woman
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/09/05
Posts: 856
Loc: Western Alberta, Canada
|
|
O.K. guys I'm asking you for help here. I am a notorius plant killer. Sorry its true. In my defense I had flowers in planters last year and kept them alive and I have had house plants for the last four years without killing them. Unfortunatly my past record superceeds all that by a long shot. 
Today I bought two tomato plants. One is nearly two feet tall. The other is about one and a half. Both have flowers already. You have to buy started plants here since our growing season is so short.
Our last frost is in mid May and our first frost is in late August.
I need serious advice on how to get tomatoes off these things. I love tomatoes right off the vine. I'm not kidding at how bad and how little I know. These things are in danger just being in the same vehicle with me. My husband didn't even want to buy them cause he felt he was being an accomplice to murder! 
These are going to stay on the deck in pots and will have direct sun from morning untill about four.
Anyway, here are a few questions...
How often do I water?
What time of day do I water?
Should I transplant them to bigger pots?
I've heard I should pinch off the little shoots that come up in the joints. Is this true?
Should I pinch off any of the flowers at all?
Should I fertilize and with what?
Thanks for the help all. I really love tomatoes and hope I can get these to produce. The irony is that growing up my dad had thirty or more tomato plants in his greenhouse (completly computerized for temp control and watering) but I never really learned a thing about gardening myself.
Take care all,
Sarah
I will post pics later.
--------------------
Sarah
Canon Rebel XT
Single arm drive
My scope: 5.5 Skywatcher newt.
My son's scope: ETX 90
Homepage
|
MMICKELS
Aluminum Knight
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 36050
Loc: Land of Shake and Bake
|
|
Sarah, I watched a program over the weekend that reccomended repotting tomatoes into large pots. They also said it was good to put them in very deep. (they showed a plant that they repotted and the soil was above the lower branches). That's about all I know. As a fellow "plant killer" I hope this will help you.
--------------------
Mark
I'm going outside to stand, so if anyone asks I am outstanding.
|
Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 24022
Loc: Texas, USA
|
|
Quote:
Anyway, here are a few questions...
How often do I water?
What time of day do I water?
Should I transplant them to bigger pots?
I've heard I should pinch off the little shoots that come up in the joints. Is this true?
Should I pinch off any of the flowers at all?
Should I fertilize and with what?
Hi Sarah! Fancy meeting you here instead of the photography section...hope this helps somewhat:
1. When the soil is dry and light. You can stick your finger in a few inches. If you can't feel moisture and the pot is light, water it in well until you see water coming out the hole in the bottom of the pot.
2. Best time to water in my opinion is mornings, however if your plant is wilty water anyway regardless of time of day. (But if it's in the evening while in the pot, just a light water to hold until morning will more than suffice).The main concerns of mine are evaporation during the heat of the day, or creating a slimy mess by having the soil and leaves drenched during the night.
3. The bigger the pot, the less you will have to water (initially) and the bigger the plant may get. Watch for the roots binding up in the smaller pot. If they are suffering, you can transplant. If it were me, I'd put each one in at least a 3 gallon pot with a little soil moist mixed in, perhaps even some mulch mixed in the soil as well, full sun.
4 & 5. Pinching normally makes a plant promote new growth. However looking at your questions on that subject, I have a feeling you were told that either keep the plant in growing stage by holding off blooms, or to decrease bloom count so that you have fewer (but larger) tomatoes, instead of alot of smaller ones. I let my tomato plants take their own natural course....I don't pinch them or disbud them. They are lucky to get fertilizer and water (but then again, my are in the ground not containers).
And finally, fertilizers. Container planting is a whole different ball game than planting out in your yard. I can't benefit from the nutrients in your soil and depend on you for complete care. I would use a fertiliser with a slightly higher Potassium and Phosphorus level than Nitrogen (N-P-K). Nitrogen stimulates the growth rate and aids keeping the plant green. Phosphorus helps root growth. And Potassium aids in the production of flowering and fruiting.
