Growing Tomatoes
- Thread starter Lily'sDad
- Start date
Low nitrogen fertilizer & mulch!
I prefer to cage mine, most of my cages are made with concrete re-wire, 1/2 are 6" smaller diameter so I can store them inside each other. I made a couple with cattle panels that fold for storage:
I prefer to cage mine, most of my cages are made with concrete re-wire, 1/2 are 6" smaller diameter so I can store them inside each other. I made a couple with cattle panels that fold for storage:
AMEN
I use a balanced approach since too much nitrogen alone will just cause a shitload of vegetative growth...lots of green but few tomatoes. My plan has always been spread rabbit manure in the fall, (its great manure and fairly available where I live) then in spring tilling I run the lawn spreader across once with plain old 16-16-16 to balance out. Done me well for 25 years. My plants have a great balance of growth and tomatoes, plants are just over waist high and loaded.
For blight, I always believe in the preemptive strike. This is time of the year that the winds are carrying the spores, which for us comes from south of the border. There is actually a couple of government agricultural websites that track the movement of blight, for example, I looked last week and it has been reported in mid-New York state. It usually arrives with the heat and humidity. At any rate, I spray the plants (including potatoes) with Copper Sulfate (better known as Bordeaux Mixture), it is an excellent deterrent. If I end up getting it anyway if I miss a spray or two after rains, I pull the bad parts out and trash them, and spray Chlorothanonil.
I have sprayed copper once so far and it was last weekend after reading the blight reported across the lake.
For blight, I always believe in the preemptive strike. This is time of the year that the winds are carrying the spores, which for us comes from south of the border. There is actually a couple of government agricultural websites that track the movement of blight, for example, I looked last week and it has been reported in mid-New York state. It usually arrives with the heat and humidity. At any rate, I spray the plants (including potatoes) with Copper Sulfate (better known as Bordeaux Mixture), it is an excellent deterrent. If I end up getting it anyway if I miss a spray or two after rains, I pull the bad parts out and trash them, and spray Chlorothanonil.
I have sprayed copper once so far and it was last weekend after reading the blight reported across the lake.
Alternating halves of the garden gets year old Horse manure each year. That's about it. We only planted one tomato plant and I think we are going to harvest it for lumber. Plant is huge and only two tomatoes. 
In the past we have had large plants but plenty of tomatoes also. Maybe pruning is in order.
In the past we have had large plants but plenty of tomatoes also. Maybe pruning is in order.
What's that taste like?
We use rabbit manure. Works great.