16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

Don't misunderstand - you do start slow - an hour or 2 at a time - and you do go in and out for the first day or maybe 2 depending on how they tolerate it.

But once they have adjusted and doing ok - and you said they tolerated 6 hours out for a couple of days so that is adjusted - they stay out.

It isn't so much that there is conflicting info, just that no one can write specific details on how-to do it because there are too many variables that only you can know - size of container, type of plant, age of plant, amount of sun exposure on your property, your weather, your air temps, your wind direction and speed.

So each individual has to evaluate the differences between the in environment and the out environment and plan accordingly.

Mama has to cut the apron strings but she has to do it gradually and with thought and planning. Once done, she can't then turn around and tie Junior back up to her hip again. :)

Dave

That is exactly what I was doing, taking the kiddos out and back in....maybe that is many look a little stressed w lower leaves yellowed. And they r not being over watered. All the newer growth looks good.

Thanks for the great reply!

In regards to legginess, two things. Mostly I would attribute it to excessive warmth during the early stages of sproutling growth. Also, from what can be seen in these pictures the upwards growth is essentially the only new development since transplant...most of the plants are developing many buds/shoots that would otherwise be producing a nice bushy plant, but those growths just don't seem to have any juice. The tomatoes, eggplants, etc. were all short and stocky when they went into the ground. They've since dropped leaves and had dying growth removed.

The red mulch you see in the photos is ONLY at the base of the transplants. It was to discourage the squirrels that dig in the beds (they seem to avoid the mulch) and to protect the root system while the plants were taking hold. Even in early March here our sun can be VERY intense...the top two inches of soil can be hot to the touch in the late afternoon.

I have not yet fertilised, I was waiting to see if the transplants would take hold and take off, and then to properly diagnose the problem. Does nitrogen being locked up by the bark fines seem the most likely issue? This is supposed to be the absolute best garden vegetable mix in the city, so shouldn't everyone else be having the same problems as me? Instead they're all bragging that their tomatoes are 5 feet tall, using the same dirt from the same nursery, with the same amount of sun.

Do the seeds that immediately sprouted and then ceased further growth tell me anything? Is that because of the rains during week one of their emergence, or would the nitrogen have any impact? They should be getting all of their nutrients from their seed pod for a couple of weeks still, shouldn't they?

In the second photo you can see two squash seedlings above the tomato. They were approximately this size 6 days after sowing, and have appeared to be stuck there with no further growth for nearly two weeks now. The tips of their leaves are even starting to yellow, slightly.

I have some 10-10-10 granular on hand. Is that the way to go? Obviously I wouldn't give it to the seedlings; do they just need another week to see if they're waterlogged?

It's definitely not sunlight. I just took a look at my compost pile, located about 10yds from the beds except in full shade, and there are squash plants growing from it showing 10-20x the growth of the ones in the garden.

I grow about everything, and I'm quite a bit further north than she is but I'm sure she'll want something super easy if she's new to it and will have a new baby - which I get as I'm due to expel my own little parasite any second now. When I was still trying to be practical while planning I was going to just grow some Sweet Millions. One plant is plenty for a family of four, they're very pretty and they have more of a tomato-ey flavor than a lot of hybrid cherries.
Our Amish Pastes always do great, and even though they're a paste tomato, my family loves them fresh. Lemon Boy if she wants something a little different.
Mr. Stripey usually does really well for me too - it's pretty and my husband's favorite.
Those are the easiest that are still flavorful that I can think of for up here.

The University of Minnesota Extension Service has a tremendous amount of gardening info on their website. The link to recommended vegetables is below. The St. Paul Farmers Market recommendation is spot on.

Here is a link that might be useful: University of Minnesota Extension Service

Martha welcome to the Garden Web. You will more likely get an answer to your question if you start a new thread. This is the tomato forum. It would be helpful if you would enter your zone and location on your member page. Since I don't know where you live, I am going to suggest the Oklahoma forum. Go to the very bottom of the page where it says Post a message to the forum.

I buy heavy duty landscape cloth that is woven out of plastic. It lets the rain through. In the past I have used plastic with little holes for the rain to penetrate and was not happy with the results. What you did may not be so bad it depends on how water tight your cover is. The rain needs to get to the plants somehow. Others may know more - try the OK forum. You can also search landscape fabric in the search box and see what you get. I tried that and many people hate the landscape fabric I use. I don't cover mine and I move it around in my vegetable garden. It works for me the way I use it. I have not had good results with black plastic - two cons are ants like it because there is moisture either under it or on top and after a number of years it shows through the mulch and the sun breaks it up very ugly little pieces of black plastic looking like trash.

We have all made mistakes. I would not title your post dumb mistake. Think of something that describes your problem.

Re CRW cages and staking: when I made my cages many years ago the info said to cut the bottom wire and use those as legs to support the cages. I stick the cage in the ground and only once in several years have I had to add a post for extra support. Imagine this might not work in extremely windy areas. Try it and see. You can always add supporting poles or rebar later if needed.

That looks like nutrient deficiency to me. Provide them with some fertilizer. Get them into the ground as soon as you can. I have planted some tomatoes that looked worse than yours before. They make a dramatic turnaround once in the ground.