--------------------
Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi. 
Zhumell 16", 10" LX200 Classic,Celestron 102 XLT, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm, AT6RC
PCW Memorial Observatory
|
woman
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/09/05
Posts: 856
Loc: Western Alberta, Canada
|
|
Thanks a lot Erica!
Next question ('s), if I have some three gallon plastic buckets what do I have to do to make them suitable for planting in? Drill a drainage hole? And when I plant what type of soil do I want? Do I want to put gravel in the bottom for drainage?
I wasn't kidding when I told you I don't know anything. 
Take care all,
Sarah
--------------------
Sarah
Canon Rebel XT
Single arm drive
My scope: 5.5 Skywatcher newt.
My son's scope: ETX 90
Homepage
|
Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 24022
Loc: Texas, USA
|
|
I have an indoor plant that I have had in a five gallon bucket for the better part of 15 years or so. What I'd do is drill plenty of holes in the bottom for drainage. Rocks aren't really necessary if you have good holes, but I normally put rocks in a few inches deep anyway. It certainly won't hurt and keeps your holes from getting plugged.
I would buy some potting mix from the local nursery or Do-It Yourself centers. I use promix at the greenhouses, but it doesn't have added nutrients in it, so fertilizers are a necessity with it. To be honest, I don't know exactly what is in the potting soil mixes at the stores. I wouldn't use straight peat either. If you wanted to use some of the dirt from your yard, I would mix it in with the potting soil and not use it straight.
--------------------
Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi.
Zhumell 16", 10" LX200 Classic,Celestron 102 XLT, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm, AT6RC
PCW Memorial Observatory
|
woman
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/09/05
Posts: 856
Loc: Western Alberta, Canada
|
|
Thanks, will do! 
Take care all,
Sarah
--------------------
Sarah
Canon Rebel XT
Single arm drive
My scope: 5.5 Skywatcher newt.
My son's scope: ETX 90
Homepage
|
desertstars
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 41911
Loc: Tucson, AZ
|
|
Here's a curious thing: For many years I used coarse gravel or small pebbles along the bottom of pots, especially pots over 5 gallons in size, because I was taught (and read numerous times) that this trick helped with drainage. About ten years ago I was taking a basic soil science class and was introduced to the basic physics of how water moved through the soil. In a field situation, loose soil over gravel can lead to what's called a perched water table, because the smaller pores of the soil can hold water so tightly that gravity cannot pull the water into the wider spaces between the gravel. Capillary attraction at work. This made me wonder about my potted plants, so when I next repotted a few, I took a close look at the roots near the gravel/soil boundary. Sure enough, those roots (when they weren't dead) were less healthy than roots just a couple inches higher. My guess is that the zone where water lingers longest is short on oxygen, and the roots down there fail to thrive. I stopped using any sort of gravel at all, and let the holes in the pots take care of drainage.
Did it make the plants healthier? Not that I can measure, although I do have a few species of herbs that were a problem before and grow well now. But many other things (including increased experience) could explain that. Mainly what I've done is eliminate an unnecessary chore while potting up plants. And when you pott up a lot of plants, you don't want more work to do than necessary.
--------------------
Thomas Watson
Author of Mr. Olcott's Skies. Available in paperback and ebook from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
@desertstarsbks
Under Desert StarsEither Way, It's Reading
|
Sue
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/16/04
Posts: 1796
Loc: Jackson, Michigan
|
|
Quote:
Here's a curious thing: For many years I used coarse gravel or small pebbles along the bottom of pots, especially pots over 5 gallons in size, because I was taught (and read numerous times) that this trick helped with drainage. About ten years ago I was taking a basic soil science class and was introduced to the basic physics of how water moved through the soil. In a field situation, loose soil over gravel can lead to what's called a perched water table, because the smaller pores of the soil can hold water so tightly that gravity cannot pull the water into the wider spaces between the gravel. Capillary attraction at work. This made me wonder about my potted plants, so when I next repotted a few, I took a close look at the roots near the gravel/soil boundary. Sure enough, those roots (when they weren't dead) were less healthy than roots just a couple inches higher. My guess is that the zone where water lingers longest is short on oxygen, and the roots down there fail to thrive. I stopped using any sort of gravel at all, and let the holes in the pots take care of drainage.
