Best slicing-size tomato for container growing?

Sharon, I start my seeds in Jiffy pellets. I fertilize with a very weak Miracle Grow after the second or third set of leaves. If I don't repot, I will give another weak feeding about six weeks after planting.

Here's a photo of the EB tomato crop. All seem to be doing pretty well. The remaining Isis Candy (at the far right) has been slowed a bit by the dumping episode, but is hanging on. Lost the labels after planting, so I can't say what the middle three boxes hold until there is fruit.



This message was edited Mar 29, 2014 3:50 PM

David and Ozark thanks for help. I'm excited because I've got good germination and I want to make sure everything gets off to a strong start. I started mine in Miracle Gro seed starting mix. I'll follow your advice.

Hope everyone is recovering and getting back their strength. We're supposed to get more snow! Ahhhhhh!,

David, these look great!! I have a surprise every year because the squirrels usually carry my labels away (not sure why....).

Boy, those tomatoes are looking good! Glad surgery went well.

DMurray407, your squirrels must be related to one of my dogs (she is a bit squirrelly)! She loves to carry away the labels to anything!

terri, they have also managed to carry away all my hosta labels as well:)

This year I've adopted one of Gymgirl's many good ideas, and I'll grow my seedlings in cut-off half-liter plastic drinking water bottles. Bottled water is $2.29 a 24-pack here, so for a dime I'm getting both a seedling container and the water that comes in it.

I'll drill a couple of small holes in the bottom of each bottle, and I've already made high, thin sideboards for my seedling trays that allow each tray to hold 20 bottles without tipping. Being straight-sided, narrow, and tall, I think these clear plastic water bottles will be just the ticket for growing deep roots and transplanting easily into the garden (I'll just cut each bottle off with scissors).

Another good thing, there won't be any lost labels. I'll write the variety names on the outsides of the bottles with a permanent black marker. Thanks for the idea, Gymgirl (Linda)!

Drinking lots of water here to get those bottles emptied - it takes three bottles to make our morning coffee. :>)

That Linda! What a great idea! I have an entire recycle bag full of them right now:)

Oh, that dog has managed to run off with most of my rose labels, too. Good thing I can recognize most of the roses. The ones with the long French names are a bit of a trial, though. Guess she thinks I need to exercise my brain LOL!

Ya'll are just making my day, LOL!

Here's a picture of what my co-worker's do to me! Trust me, I didn't ask them to do this. Someone came up with this all on their own, LOL!

Still collecting water bottles, I've got two trays full and two trays to go. I'm cutting the bottles off with the Dremel tool, pictured, and I just cut around each bottle at the top edge of the label - easy. I'm leaving the labels on - they seem to make the bottles a little more sturdy and they'll be good to write variety names on.

Noticed today that blossoms are forming on several plants. Tomatoes are one the way! Most plants are about 15 inches tall, so I think it's safe to leave the blooms unpinched. So far, very happy with the Earthboxes.

David R

My tomatoes went into the ground last night--finally! I now need to lay the drip irrigation, position the cages for the indies, and plop on some of the plastic weed block.

My soil is warming up fast now. Won't be long and it will be time for sunflowers and okra. Peppers and eggplants.

Phew, what a spring!

it's been snowing here, and last year it snowed on April 15th, so I brought in the tomatoes as we WERE having nice weather....spring is fickle here, playing with Old Man Winter!

Right now the snow has melted, but it is 40°....so I will keep them in the basement under lights.

I'm just happy too be able to say my seedlings are doing well. I've had to transplant a few into the 4" pots, because they looked like they were getting a bit leggy. So. Planted hem deeply, only filling the container about 2/3 so I can keep adding potting soil as they grow. So far so good. Germination of some varieties have been off. Others are starting to sprout, 2 1/2 weeks later.

It was nice today, but breezy. I took the seedlings outside for a bit of hardening off. I will wait until the weather is stable. I don't want to lose this nice batch of seedlings. Most have been moved to individual 2" pots.

