Container Growing

[garaj]

This is a follow up to my message of August 3rd:

I set out seven 18 gallon DIY Self-Waterers on August 21st with two seedlings per box. The mix was a melange of previous seasons Lamberts, Earth Mix, Jungle Growth, composted fines mulch from the county recycle center and whatever other, old potting mix remnants were laying about. Amendments per box were two cups 6-6-6, two cups dolomite lime, some gypsum and greensand.

Box 1 was planted with a Better Boy and an Early Girl. This box produced 252 ounces, or 15.8 lbs.

Box 2 was planted with a Dona and a Druzba. Production was 168 ounces, or 10.5 lbs.

Box 3 was planted with a Mule Team and an Arkansas Traveler. Production was 169 ounces, or 10.5 lbs.

Box 4 was planted with a Mule Team and a Super Sioux. Production was 311 ounces, or 19.4 lbs.

Box 5 was planted with a Mule Team and a Dona. Production was 284 ounces, or 17.75 lbs.

Box 6 was planted with a Mule Team and a Sioux. Production was 278 ounces, or 17.4 lbs.

Box 7 was planted with a Box Car Willy and a First Lady. Production was 385 ounces, or 24 lbs.

Plants were finished and pulled on December 22nd. Box Car Willy was by far my best performer and a fine tasting tomato. Dona and First Lady, while fairly productive were lacking in flavor, as was Better Boy and Early Girl. Druzba and Arkansas Traveler were disappointments production-wise. Sioux, Super Sioux, Mule Team and Box Car Willy remain on my list. In anout a week, I'll be starting seeds for the Spring planting. I'll be going with Brandy Boy, Ugly, Mortgage Lifter, OTV Brandywine, Tomande, Mule Team, Brandywine Sudduth and Coustralee. All are repeats for me except for the last two.

Garaj

[matermama]

Hiddy Ho
reading your thread i m encouraged to attempt mine.
I m starting a cont garden, i will be traveling , in my fifth wheel toy hauler, which wil now be a tomato hauler
I m hitting AZ in Jan - May then I go to Utah, until Nov
i m going to experiment on a traveling garden, not very big but maybe
one EB of herbs, two of matos and then peppers, i have a wagon and a teen to help loading in and out , bungie cords for support while traveling , hanging lights in cargo area for growing inside.
IT might work and if all esle fails i can use my chia pet

[bydsign]

Garaj...


how do you manage growing 2 tomato varieties per
DIY-earthbox container?

How are you staking your plants? That's been one of
my greatest challenges.

I still got stuff growing in my container garden... some
plants almost 7' tall... and still wanting to grow taller.
I'm 5'11"... so with the help of a milk crate, I can still
reach the tops of the plants.


I've got:

- what I thought was Red Brandywine, laden down with
fruit (@ least 10 on that plant) that's not very tall

- Brandy Boy... laden down with fruit, but had a problem
with fungus yet still holding on

- Brandywine... laden down with mucho fruit

- Uncle Steve's Oxheart... has about 6 fruit on it

- Sungold... still going gangbuster's!

- Orange heirloom... has 1 fruit on it about to ripen with
maybe another 2 tomato buds. I took some clippings
of this plant that have rooted nicely & I've got them in
larger transplant pots now.

- Brandywine Sudduth... I totally lost this plant to
disease. I'm wiser now so hopefully that won't happen
again.

- Cherokee Purple... the fruit that was ripening nicely
got badly damaged by cracking with all the rain we just
had in South Florida

- Kellog's Breakfast... I just picked the only 2 fruitset
on this plant before it may succumb to disease. I just
cut it back hoping it will recover.

- I got Matt's Wild Cherry, Brandywine and Sungold in
regular containers. These were extra's I had when I
cultivated everything from seed that I either couldn't
give away or bear to throw away.



Again...

Pls share your staking sytem.


I used thicker bamboo stakes and some 1/2" PVC pipe.
The pipe got blown around by some pretty windy weather
like it didn't even matter.

[bydsign]

Ooops!


I forgot to mention that I've got some Paul Robeson
seedlings that I just started a few weeks ago.

And I just started some New Big Dwarf seeds yesterday.

Other plans for my Spring garden:


Mortgage Lifter
Brandywine OTV



You know, I have a tiny backyard. I'm an urban gardener
and I really don't have a lot of space. I've been eyeing
my neighbor's backyard. Perhaps IF I'm extra-friendly
towards him...

[garaj]

Darlette,

With regard to how I stake my plants: When plants are about a foot and a half high, I enclose each 18 gallon box with two 48-in folding tomato trellises, one in back, one in front. These are available at Wal-Mart, HD, etc. As the plants reach trellis top, I set out three 8-foot bamboo poles, one at the rear of the box (away from the fill tube) and one at each short side. I tie off plants to the trellises or poles with green, plastic stretch tie tape, as necessary.

With two plants per box, things can get a bit crowded at times. I clip any really leggy growths that get out of hand; do a very moderate amount of sucker removal and as the plants grow, I clip out a considerable amount of lower leaf growth to allow air circulation. I trust this helps.

Garaj

[bydsign]

garaj,

Where are you getting the 8' bamboo poles?


I can find the thicker bamboo stakes @ just 1 of the
Home Depot stores in my city, but still, they are only
6' or so tall.

[garaj]

Darlette asks,"Where are you getting the 8" bamboo poles"?

The only place I have found them has been at a local Nursery called, "Rockledge Gardens". I seem to recall that I have also seen them in one of the more upscale gardening catalogs, but I can't remember the name. When it comes to mind, I'll let you know.

Garaj

[spudleafwillie]

Darlette. I get my 8 foot bamboo poles from A.M. Leonard in Ohio. Web site: amleo.com phone: 1-800-543-8955
you have to buy them in bundles of 50 or 100, cost for 8' x 1" dia 50 in a bundle is $56.99 + freight (UPS)
Hope this helps.
Bill Malin

[bydsign]

Whew Lawd!

Who ever said this gardening thang was cheap!


Thanks for the bamboo info!