Did it make the plants healthier? Not that I can measure, although I do have a few species of herbs that were a problem before and grow well now. But many other things (including increased experience) could explain that. Mainly what I've done is eliminate an unnecessary chore while potting up plants. And when you pott up a lot of plants, you don't want more work to do than necessary.
"Capillary attraction at work"?!!!
Geez Tom! Have you ever thought that maybe you know too much?  My brain hurts just reading that, I cannot imagine having all that in there!
--------------------
Copyrighted by Sue
Mother of 5, grandmother of 7, wife of the most fabulous 1. ;o)
Life isn't about the number of breaths you take, it's about the moments that take your breath away.
|
desertstars
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 41911
Loc: Tucson, AZ
|
|
Quote:
Geez Tom! Have you ever thought that maybe you know too much?
Naw...  Though it is gettin' a bit tight in there...
--------------------
Thomas Watson
Author of Mr. Olcott's Skies. Available in paperback and ebook from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
@desertstarsbks
Under Desert StarsEither Way, It's Reading
|
Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 24022
Loc: Texas, USA
|
|
Thanks, Tom. I hadn't even considered that, but it makes a person wonder, doesn't it? You would think that enough of the loose soil will work its way around the pebbles though so it wouldn't cause a problem.
The master at work, yet again! Who needs reference books when you have Tom around! 
--------------------
Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi.
Zhumell 16", 10" LX200 Classic,Celestron 102 XLT, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm, AT6RC
PCW Memorial Observatory
|
desertstars
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 41911
Loc: Tucson, AZ
|
|
Quote:
Who needs reference books when you have Tom around!
Me... 
--------------------
Thomas Watson
Author of Mr. Olcott's Skies. Available in paperback and ebook from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
@desertstarsbks
Under Desert StarsEither Way, It's Reading
|
Victor Kennedy
Pooh-Bear
Reged: 05/22/03
Posts: 12190
Loc: Slovenia
|
|
I find plants do best when I just ignore them. When I try to cultivate them, they know I want them to grow and they refuse to cooperate. They see me coming reading Gardening for Dummies and they start laughing. I wish I had Erika nearby to show them who's boss.
--------------------
No matter how hard you push the envelope, it's still stationary.
|
desertstars
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 41911
Loc: Tucson, AZ
|
|
Out here in the desert the garden plants know better, especially the vegetables. The only hope they have of survival is through our loving care...
--------------------
Thomas Watson
Author of Mr. Olcott's Skies. Available in paperback and ebook from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
@desertstarsbks
Under Desert StarsEither Way, It's Reading
|
Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 24022
Loc: Texas, USA
|
|
I'd be a lost cause trying to grow in your conditions, Tom! I had to till between the rows today and take a hoe around the plants....I hate hoeing!!!
Something ate most of my shallots from the ground. I only found a couple of the bulbs when I dug them up to find out why there weren't growing yet.
After my session in the garden, I took a break to water the perennial house. I think I got hosed more than the plants did! And boy, did it ever feel good. Nothing like cold water while watering to give you a second wind.
--------------------
Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi.
Zhumell 16", 10" LX200 Classic,Celestron 102 XLT, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm, AT6RC
PCW Memorial Observatory
|
desertstars
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 41911
Loc: Tucson, AZ
|
|
Quote:
I'd be a lost cause trying to grow in your conditions, Tom!
So was I, for a couple of years. I learned to garden in Illinois. Starting up again in Phoenix was a shock. Nothing I knew how to do outdoors worked. I almost gave it up, but found a book written for this region by a fellow named George Brookbank. The very next season was fruitful. Nothing like having a local source of information.
