16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

For container growers....it is critical NOT to use MG "moisture control" potting mix. It holds way to much water and creates muck near the bottom of the container. Most tomato growers prune lower leaves to avoid all the dreaded fungal/bacterial issues which are so common to maters. Remove damaged/diseased leaves at bottom, and spray.

I hear you with that Fire Duck, But it was regulaur MG and the rest of my container mixes I have in 5-1-1 mix from last year which I replenished. But here is a video that i just made this evening (at leat one part)

This was my attempt today :)

Look below, I just planted a Black Krim and Black Cherry.

In all do time Those Maters will grow :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Mr Beno Link

This post was edited by thebutcher on Sun, Jun 22, 14 at 22:20

Out of six children, I am the only gardener. I like to grow fruits and vegetables that taste better homegrown like tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, cukes....Stuff that takes up too much room, is dirt cheap in the Fall, or is bothered by pests, I can buy those at the grocery store.

I must admit that I simplified my gardening as I got older. These days, I only plant what we can reasonably consume. The first couple of years I gardened, I canned over two hundred jars of pickles, relishes, tomatoes...some of it got used but some got tossed a few years later.

I don't see it as a money saving venture because I can certainly afford to buy whatever I need in the stores...I garden because I like doing it and it is rewarding to eat flavourful, fresh food.

I can grow my own tomatoes for less than $3 per pound for a nice heirloom at the local market. However I go without before spending that much for a tomato. I grow them because it's a passion.

I can't compete with a 106 oz can of tomato puree from Costco for $2.79. I don't know how they do it. If you figure two pounds of tomatoes reduces to one pound for puree it works out to about 20 cents per pound. I buy the puree and then make marinara sauce from it cheaper than I can grow it or buy prepared sauce.

Lettuce is a little different. We used to spend six bucks a week for lettuce, 3 bags times $2 each. A setup for lettuce costs me about $20 for an 18 inch container, potting soil, cage and shade cap. If it lasts five years that's four bucks a year for one setup. It takes about five weeks to grow out an 18 inch rosette and then a week or so downtime. That works out to about eight harvests per year. One eighteen inch head easily matches a bag of lettuce so I am saving about sixteen bucks a year less four for a total of twelve dollars in savings per container. And the lettuce tastes better.

Zeuspaul

Aphids, with wings, bend legs ?!?
I agree wit "fori" on Second one : grasshopper/cricket or something in that category.

Here is a link to an aphid photo for comparison. Wings and all.

Here is a link that might be useful: aphid photo

I know you said you have only the two plants in the whole container, but that one plant looks like it has at least four, if not five, stems coming from the base...which usually means more than one plant.

You need a much larger pot if you want any degree of success. There have been years where I've started too many plants and have simply plunked them into whatever was available and those plants never did produce much.

Agree, much too shallow for a tomato plant. Don't use regular soil in a container. You need a soilless mixture and you need to fertilize on a regular basis when using containers. Make sure you add lime to the mixture and that the fertilizer doesn't have too high of a nitrogen ratio, or you will get lots of foliage and no fruit.
Sharon

It is normal for some of the lower leaves to grow downward.
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Ohiofem,
The op's plant has other problem : i.e. th stem's growth end is pointing downward. Unless it is a genetic characteristic of the variety, that is abnormal and that case plant is not healthy.
JMO

Seysonn: I agree. I was addressing my comment to Lydamay, whose plant looks different.

It's in the ground... I'll try and get a picture this afternoon. at this point it's completely flopped over and taking over the plants next to it. I don't have any cages :(

I think you can carefully lift up the main stem and tie it to a pole or stake.

They look a bit under fed, and over watered, but hard to tell from the photos.

Just curious, did you remove the peat pot before planting?

I planted plants about that size exactly 4 weeks ago. Mine are now about 3 feet tall. Have you fertilized at all? I'll also echo Ed's question, did you leave those peat pots on the Bonnie plants?

The 5x10 sheets are already rusted sitting at Home Depot, is it ok to use them like that as I've seen ones standing and they are no longer rusty, or do you have to paint them or just not use?

Remesh (aka CRW)? Yes they usually rusted and used that way with no problem. It is just an appearance issue not one of function. Rust (iron oxide) is a normal component of soil. But sure you can paint them if you want to.

There are many different kinds of galvanized fencing that can be used too as in Korney's pics above. Big hardware stores and lumber yards will have a wider selection of options than HD does. And how many cages you can get out of one panel or roll all depends on the diameter you want them to be.

OTOH if you are talking about cattle panels being rusted, that would be very unusual.

Dave

Do you have local Tractor Supply?

In my area the CRW is cheaper and a heavier grade than HD or Lowes.

