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Tomatoes; How do you stake them?
Topic Started: Feb 26 2005, 10:31 AM (453 Views)
Banandangees
Member
I'm getting ready to start my tomatoes in my basement. I like to plant up to 100 different tomato plants (all kinds) in my garden (I have a good sized garden area and the equipment to till it).

Staking and tying up that many tomatoes as they grow is not fun for me. I usually hill up a wide row (my garden area can be a damp area during wet summers - I can water it, but not dry it :) ). The wide bed rows are wide enough (3') for two staggard rows of plants. I usually have two raised bed rows, each 50' long which will take 100 plants. When they are smaller, I just lightly till between them with a hand rake. When they get a little bigger and not yet leaning, I take large heavy duty garbage bags full of shredded paper (from a winters worth of old records and newspaper) and lay a thick layer around each plant totally covering each raised bed area. I stake a four foot high plastic fence around each double row to hold the shredded paper from blowing away (until a good rain mats the paper down) and to keep some varmites out.

The white paper reflects the sun (old shredded computer paper actually works and holds up better than newspaper), keeps the soil cool and moist during July, August and smothers out any weeds so I don't have to weed. The tomato plants flurish (provided you have the proper nutrients in the soil) and when the tomatoes form and get heavy enough to bend the stems so that they touch the paper, they don't get diseased or spotted as if on the ground, the fence helps to hold the plants up and slugs don't seem to like the white paper. This has worked real good for my soil and climate (NW PA). We can and freeze all the tomatoes that we don't eat during the growing season. We don't seem to run out during the year, and except for some fertilizer, they are pretty much organic - no pesticides or insectisides used.
Banan
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cmoehle
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Chris - San Antonio TX
I use a heavy gauge wire mesh to make a cage. Forget if it's used for fencing or reinforciing concrete. 4 inch squares, to easily reach into. Cut 4' by 4' lengths, role into cylinder, wrap excess wire lengths to tie ends. Cut the lower band leaving excess vertical wires as stilts. Stand up, lower over young tomato plant, and jam into ground.

Pic might help where words fail:

Posted Image
)click to enlarge)

If needed, cut up some heavy duty garbage bags into strips for ties.
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
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Little Kopit
newfoundland
Where are you? You are lots, lots south of me.

Alternative to rows: beds Newcomb, Duane. The Postage Stamp Garden Book: Grow Tons Of Vegetables In Small Spaces was my source. European style, rather than Rodale School.

Can you get marsh hay? This is great mulch. It adds all kinds of trace nutrients!!!!

I have 2,600 sq. ft growing space in total area of just about 3,200 sq. ft.

4 ft wide beds, 2 ft wide walk ways. Cross walk way roughly ea. 24 lineal feet.

Tomatoes. Plant on an X. 14 to a 32 sq. ft. space. I do usually in parallel groups of 2 spread around the garden. If you mix beds, you aren't giving an insect one place to go to fatten up. Keeps the Bees busy too.

I do 126 tomato plants or 14 beds. In this climate in only one year of 21 did I pick probably yield of 1 qt. per plant. Of course, I don't try to put them in the garden until June 15. I use plastic mulch (6 ml to keep roots warm). Edges are covered with sawdust. Helps with weeds, too. Long about Oct. I cover with garden blanket and pick once ea. 10 days. Ripen inside.

Stakes. 38" cut. We have crown land. I don't want them too high since I want to be able to cover with 12' x 12' garden blanket in fall. Tie plants to stakes with 1/2 of a panty hose. In fall, collect these ties. Dump them into bath tub or large bucket. Add mild amount of bleech. Only rinse once. I hang over hangers them off the shower to dry.

I think I did 60 qt. stewed tomatoes (with onions, celery, carrots, parsley), lots of T. juice and 6 gal. wine (7lbs I think for 3 gal.) - a nice mid table wine. Brewster ought to try it. If I tried freezing, I'd have to have a larger freezer. I freeze 400 servings veg, lots of fruit, and meat.

Also check companion planting. Newcomb has a section on that.

Egg shells, Egg shells help tomatoes.

Marsh hay adds nutrition. Newspapers, wood chips, sawdust mean more lime.

I use sawdust in walkways.

Nice to find another fan of tomatoes.

This climate is too moist for Chris's rig. Have to prune non-fruit producing leaves too.



