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thebutcher_gw

Tomatoe planting questions for 2nd year grower

thebutcher
11 years ago

Hi All New here and a 2nd year gardner for tomatoes and have some questions. My first attempt of growing tomatoes was last year when I received 4 early Goliaths for free at the end of June. The garden market gave them to me because she said they would not make it through the eheat wave unless planted now. So I did it., I caged them spaced them properly and used regular garden soil that my mother uses for her flowers. Then added mulch on top after the first week. I probably did not do the best watering job (I soaked them at least twice a week on the roots.) but they did shoot up and started to look real nice and started growing buds in late July. I learned about suckering but probably did not do the best job also. All plants received at least 8 hours of direct sunlight as well. at the end the plants stood about 6ft tall.

To make a long story short, the 4 plants combined produced about 40 Tomatoes before the frost got to them. The tomatoes tasted great and were baseball size at first then became raquet ball size in mid to late September. I am telling you this because I knew I did something wrong, they leaves were yellowish and drying up and buds were droping in early September. I also did not use fertilizer or compost. I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia if that helps to see the climate I am in.

Now my questions are below, I know I did something wrong and I do not want to do it again this year. My current plants that I am planting this year are âÂÂ4th of July tomatoeâ seeds, âÂÂRamapo F1 seedsâ from Rutgers and the âÂÂBurpee Rainbow bell pepperâ mix seeds. Along with Brussel sprouts but I wont get into that yet. I also purchased 2 Jiffy pr germination kits (25) each and a JumpStart Hydrofarm 2 ft lamp.

Question 1.) Now my first question, after the seeds germinate and need transfer to around a 3"size? planting cup after I see the true leaves on the peat pellets, what kind of soil mixture do I put in the cups/small pots when I wait to plant them outiside?

Question 2.) What kind of soil is best to use with the combination of Fertilizer/Compost when I plant the Tomatoes outside? I plan on digging a whole in the ground and adding the mixture in it as I did last year, (I plan on doing the same with the bell peppers to make it easier). Last year I dug about a 12 inch hole with a 12 inch diameter and filled it with just the soil.

Question 3. ) Can I plant either of the varieties of tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets (I donâÂÂt mind losing some plants for experiments).

I got plenty of photos of my plants last year if anyone is interested and even took video of time lapse and such. This year I plan on putting my GoPro camera set in taking a photo every 1 min for about a week or 2 watching the seeds pop and grow.

Thanks again in advanced and happy to be here.

The photo is when I first planted them last year.

-Mr Beno ...

Comments (5)

  • containerted
    11 years ago

    I've grown both varieties in containers. 4th of July will be a little bit earlier when grown in containers because the container will keep the roots a little warmer early in the growing season. Actually, this works for any variety.

    Any kind of good mix will be great for the transplant from the germination beds. I use Miracle Grow Potting Mix for most of mine.

    There are a lot of formulas for what people put into the holes for growing tomatoes and peppers. Earl's Hole is one of those mixtures that has become popular. I'm sure someone here can link to it on this forum.

    Here's my basic approach. Always think about reducing "stress" for the plants. Try to transplant by moving the entire root system and the growing medium around those roots as a unit. Eliminate any kind of "extreme" environmental conditions - too much or too little water, heat, fertilizer, physical damage, etc. Avoid changing anything too quickly. Fast or extreme changes cause stress. After that, it's up to the plant.

    It's really just plain logic. You have a living entity (the plant) and you need to provide all its needs that will allow it to keep itself alive. It may sound a bit corny, but try to empathize with your plants. What would you want if you were being set out in the back yard?

    Ted

  • thebutcher
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Many Thanks Ted,

    Your insightI was great and will use it. And today I received my Ramapo seeds, the 4th of July seeds should be here on Friday or Monday. I plan on doing both container and direct transplant in my yard. My plan is to do 2-3 seperate germinations with bosth varieties. One starting within 5 days then the next a month later and the last one a month after that incase I mess up. I will probably pick up some Heirloom seeds as well along the way.

    Below is my proud mailing today :) Thanks again Ted.

    This post was edited by thebutcher on Wed, Mar 6, 13 at 20:17

  • containerted
    11 years ago

    There's been a lot of discussion about "staggered" planting of tomatoes. While there is some evidence that it works to varying extents, most conclude that the plants derived from the second and subsequent plantings seem to "catch up" with the first plantings. This may be because the second plantings encounter a warmer environment because of the onset of summer.

    I think other veggies like beans and peas do well with staggered plantings, but have had little distinct success with tomatoes and peppers.

    I wish you luck on your adventure.

    Ted

  • grow4free
    11 years ago

    Based on what I read, I don't think you did anything wrong. The "problems" you had were more likely due to the time of year rather than any fault of your own. Tomatoes are simply not going to grow as well in September because it is not as warm and the sunlight is not as good. Colder nights also have an effect.

    There are any number of things that can cause yellowing of leaves late in the year. In addition, some varieties simply are not as productive as others.

    Soil mixtures are probably overrated. If you give your tomatoes a bit of fertilizer here and there, they will likely grow fine in plain dirt.

    Personally, I think growing in a container is a complete waste of time unless you can't grow in the ground. You will not get as good of growth or as good production.

  • marklucas
    11 years ago

    Tomatoes need a rich and well-drained soil. Fertilizers not too high in nitrogen should be added prior to the planting; because too much nitrogen will produce a large plant, but with fewer tomatoes. If you have grown tomatoes before; then select a spot where they have not been planted for at least last four years.

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