You might also want to check Craigslist or another local advertizement place. We have the SC Market Bulletin here, which is all farm related.

I picked up a 100' roll of CRW and a 75' roll of galvanized steel fencing for $50 from a Craigslist ad a few years ago!

sometimes, after a few cool overcast days, when the sun shines bright, new growth wilt a bit. But they will bounce back and get adjusted.
some wilting may be caused by lack of water too.

Yeah, if the mix is very fast draining, and the plant is large, it can dry out in a hurry and the plant will begin wilting from the top.......but recover very quickly after a good dousing.

Looks like 2-4D damage as opposed to Roundup.

It looks like something from Dr. Frankenstein lab :-)

Everything the plant lost was newer growth, and it lost all the newer growth it had at the time. However, current new growth is healthy and damage-free.

Only leaves were damaged; stems were not damaged. [I can't tell whether younger fruit were damaged or not.]

What does that?

I'm leaning toward edweather's Can't help but think something got splashed on it -- and yet, the stems weren't damaged....

I can't imagine what could have gotten on it! An acid rain bubble directly over that plant? ;)

I did cut the babies off last night and re-tied the stems so we'll see how it goes from here.

*side note: picked a few greens from another plant and had our 1st batch of fried green tomatoes for the summer. Mmmmm.

Could you please clarify/confirm a few questions please?

1. Only pinch suckers below new flowers?
2. When to start pinching?
3. Pinch all suckers or just some (since caged)?
4. Top off....pinching all new growth and flowers when it's reached the height you want?
5. How often to fertilize?
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Before I answer your questions, I have to give a brief introduction.
There are two schools when it come to growing tomatoes:

SCHOOL 1: don't you dare to touch that plant ! :-)
SCHOOL 2: Prune the heck out of that plant and keep it down to size. lol.
SCHOOL 1: let the nature do its work. Tomato plant knows better than you do how to grow, what to grow.
SCHOOL 2: You are the master of destiny in your garden: You should decide , not the mother nature nor the plant.

It is no secret that I am a student of SCHOOL 2. So what I will say will be according to the principles of that school. Also, let me make it clear that we are talking about INDETS.
1st question: " Only pinch suckers below new flowers?"
I make a distinction between "Branching" and "Suckering". By that , any lateral growth under any flower cluster is a sucker. Branching take place above all flowers. They(branches) are as strong as almost the main. So I would pick and keep those.

Question 2: "When to start pinching? "
Earliest is the best. This way there will be no wasted energy and the plant will not get shocked.

Question 3: " Pinch all suckers or just some (since caged)?"
I already answered it in part 1. But it is up to you if you want to keep some EARLY ones, if you have enough space and long growing season.

Question 4: "Top off....pinching all new growth and flowers when it's reached the height you want?"

It depends. There is a matter of your convenience and your growing season. Do you mind getting a ladder to look for tomatoes ? The other factor is the length of your growing season. Let me just tell you my case. I have 5 months of growing season (plant out to FFD) It takes almost 2 1/2 month to get the very first ripe tomatoes. Now then I have another 2 1/2 month (= 75 days) left. Studies indicate that under favorable growing conditions it takes about 50 days from bud to ripe fruit.
So this tells me that ANY GROWTH and ANY NEW BUDS AFTER 100 DAYS INTO THE SEASON (50 days before FFD) ARE JUST WASTEFUL.
Knowing that, I give it another 10 days (benefit of doubt) and start topping my plants.

DISCLAIMER: This is the practice that I have adopted after some years of experience and with the reasoning that I have behind it. So , in NO WAY I am claiming this is the best method.

This post was edited by seysonn on Fri, Jun 20, 14 at 1:50

Thank you all.

Seysonn you are quite the character lol thanks!

I grow Patio almost every year along with other smaller varieties in (real) EarthBox containers. Commonly sold cages that are typically about 40" to 44" tall and apx 14" square fit in the EB very well, and are also good for in-ground use. Since these usually have 8 legs, I end up cutting off 4 legs that would be outside the EB, but for in-ground use, I naturally leave the cages intact. Cages control Patio and even larger bush or ISI varieties like Better Bush, Husky Cherry, etc. very, very well.
-WC2K8

Here is a link that might be useful: typical standard size tomato cage

My Patio tomato is about three feet tall and bushy. Loaded with green tomatoes that I hope will taste tangy beefsteak-y good. I had it propped against a patio roof post but a gust of wind blew it over. Luckily no stems broke. I tied it to the post top to bottom. It's so bushy and the stems so thick it's hard to part the branches looking for tomatoes. One tomato has some color and I have my salt shaker ready !