:)
Lynne
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Heathertee
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Heather-Central Connecticut
One HUNDRED plants??!! :faint: :faint: :faint:
I had way too many tomatoes from ten plants; probably a bushel from each over the summer. I give them away right and left.
My garden is only 20x40' so I couldn't plant more even if I wanted to.
I use the large tomato cages from Wal~Mart. The plants get too large (top-heavy)and the cage will eventually fall over in wind, so in each one I set an 8' stake and tie it in.
I can't use hay for mulch as we have hundreds of voles who just would love some mulch to hide their dirty little activities. I use red plastic which has been very successful.
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mychrissy
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Chrissy
Always in the market fresh tomatoes, maybe you could ship some to us southerners.

Quote:
 
Heathertee Posted on Feb 26 2005, 01:27 PM
we have hundreds of voles who just would love some mulch to hide their dirty little activities.


and what would that be Heather? :wub: :wub: :wub:
Chrissy

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cmoehle
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Chris - San Antonio TX
Lynne "This climate is too moist for Chris's rig. Have to prune non-fruit producing leaves too."

Sorry ifn I gave that impression. Gotta prune the plants about one or twice a week. To me staking is just about structure.

I am no expert, just an amateur. :wub:
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
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Heathertee
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Heather-Central Connecticut
Chrissy, you wanted to know???

Quote:
 
Voles have three to six young per litter and three to 12 litters per year. Their gestation period ranges from 20 to 23 days and they breed almost year around, although most reproduction occurs in spring, summer and fall. Females may become pregnant at 3 weeks of age.


That's what they might be doing!
My friend Laura, in Foxboro, MA, set out mousetraps baited with peanut butter, under bowls, wherever she found a vole hole. She killed FIFTY of the little suckers and she's STILL overrun.
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mychrissy
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Chrissy
Heather, thank you for sharing that vital information. :floorrollin: :floorrollin:

We haven't had any voles at all in a long time. Don't know why unless snakes got them. I don't like anything that looks like a rat or mouse.
Chrissy

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Little Kopit
newfoundland
I heap blessings onto Frisky's head and have catnip in the garden, and in spring I move last year's catnip to the sides of the garden where cats come from.

Cats have been known to dispute hunting rights in Lynne's garden. Best rodent control I know!!!!! :) :) :) :) :)

Once upon a time I had a rodent problem in amongst the peas, never among tomatoes though.

:)
Lynne
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Banandangees
Member
Lynne,

I never tried tomato wine. I found these recipies. Is your's similar?


TOMATO WINE

GREEN TOMATO WINE
4 lb. green tomatoes
1 quart balm leaves including stalks
1 lb. raisins, sultanas or currants
1 lb. maize, barley or wheat
2 lemons or oranges (half an oz citric acid may ne used in lieu)
3 lb. sugar
1 gallon water
half a pint cold tea
Activated yeast and nutrient

Soak the grains overnight. Scald the dried fruit and pass the grains, leaves and stalks together with the tomatoes, dried fruit and fruit rinds (no white pith) through a mincer. Place the minced ingredients in the fermenting jar and add the sugar. Pour boiling water over this and stir well to dissolve the sugar. When cool add the cold tea, fruit juices or citric acid, activated yeast and nutrient. Ferment for seven days then strain into glass jars. Fit air lock, ferment and rack in the normal way.

RED TOMATO WINE

3.5 lbs. Red Tomatoes
1 cup Raisins
6 pts. Water
1.5 lbs. Sugar
2.5 tsp. Acid Blend
1/4 tsp. Tannin
1 tsp. Nutrient
1 ea. Campden Tablet
1 pkg. Wine Yeast

Wash tomatoes. remove any bruised portions and cut into pieces. Using nylon straining bag, mash and squeeze out juice into primary fermenter. Keeping all pulp in straining bag tie top and place into primary. Stir in all other ingredients EXCEPT yeast and cover primary. After 24 hours add yeast and recover primary. Stir daily and press pulp lightly to aid in extraction. When ferment reaches 1.040 (3-5 days) lightly press juice from bag and remove. Siphon wine off sediment into glass secondary and attach stopper and airlock. When ferment is complete (S.G. has dropped to 1.000 or lower -- about 3 weeks) siphon off sediment into clean secondary (glass carboy). Reattach stopper and airlock and allow to clear. To aid in clearing siphon again in 2 months and again if necessary before bottling.
Banan
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Little Kopit
newfoundland
My wine gospel comes from The Joy Of Home Winemaking by Terry Garey. This gives one the basics of winemaking. You don't say what experience you have in this 'art'. I shall assume you have some. Brewster and August-Alberta also make wine. I think they are more into wine from grapes. Grapes not being available fresh in these parts, I have to try other stuff.

