The basil is kicking butt big time.
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Old July 22, 2019   #598
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Worth1 View Post
Salt I figured it was a pipe dream to over summer the plants but what the hell we have to try.
I pulled mine today.
The container soil is all tilled up watered and ready for the next installment.
That installment may very well be a corn experiment.
Not decided yet.
The basil is kicking butt big time.
Worth, I agree. It is a pipe dream. I'm seeing what July does to tomato plants, and yet, I overwatered. Can you imagine BER in the middle of July? One thing about overwatering - I could easily start some cuttings. I'm not sure about clones.
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Old July 22, 2019   #599
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I replied to many things first including this thread.

I know to adjust the watering amount. I don't have a meter or expensive irrigation stuff where the temperature is set like in a greenhouse.

There is also supply and demand. I don't need to grow more than a few tomato plants anymore. My family likes grocery store rock hard tomatoes. It's what they grew up eating. The containers can be used to grow something else.
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Old July 23, 2019   #600
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That supply and demand. I guess I grew way too many tomatoes over the years. I'm even getting tired of so many tomatoes myself.

Did I get it right this year with container gardening? Yes and no. I have plants so tall that I can barely reach them and the tomatoes producing at 7+ feet. However, I did overwater them. I made a lot of mistakes, but those plants are so huge and prolific.

For me, it's 'back to the drawing board' but with a lot of experience that wasn't bad. I know, this place is called, "Tomatoville" but it's not just about growing tomatoes. I know I can grow a lot more than tomatoes in those containers I have. It's a good thing. A lot more to learn - and remember about growing in ground, but now in containers.

Summer squash does well, peppers do too. It's kind of like growing a square foot garden but each in it's own container. I can see growing herbs this way as Worth showed. Flowers too. Adjust the PH and you could grow Hydrangea blue in one bucket and pink in another. There has always been flowers in my gardens. I don't care if it's a manly thing or not - I never went through that stage. Flowers help your vegetables and fruit with pollinators, and I like seeing beautiful flowers and the bees, wasps, butterflies, and hummingbirds they attract.
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