16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

LOL! @ buzzsaw8

Betsy

Let me tell ya 'bout the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees

All the spring rains dilute the flavor too and as the plant matures so does its circulatory system.

Dave

Absolutely agree, that's been my experience as well

Thank Dave and bigpinks. I do have a 1/4 seive as I thought this was too big for the 5:1:1. I know the gritty mix has to be much smaller. Thanks again.

here's the link to the gardenweb forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: Soil, Compost and Mulch forum

I've never heard of any of these brand names in Canada. We use a copper-based fungicide (brand name Bordo); it's commonly called Bordeaux mixture and can be homemade. Is my stuff more, or less, effective/toxic than what you guys are talking about?

Don, I feel your pain. I'm in San Diego and have experienced major problems in the last three years. By early July my tomatoes are losing all of their lower leaves and just look hideous. By August, I've usually given up (and they have too).

I've tried so many different things I don't know where to start.

This year, I hate to admit it since I've always been an organic gardener, I've decided to say screw the organic stuff. I don't want to lose 20 plants I started from seed. I've been spraying with Ortho Disease Control (pretty sure that has the same active ingredient as Daconil). So far, so good. They are healthy and lush and about 3' high. No signs of the first lower leaves turning brown and drying up but I guess that usually doesn't happen until sometime in May.

I also realized I have a liquid copper spray that I use once a year on my orange tree. Maybe I'll try that on the tomatoes instead of the Ortho thing. Thanks for creating this thread--some interesting ideas.

I guess living in So Cal comes with its blessing and curses. While plants may thrive, so do the garden pests/diseases.

Here you go for starters -

Red plastic?

Red plastic mulch experiment

Red ground cover under tomatoes?

Ok, i see my mistake was in searching "Red mulch" I should have searched "red plastic." Thanks for posting those Dave. :)

1st image too out of focus to recognize anything.

2nd image shows a starving tomato -- please fertilize!

No probably they don't need fertilizer. The leaves are purpleing up because it's been cold outside. A normal reaction. They will outgrow that if they are in normal garden soil, and the temps warm up. I think the first picture might be trying to show some small spots on the leaves? if so, keep an eye on them. If the spots get bigger, cut those leaves off and dispose of them just to be safe.

I made the same stupid mistake over the weekend. Out of the 5 plants, one was quite badly damaged with burns on most of the lower leaves. The other 4 had burns but only on a few leaves. Mine are over a month old however, so i am hoping they will recover!

We learn....

Thank you everyone, will keep you posted.

I am looking at my whole mess of plants and contemplating the gamble. I don't mind if they stay in limbo for a bit. They are getting awfully big for their pots some of them, and the tomato leaves are turning their usual purple from deficiency. Would having them sit in limbo in the garden until it warms be a lesser evil? Just wondering.

Reporting back - I had a few out in the last month (covered) that withstood 7 nights below 45, with the lowest temp being 40. Again these were covered at night.

I had several more that went out 2 weeks ago, unprotected, and had to withstand 3 nights below 45, the lowest low being 42.

So far, all of them look absolutely perfect. Yet, after reading this thread, im freaked out that they may have suffered a chilling injury that will affect production, so im tempted to go out and get some nursery starts. My normal plant out date is tomorrow, May 1...

Once again, thanks Dave. You guys are really tomato gurus! I hope my plants will recover and actually relieved its sun and wind scald rather than infestation by leaf miners. This is within my control, the bugs, less so!

Another lesson learnt!

Leaf miner damage has a very classic appearance and this isn't it. But for the most part leaf miners pose no real threat anyway if you do get them.

Dave

salthart, here are some sources for good tomato seed which have inexpensive S&H; seed prices vary but some are quite cheap and one is free! Most have quite a selection; I think TGS is the only one offering many hybrids.

Tatiana's Seeds. S&H is free if you order 8 packets, and $2.00 for less than that.
Order info is on the left; the catalog can be accessed on the right, about 1/4 of the way down the page.
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Tatiana%27s_TOMATObase_-_Heritage_Tomatoes
Be sure to check out the TOMATOBase itself: the best English-language database for open-pollinated tomatoes.

Marianna's Heirloom Tomatoes: S&H is $4.95.
https://www.mariannasheirloomseeds.com/

Tomato Growers Supply: S&H is $5.25 per order.
http://www.tomatogrowers.com/
They also have a paper catalog.

Sample Seed Shop. Shipping is $3.75 up to 20 packets.
http://sampleseeds.com/?page_id=65

WinterSown's Your Choice offer. 6 seed packets; you list your preferences, but there may be substitutions. Send a SASE business-size envelope with two first-class stamps. No other cost.
http://wintersown.org/wseo1/YourChoiceTomatoSASE.html

Sand Hill Preservation Center. Free for orders over $10.00; for smaller orders, S&H is $2.00.
http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/catalog/seed_menu.html
They also have a paper catalog.

Yellow Pear

Thank you all!

I've added some organic fertilizer to the pot but it had a low nitrogen content so I supplemented with some 5:1:1 fish base liquid fertilizer to help give a nitrogen boost.

One more question - I'm thinking about adding some clover as a cover crop, partly to keep the direct sun off the soil and partly for the nitrogen fixing that clover does. Is this a half baked idea with lots of drawbacks or would there be some mileage in it?

Ascrius - it looks like potting soil - it has perlite in it. I don't think their garden soil has perlite (though I could be wrong).

Except for rare Y-forks, all tomato branches are suckers: they start between a leaf and the main stem, and they have a growing tip like the plant's main stem. If you remove every sucker on a tomato plant, you will have a single stem.

The side "branches" with leaves are actually leaves. Each "branch" is a single compound leaf. For instance, check out WinterSown's photos of leaves from different tomato varieties. Each photo shows a single leaf.
http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/Tomato_Leaf_Scans.html

The side "branches" which bear flowers and fruit are also known as "trusses." Note that flower trusses almost never have leaves (a few varieties may have a leaf at the end of some of the clusters, and there are also rare varieties which have cluster that end in a growing point, but those are even more unusual).

So again, if you remove every sucker, you'll have a single stem with leaves and flower/fruit trusses.

simplyoranges,

You didn't say what variety of tomatoes you have. Do you know if they are determinate or indeterminate? To me those nodes between branches look pretty short, which means they could be determinate and should NOT be pruned. Also determinates will grow to a varietal height (in "optimal" growing conditions) and no amount of pruning will make them grow any taller.

Please let us know what variety you have.

Betsy

Here is a link that might be useful: FAQ on Pruning Tomato Plants

Just to answer your specific question about trimming the plants back, I wouldn't do that. You want to keep the main stem growing because it will produce the biggest and earliest tomatoes. Some people top off their tomatoes near the end of the season, but never early in growth. It's better to shorten the plant by burying the stem much deeper.

No problem at all when they get tall like that. Deep planting works.....and the OTHER, just as good approach is laying them down sideways and bending up the last 4-5 inches above ground.