16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

I noticed several of your pots have more than one seedling in them. At this stage (one or two pairs of true leaves) I think there should be no more than one plant per pot. Fertilizing seedlings often causes problems for me. I find its better to keep potting up to larger containers and use a quality soilless potting mix with some fertilizer in it. Bury the stem up to the first or second set of leaves to encourage more roots. I don't fertilize until they go outside because of the risk of burn. I think what you describe as sunburn could be fertilizer burn.

Hey! Thanks for the input Ohiofem!=) My tomatoes had 2 seedlings per pot, and I just culled them to one each today! Much more room for them to spread now!=D Anyways, it totally could be fertilizer burn! But only one leaf is like that, so I don't think it's too bad... I hope!=P I'm definitely going to be holding off the fertilizers like everyone has said, until they're ready for it. Well, hope my seedlings perk up soon!=)

Our temps were lower than predicted (grrr) and the covering I used wasn't enough for 27 degrees. I have two Husky Cherry Reds which were about 9" tall and have now lost their leaves. The lower stems are still green. I'll keep watering them and see what happens next.

Lost most of the leaves on the figs (right next to the house), all the new growth on the spring-flowering camellia (right next to the house), all the new growth on the dwarf Burford hollies on the side away from the house, much of the new growth on the inkberries I planted last fall, and most of the (very new) leaves on the young walnut trees.

Of course this is NOTHING compared to the infamous 2007 freeze.

So far the apples and cherries (which had already flowered and set fruit) seem okay.

The two podocarpus (which some people say shouldn't even be grown in anything colder than zone 8) are just fine -- even the new growth. Go figure.

I covered mine and still lost about 1/3rd of my plants. The others were damaged, but it has been my experience that a frost damaged plant will recover and do just fine; so long as the frost did not kill it.

Either one could be one of 200 or more varieties. Can't the source person provide any info?

Dave

They were in a mixed heirloom case. I guess I could call the purveyor.

I am not a tomato expert, but geraniums (pelargoniams) get edema when they are in a cool greenhouse and cannot expire water quickly enough. They completely recover when put out into the warm sun. Can you put your plants out in the sun for about a week to see if they recover?

I didn't ever figure out what was on my tomatoes, but went ahead and put them all in the ground. I had two plants die on me last year (both Green Zebra plants), and everything else turned out completely fine once I put them in the ground. It was an incredibly hot summer, so I had some issues with lack of pollination come July, but overall, they were safe as they were to be put in the garden (as far as I know anyway!). Hope that helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: Megan's Messy Garden

You might try oxhearts, they're very meaty, taste great and generally not many seeds.

ty i will look for them

I devote 1.5 of my stationary tunnels to early tomatoes. 200 big tomatoes and 60 cherries. Then I use the other 4.5 for other crops. This year one is for peppers, the other one is early greens and onions. Then the movable tunnels are for carrots, greens, cucumbers, onions, zucchini and tomatoes. I am trying something different this year. I am planting 4 succession plantings of tomatoes. The first one is the largest and the remaining will be about 80 to 100 plants. I am doing all of these in high tunnels to keep the size of my tomatoes up this year.

Jay

My season in Miami is almost over. Nothing much can help me here.

I'm surprised nobody has sucessfully stabilized the sungold variety yet. I mean it should be possible right? other hybrids have eventually turned into stable OP strains.

CH,

There are several stabilized varieties out there (Sungold Select, Big Sungold, etc). I've grown SG Select & while it was good, I wasn't as impressed with it. But that's just me.

Agreed. Pepper seeding leaves are more rigid and perfectly eliptical and completely without the fuzzy hairs. Although you might have different stem colors I suspect the reddish colored one is the tomato.

I am doing both right now and only the tomatoes are covered in tiny hairs, the peppers are smooth.

I just bought some new plants today at the San Gabriel Nursery. $1.95 each so I got four, two for my mom and two for myself. Planting one in a big pot and one in the ground where the old one was.

Here is the San Gabriel Nursery web site if you are curious -

http://sgnurserynews.com/site/

I have before tried to cut suckers off the plant and replant and hope it rooted but no luck. I gotta try again.

Another option is bending down a long stem so it contacts the soil (perhaps 12-18" from the tip), weighting it with something (the proverbial brick, landscape staples, whatever), and keeping that soil damp. You'll get roots.

Suckers are supposed to root better in soil than in water.

Pinch off any buds so the new plant can concentrate on making roots.

I get mine out as much as I can during the day. Seems like real sun and a little fresh air makes them stronger and healthier.
Just be sure to start slowly and gently. No direct sun and use a wind break first of all.
I bring them in at night unless temps are above 45 degrees.
I'm lucky enough to have two seedling racks with three shelves leftover from my medical clinic, used for my supply closet. I use one indoors with lights and outdoors which I can roll under the porch r out into direct sun.

As most posters above say. A simple guideline is to start hardening them off on the last frost date, then plant them 1-2 weeks later depending on the 14 day forecast. Start in shade. You can start sooner if you wish as other posters have mentioned, but the benefit is minimal over the long term, and you may have to start from scratch if you get a daytime cold snap. A fan on the seedlings while still indoors helps strengthen them up for transplant though.

Since you have cardboard between the leaves and the ground, I would leave it. Especially since they are already so big.

I really appreciate you all responding with such good information. The amount of shade my whole yard is an issue here. This area does get about 4-5 hours of direct sun in the mornings and indirect all afternoon.
Thanks again,

Keith

MG Garden Soil compacts and drains poorly. Even with ideal conditions if used in containers it results in root rot and a very stressed plant. Stressed plants are much more prone to stunted growth, nutrient deficiency, reduced production, pests, and diseases.

It's Ok to add to an in-ground garden but definitely NOT for containers. Hopefully you will not leave the plants in it in pots, especially such small pots. That size will work for one of the dwarf varieties but not for an indeterminate like Early Girl.

Dave

Yes, you goofed. But I've read posts from people that did the same and their tomatoes grew fine. If it is a problem, your tomatoes are going to grow extremely slowly and will ultimately probably only produce a tomato or two.

You can take your chances with what you bought or get a bag of potting mix instead of the garden soil.

To grow an Early Girl, you are probably going to want a 5-gallon bucket. Not much chance at success with a 12-17" pot except to get them started.

You don't need to till to grow a tomato. Just dig a little hole and stick it in there and water it.

You want the plants to be gradually acclimated to the conditions where they will be growing. The cold frame does not accomplish this. You may want to pop the in there if there is a short, unexpected dip in conditions, but otherwise you want to harden them off, gradually, outside.

Susan, you took the words right off my post that never went thru. I totally agree with both posts you offered.

The only consolation I might add is that once plants have been in the cold frame for a few weeks the transition to the garden is smooth one with little added care needed.