Kevin

A few days okay I gave them all a 1/4 dose of my seaweed fertilizer and have started to give them more natural light and have begun to harden them off. They look way more healthier and perky now.

Our greenhouse is almost done so hopefully they can be planted in there within the week - next year I'll know not to start them to early.

If you have a leggy plant, I certainly would trench them. One thing I have noticed about tomato plants grown too closely together so that the stem is rather bare, is that they tend to be a bit brittle, so use care when trenching so you don't break the stem. However, if you do break it and it is still attached, go ahead and bury it.

If my tomatoes aren't too leggy, I just dig the hole deeper with my post hole digger, err, have my husband dig it deeper. Actually, he and my son are so good at making me nice round deep holes that I frequently have to put some dirt back in the bottom so I can have some leaves above ground.

Betsy

I have never personally tried the trench method but there are experts on this board (and Dave is one) who swear by it. It makes sense too. For great tomato plants into the summer, root development is key. More roots = better plants.

Like Dave said, roots will develop all along the buried stem. I tried to plant mine extra deep this year to get the benefits of the extra rooting.

wertach - there are numerous micro-climates in the LA area.

Sunset Magazine lists 7 different ones. Mike in Huntington Beach (Sunset zone 24) is very different than mine in Glendora (Sunset zone 21) which is about 25 miles north
of him.

While the USDA lumps us all together, you can't really go by their map here in LA.

Looking good Mike and I hope it means that you got decent germination with the seeds I sent you as thanks for your red ribbed one you sent me, which is being grown in NC for seed production for all the many ways that I do share seeds with others. ( smile)

Carolyn

You mentioned that you know that tomatoes root to the side.
Did you realize they can send roots over three feet to all sides?

Here's a link to a fascinating article I got from Carolyn
years ago that talks about extensive studies of tomatoes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato root development

Do any of you have pictures of the trellises/spacing?

Look at your weather forcast. If you are not going to be in the 30's for about the next 7 days then you can probably plant out without much fear of a frost. As noted, tomatoes do best in warm temps at night (60), but they can survive 40's at night just fine. As long as the temps don't freeze they can survive mid to high 30's too, though they may not like it. Here In the arid west, our night temps don't get up to 60's until July and August. All may and most of June our temps are below 60. But tomatoes grow great in May and June here. So go ahead and get them in the ground.

Look at your weather forcast. If you are not going to be in the 30's for about the next 7 days then you can probably plant out without much fear of a frost. As noted, tomatoes do best in warm temps at night (60), but they can survive 40's at night just fine. As long as the temps don't freeze they can survive mid to high 30's too, though they may not like it. Here In the arid west, our night temps don't get up to 60's until July and August. All may and most of June our temps are below 60. But tomatoes grow great in May and June here. So go ahead and get them in the ground.

It can frost at 37 degrees. It may have taken a while for the frost damage to turn brown.

THANKS! Everyone was soooo helpful I could not find an image anywhere on the net to match my problem to. I am so excited that the issue is environmental. Nice to find some experienced green thumbs to help me!

I don't think it really matters too much what tomato you grow just "how" you grow it.
If you have the room and don't mind the extra hassle grow what ever you like.
If you prefer smaller plants, try Bush tomatoes like a "Better Bush".
I am trying "Dwarfs" currently and they seem to be doing well, will know for sure in about 3-4 weeks.
In fact they could be the ideal container tomato, plants that get no larger than 4 foot, strong bushy plants, can still get large tomatoes and there are many varieties.
Most important is no less than 15 gallon pots, growing medium is debatable, just don't use regular soil, make sure the potting mix drains very well and the pots drain very well.
Fertilize every 10-14 days, water usually every day, on hot days from 95+ water twice a day.
So IMO right now the ideal set up for container tomatoes is 15 gallon Smart Pots which should drain well as the whole pot drains, a good well draining potting mix.
Stick a standard tomato cage in it, grow what ever Dwarf plant that floats your boat.

Here are my 3 Dwarfs this morning.

Pretty tomato plants Nunyabiz!

So any updates? Any new experiments to report? Last year's varieties and results?

Thanks for all the responses. Very helpful!

Yes, I was hesitant to post a link, having heard Carolyn's comments on that topic before. I found the cite missingtheobvious notes via Drudge, and for everyone's sake I certainly hope it is sensationalism. But I have to say, I put nothing past big government. Life would not be fun if we couldn't save and exchange seeds for interesting varieties of plants :)

The European "White List" severely restricted the varieties of seeds offered by commercial seed houses in Europe, due to the cost of registering varieties legal for sale. As I understand it, the list was supposed to be a way to combat fraudulent misrepresentation of seeds sold across country borders.

The Thompson and Morgan catalogue was intriguing before it came out. A lot of their offerings disappeared when the law was passed. It would be a shame if even more restrictive laws were passed.

I think veggie container gardening in the Central Valley is a challenge in the summer, too. You can grow some nice winter greens in containers here without too much difficulty.

That said, I potted up 3 peppers in a large container (with marigolds) today. I will place it among a cluster of pots with (tough) flowering plants to shade the pot with the peppers in it. Don't think I'll be experimenting with containers for tomatoes soon, though.

I am also in the Central Valley (Modesto). I have a gardening page dedicated to container gardening on FB. Feel free to check it out.

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Vegetables in Containers