16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

I started my main batch March 31st and April 2nd, which is just about at the tail end of my normal sowing time. We still have a lot of snow on the ground, but the temps are finally supposed to get in the 40's and 50's this week so hope it melts fast so the ground gets some sun to start warming up. I'll have to shovel snow off my raised beds to put in early spinach and lettuce and try to set up my plastic hoop frames. I'm also hoping the night temps will stay above 25 degrees in a couple of weeks, because I don't trust my overnight greenhouse heater much lower that that. It's not too bad carrying in a few trays overnight, but after I pot up it's too hard on my knees to traipse up and down my steep hill to my greenhouse fifteen or twenty times. I started around 65 varieties or selections, most from 4-6 seeds each, but about 1/4 of those are 8 to 10 year old seed, so not expecting all to germinate.

It's always a mad rush to get plants in the ground by the first week of June, especially when the weather is cool with near frost nights. We have annual reservations for a week long fishing trip on my husband's birthday the 2nd week of June, and I have no one reliable to fuss with pot bound seedlings that need daily watering by that time, so they have to go in the ground and hope for the best. I've had some cukes with frost damage, but have lucked out with tomatoes in recent years. I can only hope that once the weather finally warms up we will be back to a hotter than normal summer pattern, like the last 10 years have been here.

I have not looked here since I posted last...that was April 3rd..today is April 14..still have not started any seeds yet.
I plan on starting the oldest ones on the 27th..as I am going away until May 5th..that should give them a chance to germinate..then I start the others..very very late for me..
But..the snow is just melting and we are expecting some more snow tomorrow!! I can't even plant my peas as the garden is
thick with snow and ice under the snow is like rock..
So a late season with patience..
Good to read your posts Carolyn..
cheers to all ;-> Martha/zucchini

I would take off all buds and blossoms when planting out my seedlings and planted out 6 to 9 inch seedlings.

I think it's a good thing to do since it gives time for vegetative growth of roots and stems and foliage, all energy being directed that way, before allowing them to go into the sexual cycle of blossom formation and fruit set.

The blossom cycle is abut two weeks long, so soon it starts again, randomly on each plant, and of course those I let go on to fruit formation.

Carolyn

Thanks all. Nipping it is!

Kevin

My salsa recipe calls for "tomatoes" but doesn't specify a variety. I like to take Dave's suggestion and mix it up. Since I practically live on home made salsa during the summer, changing around the tomatoes is a good way to keep it fresh and different. That way it never gets old, and the taste blend can be more complex as well. A mix of colors also gives it some additional visual appeal.

The one thing I find most important is to avoid grocery store tomatoes. Farmers market tomatoes and the ones from my garden work very well no matter what variety. But grocery store tomatoes and anything else are just tasteless.

Angie

For fresh salsa (NOT CANNED) I like juicy, tangy, some sweet tomatoes. Now that I grow different varieties, colors, I can incorporate them. Same goes with the pepper varieties. I like to add cilantro, maybe little chopped basil too. How about a little YOUNG garden fresh cucumber ?

To me salsa is just some kind of salad, without lettuce and any leafy greens.
It is all about personal taste and preference.

After my Dad died in 2010, I was cleaning out his freezer and found several different variety's of OP tomato seed that Mom had saved in the freezer. I know she saved them because of the handwriting. She died in 1998 and was disabled for 5 years prior to that.

I had 80 + % germination with those seed. I wish you luck and I believe you will have good luck with that young seed!

Carolyn,
Yes I drove up to NC just for the tomato fest. I was so into tomatoes, I loved the fresh flavors! I have so much garden space compared to what I had in Fla.

I have the seeds soaked and into soil, so I will let folks know what I get. I got some new Mexico Midgets from Craig last year, but they are somewhere in my piles of stuff, lol.

I have some Italian peppers that are 5 yrs old that took, going to narrow down so that I only have a few that I like.

Cheri

I found the culprits -- quail. Some small poultry netting cages solved the issue.

Sjerin, bird netting lets almost all of the sun through. If it had a shade rating it would be less than five percent.

Zeuspaul

my tomatoes leave turned to dark green color and don't grow much, what is the possible problem? they were nice and green when I planted them in my 5 Gal. containers,
thanks,
Kasey

Because containers are watered more often and are shallower and smaller in volume, some good portion of the nutrients go down the drain (literally). For that reason two methods are more suitable, IMO.

1- fertilizing with a weak fertilizer solution (like 1/4 rec. strength, water soluble) more often (Maybe every other time)

2- mixing in CRF to your potting mix before potting. That is how and what MG does and says it (plants grown in their potting mix) won't need fertilizing for up to 6 months. That might be an over blown claim but there is some truth to it. And CRF is responsible for that property .

One more thing: Use a CRF that also has calcium in it. I am using MG "Shake n Feed".

From time to time I also use MG "all purpose" water soluble (the one used in sprinkler type feeders)

So, there are many ways. It is hard to say what is "BEST".

