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Re: Tips for those of you who grow tomatoes...

By: Decomposed in POPE 5 | Recommend this post (0)
Fri, 05 Jul 19 7:09 PM | 58 view(s)
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Msg. 35617 of 62138
(This msg. is a reply to 35608 by hydro_gen)

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hydro_gen:

Re: "I suggest getting a couple of cattle panels from Tractor Supply"
What a great suggestion. Thanks! There aren't many local stores, but we DO have a Tractor Supply. Next year, I'll definitely be buying cattle panels. They seem perfect for ANY climbing plant. I'm growing Nasturtium right now... they only grow 4 feet tall, but I picked them over other herbaceous plants because I didn't have much in the way of trellises. (I did have a three-sided trex wall from someone's compost pile. The guy I bought the shed from gave it to me. So that's what the potted Nasturtiums will be climbing.) Your panels ought to be great for beans, too.

Why do you start the panels a foot off the ground? To make the peak higher?

Epsom salts in the tomato soil sounds like a good tip too. I haven't heard that one before. How much salt would you recommend per cubic foot of soil? I don't want to poison my plants...

As for preparing a garlic plot, what suggestions would you have? I *have* tested my soil. (Amazon has a do-it-yourself 10-pack of tests for about thirty bucks.) The results were:

ph: 5.4 - which is between “acid” and “very acid” but closer to “acid”. nitrogen: depleted - there is no nitrogen. add dried blood (36 oz per 100 sq ft) or nitrate of soda (27 oz per 100 sq ft) phosphorous: sufficient. and “sufficient” means “perfect.” potassium: depleted - there is no potassium. add muriate of potash (9 oz per 100 sq ft).

Once I augment the soil and tarp it over to kill the grass, what then? Would a 10'x10' area be sufficiently large for a newbie's garlic patch? When should I plant? Frosts here run from late October to mid-May.

Good luck with your plants! I see one of your green tomatoes is coming along. Mine only started appearing last week.




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Gold is $1,581/oz today. When it hits $2,000, it will be up 26.5%. Let's see how long that takes. - De 3/11/2013 - ANSWER: 7 Years, 5 Months


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The above is a reply to the following message:
Re: Tips for those of you who grow tomatoes...
By: hydro_gen
in POPE 5
Fri, 05 Jul 19 2:46 PM
Msg. 35608 of 62138

Decomposed: All of these are good advice and if I may add my .02 as a kid raised on a farm in the hills of NC and as a master gardener (whatever that is LOL): #4 yes!! When you have your planned garden area (raised or not) may I suggest getting a couple of cattle panels from Tractor Supply to address #7. Cattle panels are 4' x 16' and are $20 each (roughly) and made from galvanized steel. Arch them between T-bars and have them about a foot above ground. Two side by side (tied together with aluminum chain link fence ties or wire of your choosing) will make a nice trellis and provide excellent support if you train your tomatoes - assuming you are growing heirloom's - most of which are indeterminate vines.

I am not sure about the rationale of the 90 degree bend referred to in #8 unless someone cannot dig a deeper hole. Tomatoes will actually create roots from everything planted below the soil. Speaking of soil - if you have not done so already then I am sure you are planning on testing your soil. I am lucky that here in NC our AG goes it for free during in the off peak. NH is not free yet $20 is reasonable. http://extension.unh.edu/resource/pricing-list-all-soil-test-options

Lastly, when I plant my tomato seedlings I always add a mixture of worm castings and Epsom salt to the bottom of the hole before transplanting. The Epsom salt provides magnesium for better tasting maters' (add some calcium nitrate also to avoid blossom end rot) and worm castings dramatically help with the plants nutrient uptake. I downsized from 70+ plants over the years to only 18 planned this year. Early Girl (volunteer from last year), Potato leaf Brandywine, Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter, Mexican Midgets (super sweet cherry) and my favorite Paul Robeson. I also make my own foliar sprays - worm casting tea is a favorite - to help with plant health.

I am an urban farmer now as I have commandeered what my city calls a paper alley that is 200 x 15 and 100 x 15 has full sun. Here is a pic of my tomato trellis:
Uploaded Image

One more thing - get a patch ready to grow some garlic!!

Have a great day all.

PEACE


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