New To The Forum....New Veggie Pro Tomato plants

[CaptainHeadwound]

Hello To All....I have had a Classic 7 Pod for over a year and love growing some herbs and Romaine lettuce for the wife and I. For Christmas, I was surprised by a Veggie Pro under the tree and decided to give the Heirloom Tomato pods a try. I also started a pod with seeds that I use in my regular garden that were left over from last season.

I'll keep posting pics and probably need some veteran tomato grower feeding and pruning advice as they get larger. By the way, I am using the liquid nutrients that came with my Veggie Pro and we are on our second feeding!

Brian

[Grasshopper]

Welcome, Brian!  There have been some very active tomato discussions recently with a lot of helpful information.  Your plants are looking good.  You might find that three is too many to have growing at once though and some members have found that even two is a bit much.

Please keep us updated with how your plants are doing!

[Melissa in Michigan]

Grasshopper, I don't mean to be silly... but, as you get to know me more, you will understand that I just can't help it!!!     But, I just wanted to say that I really like your demeanor!    

[bab43]

Welcome to the forum!

I got a VeggiePro for Christmas and my ruby heirlooms look about the same size as yours.  When multiple seedlings grew, I split them into their own pods on the advice of one of the other members and right now have six growing.  Two will go into another machine - it will be difficult to get rid of the remaining two.

A number of members are growing these tomatoes right now so it's nice to see your pictures to see how yours are doing.  Thanks for sharing! 

[Cherylann]

Welcome to the Forum!  I'm fairly new around here as well, and have the Ruby's growing as well since 11/23.  Mine are finally producing lots of flowers and some fruit has set, but will still be a long time before ready to eat (the waiting's the killer, if you ask me).

I noticed one of your pods says "Red Velvet" and the picture on the pod almost looks like a rose of some sort ... what in the world is/was that?  Piques my interest.  An old label from an obsolete kit perhaps???

[CaptainHeadwound]

The "Red Velvet" pod was from the Master Gardener kit to plant your own seeds into pods. The tops they sent me with the kit were printed with all kinds of flower and herb pod names....I usually glue them on white side up!

[Cherylann]

Thanks so much for the reply.  I was curious as I'm fairly new to the AGs.

[CaptainHeadwound]

Some new photos of my plants...I think it is almost time to start some pruning....any input from those who have done this before with your own tomato plants?

[bab43]

Brian, I think you may find some differences of opinion on the forum about top-pruning tomato plants.  I'm one of the people who do prune.  I find it thickens out the bottom of the plant and gives a bit more growth lower down.  I just finished top-pruning my ruby heirloom plants.  I've done it with cherry tomatoes but it is my first time growing these.  Your tall one looks ready for pruning - you would prune above the fifth branch.  Hopefully this thread is useful "http://www.aerogardengrowers.com/index.php/topic,2576.0.html".  This is a link to mine that have just been pruned "http://picasaweb.google.ca/bab43aero/RubyHeirloomTomatoes#5432843739788741170".  If it's not clear in the one on the right, the picture can be magnified and dragged. 

You would certainly trim branches that are growing more than two or three inches beyond the deck.

[CaptainHeadwound]

Updated Photos..My big plant has lots of flowers ready to come out..and I've done some pruning! The two other plants are off to a slower start but the other Ruby has some flower buds arriving that you can see in the last photo. Wish me luck and tomato happiness!
Brian

[bab43]

I can see quite a few buds in that first picture - very nice!  Looks like you'll be able to start pollinating soon.

My best plant has buds like your third picture at the moment. 

[CaptainHeadwound]

New Pics !!!!

I am really happy with the progress of the Heirloom Kit I planted. I really think that the extra light from my Classic sitting next to it has really helped!







I did not prune the plant at the 5th set of branches...I just snipped off the "feeder" branches like I do in my backyard garden. I also trimmed up the ones that really extended out beyond the light hood and any that were really blocking a lot of light from the top.

[bab43]

Excellent!   It's great to see your success with these. 

Could you explain what you mean by feeder branches?  I searched it but can't find any place where it's explained.

[CaptainHeadwound]

I followed instructions from this pagehttp://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_july_1b_tomato.asp
Below is a pic illustrating "side shoots" or "feeder" branches..i've heard them called feeders referencing that they feed off the plant's nutrients to produce foliage and reduce fruiting.....

[bab43]

Thank you for that explanation.  I've been calling those sideshoots "suckers".

Because I top-pruned my plants after the fifth branch, all my buds are growing on the sideshoots.  We'll see how that works out - there's quite a bit of foliage.

Your plants are just ahead of mine so I'm following your progress with interest!

[CaptainHeadwound]

Bab43,

Please post some pics if you can! My 2nd Heirloom plant is not as active as the first but in the right hand front is a plant from Beefsteak tomato seeds I use in my outdoor garden. It is much taller than the Heirlooms and has it's first set of flower buds now. Glad that my wife got me the 2nd AeroGarden...smaller rewards than the outdoor garden...but more fun and less work!

Brian

[Grasshopper]

CaptainHeadwound,

You can find Marianne's tomato pictures in her glog:  http://www.aerogardengrowers.com/index.php/topic,3040.0.html

[Jen in Ft Worth]

Hi Captain Headwound, (Love the name, BTW - Monty Python Black Knight, or something else??)

Your tomatoes look fantastic!  I watched Aerogarden's Pruning for the technically inclined and trimmed my tomatoes a lot.  I've got some buds that are just starting to open.  I hope they fruit like yours!  Keep us posted!

[bab43]

Bab43,

Please post some pics if you can! My 2nd Heirloom plant is not as active as the first but in the right hand front is a plant from Beefsteak tomato seeds I use in my outdoor garden. It is much taller than the Heirlooms and has it's first set of flower buds now. Glad that my wife got me the 2nd AeroGarden...smaller rewards than the outdoor garden...but more fun and less work!

Brian

Brian,

I posted an update in my GLOG "http://www.aerogardengrowers.com/index.php/topic,3040.msg37883.html#msg37883" which shows a better front view than my other recent pictures so hopefully you can see how the plants are growing.  The Rubies are budding just from the side shoots.  My cherry tomatoes did quite well budding from both the side shoots and the main branches.  The AGs are my introduction to gardening, my husband's not a gardener either - we're hoping to take a bit more experience outside this this summer. 

Marianne

[Jen in Ft Worth]

Have fun gardening outside, Marianne!  We had a garden in NY that would grow anything without any work or knowledge on our part.  -We'd built our house on converted farmland.  We stuck whatever seeds in the ground and up everything would pop.  We moved to TX and had epic failure in the garden.  I'm researching like crazy hoping to avoid a repeat...  I put together a wheelbarrow yesterday and started moving everything around to get ready.  Geez, I've got my fingers crossed.  I hope you have any easy time of it all.