General discussion regarding the techniques and methods used to successfully grow tomato plants in containers.
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February 15, 2017 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: NOVA
Posts: 114
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Coco Coir?
Anyone else a Coco Coir gardener? I grow almost all my Tomatoes in Coco.
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Big Tomato Fan, mostly grow Tomatoes from cuttings, all Tomatoes are grown in Coco Coir/Grow stone. I love Air Pruning. |
February 15, 2017 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro
Posts: 1,910
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I'm dabbling with blends of peat, coir, and perlite, in starter and 4" pot-up mixes, to much satisfaction. Yes please tell me all you know, and especially anyting pertaining to preference of fabric, plastic, and poly-growbag containers.
I've only worked with a couple of brands, neither was what's coined, chunk or natural. Both were block, an Australian, nutrifield nf coco, and the other a GenHyd product Coco-Tek. 75% coco-coir/ 25% perlite is my favorite so far Easier to wet after drying out than peat. And mixed in with peat at even 20%, it makes those overall mixes nearly as easy to water as the straight coir was. Water retention seems about the same coco vs peat on the small pots, interested to see if that translates to larger pots. Compaction seems less on the coir. Prices here: 650g bricks $2 = 2 gal 5kg blocks $11 = 16 gal |
February 16, 2017 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: NOVA
Posts: 114
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I don't use fabric grow bags. I use a brand of pot I found called Air Pot. I used to use perlite, but found this stuff by a company called growstone. Do you use Hydroponic nutrients? If you look at some of my posts you can see my plants.
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Big Tomato Fan, mostly grow Tomatoes from cuttings, all Tomatoes are grown in Coco Coir/Grow stone. I love Air Pruning. |
February 16, 2017 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl.
Posts: 2,500
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There are two or three discussions out here.In search pane,look at Wonder Soil,(aclum thanx'org poster)Mother Earth is a distributer of from Netherlands.Seems to be the go to medium this season.I use it,never looked back,same medium all the seed starting(cells) that are online from the cannabis crowd.
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KURT |
February 16, 2017 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro
Posts: 1,910
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Do you use Hydroponic nutrients?
Yes, I use Chem-Gro Tomato Formula and also have used the FloraNova Grow and Bloom. Seedlings at about 1.0 mhos and mature plants 2.0 mhos at every watering. (promixHP/15gal fabrics primarily) |
February 16, 2017 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: NOVA
Posts: 114
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That is some nice trellising. I notice the reflectors for your plants. What variety is that?
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Big Tomato Fan, mostly grow Tomatoes from cuttings, all Tomatoes are grown in Coco Coir/Grow stone. I love Air Pruning. |
February 16, 2017 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro
Posts: 1,910
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Reflective 1/4" bubble wrap insulation. Comes in rolls at Home Depot ,different widths, not too expensive. You can cut half-moons with regular scissors. Brings temps down, reduces evaporation considerably.
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February 16, 2017 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: NOVA
Posts: 114
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I am using some similar stuff on Rockwool cubes that I am rooting cuttings in.
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Big Tomato Fan, mostly grow Tomatoes from cuttings, all Tomatoes are grown in Coco Coir/Grow stone. I love Air Pruning. |
February 17, 2017 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Delaware
Posts: 234
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Nice cage and staking system. Did you purchase the cages or build them yourself?
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February 18, 2017 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake
Posts: 1,244
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I love growing in coconut fiber. I usually mix in a small amount of peat to modify the pH, and some compost for micro-organisms, and some perlite for marketing.
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February 18, 2017 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro
Posts: 1,910
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Those are Texas Tomato Cages in the picture. The 20" is probably a better size for container growing as there's a good chance your running 3 or less stems in a 15,10. or 7 gal container and don't need the the room. I have the 24" cages, they're a better fit for 20gal and larger containers. They fit over the larger pots and with more room they'll ventilate better if you're not pruning.
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February 18, 2017 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: NC
Posts: 511
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Going straight CoCo here. After much research I settled in on a 50/50 blend of CoCo peat and CoCo chips. Ill be growing 2 tomatoes per 5 gallon bag, growing up a string in the high tunnel. Highly pruned.
Brand of CoCo is "GrowIt". My guy at the local Hydro store made me a deal on it because of the quantity I needed. Will be using Masterblend fertilizer. Growing Big Beef, Sweet 100, Mortgage Lifter, and Prudens Purple this year. |
February 18, 2017 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: NOVA
Posts: 114
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Have you ever tried Molasses? I have heard of people using it in Coco for microorganisms.
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Big Tomato Fan, mostly grow Tomatoes from cuttings, all Tomatoes are grown in Coco Coir/Grow stone. I love Air Pruning. |
February 18, 2017 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro
Posts: 1,910
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FourOaks, I like what you're telling me here, I just wish I had access to those coco chunks. If you're able to use coco coir without perlite in your more humid climate, I will certainly be able to use less than 25% perlite. Excellent news in itself, coco is half the cost of perlite, and I'm probably increasing growing efficiency. I've got some Red Robins to pot up soon, I think I'll even try one with 100% standard coco coir. Also 10% and 20% perlite.
Even Promix is moving to coir blends and reducing perlite, PromixHP CC is a newer product, I think AKmark is trying a few bags. The MSDS says it's 65% peat/25% coir chunk/ 10% perlite. The standard PromixHP is 30% perlite. |
February 18, 2017 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: NOVA
Posts: 114
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Ever heard of Growstone super soil aerator? I love the stuff.
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Big Tomato Fan, mostly grow Tomatoes from cuttings, all Tomatoes are grown in Coco Coir/Grow stone. I love Air Pruning. |
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hydroponic , hydroponics |
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