16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

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.

Dave,

Thanks for your comments. Sunlight may not be all the problem because past years have had good crops. Maybe over fert? It is possible that fertilizer from previous year is still there... How much fertilizer are you using in your EarthBoxes?

It is possible that fertilizer from previous year is still there

Doubt it although I suppose it is 'possible' since they are inside and so less exposed to the elements. Mine all winter over outside on the deck until time to move them into the greenhouse, recharge them and plant.

But don't rule out sun exposure completely because even mine started in the GH really kick into gear once they are moved outside.

As to ferts, when ready to re-plant I dump each box out on a tarp and let the mix (I use ProMix BX in mine and since it is already pH balanced I don't add any lime) dry out well, re-charge it with about 1/3 new fresh mix and I stir in 2 cups of time release fertilizer such as Osmocote, repack the box and plant.

I water as needed (I use drip irrigation down the tube) until first fruit set and after first fruit set I give the plants 1 gallon of mixed-up per label water soluble fertilizer each week in addition to the regular watering - just pour it down the tube. Some I have talked to use MG fertilizer at 1/2 strength, some prefer the MG Rose fertilizer, I prefer to use Earth Juice (Sea Blast Transition) on mine but any water soluble is probably ok depending on the nutrient ratings it has and if they need to be diluted or not.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Thanks guys,

Yeah I used a soiless mix, organic seed starting mix. They are about 12" tall; the camera was just really zoomed in on the stem.

They were all started together which is why it's so odd, and I've had a fan on them until the last 10 days they've been outside (planting Monday - Thursday)

I'll plant really deep with those guys because it can't hurt anything really. If they don't grow I guess I'll pull them after a couple months and plant something else.

Sincerely,
Martin

Yeah, don't worry too much about it. Just bury them with the ring below the new soil line and they'll catch right back up with the others.

homegardenpa, Actually, the salicylic acid (aspirin) is a good thing too. Salicylic acid is a plant hormone that regulates plant defenses against many pathogens. It has been demonstrated that adding salicylic acid at low levels to growing plants reduces disease. Here are a couple of reviews to get you into the literature:
http://biologie.univ-mrs.fr/upload/p189/salicylicreview.pdf
http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/bio/2009-0512-200821/NatChemBiol-Pieterse-2009.pdf

It seems Ms. Sandberg is ahead of the curve.

Her techniques are certainly not for everyone. She does strongly recommend soil testing. Kudos to you for doing it. Not enough people do it. If your methods give yields and quality that you are happy about AND at a price you like, why would you change?!?

Good luck with your tomatoes this year!

Carolyn - just got back from the farmer's market (I live in downtown Raleigh, btw) and brought home 3 dwarves - red robin, summertime green and sleeping lady; a Mexican Midget (of course!); black from Tula; rose quartz; and a speckled roma. Also a casper eggplant, and my boyfriend picked out a Vietnamese multi pepper and a NuMex heritage jalape�o. I'm excited about the dwarves (never grown a dwarf before) - already potted them into 6 gallon pots. Craig gave me the advice not to argue with you - said you're a teacher and you'll always be right. ;)

I'm with you on the pruning but mostly because I'm lazy. I will generally stay on top of the suckers and I'll prune all the lower leaves but I've found that Actin-iron, regular foliar application of Actinovate and mulch have kept disease down.

DWD2 - I think I'm going to use Carolyn's planting hole amendments. I'm a big fan of RootZone Mycorrhizal Fungi and I like the idea of the fish parts decomposing over time and continuing to nourish the tomatoes. My plants are about 18" tall so the hole will be pretty deep and I don't think I'll have to worry about scavengers. I'm doing all my eggplants and peppers in containers this year so I'll be able to give the tomatoes all the room they need.

Homegardenpa - I already have all that stuff laying around so I think I'm gonna do an experiment and plant a couple of the same varieties, one with Love Apple Farms' method and a control with my normal method (which, honestly, aside from the fish and aspirin is pretty similar).