My Urban Garden (1 Viewer)

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

OK so I have grown tomatoes on both sides of my shed for the last 2 years. The first year the ones on the left side got chewed up by something very early on and didn't produce anything till the very end of the season. This last year they did not get chewed up, shot up faster than the ones on the right early on then faded and didn't produce squat till the end of the season. That side of the shed gets too much shade.So, I have a trellis built on that location. I can't go very far left or right, but I could go up. What can I grow that heads straight up other than corn? Also, in a very limited area, what would you grow? If you had very little room what would you have to have?

Peas and green beans grow very well if you give them a trellis to climb. Last year we planted sugar snap peas and they turned out great.

 

[moleculo]

dot

I just tilled a good section of my back yard to turn into a large vegetable garden. My problem right now is that my dirt is mostly clay - when it'd dry it's like concrete, when it's wet it stays mud. I need to amend it with compost and sand, but I can't work the dirt when it's wet, and we are in a pattern when it rains pretty much just before the weekend, so I can't get to it.

 

[TheFanatic]

dotI just tilled a good section of my back yard to turn into a large vegetable garden. My problem right now is that my dirt is mostly clay - when it'd dry it's like concrete, when it's wet it stays mud. I need to amend it with compost and sand, but I can't work the dirt when it's wet, and we are in a pattern when it rains pretty much just before the weekend, so I can't get to it.

Add sand to the soil....

 

[TheFanatic]

OK so I have grown tomatoes on both sides of my shed for the last 2 years. The first year the ones on the left side got chewed up by something very early on and didn't produce anything till the very end of the season. This last year they did not get chewed up, shot up faster than the ones on the right early on then faded and didn't produce squat till the end of the season. That side of the shed gets too much shade.So, I have a trellis built on that location. I can't go very far left or right, but I could go up. What can I grow that heads straight up other than corn? Also, in a very limited area, what would you grow? If you had very little room what would you have to have?

Peas and green beans grow very well if you give them a trellis to climb. Last year we planted sugar snap peas and they turned out great.

Sugar snap peas would be the shiz....I'm thinking sugar snaps, bell peppers and maybe beans. How much yield from a single stakes sugar snap pea or bean plant? Enough for a few side dishes throughout the summer?

 

[siffoin]

Tell me more about this worm farm.I think there was thread on ol Yeller about making them in storage bins and feeding them newspapers

Well I few months back I went to home depot and purchased 2 rubber maid storage bins.In 1, I drilled holes on the bottom, sides and cover. I also placed screening over the holes (to prevent the worms from escaping). This is the "top" container.I placed the top container inside the 2nd container.In the fall I took a bag of mowed leaves and put those in the top container. I also added some top soil from the yard and about a few handfuls of sand. I placed shredded cardboard and shredded junk mail inside the bin too. And then watered it till it was damp.Because it was getting cold I just left the bins in my garage.In late Feb I ordered worms. You need composting worms...just google it. You pay by the lb typically. 1lb is about 1000 worms...cost about $20-$30.The worms arrive...you place them in the bin. Then add your food scraps. I add 1x per week. You toss in vegetable matter...old lettuce, coffee grinds, banana peel, potato peels, ends of carrots, celery etc. Even egg shells. No protein (meat cheese). You can also toss in shredded paper, cardboard etc. Worms eat their weight in food every day. I put all the scraps in a container and leave it in the fridge for the week. Then chop it in a food processor before giving it to the worms. They can digest it faster that way...but you don't have to go that step. Place the food in different areas of the bin to move the worms around.In about 3-4 months the bin should be fully composted. And the worm population will have doubled. When I first got the worms there was an escape attempt. But to thwart it, just left a light on in the room. After 2 days, the worms were settled. I would say they are thriving. I think part of the success was in setting the bin up early...weeks before the worms arrived. The bin needs to be damp at all times. Worms do best in temps between 50-90 degrees. It gets hotter than that here...so in the summer I'll have to move the bin into a shaddy area, and may even put a frozen water bottle into the bin to cool it. Next winter I'll need to build some kind of insulator...I'm thinking hay bales....but we'll see how it goes.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

We had a spectacular day yesterday so I ventured to Lowes and planted my deck pots full of herbs, strawberries, tomatoes and some flowers the gf picked out. Today it is pitch black out and raining. Looks like we only have one day of freeze threatening in the city for the next week or so. Any tips on protecting the plants from the freeze?

 

[boots11234]

Check out these Earth Boxes. A family member tried them last year and their crop blew ours away. I am trying them this year and hopefully I will have the same success.

LINK

I TOTALLY agree. These things are amazing. Best part about them is they are low maintenance. Put your dirt, fertilizer pants and cover with plastic. No weeding all you must do is water EVERY DAY though. Miss a day, especially with tomatoes, and the plants will split. I cant believe how much water they use in the heat of summer. The lady I bought them from actually suggested using just one tomato plant per box. The volume and size of the veggies you get BLOWS AWAY a regular garden. Plus you can use them over every year.No I dont work there either, I just love the ease and results of this product.

One more thing to add, if you dont have any area for a garden (you live in a condo or something with no dirt) these things are perfect for you. Plus they come with wheels, so if a big storm is coming or you need to move them for whatever reason its easy. Its like a moble garden.

 

[Verbal Kint]

 

[Chaos Commish]

Hey fellow gardeneers. I snipped this from a PM in case anyone is interested, a little geeky for the backyard but this is FBG afterall:

I'm an alternate recordkeeper on a 20 garden plot tomato experiment (this is in San Diego County, btw). Each plot has the same 8 varieties of tomatoes growing -- each chosen for specific genetic reasons. All 20 plots (24'X12') are adjacent to each other and receive identical light and water. Each plot is being raised with different methods and products -- most of the name brand stuff is being tested, Miracle Grow, Supersoil, etc., along with a few primary commercial products and methods.

Three brand/methods have absolutely kicked butt. One which grew a fall cover crop of Hairy Vetch, that was mowed down after a Spring comeback to return nutrients to the soil and leave a thick mulch above it, is doing fantastic with no fertilizer. This is very sustainable, organic and biodynamic. Another has soil amended organically with homemade compost and a cover of reflective mulch. This stuff sends light to the leaf undersides, chasing away white fly while ramping up photosynthesis. These plants have double the foliage and 25% thicker stems than the average garden, and the hi tech appearance appeals to me. Production remains to be seen, root development in the cooler soil may be an issue, but for high heat conditions this stuff has great potential. Finally, a mineral enrichment product called SeaAgri has produced strong, vigorous, healthy plants and the earliest fruit set (from a surprise bloom we nearly nipped in the bud). Basically we dumped rehydrated ocean on non tilled soil three months in advance and planted with as little ground disturbance as possible. There may not be enough nitrogen in this plot to sustain a long season, but holy crap, plants that went in in less than ideal mid march conditions will have vine ripened toms by the first week of May, at least two weeks ahead of any other method and a month faster than the Scott's/Miracle grow garden.

