16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
Uhh more likely it has some sort of added binders or inert additives that while fine for grass isn't approved for use around edibles. Found the MSDS for it here. Manufactured by Espoma and sold under the brand name Organica Lawn Products
At the very least i'd return the remainder of it to the store that sold it to you and demand money back for mis-representing the product as one for the garden.
The MSDS doesn't list any hazards that jump off the page but the link above does provide the phone for calling Organica for more info on safety.
Dave
I have an observation about brandywine. I have two gardens, a modest one in my yard and a second larger garden in an empty lot that is used somewhat as a community garden. I planted brandywine Suddeth's in both plots last year. The mineral soil is the same in both locations but the amendments are different. I use compost and manure in my home garden, and just manure in the community. The watering in my own back yard is through flood irrigation from a secondary water spigot. I flood irrigated it because I don't want tomato disease from splashing soil. The community garden is sprinkled with a single rotating head sprinkler that waters everyones crops at once. I am the one who does the water management in both plots so I manage soil moisture properly. One thing I noticed last year was that the brandywines in the community garden were very productive whereas the ones in my own back yard were less than half as productive. I am not sure whether the better production was caused by better pollination from the water drops falling on the flowers or whether the water on the plants cooled the flowers enough to allow pollination. I suspect the later because I do go out and shake my plants daily to help them pollinate and set fruit. I suppose it could be both. Brandywines have never been that productive for most people here in Utah because of the warm temperatures. So perhaps some of you in hotter climates might help your brandywines set fruit by sprinkling over the plants. Interestingly I did not get disease in my garden plot tomatoes from sprinkling because I mulch and because the water washes off the dirt that splashes up from the soil. Just some of my thoughts.
FWIW, I was in the same boat just a few days ago. Essentially, everything else I had planted started to set fruit 2-3 weeks ago, but the brandywine? Zilch.
Well I checked on monday and finally had not 1 or 2 but 3 tiny brandywines growing. So I guess Id give it another week or two before you really start to worry.
Talk about missingtheobvious.lol I guess I should have taken a look around before posting today. Indigo Rose is a beautiful looking tart tomato.
Like the poster in the other thread though. I can't tell when they are ripe either. They turn purple in sunlight not because they are ripe. On top of that. To this point they are all hard no matter how long they have been on the vine.
When I was in my late 30s or early 40s I realized I consistently missed things that should have been obvious -- and in fact were obvious to everyone else. (It took me that long to realize because ... well ... I miss the obvious.)
I was in a weird mood the day I signed up for GW. But I was right in that it's a unique user-name.
mto
Thanks digdirt, yes that makes sense. We have been in the process of moving so I have nothing unpacked right now to test the soil temps. What soil temp do you think would cook the seeds? Since it's June 6, I am going to replant, otherwise I may not end up with anything.
I fed my tomatoes at the time of planting. 2 cups of tomatotone, 1/4 cup ea of bone meal and espoma lime went into the 12" deep hole, then I placed my seedlings on top. In 10 days they took off like crazy putting me under pressure to do staking or risk damage from winds.
Well, maybe either a little bit of tomato tone or fish emulsion wouldn't hurt. I plan to mulch with a commercial hay/straw product. Not sure about the grass clippings since my grass isn't organic, and I don't know that I want whatever the lawn service is using in my vegetable garden. I think I should stay away from high phosphate fertilizers or use them sparingly considering everything was so high in soil tests. But I do want a good strong start for them and its going to take a little while for those roots to really get down well into the old compost.
I have used beneficial nematodes for control of flea beetles (they kill the beetle larvae in the soil) and I had great results with it, their numbers declined very quickly after the initial application, and since then haven't seen them hardly at all (a year later).
If you read the information provided with the beneficial nematodes (at least the ones I used), you will see a statement that says that their efficacy and their ability to take hold in your garden is increased if the soil is not disturbed (not tilled, etc.).
Being as they hang around longer and do their job better when you go no-till AND, as Dave said, tilling tends to spread the bad guys around - I'd go no-till.
I personally have gone to a no-till system for the past few years and I have had great results with it. I've found that not tilling the soil not only benefits beneficial nematodes, but it also helps other beneficial insects and microorganisms. I've started to notice a wider variety of insects and most of them beneficial. So far this year I've seen lady bugs, brown lacewings, hoverflies, parasitic wasps, and, most recently, soldier beetles.
