Tomato Trailer Keeps Plants Healthy

Tomato Trailer Keeps Plants Healthy Ken Reed was impressed by the tomatoes his neighbor grew in GrowBox™ planters When he received six of them as Christmas gifts he made them even better by mounting the boxes on a trailer “The sun is so hot in July and August; I can roll them in the shade or put them in a building in the fall when there’s frost ” says the Mississippi gardener He built the trailer for about $50 by repurposing a trailer used to haul propane tanks Reed welded angle iron he received from a neighbor to make the frame to tie on 4 1/2-ft tall galvanized 8-in wire mesh he repurposed “I raised it above the tomatoes about 12 in ” he says That proved wise as one plant soared more than 8 ft tall Reed added a jack to level the trailer and has a hitch he can use to move it with a ball on his tractor bucket But even with mature plants the trailer is balanced well enough to be moved by hand Reed kept the trailer in the full sun until temperatures soared then moved it to an area with partial shade He also moved the tomato trailer next to the east side of a shed to protect the plants during tornado and hurricane watches He says the GrowBox system works well because it includes fertilizer and soil The watering system also avoids soil splashing on the plant to prevent plant disease Early in the season he only had to add water to the base of the box a couple of times a week When the plants matured he watered daily While Reed is overall happy with his tomato trailer he notes that the plants developed end rot which was also an issue for other gardeners in his area However that hasn’t discouraged him and he’s thinking about trying other crops Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Ken Reed Booneville Miss

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.