The Secret To Our Big 'Maters

We always have a pot or two of tomatoes growing during the summer, but this year, we tried a few new things and we are producing some awesome tomatoes! So what's our secret?

First, I switched from cherry tomatoes to larger varieties.

I tried a Beefsteak & a Big Boy plant.

Both have grown quite tall and have weathered some serious storms well.

Check out how tall they are next to Reese....

Reese calls this the "Contraption".

Daddy put it together and I think it's the main reason our plants have done so well.

He took a large storage tub, drilled a hole in the side and attached a faucet.

To that, he attached a splitter and two rubber tubing hoses.

The water from the tub provides a constant drip all day to the tomatoes.

We tended to have trouble with a certain Mommy remembering to water the plants twice a day in the heat of the summer, so this has helped tremendously in the Water Department.

I also apply tomato fertilizer every 3-4 weeks, although it has been more frequently the past few weeks because of the storms.
The plants kept getting knocked over from the 70mph winds we had,
so Hubby came up with a Disney/EPCOT-inspired solution.

He put the pots on an old clothing rack,

and supported the branches with ropes tied to the top of the rack.

The ropes are attached to the branch by rubber band loops, which allows for growth and movement but still provides the support these heavy branches need.

There is plenty of room to add more support ropes as needed, and as you can see,
the plants love the current set up.

When you ride through The Land at EPCOT, and visit their greenhouse,

you will see their tomato trees supported in a similar manner.

Those metal tomato cages are for the birds!

And the benefit of all that work?

A snack that warms the soul! Mmmmmm.....