Hairy Vetch. $13 replaces amendments and mulches and there's enough in a pound of seed to last for many years in the typical backyard garden. Google Hairy Vetch Tomatoes and there's lots of great info.

Reflective mulch is cheap. It may not be ideal for cooler regions but for hot weather and/or people forced into partial shade this stuff absolutely increases photosynthesis.

SeaAgri. Our dirt and plants sure loved the mineral enrichment. It is also used as a foliar spray. The $25 ten pound bag ships free and is good for a quarter acre treatment. It has a shelf life over a decade so again, this should last the backyard veggie gardener for years.

GL

 

[D_House]

 

[E Street Brat]

Tell me more about this worm farm.I think there was thread on ol Yeller about making them in storage bins and feeding them newspapers

Well I few months back I went to home depot and purchased 2 rubber maid storage bins.In 1, I drilled holes on the bottom, sides and cover. I also placed screening over the holes (to prevent the worms from escaping). This is the "top" container.I placed the top container inside the 2nd container.In the fall I took a bag of mowed leaves and put those in the top container. I also added some top soil from the yard and about a few handfuls of sand. I placed shredded cardboard and shredded junk mail inside the bin too. And then watered it till it was damp.Because it was getting cold I just left the bins in my garage.In late Feb I ordered worms. You need composting worms...just google it. You pay by the lb typically. 1lb is about 1000 worms...cost about $20-$30.The worms arrive...you place them in the bin. Then add your food scraps. I add 1x per week. You toss in vegetable matter...old lettuce, coffee grinds, banana peel, potato peels, ends of carrots, celery etc. Even egg shells. No protein (meat cheese). You can also toss in shredded paper, cardboard etc. Worms eat their weight in food every day. I put all the scraps in a container and leave it in the fridge for the week. Then chop it in a food processor before giving it to the worms. They can digest it faster that way...but you don't have to go that step. Place the food in different areas of the bin to move the worms around.In about 3-4 months the bin should be fully composted. And the worm population will have doubled. When I first got the worms there was an escape attempt. But to thwart it, just left a light on in the room. After 2 days, the worms were settled. I would say they are thriving. I think part of the success was in setting the bin up early...weeks before the worms arrived. The bin needs to be damp at all times. Worms do best in temps between 50-90 degrees. It gets hotter than that here...so in the summer I'll have to move the bin into a shaddy area, and may even put a frozen water bottle into the bin to cool it. Next winter I'll need to build some kind of insulator...I'm thinking hay bales....but we'll see how it goes.

Thanks. I set up my own yesterday.

 

[TheFanatic]

I planted 5 tomato plants about 3 weeks ago and then two more about a week ago. The first three - Better Boy, Mr. Stripey, and Lemon Boy are all growing nicely. The Lemon Boy has flowers on it already.

I then planted a Superfantastic and some variety of beef steak. Something like Best Steak, or better beef steak. Those are just maintaining.

I also planted to yellow pepper plants. Not sure how they are called yellow peppers. I thought all peppers start off green and turn color as they ripen. Dunno. I love the yellows so that is what I planted. They have doubled in size in 2 weeks. I also planted from see two sugar snap peas and one green bean. They haven't popped up yet. I have never done anything other than the maters so I have no idea what to expect here...

 

[Nick Vermeil]

I planted 5 tomato plants about 3 weeks ago and then two more about a week ago. The first three - Better Boy, Mr. Stripey, and Lemon Boy are all growing nicely. The Lemon Boy has flowers on it already. I then planted a Superfantastic and some variety of beef steak. Something like Best Steak, or better beef steak. Those are just maintaining.I also planted to yellow pepper plants. Not sure how they are called yellow peppers. I thought all peppers start off green and turn color as they ripen. Dunno. I love the yellows so that is what I planted. They have doubled in size in 2 weeks. I also planted from see two sugar snap peas and one green bean. They haven't popped up yet. I have never done anything other than the maters so I have no idea what to expect here...

I planted three tomato plants on my deck in Brooklyn a few weeks back. Since then, the sun has been out once. Two days ago, all three were floating in their pots after 24 hours of rain. The drain holes had become plugged. I will be planting new plants this weekend.

 

[goldenchild]

I feel like a crack addict, I can’t stop. Next on the list are watermelon, cantaloupe green peppers, and a few corn stalks.

Anybody else have this disease?

Yes.If you plant corn, it needs to be grouped as the plants pollinate each other. It's why you see then planted in several rows. It looks like you don't have space for that but, another method is to plant several (6-8) stalks together in a mound 12-18 inches in diameter. Even one mound might be sufficient to provide the pollination necessary for proper kernal formation. You will have to water and fertilize. If you catch any fish out of that lake, bury a couple under the mound.

Ain't the OP the same FBG that took a pic of the gator that was feeding within 10-20 yards of his patio? I don't think fishing in that lake would be such a good idea.Oh, and

 

[zander_s]

I started about 2 weeks ago, all in containers.

Roma tomato - was already flowering when planted, now has approx 12 fruits started

Big Boy tomato - first flowers starting

Zukes - both plants shriveled and are dead

Red and orange bell peppers - nearly doubled in size

Jalapeno and bannana peppers - growing slowly

Bought a 5 herb pot kit that has sprouted in all 5 containers

Almost lost the herbs when we had the couple days of 100+ temps but they are rebounding nicely.

I will replace the zukes this weekend and hope to add another container with some basil plants.

 

[goldenchild]

Have heard all sorts of recommendations for the Topsy Turvy but none based on personal experience yet so haven't tried them.

