Tomato Produce Greenhouse SFG

I grow tomato produce in a greenhouse for an additional income.
I have grown tomatoes in everything that I can think of.
My basic plan is to keep the vines at least 6 inches apart no matter
where I grow them or how I grow them. 8 inches apart is better
and 12 inches apart is the very best===all to allow air flow through
the vines to help prevent fungus and disease.

In 12 inch pots which are normally 4 gallon or 5 gallon, I grow Either:
Two plants with single vines each , OR
One plant with 2 single vines each.
In a 25 gallon pot---or half of a 50 gallon drum , I use reinforcement cages
and space the vines according to how many square sections are on my cage
cause the squares are 6 inches apart. If the cage has 13 squares--then I prune
the plant to have 13 vines.
I use the same plan when growing in the ground.

Here is my problem: I am tired of mixing soil and filling 5 gallon pots. Planting
in the 5 gallon pots, cleaning out the dead tom plants,
then emptying the 5 gallon pots --bleaching the 5 gallon pots so I can start
over again. I grow for produce sales. I end up filling about 300 5 gallon pots.
I normally only do this for early spring sales. I am working on doing a
winter crop that should be ready for sales mid Dec. I want to put them
in the ground in the greenhouse. I know of some other greenhouse companies
that have grown tomatoes in the same greenhouse soil for more than 10 years
and never had a problem. Questions are---are there procedures to prevent
problems if growing in the same beds---year after year In addition to removing
the top 6 inches of soil every 2 years?

My beds in the greenhouse will be 3 feet wide and 65 feet long.
There will be 2 beds. Each bed will have a double row of tomatoes.
Each tomato plant will have only two vines.
The greenhouse is 24ft X 75ft.
My tomato seedlings are growing and need to be transplanted into the grow beds
in 2 more weeks. I have two weeks to clean up the greenhouse and prepare
the beds. The clean up is from spring crop ----tons of 5 gallon pots to empty and
floors to clean up---bleach to spray--fungicide to spray, insecticide to spray before
I transplant my tomatoes. (400 tomato plants)

Let me show you what some of the spring crop looked like.

Some grown in 25 gallon pots and pruned to 13 to 15 vines per pot with cage.

What did I grow= Big Beef

someone suggested that I use a ground cover to keep my soil surface clean
and that would also help prevent problems.

I have grown in the ground before---in a greenhouse to get an extra early start.
It was my best production.
I have to have a very serious -heavy duty tomato support system.

this is what the toms looked like when I grew them in the ground.
Each plant had 2 vines each.
these were Brandywine

Big Beef grown in ground--in greenhouse

Sweet Million Cherry---in ground-in greenhouse

Wow, what a nice set up! love your greenhouse ! I just got a small 8x10 and have just one tomato plant in it ! but am sprouting seeds in it. Thanks for the nice pics - hey I can dream can't I ?

Yes you can dream and work on making them come true.
My first greenhouse was 8x16------11 years ago.
then i got a 12x64, then a 16x96, then a another 16x96, then a
20x96, then did away with one of the 16x96 and built a 24x75.

Wow... just beautiful!!

CarolynPhillips wrote:...then i got a 12x64, then a 16x96, then a another 16x96, then a 20x96, then did away with one of the 16x96 and built a 24x75.

..and we tease about adding a sfg box or two every year! At what point did you did you start selling prouct?

I started selling plants when I built the 12x64 gh 10 years ago.
I have only been growing and selling tomato produce for 6 years.
And of all things-----I am allergic to tomato plants---but not the fruit.
I have to protect my skin with clothing, gloves, or chemical protecting creams.

everyone will have to forgive me, i really am obsessed with growing tomatoes.
I think I have about 200 tomato pics.........

showing more Old pictures from years past

big beef tomato

year= 2005 tomatoes grown in 5 gallon grow bags.
the toms reached the top of the 8ft high greenhouse and they were lowered
to allow more growing height.

then those same tomato plants that had been lowered a few feet---kept growing
out the top of greenhouse and then some.

One year I grew tomatoes in grow beds--with cages---and just let them
grow with no pruning---I was trying to cut down on how much contact I had with
the plants to prevent allergic breakouts.........i did not like the method.
I like growing single vines or two vines----with a vertical support system.

just another pic

grown in ground ---in greenhouse---vertical support system
plants were sagging to the ground they were so heavy with fruit

Brandywine

tomatoes in a 10ft high greenhouse
two double rows of plants
big beef
grown in 5 gallon

the grow bed toms--in cages--unpruned

more toms in 5 gallon white grow bags.

I love the photos! Thanks so much for sharing. And so ironic that you are allergic. I get a rash from brushing up against curcurbits and beans, it looks nasty but fades within a day.. I get my revenge by eating them.

I break out with blisters-----looks like i rolled in poison ivy or oak. Sticks around
for a long time and leaves scars .

Ouch! Sorry to hear.

May I please ask for your help with something? My 'maters appear to have a problem, and I suspect it's a common one, I just don't know what it is.

I can try to help.
what is it

Thanks. Big difference from your beautiful photos....



I thought at first it was just weathering, but it seems more extensive than that. It is on both of my two big heirloom tomatoes, though my Black Cherry seems okay. Parts of the leaf are turning dry and brown. I have seen just one black caterpillar I pulled off, nothing else of note.