Webster residents Dan and Becca Kruger pose in front of their 12-foot-tall orange accordion tomato plant Sept. 30. Becca Kruger said plants of this variety normally grow 3 to 4 feet tall, but with a careful growth regiment theirs has tripled that height. Reporter and Farmer photo by Leyton Beardslee.
Webster residents Dan and Becca Kruger planted their garden earlier this year and with some nurturing care have managed to grow a 12-foot-tall orange accordion tomato plant with tomatoes weighing up to 1 pound, 4 ounces.
According to Becca Kruger the plants normally grow around 3 or 4 feet tall but their plant, which appears to still be growing, has tripled that height.
Dan Kruger said this is the couple’s first time growing a garden at their Webster residence and he began growing the plants from seed in their basement. After moving the plants outside, he used large amounts of compost and different dirt to enrich the garden area but he believes the main secret to his success was adjusting the pH level of the soil with lime.
Dan and Becca Kruger reported their 12-foot-tall orange accordion tomato plant had produced fruits weighing up to 1 pound, 4 ounces. Dan Kruger attributed the sizable growth to adjusting the pH level of the soil to between six and seven. Reporter and Farmer photo by Leyton Beardslee.
“You could put all the nutrients you want in there, you can have the best Miracle-Gro, but if your pH isn’t right the plants can’t absorb it,” he said.
After doing some research he found the preferable pH level to be between six to seven and used a pH measuring kit he purchased online to monitor its levels.
To water the plants he used a milk jug with a pinhole in the bottom, tying it to the trellis and let water slowly drip out but said he didn’t have to water the plant too much because of how much rain the garden received through the season, usually using 1 to 2 gallons per day.
He mentioned the plants are fully organic, and the fertilizer he used was a calcium and magnesium blend. Additionally he used phosphorus and potassium.
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After the plant outgrew the original trellis he secured the plant with a 9-foot-tall piece of rebar before attaching a hockey stick to the top of the rebar when the plant didn’t stop growing.
The other varieties of plants in the garden were also on the same growth regimen, but, he said, none of them responded in the same way, which he thought was interesting.
“It’s just cool for me to see how it all works,” Dan Kruger said.
After the success of their garden this year he said he’d like to try growing giant pumpkins next season.
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