Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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March 20, 2011 | #16 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: zone 6b, PA
Posts: 5,664
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Quote:
I cut up worn out t-shirts, old socks, etc. and have bags of soft ties before the season begins, too. |
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March 20, 2011 | #17 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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Kath if you see the disease in the center of determinates where you are just imagine what it is like down here. My shaded backyard thermometer read 87 yesterday and it is already over 80 today but the real misery hasn't gotten here yet. When the humidity hovers near 100% for weeks on end with a temperature to match then it gets really uncomfortable. Right now the humidity is running between 50 and 70% and it feels like California. I just wish it would last for more than a week or two.
Casino, I have done the same thing with 5 ft fence wire and conduit. I still use it for my cucumber fencing in short rows. It is very easy to relocate each year so my cucumbers can have a different spot each season. I did find it rather messy trying to get the old tomato vines out of it at the end of each growing season and so went to a trellis of just conduit with 3 horizontal bars to tie to. It takes longer to construct but it is much taller at 7 feet and with my long growing season I need a really tall and sturdy support system. |
July 14, 2011 | #18 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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Well I tried the close spacing and was able to grow a lot more plants in the space I had but I will never do that again. The disease problems were multiplied and much harder to control due to poor air flow. Next year large vine varieties will be at least 4 feet apart and if I have room even more. I had the worst case of gray mold and it was very difficult to stop due to the close proximity of the plants and it spread very rapidly. Spraying the plants was a real pain because once they got big it was like trying to spray a really dense hedge and it was really hard to get good coverage.
Oh well I accomplished what I wanted and have found some more good varieties for my garden for next year. I will only try a few new ones next year and cut out most of the under performers so that I can focus on the varieties better suited for down here. It was a lot of fun trying all the different varieties and watching them develop but it is way too much work for me to do again. |
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