Newbie - Here's my plan

[babice]

Would love any advice/comments/suggestions or even anyone else who wants to share their plans as well. As I said in my intro, I am fairly new to growing toms...started last year but wasn't very succesful. This year I'm attempting containers on my deck. My deck faces East-Southeast...will have to watch it this summer out there if it gets really hot. Here's the 411 on my current plan:

(1) Growth venue: I bought 3 EBs and am looking forward to trying those. I also have about 14 very large pots. My plan is to use plastic liter bottles with the end cut off, inserted as far into the base of the soil as possible in these pots so I can water the base that way.

(2) My happy little children: I started my toms from seed for the 1st time this year. First set started 3/10 are about 2 inches high right now with 1 set true leaves. This set is 2 each of: Rutgers, Bucks County, Fresh Salsa, Tumbler, Big Beef and 4th of July. Also have 4 Early Pick Vf started 2 weeks later.

(3) Current state: I put them (still just with the seed mix) in peat pots and have them under grow lights for 14-16 hours a day. Just yesterday I put the slightest amount of Plant Tone in each little peat pot. I don't water them daily and I don't water from the top. I water them when they look like they're about to wilt (but not wilted). I am using filtered water cuz I'm trying to use the best. Oh! And I have also mixed some of that tomato tea that I read about on this site and used it as well. (My DH thinks I'm nuts).
(4) Other things I'm doing: Everyday I lightly brush the tops of the leaves with my hand. I keep the room around 70-75 and I let it cool down at night (maybe 60 or so). I keep a ceiling fan going most of the time so they have air moving.

(5) Plan is to put them out maybe early May (if our warm weather continues) or Memorial Day at the latest. I've been considering putting the Early Hybrid and 4th of July out in later April, though, especially if this warm weather keeps up. But maybe my thinking is flawed...maybe I should be putting a late producer like Big Beef out earlier? Or maybe I should space them and put a type out per week....I actually like this idea.

(6) Companion planting: I like to companion plant so I am going to put basil, onions and garlic in with each tom. Oh and I'll put one carrot and one parsely in with the tom as well. (Don't worry...I won't do this in the EBs as I've read that at least the 1st year you should try only putting the tom in). I will also have tons of flowers, borage, etc. on the deck and close by in the hopes of attracting many bumble bees and friendly insects.

(7) Speaking of insects: we always have a big swarm of Japanese beetles so they will be an issue..probably May/June. I will go out there with a bowl of soapy water and knock them off into that. I'll also use Neem Oil. I'm hoping the companion planting will help keep the other insect problems at bay.

Things I'm going to read up on in this site to see what is recommended are: when, if at all, should I put the tom/peat pots into a larger container? And if I do that should I use "normal" soil at that point? How much of the Plant Tone (or anything else?) should I use. I used like literally a dusting because I was nervous about using too much. I did read that Plant Tone tends to make Toms grow roots versus fruit and I figured that's okay right now? Since I'm trying to get them to grow strong and get some good roots?

Thoughts? Ideas?

[janezee]

Wow, it looks like you've done your homework.

I'd suggest reading the thread on Actinovate and all those things that's going on right now. I'm finding it fascinating!

Also, read all the threads on what soil for containers in the Growing in Containers section. There's so much there to learn, and opinions to listen to. I just potted up my seedlings up to their necks in potting mix from Gardener & Bloome in 16 oz. cups, half full. They have their second set of true leaves in 2 days. Happy little guys.

j

[babice]

Thanks - I will go read those threads. It's hard for a newbie to know where to start here...there's so much good info. I'm going to wait until mine get to the height you mentioned with 2 sets of leaves before I repot.

[John3]

Originally Posted by babice

(7) Speaking of insects: we always have a big swarm of Japanese beetles so they will be an issue..probably May/June. I will go out there with a bowl of soapy water and knock them off into that. I'll also use Neem Oil. I'm hoping the companion planting will help keep the other insect problems at bay.


Thoughts? Ideas?

I'm thinking of using oil of wintergreen to attract beneficial insects
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=21995

I read an article that said a lot of beneficial insects is attracted by methyl salicylate - oil of wintergreen. The article said to put the oil of wintergreen onto cotton balls and place them inside an empty cottage cheese (yogurt, etc) containers with perforate lids.

and have been looking into neem cake fert
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=21886
Quote:
Pest Control
Neem cake is effective in the management of insects and pests. The bitter principles of the soil and cake have been reported to have seven types of activities (a) antifeedant (b) attractant (c) repellent (d) insecticide (e) nematicide (f) growth disruptor and (g) antimicrobial.

The cake contains salannin, nimbin, azadirachtin and azadiradione as the major components. Of these, azadirachtin and meliantriol are used as locust antifeedants while salannin is used as an antifeedant for the housefly.

