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angiemwish

Sara's galapagos tomatoes - trickiest tomato ever!

angiemwish
9 years ago

Hi everyone!

So I have tried growing sara's galapagos tomatoes for the first time this year. I grew them from seed, and all of my other tomatoes have been doing very well - which is very exciting. These guys are turning yellow, stunted and one looks nearly dead. The largest one is setting fruit, but i am not sure if it will make it given its sad looking health. I'd love to do whatever I can to save this one with little baby buds!!!

This one that I will attach a photo of is in a container, and the other containers tomatoes receiving the same sun, wind, fertilizer and water are doing just wonderfully.

Comments (7)

  • angiemwish
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    This is the whole plant!

    I have been giving it a kelp fertilizer (diluted, every few waterings), and while planting have amended the soil-less potting mix with rock dust, mycorrhizae, and an organic pelleted fertilizer.

  • angiemwish
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    This is a photo of some of my other tomatoes (with the same amendments and care)

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    Those initial plants you show of Sara's Galapagos do look unhappy, but don't blame Sara, and I know because I'm the person who first offered it, see link below.

    Look at the lusty plants in thel ink. I grew it many times both for my SSE listings as well as my annual seed offers elsewhere. no problems

    I'll let others address your sickly looking yellow leaved plants since I know it has nothing to do with the variety.

    Since you did say that your other varieties in containers are doing well, I'm asking if you purchased the seeds, if so where from if you aee comfortable with that, or received in a trade. And I ask b'c there's always the possiblity of seed borne diseases.

    it might interest some here to know that when Amy got back to the US she sent me the actual fruits, I don't know how she got them past customs. I felt I had time to get them planted for that season, no time to process seeds, so just took the seeds out of the fruits and got about 100% germination.

    Any questions, here I am.

    Carolyn, just went back and read again, What size is that red bucket and is it the same size you're using for the plants you showed otherwise, Maybe too small, and also asking about so much fertilizer as well

    Here is a link that might be useful: Sara's Galapagos

  • angiemwish
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you SO much for all of the info carolyn :) I bought the seeds online from a lovely gardening blogger. I usually buy seeds from baker creek heirloom, but wanted to support this nice blogger. I only got about 50% germination from these specific seeds (the seller said to expect only 60% germination - he sent 100 seeds). The other seeds from him were nearly 100% germination.

    Of the seeds that germinated, about 2/3 of the seedlings died before planting out. Only 4 made it to plant out, one died within a week, 2 are nearly dead, and the best looking one is the plant in the photo.

    I have about 10 plants in 5 gallon pails (the size of the sara's plant is in), and about 5 plants in 15 gallon pails. All of the plants (except sara's) are growing like crazy, are a lush dark green and are getting packed with fruit.

    It must be a seed disease. The other tomato seeds that I got from the tomato blogger have grown into big healthy plants, so it must be just this one.

    I shouldn't have blamed the variety. :) Thank you carolyn for saving these seeds. I hope to get to try a ripe one!!

    I was assuming it was the variety because every other tomato variety is rockin' it.

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    Some varieties have different growth habit. But this particular plant in the pictures shows clear "N"itrogen deficiency and has been getting too much water.

    The container is a 5 gall bucket, which is not a problem at this point unless it does not have drainage holes or the holes are clogged.

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    I have been giving it a kelp fertilizer (diluted, every few waterings), and while planting have amended the soil-less potting mix with rock dust, mycorrhizae, and an organic pelleted fertilizer.

    &&&&&

    Hard to say it's N deficiency when the plants are getting Kelp at every watering and pelleted fertilizer as well, I don't know what that's composed of, but I agree that the picture of Sara shows very wet mix and nor do I know how often they are being watered, so perhaps too much water for only a 5 gal container and if no drainage that's a problems as well. Which may explain all the yellow leaves,

    Sara forms a very large rampant plant in my experience and would not be happy happy if kept in only a 5 gal pail but it looks too big to transfer at this point IMO.

    Carolyn

  • angiemwish
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    It might be an N deficiency, but it has been getting regular fertilizer, which all of the other tomatoes are happy with.

    I had just watered the plant before taking the photo - I only water when the soil mix is dry as far as my finger will go into the soil. My other container tomatoes are much larger and a dark saturated green colour, with lots of tomatoes.

    It must be some sort disease of these seeds - i'll try to get sara's galapagos from another seller for next season.

    Thank you everyone for your help!

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