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Strategies & Market Trends : Waiting for the big Kahuna -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lee Lichterman III who wrote (50893)	4/8/2001 9:10:56 PM
From: William H Huebl	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 94695

My tomatoes are usually great, and here is why: - I dig a trench down about a foot and mix in a little fertilizer (teaspon of 10-10-10) in the bottom and mix in compost to what I dig out. Then I fill back in half way. Then I strip all the branches off the tomato plant up to the last 2-3. I lay the plant down so it is flat except for the leaves sticking out the top and fill in the rest of the trench. Soak with water and use at least a quart of water a day for the first week. Then, as they get vigorous growth, I back off and water about a gallon every other day or so. I add compost around the base as it grows and form a BIG wire cage for each... about 4-6 feet around and 5 feet tall. (These are indeterminant - vining tomatoes) I put a cage around each tomato and secure the branches as it develops. With that kinda care, it will get to be 4-5 feet tall by midsummer and you will get tons of tomatoes from it. Make sure you feed it with a tablespoon of 10-10-10 every month, sprinkled around the base. I get free compost... every time I hear a tree being cut down by the power company - I get the ground-up residue dumped by the side of my property... it is great just as it is to put around trees and after 6 months it is fantastic as compost. What I use in my "boxes" is that compost... I fill a wooden frame 1/2 full and walk around on it to tamp it down. Then I add the rest and level it to the top... and remove the frame after planting it. The raised compost will stay together and keep the raised bed, so you really only need 1 frame. I have done 3 thus far and will be doing at least 4. The first 2 are planted with lettuce (COS), Swiss Chard and onion bulbs... I usually get the slips, but the bulbs were available. I also planted radishes... although mostly for fun since we don't eat many of them. This next frame will be in snow peas when I can get them planted. Then I have squash when it gets warmer and tomatoes. Usually, I wait for May when it is warm to plant those. May try some basil... I have done that in the past successfully. Good luck and use plenty of compost!!!