Your 2024 Garden

[gtaus]

I'll be drilling air holes into the totes, it's possible that they were still rather moist at the bottom of the totes even though they were cracker dry at the tops

Yes, you need ventilation in the mini-greenhouse totes. But I do recommend watching that YouTube video that I linked to because he walks you through the concept that you drill a vent hole in the bottom sidewall of the tote on one side, and then drill another hole on the opposite sidewall towards the top. That creates a natural path for the air to flow from the lower, cooler vent hole out the higher, warmer, vent hole on the opposite side.

He warns not to drill vent holes in the top of the inverted tote, because it would let rainwater in and could potentially flood out your plants. There are many YouTube videos showing you to drill holes in the top of the inverted tote, but I personally disagree with that because of the flooding issue. In any case, with the vent holes in the sidewalls, I have never had any of my mini greenhouses flood out if it rains.

Also, I never drill any drain holes in the tote lid, which becomes the bottom tray of the mini greenhouse when you invert the tote. I bottom water my net cups and pots and that lid needs to be watertight.

I would also mention that I use those tote lids as my seed starting trays instead of the cheaper, thinner, standard 10X20 trays you get in the garden center. When it comes time to start to bring the plants outside for sunshine and/or hardening off, you can easily put on the clear tote as a mini-greenhouse or take it off to let the plants harden off in the breeze. For me, those Hefty Hi Rise tote lids work much better than the 10X20 trays I used in the past.

 

[tripletfeb]

I'll make sure to not wait this year to pick. I didn't get a single tomato last year because I thought you waited for them to ripen all the way on the vine before picking. They all split down the middle

You are supposed to let tomatoes ripen on the vine. Like others said, splitting is from inconsistent watering

I mainly grew cherry tomatoes last year. They are indeterminant plants, so if you pick them often, they continue to grow more tomatoes. I don't know if all varieties of tomato plants are that way. You would have to check into your particular variety of tomato plant when to start picking.

The splitting of the tomato has something to do with the watering of the plants. I think it indicates over-watering, but I'm not sure. And you can't control the weather if it rains a lot. If I get any split tomatoes, I pick them and use them as soon as possible.

I'm almost positive all tomatoes will continue to produce as long as you keep picking. Even the determinate ones, in my experience at least

 

[LTAY1946]

Determinate tomatoes are commercially grown for canned tomatoes as the tend to ripen most all at once and don't leave a lot of green ones on the vine when mechanically harvested. I wish Rutgers would do well here but I think it may be to hot here in the summers for them.

 

[LTAY1946]

Determinate and Indeterminate explained very well here. I like to plant both kinds.

https://www.thespruce.com/indeterminate-tomato-variety-1403423

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@Sally PB. Some things, I'm not so sure about, and some are pretty dependent on your situation and location, but it was still a fun read

 

[Smokerbill]

Got some seeds into soil today.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

View attachment 3765117@Sally PB. Some things, I'm not so sure about, and some are pretty dependent on your situation and location, but it was still a fun read

I’m ordering this book… I must read.

Goals this week set up an area in the house to start germination tests of seeds.

 

[fuzzi]

I mainly grew cherry tomatoes last year. They are indeterminant plants, so if you pick them often, they continue to grow more tomatoes. I don't know if all varieties of tomato plants are that way. You would have to check into your particular variety of tomato plant when to start picking.

The splitting of the tomato has something to do with the watering of the plants. I think it indicates over-watering, but I'm not sure. And you can't control the weather if it rains a lot. If I get any split tomatoes, I pick them and use them as soon as possible.

Yes, it's more about uneven watering. If the soil around the tomato plants is dry and then it rains the tomatoes will split. It's best to keep the soil evenly moist.

 

[fuzzi]

Here's what I've found re: cherry tomatoes cracking.

Some varieties are worse for this. Unfortunately, I don't have names...

Sometimes we'll have minimal rain, so I keep the tomato plants watered. Then we get a deluge, and the plants drink up a lot of water, and pump it into the fruit. The skin is too tough to stretch OR too thin to withstand the pressure, and the skin splits.

Look for varieties that say, "Resists cracking." They seem to do better.

What she said

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some varieties are worse for this. Unfortunately, I don't have names...

Sungolds are one variety pretty infamous for cracking. There's an improved variety (Sungold II) but turns out the thin skin version is far tastier (to me), so I put up with the cracking and grow it regardless. Any Sungold tomatoes that crack I simply eat on the spot, I eat about half the harvest while watering the plants lol.