16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
Get them out of the seed starting mix. It is too fine to drain well in a larger container, it tends to compact and either stay to wet or be difficult to wet when it dries out completely.
Just be sure to use a soilless growing medium, not dirt from the yard or a bagged "garden soil" because it tends to compact in a pot and then it drains poorly and the tomato's roots will drown or suffocate and the plant will die. (Which is what I think is happening now.)
I don't think you need to feed them, since the nutrients in a regular growing medium should be sufficient to carry them the 8-10 before they are planted out into the garden.
I hope that helps.
Betsy
This post was edited by bets on Mon, Apr 1, 13 at 23:02
Funny, I thought I did everything right and a few of my leaves are beginning to yellow. The mix is excellent draining, but that doesnt mean that I'm still not possibly overwatering. Didn't think it was possible with a mega draining mix. Can't wait to get them outside.....no more than a week away. The next nice day they're going out! With protection of course, don't get nervous.
Watering isn't something that can be scheduled. It has too many variables affecting it - soil used, size of container, ambient air temps, air circulation in the area, root mass ratio to top growth, etc. etc. etc.
So depending on all those variables it may be daily, every other day, once a week, or whatever. Watering is done only when the plant needs it, not when we schedule it. :)
The grower has to learn to evaluate the need of the plant. You do that by
1) acknowledging that it is human nature to over-water so when in doubt - don't water, Remind yourself that the roots need to breathe even more than they need water so tell them today is breathing day.
2) accepting that plants are much more tolerant of under-watering than they are of over-watering,
3) knowing that more seedlings are killed by over-watering than by anything else
4) sticking your finger deep into the soil to check the moisture level deep down, not by surface appearance
5) bottom water - soak until the surface appears lightly damp then dump out whatever is left.
Of course all of this is moot when using fiber pots because they wick all the water out of the soil into the pot and then they dry out far too quickly. Effective watering when using them is almost impossible.
but I am pretty sure that was where the cotyledons were. It almost looks like a tiny cut there. The stem immediately increases after the mark to the size above the mark.
I disagree but only have the pics to go by. It is normal for the stem to "immediately increase after the mark" when it is damp off. In this case it is already discoloring further up the stem as well and there is interveinal discoloration on the next leaf up the stem too. But continue to monitor it. If the plant improves then I'm wrong. If it continues to fail then you will know for sure.
Fingers crossed for you. :)
Dave
Thank you, Dave!
The one pictured is the worst one, and there are a few more that have the same two marks on opposite sides of the stem. One of them has one mark 1/4" higher than the other one. I am sure you are right, but I am honestly hoping you are wrong. If I lose half of my plants, I will be seriously disappointed in June and July. There is always next year, I guess.
Tycoon and Tygress are the exact same tomato variety except one has nematode tolerance and the other does not.
Tygress is a Seminis variety and in the link below which yoju can cut and paste you'll find onelink where you canenter your country/state , etc, to find where seeds might be sold..
I;m not so sure I understand why both of these are considered rodeo varities, ahem, but you live in TX,possibly near San Antonio b/c there's a link in one of those Google searches to a newspaper article about bothof them,
I linked directly to Tycoon seeds below and as manyof the links state,the most expensive hybrid seeds around which I can't qjuite understandlooking at the tolerancegenes included and as onelink said, very similar to some of the BHN varieties.,
So not for me considering the alternatives.LOL
Hope that helps,
Carolyn
Here is a link that might be useful: Tycoon seeds
Carolyn
Thought this might interest you.
Every year experts from Texas A&M's AgriLife Extension and volunteers from the agencyâÂÂs Master Gardener association plant thousands of tomato plants. These annual tomato plantings are part of a research field trial to determine new adaptive tomato varieties that will grow well in Central Texas. The best tomato is selected from the various tomatoes tested and assessed during these trials and becomes the next Rodeo Tomato. Plants are offered for sale the following year during the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, Sales of those plants help fund a Junior Master Gardener program and other youth gardening activities, along with horticulture scholarships.
Mike
Ok lots of good ideas here I'll try to do these things in the next couple days... On the temperature, the temp range for this week is from a low of 50 degrees to a high of 80 degrees, the previous weeks were more or less the same so if anything it's been too cold for them. The only thing weather wise that is notable is It was very windy for a few days.
That wire fence thing and those metal sheets on the ground are shelves I bought for cheap from the local borders bookstore when it went out of business. There's a lot of cats in the neighborhood and that's my overkill way of keeping them away from the plants. that and I'm trying to kill the crab grass surrounding the thing. I can open and close the wire fence like a door.
There is 3 tomato plants, one each of better boy, early girl, and a sungold. Id get a brandywine as ive heard good things but i dont think i have the room.
Anyhow I'll replant them deeper in the ground (should I go so far as to bury the bottom branches a little?) and put potting mix around them and start mulching them with either straw or wood chips. And ill start watering them by hand as well so the dirt gets more evenly wet.
**respectful moment of silence in memory of Border's**
As I understand it, wind increases evaporation. It will have stressed the plants.
A unique hinged cat-guard! Amazing.
should I go so far as to bury the bottom branches a little?