[babice]

Thanks so much John! These are great ideas. I can't wait to read up on them. Last year I actually went so far as to put a drop of straight neem oil right on each Jap Beetle. Worked well, actually (makes them loopy) but soon ran out of the oil doing it that way. I love the ideas you suggested. We also live by a big field and get lots of lady bugs so I'm lucky in that regard.

[John3]

Neem Cake - I know it says saosis neem cake but the following is in all neem cake
LIMONOIDS: So far, at least nine, Saosis Neem cake limonoids have demonstrated an ability to block insect growth, affecting a range of species that includes some of the most deadly pests of agriculture and human health. New limonoids are still being discovered in saosis neem cake, but Azadirachtin, Salannin, Meliantriol, and Nimbin are the best known and, for now at least, seem to be the most significant.
AZADIRACHTIN: One of the most active ingredient isolated from Saosis Neem cake is Azadirachtin. Azadirachtin has been proved to be the tree's main agent for battling insects. Azadirachtin appears to cause around 90 percent of the pesticidal effect on most pests. It does not kill insects instantly, instead it repels and disrupts their growth & reproduction. Research over the past 20 years has shown that it is one of the most potential growth regulator and feeding deterrents ever assayed. It repels or reduce the feeding habit of many species of pest and insect, as well as some nematodes. In fact, it is so potent that a mere trace of its presence prevents some insects from even touching plants.
MELIANTRIOL: Another feeding inhibitor, meliantriol is found in extremely low concentrations in soasis neem cake [pellet or powder / dust ], to cause insects to cease eating. The demonstration of its ability to prevent locusts chewing on crops was the first scientific proof for saosis neem's traditional use for insect control on India's crops.
SALANNIN: Yet a third triterpenoid isolated from saosis neem cake is salannin. Studies indicate that this compound also powerfully inhibits feeding, but does not influence insect molts. The migratory locust, California red scale, striped cucumber beetle, houseflies, and the Japanese beetle have been strongly deterred in both laboratory and field tests.
NIMBIN and NIMBIDIN: Two more saosis neem cake pellet components, nimbin and nimbidin, have been found to have antiviral activity. They affect potato virus X, vaccinia virus, and fowl pox virus. They could perhaps open a way to control these and other viral diseases of crops and livestock.
Nimbidin is the primary component of the bitter principles obtained when neem seeds are extracted with alcohol. It occurs in sizable quantities about 2 percent of the kernel.

[babice]

I just found the following advice so I thought I'd post it here for myself so I won't forget: "A good rule is to transplant when the height of your seedling is three times the diameter of its pot."

[PaulF]

Where in Iowa? Lived there most of my life and it where I learned how to grow stuff. There is a big difference in growing conditions, believe it or not, in the state. Glad to see you posting. Good luck in the mid-west.

[babice]

Originally Posted by PaulF

Where in Iowa? Lived there most of my life and it where I learned how to grow stuff. There is a big difference in growing conditions, believe it or not, in the state. Glad to see you posting. Good luck in the mid-west.

Oh yay! I could use your expert advice. I'm in far Eastern Iowa on the Mississippi river...far enough south to be in zone 5b.

[babice]

Cotyledon leaves are yellowish. Sure hope this is okay. Most of the toms are 3 wks old now and have one set of true leaves. Had to adjust the light up ever slow slightly this morning.

[kath]

The cotyledons will yellow and probably fall off but the plant has no more use for them by then. Just wanted to mention that we often have lots of JBs here in the summer and they don't seem to bother my tomato plants at all but much prefer pole beans, asparagus ferns, corn silks, apple leaves...

[babice]

Awesome - thank you on both points! I have asparagus on the side of my house and I'll have to remember to keep an eye on them when the JBs are swarming.

[dustdevil]

JBs really love grape leaves too. They don't seem interested in tomatoes as Kath mentioned.

[Dewayne mater]

Do not use the soil that comes with an EB! If you do, it will remain muddy, mucky and likely start to smell like a sewer at all times. That was my experience and others as well. I would check out the soil(less mix) recommendation in the Earthtainer threads that you will find in the workbench section of this webpage. Good luck. And remember that growing tomatoes is a journey to be enjoyed. You won't likely get it all right your first time out, and improving on what you have done before is what makes it fun and what makes this web page invaluable!

Dewayne Mater

[babice]

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

Do not use the soil that comes with an EB! If you do, it will remain muddy, mucky and likely start to smell like a sewer at all times. That was my experience and others as well. I would check out the soil(less mix) recommendation in the Earthtainer threads that you will find in the workbench section of this webpage.

Gotcha - I bought it off Amazon so it didn't come with soil anyway. I've been reading those threads trying to decide whether to buy a premix (like Miracle Grow) potting soil or mix my own.

So - the toms and basil that are still in one of the starting trays have green algae in them. I figure I need to get those things outta there and into some pots that aren't wicking water up all the time from below. This morning I poured some "tomato tea" over them but it's still there, although not so much. I read that it's harmless and I should stir it up with a fork.