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Location

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Date Posted

Lebanon, Oregon

Alright. The tomato forum has been dead lately after an active season. Did we learn anything? Obviously, next year the goal will be a ten pound plus tomato. What are your plans?

10/25/2019 9:45:29 PM

Savage, MN

I am planning on growing strong seedlings and trying to prevent disease. Also fertilize a bit more.

10/25/2019 10:16:54 PM

Thomas wv

I'll be happy with a pb

10/25/2019 11:12:46 PM

On a cliff in the desert

I am going to try to get started on time. All my tomatoes that I took to the weigh offs were green. They would have been heavier if they were allowed to ripen on the vine. I plan on growing several of Larry Hill's 7.66 seeds to try to get a real 12 pound tomato for the Gale Woods weigh off. I'll also be changing my soil composition in my 20 gallon pots. I'll be taking dirt out and replacing it with ? I have to wait to see what Porkchop is using in his soil when he tells how he grew a world record. I'll be using a new tomato fertilizer instead the Miracle Grow stuff I used up last year.

10/26/2019 1:47:50 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

I will have much better soil next may then what I had this may. Should have a bit of improvement in weights because of that. I am thinking will try Garden Rebels pruning method. I still have to get all the details of it. Maybe some plants with the Rebel technique and some with the MacCoy technique. I still have one Cottonwood to remove that is shading part of the tomato garden. I would like to set up a few outdoor hydro plants also.

10/26/2019 8:15:40 AM

Wisconsin

Planning a picnic, gonna grill some porkchops.

10/26/2019 9:44:17 AM

50 Acres

:>) Moby you win.

10/26/2019 10:25:03 AM

Bloomington, IN USA

I hope to grow healthier plants.
And I think I am going to play around with P to get my megablooms pollinated.

10/26/2019 1:36:11 PM

Eastern Shore of VA

Building a better soil.

10/26/2019 3:08:23 PM

Norfolk, UK

I grew 7 plants and made 2 pages of review notes, shhsh! But in review i find format below helps at each stage of growing. Top of head tho (and i may not do all) but:

Stop - being so frugal with seed (successional sowings caused delays), starting soil heating cables so early (at least without watering - ants took over a part of the GH)

Start - sowing earlier, trialling cutting back to trigger megablooms as a last chance saloon at set point in season, pulling out plants if they don't pollinate by x, actively monitoring soil moisture regularly, trying own crosses, tissue testing, using a more accurate temp controlled germination box, polystyrene modules

More - regular feeding schedule, more space per plant, more tomato sling support to prevent pulling away from stem, more regular compost teas, more stems per plant, active monitoring of greenhouse conditions

Less - travelling at crucial times (missed megablooms), minimise fluctuations in extreme temps in greenhouse, pruning side branches

Keep - planting 2/3 + varieties, white plastic sheeting, soil heating cables, going for 3+ megablooms, and of course - exchanging knowledge and tit bits of tomato goodness!

10/26/2019 3:46:35 PM

Team Canuckle Heads

Same plan as this year. Drink a lot of beer on the hot days and quite a bit on the not so hot days.

10/26/2019 6:09:08 PM

Grittyville, WA

I have heard cottonwoods have lengthy roots. That might be a bigger factor than the shade. Ditto to other ideas here. Some new ideas I will either be giving mine 6x6 growing areas or trying for first truss blooms. Sprawling plants sorta worked for me. I might train one out like a pumpkin plant. The best mega I have yet seen was on a sprawling plant so to me I see them as having potential. Gordon Grahams might have been this way, not sure. Also thinking about the role of cool temps and ammonium in megas. Just some hunches to play around with. As for seeds whatever is at hand.

10/27/2019 3:06:02 AM

Valencia

Just want to grow more than 2 pounders that will be a improvement not joining team my weights bring the team down

10/27/2019 10:03:26 AM

Valencia

I enjoy the team comp though

10/27/2019 10:04:07 AM

Valencia

I'm Westham by the way Hammers is nick of Westham

10/27/2019 10:16:58 AM

Lebanon, Oregon

I will only grow Domingo’s and crosses. No Big Zacs. I purchased some generic no name Domingo seeds. Most, if not all, current Domingo’s have been grown down one seed line for the last several generations. Adding new genetics in the mix might help out down the line. Soil amendments, watering, and new compost will be the same. Pruning the same. I will start seeds one week earlier.

10/27/2019 2:08:12 PM

Central NY

It’ll be Domingo and Domingo dominant crosses for us as well next season..changes?..a few less plants, just more attentive with the pruning...try not to get caught staring at just one or two and let the rest misbehave on us...otherwise almost exactly the same...tad more sun..

10/27/2019 3:20:09 PM

Team Canuckle Heads

Not sure what does best at my place. I love the Big Marley cross, but Porkcop's and Lambchop's plants really took off later. So I'm thinking Big Zac and Delicious for early and Domongo for later. But what do I know.

10/27/2019 7:51:28 PM

50 Acres

My biggest struggle is pruning down to a couple of tomatoes per plant. I share my garden produce with 5 families and a small seniors home. when I see lots of fruit it gives me more to share. When I pull my plants I wrap the green tomatoes in newspaper, and just the other day an older Polish friend came for some for his wife to make a special sauce.

10/28/2019 8:50:03 AM

Honesdale, Pennsylvania

Gonna follow Porkchop around.. installed a spy cam while I was there visiting.

10/28/2019 10:05:23 AM

Eastern Shore of VA

Make sure you share Ned !

10/28/2019 8:56:11 PM

Beverly

Checkout these website on plant hormones:
Will be attempting to try some out this year in one area, and a few Regular plants in well fertilized soil, & some with different pruning techniques.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10467015


https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrJ7KAsbzNem8kACwBx.9w4;_ylu=X3oDMTByOHZyb21tBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--/RV=2/RE=1580457901/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fthekeep.eiu.edu%2fcgi%2fviewcontent.cgi%3farticle%3d1128%26context%3dbio_fac/RK=2/RS=_vrqKHu1PboURbfInJqNaEvvYA0-

1/30/2020 7:14:17 PM