Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: rjkhoury on April 28, 2009, 08:01

Title: tomato automator
Post by: rjkhoury on April 28, 2009, 08:01

I've been looking everywhere in this country to find tomato automators (square, shallow plastic trays for planting and watering tomato plants).
They're readily available in America but companies there will not ship to the UK.
My father-in-law in America always used tomato automators for his tomatoes and he grew the best, most delicious tomatoes ever.
Does anyone know if these are available anywhere in the UK?  If they're not available, why not?
(If you don't know what they look like type "tomato automator" in Google or other search engine)

Title: Re: tomato automator
Post by: Kristen on April 28, 2009, 08:27

Would the ring culture devices for grow bags do?

http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/HarrodSite/search/product/Greenhouse+Equipment_Watering+Equipment/GWT-400.htm

(http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/public/pictures/products/large/GWT-400.jpg)

Title: Re: tomato automator
Post by: rjkhoury on April 28, 2009, 08:59

I don't think the ring culture devices would work.  The automators I'm looking for are about 30cm square with a large raised centre hole for the tomato plant and four smaller holes around the perimeter for watering.  Those outer holes direct the water away from the central root to the smaller surrounding roots which seem to make the plants grow stronger and produce more tomatoes.

Title: Re: tomato automator
Post by: Kristen on April 28, 2009, 09:22

Interesting - although I saw some slightly wild claims when I Googled them

"Red colour makes the plants grow faster as they associate the colour with overcrowding"

and the people who made Black ones said "Black makes the soil warm up faster"

I can't believe those are key characteristics of a crafty water & feed product ... but I could well be wrong, in which case I'll have the one with Black and Red stripes please!

Title: Re: tomato automator
Post by: Fen on April 28, 2009, 10:54

 I think growpots from greengardenshop.co.uk are the uk eqivalent. I use three to a decent growbag. In priciple the 'feeding' roots remain within the inner pot where you feed with liquid feed and the 'water roots' go into the grobag which get their water from the outer pot. Successfull for me, watering can be regulated and controlled to save split fruit and the yield is always better than from those in the greenhouse border. Full instructions on the pots and on growbags intended for tomato growing (cheap at Homebase at the moment)

Title: Re: tomato automator
Post by: mumofstig on April 28, 2009, 11:01

You can of course use these in the earth to help with feeding watering like you do the automator as shown on t'internet
Personally i just invert plastic bottles by the side of the plants and water through them. Water goes straight to roots just the same and it's much cheaper :)

Title: Re: tomato automator
Post by: cranberry on April 28, 2009, 20:26

I am new to this growing and have also used grow pots straight into the grow bag, 3 pots per bag, i have also sunk upturned plastic bottles into bag at side of pots to water,should i give the same amount of water everyday? or just when i think its needed.  :unsure:

Title: Re: tomato automator
Post by: mumofstig on April 28, 2009, 20:36

water as you think, but they may need a litre or more each per day in v hot weather

Title: Re: tomato automator
Post by: agapanthus on May 02, 2009, 00:19

Is this what you are looking for?
http://www.parkseed.com/gardening/PD/96408

Title: Re: tomato automator
Post by: des on May 02, 2009, 08:25

what about this?

http://www.earthbox.co.uk/

Title: Re: tomato automator
Post by: richyrich7 on May 02, 2009, 09:36

Ebay 1 international seller Item number: 370174688530  shipping might be a little high at $16.90 tho'