16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

After the suggestions from Caroline I will not be going out of my way looking for seed.
Thanks for the information.

I grew those years ago, they do come true from seed but they're not a really spectacular tomato anyway, so why bother. I haven't grown them in a few years now because there are so many brown tomatoes that are so much better, and a black plum has a much better flavor than kumato and a similar texture anyway.

Another Catch: If your garden soil is well treated with compost , all kinds of organic matter to a depth of about 2 feet, then you should not worry about what is under that ; It could concrete or solid rock. Most garden veggies grow in the top 1 foot. If that is well drained, then that it all you and your plants need. That is how RAISED BED concept deals with it.

I guess the above idea would parallel growing in a two foot deep trash can with no drainage holes....not sure about that one. Who...what is a "sub-soiler"? Is that like a roto-tiller? Your concept makes total sense.

I currently do not have the money to buy grow lights for them

You don't have to buy special grow lights. They just need light of whatever kind you already have. Any kind of plain old fluorescent light is what most use. You can also do them outside using the Wintersowing techniques detailed on that forum here.

No it won't stunt them but it will give them weak stems and circulatory systems. Burying them deeper will help but it if far better to avoid the problem in the first place.

Dave

I use daylight CFLs in the clamp-on work lights, others use tube-style in shop lights.

There are at least 3 tomato diseases with "blight" in the name. They are entirely different and unrelated diseases.

In addition, some folks use "blight" when referring to other tomato diseases ... or all tomato leaf diseases ... or even all diseases affecting tomatoes. And some use "blight" to describe non-disease conditions which affect tomatoes: for example, leaf miners, sunburn, or herbicide damage.

Any time someone uses the term "blight" generically, you should just assume they don't know what they're talking about.

Well, since the commercial sprays do not work too well, I may as well give it a try.

When I was younger, I grew tomatoes in the Chicago area for 8 summers. The only disease I saw was one summer when one of the plants had Septoria Leaf Spot. I never used any spray. Just lucky.

So keep in mind that if your plants are free of any particular disease this summer, that doesn't mean the spray had anything to do with it.

I have been growing tomatoes here in Charlotte, NC for 12 years and have never had a disease free year. Some years are worse than others. If I can grow tomatoes disease free this year with this spray, then it would be pretty obvious.
I do not really think it will do much either, but then again nothing much else works either. Daconil and Mancozeb will delay disease for a while, but sooner than later it gives in too.

Don, you need to have your soil tested.
this place might be near you? Ellis Environmental Management Inc.430 Silver Spur Rd,
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
(310) 507-7699. "was found buy a quick google search"

there could be a lot of things going on that your LA hot weather is triggering in your soil. you need to know you PH,P-I,K-I,ca%,Mg% and by doing the test they will give you recommendations for tomato plants. i have my soil is tested every year..

as for Oxidate, i been using it for about 5 years now with a injector system. Oxidate and Zerotol and others are "hydrogen Dioxide" and is a "DANGER" label. this stuff will mess you up if you don't know what you are doing.

dose it work for me? yes but i use it on a regular basis even before i see any foliage diseases.

also with your Powder mildew, grey mold...that sort of thing..
try Potassium bicarbonate, " NOT!! Sodium bicarbonate=baking soda"
Potassium bicarbonate is safe and can used in a back-pack sprayer as a foliar application.

side note on Oxidate that you can buy over the counter in a squirt bottle IS NOT hydrogen Dioxide...it is hydrogen peroxide witch you have in your bathroom medicine cabinet.

Thanks Dave and Carolyn for your responses!
Dave: We have two big pine trees in our back yard, so I raked a bag up and left the (black) bag in the sun for a week to kill unwanted seeds. Could the flea beetles have come from this new mulch?
Carolyn: Your point seems very possible as well, because here in Texas we are already having some pretty intense sunlight with temperatures in the 80s. Another thing- it's not all of the tomato plants, just the celebrity ones.

Thanks again!

I have no experience with flea beetle doing damage to tomato plants. Their favorite is eggplants and peppers.

The damage in the form of fine perforation in early stage of small seedling can be harmful. Once the plants are grown I would just ignore them.

Another thing is that you cannot spray them: They have wings , they will fly away and come back. The most effect prevention I have found is to cover the affected plants with nylon tulle for a while

Thanks everyone for the helpful comments.
I have order some 15 gallon pots. Hopefully there will be plenty of tomatoes this summer.

Hope you don't mind if in addition to the above, I give you a link to the Container gardening forum here. Lots of great info there on all the issues specific to gardening in containers.

I have been removing suckers from the indeterminate varieties and left the bush tomatoes alone.

