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Vegetable Gardening

Why are my tomato plants so short?

15 years ago

This year my tomato plants seem really short - the biggest ones are only about two feet tall! My friend's plants are twice the size of mine and have much more fruit. Has anyone else noticed their tomatoes don't seem to be a tall as they should? Also, the peppers I planted in 5 gallon buckets are growing like gangbusters and are just starting to flower. The two plants in the ground however are a lighter color green and don't appear to have grown at all. Should I dig them up and plant in containers?

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Comments (8)

carol_se_pa_6
15 years ago
I hope you get an answer to this question because I have the same problem in my veggie garden in NJ. Last year I had the soil tested and added the recommended additives and my tomatoes are still small and the pepper plants are taking their good old time growing also. My friend's plants a few blocks away are over twice that size.
fostina1
15 years ago
i planted some transpants i got from walmart. and then i started some from seed in the exact same spot. the ones i started from seed are 2x as big as the transplants and they arent 3 feet apart. its kinda strange.
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david52 Zone 6
15 years ago
I have the same problem - they're just now hitting 3 feet high, usually by now they're 5 ft tall. Same varieties, same soil prep, same gardener, same set out date, same size at set out, and so on.

The Chinese Year of the Stunted Tomato?
bumble_doodle
Original Author
15 years ago
I haven't changed anything either - same location, sun, etc. Maybe just a slow start this year? Hopefully, in a month or so, we'll all be posting about our fantastic yields!!!
msyoohoo
15 years ago
I think the weather really slowed things down. Good news is during the past 7-10 days mine are going great guns. I was looking down at them a week or so ago and now I am looking up on most of them. You are all a zone away so your turn should be next!
dangould
15 years ago
My advice is to not buy plants. all too often they are not the variety marked. for me I have missed on almost all being wrong.

Plant seeds and get the correct variety that grows like you want them to grow.

One big thing is that plants are usually NOT f1 hybrids. The growers of plants all too often save seeds and give you later generations that just do not perform. you must buy high quality seeds and grow your own to get the correct plants.

The growers of plants all too often use inferior seeds. they tend to make their own seeds and get the seeds and the plants mixed up. it makes for random plants.

Just my experience.

I wonder how many people above bought plants instead of good seeds.
msyoohoo
15 years ago
I did seeds and plants. (Seeds started indoors.) The seeds are close but the plants are ahead in size. I also have volunteers in random spots which I am allowing to grow just to see what happens. I want gardening to be a hobby that I enjoy - no more, no less.

Let's face it, at the end of the day there are no bad home-garden tomatoes - only good and better. IMHO.
mistermower
15 years ago
I planted 5 tomatoe plants. One is 7 feet tall and the others are all 3 feet tall. The tall one is a yellow type all others are red. I read that calcium will help them so I crushed some egg shells and put it around the plants, hope it helps.

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