I've done upside down tomatoes for years. I currently have 40 toms growing upside down in two 50' planters with herbs, peppers, strawberries, and greens growing upright from the tops. Don't ask. There's issues but the sales pitch is pretty accurate. You avoid soil born diseases and you don't need to bother with staking or cages. You should grow a determinate tomato as indeterminates need more care and soil over a long growing season. They can also reach the ground very quickly. A planter type determinate is ideal, but pretty much any determinate works. Celebrity and Ace are fine choices for medium to large fruit. Park Seed's Tumbling Toms are cherries marketed specifically for upside down growing.The biggest issue is water leaking onto the plant causing the main stem to split reducing yield dramatically in some cases, killing the plant in others. It's especially damaging with liquid ferts. Food grade sponges wrapped around the stems inside and out prevent this. Branches will reach upward and sometimes break off if they're very thick or bear fruit early. Nipping the first dozen flowers in the bud pays off in the long run. Starting with a leggy plant actually seems to produce a little better yield (burying most of the plant inside the pot on transplanting), which is great for those starting seeds indoors (which are usually much leggier than nursery stock). I wouldn't use the Topsy Turvy unless aesthetics was important though. A five gallon white bucket, drilled in the bottom, is a better growing container, cheaper too, but diy things appeal to me. Another issue is the soil can get a little too warm hanging in the sun and the plant will suffer in hot climates. This is another plus for a white bucket with a lid to seal in moisture. Though you need some evaporation or you get mold. There are ways to shade the soil container, but most are ugly. It's in cool climates where the extra soil warming produces the advertised (great) results.

For the last few months I've been thinking about planting my own fruits/veggies, but it's information like this that scares me away.All I know is that my backyard is a good size for a small garden and it gets TONS of sun during the day. I think I'm going to go the Earthbox route if that is pretty fool proof.

 

[Chaos Commish]

All I know is that my backyard is a good size for a small garden and it gets TONS of sun during the day. I think I'm going to go the Earthbox route if that is pretty fool proof.

Having a "big" backyard got me into all this trouble in the early 90s. Earthboxes are great, but if you have lots of room.........

On the diy side of the idea, I just built six of these to be delivered to the high desert for yet another experiment with 12 of these heirlooms which are supposed to handle the desert better than most. They were easy to build and I modified them a little.

 

[Bamboo Bill]

urban? I thought urban gardens were in large cities?

 

[goldenchild]

All I know is that my backyard is a good size for a small garden and it gets TONS of sun during the day. I think I'm going to go the Earthbox route if that is pretty fool proof.

Having a "big" backyard got me into all this trouble in the early 90s. Earthboxes are great, but if you have lots of room.........

On the diy side of the idea, I just built six of these to be delivered to the high desert for yet another experiment with 12 of these heirlooms which are supposed to handle the desert better than most. They were easy to build and I modified them a little.

That's awsome.They sell those things at Target I think. Thanks for the link.

My location is far from being considerred the desert (Santa Clara, CA), but my backyard is open and faces the east (warmest/brightest part of the day).

I'm hoping to be able to plant the following:

Veggies: Tomatos, Broccoli, Spinach, Lettuce, Soybeans (Edemame), Onions, Garlic, Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Potatos

Fruits: Oranges, Bananas, Apples (Fuji), Grapes, and Strawberries

I know this is a long list, but these are things that I know we buy when we hit the grocery store.

Couple of questions...

Are these all doable using the method (bins) you linked to?

What start up costs am I looking at here? I'd prefer not to use the land soil.

We are renting the house, but our landlord said we're welcome to plant food/flowers as long as they do not start "attaching" themselves to the side of the house.

I'm a total noob here, so please excuse my noob'ism here

 

[Mr. Yuk]

Fruits: Oranges, Bananas, Apples (Fuji), Grapes, and Strawberries

I know this is a long list, but these are things that I know we buy when we hit the grocery store.

Couple of questions...

Are these all doable using the method (bins) you linked to?

What start up costs am I looking at here? I'd prefer not to use the land soil.

We are renting the house, but our landlord said we're welcome to plant food/flowers as long as they do not start "attaching" themselves to the side of the house.

I'm a total noob here, so please excuse my noob'ism here

Better plant em now, you may be waiting a while.

 

[E Street Brat]

I feel like a crack addict, I can’t stop. Next on the list are watermelon, cantaloupe green peppers, and a few corn stalks.

Anybody else have this disease?

Yes.If you plant corn, it needs to be grouped as the plants pollinate each other. It's why you see then planted in several rows. It looks like you don't have space for that but, another method is to plant several (6-8) stalks together in a mound 12-18 inches in diameter. Even one mound might be sufficient to provide the pollination necessary for proper kernal formation. You will have to water and fertilize. If you catch any fish out of that lake, bury a couple under the mound.

Ain't the OP the same FBG that took a pic of the gator that was feeding within 10-20 yards of his patio? I don't think fishing in that lake would be such a good idea.Oh, and

One in the same. I fish in there all the time. I'm up to about 12-14 Vine Tomatoes. The first ones are starting to ripen already, and I picked a few red radish's for a salad my wife made last nite. Yummy.

One of my cukes died but the other two have flowered nicely. I have 6 ankle high corn stalks that are looking good, and my watermelon and canalopes are progressing pretty well.

My carrots are stuggling. My wife planted those and I think she got them to close together. I also put in some green peppers, but I they are in a shaded area of the porch and I don't think they are gonna make it.

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

Have heard all sorts of recommendations for the Topsy Turvy but none based on personal experience yet so haven't tried them.

I've done upside down tomatoes for years. I currently have 40 toms growing upside down in two 50' planters with herbs, peppers, strawberries, and greens growing upright from the tops. Don't ask. There's issues but the sales pitch is pretty accurate. You avoid soil born diseases and you don't need to bother with staking or cages. You should grow a determinate tomato as indeterminates need more care and soil over a long growing season. They can also reach the ground very quickly. A planter type determinate is ideal, but pretty much any determinate works. Celebrity and Ace are fine choices for medium to large fruit. Park Seed's Tumbling Toms are cherries marketed specifically for upside down growing.The biggest issue is water leaking onto the plant causing the main stem to split reducing yield dramatically in some cases, killing the plant in others. It's especially damaging with liquid ferts. Food grade sponges wrapped around the stems inside and out prevent this. Branches will reach upward and sometimes break off if they're very thick or bear fruit early. Nipping the first dozen flowers in the bud pays off in the long run. Starting with a leggy plant actually seems to produce a little better yield (burying most of the plant inside the pot on transplanting), which is great for those starting seeds indoors (which are usually much leggier than nursery stock). I wouldn't use the Topsy Turvy unless aesthetics was important though. A five gallon white bucket, drilled in the bottom, is a better growing container, cheaper too, but diy things appeal to me. Another issue is the soil can get a little too warm hanging in the sun and the plant will suffer in hot climates. This is another plus for a white bucket with a lid to seal in moisture. Though you need some evaporation or you get mold. There are ways to shade the soil container, but most are ugly. It's in cool climates where the extra soil warming produces the advertised (great) results.

bumpquestion (anyone else know):I have the Topsy Turvy type thing. 2 of em, one with tomatos and one with herbs. The herbs seemed to die off right away. Some stems are still sticking through the sponge thing. Will the herbs come back? (Basil, Rosemary and Parsley)

 

[TheFanatic]

Almost lost the herbs when we had the couple days of 100+ temps but they are rebounding nicely.

