This years tomato setup

[Collector]

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/7254_image.jpg
Hope the picture up lol. Last year I started using the tires, they seem to help the maters grow better by absorbing heat during the day to keep the plant warmer at night. Also keep the inside ring of tire full of water so it sort of increases the humidity when temps a soaring. The cages I made this year they are really working great , 4' tall and plenty of room to get your hands in to prune and pick. Do any other members use tires for the tomatoes?...

 

[Collector]

think this is it

 

[digitS']

Looks real good, Collector.

I don't use them but a neighbor grows lots of Early Girl tomatoes in tires. He has been doing that forever and is a good gardener.

A concern I have is mosquitoes. That garden never seems to have mosquitoes but it has lots of exposure to sun & wind. Another garden I have gets the nasty pests at sundown, every day . I blame the tires that the neighbor there has had stacked (tossed) in front of one door of his garage for years.

Steve

 

[vfem]

Good idea with the tires. I have a friend who swears by them, and almost her entire garden is tires!

 

[SweetMissDaisy]

Hope you PNW fellas survive the heat you're expected to get over the next few days... UGH!!
100 is HOT HOT HOT in your neck of the woods!!
Best find a lake to jump into!!

 

[thistlebloom]

What a great looking setup Collector! Nice trellis system. It looks so neat and tidy.

I have grown tomatoes in 20 gallon tree pots several times because I thought it might make a warmer micro climate for them.
This year they're all in the ground, but I have also planted very early types, so we'll see how it goes.

If I don't think I'm getting enough ripe ones this year, maybe next year I'll plant the early varieties using your tire idea. I'm bound to hit on a way to get a ripe tomato eventually.

Daisy, I think I will embrace the heat! It makes the tomatoes happy! :coolsun

 

[bj taylor]

I love the setup. I need something that will hold warmth in early spring, then "make" cool later on.

 

[the1honeycomb]

great Idea Collector! I'm all about container gardening, I would only worry about snakes hiding in the tire! HAve you ever cut the top rim off the tire and left the lower rim to still hold moisture? at least them you don't have to wonder what is in there!

 

[canesisters]

great Idea Collector! I'm all about container gardening, I would only worry about snakes hiding in the tire! HAve you ever cut the top rim off the tire and left the lower rim to still hold moisture? at least them you don't have to wonder what is in there!

off topic... but anyway - I was at my local tire guy's shop the other day. They have a field of tires behind the shop. He went out there to get me a tire and when he came back I asked if he was ever afraid of snakes with all those tires laying around (dozens & dozens & dozens). He said that he'd never seen a snake out there - that it got too hot for them.

 

[Kassaundra]

I started using tires last year for the tomatoes, loved it expanded this year, have plans to expand next year. In addition to tomatoes I also grow viners. I use that cement wire stuff for the cages or trellis.