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#141
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Hey Stan, hope all’s well up there. Thought I’d give an update, the tomatoes are doing fantastic! Weather’s been hot and sunny with cool nights, and they’re consuming nutrients at about 33 to 38 gallons a week right now! 319 Gallons since I first put the tomatoes in the Dutch buckets on November 3rd.
The strawberries don’t seem to have changed or grown much, but they’re not drooping or yellowing or browning-out so I assume they’re still ok. They just don’t look as lush and healthy as the pic on your 11/6/20 post. But I might be expecting too much too soon. I’ve had an issue with my clones turning yellow, still growing, lots of roots, but yellowing leaves. I did some research and it says either not enough nuets or to much light. It is obviously the latter. I made a cover ( 3 sides and top) from landscape cloth and 2X2” fencing to shade them (see pics), we’ll see how that does. I’ve already given away more than ˝ dozen clones and everyone says they’re doing great. Lastly, I invested in a PPM meter and I test the reservoir after adding nuets and balancing PH (at 6.0). I’m running right at the 700 PPM level, which from what I read is near what you want. Your thoughts? Thanks, Gar |
#142
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I have never found the need to buy a PPM meter. Most people that use them are growing medical marijuana in which you need to almost overdose the plants on nutrients. For veggies and fruit i find PH to be most important.
Could be a nutrient deficiency but I doubt it. If its hot the heat during the day will make the tomato clones yellow. They won't take in any nutrients and will go into survival mode. Maybe move them inside cooler temps and sunlight until they look healthy and get going. With the strawberry plants as long as the plants look the same as before they will start to take off. Its just like tomato plants going from dirt to hydroponic it takes time for them to get going but once they do they they will produce. Also make sure the crown of the strawberry plants are above the hydroton. Only the roots should be in hydroton and into the rail.. Last edited by Stan; 03-14-2021 at 08:17 PM. |
#143
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Hey Stan, Hope all finds you well. An update on the crops and some concerns…..
On the tomatoes… They’re doing fantastic (see pics) and via careful trellising, are forming the infamous “tomato tunnel”. We’re at the “give em’ to neighbors” stage… They’re sucking up nutrient like crazy – 362 gallons since 11/20/20 and the reservoirs halfway down as I write this. In their “hyper-growth” period they’re using between 35 and 40 gallons a week! (which includes the green pepper and brussels sprouts). On the strawberries… They don’t seem do be doing very well or at least as well as I’d expected. I checked the net pots and they’re moist so I cut back the sprayers to 15 seconds on / 30 minutes off. I cut off a lot of dead foliage and even some dead strawberries, but left what I believed to be runners. I wonder if the direct sunlight is too much? We’ve had a few days mid 80’s, but nights go down to upper 50’s. For the rail system reservoir (which only has strawberries now) I’m running nutrients at 50%. On the clones.. Boxing in the cloner with the black landscape cloth (north side open) seems to have done the trick. All the “newer” clones have stayed green and roots are coming out of the net pots. I’m once again at the point where I have so many I can give them away. 3 previous clones I gave to friends are already bearing fruit – they’re excited! Anyway, any suggestions on the strawberries would be appreciated. In the mean time I’ll keep you updated. Thanks, Gary |
#144
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Tomatoes are looking great!!
As for the strawberry plants they are not looking good at all when they should be looking great by now. You might want to move them back to soil if they continue to decline. Not knowing what type of strawberry plants they are it becomes a guess. Everbearing strawberry plants will produce spring, summer and fall months and most of the other plants will only produce in early spring. My guess they might be early spring bearing plants which means they won't produce when it's hot. |
#145
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Thanks for the advice and assessment. I think you may be right - the strawberries are the wrong type. I'm looking at another source and type of strawberry supposedly compatible with my growing zone (zone 9A). What do you think of these:
https://www.gurneys.com/product/gurn...ing_strawberry It does not specifically list these as everbearing, and most the everbearing varieties get as close as zone 8, two counties north of me. I don't know how important / critical the zone is, especially given the controlled environment they'll be grown in as opposed to "in ground". If you have suggestions and sources let me know. Thanks, Gary |
#146
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With the zones you should stick with they type that can grow within your zone or a zone from a hotter climate area. As you know the past 3 - 4 summers have been warmer than they should be. I know thats been the case in my area. You have to go by daylight temperatures not night temps. Going with a zone thats north of you right now is not a good idea. If you have another hotter than normal summer the plants won't do well.
Don't buy those plants they are June bearing strawberries which means they are spring bearing strawberries. You won't get strawberries in the summer or the fall well maybe you might get some with hydroponic but not a lot. This type from the same site would be the type you want to get. Grows in zones 9-11. https://www.gurneys.com/product/fest...rer-strawberry They are out of stock and probably will be out of stock until next year but you could give them a call maybe they might have 1 more shipment in a month or so. Also check Home Depot and Lowe's they usually carry everbearing strawberry plants. They would have the type for your zone. |
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