billyporter said:Linda,
When I had blossom end rot it was always just the first tomato that came on. The rest were OK. I use lime. Not quite the same thing as dolomite. The neighbor's dogs are always over here so I don't think I'll use it.

I agree with all of you, lol!!

Growing in Earthboxes is a very controlled environment. Once you have it perfected, it's awesome. I've found that new boxes take a year or so to build up the proper amount of lime/dolomite to prevent the BER. I also supplement with a little calcium nitrate to prevent it. But, the best line of defense is to have a properly "seasoned" box. It truly seems to take a year or two before you reach the proper equilibrium. I've found BER happens once tomatoes start setting heavily....first flush is fine, then a bunch of BER, then subsides again as the growth slows down.

I love growing in containers, but it does present a unique set of challenges. Took me a quite a few years (and failures) to figure out how to use the earthboxes to my best advantage. I now have 15 of them, and love them. Hook them up to a drip irrigation system and it makes my life much easier during the summer.

Linda, that's very interesting info about having to get the boxes "seasoned." The only problems I've had with BER have been with just the first one or two tomatoes on plants that were growing in the ground, or on plants that I grew in containers. In fact, that is one of the things that have pretty much dissuaded me from growing tomatoes in containers. Definitely making a mental note of your experience with the problem!

I suffer from not enough space. Actually I have enough but the dw limits me!

Linda,
I just had DH build low raised beds and I mixed dirt to go in them. I'm anxious to see how things do. I planted onions so far and need to put radish in one of these days.

Reid,
You can stake tomatoes and put in quite a few

Anderwood said:I suffer from not enough space. Actually I have enough but the dw limits me!

I have a similar problem here... DH has stated "No more garden expansions!"
And then he wonders why things are so crowded in the garden... . Not my fault

billyporter said:Linda,
I just had DH build low raised beds and I mixed dirt to go in them. I'm anxious to see how things do. I planted onions so far and need to put radish in one of these days.

Reid,
You can stake tomatoes and put in quite a few

That looks very nice and tidy.

Sally:
     Are you growing determinate varieties? My indeterminates always grow much bigger than those conical cages. I'm trying more dwarf varieties this year.

Sandy,
Laughing! No more he says. What if your shovel slips when you are edging the garden to make it look nice? My best work was done when DH was at work

Rita,
We go for Zen and ease of access. Each year we learn what worked and what didn't.

Don,
I always go for the indeterminate, but usually find one or two determinates.
We learned to take off the very bottom branches that don't produce and remove suckers. We do end up tying loose ends to the cages and we bought the largest cages we could find.
In 2012 I made it hard to pick them. I learned not to get them so close in a block.

billyporter said:Sandy,
Laughing! No more he says. What if your shovel slips when you are edging the garden to make it look nice? My best work was done when DH was at work

LOL -- that sort of thing has been known to occur occasionally around here...

Well there you go!

So here in those green triangle cages will be my paste tomatoes. Two short rows making for 11 plants.

Weedwhacker said:

LOL -- that sort of thing has been known to occur occasionally around here...

Yep---happens here also on occasion

Rita,
No stakes for your cages? What do you mulch with?
Nice picture. It looks like spring!

Linda,
We take our opportunities. I once started a new bed while DG was 15' away waxing his car. I removed grass for one plant, planted it and did the same for the rest.
Eventually I ended up with a Half Moon bed, lol!
I started in the lower right corner, in the first picture, and eventually combined a half moon within a half moon. I'm due for a new overhead picture.

billyporter said:Rita,
No stakes for your cages? What do you mulch with?
Nice picture. It looks like spring!

Linda,
We take our opportunities. I once started a new bed while DG was 15' away waxing his car. I removed grass for one plant, planted it and did the same for the rest.
Eventually I ended up with a Half Moon bed, lol!
I started in the lower right corner, in the first picture, and eventually combined a half moon within a half moon. I'm due for a new overhead picture.

You did a good job there!!

No, I don't put stakes in my cages. Although I sometimes do need to put stakes at the ends of the rows and tie the entire thing together to make it stronger and keep those flimsy triangle cages from falling over later in the season.

That is why I really love those big round strong cages I have that I bought from Texas Tomato Cages. But I only havce some of those, hardly enough for all my plants.

And on top of all the cages, my entire back large tomato bed is set up on rows with those strong green coated metal posts at each row end. Those rows will all be done Florida Weave as there are no cages at all in that bed of six rows. I intend to put 6 plants in each row so lots of tomatoes back there.

Like this, these are my backyard rows for the tomatoes.

Rita, are those recent photos? (I think yes, because you have the ribbon labels tied on the posts...). If so -- the tulips are blooming!!

Weedwhacker said:Rita, are those recent photos? (I think yes, because you have the ribbon labels tied on the posts...). If so -- the tulips are blooming!!

Yes, I took the picture today after the rain stopped. Yup tulips have started blooming. These are my early tulips that are blooming now.

Rita,
Love the weave idea. I've seen it done on the Edible Victory Garden show.
Oooh, we need MORE pictures of the tulips opened!

billyporter said:Rita,
Love the weave idea. I've seen it done on the Edible Victory Garden show.
Oooh, we need MORE pictures of the tulips opened!

Haven't taken any pictures of the tulips yet., Only when they sneaked into my veggie bed pictures.

Since they're bee food they qualify! I love tulips, but don't have many. I'm not a late fall planter!