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labruscagrape - Re: [OFEX] Fw: tomatoes

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Subject: Ontario Fruit Explorers

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  • From: "John Barbowski" <jbarbowski@hotmail.com>
  • To: labruscagrape@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [OFEX] Fw: tomatoes
  • Date: Sat, 20 May 2006 17:40:40 +0000


Hi Biz,

Finally getting back to your tomatoes. My cages are ones that I bought at Can Tire for .79 a while ago, and those that I inherited along the way. Their upper diameters range from around a foot to fifteen inches. The height on most is around 3 feet. I have a couple that are a little taller - I usually use these for cherry tomatoes.

Many years ago, I used to put a wire fence up each side (8 ft) of the row until I got the cages. The cages were easier to use. The fence had wires about 6 inches apart and was about thirty inches tall. I tied the fence tops to the other side with some twine - this left a gap of about a foot at the top.

I tried to group the tomatoes in sections; three to four feet for each variety. Never really had any problems with production. I am in heavy concrete clay. Did have occurrences of blossom rot and tomato leaf blight. I used ground up egg shells, 1 tbsp per location, for the blossom rot; (moisture was not a problem). Better sanitation helped remove most of the leaf blight. I also try to ensure that I don't plant in the same place two years in a row.

When I put the plants in the ground, the cage tops just touch one another. I have about six plants in already. I realize that it is too cool, and will wait a week or so to put in the rest.

As you have mentioned, the cherries take off and sometimes overwhelmed the other varieties. We still got quite a few 'nuggets' in the jungle: Italians, Whoppers and whatever! In spite of keeping the cherries to a minimum at the heads of the row (nice to pick while just walking by), some of the previous year's fall droppings germinate and add to the congestions.

There was some incidence of sunscald during a few of our hot summers.

I'm also attaching some pics, reduced in size thanks to a recent NAFEX post, that show my larger apples and a bit of my set-up.

Cheers!

j


From: "Biz Storms" <biz.storms@sympatico.ca>
Reply-To: Ontario Fruit Explorers <labruscagrape@lists.ibiblio.org>
To: "'Ontario Fruit Explorers'" <labruscagrape@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [OFEX] Fw: tomatoes
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 09:12:17 -0400

From John a few weeks back:

I have been growing tomatoes, 2 per hole, 3 per hole and 4 per hole for many years. My mother supplies copious quantities of the seedlings and rather than cull, I insert all. She normally has 3 or 4 seedlings in each styrofoam cup - depending on how many seeds germinate. I grow my tomatoes like a hedge, and usually have more than I can use. (except for cool summers!) I used to be meticulous, trimming off suckers and just allowing 2-3 major stems to be dominant. Now I am older, and lazier. I put a tomatoe cage over each cluster - this supports the 'in-line hedge' - and let them grow as they deem fit!

Hi Guys - back to some tomato questions.

John – what size tomato cage do you use? I mean approximate diameter. We have extra fencing, so was thinking about cutting a ten or twelve foot length and wrapping it into a circle. Also, when your tomatoes are grouped, do they vary in size from cherry up to large beefcake, or are they all a similar size. Would like to avoid having the aggressive plums or cherries that take 60 to 70 days before exploding, choke out the larger, slowing growing paste or beefcakes that take 80 to 90 days. But it would still be gorgeous to see them all mixed up.

Tom – rather than a pail, what do you think about recycling one of those large green plastic containers that the nurseries use for selling the larger shrubs? Could you use the side drainage holes – with careful expansion into the bottom – or would you cut new holes in the bottom, and block off the side holes? They are quite sturdy and new holes could be punched near the top to insert something for hanging. Just trying to avoid damaging a perfectly good pail or bucket.

Cheers, Bizmark

 

 

 

 


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  • Re: [OFEX] Fw: tomatoes, John Barbowski, 05/20/2006

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