16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

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

They look OK other than seemingly suffering from :

---- Insufficient light
---- Insufficient nutrients
---- Maybe getting too much water

OR ANY COMBINATON OF THE ABOVE.

Thanks Seysonn.... definitely not too much water... I learned my lesson from last year...

but I am probably guilty of the other two... I have added more lights but probably will need more

As for nutrients I always thought if I grew them in 30-50% compost I would be ok but I have just bought some fish emulsion and liquid seaweed and plan on making a dilute solution to feed them today. Hopefully its not to late.. I have one more month to go.

None of your dwarf or determinate plants can be grown well in any container smaller than 5 gallons. Larger containers - 7.10,12, gallons etc. containers - will produce healthier and more productive plants assuming proper potting mixes and all other growing conditions are provided.

That has discussed here and on the container gardening forum hundreds of times and is true for any variety regardless of the source or the name of the variety.

Dave

Thanks Dave - I know indet need much larger pots, had found 1 thread where you mentioned dwarf plants might be OK in 5 gal, that is the smallest I would go for final size on any of these, didn't know which if any of these particular varieties might be OK in 5 gal, and which might need *larger* before I go buy some.

For example, the first 2 - Benewah and Bonner - not described as stalky or dwarf, in particular Benewah with the "prostrate" habit - not good for 5 gal containers?

Latah I might try in a larger container or separate area, or tag just so I can compare with the ones I started from seed exchange.

But the rest *are* described as "dwarf" so can I assume that a 5 gal pot or bucket (I know deeper is better, and larger is better) will be adequate? I do have to buy some since I don't think I have any (unless they're outside instead of the basement). I don't want to grow a lot, just want to try them so I know if I can start more next year and sell the extras as container plants, and how large the *minimum* size I recommend should be (since I would likely sell them in 4" to 1 gal size, no larger)? People in the suburbs around here are looking for patio plants, I've had people ask if they could keep a tomato plant in 1 gal pot before!

If you are that worried about them then bring them in to your garage. It should be warmer than outside. I left a few out when it hit around 40 just to see if they would make it. They did. Though they were sewn from seed, and started indoors. I left three out just to see. They were fine.

The larger ones I bought, and planted I covered with 5 gal. buckets when temps dropped to the freezing to mid 30's. The next day when temps were at 55 I pulled the buckets off. Note if it gets windy like it does here then put something heavy on the buckets. (20 mph is light breeze most times.)

Thanks all. The garage it is. Not that much warmer, but better I guess.

And yet it gets quite windy here.

Thanks again.

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Very top leaves of plants... Spots that precede the shriveling...