16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
Hehehe. At least you got some tomatoes, though!
I don't think we would have found such a thing at a yard sale this year. Two hail storms 10 days apart in July wiped everyone out -- including 5,000-6,000 roofs and probably 10,000 cars, maybe more.
Thanks, Carolyn, that helps a lot. I did not realize that the tap root would not be present in any transplanted tomato. Guess the only direct seeding I do is into a pot for transplant into the garden or container. So apparently none of mine have a 'tap root'. I pondered on experimenting with direct seeding into the garden, but I would lose so much precious growing season time it does not seem to be worth it - especially if the diffuse root is beneficial.
Carol
While a tap root is not necessary, in a very dry climate, it may be very useful because it allows the plant to take up water from deeper in the soil profile. This does NOT mean it is something you should try to get in a tomato plant. The tap root reduces growth of the fibrous root system which is more useful for uptake of nutrients in the top 12 inches of soil.
DarJones
You wrote "but there are peppers in the GH attached that are not showing herbicide damage."
In my experience with home gardens, tomatoes are extremely sensitive -- they need only a whiff -- peppers somewhat less so.
And I wonder if the plants in the GH & high tunnels received a higher dose than the outdoor plants simply because they are "enclosed" to a certain degree.
wpmoorej, I have a very healthy respect for the ability of 2.4D (especially the ester formulations) to drift off target and the susceptibility of tomatoes to the chemical. We used to say that tomatoes only had to hear the name 2.4D and they would start curling up! It also occured to me that you might be using 'growth regulating' products and that could contribute to the condition.
Regrettably I cannot offer a remedy. If the exposure has been light, the plants might outgrow the condition.
Try this data base......
Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato disease
Have you checked out the FAQ here on how to grow tomatoes from seed? Lots of great info. And no 8 hours of sunlight isn't enough for seedlings. 12-16 hours is pretty much standard which is why supplemental lighting is recommended. Otherwise they become quite leggy and fall over.
Plus you pics look like they may have some green mold growing on the soil surface? If so that is a symptom of excess soil moisture and inadequate air circulation - which is why a small fan is recommended.
Dave
I didn't water the seedlings for two days carefully checking on them for any wilting but they actually looked way better at the end of the second day.
I then carefully waters each one equally with small amounts of water... Less than I was giving before. Today they did great.
I am going to make sure to be careful on not giving them too much water.
I am bringing a fan outside to give them extra strong wind for like 15 minutes out so each day.
I am going to place the seedlings on the roof where there isn't as many things to make shade so the seedlings get maybe another two hours of sunlight... I may consider setting up lights somehow but I would like to avoid that by moving the seedlings to chase the sun..
ohhh I am sorry I didn't see your reply until just now!
as for local produce... they do grow tomatoes, bell peppers,cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce (both iceberg and romain, though iceberg can get expensive here) etc...
they import a lot of vegetables and fruits from India and Pakistan, Lebanon, Egypt etc... for reasonable prices, and then from Europe and the US at a pretty high cost.
Just to say that you're referring to Yellow Brandywine ( Platfoot) so folks don't think it's a Brandywine, which is pink. Seeds to me from Gary Platfoot of Ohio who lives near where Yellow Bandywine was first known and named and a strain that I and others hgave found to be much better than the seeds circulating for Yellow Brandyine.
I've had many varieties that continues to produce well and do so until they were cut down by a hard frost. If I let the weeds go they could protect from a light frost by taking the brunt of that, but not a hard frost.
So I take it no frosts in you area yet.
(So my question - is this just what happens when a plant never catches blight? Do all tomatoes have this potential, or is this plant a genetic anomaly? Of course, I saved seeds so I can at least try to answer this question next year, but does anyone have any input or had a similar experience with a plant that just wouldn't quit?)
I think it depends on which specific diseases you refer to when you say blight since that word is often used to indicate a sick tomato plant.
Where I live we don't have serious problems with soilborne systemic diseases, but do have the common foliage pathogens.
And I do find that most of my PL varieties tend to do better with the foliage pathogens and have suggested in the past that it could be due to the thicker epidermis of PL leaves.
But I have absolutely no proof of that and while some would agree with me, some wouldn't.
