16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
Now that you have them, leave 2, (furthest apart in the clump). I am experimenting with double planting. I think 2 of them together may be able to produce as much as a single. But more than two will be crowd. Double planting is quite common in cucumbers, melons and tomatoes cousin potatoes. The difficulty here is managing the top. With good cage and staking that can be handled.
Well it is your choice, but in my opinion planting tomatoes in stages in zone 7b, is not going to make a big difference. The reason being that once a tomato plant comes into production, it should last for months. In locations with long growing season like southern coastal Califirnia , with 8 to 10 months of tomato season some plants might get tired but I dont know when is your end of season (FFD ). In my 7B/8 zone we have 5.5 months of practical growing season length.
LKZZ said " I usually end my tomato growing by mid-July because of early blight".
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My tomatoes are also usually so heavily infected with disease, It is better to start new tomatoes rather than try to control the disease on the existing tomatoes. That is the reason LKZZ is staggering the plantings. That probably won't work very well because the diseases are easily spread from the old tomatoes to the new tomatoes. Next year I will try Daconil as a preventative.
So even though this yellowing happened in a matter of 5 hrs, your saying it is a nutrient deficiency?
No, I was saying it is a combination of issues but leaving it in the bucket filled with topsoil feeding was the only one you could fix.
By transplanting it into the ground, assuming it survives and bounce back will help. But you will still have to feed it.
I would like to stay organic with the plant, what would your recommendation be?
As I said above, one of the fish/kelp blend liquid supplements works well.
Dave
I have a theory :
I think you can even pot with/in garden soil provided:
-- It has adequate drainage and porosity.
Medium has a role, that is to store right amount of moisture and nutrient.
You can do this by adding perlite and pine bark fines, for example, to it.
As I have read, plants roots also need air (Oxygen). So the problem with garden soil in small containers is compaction and with that comes lack of air, unless it gets real dry.
Plants can take much water provided with that also comes oxygen.
I can't see those spindly stems supporting any tomatoes, if they even produce any. Are you sure there's only two plants? Looks like multiple stems coming out of the ground in both places. If your season is long enough, it's probably a good idea to take those cuttings and start again, or dig one up and put it in a more ideal spot...it's not going to amount to much in its present location.
Thank you all for the sympathy and advice. I'll take cuttings.
Plaidbird, that area of concrete/brick is already growing lots of tomatoes. And a couple of herbs. Heat isn't really a problem here in coastal South Carolina, but this garden definitely has more shade than I've had to deal with before.
I can't see the graft point in your photo. Hopefully it is well above the soil line somewhere. If not it should be. If it is then the choice of what to remove as I outlined above is yours.
Assuming your balcony railing is of average height then your plant is still relatively short compared to what it would be normally. Next year pick a determinate variety instead or plan on a much better support system then what you have now.
Dave
Well, flowers not fruiting is a separate problem from plants not flowering.
As to the former, I'll take my chances. Costalutos are well known to be pretty heat tolerant, and I've had good luck with them in the summer months previously. The fruiting had stopped in May of this year, with high temps in the 80s. But I'm not sure that shading is going to make a big difference. The air temp is what counts.
I use cut up old t-shirt strips to tie the vines to the supports. They're gentle on the budget (free) and gentle on the plants (stretchy and soft), and gentle on the environment (recycled cotton, not plastic or whatever). Cut 2 inches wide and 10 inches long and you can get 30 or so ties from one shirt.
The only organic fertilizer that I use is Manure (Cow, horse, chicken). And I use them as amendments not really as fertilizers.
I have respect to those who practice organic fertlizing, but I have come to believe that when it comes to fertilizing it make no or very little difference to the plants whether it is inorganic or organic. Furthermore the effect cannot be detected in the final product (fruits, veggies). To me the most significant aspect of organic fertilizing is the concern for the environment. Inorganic fertilizers, used in excess, can become environmentally pollutant.