Is tomato tone anything more than just a fertilizer? Googling for ~ tomato "Tomato Tone" site:gardenweb.com ~ it seem there are more questions than answers here on this GW tomato forum. [careless hyperbole].

This post was edited by albert_135 on Mon, Apr 14, 14 at 16:52

Is tomato tone anything more than just a fertilizer?

No it is just an organic fertilizer like many others. Made by Espoma and has a rating of 3-4-6.

Googling for ~ tomato "Tomato Tone" site:gardenweb.com ~ it seem there are more questions than answers here on this GW tomato forum.

Not sure what you mean. Yes there are lots of questions posted about it. And they all have several answers posted to each of those questions.

Dave

Once a plant reaches a certain size and age then it is normal for it to start forming buds. Pinch/snip them off. If it gets rootbound in its container or if it is growing in very warm temps they form buds due to stress.

Your plants would appear to have been started too early as the plant in the photo is more than ready to be planted out much less wait another month.

Dave

Early budding is very common with rooted suckers. I see hundreds of open flowers on 4" plants that likely barely have formed roots. I believe there may be stress involved in certain cases but other times the plant is just programmed to start producing fruit.

The picture of your plant bothered me a little. I can't see the growing point on the plant. Did you top the plant or is the growing point obscured?

Looks like early manganese deficiency to me. Smatter scattering of tiny yellow freckles on all the leaves including new growth. Progresses to interveinal chlorosis and larger spots which turn necrotic.

The soil/compost mix you used in that container - which is never recommended for a container - is very likely low in many of the minerals but high in calcium carbonate - most all rockery soils are - and that CaCo3 interferes with manganese uptake by the plant. If there are no signs of any pests then I suggest some internet research into that deficiency.

There are many different tomato nutrient deficiency websites with photos that you can compare your plant to.

The simple solution is to transplant it into the ground which is rarely manganese deficient (not sure what the purpose of that container is anyway). Or if you are going to confine it in a container then use a proper soil-less container mix, one that also contains added soil bacteria so that your compost can be of any benefit to the plant. Compost provides no nutrients without an active soil food web to digest it to a form usable by plants.

Dave

Thanks, CaraRose. Unfortunately my veggie growing area is way too far from the spigot for irrigation or even hose-watering, not to mention that I would need my own well (the current well I'm on supposedly can't handle a two-person household, a one-person household, and a garden). So I have no experience with irrigation systems except occasionally seeing a set-up here or there, or a photo of one.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I definitely understand how massive growth is NOT a good thing. :) It is very helpful to know so I can plan accordingly!

I would say that a determining factor in choosing this tomato might be whether blight, especially late blight, is a problem in your area. Saw big, fancy 6-packs in a local nursery, in our area where late blight is only a remote possibity. Seemed sort of odd.

I start all of my tomatoes outdoors in full sun. I soak them in water for a couple of days until one of the seeds shows signs of sprouting. Then into a 2 or 3 inch pot with a fine textured mix. I screen any of my potting mixes. The fine texture might be a blend of bark fines, peat, compost, DE, perlite, dolomite. I cover the seed with about 1/4 inch of the blend.

Then outdoors in full sun and water 1 to 3 times per day from above to keep the blend damp or wet. When they sprout you can cut back on the watering a little bit.

I keep them elevated and covered with bird netting. If you plant in the ground you may have trouble with birds, rabbits, mice, insects and ? If you wait to put them in the ground until they are six inches tall they have a better chance of surviving.

Edit: If nignt temps drop into low or mid forties in the early stages I bring them indoors.

Zeuspaul

This post was edited by zeuspaul on Tue, Apr 8, 14 at 13:30

I only grow one variety from seed and I started them
outdoors in a 6-pack (never know if they'll all sprout).

I started them in a sunny spot similar to the garden
location they'll eventually call home.

This gives me the chance to grab the best one of the
six (if they all sprout).

Now, of course, I have 5 to get rid of! They all sprouted!

I did not know that it is forbidden ..

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

There is no such a thing as "forbidden" here. Some do it , many don't. But that does not make a rule. It is more common among pepper growers than tomato gardeners. I think it would make sense when a plant left of its own grows 10 ft tall (when staked). I like them to be within my arms' reach. Plus I grow them for fruits not foliage.
Lets just say that it is a personal practice.

Yes, any plant can be suckered but in some cases it doesn't help your cause and in other cases it is just futile. As an example I've suckered Determinate variety Florida 7514 to a single stem and it seemed to perform well but its Florida counterparts 47 and 91 are far too vigorous at shooting lateral branches that keep ahead of the growth.

I will note that you need to be more careful if you attempt to sucker determinate varieties since the is a greater tendency to top the plant by mistake. It is just something you might not want to tackle.

Yes they look very wet. Light is not the problem but two feet away is too high. I planted lots of different tomato seeds this spring. A few had knobby tops and funny leaves and those were from old seed. What is your planting medium? Something is very wrong there, starting over sounds right to me also.

Did you make your own media?
Or did you "fix" a store-bought mix with something?
If one or the other, what are the ingredients?