16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
Here in IL from all accounts people did really well with yields of tomatoes. Most people I know say " best year for production" so I am not sure about changing varieties... might have been something else going on for you- what was your particular problem- not growing well, not setting fruits, getting disease?
Jerry, to get real advice, It would be helpful if you described your growing conditions :
--- In ground, or container (If latter, container size, what kind of soil)
--- Soil type, and test ?
--- Temperature range (highs, lows) , say in July and August, for example
--- Amount of sun ; direct, defused, shade
--- Watering and fertilizing regiment
--- Pest and/or diseases, if any.
--- Do do, stake, cage? How do you support them ? Prune any ?
They're currently under two 2' 2 lamp T5 fixtures (not HO, 28w tubes) on the little shelf I have them on, and there are three clamp on brooder lamps with CFLs (equiv. to 100w incandescent... not sure what the actual CFL wattage is) supplementing some side lighting. I doubt the energy usage for this addition is excessive. My regular light shelf has two shop lights, two HO t5 2 bulb fixtures, and 1 4 bulb HO fixture. My main light shelf is running year round with either seedlings or nursing the orchids we almost killed in the main house back to health.
These guys have never seen natural light. I started them under T12 shop lights supplemented by a brooder lamp with a CFL (adds some heat to encourage the seedlings to grow as well as supplemental light, the shop lights run very cool). Then when they out grew that shelf they moved to a different shelf with t5 HO lights (54w tubes). They moved to their current spot off my main light shelf when they outgrew that shelf.
Started in 6 pack seed starting cells, transplanted them to the solo cups once they outgrew those. I'm feeding them every other watering with a diluted 10-10-10 mix in their water.
So far, they've been flowering like mad and setting fruit extremely well. Much better than I expected it to go. I was not expecting this many flowers this quickly.
Oh, and this is in my basement, and I believe (I need to check the timer) I have a 16h on 8h off schedule. I'm far from an expert. I've started seedlings, overwintered other plants, and grew some things like lettuce and chard. I'm learning by trail and error. entirely possible that I'm going to find this entire attempt to be one big error ;)
Depend on the variety, IMO.
Some dets produce one flush and then take a long pause. So if you have a short season, forget the second flush (e. SFT). Some dets actually act like indets, producing continuously ( eg. Bush Steak, Siletz, ..). Some indets are known not producing much . like Cherokee Purple, Brandywine (my experience).
So I think there is no way to make a generalization. You have to take each tomato separately and see its productivity in your climate/zone.
I think also it might depend whether you are counting pounds or number of tomatoes. Most of my Det plants produced more tomatoes but smaller.
Next year I will be growing mostly Det or all Det not sure yet.
I will also be planting fewer plants, I over planted this year and ended up with way too many tomatoes. I didn't think that could happen. LOL
One of my favorite Det tomatoes this year was Bush Beefsteak, it is a pretty nice variety to grow.
I did find some very interesting articles on fermenting tomatoes as well as peppers...
http://www.underwoodgardens.com/slide-recipes-and-cooking/ingredients/tomato/fermented-tomato-conserve-conserva-cruda-di-pomodoro/#.VCAXJGd0zzB
I don't think it is the soil. Drought stress could have been a factor in the other plant since it was root-bound. This one has been given a huge pot that doesn't dry out easily. The soil seems to be ok. The 90 degree temps stopped about 3 weeks ago. It was fine then-no wilting at all.
This morning more notch-shaped lesions appeared. From pictures they look like Verticillium Wilt pics, although to my eye a lot of tomato diseases seem like they can look identical to each other. One of the tomatoes seems to be ripening a little prematurely- it is blushing when there is still dark green on top.
BTW, my basil has been infected with downy mildew. I don't know if tomato plants can be infected with that.
Maybe Dave or Carolyn could take a look?
I think I might have found a clue. There are a lot of trees/woods in my area of the apt complex. The trees around my apartment have been looking sickly in the last month or so, and it seems to be progressing. Lots of yellow leaves with various sized brown lesions. And not normal autumn color change- sick looking. Didn't think much of it at first, but just now I looked out my window and saw three birch (?) leaves each with a large v-shaped lesion. Now I'm thinking my tomato plants might have the same thing the trees have, so maybe it is VW or some other vascular disease. The cherry tomato that died first was closer to the trees than the celebrity. With all the rain and storms we've had, maybe the spores spread to my balcony with the wind/rain? Or maybe I brought it inside and spread it to the plants?
