Supports for tomato plants

Richard Wright taught me that a low-chill apricot will produce great tasting fruit every year in San Diego if you feed it GroPower 3-12-12 on a regular basis. A tree 2-3 years in the ground gets 1 cup per month along with a cup of GroPower Plus, and a mature tree (8 ft high and 8+ ft wide) gets 1 pint of 3-12-12 (only) per month. I've had success with this feeding schedule all over the county. Feed tomato plants half that dose and you will also get great results. For more information on growing tomatos, see page 2 of this flyer: www.frostconcepts.com/horticulture/TomatoGuide.pdf

ALSO MITCH, If you have been having trouble with the plants dying, it could be something in your soil, nimatode or some other thing going on. For Tomatoes it is usually best NOT to plant them in the same loaction every year. (in the ground, another reason to use pots and fresh potting soil)
ALSO since you have been having problems, try to get tomatoes that are the most 'resistant' to EVERYTHING. They are coded on the label usually for "V" "F" Verticillium & Fusarium Wilt. "N" is Nematode resistant and "T" is Tobacco Mosaic resistant. This does not mean they can not get those problems, it is just they are less prone to get them. Be sure to ad the GYPSUM it helps to insure you don't get 'Blossom End Rot'. This is the ugly brown spot on the bottom of the fruit, when it is near ripe. It may not stop it completly but it should reduce the problem a great deal. Watch for the ugly green 'Tomato Worms' you can use a none-toxic spray or just pick them off if you see them.

I use a couple of systems for tomatoes. Here are some tomatoes that I recently planted in self-watering pots (A couple of Stupice's, and an early Beefsteak).



I made some simple cages for them yesterday out of some welded concrete reinforcing mesh.

I also grow a large number of tomatoes in the vegetable garden. I plant them closely along a wood framed and trellis them up with string. I pinch off all of the side growth and twist the tops of each around the string. I apologize because the picture below is about the only picture I have and it doesn't show much (The tomatoes are on the left planted in the red plastic)



I got this method from Ed Smith's "Vegetable Gardener's Bible".

Thanks Walter. I like your idea, in fact we planted one pot with three tomatoes this weekend.
We've had a difficult time with our soil, this sounds like the solution.

Hi Cozete,
I think you will find they will do VERY well if you used a large enough pot (like 15 gallon or so). Also be sure to check the water, in pots they tend to dry out faster than in the ground. I feed every three or four weeks with Gro Power about a half cup per container. I'm sure there are other brands that will do a good job too, but I have had great results this way, so I don't mess with success

Walter:
My tomatoes are still looking good. I have two 15 gallon pots---some are even starting to ripen. Thanks again for your suggestions. Now if I could just get to my cymbidiums.