The slight purple color in the leaves concerns me. Most likely, this is a phosphorous deficiency. You want to water in a liquid fertilizer with a low nitrogen number and a high middle number. A last high number won't hurt, so something like 2-6-6 or 2-8-6.
I happen to use WOW which is like 9-2-2 or something (it changes) and N-Lite which is like 2-6-6, so I can apply them differently as needed. Something like the N-Lite should help.
Not all defects are qualified to ba labeled "catfacing" .
No one said that all defects are labeled catfacing. But when it is catfacing it should be called catfacing and not confused by calling it something else.
In catfacing the main color is the same ( green, red) But defect would not change color:
Catfacing is often accompanied by discoloration of the surrounding tissue. It is still catfacing and is not BER.
Dave
There are other contributing factors to Blossom Drop other than just air temps. Air temps in the mid-90s in day time and above 75 at night cause Blossom Drop. But so do inconsistent soil moisture levels, excess nitrogen fertilizers, high humidity, hot dry winds, etc. So if your temps have only been in the 80s you may have something else going on.
If you haven't read it there is a FAQ here that discusses all the factors you might want to review.
Dave
Posted by SteveO63 none (stvo1963@hotmail.com) on
Sat, Jun 28, 14 at 11:29
I live in Rhode Island, the temperature has been high 80s some days,
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That sounds like ideal temperature for growing tomatoes. Unless the temperatures get much higher on your balcony/deck. So I suspect your blossom drop might be due to some other causes. Also one should realize that not all blossoms should turn into fruit.
Since Tania is offering it for the first time for 2014 I doubt that anyone here can help you in that regard unless it's an SSE member and I already did that for you below..
From the link below you'll also see that has been previously SSE listed and I do happen to have my 2013 SSE annual at the top of a pile of yearbooks near me and can at least tell you what they said, I think I remember that it was first SSE listed in 2010,so nothing new.
NY, same info that Tania has and says 1# black beefsteaks, indet, PL, great flavor ,productive, seeds from Millard, the originator of the variety.
WI, 8-12 oz pink/black, other basic traits, excellent taste, seeds from someone in TX who got the seeds from Millard,
Because of the post above mine I'm just adding that Millard has introduced quite a few varieties, Captain Lucky and Captain Lucky White come to mind and those two and the one being asked about are all from accidental cross pollinations, selections made and named when genetic stability has been reached, which can take, usually,from 4 to maybe 7 years based on what the original parents were.
Carolyn
Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Ridge Black
This post was edited by carolyn137 on Fri, Jan 10, 14 at 23:44
I'm curious about it, as my parents used to live two or three miles from East Flat Rock.
I had reckoned that Carolyn137 may have been instrumental in the development of this variety. Or at least well-conversed in its particulars via personal experience. Are strong pot-leaf contenders thus far in my humble, meager and pathetic patch. However, its taste is what I have a keen interest in. I shall find out lest disaster striketh me in some fashion.
Carolyn may notice some residue of 2,4,5,6-Tetrachlorophthalonitrile on some of the leaves of plant in image. Prepared my own "concentration" of it from powder... much, much cheaper than buying the liquid concentrate. For those who contemplate doing this, it is essential to avoid its (powder) physical contact with eyes.
Reggie
Sorry, I didn't realize that it wasn't clear both BX and HP were made by ProMix. HP has more perlite, no vermiliculite, less peat according to website. About 10% less peat than BX.
I may try to find a source for the mycorrizae and mix my own in the future, but I really don't like working with perlite (I've bought bags in the past and used it to lighten a mix). Creates a lot of dust. Have to wear a mask if mixing it in volume. Same with lime, unless you use pelletized lime.
Here is a link that might be useful: HP ingredients
HP has more perlite, no vermiliculite, less peat according to website. About 10% less peat than BX.
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Vermiculite is what makes soil mix more than wet, "Soggy". It absorbs many times its weight in moisture (water) and expands in volume. I think that is what make some commercial soils "Moisture Control". That on top of peat moss base make together a bad combination, IMO. Then they come and add perlite to it to nullify the effect. Just does not make sense to me.