The other day I left them out too long...a bit of sunburn. Today I was more careful. I mess up so quickly.

Hi Evelyn, I sort of wished I had used 2" pots first, especially some of the leggy ones, but so far the ones I have transplanted into 4" pots are doing well. Time will tell. I'm having to make decisions about how many of each variety to pot up.. Space under the lights is an issue and I can't plant all of them anyways. so while it kills me to not pot them all up, I have to be realistic. I'm allowing for giving away seedlings. I think I'll end up with about 70 seedlings. This is the strategic part - jostling for space!
Second year trying Kellogg's Breakfast and only two seedlings that look puny. Last year nothing germinated with KB. Don't think I'll waste my time.

I have all the plants staked against our springtime winds, but I'm not pinching any of the plants. I think everything has at least a few blooms at this point. This is just a couple of days over four weeks since planting. So far, I'm satisfied with the Earthboxes. I'll see how they do once some summer heat hits, hopefully the steady water will improve disease and pest resistance!

DTR

Gorgeous! I'm jealous... Mine are still babies!

Looks like good progress is being made. And nice to see anything green coming along at this time of year. Spring is on it's way!

I transplanted my pepper seedlings up into cut-off water bottles today, I did the tomatoes last week. I'm a good two months behind you Texas folks, but then I'll get to garden all summer.

I ended up with 29 tomato seedlings and 59 peppers. Since I only grow about 20 of each in the garden, I'll have a bunch of seedlings to give away to family and friends. Looking forward to seeing how these water bottles work, Linda. I think they make great containers - basically free and shaping the root balls narrow and deep for transplanting into the garden.

Here's how the 'babies' look this morning, under timed lights in my 62-degree workshop.

Well, folks, finally escaped from the rehab and had to fight to get out. They were not happy I was leaving etc. etc. But doing good so far. David, did you rent an electric wheel chair? I ended up renting with option to buy a power scooter. It is not easy trying to move when the DR says absolutely NO weight on that leg. Love the scooter and thinking I might go ahead and buy it just in case. Also, I needed the power 'cause the cartelage is gone in my shoulders. Difficult to even use a walker. Pain patches work great tho. So far.

So glad you are doing good and your tomatoes look wonderful. You are talking about pinching them??? To make them bushy and keep them lower? Do you normally do that?

Mine are getting right up there, the ones I planted prior to surgery. Some are rather leggy, but they will be ok.

Ozark !! I had thought of doing exactly what you are with the water bottles. I have to buy a case of them tho so will use the water to water them with. Do you think they will be difficult to get the plants out of so you can save them? Seems a lot of work to have to throw them away. How deep did you end up with the bottles cut off?

Sharon I had to replant the Junne Flamme, sic. Only one germinated and it is very spindly. So am tossing it as I have enough seeds you sent to plant a couple. All I will need.

Ozark-don't group all of us Texans together. Lol I still haven't planted out my tomatoes, according to my past records I'm not late either. Of all the seeds I've sowed for other veggies none of them have come up either, just not enough warm days in a row. Mon. and Tues. AM it's supposed to freeze, again. But, like you, I get veggies until frost, so do all my neighbors, I think it's bc we drop below 70* at night, except for the very hottest days. Tomorrow with a high of 59* I will pot up the last of the tomatoes.

Jnette, glad to see you're sprung from the big house! Have fun with your scooter ☺

Jnette, glad you were able to escape! I'm using a standard wheelchair.

The weather forecast is upper 30s in town, possible freeze in rural areas. I already rolled the Earthboxes into the garage. Besides the possible freeze, the forecast is for wind gusts over 40 mph. I'll roll them out tomorrow. The temps are supposed to be warmer and winds down enough to be safe.

Thanks guys, good to be back. Sounds like you all are doing really good with your plants. I didn't realize it froze in Texas.

