Let the Harvest Begin

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 I picked 5 tomatoes off of this plant yesterday.  That plant has yielded 10 tomatoes so far and 55 more are set on and under development.  There is still some blossoms, so the total will likely go up.

 This is my one and only cucumber in the dutch bucket system.  I have picked 7 so far and there are several more that has set on.   These cukes are especially sweet, and that could be due to the shot of espson salt in the nute mix.

 This is a real nice brandywine that will soon be ripe. It is about 5".  I have picked one earlier and they are real tasty.

 This is a big boy.  I picked 6 off of this plant earlier and it is loaded now.

 Another big boy shot.  This is my only big boy plant and it has been a good producer.

 My dutch bucket brandywine is coming along nicely.

 Bell peppers love dutch bucket systems.

 Dutch bucket sun glow cherry tomatoes.  Heavy yields with very sweet fruits.

 My only two dirt tomatoes.   A sausage that will soon be ripe.

 My yellow plant is loaded this year.

 A 3 week old big beef clone.

These ghost peppers are loaded.  Any one like a hot pepper?

Updates on second Dutch Bucket system

Dutch Bucket Cucumber on Master Blend

Soil Cucumber

Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans

Recent transplants

Seedlings in 2" of gravel

Here is my most recent updates on my second Dutch Bucket system.  As of today I have a total of 19 buckets in this system.  I think I can squeeze 2 more in.   The top two photos shows 2 cucumbers.  Both are Boston pickling cukes.  One is in soil, and the other is in a Dutch Bucket on Master Blend.   The soil cuke is potting soil with Miracle Grow.  Both are doing fine and small cukes have now set on.  It is interesting to note that the dirt bucket cuke is 3 weeks older.  The Dutch Bucket cuke on Master Blend has now caught up with the soil cuke.   We will soon see how the yield turns out.

8 foot plant plus

The 3rd photo shows two Kentucky Wonder seedlings in one bucket.  This is just an experiment.  Note that the drip  line is in the center of bucket lid with the underside having a emitter head installed.  This should spread the nutrient solution around effectively.

The 4th photo shows three transplants that were just put in the system yesterday.  They are hard to see due to the grass in the back ground.  The one of the left is a Hillbilly, the middle is a Sunglow Cherry, and the right is a seedling Chocolate Cherry.

The bottom bucket shows several seedlings in just 3" of gravel.  This is just an experiment.  So far it seems to be going just fine.   Stay tuned.

My deep water culture is coming along fine.   All of these plants are healthy and bearing fruit.  Most plants are now 6-8 feet tall.  The bottom photo shows a Big Beef.  I picked my second tomato from this plant yesterday and 3 more are nearly ripe.   I also picked a large Super Steak.  Both were very tasty.   These large plants (all setting fruits) demand a lot of attention.  I have to top the buckets off every day.  A very good reason to go just to Dutch Buckets next year.

Update on first Dutch Bucket system

Here is an update on my first Dutch Bucket system.  When I shot these photos the plants had been in the system 6 weeks.  Remember, they were only 6" tall when I started.   The top photos from left to right are 2 Hillbillys, 1 red cherry and 1 Brandywine.   The bottom photo has 2 red cherries, and 1 sunglow cherry.  The far left is a clone, and the middle photo also is a clone.  Boths clones are about 3 feet, and the other plants are about 4 feet.  This system is hard to beat.  All I have to do is check the nutrient water solution every couple days and add and/or adjust the trellis clips.   This is the way I will go next year.   DWC is OK, but far too much work.

Second Dutch Bucket system nearly complete.

I have been working at a fever pitch in order to get my next Dutch Bucket system up and running. I want to get the plants in the bucket by weekend. I have several clones and larger plants that need to be transplanted. I figure that the Dutch Bucket is the way to go. I currently have 12 buckets ready to go, with room for 8 more. All I have to do is add the drip lines and the pump and it will be good to go. Today July 10, 2013 I now have my second Dutch Bucket system up and running. I have made some minor modifications to improve the integrity of the system. I have three smaller holes in the plastic tote in order to minimize entry for mosquitoes. The power cord will soon have a large grommet in order to minimize that hole. Oh yes, one important note.  This tote is buried so the lid is just above ground level.  This provides two advantages.  During hot weather it helps keep the solution cool.   I have noticed with my DWC buckets that water temps in those black buckets does get quite warm, and  the plants will suffer.  Also by burying the tote I gain about a foot of vertical growing space.  I have started this system off with one cucumber, one ghost pepper, and one clone tomato. I now have 17 more buckets to fill.

Deep Water Culture is coming on strong.

I currently have 25 buckets in deep water culture. These are by far the best DWC tomatoes I have ever had. The top photo shows the row of buckets on my porch. All are 5-7' tall. The second photo shows a Big Beef which is absolutely loaded with tomatoes. One will soon be ripe. The third photo is suppose to be a Caspian Pink. I do have my doubts as this tomato definitely is not pink. The plant is nearly 8 feet tall and has 22 tomatoes set on and I soon will pick the second ripe one. The forth photo is a big boy that is about 7' tall. It has grown clear up under the roof on my porch and has no place to go. I may have to reposition this one. Since these plants are mature and healthy they keep me hopping. The demands of a DWC system with a mature tomato during hot sunny weather is unreal. You need to top of the nutrient solution on a daily basis. Not so with a Dutch Bucket system. That is the reason that I will shift to all Dutch Buckets for my bigger plants next year.

Look at my Dutch Buckets just 3 weeks later.

Actually these tomatoes have been in the system as of today 3 weeks and 6 days. This is by far the easiest way to grow tomatoes that I have ever seen. All you have to do is adjust the trellis clips every couple days, and check your resevoir a couple times a week......and just let it grow.

Shifting gears for a new system

I must apologize for the long pause from my updates. I had a great crop last year and will have another good crop this year. I already will pick my first tomato today which is the earliest I have ever picked a large tomato. I currently have about 25 deep water culture tomato plants and several DWC hot peppers. However I am rapidly converting to a new system called "Dutch Buckets". It is much easier to work with. Once you set it up the system pretty much runs itself. I am into my third week now, and this system really does "kick butt". The very first week, my plants doubled in size. Today is my third week, and the growth continues. I now have 10 buckets with 7 tomatoes, and two tomato clones, and one ghost pepper. I have already started construction of my next system, which will have 15 buckets. Next year I hope to have 50 or more dutch buckets. Stay tuned in and I will give you a step-by-step process on how easy it is to build this system. You can click on the image to get larger photos.