I have done the herb garden before but found that I only really used Basil and Rosemary and that some didn't handle direct sun very well. Both Basil and Rosemary do. So after the first year of Oregano and Thyme burning up, I have stuck with my two mainstays. Just planted my basil on Sat. Put the Rosemary in last week....I've got flowers on my Lemon Boy mater plant...

 

[acapella]

Almost lost the herbs when we had the couple days of 100+ temps but they are rebounding nicely.

I have done the herb garden before but found that I only really used Basil and Rosemary and that some didn't handle direct sun very well. Both Basil and Rosemary do. So after the first year of Oregano and Thyme burning up, I have stuck with my two mainstays. Just planted my basil on Sat. Put the Rosemary in last week....I've got flowers on my Lemon Boy mater plant...

I never have a problem with Basil, but some of the others dill, oregano, sage, etc ... tend to turn brown if left in direct sunlight on a hot day. I leave Basil in the main garden (I have 5 raised beds) and use pots for my other herbs so that I can bring them inside if I see them turning brown).Fresh basil makes for some killer pesto. I'll post the recipe when I get home.

 

[Al Czervik]

OK, total noob thinking about getting a garden going.

Some initial questions:

1. Do I start with seeds or buy plants?

2. Do these plants come back each year, or is there a need to re-plant each year?

3. I have lots of rabbits around... how do I keep them from eating everything?

TIA/GB

 

[acapella]

OK, total noob thinking about getting a garden going.

Some initial questions:

1. Do I start with seeds or buy plants?

Plants

2. Do these plants come back each year, or is there a need to re-plant each year?

Most need to be replanted each year, there are exceptions like strawberries, asparagus and some herbs.

3. I have lots of rabbits around... how do I keep them from eating everything?

Buy a Pit bull.

TIA/GB

 

[TheFanatic]

OK, total noob thinking about getting a garden going.

Some initial questions:

1. Do I start with seeds or buy plants?



You can start with seeds but it will take longer. I couldn't find green bean or sugar snap pea plants so I went with seeds

2. Do these plants come back each year, or is there a need to re-plant each year?



Most don't as mentioned above. I take my rosemary plant inside and it survives the year.

3. I have lots of rabbits around... how do I keep them from eating everything?



Dog or cat. I have a beagle that has one foot in the grave which I'm not sure has seen a rabbit in 2 years yet no rabbits or squirrels mess with my maters.

TIA/GB

 

[E Street Brat]

OK, total noob thinking about getting a garden going.

Some initial questions:

1. Do I start with seeds or buy plants?

I planted seeds

2. Do these plants come back each year, or is there a need to re-plant each year?

No Idea. This is my first year

3. I have lots of rabbits around... how do I keep them from eating everything?

Mmmmm Rabbit!

TIA/GB

 

[gmbacm]

Have heard all sorts of recommendations for the Topsy Turvy but none based on personal experience yet so haven't tried them.

I've done upside down tomatoes for years. I currently have 40 toms growing upside down in two 50' planters with herbs, peppers, strawberries, and greens growing upright from the tops. Don't ask. There's issues but the sales pitch is pretty accurate. You avoid soil born diseases and you don't need to bother with staking or cages. You should grow a determinate tomato as indeterminates need more care and soil over a long growing season. They can also reach the ground very quickly. A planter type determinate is ideal, but pretty much any determinate works. Celebrity and Ace are fine choices for medium to large fruit. Park Seed's Tumbling Toms are cherries marketed specifically for upside down growing.The biggest issue is water leaking onto the plant causing the main stem to split reducing yield dramatically in some cases, killing the plant in others. It's especially damaging with liquid ferts. Food grade sponges wrapped around the stems inside and out prevent this. Branches will reach upward and sometimes break off if they're very thick or bear fruit early. Nipping the first dozen flowers in the bud pays off in the long run. Starting with a leggy plant actually seems to produce a little better yield (burying most of the plant inside the pot on transplanting), which is great for those starting seeds indoors (which are usually much leggier than nursery stock). I wouldn't use the Topsy Turvy unless aesthetics was important though. A five gallon white bucket, drilled in the bottom, is a better growing container, cheaper too, but diy things appeal to me. Another issue is the soil can get a little too warm hanging in the sun and the plant will suffer in hot climates. This is another plus for a white bucket with a lid to seal in moisture. Though you need some evaporation or you get mold. There are ways to shade the soil container, but most are ugly. It's in cool climates where the extra soil warming produces the advertised (great) results.

Do you use a regular bucket or a more "narrow" bucket like the topsy turvey?

 

[Chaos Commish]

Have heard all sorts of recommendations for the Topsy Turvy but none based on personal experience yet so haven't tried them.

I've done upside down tomatoes for years. I currently have 40 toms growing upside down in two 50' planters with herbs, peppers, strawberries, and greens growing upright from the tops. Don't ask. There's issues but the sales pitch is pretty accurate. You avoid soil born diseases and you don't need to bother with staking or cages. You should grow a determinate tomato as indeterminates need more care and soil over a long growing season. They can also reach the ground very quickly. A planter type determinate is ideal, but pretty much any determinate works. Celebrity and Ace are fine choices for medium to large fruit. Park Seed's Tumbling Toms are cherries marketed specifically for upside down growing.

The biggest issue is water leaking onto the plant causing the main stem to split reducing yield dramatically in some cases, killing the plant in others. It's especially damaging with liquid ferts. Food grade sponges wrapped around the stems inside and out prevent this. Branches will reach upward and sometimes break off if they're very thick or bear fruit early. Nipping the first dozen flowers in the bud pays off in the long run. Starting with a leggy plant actually seems to produce a little better yield (burying most of the plant inside the pot on transplanting), which is great for those starting seeds indoors (which are usually much leggier than nursery stock). I wouldn't use the Topsy Turvy unless aesthetics was important though. A five gallon white bucket, drilled in the bottom, is a better growing container, cheaper too, but diy things appeal to me. Another issue is the soil can get a little too warm hanging in the sun and the plant will suffer in hot climates. This is another plus for a white bucket with a lid to seal in moisture. Though you need some evaporation or you get mold. There are ways to shade the soil container, but most are ugly. It's in cool climates where the extra soil warming produces the advertised (great) results.

Do you use a regular bucket or a more "narrow" bucket like the topsy turvey?