When reading about soldier beetles for example, I found this little tidbit which might explain why I'm seeing more of them now: "It is important to the life cycle of soldier beetles (and many other beneficial organisms) that they have undisturbed, mulched soil in which to pupate..."
Thanks for reminding me on no tilling. I had no choice. When I moved into the new home, the planters were full with sand/clay mix with rocks. I added a boat load of compost last year. this year I added a lot of compost and composted manure and tilled it so its easy to dig and roots can spread well. hereon I dont plan on tilling as now I am going after nematodes.
I want to use double the concentrate in my affected planters, would it hurt? I want to put all 10M application into some 200 SF planter area.
Sorry but drilling holes won't help. The plant will still get root bound in such a small container. If you are willing you can cut the old plastic pot off but that is seldom needed. You can usually just pull plant and all carefully out of the old container and move it to the larger - much larger - one.
Dave
I agree, herbicide drift. 2-4D can volatilize into a gas and travel far, into the miles if the conditions are right. Your neighbor might not care, but what about everyone with in a mile of you? Don't tear them out, water well and keep them well fed and they will come out of it. They don't look hurt too bad.
Jay
I believe that's a tomato fruitworm (same as corn earworm). The coloration varies, and the older ones have stripes. Here's a photo of a bunch of them with different coloration:
http://entoplp.okstate.edu/ddd/insects/cornearworm.htm
They mostly make deeper holes, frequently very messy.
I'll just add, not sure how you started your seedlings, but the plastic Solo drinking cups provide enough room to get tomatoes well past the stage where they are vulnerable to damping off. Once your seedlings get thier first set of true leaves, they should be potted up to at least those size cups.
From that point they should be getting as much light as possible when the weather is good. You are also in NY, so for instance, if you started your seeds April 1st, by the second or third week of april, you should have them potted up and outside when the weather is nice. The sun in NY in april is not so intense, so you don't have to be real careful about hardening off. Just put them under a tree the first few times out.
Bottom water and keep them outside when the weather is warm enough to. Cool and wet? Move them back inside, keep them in a sunroom or in a south facing window. We had plenty of sun this spring to get your palnts to a very good size. Buying a book is fine, but I have learned all of my gardening knowledge from Gardenweb and the rest of the internet. You have to read a lot of sources, you will be able to discern what is good info, what is someone selling a product, and what is someone with little experience touting thier "system" after they are 4 weeks into thier first time growing anything in thier life ever.
Best thing to do is plant them as deep as you can, use "Potting Mix" I use Miracle Grow with Moisture Control, then mix in a a bag of Moo-Nure which is cow manure and compost mix.
Make sure you drill several holes in the bottom to allow for very good drainage.
Put about 2-3" of your favorite mulch on top.
Use no less than a 15 Gallon pot, this way the watering and nutrient uptake becomes less tricky and the roots have plenty of room to spread.
Water them everyday, the excess water just drains right out.
Feed them every 9-14 days with what ever you prefer, I have been using MG for Tomatoes.
I just planted 3 Dwarfs yesterday, all in 15+ gallon pots with said mixture.
I grow in 5-gallon pots and have had tremendous luck with it. I went to Tractor Supply and bought some cages and staking materials and have constructed a sturdy cage to hold them. Just feed them every ten days and make sure they don't need for water and things will be good.
One idea for next year is to transplant some of the little ones to larger containers so they get some more roots going before final transplant. A Sharpie laboratory marker is good for marking containers or plastic utensils as markers. Printing stands up much better to sunlight than a regular marker.
We didn't actually get much rain (except for last Tuesday), but it was cold - highs around 60, lows in the high 40's - and some rain every day, sometimes a downpour for a few minutes. I held off, the plants are over a foot tall and getting leggy in the 1801 flats and 4" pots. I have been bringing them in and out of the garage each day. But the weather has broken and I'm starting to plant them today!
I had a few tomato plants in my greenhouse that were starting to stall in development and had some purple leaves. I used that spray n grow solution mist on them and within a day or 2 they sprouted new growth that was nice and green again. Now maybe it was a coincidence, but it's worth a try. I agree with the others about trying to intervene too much though as you might through off the balance of other nutrients.
If you're talking about the regular Spray N Grow, it's a solution of iron sulfate and zinc chloride; no phosphorus at all....
Spray N Grow Material Safety Data Sheet