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General discussion regarding the techniques and methods used to successfully grow tomato plants in containers.

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Old November 13, 2017   #31
murihikukid
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Hey Hang On...Earlier I explained about the bottom design of the pots ..The soil inside has to make contact with the capillary cloth ...thats why I pack the bottom layer of soil firmly down hoping that the soil gets into the four slots where there is a hole that with soil in it would make contact with the cloth.....but after all the stuff being thrown at me about my plants being wet I have not been applying any water to the trays and the water has evaporated and the capillary's have basicly dryed out....The point I tried to make is had the plants been older and bigger the roots would be searching for water even to the point of growing through the cloth....I have never had problems with my capillary cloth as far as over watering goes apart from Jiffy cups ..and there is a reason for that....

It all very easy to see photographs and make accusations against me that I know are untrue ...I work with and check these plants every day and I know that they are not overwatered ....Nobody has actually told me how they can tell overwatering via a photograph ...The plants roots no doubt are still growing within the moss mix they were propagated in and it holds water but not the soil around the outside....
Thinking back I have an idea all this overwatering was slung into my face earlier last season and I resented it then as I do now....

Cheers Ron
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Old November 13, 2017   #32
Worth1
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Sorry I said anything.
Insulting you was not my intent and I feel bad that I have.

Worth
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Old November 13, 2017   #33
GrowingCoastal
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"Nobody has actually told me how they can tell overwatering via a photograph'

When I look at my potted plants and see the top of the soil is lighter in colour (greyish) that gives me the heads up to check that plant for dryness. It might still be wet underneath so I weigh it and check beneath soil level with my finger to be sure before I add more water.

The soil in the photos looks dark. Maybe that's why some think they look wet ?

I don't know Ron. We ask, we get answers. Hard to tell from photos isn't it?
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Old November 13, 2017   #34
murihikukid
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Originally Posted by Worth1 View Post
Sorry I said anything.
Insulting you was not my intent and I feel bad that I have.

Worth
Worth..You have not insulted me ....Look I do have a moisture meter incorporated in a 4 in 1 device but i do not know how to get a reading from it or if it actually works....I have often thought of getting a meter sent over to me....I have poked my finger down into a couple of pots and there is no sign of wetness ....now where the seedlings are its very spongey ..no doubt caused by the original Moss mix and I presume that there is some moisture there or else they will fall over ...I wonder if the moss mix has got anything to do with it and if the roots have not extended out into soil .....
I hope you and me are oK cause I have a problem here which I need to straighten out...and I feel sure you would have an opinion on this ..I seem to be upsetting a lot of people lately..as you probably know I made a growth chamber which i really believe in and for getting a controled air Temperature inside I used water via radiators and tubes fed by a reservoir inside a freezer box ...It worked ok till the freezer unit broke down .....

Now my friend the electrician has had a change of mind and believes a fan drawing air from the chamber by way of a 100mm flexible air duct into a freezer compartment and another fan sending the air back out by way of a flexible air duct out back into the chamber (basicly a looped air supply) is the way to go....Well I had concerns with this method and I sought an opinion from another person and his advice was that he saw problems in this and his advice was to stick to the water method which I know with another radiator and more fans ( which I have so theres no cost ) can be improved on...
I wonder if you have an opinion on the air method?

Of course I emailed my electrician friend and told him and he has yet to reply..in fact his emails are getting less and less so maybe he is sick of me...meantime its crucial I get answers from him and he is basicly not there for me....He originally offered help and i have done everything he asked so I just feel slightly let down...

Very similar to my mature plants situation where I got emailed a week ago "I will let you know tomorrow as i am meeting the manager of the growing company tonight" and still not heard back.....
Regards Ron
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Old November 13, 2017   #35
murihikukid
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GrowingCoastal View Post
"Nobody has actually told me how they can tell overwatering via a photograph'

When I look at my potted plants and see the top of the soil is lighter in colour (greyish) that gives me the heads up to check that plant for dryness. It might still be wet underneath so I weigh it and check beneath soil level with my finger to be sure before I add more water.

The soil in the photos looks dark. Maybe that's why some think they look wet ?

I don't know Ron. We ask, we get answers. Hard to tell from photos isn't it?
Hi..It is difficult and the soil I am using is very dark compared to other soil mix's I have used that do lose colour and go grayish ....I will just have to buy a moisture meter ??
I washed 20 drums in a big drum of bleached water last night so they are drying (they do have water compartments so they have to be turned to ensure all the bleach water has gone ) and later today I will be transplanting and then I can take photos of the plants out of the pot between transplant which may give some answers ...Look I never want to antagonise people and if they were wet I would tell the truth...

I recall seeking local help in my first season of Tomato growing and that was not that long ago....The opinion I got was "not enough water" a second opinion "too much water" so I soon learn't about opinions...I have read so much about seedlings and the only realistic option down here where I live is what i am trying to do ...build an artificial growing chamber with temperature and light control where seedlings can grow under controled conditions as stipulated in the "cold Treatment" article written years ago...