Regular five gallon paint bucket, sterilized. Brand new or food grade buckets from a restaurant may make some more comfortable but the plastic-phobiacs are going to protest regardless. I like the paint buckets because they have both a big lid and a screw on cap.This is close to perfect. Growing the transplant upright in the soon to be inverted container for a week or two helps the plant in several ways. Mostly, it allows you to harden off a nursery (likely greenhouse) plant to your conditions. You can gradually expose it to more sun this way, which is key to the hardening process. Roots definitely perform better over the growing season with a week or so right side up after the transplanting regardless of hardening off. I add sponge surrounded by peat to the planter hole. I don't trust the wire handle to do the job all year, but it probably would. Still I drill three holes evenly around the lip for a small chain or rope. Since I ran these along sloping eaves with a southern exposure (hideous looking but I'm divorced so who cares), the rope/chain allowed me to adjust height easily. In the case of big indeterminates, I've had them hanging down 20 feet by the end of the year with ropes pulled tight to the roof. Fwiw, the 40 inverted toms described in the quote is (a 120 plant hydroponic technique test and) in harvest. It's in a greenhouse that has unleased space to play with. The 40 upside downs were grown soil-less with hydroponic drips, 40 more in a simple aeroponic setup, and 40 identical plants upright in industry standard (NFT) hydroponics (control group). These plants will produce through September unless we pull them early, and right now the upside downs are by far the least impressive. I doubt they can ever catch up and will fall further behind. The intercropping of herbs and veggies in their tops will not produce enough to make them worthwhile. They probably need larger planters, but I'm disappointed.

As for growing something in the soil above the bucket, lawn grass has been a great way to keep tomatoes happy for some green thumbs. Grass loves nitrogen which can stunt a tomato's yield. So you can happily hit the planter with a cheap balanced triple sixteen fert or 20-20-20 and know the grass will use excess nitrogen leaving the toms with good conditions for a heavy fruit set. Toms prefer an even water supply and the grass does a great job keeping things evenly moist. If you over water the grass sucks it up and grows. If you underwater the grass keeps the soil moist longer than any mulch as it slowly dies back. Most pottig soil is a touch acidic for grass, so a sprinkle (a half cup) of wood ash balances that for happy grass and provides calcium for the toms. The person I know who has great results doing this cuts the grass sod-style right from her backyard. No seed. Just plant the tomato. Grow it upright for a week. Invert and hang. Add homemade sod to the top, water, fertilize, Mow with scissors.

GL

 

[siffoin]

Have heard all sorts of recommendations for the Topsy Turvy but none based on personal experience yet so haven't tried them.

I've done upside down tomatoes for years. I currently have 40 toms growing upside down in two 50' planters with herbs, peppers, strawberries, and greens growing upright from the tops. Don't ask. There's issues but the sales pitch is pretty accurate. You avoid soil born diseases and you don't need to bother with staking or cages. You should grow a determinate tomato as indeterminates need more care and soil over a long growing season. They can also reach the ground very quickly. A planter type determinate is ideal, but pretty much any determinate works. Celebrity and Ace are fine choices for medium to large fruit. Park Seed's Tumbling Toms are cherries marketed specifically for upside down growing.

The biggest issue is water leaking onto the plant causing the main stem to split reducing yield dramatically in some cases, killing the plant in others. It's especially damaging with liquid ferts. Food grade sponges wrapped around the stems inside and out prevent this. Branches will reach upward and sometimes break off if they're very thick or bear fruit early. Nipping the first dozen flowers in the bud pays off in the long run. Starting with a leggy plant actually seems to produce a little better yield (burying most of the plant inside the pot on transplanting), which is great for those starting seeds indoors (which are usually much leggier than nursery stock). I wouldn't use the Topsy Turvy unless aesthetics was important though. A five gallon white bucket, drilled in the bottom, is a better growing container, cheaper too, but diy things appeal to me. Another issue is the soil can get a little too warm hanging in the sun and the plant will suffer in hot climates. This is another plus for a white bucket with a lid to seal in moisture. Though you need some evaporation or you get mold. There are ways to shade the soil container, but most are ugly. It's in cool climates where the extra soil warming produces the advertised (great) results.

Do you use a regular bucket or a more "narrow" bucket like the topsy turvey?

Regular five gallon paint bucket, sterilized. Brand new or food grade buckets from a restaurant may make some more comfortable but the plastic-phobiacs are going to protest regardless. I like the paint buckets because they have both a big lid and a screw on cap.This is close to perfect. Growing the transplant upright in the soon to be inverted container for a week or two helps the plant in several ways. Mostly, it allows you to harden off a nursery (likely greenhouse) plant to your conditions. You can gradually expose it to more sun this way, which is key to the hardening process. Roots definitely perform better over the growing season with a week or so right side up after the transplanting regardless of hardening off. I add sponge surrounded by peat to the planter hole. I don't trust the wire handle to do the job all year, but it probably would. Still I drill three holes evenly around the lip for a small chain or rope. Since I ran these along sloping eaves with a southern exposure (hideous looking but I'm divorced so who cares), the rope/chain allowed me to adjust height easily. In the case of big indeterminates, I've had them hanging down 20 feet by the end of the year with ropes pulled tight to the roof. Fwiw, the 40 inverted toms described in the quote is (a 120 plant hydroponic technique test and) in harvest. It's in a greenhouse that has unleased space to play with. The 40 upside downs were grown soil-less with hydroponic drips, 40 more in a simple aeroponic setup, and 40 identical plants upright in industry standard (NFT) hydroponics (control group). These plants will produce through September unless we pull them early, and right now the upside downs are by far the least impressive. I doubt they can ever catch up and will fall further behind. The intercropping of herbs and veggies in their tops will not produce enough to make them worthwhile. They probably need larger planters, but I'm disappointed.

As for growing something in the soil above the bucket, lawn grass has been a great way to keep tomatoes happy for some green thumbs. Grass loves nitrogen which can stunt a tomato's yield. So you can happily hit the planter with a cheap balanced triple sixteen fert or 20-20-20 and know the grass will use excess nitrogen leaving the toms with good conditions for a heavy fruit set. Toms prefer an even water supply and the grass does a great job keeping things evenly moist. If you over water the grass sucks it up and grows. If you underwater the grass keeps the soil moist longer than any mulch as it slowly dies back. Most pottig soil is a touch acidic for grass, so a sprinkle (a half cup) of wood ash balances that for happy grass and provides calcium for the toms. The person I know who has great results doing this cuts the grass sod-style right from her backyard. No seed. Just plant the tomato. Grow it upright for a week. Invert and hang. Add homemade sod to the top, water, fertilize, Mow with scissors.

