Our Indestructible Tomato Cage

(Page 2 of 2)

February/March 1997
By Doug Thalacker  
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At a Glance: Tomatoes

Germination Temperature: 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Best Growing Temperature: 75 degrees (ideally under a warm sun).
Days to Maturation from Seed: 80 to 120.
Soil ph: 6 to 7.
Height: Determinate. 12 to 18"; indeterminate, 6' to 14'.
Root Depth: 6" to 8".
Space between Plants: Determinate, 2'; indeterminate (staked), 3'; indeterminate (unstaked), 4' to 6'.
Space between Rows: 4' to 5'.
Watering: Daily, medium watering deep into roots.
Extra Feeding: Weekly, spray of fish emulsion and/or liquid seaweed.

Pests and Their Control

Cutworms: Stiff, 3-inch piece of cardboard — such as a frozen orange juice container — placed an inch in the soil and up around the stem.
Slugs: Night handpicking, wood ashes, saucers of beer or trap boards.
Spider mites, aphids, flea beetles: Hard hose sprays, diatomaceous earth, ladybugs, onion sprays, pyrethrum or rotenone.
Hornworm: Homemade spray of red pepper juice, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), or diatomaceous earth. Leave any hornworms covered with small, white egg cases alone, however. They are parasite-burdened and will soon die and spread the problem to other hornworms.
Nematodes: These invisible killers attack the plant's root system, stunting growth and lowering disease-resistance. Once you suspect trouble, check the roots of the plant and look for little knots. Control: African and French marigolds have been shown to exude a substance that repels nematodes, so plant a few among the tomato plants or, better yet, plant this year's tomatoes where last year's marigolds were. Increasing the amount of organic matter in your soil will also help by increasing the number of nematode predators. Nematode-resistant varieties are also available and are typically labeled VFN.

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Comments

  • oracle bob 2/5/2009 6:03:08 PM

    The comment is now old, but none of the URLs listed by "coevicman" lead to relevant content. I did some searching and found plenty of data for and against the alleged health risks of PVC (more specifically - the phthalate plasticizers used to make PVC). This I know... when I water my garden - 100% of the water is delivered through PVC pipes (PVC is by far the most common material used for sprinkler systems). Seems like the propaganda of fear being spoken here is possible, but not likely.

  • sunnysideup 7/7/2008 7:11:39 PM

    Yes, thank you coevicman for mentioning how unsafe PVC pipe is for use with anything to do with food and water. I can't believe a publication such as Mother Earth News put this article out as good advice! The design idea is not bad, but I plan on trying it with some cuttings from my neighbor's
    bamboo grove.

  • Heidi Hunt 7/20/2007 9:12:36 AM

    The illustrations are in the Image Gallery to the top right of the
    article, under "Related."

  • Dave 7/19/2007 7:33:38 AM

    Where are the figures this guy is relating to in the article? Pics
    would be nice, especially when they are mentioned and not there.
    Article was good, but without the pics? Worthless.

  • coevicman 4/17/2007 6:49:04 PM

    Natural materials such as timber (untreated) and metal have been in
    our use for thousands of years. Plastics (petrochemical based) are
    new to all life on Earth. PVC conduits are to be used in walls, as
    it contains estrogen mimicking compounds that leach out. This PVC
    and UV stabilized PVC should not be near food or water. Check all
    the literature out there: www.ourstolenfuture.org
    www.environmentaloncology.org/publication/estrogen.htm
    www.who.int/ipcs/publications/new issues/endrocrinedisruptors/en/
    http://ec.europa.en/environment/endocrine/index I would have
    thought knowledge about Phthalate plasticizers etc. would be
    general knowledge by now... Please check and check again before
    doing anything in your organic food production.

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