Actually there are quite a few strains of bacillus subtillus and the Bayer product uses QST 713 strain of dried bacillus subtilis which is the same as used in Serenade. Though it is used for fungacide it is not for the fungus associated with damping off.
The Pro-Mix BX or Pro-Mix PGX versions with biofungacide contain the bacillus subtillus strain MB1600 which does control damping off. (Subtilex I believe is the brand name of mb1600)
You need to know which organism you are after and then which of the biofungacides target it. There are also some that target or have some effectiveness against fusarium but I have not really looked into it that much. I think Actinivate is one that targets fusarium ... Right Ted??
Dennis
REAL GOOD AERATED COMPOST TEA PROBABLY HAS BACILLUS SUBTILLUS IN IT....I KNOW APPLIED SPRAYING EITHER SLOWS DOWN EARLY BLIGHT OR KNOCKS IT OUT...I WOULD ALSO APPLY AS DRENCH...GOING TO TRY ALSO BURYING A FEW VEGETABLES CLOSE TO ROOTS AS ROTTING VEGETABLES ALSO PRODUCE BACILLUS SUBTILLUS....MAY EVEN PULL SOME GRASS, ROOTS AND ALL AND BURY TOO....BACILLUS SUBTILLUS IS KNOW AS HAY OR GRASS BACILLUS...WE'LL SEE....THE INDIAN
seysonn,
Not sure where I was disagreeing with anything to get shouted at that they are fine heirlooms already, but if you want to why not let's rumble:
"The tomatoes that I have ARE GENUINE FINE heirlooms already. (1) Green Zebra "
The first one is a fake heirloom (a.k.a. created heirloom), which was created by Tom Wagner on the West Coast, , less than 35 years ago who says anthing he names is an heirloom.
"But back to yours, PC. You don't even show the face of your girli. How should we id it ?"
Don't knock yourself out, here they are by popular demand, my artistical tomato(es)! Provisionally name, the "What Knockers" variety with deference to Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein movie:
I had to wash all the mud off that side and take off a blemish or two to make good tomato art.
PC, well, usually PC
Seysonn: "You don't even show the face of your girli. How should we id it ?"
Lets be honest with ourselves, here. "Gentlemen" such as myself weren't looking at her face anyways, especially not in her most recent photo ;).
This post was edited by ZachS on Sat, Sep 20, 14 at 19:27
Hi Deeby - this is a favorite topic - although I have a strong opinion about the great taste of a refrigerated tomato on a hot summer day - I wouldn't think of trying to force my opinion on Jennie - haha! I agree with Lucille - Jennie needs to put one in the fridge and one on the counter and taste them both - the answer lies within! If she likes the one on the counter - there may still yet be hope for her - haha
This post was edited by Hudson...WY on Fri, Sep 19, 14 at 4:18
You can have all the calcium in the World, but if your growing medium is or gets acidic, as peat does, your plants will be unable to utilize it.
I do agree with seyson that some tomatoes are prone to BER. Specifically those include paste types.
Hi Dominick,
I have no need to supplement with calcium. suncitylinda is right, though, in that if you use a lot of peat you will have a soil on the too far acidic side. Use of agricultural calcium nitrate is not addressing the acidity, nor is it a replacement for a pH adjuster like lime, but rather it is used simply as a calcium fertilizer, which in another point she makes, will not necessarily treat BER.
Since I garden in self-watering containers, I do not like to add pH adjusters just for the sake of adjusting pH, as it amounts to fixing something that isn't broken and that usually leads the wrong way ;-)
The reason I do not supplement with calcium is because I get more alkalinity than I need from my tap water, and it tends to build up. No need to pay or do any work with a calcium supplement. That said, if you must add a calcium source pH adjuster, dolomitic lime is the way to go in a container, for chemical reasons, and better than most other non-miracle promising economical calcium products, when used in moderation.
