2020 Tomatoes and Tomato Support

That’s probably it. 90+ mixed in with a few 100+ days. Next week looks to be more of the same. Might be a rough year for me.

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I lived in north Texas for 30 years, so if we wanted to grow tomatoes, they had to be planted out in early spring. After the heat starts in June, they would most likely be done producing. About the only thing we could get to grow well in that heat was okra.

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Yeah, our citrus do okay, but everything else cries mercy for a few months. My Habaneros only thrive in the fall.

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Here is my tomato cages.

The good thing is that they are free standing. Can be used in off-season as tree deer protection. And those cages last for many years.

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Tomato plants are doing well growing into the spirals.

Here are some vertical ones made with 1/2" EMT conduit, holes drilled 10 inch on center using 12 gauge coiled wire.

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@Franp I think I’ve managed to save one German Johnson, and 2 Boxcar Willies after finding major problems on the same varieties, planted very close by. I sprayed with BeeSafe 3-in-1 and then cut out all of the lower branches to open up airflow (and get rid of any sign of blight, etc.) I am going to remove all lower branches from all of my tomato plants, from now on. They just invite disease and problems. ALL of my tomatoes look much healthier for it, now.
I also did a lot of ‘thinning’ and got rid of much of the interior branches. For same reason.
Seems to be working so far!

Many of my blossoms just dry up and fall. Sparse fruit set. After reading what @subdood_ky_z6b wrote - Maybe it is because temps have been so high? We’ve had a spell of low 90’s. Miserably hot.

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Someone needs to write a book: 1001 Uses For a Dead Swingset

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4th Of July comes through - picked the first fruit on the 2nd.

The plant is still pretty stunted and measly after the hard spring, but once the main season plants get going, 4th is kind of superfluous.

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I am growing Brandywine for the first time and Better Boys. Been growing Better Boys many years.

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My reliable standard is Big Beef

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Tomatoes are coming along nicely. I’ll probably regret saying it, but so far there is no disease or horn worms. I usually put in a few Glaciers as an early tomato, but I skipped them this year. Maybe another week for ripe ones.:+1:

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my name is E&T. i came to this here group today because like many of you, i’m recovering from tomato, and the path is hard. . . oh, wait a minute. . . .

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Beautiful! I don’t know how you keep up with so many tomato plants, BeeDee. They look great and your rows are immaculate!
Now, if there was just a way to till without leaving footprints! Heh heh!

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I started this PVC monstrosity in 2019 and I am reusing it this year. I simplified the design but I need more connectors due to the savings of extra parts.

This is 2of my 5 current towers. Each tower will expand vertically with more 1/2 segments.

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Thanks for the kind words. I agree, a freshly tilled path, free of footprints, is aesthetically pleasing. I was glad to get it tilled when I did. Even with 4" spacing between rows, that will probably be the last time. I hate to scrape up against the plants and fruits.

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Picked the first tomato of the season. A Mennonite orange. (The pic colour is a bit faded, it’s more orange in person

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Black Beauty tomatoes are growing nicely, spiral cages are holding up.

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What a fine looking, weed-free garden!

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German Johnson :


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The tomatoes are just stating to produce heavy now. We had been getting a couple dozen tomatoes consistently for weeks but this is the first bucketful today. We may pick as much as a 5 gallon bucket today for canning. They are all shapes and sizes. My mother planted these from seeds directly in the ground as we often do. The seeds i had on hand and she said she was not concerned with the varieties so we will never know. She will save seeds from the best ones. The amish pink egg tomatoes are wonderful.