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Florida Gardening

Help with mator plants pleeeze

12 years ago

Need held with mators. I know I planted a little late but my plants are doing great real healthy but won't produce..

Whats up with that... what I'm I doin wrong?????

Big Healthy plants but keeps dropping the flowers. HELP!!!

Carmen

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Comments (12)

carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
12 years ago
Too much nitrogen?
loufloralcityz9
12 years ago
Carmen,
You probably didn't put any dolomite in your planting bed or pots. Your plants are not getting the needed micro-nutrients. You make it hard for us to guess as you do not give us any information on your planting bed formulation and what you are using as fertilizer.

Again the same problem.... Hey blind man, describe my elephant!
Lou
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gardencraze
Original Author
12 years ago
Ouch Lou that hurt!!!Thanks you for that powerful poke, LOL

I have Big Boy, Mr.Stripy and Cherokee Purple
in a mix of 2 parts compost with 1 part peat moss and added some miracle grow in full sun.

This is the first time I've done tomatos, did not know about Dolomite or what it is.

Thanks for your help,
Carmen
westhamutd
12 years ago
Is it possible that it's just too warm for the plants to set fruit now in your area?
whgille
12 years ago
Carmen,

Did you plant them in the ground? or pots? when they were planted? you said late?

The mix I would think for the ground is okay but for containers I would not do that.

If you planted them late and got too hot, the blossoms drop, if the compost is too rich in nitrogen that could be a problem too.

As far as varieties Big Boy used to be good but lately not so good, not a heavy producer, Mr Stripey is not so good and Cherokee Purple can go both ways good or bad kind of temperamental.

Silvia
gardencraze
Original Author
12 years ago
Silvia they are planted in 5 gal. buckets and I planted about 3 months ago. They look realy good and fresh and lots of blooms, does not seem to be the heat they're nice and perky, but just flower drop.
Boy oh boy I can see I have alot to learn... better get cracking on these forums LOL

Happy gardening,
Carmen
loufloralcityz9
12 years ago
Carmen,
Fine Dolomite Lime has long been a favorite pH stabilizer for gardens. It is difficult to apply too much as long as it is thoroughly mixed into the soil. Dolomite has a neutral pH of 7, and can never raise the pH above 7. It stabilizes the pH safely.

Compensate for acidic soil by mixing dolomite with soil before planting. Dolomite is a compound of Mg (Magnesium) and Ca (Calcium). CaMg(CO3)2

Organic gardeners place a high value on dolomite, both for its capacity to "sweeten" soil by lowering its acidity and for its tendency to act as a secondary fertilizer, especially for tomatoes and related plants.

Chemically, dolomite is a form of calcium magnesium carbonate. The magnesium, which makes up about 40 percent of the mineral, is slowly released from the crystals as it breaks down; therefore, it's an excellent source of a trace mineral all plants require. This is why the mineral form is so often used in fertilizers. In addition, the carbonates in dolomite increase the pH of any soil it's added to, thus decreasing the acidity.

I copied parts of a few write-ups so you could understand what garden dolomite is in comparison to plain garden lime.
It does help control blossom drop & blossom end rot. The good stuff will be ground up very fine just like talcum powder.
Lou
suddensam
12 years ago
gardencraze, heatttttttttttttt, heatttttttttttt, I know your not in Palm Beach County but here we have broke all heat records in April. Tomatos simply cant make baby tomatos in this heat and the blossums drop off, I'm sure your in the same boat any where in Fl. I took mine out for the year this last weekend. I'm not telling anyone what to do but here your much better to take plants completely off your property, in a bag and in the garbage can. The insects and diseases can get a foothold in and there much harder to deal with in the fall. That would be my advice, they go from pretty plants to butt ugly with real problems real fast, and still no tomatos. Plant some new seeds in Aug, step them up in Sept and start eating tomatos in Dec. In my opinion 5 gal buckets are to small a container, with compost in the container in any percentage the plants have no chance, but even with the right medium its just to hot until fall. Good luck.
Plant em if you got em.
Sam
loufloralcityz9
12 years ago
Sam,
What heat??? It was in the 40's last night around here.

Lou
jwahlton
12 years ago
I'm thinking of taking out my tomatoes this weekend too. It's too sad to look at
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
12 years ago
Me again - I'd advise being patient & perhaps adding some phosphorus - powdered milk is an easy way to do that. I mix 1 pkg (makes 1 quart) w/ 1 gallon water & water in around the base of tomatoes, peppers & eggplants - really seems to help. I also use seaweed extract (high potassium) &/or compost tea for a boost to fruiting plants.

You can also use liquid milk & just pour some around the base of the plants the same way. Approx. a cup or 2 per plant...

If not milk, bonemeal is the traditional source for phosporus. Just follow pkg directions.

My 2 cents, FWIW.
loufloralcityz9
12 years ago
Some pics of my Maters.

Red Maters hiding.

Green Maters.

Lou

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