1.0 Mil Red Plastic for Tomatoes

[bigredfeather]

I've been seeing this product in quite a few catalogs and I'm tempted to give it a try.
http://www.harrisseeds.com/storefront/p-5069-plasticmulch-4-x-100-red.aspx
Has anyone out there used it and would you recommend?

 

[baymule]

That looks interesting, but I live in the South and it says I don't need it. Try it and let us know if it is as good as they say it is!

 

[Smart Red]

I have seen it, but never used it. Supposedly the red color encourages earlier fruiting. It would certainly help retain moisture and reduce weeds.

I am cheap! If I can make do with materials at hand, all the better. Reuse or recycle, that's my goal.

 

[catjac1975]

I used it once and do not remember any different results. It is too flimsy to get more than one season out of it. It did keep down the weeds if I remember correctly. My biggest memory, which probably dulls all others, is a snake coming out from under the red mulch. Remember almost nothing after that.

 

[baymule]

 

[thistlebloom]

Sooo....Cat, great for snakes, so-so for tomatoes?

 

[Lavender2]

I used it once for some of my tomato plants, quite few years ago, when a neighbor gave me some. I didn't notice a big enough difference for the expense, pain in the neck installing it, watering issues, and quality... and then disposing of it every year if it can't be used again.

My biggest issue with plastic mulch is - good irrigation is a must. I have a private well and only water if absolutely necessary. Newspaper/leaf mulch works best for me.

Interesting links below: (more fun than doing my taxes )

Penn State

Clemson edu pgs 6,7,8 ...

Ag International Journal - long but interesting trial in TX

 

[ninnymary]

I've used it several seasons. Like Lavender2, I also didn't noticed a big difference, so I stopped using it.

What I did notice a big difference was when I didn't put a fish head in the planting hole. Even my daughter noticed it. So this year, I'm back to putting those fish heads in.

Mary

 

[Lavender2]

I've used it several seasons. Like Lavender2, I also didn't noticed a big difference, so I stopped using it.

What I did notice a big difference was when I didn't put a fish head in the planting hole. Even my daughter noticed it. So this year, I'm back to putting those fish heads in.

Mary

I'm not sure if anything works as good as a fish head! My son has some frozen for me, hoping that works as good as the fresh ones. I just have to get them deep enough so the coons don't smell 'em.

The one thing I noticed about some of the trials with red plastic, some report that the tomatoes get bigger, but there are less of them. Or they have more marketable tomatoes earlier. Some don't use other mulching methods in the trial, only different colored plastic, or different brands of red. Then, the trials are in different climates... anyway, hard to see consistency with results when I am SO picky...

 

[ninnymary]

Lavender, last year I went to china town to get the fish heads and froze them. Actually, this time they weren't really heads. They were a mixture of guts and head parts? I didn't want to defrost that stuff so I used an ice pick to break up pieces to place in the hole. The planting hole is about a foot deep and I also add crushed egg shells, organic fertilizer, an aspirin, and bone or blood meal. Can't remember which one.

Mary