16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

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

Thanks for the advice guys! I admittedly got over excited at the prospect of growing a grafted tomato, that has apparently won all kinds of taste awards. I'm going to have to plan this one better next year! These things better taste good! :-)

I'm with Carolyn on this. Tomatoes cease flowering/fruiting above 90F.

Have you considered temporary shading to keep their temperatures a little lower?

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 tried many staking and twine systems when I started. But concrete remesh cages are the way to go. I tried them once 20 years ago and never looked back. And they are all still working just great.

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.

Lesson learned....I undershot my support system last year, as well. This year I had my T stakes and CRW system dialed in when my plants were 4" high. A better way to go...instead of playing catch-up.

Some indeterminate tomatoes can be unstopable! They ARE vines. I use 5' high remesh cages on mine and some years I've considered adding another on top and keeping a stepladder stationed nearby. LOL!

Ok thanks for the diagnosis.

It's hard to shade my plants. These are the only ones affected so I think I'll be ok for the others.

My sungold tomatoes get the same full sun and show no sign of any damage. Maybe some tomatoes are more susceptible??

Some shade cloth might help imitate the leaf-growth that your plants seem to lack. There IS such a thing as too much sunlight.

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

Thank you everyone! The areas are hard not soft. If the end result of catfacing is still delicious tomatoes then I'm satisfied. It's all I really wanted to know. Great tasting tomatoes is and always will be my ultimate goal.

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

I can't tell from your picture, but this is what spider mite damage looks like.

Daren

Here is a link that might be useful:

Daren, thanks so much for your response.

I haven't seen any spider mites or pests on my plant, and since it has been raining so much, wouldn't they be knocked off? We're talking torrential rain.

The plot thickens!

I heard the blood aphid term from some of the ladies in my herb guild. They are quite red. Probably not a technical name.

I can take the ipad over tomorrow and find a better pic/light. So far, I think the color is fine, but this photo was taken ipad under an umbrella, and the table didn't help.

I did forget to mention in the OP that it is a variety of types, both hybrid and heirloom. There does not seem to be any difference in affected plants. The worst off are a Lemon Boy VFN and a Neves Azorean. I grew from seed. This is the third year for the plot, and we have been adding compost yearly. No issues with the toms in the past. I am using burlap for mulch, in a single layer, and base water by hand, so no soil splashing up. My pair of tomatillos and eggplant have not been affected, and there is also shallots, leeks, corn, beets, and parsnips in.

My two extra beds are a bit of a bonus. My starts did better than most years past. I'm content if they don't do well.
You do get the same storm patterns as we do...just a 1/2 day later or so. As you know, we get some very dry heat days and often a massive storm tossed in once a week. Seems perfect, but hard to deal with the splits.
If a storm pattern has a pause, without lightning, i'll go out and harvest check and pick....and always first thing in the morning after a storm...anything close to ripe gets pulled to avoid the splits asap....but i always miss a few....so i know what happens to good flavor overripe and split.

Nothing like a big bowl of blush toms on the counter, many varieties...near ready get lined up in a row not touching...i even built a raised tomato shelf to enjoy the process...
Tarts like thyme or tarragon with seafood, red sweets like being parred with basil or tarragon with steaks or grilled lamb, etc...endless cooking possibilities.
Oxhearts, all of them, and by far our favorites, make the best meaty BLT's....or just a veggie big slice with an avocado...over spicy baby greens, (yum).
Looking forward to the harvest...

I'm lazy. I set up a soaker hose system on a timer. I have it go for an hour four times a week, first thing in the morning so there isn't much evaporation. If late in the afternoon the plants look stressed, I give them another hour.