16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
My experience with too much rain/water with tomato plants is that they don't wilt. When mine drowned they just became stunted and didn't grow. Sometime the leaves will turn yellow with too much watering. Yours is probably something else, but I can't say what. You're right, the lower part of the main stalk near the roots is poor looking. maybe someone else will be able to narrow it down a little better.
Another reason, in addition to what Dave said, is the seasonal limitation. In zone 5, 4.. the plant would not have enough time to rais all the kidds that it wants so greedily.
from the blossom to ripe tomato it takes 3 to 4 weeks.(?). As a gardner with seasonal limitation I want to get fruits not so much lush green foliage. I need just enough green to support the fruits formation . Here in the Pacific NW, some gardener will pinch off all new growth at the end of summer, Becaust any tomato set after that will not have a chance to become ripe. This is analogous to planned parenthood.LOL
Both leaf curl and blossom drop could be the temperatures, it always is for me. On the watering, it's definitely too much. We obviously live in very different climates, and I use raised beds where I control the soil, but I haven't watered yet and have 3 ft tall healthy plants.
"I've been deep watering / flooding with a bubbler about twice a week, and spraying water until it pools up a bit, on the rest of the days."
Sounds like way too much water to me too. That could account for the leaf roll, it is a response to physiological stress. As Ohiofem said, you should let the soil dry out between waterings.
As a general rule, tomatoes need an inch of water every week. An inch of rain is exactly that, water that is one inch deep. One inch of rainfall equals 5.6 US (4.7 Imperial) gallons of water per square yard. Cool weather or soil with lots of clay needs will be less, hot weather or sandy soil will need more.
Dig down with your finger about 4", is the soil wet, dry, or just right? If it is wet, don't water, if dry then water. If it is just right, check again the next day. Water deeply once or twice a week. Watering daily encourages shallow roots which means the plant is affected more by variations in soil moisture. In my garden during the heat of the summer, I water deeply every 4-5 days, early spring I may only water every 8-9 days and when the weather is moderately warm (70-80 degrees F), about once a week.
Mulching heavily (to a depth of 6 - 8 inches) with compost, straw, hay, rotted leaves, grass clippings, even shredded paper or sheets of paper or cardboard helps maintain a consistent moisture level.
As for the blossoms dropping, you had some temps that are in the range that cause blossoms to drop. When the temps are moderated, you will get more blossoms that will set fruit.
I hope that helps.
Betsy
The varieties you have listed are all midseason tomatoes except for Persimmon which is a late season variety. 75 - 80 days from transplant is the usual time frame given for midseason varieties, and 85-90 for late tomatoes. Yours have been in the ground for about one third of that time.
If I am not mistaken, all the varieties you have listed are also indeterminate, which means they will produce tomatoes on a continual basis, not with the bulk of them at one time like determinate tomatoes do.
I see blossoms, so I would not be concerned, you will get tomatoes and they will make more blossoms for even more tomatoes.
So, the key here is to be patient. You will get tomatoes. (Providing everything goes according to plan and you don't have weather or disease issues, etc., etc.)
Betsy
Here is a link that might be useful: Timeline of a Tomato Truss
This post was edited by bets on Mon, May 20, 13 at 12:40
Find out exactly which one was sprayed and if not the landlord then neighbors. It can drift for a mile. Whether or not they will recover depends on exactly what was sprayed. Since it is so early in the season I would replace them.
Dave
Also,
If you are still living in that complex next year, i would get their lawn maintenence schedule ahead of time, and clear your plants out of the area for at least a couple of days after a spray. Tomato plants are sensitive to even small amounts of residue.
Good luck either way.
Ferti-lome potting mix has fertilizer in it. I like it and use it myself. They should not need anything else until you plant them outside.
You are south of me and should be able to plant them now, unless you have severe storms in your near-term forecast. I have not put mine out yet only because I had too much cleaning up work to do on last year's garden, and it was freezing two weeks ago.
We finally had a nice thunderstorm last night. It has been a long time coming! I don't have a rain gauge, but I bet we got at least half an inch. Generally the rain goes around us, so I'm pretty happy this morning.
It was my mom's birthday this weekend so I didn't get the tomatoes planted. I cooked lunch, baked cake and froze ice cream instead. I'll be raking out bermuda grass roots this evening after work- just a few feet left (I spent two hours on it Saturday). Then the tomatoes are going in.
I will look at walmart for fertilizer this week.
Lynn
The trickiest things for me starting seeds are regulating temperature and watering. I have my seedlings under lights on a countertop in my craft room but there is a south facing window there too. I left the shades open a couple of days when temps were only 60's-70's and bunch got sun burned! So leaving them in a closed greenhouse type atmosphere I am sure could also do that. Plus, with the temperature in the greenhouse going up so much during the day, it may not be possible to keep them watered enough without over watering unless you are able to water them at least twice a day. Depending on how small the containers are that you are using and how large the plants are, they might get dried out before the day is over, even if they are adequately watered in the morning. Trying to water them more in that situation can cause root rot, which then makes it even harder for them to take up water. I have only been doing it a few years but there are a lot people here with tons of experience. I would suggest taking a picture of your setup with the plants in it and posting it here so they can evaluate all of that. A simple inexpensive thermometer placed inside on a sunny "cool" day when you will be home will tell you a lot. I got a couple at Home Depot or Lowes for about $2-3.00 that I use when I want to track how hot/cold it is getting in any room and even the garage when I am storing plants or perishables there.
cyanapanasati: If you planted outside it was probably too early in mid-state NY zone 5. The temperature fluctuations, combined with cold rainy nights, will cause odd and hard to diagnose problems.
Here in northern NJ, zone 6, it's long been said that you plant tomatoes after May 15th to avoid the temperature and weather fluctuations. If this "conventional wisdom" is even partly true for northern NJ, then those in NY state need to be a bit more careful imho.
Oftentimes your plants will grow faster, healthier, and produce fruit sooner, if they are planted out just a little later...it all depends on the weather.
Just my 2c
This post was edited by sjetski on Sun, May 19, 13 at 22:09
Because someone - in this case several people - disagrees with your position you have to resort to insults and name calling?
Ever heard the phrase "That's the pot calling the kettle black".
Miracle Grow Garden Soil
How to Use
For planting individual plants. Dig a hole twice as wide as the container/rootball. Blend garden soil with native soil in a 50:50 ratio. For amending beds, apply a 3 inch layer and work into the top 6 inches of the soil. Plant seeds or live plants following specific package or plant tag instructions. Water thoroughly after planting then daily until plants are well established.
When to Apply
Apply when planting flowers, vegetables and herbs outdoors (not in containers), or when preparing soil in outdoor gardens and landscape beds.
How often to apply
Amend in-ground gardens annually mixing 50/50 with existing soil.
Where to Use
Use for in-ground gardens.
Where Not to Use
Not for use in pots or containers.
Univ, of Illinois Extension - Using Soil and Soil-less Mixes for Containers
Here is a link that might be useful: Miracle grow Garden Soil
I was having major problems last year; most of my seeds wouldn't sprout, even though of several varieties. Then I read on some gardening forum that people were quite unhappy with MG seed starter. It was the first time I'd used it.
When I switched to a different brand of seed starter, my success rate went back up to what I would have expected. It was good that I had the time and the extra seeds to try again.
The MG seed starter had quickly settled to half it's volume; I'm guessing it ended up being too dense for the tender sprouts to push up through it.
will post a picture when I get one--growing them indoors with aeroponics--have other pants without the brown fuzz
Try posting in Hydroponic Forum.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/hydro/
Here is a link that might be useful: Hydroponic Forum.