As long as you understand that doing that is optional and isn't required for any reason, that it will cost you production, and it will result in a taller (skinnier) plant than if you leave them.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Container gardening forum

I'd suggest you call them about your problem. I did this several years ago and they were most helpful. They gave me credit towards replacement seeds either that year or the following year. I have always considered Parks to be one of the best to deal with and generally their products have performed well for me.

Larry

I have trouble with germination sometimes if seeds are sent us mail. I pay more and use u.p.s .

Go for it. As Seysonn said, even if it's a hybrid its parents must have been pretty decent tomatoes. A couple of years ago I grew seeds from some store-bought cantaloupe and honeydew and they turned out fine.

Caryl

I had a volunteer last year that I am pretty sure was a tomato on the vine from the grocery store.

It was neglected, in a bad spot, and it produced very well. Better tasting than the TOTV fresh. I used it for soup and it was just fine for that.

Tomatoes can survive temperatures 34F and higher. I have had tomatoes planted that stayed at 38F low without protection.

Remember that when they say low will be, eg, 38F it is not going to be all night long. Most Often the forecasted low will last no more than 2 hours. If the day before the high was 55F and the following day will be also 55F, then the lowest between those highs will last just couple of hours. BUT when they issue a frost warning, that is different. In that case a cold freezing front will be moving in with high winds that will cool off the air and ground much faster and will last longer too.

Well, the thing to remember also, they might survive but you are not doing your tomatoes any favors if they are sitting in cold trays. There has to be some middle ground to provide not only survival but growth and minimizing stress of dropping to low temps is something to remember. I have a hoophouse, large tarp like plastic dome, it is a bit of a game. If I only have occasional dip into nights low I can get away with wrapping electrical blankets over shelves for the night. If I have days and nights on low side for prolonged times there is no reason to stress seedlings so much.

Sorry, didn't realize you were that far north. I usually think of zone 7 or even 6 as moderate with fairly long growing season (May-Sept.) The only gardeners I've encountered on the WS forum who can't do tomatoes or peppers by WS have been from zones 4 or 5.

It's not that we are far north, but in Pacific Northwest May and even some years June can be very cold.

yay :)

OK, I planted my seeds exactly 14 days ago. They started popping on day 4 and by day 5 nearly every seed had popped. Now after two full weeks, they have at least one full set of true leaves. Since this is my first time growing tomatoes from seed, I am starting to think that maybe they are growing a bit too tall (getting leggy). I culled 2-3 seedlings out of each container a couple days ago leaving me with three per container. Eventually, I will go down to just one per container.
I am used to growing peppers and these are definitely more leggy than my peppers usually get. So, is this normal or do I need to get them more light. I have been raising them in front of a West-NW facing window. They get direct sun about 5-6 hours a day with indirect light about 12. I don't have any room under my Pepper grow lights but I can maybe shine a desk light on them at night and give them some extra light that way. Do I need to give them the extra light or are they looking pretty normal for tomato seedlings? I would say they are about 3" tall right now.
Bruce

O, Carolyn, I did not ask you you to address my views or to agree with it. And it is pefectly fine with me if you or anybody else disagrees with me. What I said and wrote was not in direct response to your posts in specifics.
So feel free to go about your priorities.

Your comments above are just so far off-base and reflect such a total lack of understanding about how the process really works that it is difficult to just let it stand and be read by others.

But since all the valid information is readily available to all who choose to look for it, hopefully readers will opt for reliable sources of such information rather than buying into some off-the-wall conspiracy theory.

There are several small and medium sized seed producers located in the Northwest. Why not plan a day trip to visit one of them and learn how things are really done?

Dave.

In this thread, I am learning much about seed production and the degree to which people are passionate and willing to fight about tomatoes. I wish we could stick to the seed production and skip the fighting about tomatoes part. I swear if you insult my habaneros, I won't be upset. :)

One thing to bear in mind about seed packet prices is that there are only a handful of seed suppliers at the wholesale level. Most of the vendors who supply those of us who are hobby growers are getting their seed from someone else and then putting in their own packaging to be sold to us. Or such is my understanding anyway.

So I wonder how much of the difference in price and package content is just about companies taking profits. If I order seeds from Burpee (which I try not to do) I seem to end up paying more and getting less than if I order from Baker Creek, even if it is the exact same plant. Now admittedly this is heirloom seeds here because Baker Creek doesn't carry hybrids and if I order from Burpee, I am probably still ordering an heirloom.

But I wonder if the same principle applies and the difference between varieties and vendors in pricing or seeds per packet might be mainly about who is trying to take the most profit per sale.

Angie