GL

Awesome. You are a great resource. My old CSA is having a tomato plant sale this weekend with over 100 varieties...so I think I'm going there to pick up the plants for my Earthboxes...and plant my seedlings in the rasied bed. I got complaints/grumbling about my "garbage can" potato bin...so I built a nicer redwood potato box that I saw from lifehacker...it says I can harvest some early by taking off one of the bottom boards too. Potatoes should get planted today. Not sure on everything else as it is still cool here...so they are in my "greenhouse."http://lifehacker.com/5202849/grow-100-lbs...n-4-square-feet

 

[cosjobs]

Have heard all sorts of recommendations for the Topsy Turvy but none based on personal experience yet so haven't tried them.

I've done upside down tomatoes for years. I currently have 40 toms growing upside down in two 50' planters with herbs, peppers, strawberries, and greens growing upright from the tops. Don't ask. There's issues but the sales pitch is pretty accurate. You avoid soil born diseases and you don't need to bother with staking or cages. You should grow a determinate tomato as indeterminates need more care and soil over a long growing season. They can also reach the ground very quickly. A planter type determinate is ideal, but pretty much any determinate works. Celebrity and Ace are fine choices for medium to large fruit. Park Seed's Tumbling Toms are cherries marketed specifically for upside down growing.

The biggest issue is water leaking onto the plant causing the main stem to split reducing yield dramatically in some cases, killing the plant in others. It's especially damaging with liquid ferts. Food grade sponges wrapped around the stems inside and out prevent this. Branches will reach upward and sometimes break off if they're very thick or bear fruit early. Nipping the first dozen flowers in the bud pays off in the long run. Starting with a leggy plant actually seems to produce a little better yield (burying most of the plant inside the pot on transplanting), which is great for those starting seeds indoors (which are usually much leggier than nursery stock). I wouldn't use the Topsy Turvy unless aesthetics was important though. A five gallon white bucket, drilled in the bottom, is a better growing container, cheaper too, but diy things appeal to me. Another issue is the soil can get a little too warm hanging in the sun and the plant will suffer in hot climates. This is another plus for a white bucket with a lid to seal in moisture. Though you need some evaporation or you get mold. There are ways to shade the soil container, but most are ugly. It's in cool climates where the extra soil warming produces the advertised (great) results.

Do you use a regular bucket or a more "narrow" bucket like the topsy turvey?

Regular five gallon paint bucket, sterilized. Brand new or food grade buckets from a restaurant may make some more comfortable but the plastic-phobiacs are going to protest regardless. I like the paint buckets because they have both a big lid and a screw on cap.This is close to perfect. Growing the transplant upright in the soon to be inverted container for a week or two helps the plant in several ways. Mostly, it allows you to harden off a nursery (likely greenhouse) plant to your conditions. You can gradually expose it to more sun this way, which is key to the hardening process. Roots definitely perform better over the growing season with a week or so right side up after the transplanting regardless of hardening off. I add sponge surrounded by peat to the planter hole. I don't trust the wire handle to do the job all year, but it probably would. Still I drill three holes evenly around the lip for a small chain or rope. Since I ran these along sloping eaves with a southern exposure (hideous looking but I'm divorced so who cares), the rope/chain allowed me to adjust height easily. In the case of big indeterminates, I've had them hanging down 20 feet by the end of the year with ropes pulled tight to the roof. Fwiw, the 40 inverted toms described in the quote is (a 120 plant hydroponic technique test and) in harvest. It's in a greenhouse that has unleased space to play with. The 40 upside downs were grown soil-less with hydroponic drips, 40 more in a simple aeroponic setup, and 40 identical plants upright in industry standard (NFT) hydroponics (control group). These plants will produce through September unless we pull them early, and right now the upside downs are by far the least impressive. I doubt they can ever catch up and will fall further behind. The intercropping of herbs and veggies in their tops will not produce enough to make them worthwhile. They probably need larger planters, but I'm disappointed.

As for growing something in the soil above the bucket, lawn grass has been a great way to keep tomatoes happy for some green thumbs. Grass loves nitrogen which can stunt a tomato's yield. So you can happily hit the planter with a cheap balanced triple sixteen fert or 20-20-20 and know the grass will use excess nitrogen leaving the toms with good conditions for a heavy fruit set. Toms prefer an even water supply and the grass does a great job keeping things evenly moist. If you over water the grass sucks it up and grows. If you underwater the grass keeps the soil moist longer than any mulch as it slowly dies back. Most pottig soil is a touch acidic for grass, so a sprinkle (a half cup) of wood ash balances that for happy grass and provides calcium for the toms. The person I know who has great results doing this cuts the grass sod-style right from her backyard. No seed. Just plant the tomato. Grow it upright for a week. Invert and hang. Add homemade sod to the top, water, fertilize, Mow with scissors.

GL

World Market sells a wine tote- much like those grocery bags you buy for a dollar. It holds about 2 gal of soil. I cut out the inside divider, put a slit in the bottom to pull the plant thru, and put newspaper around the sem to keep the dirt in. THen I hang them by the handles. I have 10 up them up now and they are all prospering- tomatoes, peppers, green beans, okra, and ***. eggplant. Its only been a week, but all are thriving thus far.I also bought one of the upside down garden from Sams Club and so far so good. We also have about half a dozen large containers traditionally planted.

 

[JAA]

Pretty sure at least half my tomatoe seedlings are dead. I had them inside due to the forst. Once it started warming up, i put the planter on he deck. Well, we had some crazy hot weather the past few days and after just 1 day in the hot sun, they either dried up all the way or had their single set of leaves burned brown. Im not optimistic and started a couple more seeds in there.

stoopid MA weather

 

[Otis]

I have a deck off my Brooklyn apartment, about 3 feet of it gets sun for about 6 hours a day. What can I grow there in pots? I was thinking of trying tomatoes, some strawberries and some herbs. When should I plant them and how much water? We just had snow today, so I'm thinking another few weeks at least.

 

[Otis]

Dumb question: do I need direct sunlight? I'm on the northwest side of my building, and although I have 14 foot ceilings and a large wall of windows and the apartment is very bright, I don't really get any direct sunlight at all. I have some houseplants in there growing alright. Can I put one of these planter things on the shelf at the windows and have a mini garden?

TIA

 

[gmbacm]

Dumb question: do I need direct sunlight? I'm on the northwest side of my building, and although I have 14 foot ceilings and a large wall of windows and the apartment is very bright, I don't really get any direct sunlight at all. I have some houseplants in there growing alright. Can I put one of these planter things on the shelf at the windows and have a mini garden?TIA

you would probably want some sort of artificial light source.

 

[Saints-Man]

Definitely plants some basil & rosemary.

Nothing beats fresh herbs, plus they smell good and act as natural mosquito repellent also.

Didn't know that.

