16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
I appreciate everyone's suggestions. We'll see how it goes. The stakes on the outside of the tank is a good idea. This is all an experiment, so we'll see how the 6 of them do. I grow that variety because they are so easy to freeze (easy to clean/skin) and I use them in soups and stews. I do grow 3 San Marzanos too....but they are in the ground. I also grow Rutgers in the ground. I'll let you all know how it turns out. I have other stock tanks that are mostly for onions/kale/broccoli/lettuces/beans. Last year, I had a couple volunteer tomatoes grow out of one of the stocktanks for beans and kale, and they did great. So we'll see.
Almost looks like a zinc deficiency, but the stems are also showing symptoms which doesn't quite fit.
I can't find good pictures of pythium-infected plants (other than seedlings) but the plant looked pretty healthy when it went into the ground.
I think I'll play it safe and trash it, I have 7 others and even 1 more of this same variety, so I will live. Thanks everyone for the input
Marc -- I can second Sey's advice. I have one of those lawn blower/vac things which chips up leaves and twigs into small shreds as it vacuums them up. In years past I had two friends who would place an "order" with me two big bags of chopped oak leaves every October (they lived downtown; ain't no trees). When I asked why - for the veggie beds, they said. So I think chopping and shredding is the way to go.
Ooh another question, I have another plant (I can't remember what it is, as again I've forgotten what I actually planted.) I'll remember to actually make a note of what plant is what next year.
Anyway, I think it's a cucumber or courgette.
It seems healthy ish but the new growth in between stems has got brown/black tips and has stopped growing. Current leaves are getting bigger, but nothing else.
I know it must be so anoting having a newbie asking so many stupid questions.
Sorry guys x
Bacterial Canker, I think. If so, you're screwed. Please get other opinions because there is no solution to Canker except to burn the plants immediately and use bactericide everywhere to keep infection away.
Sorry, really hope I'm wrong. Needless to say, do not save any seeds if these are OPs for seed saving.
PC
about 6-8 years back we had a family of squirrels that broke there way into our house and got into the drywall above our kitchen. It was kind of scary knowing that you heard them run up the drywall and then above cabinets. Was just waiting for one to come through the cabinet. So I contacted the human society and they told me to get havahart trap, we caught at least 6 or 7, just trying to remember. I wish I had my gopro then to film them getting trapped.
We added an apple and peanut butter as bait and in over a week of time with 2 traps running we caught them all. They said to drive them over 10 miles and if you can try to cross a river because they hate water. So we drove them to New Jersey which is about a 5 mile drive and released the traps one by one in a park. I felt bad for my mother the most, she was freaking out every day hearing them on top of the kitchen. We called exterminators and other people liek that but they wanted to charge like $300+ from what I remember. but the human society said just get these traps,
I still have one and if the rabbits become a problem, I will buy another and ship them off at least 5 miles away. I think there like $25-$30 a trap, I recommend 2 because of gas milege ect.
I think is the one I bought haveahart
but if the rabbits don't touch my tomatoes I won't put that one out yet or buy another.
Also below is the video from a couple of years ago when I saw another pesky squirrel that I filmed Squirrel Video
Don't use Sevin.
Carbaryl/sevin will not kill mites or aphids (read the label). Additionally, sevin will kill off most or all of their predators, creating a rather nasty double whammy effect - especially in a hot, dry year like this.
As far as the nibble holes you mentioned, try to look for and determine what is causing that - some sort of caterpillar or beetles, I suspect... In any case, I would still not use Sevin. Find/target the specific pests, then treat accordingly.
I have read a couple of articles in the past stating that carbaryl can accelerate the reproductive life cycle of mites - eg, the chemical in and of itself is a stimulus to that process. Unfortunately, I did not save the articles and they might have been print only and/or rather obscure. Seeing if I can recall where I saw them initially is kinda sorta on my todo list, but haven't gotten to it yet.
Most of those small sucking insects (mites, aphids, etc) are on a 3 day reproductive cycle or thereabouts. So, your best bet is to spray with a soap spray every three days or so for at least a couple of weeks until you are fairly sure you have the population under good control. After that, 1x/wk should be good enough.
Soap sprays should only be used in a hot climate when direct sun is not on the plants - eg, early morning if you can. Be sure to get the undersides of the leaves - important.
Neem oil is also an option.
Another suggestion I would make is the Greenlight brand fruit tree spray, which is a fairly affordable combo of neem and some pyrethrins, and can be found at better nurseries - at least in my general area. Will help with mites and likely also your other pest that is eating holes in the leaves.
Hope this helps.
Well, that *is* a lot of amending to the soil you used. Personally that sounds awfully heavy for a potting mix for my taste, but you are in a much hotter area.
I actually burned young plants with blood meal one time. It was so long ago I can't remember what it looked like, but it was obvious I screwed up. But I see you saying they were fine till all that rain.
My favorite organic solubles are Neptune's Harvest and (not quite but almost organic) Texas Tomato Food.
This is a lot of tomatos for you not having grown any for 15 years! Are these all just your personal garden? It's a big experiment to go bad, that would be heartbreaking. Good luck and keep us updated.
Sam,
You have already described some of the possible reasons for what has happened : EXCESSIVE WATER .
You have also revealed another possible cause: YOU POTTING MIX.
Yes, in my opinion your potting mix has been a bigger problem'
According to the experts (not me !) and the experienced container growers ( I have some experience) , using top soil and compost, manure is not a good choice. For several reasons:
--It gets compacted every time it is watered.
-- compaction deprives the root system from getting air.
-- In compacted soil the roots will have hard time to grow freely.
-- Compacted top soil will stay soggy for a long time.
The best container gardening results is achieved by using SOIL LESS potting mix. There are many commercial ones. Some are better than the others.
Plants roots need a certain amount of moisture. so a good potting soil has to have right amount of moisture retention an drainage. Neither one has to overwhelm the other.
JMO
Sey
I assume you want a source in Australia? If so Australianseed.com
sell Big Boy that is VF and likely a couple of others too. Problem is they don't list the disease resistance in their descriptions so you have to look up the variety on another website (like tomatogrowers.com) to find out its resistance.
I don't know what the shipping costs would be for seeds but you can order all of them from US vendors IF they have the ag permits to ship into AU given the seed import restrictions your country has.
Dave
Thanks, will look into it. Also considering grafting onto some cherry tomatos that grow like weeds here. They've been growing every year for 20+ years and randomly popup all around the house and don't seem to get smashed by wilt at all. I am hoping they will make good root stock?