If only our grandparents had had this easy-to-use, economical tray for their huge tomato gardens, they would have had more time to spend playing checkers and drinking lemonade on the porch with us. The Red Automator is the updated version of the classic Automator that Park gardeners have been raving about for years, and if you haven't tried this nifty little gadget, there's never been a better time.
The red color stimulates growth in young tomato plants by giving them the signal that they are overcrowded; they begin to gain height and foliage at a faster rate when red is used around the plants. The tray itself is an all-purpose feeder, waterer, and weeder in one. Simply fit the tray around the young plant, pushing the 4 corner stakes securely into the soil. Then fill the large cone-shaped hollow stakes with a slow-release fertilizer, water the plant thoroughly through the central hole, and add up to half a gallon of additional water into the reservoir. The fertilizer will drip into the soil at a measured rate while the plant takes up water as it needs itfreeing you up for other garden chores.
The tray also does a good job of suppressing weeds around the plant and discouraging cutworms and other soil-borne pests. It even acts as insulation on cold spring nights, because the water in the reservoir heats up in the sun during the day, keeping the plant just a tad warmer at night.
