Tomatoes Not Growing

[RalphVa]

In growing tomatoes, if from seed, let them get to about 4 inches. Then dig them up and strip off all side leaves, leaving only the top leaves. Either bury deep down to the top leaves or lay down sideways and cover with soil except for the top leaves.

If bought or grown on the rack, do same thing as above after the digup.

This will give the tomato plant lots more roots to contend with the very hot period of late July and August. In Louisiana, I'd have to nurse mine through these months and possibly even replant if they died. Here in Virginia, we get close to what I experienced in LA now.

Ralph

 

[Jstpssng]

Years ago, I bought some Miracle Gro soil to try out. Planted a small circular veggie garden. Produced great that 1st year. Of course, I never added any more Miracle Gro, just compost and mulch. That soil was DEAD for 4 years. That's how long it took to build up the "bugs, e.g. nematodes and the lot" in the soil so that it would grown anything.

Chemical ferts basic ingredient/carrier is a SALT. Pour salt on a slug. What happens? It dissolves. Chemical ferts provide the NPK needed by the plants, but quit providing the chemical fert, and the soil is DEAD.

My experience. Read "Teaming with Microbes" by Lowenfels, who used to be a Miracle Gro advocate.

Ralph

Experiences differ. 10 years ago I took the trees off an old field and started planting. Of course I lost my best topsoil with the roots.
For the first time since I planted my first garden here in 2002 I have earthworms, that's how long it's taken me to get the soil built back up.
I put compost down, but if not for the 10-10-10 and Miracle Gro I wouldn't have picked a thing.

 

[cqaigy2]

From the other side of the pond, some ideas from when I used to grow them. You cannot give a tomato too much water unless you wash it out of the ground, and the water is only fed from low down. Compost should be laid between the plants and not touch the stalk. The roots will find it when its washed down. A feather on a stick can be used to `tickle` all the flowers to aid pollination. Outside plants, no more than five trusses, or the winter will be there before they ripe. Green tomatoes cropped before a frost will keep in a cool dark room if each are separated, any bad ones removed, and there should be some for Christmas. Green tomatoes can be used to make a nice Tomato Chutney.

I'm going to keep this in mind. Our cool maritime weather gives tomatoes a hard time.

 

[NorTracNY]

Interesting post. I got great germination, but after transplanting into 4" pots they stopped growing. I'm guessing that I got bad potting soil. I will now look to create my own potting soil in the future. Anyone have a recipe? I have compost from the animals, but should I add other things for the potting mix?

 

[CMV]

We had a weird start this year in NC for sure! I hardened my seedlings an extra 2 weeks bringing them in at night, not putting out at all a couple days. Still at that, had to cover twice for frost warnings. They started real slow, but now are growing rapidly, getting bushy, and blooming. If they still look ok, just smallish, probably just give them time & southern exposure (assuming these gray clouds eventually go away).... Some of my squash just started to bloom this week and any other year I'm giving squash away by now because I'm covered up with it.

 

[CMV]

Interesting post. I got great germination, but after transplanting into 4" pots they stopped growing. I'm guessing that I got bad potting soil. I will now look to create my own potting soil in the future. Anyone have a recipe? I have compost from the animals, but should I add other things for the potting mix?

Transplanting shocks them sometimes. Especially of you start them in peat or something then they go into garden/potting soil. That big change in what they were set in can stunt them easily. They seem to recover, but I like either start in the same potting soil I use in containers or buy seedlings from local nursery that starts theirs in a mix similar to mine. The "Bonnie" plants at Lowe's for example (and haven't bought one in forever since they cost too much), they always stunted for me after transplant and just seemed stagnant for a couple weeks before taking off.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Here in the PNW tomatoes do nothing until the nights get to and pretty much stay at 50+ degrees. Not unusual to have a year of the green tomato. Remember tomato's are a tropical plant that originated in Southern Mexico and Central America.

Ron

 

[mapper]

I gave up on growing tomatoes out doors here in western Washington, too many years of marginal crops and early blight showing up just as the tomatoes started ripening in late August. For the past 4 years I have grown them in a 10X20 greenhouse I built. I grow peppers, that I never had any success with, tomatoes and English cucumbers. My tomatoes are currently 2 to 3 feet high and setting well. I use a disposable electric toothbrush to pollinate them as on cool days the bees don't have very good access.
In the past I have used potting mix from a local supply yard but this year they closed to the public due to the pandemic, so I used some compost I had made for the outside garden. Its working well but there are a lot more weeds in the pots to deal with.

 

[mapper]

Tomatoes like heat but at temperatures above 90 degrees they will not set any fruit. During really hot weather it can be a challenge to keep the greenhouse cool enough to get continuous fruit set. Doesn't seem to affect the peppers though.

 

[dragoneggs]

In growing tomatoes, if from seed, let them get to about 4 inches. Then dig them up and strip off all side leaves, leaving only the top leaves. Either bury deep down to the top leaves or lay down sideways and cover with soil except for the top leaves.

If bought or grown on the rack, do same thing as above after the digup.

This will give the tomato plant lots more roots to contend with the very hot period of late July and August. In Louisiana, I'd have to nurse mine through these months and possibly even replant if they died. Here in Virginia, we get close to what I experienced in LA now.

Ralph

Good post Ralph. My dad was the neighborhood king of growing tomatoes. He started them from seed indoors, hardened them off during the day outside and firmly believed you didn't plant until 50degF nights. They were 12 to 18in in height and also laid them sideways on planting to promote more root growth.

Once they started shooting up he would prune such that there was a center stem and 4 other main stems in a square pattern. starting near the ground so five main stems each supported with a tall stake. Then as it sprouted he would pinch off the little shoots that sprout between the branches and the main stems. He always produced grape like clusters.

Each fall he would augment the soil with an equal mix of sand, peat moss, and chicken manure. He always said... "chicken manure is hot... do it before the rains".

My better half and I have tried to replicate his model and have not been as successful but we get big yields none the less.