Maximum Yield USA 2016 June | Page 62

MAXIMIZING TOMATO YIELDS “ “ your local hydroponics shop will stock many different organic bloom stimulators available as a liquid feed that will complement that buried fish nicely.” One important thing to remember is to remove flowers until the plants reach at least 30 cm high. I have grown tomatoes staked up, along the ground and cascading off a retaining wall. Cascading from a retaining wall and along the ground seems to work fine and yields have been above standard. When your tomatoes start blooming and fruiting it is important to apply an organic bloom stimulator. Again, fish guts work excellent. Also, your local hydroponics shop will stock many different organic bloom stimulators available as a liquid feed that will complement that buried fish nicely. If you have a wood heater, the wood ash you collect is excellent and is rich in potassium lime and other trace elements. Harvested lake weed works as great mulch. It’s a good idea to top up your mulch as required especially in the middle of summer. If it’s going to be a really hot day, I like to irrigate with an overhead watering system scheduled to go off in the middle of the night. Worm castings can also be applied as a liquid fertilizer or as a top dressing. The results from top dressing is incredible, although much more expensive. It costs about roughly $2 per kilogram, so for a smaller scale indoor garden it would be cost effective and worth using. 60 Maximum Yield USA  | June 2016