 

[TheFanatic]

Dumb question: do I need direct sunlight? I'm on the northwest side of my building, and although I have 14 foot ceilings and a large wall of windows and the apartment is very bright, I don't really get any direct sunlight at all. I have some houseplants in there growing alright. Can I put one of these planter things on the shelf at the windows and have a mini garden?TIA

Not tomatoes. They need a ton of direct sunlight (well once they grow up a bit which is where JAA ran into problems). Rosemary and Basil also need direct sunlight. But herbs like Oregano, Thyme, Cilantro, Dill, etc wall grow well without direct sunlight. Here are some things that can grow that do not need a ton of sun:Salad Greens, such as leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, cress, and radicchioBroccoliCauliflowerPeasBeetsBrussels SproutsRadishesSwiss ChardLeafy Greens, such as collards, mustard greens, spinach, and kaleBeansYou can try the tomatoes. I have grown them two years in a row on the side of my shed that gets a lot of shade. They start off faster than the ones on the right but then fade quickly as the sun tracks across the horizon and cuts down on their sunlight and then pick up again at the end of the summer. All in all, I get maybe two dozen tomatoes all season from my larger tomatoes (three plants) on that side and a few dozen romas (two plants). The ones on the other side grow to be more than 8 feet tall and produce hundreds of pounds of tomatoes over the season. The ones in the shade don't get very tall. The romas got maybe 4 feet. The one that got the most sun had one vine hit the top of the trellis at 6 feet but was very spindly. They will probably bear fruit for you, just don;t know how much....

 

[TheFanatic]

Definitely plants some basil & rosemary.

Nothing beats fresh herbs, plus they smell good and act as natural mosquito repellent also.

Didn't know that.

I thought I read somewhere that while there are all kinds of plants that act as natural mosquito repellents that you would need a jungle of them to really have an impact on the mosquitoes.

 

[E Street Brat]

For tomatoes, after the plant flowers for the first time you want to pull the suckers. This will cause the plant to grow taller and produce more fruit. Here is a link to what a Sucker looks like. They don't need to be clipped. Just pull them back and they will pop off.

I started pruning the suckers off my tomatoes, and now they are out growing my stakes. Now whats?

 

[JAA]

For tomatoes, after the plant flowers for the first time you want to pull the suckers. This will cause the plant to grow taller and produce more fruit. Here is a link to what a Sucker looks like. They don't need to be clipped. Just pull them back and they will pop off.

I started pruning the suckers off my tomatoes, and now they are out growing my stakes. Now whats?

start hiding plant food?

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

I will be eating my own tomatoes within a month. Wish I had spaced them out a little more as the plants are getting cramped. Learning a lot of lessons for next year.

 

[TheFanatic]

For tomatoes, after the plant flowers for the first time you want to pull the suckers. This will cause the plant to grow taller and produce more fruit. Here is a link to what a Sucker looks like. They don't need to be clipped. Just pull them back and they will pop off.

I started pruning the suckers off my tomatoes, and now they are out growing my stakes. Now whats?

Get taller stakes or expand the steaks out horizontally. They don't have to keep growing up. They can grow out too. The first year I did this, my 4 plants were planted in the middle of those chicken wire cone looking things that get wider as they get taller. The rings are about 18 across at the top. The 4 plants were all withing about a 4 foot square. I wound up adding another 5 or 6 of those ring things and at their peak the 4 plants combined to be larger than a small car. I'm not kidding. So I built a trellis. You may want to consider doing something similar. There really wasn't anything to it

 

[cosjobs]

Definitely plants some basil & rosemary.

Nothing beats fresh herbs, plus they smell good and act as natural mosquito repellent also.

Didn't know that.

I thought I read somewhere that while there are all kinds of plants that act as natural mosquito repellents that you would need a jungle of them to really have an impact on the mosquitoes.

Marigolds work great, look good and are easy to grow. I intersperse them everywhere

 

[zander_s]

Almost lost the herbs when we had the couple days of 100+ temps but they are rebounding nicely.

I have done the herb garden before but found that I only really used Basil and Rosemary and that some didn't handle direct sun very well. Both Basil and Rosemary do. So after the first year of Oregano and Thyme burning up, I have stuck with my two mainstays. Just planted my basil on Sat. Put the Rosemary in last week....I've got flowers on my Lemon Boy mater plant...

I just planted a couple basil plants. From the kit i'm hoping the rosemary, cilantro and chives survive. I don't use much parsley and i can't even remember what the last one is. Knew i didn't use it but it came with the kit.I had to restake my roma bush as it was getting top heavy with fruit. I may have to make some sort of trellis fot the container its in. Or, this one may have to go in the ground!! Got my first jalapeno bud starting!!

 

[TheFanatic]

Almost lost the herbs when we had the couple days of 100+ temps but they are rebounding nicely.

I have done the herb garden before but found that I only really used Basil and Rosemary and that some didn't handle direct sun very well. Both Basil and Rosemary do. So after the first year of Oregano and Thyme burning up, I have stuck with my two mainstays. Just planted my basil on Sat. Put the Rosemary in last week....I've got flowers on my Lemon Boy mater plant...

I just planted a couple basil plants. From the kit i'm hoping the rosemary, cilantro and chives survive. I don't use much parsley and i can't even remember what the last one is. Knew i didn't use it but it came with the kit.I had to restake my roma bush as it was getting top heavy with fruit. I may have to make some sort of trellis fot the container its in. Or, this one may have to go in the ground!! Got my first jalapeno bud starting!!

Quick tip on Basil. Don't let them flower. At the top of a stem smaller leaves will start to form and on top of that a conical shaped deal will develop and turn into little white flowers. When the little leaves (they are way different than the other leaves so you will know what I am talking about) start to sprout out, pull them and the top couple of the regular leaves off the stem. The reason to do this is once the basil flowers it spends more energy on reproducing than growing and the basil can become bitter. The leaves will shrivel and not grow near as large either.If you want to see what happens if you don't do this, let one stem flower and pull the buds off the others. That one stem will be all shriveled and have small leaves. The rest of the plant will have large leaves and will not shrivel.The thing you have to ask yourself with all those herbs is, do you have enough recipes for all of them? I still have a lot of basil that goes to waste. Fresh mozzarella (the soft stuff in the tube or in oil), fresh tomato chunked up, fresh basil leaves, and a little olive oil makes an amazing meal. That's right. The Grillin Fool can go vegetarian every now and again!?!?! Swap feta for the mozzarella, add olives, cucumber and some red onion you have an authentic greek salad (no lettuce in real greek salads).

 

[JerseyToughGuys]

Almost lost the herbs when we had the couple days of 100+ temps but they are rebounding nicely.