Curiously enough, several years later (when we had moved to Tucson) I ended up meeting George and getting to know him. I like to embarass him by pointing out that his book changed my life. Which it did. Because the garden finally worked out and my love of plants became thoroughly revived I was motivated to go back to school and finish a degree in plant biology. Which brought me to Tucson, resolving the problem of living in Phoenix and not exactly lovin' it. And these changes in turn had me working on campus during the '03 apparition of Mars, which allowed me to find out that a local astronomy club was holding a public viewing. Which sent me back into astronomy, prompted my involvement with CN and the TAAA (I'm on the board of directors as a member-at-large), and caused a three-legged 'newt to migrate into my territory.
Whew! That was some garden book!
--------------------
Thomas Watson
Author of Mr. Olcott's Skies. Available in paperback and ebook from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
@desertstarsbks
Under Desert StarsEither Way, It's Reading
|
Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 24022
Loc: Texas, USA
|
|
I'd say!!! That's a great story how you just never know what's around the corner and the simple little thing that can change your whole life!
--------------------
Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi.
Zhumell 16", 10" LX200 Classic,Celestron 102 XLT, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm, AT6RC
PCW Memorial Observatory
|
woman
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/09/05
Posts: 856
Loc: Western Alberta, Canada
|
|
It's funny that this thread has found it's way to the top again today. I was just about to tell you all a story.
I have been watching the weather closely because it has been rainy and cold for the past week. So just in case it freezes at night I check the forcast to see what the temp. should be. Last night I didn't. I came home from work early because of a migrain (get them about once every six months, don't know what I did to deserve this one). I went straight to bed.
I got up this morning and went to work. Half way through the day people started mentioning how they had to scrape the frost off their windows this morning!!! AACK!! My tomatoes.
I had to wait till the kids were home from school until I could call and ask them how they looked. When I called I got Brandon and asked him to go look at them. He said (and I quote here) "They are severly wilted." "Only a handful of leaves are still green." "All of the tomatoes are brown and mushy."
That's it, I thought, my plants are dead. All day I was moaning and groaning 'cause I knew my hubby was going to give me such a hard time if I killed the tomatoe plants. You guys have no idea what I have gone through so far. When I wanted to pick them up he said he didn't want to pay for them because he didn't want to be an accomplice to murder. When I took pics of them to send to mom he asked if they were the before pics, and should he get chalk for the outline in the after pics.
I knew if they were dead he would NEVER let me hear the end of it (he's a wee bit of a teaser).
So I got home from work this evening expecting the worst and sure enough .... MY TOMATOES ARE FINE!!!
So now I have one smart alec kid for sale. Any takers?
Take care all,
Sarah
P.S. Thanks for the help thus far. I have gotten brave this year and now have fifteen clay pots on the deck with flowers in them.
--------------------
Sarah
Canon Rebel XT
Single arm drive
My scope: 5.5 Skywatcher newt.
My son's scope: ETX 90
Homepage
|
Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 24022
Loc: Texas, USA
|
|
That's funny!  No, I don't want your smart alec kid...Sorry, Sarah. I have enough smart alecs around me already!
However, if you pawn your kid off on Sue, she'll whip him into shape!
--------------------
Erika
Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi.
Zhumell 16", 10" LX200 Classic,Celestron 102 XLT, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm, AT6RC
PCW Memorial Observatory
|
Victor Kennedy
Pooh-Bear
Reged: 05/22/03
Posts: 12190
Loc: Slovenia
|
|
Quote:
So now I have one smart alec kid for sale. Any takers?
Got one already, thanks.
--------------------
No matter how hard you push the envelope, it's still stationary.
|
Sue
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/16/04
Posts: 1796
Loc: Jackson, Michigan
|
|
Quote:
However, if you pawn your kid off on Sue, she'll whip him into shape!
Hey Erika - what'd I ever do to you?!!! 
--------------------
Copyrighted by Sue
Mother of 5, grandmother of 7, wife of the most fabulous 1. ;o)
Life isn't about the number of breaths you take, it's about the moments that take your breath away.
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