My bottom line is that if the tomatoes grow vigorously and the feed water is alkaline, the tomatoes do just fine with my acidic soil which tends basic as water is run through it.
Controlling pH is like driving. Some people over correct all the time and make a job out of it, while others subject the plant to greater swings. I'm in the latter bunch, and my plants will tell me very obviously when they get sick and and adjustment is needed to get them moving again, which has never happened.
I'm sure there is plenty of good advice to have in the Container Gardening Forum (see link). Keep in mind, many of the people giving advice think everyone has the same soil mix and irrigation water composition they do. This is far from the real situation so you mileage *will* vary.
Happy growing
PC, raining again, still ten days forecast of rain, rain rain. On the bright side, rain tends to drift the pH acidic, which both dilutes and slightly acidifies my pH since my containers get auto-filled in the rain ;-) Yay!
Here is a link that might be useful: Container Gardening Experts
1. Don't get discouraged. Even experienced gardeners have bad years. Like the Montgomery County master gardeners this year.
2. If growing in containers, use big ones. Like really, really big ones. Five gallon buckets with a single plant are a minimum. I used whisky barrels for my first (containerized) attempt this year and my best guess is they were 25+ but it was still a lot of work compared to my usual in ground tomatoes.
3. Compost. Over the long term, you can improve your soil and meet a lot of your fertilizer needs with composting. And the do post bin attracts earthworms.
4. Read and think. That way you learn from others. And day dreaming and thinking about and reading about gardening is part or the fun.
5. Try something new and different. The world of tomatoes is vast and the only way to get a sausage shaped tomato with stripes is to grow it yourself. So why not try some of those instead of or in addition to yet another globe shaped red one?
6. Carolyn137 is a minor deity where tomato growing is concerned. Learn from her. :)
7. Tomatoes look like small plants when they start out and when you see them in the store. But they get enormous really fast, especially the indeterminate varieties. So give them a lot of room.
8. Tomatoes are like depressed people. Some good support is essential.
9. Be prepared for questions and imitation by your neighbors. Since I started gardening again, there has begun to be a tomato jungle in my neighborhood.
Have fun! This is a great hobby, so don't worry about it too much.
Grow some other things too. Nothing compliments a fresh grown tomato like some freshly grown oregano or basil. The only plant more fun to grow than a tomato (in my opinion) is a pepper plant. And if your tomatoes have a bad year and disappoint, then you will still have your other crops. That way no year is ever a total disappointment.
Angie
Plant Disease > Seedlings: Damping off Disease > Several methods to stop your seedlings from rotting and falling over such as: chamomile tea, horsetail or seaweed sprays.
picture.I just weighed 3 largest from my yesterday's pick. Came up with :
2 lbs 7 oz = 39 oz or average 13 oz. I get a lot of 8 oz to 12 oz. from my CP, Ananas Noire, and Pineapple. The rest are mostly under 7oz. But then I get more of them.
I am quite happy.
I cannot judge the quality and health of your plants based on the pictures, but I think one of the possibilities for not having fruits can be high temperatures. So if you are getting consistent temps over 90F, then it is likely that your plants are aborting (aka blossom drop).
Just a brainstorming type of thing :-)
"The leaves are quite small too...are they in full sun? ...but the plants should be growing nicely if all other conditions are met..."
There's an enormous difference between your zones 2 and the OP's zone 9, and one of those is that high heat can cause a chunky stocky indeterminate to get all wonky thin. The plant can also have a hard time recovering from that state when the weather breaks cool after sustained high heat. Maybe it's just emaciation.
Maybe this can be eased by changes in watering/shading/fertilizing. Maybe not, I dunno, but it also tends to produce weeny rooted clones. Again, this happens only to some people in super hot/dry areas. Right now I have one Sweet 100 that's over-summered, a few more that were layered from it in the dirt, a couple that were rooted in water from cuttings from it, and some more that were grown from seed started in July. The mama plant is one sick puppy (that may or may not pull through fruit-wise), the outdoor clones are skinny, the seeded starts are chunky, all except mama are flowering, and there's not a hint of fruit in sight.
Hey, it's an experiment and the dirt's not being used otherwise, but the point is that sustained heat, lack of fundamental soil moisture, and very dry air can smack tomato plants silly.