Tomatoes are in & Red Mulch

[Ann]

I've got the tomatoes in the ground finally (I've got to grab two more, I've got two more spots!). I've got all different kinds out there, Big Rainbow, Boxcar Willie, Cherokee Purple, Lillians Yellow, Abe Lincoln, Yellow Pear, Tomatoberry (grew that one from Johnny's myself), Amish Paste, White Queen and Brandywine Pink.

I'm trying out that red mulch this season, it claims to be high-yield tomato mulch, up to 46% more tomatoes in tests (they wouldn't lie, would they? ), holds the moisture (natch), prevents weeds and reduces blight caused by spoors in soil (I have a blight problem in this yard no matter where I plant or how much I rotate).

I've also washed down my tomato cages, someone told me that they'd heard different diseases could exist from year to year on them; it didn't take much time to wash them down with a bleach solution and let them dry in the sun. We'll see!

Anyone with any red plastic mulch experience? I'll post in the fall with my own report.

[ctlady]

I tried it a few years ago and noticed absolutely no difference in production from previous years without it. I chalked it up to a waste of money.

ctlady

[clc]

This is the first year we've tried it (and we're using red plastic table covering you can get from any party store).

My husband planted all of his tomatoes on the same day and initially only put the red plastic under one of them. Within 3 weeks, it's amazing at the difference in size between that one and all of the rest - it's huge. NOW, otoh, we'll see if it makes a difference in production.

[mleblanca]

Hi Ann No experience with red mulch, but just have to say that my husband and I enjoyed our first tomatoes tonight. OK they were 'just' Sweet 100 and there were only 2 ripe ones, so we each had one for Dessert! Oh the flavor and the delicious juice. Two more should be ready tomorrow............. Emilie NorCal

[Ann]

mleblanca expounded:

Doesn't matter that they were Sweet 100's, the first tomato of the season is something to celebrate! I can't wait....

[Bill Rose]

I'll have to wait:-( Central Valley, north to south grows most of the produce in the US. Emilie is the perfect example. I'm near the coast. Had fog and overcast for the last ten days. This mornin' it was foggy and misting.

- Bill Coloribus gustibus non disputatum