Red Tomato Automator Tray - Set of 3
Description / Red Tomato Automator Tray - Set of 3
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 it—freeing 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.
Product Details
| SKU | 96633-PK-3 |
|---|---|
| Product Classification | Accessories |
| Characteristics | Garden Tools, Soil Amendments, Tomato aids |
| State Shipping Restrictions | GU, PR, VI |
Product Questions
Customer Reviews
Top customer reviews
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Cuts down on weeds 0 people found this helpfulA little more trouble initially, but worth the extra time and effort. I have been a fan of them for many years, but they are not cheap and I had not planned to buy enough for each plant this year because of the cost. I noticed that the ones I used the automators on were thriving, while the others were very weedy and dry. I eventually ordered enough for each plant.
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Disappointment 0 people found this helpfulSuch a disappointment. I ordered the Automator, relying on the product description,..."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..." and there are no spikes of any kind included with the trays. I don't know how to order "large cone-shaped hollow stakes" and honestly thought they would come with the order. So, no go.
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Disappointment 0 people found this helpfulSuch a disappointment. I ordered the Automator, relying on the product description,..."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..." and there are no spikes of any kind included with the trays. I don't know how to order "large cone-shaped hollow stakes" and honestly thought they would come with the order. So, no go.
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Automators in my garden for 30 years 0 people found this helpfulI have used automators for years - the original black ones - and I love them. I've never had a problem with "clogging" of the watering spikes. I did occasionally take a long thin piece of aluminum wire that I think was originally a tent stake and poke it down through the holes once in a while, but it wasn't anything I HAD to do. I like the automators because it makes it easy for me to leave a watering well around the plant and then mulch (with corrugated cardboard underlayment as weed block) all the way around the rest of the plant. I trench-plant my maters so I still leave some area along where the stem is buried where I don't put down cardboard so I can water along the entire rooted stem - put the automators make the whole process a lot easier, as well as making it easier to fertilize with liquid fertilizer.