On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 01:18:30 GMT, Sue wrote:

On Thu, 18 Aug 2005 00:58:44 GMT, Sue wrote:


OK. I remembered to ask. The commercial field plants get about 2'
high and *do* have long vines that just grow along the ground.
However, there is some machine that goes through the field that pushes
the vines into the plants (I don't remember what it's called).
Commercial tomatoes are bred to flower and then fruit all at the same
time unlike your garden tomatoes that stagger this process.
As for yield I didn't both to ask because, as I said, the answer would
be in tons per acre.
The worm problem is solved by spraying but some do rot a bit.
Sue

Well, after reading some of your posts, the next post and after
talking to my friend Ed, who worked on a tomato farm, I realize what
to do for next year and that going deep, at the very least, is a must.
The angling makes lots of sense from what you said and from what
Richard said in the next post, by keeping the root ball near the
warmer surface.

I probably should have gone deeper with all my plants. The peppers,
we had little ones early and then they all disappeared, look unhealthy
with long thin dry looking stems.

We have sand underneath the soil so the angle planting might also have
had advantages in that the roots would have been fed by soil, not
sand.

Perhaps all my yellowed leaves and dead branches are because I didn't
do any of the above. I'm still getting plenty of tomatoes but for a
garden that is over 150 sq. ft., I should be getting more.

I had to make these mistakes to get to the next level.

Thanks again.

alan

On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 02:34:43 GMT, Richard wrote:



Most commercial tomato growers, especially those who grow tomatoes for
canning and processing, grow determinate varieties. Determinate varieties
are smaller plants, their growth shoots terminate with a cluster of flower
buds, and set most of their flowers and fruit at one time, ensuring that
the majority of the fruit ripens at nearly the same time. Makes harvesting
easier.

Most common tomato varieties grown in the home garden are indeterminate
varieties. These types keep growing, continuously producing flowers and
fruit through the season.

Tomatoes grown on bare ground without support can get bug and critter
damaged, but there are branches that will have enough support to keep the
fruit above the ground and avoid damage. A layer of a soft mulch (dried
grass clippings or spoiled hay) placed around the plants once the soil is
heated up will prevent some of the damage.

Thanks Richard,

I think I know what to do for next time. I will definitely go deeper
and angle, as per my last posting to Sue. I had no idea about
determinate and indeterminate flowering. I think the "tiny green
bubbles" I saw at the bases of the stems would have been these
adventitious roots. Unfortunately, they never had the soil to grow
into.

What I should have done was come on here in early May with a "How Do
You Plant Tomatoes" posting or looked it up on the net.

My friend told me to try to build up the area around the bases of the
stems with mulch, top soil might have been better, but unless I got
tons of it, it would all fall away.

Next year.

Thanks again,

Alan

Tomato plants will form roots along the stem (adventitious roots), so by
planting most of the stem underground you provide a larger area for roots
to form and then supply nutrients to the plant.

Planting at an angle (or planting horizontally, bending the tip of the
plant up above the soil surface) is done to keep the original rootball in
the uppper, warmer areas of the soil early in the season. Otherwise the
rootball would be planted in colder soil than if it was shallow planted,
and it will slow down the growth of the plant, until the soil warms up.

Richard wrote:

Sue wrote in news:atm7g1tvddvq7bm5koovblm973kk3iabq9@
4ax.com:


On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 11:57:27 -0400, wrote:


Sue,

On that commercial tomato farm, what does the yield look like?

If I knew it would be in tons per acre - the only thing that counts
around here. ) My gentleman friend has grown tomatoes in the long
ago past. If I remember I'll ask him. What I can see from the roads
as I drive by the fields is that the plants are short and compact.
Bushy. I just can't tell you how long the "branches" (or whatever
they're called) grow. I've never looked up close. The tomatoes
around here are grown for sauce - we have lots of canneries.
I have one tomato that isn't in a cage (I ran out) and it's not more
than 1' tall but spreads out about 3 or 4 feet. This is a Sweet One
Hundred - the best cherry type (IMHO) - sweet as can be.


My friend told me that the plants on the farm he used to work on fell
town but the yield was very good.

From what I can see they don't actually fall down. I'll try to
remember to ask.
Sue



Most commercial tomato growers, especially those who grow tomatoes for
canning and processing, grow determinate varieties. Determinate varieties
are smaller plants, their growth shoots terminate with a cluster of flower
buds, and set most of their flowers and fruit at one time, ensuring that
the majority of the fruit ripens at nearly the same time. Makes harvesting
easier.

A lot of commercial growers spray their tomatoes to ensure they ripen at
the same time.


Most common tomato varieties grown in the home garden are indeterminate
varieties. These types keep growing, continuously producing flowers and
fruit through the season.

I have indeterminates and determinates.

Tomatoes grown on bare ground without support can get bug and critter
damaged, but there are branches that will have enough support to keep the
fruit above the ground and avoid damage. A layer of a soft mulch (dried
grass clippings or spoiled hay) placed around the plants once the soil is
heated up will prevent some of the damage.

I agree. Slugs can be a real problem I stake my tomatoes for that
very reason. IME the yield from tomatoes grown vertically rather than
allowed to grow over the ground is much improved. There is less bug
damage and disease. Overall the plants and resulting fruits are
healthier. I haven't had luck with tomato cages for the entire support
of tomato plants. I use them to support the lower heavy growth then
stakes and a large trellis structure DH built for me. I tie the plants
to the trellis using cotton yarn. My main objective when tying the
plants is to keep them straight yet supported. This is the fourth year
of using this method and so far so good.

Some touching the ground had worms
but that was the cheapest and most efficient ways to plant, albeit no
the optimum way for us.

On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 01:25:14 GMT, Sue wrote:


On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 18:16:09 -0400, wrote:


My friend has been very successful every year wih his vegetables. He
really knows a lot about gardening. He used to work on a tomato farm.
He said they never used cages. The plants fell over but still yield
many tomatoes. He also said they were not planted on top of each
other.

There are *lots* of commercial tomatoes grown in my area (not market
tomatoes) and cages aren't used. However, these seem to be a very low
growing tomato. The plants don't get very tall at all before harvest.
Hmmm. Probably not more than 18" to 2'.


He told me that when he plants his tomatoes, he buries the plant in
the ground with only one set of leaves above ground. He says that
gives it a great root system and produces a great yield. He said it
takes a drop longer for the first fruit but when if comes it comes
strong.

Ever hear of that?

The directions for the cheapy Wal*Mart tomatoes I plant say to bury
them quite deep.
I use 4' cages but the tomatoes have far outgrown them. Those danged
plants are all over the place.
Sue


Tomato plants will form roots along the stem (adventitious roots), so by
planting most of the stem underground you provide a larger area for roots
to form and then supply nutrients to the plant.

Planting at an angle (or planting horizontally, bending the tip of the
plant up above the soil surface) is done to keep the original rootball in
the uppper, warmer areas of the soil early in the season. Otherwise the
rootball would be planted in colder soil than if it was shallow planted,
and it will slow down the growth of the plant, until the soil warms up.