I have done the herb garden before but found that I only really used Basil and Rosemary and that some didn't handle direct sun very well. Both Basil and Rosemary do. So after the first year of Oregano and Thyme burning up, I have stuck with my two mainstays. Just planted my basil on Sat. Put the Rosemary in last week....I've got flowers on my Lemon Boy mater plant...

I just planted a couple basil plants. From the kit i'm hoping the rosemary, cilantro and chives survive. I don't use much parsley and i can't even remember what the last one is. Knew i didn't use it but it came with the kit.I had to restake my roma bush as it was getting top heavy with fruit. I may have to make some sort of trellis fot the container its in. Or, this one may have to go in the ground!!

Got my first jalapeno bud starting!!

Quick tip on Basil. Don't let them flower. At the top of a stem smaller leaves will start to form and on top of that a conical shaped deal will develop and turn into little white flowers. When the little leaves (they are way different than the other leaves so you will know what I am talking about) start to sprout out, pull them and the top couple of the regular leaves off the stem. The reason to do this is once the basil flowers it spends more energy on reproducing than growing and the basil can become bitter. The leaves will shrivel and not grow near as large either.If you want to see what happens if you don't do this, let one stem flower and pull the buds off the others. That one stem will be all shriveled and have small leaves. The rest of the plant will have large leaves and will not shrivel.

The thing you have to ask yourself with all those herbs is, do you have enough recipes for all of them? I still have a lot of basil that goes to waste. Fresh mozzarella (the soft stuff in the tube or in oil), fresh tomato chunked up, fresh basil leaves, and a little olive oil makes an amazing meal. That's right. The Grillin Fool can go vegetarian every now and again!?!?! Swap feta for the mozzarella, add olives, cucumber and some red onion you have an authentic greek salad (no lettuce in real greek salads).

you can tell you are from the midwest...

 

[zander_s]

Almost lost the herbs when we had the couple days of 100+ temps but they are rebounding nicely.

I have done the herb garden before but found that I only really used Basil and Rosemary and that some didn't handle direct sun very well. Both Basil and Rosemary do. So after the first year of Oregano and Thyme burning up, I have stuck with my two mainstays. Just planted my basil on Sat. Put the Rosemary in last week....I've got flowers on my Lemon Boy mater plant...

I just planted a couple basil plants. From the kit i'm hoping the rosemary, cilantro and chives survive. I don't use much parsley and i can't even remember what the last one is. Knew i didn't use it but it came with the kit.I had to restake my roma bush as it was getting top heavy with fruit. I may have to make some sort of trellis fot the container its in. Or, this one may have to go in the ground!!

Got my first jalapeno bud starting!!

Quick tip on Basil. Don't let them flower. At the top of a stem smaller leaves will start to form and on top of that a conical shaped deal will develop and turn into little white flowers. When the little leaves (they are way different than the other leaves so you will know what I am talking about) start to sprout out, pull them and the top couple of the regular leaves off the stem. The reason to do this is once the basil flowers it spends more energy on reproducing than growing and the basil can become bitter. The leaves will shrivel and not grow near as large either.If you want to see what happens if you don't do this, let one stem flower and pull the buds off the others. That one stem will be all shriveled and have small leaves. The rest of the plant will have large leaves and will not shrivel.

The thing you have to ask yourself with all those herbs is, do you have enough recipes for all of them? I still have a lot of basil that goes to waste. Fresh mozzarella (the soft stuff in the tube or in oil), fresh tomato chunked up, fresh basil leaves, and a little olive oil makes an amazing meal. That's right. The Grillin Fool can go vegetarian every now and again!?!?! Swap feta for the mozzarella, add olives, cucumber and some red onion you have an authentic greek salad (no lettuce in real greek salads).

We do this Caprese salad quite a bit!!I make a LOT of salsa so i never have enough cilantro. Rosemary goes into almost everything well (love the roasted veggies with rosemary).

Thanks for the basil tip, i didn't know that!

 

[Chaos Commish]

For tomatoes, after the plant flowers for the first time you want to pull the suckers. This will cause the plant to grow taller and produce more fruit. Here is a link to what a Sucker looks like. They don't need to be clipped. Just pull them back and they will pop off.

I started pruning the suckers off my tomatoes, and now they are out growing my stakes. Now whats?

Yep, add taller stakes.I don't uses cages or stakes since learning from the indoor growers. I only use string and something to hang it from. This is a great way to reduce disease, get earlier, larger, better looking and tasting fruit, and possibly more fruit by weight. It's how the 20 plots I described above are set up. I plant tomatoes 12 to 18 inches apart and grow two stems off each plant about ten feet high winding them up a string (some will reach the top and start back down). If you don't watch that little video, it's pretty basic. Plant two posts and connect them with a heavy gauge wire (that's what I use, the conduit is overkill). Drop strings to the ground everywhere you plant a plant and attach loosely to the bottom of the stem. One string for each stem you intend to grow. Her method in the vid, two stems per plant produces less fruit, but big juicy ones, and it's an industry standard in greenhouses. You make up for less fruit per plant by having more plants per sq ft., in the end having a bigger harvest of better tomatoes. Also those eaves that used to have ugly white buckets hanging from them, now just have string hanging down to the plants below. This method is specifically for indeterminate plants. There is a string method for determinate plants called the Florida Weave worth googling if you grow them.

Cages and stakes are a pain in comparison. Good job pruning the suckers though. It costs you a few tomatoes, but the ones you get will be bigger, taste better and the plants will be healthier.

Here's another tip. If you have a great plant, maybe an heirloom growing from saved seed in it's second year, or whatever, but you know you love this tomato. Let a half dozen suckers get about five inches long early in the season before pruning them. Since this leaves a bigger wound on the plant than pinching the suckers early, be sure to use sterilized clippers, I use a razor, clip in dry conditions late in the day (it heals less stressfully overnight than in the heat of the day). Now you can take those suckers, break off the bottom two or three sets of leaves, and plant them deep in fertilized potting soil (in a pot or in the garden)to the first leaf, keep it wet for a week, and you have a perfect clone. It will do fine for a later harvest that season in most regions. It is way ahead of seed, that's for sure, and you know you like it. I've had clones (from Better Boys) catch up to and produce right alongside their parent. I bought one plant early in the season (that seemed like a winner compared to his compadres) and grew 7 just like him. I did this for my sister with an awesome Sungold plant she had in a huge clay planter on her patio in LA in 2004. Five years later she has (genetically) the same plant still producing fruit. She clones it a couple times a year and she picks tomatoes almost year round.

The small suckers we pinch can be cloned too, but it is a little more difficult.

 

[Harry Manback]

Plant some skunk...