Growing tomatoes in containers on a deck - what am I doing wrong
Boris Zakharin
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
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7 years agoveggiegardnr
7 years agoRelated Discussions
I am VERY upset... Something's wrong with my tomatoes.
Comments (4)LOL! Tomato Freak, my whole gardening adventure started with tomatoes. I bought a little seed starter tray from Burpees, back in January, and some tomato seeds - three kinds: cherry, roma and Bloody Butchers. I started 72 plants! Can you believe it? 72 tomato plants! I didn't have anywhere to put them, when they grew too big for the seed starter tray, so my husband built me some boxes to use until we had the money to rent a tiller and get them in the ground. The money took too long in coming, but it came. We went to Home Depot, bought some landscaping bricks - the kind you build a wall with. We got enough for one row, 20 feet long and two feet deep. We also bought some "composted mulch" and rented the tiller. As we tilled our little garden, we mixed in the composted mulch. (Obviously, I didn't know the difference between compost and composted mulch.) My tomatoes were very tall and skinny and very root bound in their boxes. I had way too many for the little garden spot, so I gave a bunch to my son. He planted them and his dogs promptly killed them. I picked out the best of the bunch I had left and planted those. I think I had 15 plants by then. I watered them every day and gave them plenty of Miracle Gro, until I learned Miracle Gro doesn't help the soil. Remember, my soil was half mulch. Stopping the fertilizer was probably quite a shock to the plants. After several weeks, my tomato plants were out of control, but I only had a few tomatoes and if they didn't get blossom end rot, it was a miracle. I found out about bone meal. That ended the rot problem, but still my tomatoes were few and very tiny. The Bloody Butchers were as big as cherry tomatoes. The cherries were smaller than grapes and the romas... actually, now I think of it, I never could get them to quit rotting. Still, everyday, throughout the summer, I went out with my hose and sprayed. I ate what little tomatoes I could find during the process. It was very exciting. Somewhere, I learned about dirt and I realized composted mulch wasn't compost. Someone told me I might have better luck, if I put in tomato transplants. I found this site and read about Early Girl tomatoes being so good for the area. When the fall plants showed up in the nursery in August, I bought four Early Girls, a soaker hose, some top soil and some real compost. I dug up my entire tomato patch and started over. (I did keep four of the old plants, just to see what would happen. I'm down to two old plants and they don't look good.) I have three Early Girls left. Remember, I assassinated one last week, thinking it might be contagious? I also have four Anaheim chile plants, one jalapeno, a watermelon patch, a pumpkin patch, I had a canteloupe hill. I've got four roses, a vinca, a star flower, a Mexican pansy (from the garden party), three drumstick trees growing on my window sill. I just planted five royal poinsiana seeds, a clivia seed and five hyacinth bean seeds. (Those are from the garden party, too.) I have spearmint, sage, oregano, basil (out the ying-yang), and cilantro. I just started some lettuce, spinach and brocolli. I've built a wall for a raised bed out of rocks. I fertilized the grass and started feeding and watering my orange tree. (Which, of course, caused most of the oranges to split, as it's not used to being taken care of.) I know the names of everything growing in my yard. Oh, and this doesn't count the jasmine I fried and the begonia I choked. ALL of this, because I wanted some tomatoes! I will say, the tomatoes that are on the vine look BEAUTIFUL! But, this morning, when I had my breakdown over the top leaves, I thought to myself, if I could just get ONE, BIG RIPE TOMATO! That's all I want... and some chiles... and some lettuce... and brocolli... and......See MoreContainers for tomato seedlings (what pace do roots grow at)
Comments (3)~~~ If they sprout by the end of this weekend, April 10, can I keep them in the 2 inch deep cells until April 24th? ~~~ 1x1x2" is plenty for a 14 day old plant but they can grow surprisingly fast. ~~~ Then I plan to pick the best seedlings and put them in 2 by 2, 4 inch deep cells. That should be just enough space to get me to plant them about 2 weeks later after my last frost date of May 3. ~~~ Those container sizes should be fine for the time frame you're describing. In the past, I've always pushed them and had good success with getting very early toms for my area but I've only had a few to deal with and could handle doing what it took to protect them. Lately I've been reading that pushing them too hard into soil too cool can cause permanent root stunting. Not sure I'm buyin the permanent part but am planning to take it at a slower pace, at least as slow as reasonable and space allows....See MoreWhat's wrong with our container tomatoes?
