Tapla and Justaguy, I wanted to point out your dislike of organics in containers was reaffirmed by Ray's experiment. I know the problems associated with using organics in containers and that researchers have tried to obtain results equal to conventional methods with much tweaking of the organic systems and have had some success. But Ray's experiments last year certainly back up your contentions in other threads that using organics in containers would give disappointing results. At least it certainly did using Fox Farm vs the old formula of Tomato Tone. The old T.T. formula was a mix of synthetics and organics and look at the results in Ray's picture--the tomato with lots of fruits on the right (TT) VS the pitiful organic one (Foxfarm) next to it that you can barely make out. Even Ray's miracle gro soil mix WITH fertilizer did not help Fox Farm. Now having said this I have had good results growing certain vegetables organically in containers. Perhaps they would been bigger with synthetics but I was happy with the results. I certainly would not be happy with the results that Ray got with Fox Farm and was surprised the difference was that dramatic. By the way I use both synthetic and organics fertilizers but I am interested in improving organic results particular when told it just can't be done. Any chance that some of the non-plant ingredients are soil-type microbes that would help the organic fertilizer breakdown and be utilized in containers? Ray, I also noted the change in the formulas on my old bags of TT and the new. I was disappointed that they did this as I liked the higher potassium and the synthetic components ameliorate some of the organic drawbacks. I already had Plant-tone if I wanted to go purely organic. As far as your new experiment, it will be interesting to see how the new TT with all the biological microbes stacks up to the old. Also the ferts, in the Miracle Gro are long gone now and won't impact the experiment.

I have used Tomatotone with my tomatoes, eggplants and peppers for three seasons with 5-1-1 and think it works well. I used Osmocote in making the 5-1-1 and used Foliage pro alternating with TT through much of the season. The TT is especially useful when we have a lot of rain and I don't want to add extra water with fertilizer. Follow the package directions and scratch it into the surface. Don't try to dissolve it in water. It's not meant to be used that way.

How often are you watering? You may need to back off on the watering, I think people tend to overwater more than underwater, though both are very common mistakes. The tomatoes look ok to me, they tend to be kind of ugly plants anyway IMO, especially as the season progresses. Check your soil every now and then, and don't water until it is dry an inch or two down. Just take your finger and stick it in the soil to about your first or second knuckle, if it is moist at that depth, don't water. It's better to water heavily, but less frequently than it is to water lightly and frequently. Being over attentive and over anxious can cause a lot of problems for new gardeners. All in all, I think your plants look pretty good. Just stick with it, you'll learn as you go, and making mistakes is the best way to learn. The tone products are slower acting than a liquid fertilizer would be, so it may take some time to notice the effects. If the plants really start yellowing, then get some liquid fertilizer with high N and little to no P and K and give it to them as a boost. N will be the first number listed on the fertilizer. Mulching with straw or pine needles or something similar will also help maintain the soil moisture, especially in high temps. Don't give up! Just check back in here and someone will always be willing to help.

That entirely depends on a) the nutrient status of the plants and b) how rich your soil is. If they are healthy and dark green, and your soil is rich, fertilizer is not necessary. If either situation is not the case, a little bit of organic fertilizer will help. 3-4-6 is not nitrogen-rich by any means. All plants need nitrogen, even when flowering. Something like Miracle Gro 24-8-16, on the other hand, would be too high in nitrogen to be used as a frequent fertilizer.