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Growing Tomatoes

Organic dry fertilized tomatoes. Yellow rimmed stunted growth.

10 years ago

This would be my third time trying to grow some decent tomato plants. The other times failed because lack of suitable growing area and pest management. Both are taking care of and I have 3 2' tall plants and also 8 6". All are in 3 gallon pots. Soil has a mix of bone and blood meal in regards of nutrients. I started mixing kelp meal, Bay guano and rock phosphate into the top layer of soil. That was about a week ago.

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Comments (4)

digdirt2
10 years ago
2 foot tall plants in 3 gallon pots?

Honestly I would suggest some in depth reading over on the Container Gardening forum here with a focus on

(1)using proper sized containers,

(2) the proper soil mixes for containers,

(3) the problems with getting organic fertilizers to work effectively in container soils that lack an active soil microherd,

(4) the rate of breakdown of bloodmeal and its tendency to burn plants,

(5) the failure of bonemeal as a source of phosphorous to breakdown within a reasonable length of time, etc.

You have a number of issues with your plants that can all be prevented by using proper techniques from the beginning.

Dave

PS: including your garden zone or at least your location in your posts would also be of big help in replying with beneficial information

Here is a link that might be useful: Container Gardening forum
joeroot
10 years ago
Looks like tomato yellow leaf curl virus to me. The virus is transmitted by whiteflies.
In the picture, there is a white speck above your pinky on the leaf. It looks like a whitefly.

What type of pest did you have problems with? Got anymore pics?
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DirtyTeddy
Original Author
10 years ago
Dave, thank you for the advice, I will start educating myself on proper techniques. Can you lead me in any direction of good reads on organic fertilizing?

JOE, I do have a problem with white flies I have been trying to hold at bay with Neem and castile soap. I will post more pictures tonight.
digdirt2
10 years ago
Can you lead me in any direction of good reads on organic fertilizing?

Organic fertilizing in general? Sure, we have a great Organic Gardening forum here. But the problems arise with organic fertilizing in containers.

Fertilizing in containers has little in common with fertilizing in-ground.gardening - whether organics or synthetics - just as gardening in containers has little in common with in-ground gardening. Which is why I recommended the Container Gardening forum for the basics.

Containers use different soil-less mixes (no dirt since it compacts in containers, doesn't drain well, and causes roots to rot), plants quickly become rootbound in containers (not a problem in the ground) which is why much BIGGER containers is recommended (10-15 gallons for the average tomato plant), plants in containers must be watered much more often than an in ground garden, and every time you water containers the nutrients leach out of the container. So container plants have to be fed regularly - weekly is common - and fed diluted mixes or nutrients based on the size of the containers. So using liquid organic fertilizers work much better than dry granular ferts.

Organic fertilizers need bacteria and soil microbes and bugs to convert them to a form usable by the plants. Garden dirt contains them naturally but container mixes don't have those bacteria and such unless you add them to it and do so regularly. Some folks do it with compost and compost or manure teas, and some do it with one of the many liquid bacterial supplements available.

So some reading about fertilizers on the Organic Gardening forum will be of help but keep in mind that you are working with containers so much of what in-ground gardeners recommend just work work for you.

The Container Gardening forum does have some organic gardeners too however and they can help balance the two issues for you.

Dave

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