16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

Keep in mind you are comparing totally different varieties with very different genetics. Those genetics play a big role, not to mention variables in growing conditions.

Dave

The store bought variety was Cherokee Purple, so it was essentially similar to the other 8 Heirloom varieties, at least as much as heirlooms can be considered "similar" it's not like I had planted some Patio Plant, and compared them to some Cherry's I was growing.

My apologies if your comment was directed at the OP, but even in his case, under almost any circumstances, sungold should have tomatoes on the vine before Brandywine.

Could be the 2 weeks of rain. The growth on top looks ok. They will probably improve if it doesn't keep raining. We're getting our share here too. 2.4 inches yesterday.

Hi,

Agree with edweather, this plant shows lack of air to the roots.

A drowning effect from too much water, or a combination of lack of drain holes, compacted soil, heavy soil, etc. where the roots are in an aerobic environment.

A helpful link 4u is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato Problem Solver

You don't have to spray the roundup.

You can use a sponge or rag and wipe it on the grass, use gloves of course.

Then you don't have to worry about it getting on anything you don't want to kill.

Pull what you can near the tomato while it is small. Indeterminate tomatoes grow large unless you prune them and will out compete and shade Bermuda this season. In fall or late summer when your tomatoes are mostly done for the year take care of the Bermuda. Use cardboard up to the tomato plant - big brown sheets of it look best- cover it with some sort of mulch. It may be slick to walk on so be careful. I use Round up sometimes carefully near precious plants but it is so easy to accidently get on something or even when you are painting it on drips can fall on a wanted plant. I have Johnson grass in my asparagus and near a viburnum shrub and I have carefully painted it on individual leaves a few at a time gradually working toward elimination.

TMV is practically non-existent in the US and has been for more than 30 years or so. CMV is active but this isn't it. Nor is it spider mites as the damage is limited and patchy rather than uniform over the leaf surface.

It "could" be aphid damage but you would see the aphids (just as you would see the mites if they were present). So odds are 9:1 that what you are seeing is what is called environmental damage - sun scald/wind burn - and is quite common this time of year. It is normally found on the older leaves, not the new growth and it poses no threat to the plant but removing the affected leaves is beneficial. No reason to leave them on the plant.

Dave

You are both correct with the environmental damage, then....thank you so very much. I have not seen any aphids whatsoever, and after looking sunscald up, it fits the bill.

I truly appreciate the help and I'm thankful that all of my container plants are safe!!

In my opinion, you should separate them. Then you can either plant in their final destination(garden or pot) or plant them in a 4" pot and later on do the final transplant. The smaller the seedling, the less shock from transplanting. But transplanting individual seedling from a 4" pot to permanent location will not disturb it. All you would do then is to water it , wait a while, take it out of pot(by inverting and slight tapping on the bottom and putting in the prepared hole(garden or planter) .I would not touch the roots, although tomatoes are tolerant.

I agree with seysonn...that's what I did this season. My plants are in the garden and look good (except for the unending rain, which I hope does not cause too many problems...got the fungicide ready).

I don,t think that grubs(some kind of larva) are harmful at that stage. But problem start when they turn into caterpillars, beetles etc.
Moles, eat grubs, that is true but if there are no moles in the area they won't appear suddenly from nowhere. One way to get rid of grubs is to use grub killer. But then you will kill the earthworms too. I would rather not do that.

Probably a type of scarab beetle which includes the June Beetle, Japanese Beetle, Hercules Beetle, Stag Beetle, etc.

Eating rotting matter...compost, perhaps?

I would remove and relocate or feed to birds (or chickens).

Here is an interesting read: http://ag.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/archive/whitegrubs.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Stag Beetle Larva

Well after temps down into the mid 30s Memorial Day weekend, then rain for a week followed by a heat wave in the 90s for 3 days, I finally got them in. on May 28th. It feels like I am way behind this year. Last year I planted out May 20, but with larger plants that were started earlier and I had a really good year and canned quite a bit. The year before I didn't plant until June 3 and had crummy weather I think, and poor year for yields, and I didn't can any. But we will see what happens. When I look at previous planting dates, I am actually not all that late, but I think I had larger plants to start with because I started them earlier. I keep a very sparse journal and try to remember to at least record seed starting, transplanting and planting out dates as well as first harvest dates for tomatoes. I have the last 3 years and in a few more SHOULD be able to draw some conclusions about what works best.

I will probably decide the weather has more effect on the outcome than anything I do. But it sure does make it hard to get them hardened off properly.

Don't feel bad. I've only got 30 in the ground so far - another 85 or so to go (I only put 20 determinates near the house instead of 24 b/c I ran out of room - spacing got a little off b/c of rocks). But most of yesterday was spent watering the pots, picking up T posts, putting up a CRW "trellis" in the interior row of my main tomato area (1000 ft from the house). Got 5 SuperSweet 100 and 5 Rose de Berne in that area before I had to quit, clean up, and take DD to Girl Scouts.

Today I'll see how many I can get in before riding lesson. Supposed to rain the next 2 days. At least my beans (planted 5/30) are germinating without me having had to water them!

The tomatoes and peppers are the only things left to go in - peppers are hardening off now (here we go again!).

BTW, I think the past years were unusual knock in wood) - 2011 was so wet, and 2012 so hot and dry. Off to a little bit of a late start this year, but hopefully it will be more "normal" (temperate). would be nice to have warm weather into Sept/Oct so we have time for late season tomatoes and of course the peppers.

great ideas....thinking it is not ripe as long as I can see the slight area of green. Like the reds...wont this green area disappear when ripe?

Some black tomatoes keep the green on top. I have grown BP but I forget. Go by the touch method described.

Wow Hudson, those tomato plants are huge! What variety are they? And what an amazing set up! How'd you do that? Is that a greenhouse? Are the plants draped over top of that cage-like structure and did you build that yourself? I've never seen anything like that before and I'm super impressed with your creativity and super jealous of your beautiful red tomatoes.....

Hi Cheryl - thanks for your comments - I have to come clean - the photos are from last years crop. The first photo was taken in July and the second in October. Here are photos of this years plants.

Last years tomatoes were all Better Boy - this year we have Better Boy, German Giant, Brandy Boy, Sweet Baby Girl and Super Marzano. I use cattle panels to support our tomato plants and prune them to grow between the panel and the GH roof panels. We designed and built our own GH and came up with supports and solutions on the fly. We are still learning as we go and appreciate your compliments.

Our tomato plants are about 8' in height now (all of our plats are indeterminate) with good size green tomatoes on the lower clusters but Sweet Baby Girl cherry tomatoes are the only tomatoes ripe to date.

A few inches should do the trick. Many times the surface
will be dry but not deeper down. Don't forget, tomato
roots can go down 3 feet deep or more.

GardenWebber sprouts_honor (Jennifer from Cleveland) had a wonderful suggestion on how to tell whether or not you need to water your tomatoes, and I quote here: "Get a wooden dowel rod (or two) and sink it in the ground near a plant or two and leave it. Pull it out when you think you need to water. If the top is dry and the bottom is a little damp, it's time to water. If it looks dark and feels saturated, wait to water. I use this technique with potted plants that don't like being over watered and it's helpful with in ground plants too."

Betsy

where is the other post? Need link, please.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/msg0609292728380.html?4
The post titled "Help what to do?"