So near the end of the season I can see many PL varieties hanging in there while those with certain foliage infections have bit the dust.
Hope that helps.
Carolyn
I dont know the name of the tomato but it still is magical. I found a volunteer tomato plant that grew in my yard, around where I seeded tomato seeds into pots. it could be a spillover and went into soil directly and on its own it germinated. what is facinating is that its still about 12" tall after 3 months, did not grow too well, was not watered properly, never fertilized, has roots exposed, and was replanted into area that was not rich in nutrients or tilled. for some reason this keeps putting up tomatoes with no blossom drop while all other plants I took good care got hit with blosson drop.
I will post pictures of this tomato once ripe and would definitely save its seed for its hardiness.
carolyn137 I want to come back and read these posts more carefully this weekend when I have time and can absorb more.
But In the meantime I wanted say I think we settled on early blight.
I will link to the post below.
BTW the plants in the picture are still alive and kicking. They look pretty rough but still have fruit.
Here is a link that might be useful: Still think this Septoria
From reading the above, I would point out that the varieties you listed are all below normal producers in this area. Also, your ground preparation could probably be improved. Here are my suggestions.
1. Druzba - excellent flavor, outstanding production
2. Eva Purple Ball - huge production, decent flavor
3. KBX - about the best orange you will grow
4. Brandywine - just start them much earlier
5. Burgundy Traveler - phenomenal production, decent flavor
6. Heidi - an excellent determinate paste tomato
7. Bloody Butcher - if you want an early golf ball size tomato.
8. Grow some Big Beef and/or Mtn Magic again next year
Do more work to prepare your soil. I've had excellent results with purchasing bales of alfalfa hay and peat moss at my local feed and seed store and tilling it in at a rate of a bale each to 200 square feet. Then get some manure and till in about 400 pounds in the same area. Manure should be easy to find in your area, caveat to be careful about weed seed and possibly high salt concentrations.
Last suggestion is to start earlier. Depending on your exact location, you should have plants in the ground somewhere between the 15th of April and the 15th of May. The earlier the better. The larger the plants you set out within some limits, the better, just don't try to set out plants that are already blooming. I have grown Brandywine very successfully by transplanting into the garden on the 25th of March and covering the plants for a few nights over the next 3 weeks until past the frost free date.
DarJones
Shortly before that I added a family heirloom named by the donator for his father--the "George Curtiss Spoon Tomato".
..... is from the link I posted above as you just reposted.
I found the thread I linked to above via Google, yes, but what I linked to was the thread where the variety was discussed by you.
Calm down Trudi, calm down. Have you ever read so fast that you've made a mistake? Or made a mistake posting about a tomato variety or anything else?
I know I have but when I'm perfect in all ways I'll post that at the sites where I normally post, which isn't here at GW that much, and do so right before I join the tomato Godesses and Gods up in the big sky.
Because that's the only place where perfect tomato people end up at. ( smile)
Carolyn
This is not the first time you have raced through my words to find what you wanted and made a false accusation. Try looking instead for good things about me or anyone else who doesn't go your way and maybe that's what you'll see. May I suggest that you look in the mirror when you tell someone to calm down, because you racing through posts to find negatives is unseemly and not something that produces any, ehem, uplifiting effect.
Good luck with your future smiting ;-)
T
5 gallons is the minimal size container recommended for growing tomatoes.
Koralik is listed as both a determinate and an indeterminate but neither would survive in that small a pot. Never grown it so can't say how big it will get but it would quickly get rootbound.
Golden Nugget is a more compact plant but still easily reach 2 1/2 feet tall.
Dave
More important than the pot, perhaps, is how large the vine will grow and whether you have room for it indoors -- and how you'll support it if you do have room.
For varieties which do not grow so tall, see the "Container Tomatoes" and "Dwarf Tomatoes" sections in Tatiana's TOMATObase:
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Category:Container_Tomatoes
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Category:Dwarf_Tomatoes
In some cases the articles cite plant height.
Some people do say it's possible to grow some smaller-vined tomatoes in containers under 5 gallons -- but details are difficult to come by.
===
If you're ever contemplating using a container you don't know the size of, you can calculate the volume in inches, then divide the total by 231. That will give you the number of gallons.