tomato experiment

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tomato experiment
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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Tue May 17, 22 5:28 pm Post subject: tomato experiment
oh dear it might work fish box with drainage and an external waterproof box for robust and tings = about an inch of swamp 2 toms planted through holes in the lid we have little light so reflected up may have merit, i am rubbish at remembering water etc, ditto, beasts may not want to find their way in im not sure about that part

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Wed May 18, 22 5:09 am Post subject:
It sounded good to me. Do keep us posted.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Wed May 18, 22 5:13 am Post subject:
they look better than the last ones

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Wed May 18, 22 5:30 am Post subject:

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Wed May 18, 22 7:00 am Post subject:
they are still alive

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Wed May 18, 22 7:38 am Post subject:
Always a good start. I have to plant mine in the greenhouse as soon as I have cleared the bed.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Wed May 18, 22 4:25 pm Post subject:

when they were in the sun they were getting 30% uplight, i need to keep it clean or find a box size bit of mylar

reflected might give a bit of help, it does seem odd that folk have not played outside and low tech light management much

iirc whitewash is traditional, but it seems out of fashion, i have not seen commercial with shiny to harvest some extra sun, indoor tis normal and effective to use shiny below or beside if it helps get the most from the light available

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Wed May 18, 22 4:39 pm Post subject:
about a m2 of tatty mylar on frames is adding a lot of light where it matters shades and sunscreen might be wise they need mending and a few more making

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46244
Location: yes

Posted: Wed May 18, 22 4:47 pm Post subject:
if it moves and should not, tape

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Thu May 19, 22 7:03 am Post subject:
Sounds a good way to get extra light. Whitewash is matt finish and also was used as much as a disinfectant as for light. Although our first house was red brick, it reflected heat and light into the back garden and dried the washing in just an hour or two in summer. Could grow outdoor tomatoes there, but cooler where we are now, so not quite a long enough growing season outside.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Thu May 19, 22 7:38 am Post subject:
Don't forget the pictures please DPack. I got my tomato plants in the greenhouse yesterday. This year I'm growing Belarusian heart, orange banana and green zebra. We've only tried the orange banana before so I'm very excited about the other two. I have done some hanging basket ones as well but I can't remember what those are called.

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Thu May 19, 22 10:43 am Post subject:

Commercial outdoor production on plastic mulch often plays with colors and other thoughts on reflectivity. Red plastic can marginally boost tomatoes. White helps to keep roots cooler but also more light reflectance. Black stripe down white is getting more popular, warm the roots of the young seedling then shade that part with the plants canopy when it's bigger (and the weather is hotter).
"Silver" plastic mulch reflects light, but the reason it's chosen is to mess with thrips and delay their entry to a crop.
"IRT" plastic blocks visible light that would germinate weeds under the plastic, but let's infrared through for more soil warmth.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15993

Posted: Fri May 20, 22 6:29 am Post subject:
Didn't realise there was so much to using plastic mulch. Not sure about that, but plastic less popular over here for some things. Think farmers are also having trouble getting rid of their plastic too; at least they were a year or two ago. Managed to clear the greenhouse and get my tomatoes in yesterday too.

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Fri May 20, 22 9:11 am Post subject:
Yeah it's still controversial here, at least among the organic folks.

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4630
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Fri May 20, 22 10:15 am Post subject:
I've gone for throwing a large number of seedlings in and hoping one or two survive (unlike the squash plants....) Really interesting about the different colours, I hadn't considered anything beyond dark compost absorbing heat / white walls reflecting light.

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