16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

You accidentally wintersowed them. I do all mine that way and they look like that right now since they came up about a week ago when the weather warmed to the 60s.

By late May, however, when they've been in the ground for a bit, they'll take off and catch up. And yes, they're probably a little sturdier than the ones started inside. My brother starts his in a hot house and they're usually far bigger than mine when it's time to plant out. But last year we got our first ripe tomatoes in the same week.

I just planted some seeds outdoors in egg cartons. Will leave them out there and water when necessary so they can freeze over night and warm up during the day. We are might have some rain or snow tomorrow according to one forecast but another one says it will be clear. I think that I will cover them with saran wrap plastic over night in case we have some rain or snow.

IMO that looks more like sunburn than frostbite. Did you harden them off? Are you sure there was frost?

There wasn't frost but it got down to about 32 or 33 degrees and my garden shed is missing half its roof. Storm last summer blew off half the roof and it hasn't been repaired yet. Your right, it does look like sunburn now that you mention it.
Maybe could be sunburn since the roof isn't all there but the problem seemed to start after that cold night. They almost drowned from the last rain. I think all that water probably took away all the nutrients out of the pot. My poor tomatoes are having a rough start this year.

Thanks to both of you!

Dave, you really hit the nail on the head. I planted 8 toms (all indeterminates) in about a 4x8 raised bed space last year and thought that was enough room to breathe. I did eventually have trouble with disease and overcrowding.

I'd much rather have fewer healthier plants and more fruit than the mess I was wading through last September. Plus our third baby is due mid-July and the less plants I have, the less I have to tend.

And good advice on the Celebrity, I had only read about how they were good producers, until just now when I read they were more of a determinate type. I assume they will do better in containers as they're more of a bush than a vine?

Thanks again, my plan seems to make a little more sense now.

My raised beds are 4 ft wide. I put 2 sweet 100 side by side at one end and 2 sungold at another end.

Yeah they grow like crazy. I use 7 ft tall CRW cages and let them drape over the sides and ends of the bed.

If you grow them like this, you will need a small ladder in the fall.

Rick

I use metal electrical conduit ($3.29/10ft at the box stores) cut in half to make 2 5 ft stakes and drive 12 inches in the ground. I used to use zip ties to attach the cages, but now use short lengths of solid electrical wire. The copper wire is easy to bend and can be reused for years. Any construction site should have scraps of electrical wire.
Jim

My local orange store sells 18 inch pine wood stakes. 12 for $4. I routinely look in the cull bins for discounted/free wood that I can use in my garden to make A-frames or support stakes.

They won't last forever, but they're cheap enough.

Here is the relevant info translated from the breeder Takii Seed:
Nutrient rich takii hybrid tomatoes
peaches taro gold î momotaro PVP YE004
make easy orange-yellow!

Delivery of standard seed: 18 tablets 1 bag 1 bag 1000 grains

a vivid orange-yellow fruit colour features, perfect for colorful cuisine. Than the lycopene contained in traditional pink species-rich lycopene CIS-that is easily absorbed into the body.

Meek vigor and overall excellent result so easy to make. Average fruit weight 210-220 g disease resistance ï¼ÂTm-2a.F1.F2.V.LS.N

rootstock 2A ï¼ÂTm--MILF stage: early

Takii mating momotaro gold tomatoes

I am not completely sure but this was a sales page and "rootstock" might be referring to availability of grafted seedlings. Grafted plants are common in Asia.

nothing about "determinate" only "meek vigor"
which could be interpreted relevant to rootstock/scion performance (controlled growth of the scion match is key - you want them producing fruit not lots of foliage and vine)

Thanks for your help!

Did you fertilize? It could be a fertilizer imbalance or pH problem. The plant in the background looks great.

Still under the grow lights, and the same nutrients for the other ones. We are going to take it out of the container tonight, and change the dirt. Hopefully that's all it is.

Thanks for the replies.

Commercial plants are sometimes over-fertilized to give them that dark green appearance. The uninformed public thinks they look healthier which isn't necessarily true.

Other issues - light exposure for example - can lead to color differences as commercial growers grow plants very differently than the average home grower. Different varieties can also differ in leaf color.

Is it a problem? No, not if your home grown plants are sufficiently fed and appear healthy.

Dave

Thanks for the reply. I would be afraid to fertilize more because I put bone meal and kelp meal in the whole with all the plants. And the soil is very well composited. The purchased ones may have been in the sun more.

Since this topic rose to the top again, I want to add a photo of my Texas Tomato Cages in 25-gallon containers. They worked great. This photo was taken July 1, 2012, about 6 weeks after the tomatoes were planted out. By the end of the summer, the plants were huge, but the cages held up well. We had a storm with straight line winds over 50 mph, and a couple tipped but did not fall over. The plants were not damaged.

Here's mine. Made out of PVC pipe and fittings. Cost is
about the same as TTC. I've been using this setup for
about 20 years now with the same PVC.

Follow the link to see how it's done.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tom's Tomato cage page

What's the white powdery looking stuff around the base of them?

edweather - it is Sea-90 from Boogie Brew...Sea trace minerals, similar to azomite...

Your mistake lies not with pruning the leaves (though it's unnecessary) but with the spacing and number of plants in that bed. There is definitely not enough room for all of that. Especially with indeterminate tomatoes. You'll see what we all mean in a couple of months.
Caroline

I've kept my tomato plants completely trimmed, 18 inches from the soil.
Keeps area open and free from hiding pests.
I also trim my plant growth back, not allowing branches to touch each other of grow very long.
This has worked for me for many years, I will continue to do so.
Not planted in a SFG garden

Like MTO, I am not a container expert by any means, but I have grown some plants in containers, so here is some additoinal information:

Container plants will need watering more often than tomatoes in the ground, probably daily or more often in times of high temperatures. Dig down with your finger about 3-4", is the growing medium 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. If the medium is very dry, normal watering may have no effect on it, the water will just run off the top and down the sides of the container then out the drainage hole(s). In that case a slower delivery method is needed to allow the growing medium to absorb the water. That is the principle behind those glass watering globes you see advertised. You can slow the delivery down by taking a large plastic container (a gallon milk jug, or even a 2-liter bottle, you'd just have to repeat more with a smaller container) and make a very small hole in the bottom so that it just drips and place it in your planter and fill it up. Repeat as needed until the growing medium is thoroughly moistened throughout the container.

Mulching the top of your container with compost, straw, hay, rotted leaves, grass clippings, even shredded paper or sheets of paper or cardboard helps maintain a consistent moisture level.

Plants that are grown in any kind of container will need feeding more often than plants that are grown in the ground because each time they are watered, the water run off carries away vital nutrients. Many container growers will use a dilute solution of a liquid fertilizer every week or two depending on the condition of the plant.

You can get more information on growing in containers over in the container forum.

Betsy

Here is a link that might be useful: Container Gardening Forum

Thanks for the info Betsy ill make sure to check it daily to make sure the moisture level is correct.