Tomato plants aren't growing. Need help in short season MN.

13 years ago

Happy fourth everyone. Here are the details, I hope someone can help my truly depressed friend- We grew all heirloom tomatoes, and I think the room was too hot as many were spindly. We each took about 15, and planted-relatively deeply- in our gardens. Soil was worked beforehand, and compost tilled in. His plants are still spindly, very few leaves and maybe 2-3 feet tall. Very few blossoms. My plants are very full, setting fruit and about 3-4 feet tall. He worries he won't get anything this year. It has been raining enough so far that we really havent had to water. Worth noting, his plants last year were fantastic in the same spots. Also, he bought a healthy looking Black Krim seedling, and it also doesn't look great.

The differences as I see them:

1. I planted May 28th, and hardened in pots for about 10 days. He went directly into the ground (Probably about May 16th).

2. I get a bit more sun, but his tomatoes get sun from about 10-4 he says.

3. Love brother. I visit my plants daily, he grows like a scientist.

Possible solutions:

1. Wait it out, and they'll recover. Perhaps the shock of no hardening plus spindly has slowed these plants down.

2. Take cuttings from some of my larger, fuller plants, put in a cup of water (I think), let the roots grow out and replace his plants.

3. Introduce him to model building, and put him on suicide watch til the temps drop again and we northerners go back inside and look at the tomato pics gardenweb.

Thank anyone who can give this some thought. MinneapolisRod is having a tough time.

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Comments (4)

lionheart_gw (USDA Zone 5A, Eastern NY)
13 years ago
Hello there, minneapolismike:

It's nice of you to be looking out for your friend.

It certainly couldn't hurt to root some suckers for your friend, but you know how we cold zoners always run out of summer all too quickly. Rooting plants will still be putting your friend behind a couple of weeks, but it may be all he has.

Still, if you root some plants and he plants them in the same place, he may very well encounter the same problem where they just sit there and do nothing.

It sounds like he is getting enough sun, assuming 8 hours is correct, although you can never have too much sun for tomato plants. More would be better, but we can only use what we have to work with.

Generally, there are a few things that would keep tomato plants from growing. Assuming there is no disease (doesn't sound like it) and no pests (like deer chomping off the plants or hornworms scarfing down the leaves), the things I can think of off the top of my head:

* Temps too cold or too hot. Generally speaking folks in our zones have issues with chilly temps in spring, but it rarely gets too hot. If we had sustained temps in the high 90s+ for weeks on end, that would be a different thing. But, we don't. If we did, everyone would be having issues, not just one person.

*Insufficient sunlight. Eight hours should be enough, but let's hope that Rod is not overestimating the length of time that his plants are getting photons. :-)

* Unsuitable soil. Meaning: soil that is very compacted so that roots can't grow and expand and/or soil that is devoid of important nutrients.

If the roots can't grow. such as with compacted soil, it's best to add amendments to improve the soil before planting. Unfortunately it's too late for that for your friend, but if he plants new plants, I would make sure that he digs good-sized, fairly deep holes, loosens the dirt as much as possible, and fills it in with rich, loose soil so that the roots can grow and breathe.

One thing that minneapolisrod could try at this point is a water soluble fertilizer, dissolved in a bucket of water according to package directions, and poured on the soil around the plants. Every 7 to 10 days. There are a number of such fertilizers on the market, and it certainly can't hurt at this juncture. It also couldn't hurt if he applied some of it as a foliar feed in addition to feeding the roots, as the leaves will take in some nutrients too.

Which leads to the observation that perhaps his plants are not getting enough nitrogen, although I'd expect to see other symptoms eventually, such as some yellowing of the plants. Some mulches can tie up nitrogen so the plants don't get enough, and that could stifle their growth. Cool temperatures can also cause a temporary lack of nitrogen.

Anyhow, too little nitrogen can keep the plants puny. The fertilizer, used as above, should rectify that issue.

Good luck, and thanks for being such a good friend. Best wishes to...
col_sprg_maters
13 years ago
Go over to the container forum. Pick a container style.

Go get a nice big plant from the nursery and plant in container. Then the plant life need not be limited by zone 4 weather.

I am zone 5 and thats what I am doing. I lost EVERYTHING last year. It happens; but makes a better gardener of one, if you dont give up.

When you were a teenager, did you quit dating just because you got turned down for a few dates, or did not get asked? (If he did, do the suicide watch thing ;(

d
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minneapolismike
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks everyone. So how does a cutting compare to a seedling as far as speed of growth? I think I might try a combination of having him pull a couple of the worst plants, stir up the soil and put something else there. Also, might try getting few going in buckets. Won't hurt to try the fertilizer as well. I appreciate all the thoughts. Hope everyone has a good season.
lionheart_gw (USDA Zone 5A, Eastern NY)
13 years ago
Hey MM,

It could take as much as a couple of weeks for the tomato cutting to root, then it has to be planted and start the process of (re-)growing. Although tomato plants are very willing growers and very adaptable, it could take another week or so to get their "sea legs". But they should catch up pretty quickly; perhaps even sooner than my estimate.

MR should have enough growing season to get those tomatoes. I hope it all works out well.

Container gardening is cool and I've only experimented with a few plants over the past couple of years. I've had less than stellar success with paste tomatoes in containers, so stick with other types for the first time around. The paste tomatoes can be finicky and get blossom end rot if everything isn't perfect. Avoid the Romas and other paste tomatoes in containers until you're more experienced or unless you are willing to try one or two as possible throwaway experiments. Otoh, maybe you'll be luckier than me. :-)

Have fun!

Tomato plants aren't growing. Need help in short season MN.

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lionheart_gw (USDA Zone 5A, Eastern NY)

col_sprg_maters

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Tomato plants aren't growing. Need help in short season MN.

Comments (4)

lionheart_gw (USDA Zone 5A, Eastern NY)

col_sprg_maters

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minneapolismikeOriginal Author

lionheart_gw (USDA Zone 5A, Eastern NY)

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minneapolismike
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