Here are some shots of my new Tomato Wall under construction.
I have dubbed it the "Tomato Wall" as it will occupy the western end of my new greenhouse and going on the fantastic growth of my tomatoes last season I reckon it will end up being about 2100mm high (7 foot).
I found last season that the tomato bushes got so big they chocked out the sunlight to the grow beds below. They were suspended on a rope ceiling in the greenhouse and left the grow beds below with plenty of room for lettuce etc to be planted.....but not enough sunlight was getting through to the beds below. It was a waste of space.
So the wall of tomatoes will be grown in 4 x 250 ltr fiberglass grow beds in a line along the western end of the new greenhouse. They can then absorb the fierce western summer sun and grow as madly as they like. I will be able to pick fruit from both sides of the wall.
At the moment they are hooked into my 2300 ltr fish tank which has Jade and Silver Perch.
In a few weeks they will be running off their own 1000 ltr tank as a separate system. Got to find some more fish first !!!
So far I have planted Oxheart and Amish Oxheart in one bed. One bed has seedlings that came up self sown from last years crop, so I am not to sure which variety they will be. The third bed will be more unknown self sown's, and the fourth will be Mortgage Lifter. The Mortgage Lifter seedlings are not quiet big enough yet for transplant.....another week perhaps. That will give me time to hook up the last bed and shovel the gravel.
I did not pre wash the gravel, the system will take care of the dirt that comes into the water in a few days. Already the water is clearing again. All the sediment will wind up on he bottom of the grow beds anyway. Adds to the bio of the system. The deep rooted tomato bushes will enjoy the bit of sludge when they get their roots down there, and the fish don't care if the water is a bit murky.
There just can never be too many tomatoes !!!!
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Originally Posted by nick