Tomato Wine per gallon (I tend to try 3 gal. batches)
3.5 quarts water
2 lbs. sugar or 2lbs light honey (fresh)
4 lbs. ripe tomatoes, red or yellow
2 tsp. acid blend
1/8 tsp. tannin
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 Camden tablet
1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme
1 packet champagne or Montrachet yeast.

(Always, always, always remove stem scar and blossom ends. These are the agents of change)

Boil the water and the sugar or honey.

Wash the fruit. Look the tomatoes over and cut out any bad parts as you cut them into chunks over a bowl. (I have a santized nylon straining bag open in sanitized primary fermener). Put them in a nylon straining bag and into the bottom of a primary fermenter with any juice caught in the bowl. Squash the fruit with your clean hands or a sanitized potato masher. (I sanitize my hands)

Pour the hot water and sugar over the fruit. When cooled, add acid, tannin, yeast nutrient, and the campden tablet if you choose to. Cover and fit with the air lock. Twelve hours after the campden tablet add the pectic enzyme.

24 hours later, add the yeast. Stir daily.

Afer a week, remove what remains of the fruit, and let the bag drain into the primary fermenter (I sanitize a stainless steel colander) Don't squeeze. When the wine settles, check the PA. If it is above 3 to 4 percent, let it continue for another week or so, then rack the wine off into a glass secondary fermenter, with a little boiled water if you have to.

Rack the wine again in the next two to six months, and wait for it to ferment out clear. (I usually rack at least 2x, if not 3x. Tomato tends to be 3x). The colour of the wine varies from red gold to gold. Tomato wine is better when sweetened a little, so stablizie it and add 2 to 4 ounces of sugar in a bit of water and bottle. Keep six months to ayear. Serve chilled. (I don't add any sweetener).

(I am not a real copy typist, nor any good at proof reading)

I have found that it is better to be a little shy of the fruit, than be even a wee bit over. My first batch was my best batch. Tomato wine is 'interesting' for getting all of the must out.

Do you do any stewed tomatoes?

If you're starting tomato seeds now, when is your set out date?

:)
Lynne
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Banandangees
Member
Lynne,

Thank you for your recipe.

Our garden area is 50' x 100'. I only dabbled in gardening until I retired four years ago. I suppose I was too married to my work before. Now, I'd rather work in my garden and have a cold beer than golf and have a beer; but, neither is bad. I'm getting too old to do both in the same day (garden and golf).

I start my tomato seedlings usually the last week of March or first week of April using "grow lights" in our basement, and put the plants in the garden from the middle of May to the first of June depending on the weather. I have good top soil but white clay lies under it and the drainage is slow if we have a late or wet spring; that is why I make raised wide row beds for many of my plants that I plant early. Corn goes in during the first week of June; although, if we have good weather and an early spring I can plant some during the 2nd week of May.

We both can and freeze our tomatoes (we have two chest type freezers). My wife does make stewed tomatoes that I enjoy through the winter. She also likes to make her own spaghetti sauce. I like an egg breakfast that she makes from time to time you may have heard of called, "LLapingachos" using mashed potatoes (maybe saved over from the night before), grated cheese, sliced onion, tomato (I like her stewed on it) and poached egg. Delicious on a cold morning.

A neighbor lady of ours has a large open field that she allows me to plant sweet corn on. We plant more corn than we could ever eat. The corn is sort of a community corn field. Pick your own when we put up the "ready sign." I plant blocks of different kinds; we get our corn seed from SeedWay and Stokes. We usually freeze the corn because of how good the taste is at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

No, I have never made wine before. I am going to get a copy of your reference though. For years, a diabetic barber friend of mine made some really great Concord grape wine (there are a lot of Concord grapes around Erie and North East, Pennsylvania, on the south shore of Lake Erie) and he kept me well supplied, as he wasn't suppose to drink it. He paid for bartering services with his wine. :) Every year when he would bring me about 20 bottles of his wine, I would ask him his recipe; but he would just chuckle and say "now don't drink too much at one time, it's a little more potent than you might think ....... and follow with, if you want to make really good wine, you've got to get a couple of once used wooden wiskey barrels" and throw out a few quick suggestions. Wiskey barrels?? Do I have to go to Kentucky to get those, I'd ask. Again with the chuckles. He never did give me a good working description of his recipe. He passed on about five years ago. As you might expect, I really miss him and his "recipe."
Banan
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Little Kopit
newfoundland
Banan,

My liver and onions are waiting for me.