I've grown a lot of tomatoes, but I'm not an expert and I really don't know whether it would be better to re-plant the tomatoes lower or leave them and just mound up soil around them. You planted them a couple of weeks ago and they don't seem to have done much ... maybe wait to see if you get other opinions on that.
In any case, I don't think you have branches yet; I think those are compound leaves (the actual branch will grow in the angle where the petiole of the compound leaf -- what you're calling the branch -- attaches to the main stem). Above all, you don't want disease organisms from the soil to get onto the leaves, so if you bury the plants lower, it would be a good idea to remove the lowest leaves which touch the soil.
Unfortunately, Better Boy will get 8' tall, Early Girl about 7-8', and Sun Gold is reportedly a monster which will grow much larger. [Depends on weather, soil, and other conditions.] You'll see a lot of threads which discuss ways to support large plants which have been started in dinky cages.
If half ripe or ripe fruits fall to the gound, yes, some of the seeds could overwinter.
In this case since you had two different varieties in the same spot/area, it will be hard to tell which is which unless one of them was originally PL(potato leavf)
In which case I guess you'd have to dig up some of the volunteers and plant them elsewhere to see what you have.
And I'm assuming that both the cherry and the larger fruited one are both non-hybrids,
Carolyn
Do not use the moisture control in the buckets or in any small container. It keeps the soil too wet in small containers. Use the plain stuff.
You can mix in some of the Black Cow just don't overdue it and keep in in the bottom half of the container. Save the 10-10-10 for after first fruit set and then make a a narrow trench an inch or two deep about 1 inch in from the outside edge of the container. Put about 1 cup of the 10-10-10 there and cover. It is similar to what is done with Earthboxes. From then on you will have to use a liquid fertilizer diluted to 1/2 strength to water the plant every 7-10 days.
Dave
This is why you would want to plant in containers. This is a squash, but tomatoes look pretty much the same. This specimen came from a 1 year old raised bed.
I am converting all of my susceptible plants to containers. Five gallon is sufficient. I currently use cheap box store potting soil, but I will convert for winter tomatoes and squash to Al's 5:1:1: mix.
I think the only organic matter in this pile of sugar sand is the root knot nematodes.
Larry
Bunch of bs...i remember years ago before gobal warming was a political tool and cash register, when on this very date in new england there was a much more progressed leaf out than there is TODAY! The sheep were smarter then too.
This post was edited by pasco on Mon, Apr 22, 13 at 22:22
I'm learning as I go along. I don't mind thinning them out if it's going to cause a problem but separating them before transplant I thought would have caused trauma to the roots since they are so intertwined below the surface? I guess I am stuck with the current medium/ cup size to prevent further issues, I will wait and see and take my chances. It was recommended from the local nursery to use this potting mix but I see there are obviously more robust options. if these don't make it I may be off to the market to purchase some of their seedlings in progress.
When they are at such a young stage, a very delicate seperation is easy, if you do it slowly and don't force them apart.
Next time try multi cell starter flats and put one seed per cell, if you want 6 good agressive plants, start with 9 seeds per variety.With germination percentages taken into consideration, depending on your variety and seed vendor,even if you end up with 9 plants you can pick the 6 best to use and give the rest to family and friends.
Link below is to Tatiana's Tomatobase info on it. Hope it helps.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: TT - Homer Fike
This is my first time growing from seed and ive been using the fox farm ocean as well. Im pretty happy with it. I also mixed in extra perylite to help with drainage and ive been giving them small doses of fish emulsion once a week. I didnt think the price was too bad. I bought the 40qt (approximate) bags for around 12 bucks The peat pots have thier issues and i dont think i will use them again but im learning. For lights ive been using t8 daylight bulbs and keep a fan on them. Getting pretty excited about 3 weeks till they go in the ground.
TomNJ, we are practically neighbors! In in C'burg, outside of town limits in Montgomery Co., halfway between the hospital and R. University. I'm usually in Floyd once a week or every two weeks. (if you like Mexican food, try El Charro - yum)
I must say I envy the space you have! I'm on a little mobile home lot and the park owner is fanatical about neatness (not a bad thing in a mobile home park) So I'm limited on space, with the added constraint of trying to keep the veggie bed invisible. I'll be interested in how your garden does, I'll have to watch for your posts.
btw, I'm a Connecticut transplant myself, way back in '89! We could start a Yankee club - lol
Hi Cindy,
I'm just north of the town of Floyd, eight miles up the 221. Our new "farm" is 25 acres, but the veggie garden is only 50' x 80'. I'm hoping to be vegetable self-sufficient in time.
We split our time between our NJ home and the Floyd home and will eventually move permanently to Floyd. We ate at El Charro last week - yummy is right - and frequent Mickey Gs (tonight) and the Pine Tavern when in Floyd. Love this area!!
TomNJ-VA
Assuming you'll be planting in the ground, what's the soil temperature where you'll be planting them?
How cold are your overnight temps at this point?
www.wunderground.com predicts the overnight low temps for the next week and a half (well, more or less; there's a lot of temperature variety in these mountains).
Avg. High: 60-65F
Avg Low: 45-50F
Soil Temp: 45-50F