Comments (8)The previous photo showed a plant with leaves becoming dry but green. Here's photo of another plant in another box, where leaves become yellow first, than dry. In Earth Box container I used a mix which came with it. On Grow Box I actually used Garden Soil... and yes, it's bad and very dense. It was a mistake. BTW, is it OK to use Garden Soil when raising tomatoes in open ground (raised bad) rather than in containers? A plant with leaves which become dry while still green is sitting in a good container mix which came with Earth Box. A plant with yellow leaves is sitting in a Grow Box with a bad Garden Soil. After this initial post I found a superb link http://therustedgarden.blogspot.com/, and there is corresponding YouTube and Google+ Community. http://www.youtube.com/user/pilarchik?feature=watch https://plus.google.com/102039697130227303805/posts https://plus.google.com/communities/114956817444053979636 From reading this I already understood I failed to do proper pruning / removing "suckers". Here is a link that might be useful: Great YouTube resource...See MoreYellowing leaves with powdery undersides - what am I doing wrong?
Comments (14)Hot, humid, dry weather = spider mites. The devils are very difficult to control. Neem (organic), has been used successfully by some. Avid is good. I have had good success with Avid. Several other sprays are available...most of them are rather pricey, though, but mite damage is devastating to roses. What has worked for me is simply taking a watering wand and directing a semi-strong water shower (not strong enough to damage the foliage), to the undersides of all the leaves. Paying extra close attention to the older leaves, the leaves closest to the ground. They are the leaves first attacked by the mites as they work their way up the rose bush. You are essentially watering the rose bush up side down. A watering wand whose nozzle's angle can be adjusted helps in this method of mite control. Do not use too forceful of a water spray. Mites hate getting wet. A water spray kills them by drowning them and washing them off, disorienting them. It also messes up their 'life cycle/style.' Mite eggs are washed away or killed by getting water logged. One water treatment is not enough. There will be survivors, both mites and eggs. Repetition at 2-3 day intervals is the usual procedure, three to four water sessions total. Some people water treat as well as apply a miticide, either organic or non, hitting the mites with a 'one, two knockout punch,' to get these devils under control. Mites have been torturing me from since when I can remember. One last word...it seems mite attacks are more severe on mismanaged roses: under watered, crowded, under nourished...any stress factor along with ideal climate conditions (heat, humidity, and dryness), brings them on in plague proportions....See MoreBoris Zakharin
7 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
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7 years agoBoris Zakharin
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7 years agoMaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
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7 years agoMaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
7 years agoBoris Zakharin
7 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years agoBoris Zakharin
7 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years agodigdirt2
7 years agoDale Larsen
7 years agogorbelly
7 years agoBoris Zakharin
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7 years agolast modified: 7 years agonanelle_gw (usda 9/Sunset 14)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoBoris Zakharin
6 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years agoBoris Zakharin
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agogorbelly
6 years agoBoris Zakharin
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6 years agoBoris Zakharin
6 years agogorbelly
6 years agonanelle_gw (usda 9/Sunset 14)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoBoris Zakharin
6 years agogorbelly
6 years agoBoris Zakharin
6 years agogorbelly
6 years agoBoris Zakharin
6 years agogorbelly
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6 years agoBoris Zakharin
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6 years agoBoris Zakharin
6 years agogorbelly
6 years agoBoris Zakharin
6 years agoBoris Zakharin
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