Well we had snow yesterday! Seedlings are doing well. Jeannette, I only ended up with two jaune flamme which are finally starting to look good. Sun sugar much better this year. Looks like it's going to be another challenging growing year! I potted some seedlings into slightly smaller pots, a few in 21/2",3" pots for space. I may have to move them into 4" eventually. But at least they are in better shape than last year (I made a few adjustments). However at our local nursery they are saying planting is going to be at least two weeks later, bringing us to beginning of June! Yikes!

Well Sharon, ours is normally around the first of June. Yes, that is why I keep complaining about our short growing season. However, if we can get past that one freeze soon after Labor Day, we have been going until almost the end of October the last couple of years. That helps get the tomatoes ripened anyway.

I replanted the Juanne Flamme tomatoes. Will look, they might be up by now. Have them on a heat mat.

Happy Easter everyone. My jaune flammes are really doing well and so are the sun sugars. Keeping my fingers crossed.

hugobee, Jnette - I read somewhere that melon farmers in Maine have a 'saying':

"Plant 'em in May and you'll throw 'em away,
plant 'em in June and they'll come just as soon."

Since both of you are in that kind of climate, I bet the same deal applies to tomatoes.

I'm sure you are right Sam. However, some things are just not meant to grow in all zones.

Progress on the tomatoes! I didn't take any shots of the entire plants this afternoon. Maybe I'll remember to do that tomorrow. The photos below show a bit of the progress, though. Photo #1 is of the first fruit on the Momotaro plants. The larger of the fruit is at least the size of a quarter. The second image is a cluster of blooms on the Sweet 100 that substituted in for the Isis Candy that broke in the wind. (not that broke wind!) I included it just because I thought the blooms were really pretty. The third photo is a cluster of the Isis Candy. There are also lots of blooms on the Husky Red dwarf with a few tiny tomatoes forming. Plenty of blooms on the Sweet Ozark Orange as well. The Gold Nugget has the fewest blooms.... but I don't know what is normal since I've never grown it before. The Earthboxes seem to have plants blooming and producing more quickly than they would have in the garden. Then again, it is hard to measure time when every day is the same, sitting in a chair or wheelchair and watching TV...

David R

Good going David!! They really look great. Now how many plants are you taking care of? You put them directly into the earthboxes right? How many times did you up-pot them before the earthboxes?

I had pretty good luck with my Momontaro last year too. I was pleased with it.

Jeanette, ten plants in five Earthboxes. I did no potting up for these tomatoes. I planted in extra tall Jiffy Pellets (50mm) and transplanted directly into the Earthboxes about eight weeks after starting the seeds. I do start both tomatoes and peppers on a heat mat, then grow the seedlings under a bank of four utility florescent bulbs.

Sure 'nuff....it snowed on my tomatoes today! Fortunately I only planted 3 plants, as I never know when we will or if we will get a late snowfall...but it usually happens.

There is a saying in this foothill county, to not put out your tomato plants until it "snows on the dogwood". Well, my dogwood was in bloom, and there was no snow in the forecast. (When will I ever learn???) Last year it snowed on April 15th!

That's good DAvid. 2 per box. And then you didn't move them at all. I have read people say it is good to repot them several times. Sounds like you didn't disturb their roots at all. Interesting. Just moving them the one time. Interesting to see how they do compared to the way you have done in the past. Be sure to let us know.

Here's a current photo of the plants... Three plus feet tall for the indeterminates. The Gold Nugget and Husky Red are a little over two feet.

Wow!! Those are beautiful David. Big difference between Texas and Washington State. Guess I will have to move if I want good tomatoes.

I up-potted my seedlings into the water bottles and in 2 days they had just shot up. Don't know why, I didn't give them anything but water. Planted in Happy Frog.

Speaking of my seedlings, I was really surprised about a new one I am trying, Linda's Faux. It had the sturdiest stem. Very thick and strong. Almost a red color. Very nice.

Your plants are gorgeous, David!!