![]() Insecticidal soaps and Bt can be applied through the netting. The damage becomes apparent when mysterious holes show up in a leaf here and there. Some vigilance is still required, for an occasional enterprising moth will succeed in laying an egg or two. The netting also helps keep the sun’s rays from scalding the fruit. We found hundreds chewing away when we returned, and even quick action with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) could not undo the damage. We could arrange for watering, but nothing could protect our plants from the ravages of caterpillars during our absence. We learned this lesson the hard way when we took a week off to visit our son. This slight edge can mean the difference between success and disappointment. Whiteflies and aphids can still get through the netting, but really voracious predators like tomato worms and stink bugs are kept out. We buy two 72-in.-wide yards for each pot and enclose the cage with netting, clipping it in place with clothespins around the rims. For the final touch, we use black nylon netting as a defense against bugs. When the pots are filled with soil, we insert a cylinder cage made of concrete reinforcing wire. We improve the potting mix in two stages because the dolomitic limestone can prematurely activate the nitrogen. We add 2 cups to each 40-quart bag of potting mix. This homemade blend provides slow-release nutrition. The recipe calls for 4 cups of soy meal and 2 cups of blood meal for nitrogen 3 cups of bone meal for phosphorous 2 cups of kelp meal and 4 cups of greensand for potassium. ![]() We store the mixture in covered trash cans to mellow.įor the next several months, we turn our attention to growing our seeds to transplant size, with a stocky stem and four to six true leaves.Īt planting time, we improve the potting mix again, drawing on a balanced organic fertilizer we’ve already prepared and stored. In addition, we stir in a half cup of iron and trace elements, supplied by a product called Perk. We want to provide the tomatoes with the calcium and magnesium they will need later, so we thoroughly blend 1 cup of dolomitic limestone into each 40-quart bag of potting mix. ![]() Dollies my husband made allow us to move the potted tomato plants around the patio with ease.ĭrainage comes first when filling the potĪdd a proper mix of nutrients to every pot Iron and trace elements Soy meal Greensand Kelp mealĮarly in the year we purchase our potting mix and begin to improve it. At the end of each year, we scrub them to remove most of the dirt, mold, and algae, and then drop them into our heavily chlorinated swimming pool for cleaning. They are colored and styled to look like old fashioned terra-cotta. When the barrels fell apart in the third year, we sighed with relief and purchased 20-in. They provided a haven for wood roaches, which like tomatoes almost as much as we do, and they were also susceptible to termites. The half-barrels were even more unwieldy. Clay pots large enough to retain water for more than an hour in late July were too heavy to move and big trouble to sanitize at the end of the season. We began with terra-cotta pots and whiskey barrel halves. ![]() Concrete reinforcing wire provides sturdy support for tomato vines and a perfect frame to attach anti-bug netting. Find the right container for your tomato Cage tomatoes for their own good.
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