Growing Early Girl tomatoes

[Geila]

A few weeks ago I picked up a 3-pack of Early Girl tomatoes to try out. They were really growing so I repotted them and set out for tomato cages. Upon seeing the different sizes, I looked up my tomato plant and found out it can grow up to 9' tall! Wow. Those 33" cages aren't going to cut it. :)

Anyone out there have experience with this particular plant? It appears that I will need to repot then into larger containers asap and get large cages. I'm wondering what sizes would be best for both container and cage. I found this photo where a tree stake was used, and am wondering if that would work better for such a tall plant.
http://www.grow-it-organically.com/images/tomato-carmello-wk14-1v-l.jpg

I also read that this type of tomato does well with "dry farming" and wondering if anyone has tried that.

[ApatheticNoMore]

It's the indeterminate/determinate distinction with tomatoes I guess.

"indeterminate growth refers to growth that is not terminated in contrast to determinate growth that stops once a genetically pre-determined structure has completely formed. For example, the term [indeterminate] is applied to tomato varieties that grow in a rather gangly fashion, producing fruit throughout the growing season, and in contrast to a determinate tomato plant, which grows in a more bushy shape and is most productive for a single, larger harvest, then either tapers off with minimal new growth/fruit, or dies."

Yea it should be a good tasting reliable variety, ok we grew them once upon a time, but nothing seems to do as well these days.

[Geila]

We grew some Beefsteak some years back and loved it. We'd make a tomato salad: sliced tomatoes, drizzled olive oil & vinegar, salt & pepper. But from what I've read, tomatoes take up a lot of nutrients so our soil was depleted and didn't do as well the second time around.

Now I want to try again, hoping that using the containers will help with the soil. I'm reading about how much water tomatoes need during fruit production thouhg. With the container you can easily amend the soil each time. We'll see how it goes. I don't like the idea of daily or multiple times daily watering. Is that the case even with growing tomato plants in the ground? I don't remember how often I watered the Beefsteak.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Anything will have to be watered in containers more than in the ground. Terra cotta like the picture is lovely but will dry out very fast compared to most plastic which isn't porous or even wood probably. Several times a day I'd imagine only in the hottest driest climates (Texas or parts of AZ?). Several times a week if it's not that level of hot.

[Chicken lady]

you can pinch out the main growing tip if it gets too tall for you - the plant will continue to produce side shoots, which will also try to grow rediculously tall. - pinch and prune.

[Geila]

Well, my little Early Girl tomatoes have been producing like gangbusters! On Saturday I picked 7 good sized tomates, and so far we've probably gotten a good 15 pieces of fruit. The first couple were pretty but kinda tasteless. But now they are sweet and juicy. Been eating them in lots of salads and tacos.

We planted 2 in large pots and 1 in the ground. The in-ground one is producing the best so far, but it's also in the sunniest spot. It would be great if they take turns fruiting, but we'll see. They are quite bushy and about 6' tall, with lots of fruit.

I'm going to see if I can start seedlings with some of the growing tips. Not bad for a $7 purchase!

[awakenedsoul]

That's great! I've used a stake tied with recycled pieces of pantyhose when growing tomatoes. It's worked fine, and then I didn't have to spend the money on cages. I've never grown tomatoes in pots, just in the ground. I feed mine compost tea once a week. I think I'll top dress them soon with more compost.

Whatever you're doing, it sounds like it's working. My neighbor doesn't water her tomato plants as often once they have fruit. She waits until they start to wilt. The sun factor seems to be really important, too.

I didn't know you could start the tips...let us know if that works.

[Geila]

That's great! I've used a stake tied with recycled pieces of pantyhose when growing tomatoes. It's worked fine, and then I didn't have to spend the money on cages. I've never grown tomatoes in pots, just in the ground. I feed mine compost tea once a week. I think I'll top dress them soon with more compost.

Whatever you're doing, it sounds like it's working. My neighbor doesn't water her tomato plants as often once they have fruit. She waits until they start to wilt. The sun factor seems to be really important, too.

I didn't know you could start the tips...let us know if that works.

We ended up using branches trimmed from our crape myrtle as stakes and some old bamboo stakes we had and it worked well. I like the idea of using old pantyhose!

I probably need to do some fertilizer or plant food for the potted ones - I'm not good at that.

And thanks for the tip about the watering. I wonder if that could be why my potted ones are not doing as well. They are located right by my faucet and I tend to water them whenever I'm out there watering something else. The ones in-ground are far from a faucet so don't get watered as often. I'm going to hold off till I see the wilt and hope they improve.

[Tussiemussies]

I grew early girl tomatoes once in the garden but they never got this high. I thought they were an okay tomato.

The reason your neighbor stops watering to the degree she was is because it supposedly makes the tomatoes more flavorful.

I have also read about people sprinkling baking soda around the plant to take out the acidity. Don't know if this really works though.....

[Gregg]

I'm a merciless tomato pruner. If a shoot is growing somewhere I don't want it to grow I just cut it off. Some people say that stunts the plant, reduces production, etc. It doesn't.

[catherine]

you can pinch out the main growing tip if it gets too tall for you - the plant will continue to produce side shoots, which will also try to grow rediculously tall. - pinch and prune.

I agree--or leave it outside the cage and invite a deer for dinner. I've had an "uninvited guest" munching on my tomato tops over the last couple of days. (I do have a bamboo "deer chaser" in my herb garden, so I've kept it on overnight to see if it's as good as its word).

[Gardenarian]

I do have a bamboo "deer chaser" in my herb garden, so I've kept it on overnight to see if it's as good as its word.

What is a bamboo deer chaser? I think I need one.