But get that wine book. Do a kit wine first. Gear up. A good wine making store will sell you a kit and may give classes. They're worth it. A couple of kits and you will be ready to go. All wine needs some aging.

Wisky in a wooden barrel. Some of those are supposed to be made here in Newfoundland. The ones I've seen, the wisky of that sort I've tasted I had in Nova Scotia.

More later. You've given me much to say.

:)
Lynne
Lynne
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Little Kopit
newfoundland
Banan,

Sorry to be so long in answering. I had made too many promises for the same bit of time.

My garden is shaped somewhat like a musical instrument, the horn with the large end facing north. 36' east-west at south. 54' east-west at north 78' from south to north. I rotate the direction of the beds each year. & think about not overlapping years by planting the same veg in the same spot 2 years in a row. I always manage to take a winter's worh of veg out of it - that is 400+ servings frozen, plus tomatoes, carrots, pickles, squash. Still have some squash in the basement.

As I've said I do 4' wide beds. With corn I put plastic mulch down first, then do 6 rows going accross into 4x8' space = 99 plants without sharing with the cutworms. I tripple seed to get one plant!!!!!! Bowing to the gods of cutworms and climate. I put this in sometime between June 7 and June 30. No knee high by the 4th of July here. In a good year foot high by the fourth of the July. Other wrinkle, I've considered, is covering with garden blanket for germination phase, but that's always a round to it.

Do you do cabbage and cauliflower? I have an organic trick on that too. Squash is direct seeded with plastic mulch too. Acorn, yellow summer, and zuccini can be planted in the middle of the garden. I often put cauliflower or cabbage, especially cauliflower right next to squash. (5 plants after thinning in 4x4 space).Often the leaves protect the cauliflower from the moths who lay eggs for those little green critters. With young cauliflower I use biodegradable insecticidal soap, but just dish washing soap via 2 gal. watering can 1x a week afterward. With cabbage I put them 9" apart, or 24 in 4x8' space. Their outer leaves keep the weeds down.

I avoid poisons, except the insecticidal soap, like the plague. Rodent control is by Frisky (meow). Much insect control is by bat and toad.

Freezing Corn: start some of the cooking water. Go pick. Husk all, cutting out you know what. Cook 20 min. Put in colander to cool. Pour cooking water over stomped down bucket of husks, thus, doing in of any you know whats. Using think sharp knife cut kernels off of cobbs onto cutting board. Fill bowl. Put into bags by per serving. Saves lots of freezer space. Can't have too much corn in the freezer!!!
:clap: :clap:

:)
Lynne
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sylley2000
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Sylvia, Grand Bend ON
Here's something you might like to try:

Piccalilli
or Green Tomato Relish

This recipe makes 6 pints

My Grandmother used to make Piccalilli--it's a wonderful relish.

Choose rock-hard, unblemished, very round fruits with no sign of red for this delicious relish, a favorite local embellishment for rice dishes, roast meats, and vegetables.

For the vegetables:
5 pounds green tomatoes, cored and ground or finely minced
1 pound (2 green and 1 red) bell peppers, ground or finely minced
1 pound (about 3 average) onions, ground or finely minced
1 or 2 fresh hot peppers, such as jalapeño (optional)
1/2 cup pure salt

For the pickling solution:
4-1/2 cups white vinegar
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) mustard seeds
1 tablespoon celery seeds

Grind and mix all the vegetables together and sprinkle with the salt. Allow to sit for 3 or 4 hours, then drain well in a colander, squeezing all the excess moisture out of the mixture.

Simmer the pickling ingredients for 15 minutes, add the vegetable mixture, bring to a boil, and add to sterilized jars. Seal. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

***

I grew only about 10 tomatoe plants last year because the backyard wasn't ready for a vegetable patch. But this year it will be. I do like tomatoes, but I don't plan to plant 100 of them. About 20 of them would be about right for us. I'll use cages or make some from chicken wire with a stake. I do have quite a bit of chicken wire because I kept plants from our previous house in chicken wire cages until they were ready to be moved to their permanent locations--mostly in the front of the house. It had to have chicken wire over the top too because we have deer here that would have eaten many of them.

Sylvia
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