Posted on 04/01/2015 5:42:10 AM PDT by orsonwb
http://www.amazon.com/Square-Tomato-Cage-Single-Green/dp/B00EOW6SNI
No, you get square solid cages similar to these above, and you do trim according to gardening books so that each level of cage can support a branch or two full of tomatoes. This maximizes the fruit.
That is so cool!!! Yeah, the guy in the vid has to sort of balance his plants on a gutter. Your idea is even better. I’m taking it the pool is dry, then when you water, you hose it into the pool and in an hour or 2 or three it’s dry again? So the roots aren’t soaking in water?
I love this idea!! Fifty cent grocery bags! So cool.
See, this, I would never do. The gel in diapers has harmful chemicals. I don’t think that would be good soil as basically we eat soil when we eat vegetables, and that is what makes them healthy. Good soil bacteria in our guts working our immune system, minerals strengthening us and making our internal housekeeping run smoothly. I would NOT want to eat tomatoes which include whatever toxic things are inside diapers.
Hi! Gardening definitely gives an opportunity for creativity, doesn’t it?
Did you check on the gel’s contents before you used it in your potting soil? I would be worried that there would be additional chemicals added to reduce urine smell which could be absorbed by the tomato plants and into its fruit.
Professional grade vermiculite or coconut coir are not expensive and they would work similarly to the gel, but be able to be naturally decomposed and benefit the soil. The gel might also have a negative impact on the soil microbes and worms, which over time would cause larger problems.
I’ve also used a wicking system for watering tomatoes growing in containers - tearing a thin towel into strips, lining the container with them, filling with soil and planting. The ends of the towel then are draped into a water container and the plant sucks up the water as needed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSrJjxxIvTs
However, growing in the bags was by far the easiest method I’ve done over the last 15 years.
Yep! The plants suck up the water within an hour or so.
I forgot to mention you do have to watch when there are heavy rains so that the pool and bags don’t become waterlogged. My husband and I tip the pool and dump the water out rather than let the plants sit in water for days.
Just looked it up. For her first two years of life, I had my baby in cloth just to avoid the stuff on her skin and mucous membranes, where most things just go right through to the bloodstream. We don’t want these chemicals in ou soil where we will actually eat the plants / fruit. Probably fine for flower gardening only, though.
Not trying to be picky, but ... I’m not sure I would even take a chance in a flower bed as bees and other insects, plus hummingbirds eat from them. Besides while you may only use a bed for flowers, someone in the future might use it in a different way. Many endocrine distributors don’t degrade quickly.
Increasing the P and K might also help - it’s kinda about the ratio of N to these and of course trace minerals are important. Additions I have used are bone meal, Epsom salts, banana peels and/or crushed egg shells-sometimes a tums. The egg shells will help with calcium, but it is slow release. A blender is useful with peels and egg shells.
Best of luck to your Dad.
You’re quite welcome. Good luck. Tomatoes are a very good thing! :)
Verticillium wiped me out last year.
Really?
I probably have $500 worth of heirloom tomatoes on my dining table ($500 at today’s market price of $4.99 per pound).
You *do* start you seeds indoors, correct?
Check this tip from CB (to whom I’m eternally grateful :-)). The wilt has set in my early plants but they’re still chugging along producing fruit.
I started using CB’s tip on my later planting of heirlooms. Been hitting the weekly with baking soda and so far so good!
(BTW - get your baking soda at Aldi or Costco. Much cheaper than the “big chain” grocery stores)
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