I have German Johnsons and Amish paste. All the plants look healthy. Many--but not all--have tomatoes forming. But they seem to be growing very slowly. I water religiously, and it's been very, very hot here. Only one tomato looks to be normal size. All others vary, from the size of a golf ball to very small.

Because I saw cutworms, I applied Sevin dust several times--did not shake it all over the plants, but only in the soil around the stem. (I see no cutworms now, and have stopped applying, although I look each day.)

Is it normal for tomatoes to grow so slowly? Should I be concerned?

What and how often have the plants been fed? What nutrient supplements were added to your soil before planting? Have you ever had your soil tested? Are they in ground or in containers?

And what exactly do you mean by "watering religiously" as that can easily be over-watering which only leads to root rot, stunted growth, and shallow rooted plants?

How hot has it been? If they are setting fruit it can't be overly hot for them since they won't set fruit once it gets to about 94 or so. What seems really hot to us isn't overly hot for them. :)

Dave

It's possible I've overwatered, although there are no yellowed leaves or any other signs.

Right now, the soil is a bit dry, but I watered them today, so I've restrained myself from watering again.

It's been in the mid/high '80s all week, with one night of rain.

I've not fed them anything. I plan to get Tomato Tone tomorrow. I hope it's not too late to feed them.

An organic gardener built and filled the raised beds last fall. I saw it and smelled the compost he used, and the mix seemed rich and good. This is the first year I've planted in these beds. I did not test the soil, though.

Back to the water issue. Raised beds dry out faster so I find I need to water more often. But only after I do the finger test and the first few inches are dry.

Any suggestions?

80 degree temps isn't all that hot so if you are having to water daily or even every other day then something is out of whack. Either you are over-watering or the soil is draining too rapidly. Is it 100% compost? If so then yes it will drain too rapidly so you will have to water more often. That means you will have to feed more often too - perhaps weekly - as the nutrients will leach out of the soil rapidly.

Dave

Your plant(s) look quite healthy and at least normal. Maybe your expectation clock is ticking too fast. It take time for tomatoes to grow. It takes about 45 days from flower to ripe fruit (average). So roughly it takes tomato about 40 days to grow to full size then it would start color break.
That is my opinion.

I am a helicopter gardener--I hover, and fret, and watch, and worry. But this is my first year gardening in raised beds, and it's nerve-wracking. :)

My grandad taught me to stick a finger in the ground deeply. If the tip of the finger was dry, water. If at all damp, don't.

Yes it can be normal. Which is why so many way over-water. They just can't believe a plant can go 4 or even more days without them watering it. :)

But it will also change as the season progress so don't make the mistake of assuming that x # of days will always work.

Dave

Also, what is a 5-1-1 container?

Rodney

4-1-1 is not a high nitrogen fertilizer. It is almost the ideal ratio of nutrients (3-1-2). plus the applications rates on the label instructions are quite low. Plus fish emulsion, fish oil, and fish/kelp blends come in various formulations - all depends on the brand - but all are low.

This compared to MG at 24-8-16 for example which is a high N fertilizer.

There are few, if any, high N compounded ferts. They most all fall into the 2-1-1, 4-2-3, 3-3-3 range. If you want high N organic then you use a nitrogen-specific organic. Same for high P or K needs. Use a product specific.

Dave

"That means you will have to feed more often too - perhaps weekly - as the nutrients will leach out of the soil rapidly."

One more clarifiying question then: in the case of my and the OP's situation of "new"/poor soil and given how mild fish emulsion is - do you suggest using it more often than the bottle says? My EB stone bottle says once a month for tomatoes, at 2 tbl / gallon. My soil is native sandy loam with organic amendment added last fall.

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As Grandma Judy always said "a watched pot never boils." Case in point: I just spent 2 weeks out of town. When I got home, my garden looked like it had grown more in those two weeks then in all other weeks that I had previously been home "watching the pot" ;).

I'm the OP, with an update (and what an informative thread this turned into!).

I fertilized and am doing the finger-in-the-soil method to discern when they need to be watered. Happy to report that growth has resumed. They're getting bigger, and more maters are popping up each day.

I believe I'm supposed to fertilize weekly now. True?

One last question--some of the leaves (I believe on the Amish paste, not the Brandywine) are large at the ends of the branches, and tiny in the middle. Is that normal?