I still wonder If the growing company has some secret fertilizer mix that they use to get their plants looking as they do when they are put out for sale in the gardening centres ....There are two growing suppliers down in this area and the second companies plants are spindly so apparantly they do not have the secret..

I just have to try it ..if it fails ?well at Least I tryed.. I have problems all the time..EG I have 40 pots that had germinated seeds from the paper towel method carefully laid in the the moss mix and yet nothing has grown and one person from the local gardening centre says "just put the tomato ON the ground and stand on it..Thats what I do...and you will get plenty of seedlings" (Russian Red) ....Thats the guy that thinks I am a nuisance so I just do not know...Its amazing....
Regards Ron
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Old November 13, 2017   #36
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Hey, I told (more than once if I recall correctly) how to check if your roots are being affected by the wet. You pop the soil ball out of the pot and check if there are nice white healthy roots all the way down and around the bottom. (Gotta give a transplant some time to grow them first. - and of course you won't be able to do that with your tubs so moisture meter -- they're cheap.)

You've not done that. All you've done is defend your practices that are producing less-than-optimal results.

As for the cool chamber, if you're going to go through with it, I think your water circulation technique is the better option. The biggest problem with the current design is the heat in the growing chamber - ambient heat pulled in by the ventilation fans, and heat from the lamps. Closing the chamber and using the fans to circulate the air inside might be enough to let the radiator do its thing. Adding a transparent ceiling and another set of fans to independently cool the lamps is a more radical modification if it isn't.
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Old November 13, 2017   #37
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Hi Thanks for that info...Yes I know the freezer case is not ideal cause its too crunched up round the lid area ..Hopefully I will get something better later...but boy?? have I got some interesting things I was told this afternoon that I had never heard of but I need to do some checking first ...

So I got home and I took my first plant out and it had beautiful white roots so I put it back in the pot while I got my camera...Unfortunately it fell apart when I removed it again so I cannot see the white roots ....here are the pictures....I may be able to get a better photo of my second plant??

Cheers Ron
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File Type: jpg Missouri L A_2017-11-14_171520.jpg (169.2 KB, 48 views)
File Type: jpg Missouri L A_2017-11-14_171710.jpg (175.3 KB, 48 views)
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Old November 13, 2017   #38
Cole_Robbie
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Why do you need the freezer? Is there a reason you can't just use fresh air re-circulation for cooling?
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Old November 14, 2017   #39
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Hi..Simple I require about 4-5 degrees air Temperature?? Cheers Ron
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Old November 14, 2017   #40
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Hi..any Better Black Ethiopean....Ron
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Old November 14, 2017   #41
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Excellent. Thanks. That Love Apple ball is definitely not too wet. Actually kinda dry to fall apart like that. The Ethiopian looks good too (though I can't really see the roots in the pics). Neither seems wilty, so they're getting enough.

What I do when inspecting is to slip my hand over the top of the pot with the stem between my middle fingers, invert, work the pot off, then take a look. Slap the pot back on, and the plant doesn't even know that its bottom has been violated.

Okay is not your current watering regimen. Where does that leave us?
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Old November 14, 2017   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by murihikukid View Post
Hi..Simple I require about 4-5 degrees air Temperature?? Cheers Ron

That's about 40 degrees F. Why do you require such cold air? I still don't understand, if you care to elaborate.
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Old November 14, 2017   #43
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Hi..Well I did that wrong its should be properly cropped ?? Where am I..Up the creek without a paddle? This Purple Cherry is really Dry ..and broke apart ..I think the roots are breaking when this happens...I will be working all night at this rate but I really enjoy putting the youngsters out where they belong..Cheers Ron
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Old November 14, 2017   #44
murihikukid
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Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie View Post
That's about 40 degrees F. Why do you require such cold air? I still don't understand, if you care to elaborate.
Hi...As I understand the cold treatment required is between 10 - 12 degrees C constant temperature which is ok till the lights come on ...then any temperature change has to be offset if the treatment is to be successful .. I will not know till everything is up and running but I believe I will require about 5 degrees from the freezer box when the lights are on to get the 10 Degrees Air temp required ...???

Wait til I spring the one I was told today ..You may have heard it but I have never come across anything like I was told to do for successful seedlings and growing suckers>>Oh yes i got a freezer for 0.50c on our online auction site...I gave the guy $5 and told him to buy his grand children some icecreams ...I thought that was good of me??????Cheers Ron
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Old November 14, 2017   #45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by murihikukid View Post
Hi..Well I did that wrong its should be properly cropped ?? Where am I..Up the creek without a paddle? This Purple Cherry is really Dry ..and broke apart ..I think the roots are breaking when this happens...I will be working all night at this rate but I really enjoy putting the youngsters out where they belong..Cheers Ron
If you're going to transplant (or check the roots) you should get them wet enough so the ball holds together. Won't affect the test - the roots will tell you what you need to know.
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