Crappy looking tomato plants

rio_grande · Jun 6, 2009

I planted about 130 tomato plants 3 weeks ago. Usually the plants will wilt for a few days then return pretty within a week and then we would fertalize with a mild tomato fertalizer in about week 3 (now) but the tomatoes have never come out of the wilty stage. They don't appear to be dying but they don't appear to be thriving either. They were planted into the ground above their bottom leaves and watered well. Since we have had to large rains that did kill a few but none the less I have been able to till once. All the other plants look ok, not fantastic but the peppers are staying green and I expect they will start bushing out soon. Seeds are coming up fine,, but the tomatos just don't look to good.

I was thinking about side dressing this year with some leaf compost but I don't want to do anything until they start looking healthy.

Any words of wisdom?

bassman · Jun 6, 2009

Miracle Gro plant food. About one pint per plant. If they don't look better in 3 or 4 days, you may have to try some new ones.

alx · Jun 6, 2009

Chance its large amounts of rain.I just planted 4 more pumpkins, as the stems burst near root-zone.We set a record for rain lately and thankfully is getting sunny for 3-4 days.

Today,after 6 days of rain, i cultivated shallow around plants.Maybe do this and let soil dry out.I would love to hit my maters and peppers(which look good) with some fish emulsion, but plants are saturated and will wait to feed.

Is the soil almost muddy-saturated around plant stems?

davenh · Jun 6, 2009

Think you just need to wait it out and let things dry up.

I went through this two years in a row. Lots of rain and lousy looking tomato plants. I only use containers now and the maters are happy again

.

sumosmoke · Jun 6, 2009

I'm using those containers you made, Dave (earthboxes) and have some pretty healthy tomato plants too. First batch of them that hasn't wilted or rotted due to rain or bugs. With Jeff having 130 plants, that'd be 65 containers!!

Jeff - hope those plants perk back up soon. Hate to see all your hard work go to waste ...

rio_grande · Jun 7, 2009

Thanks for the replies,,, I am gonna try to salvage these,, We are getting kinda late in our season to replant. What is this fish emulsion?
does it work?
Jeff

alx · Jun 7, 2009

I use the Alaska Fish Fertilizer sold here as 5-1-1.This type is de-oderized so it aint like the old day's.I use 2-3 tablespoons per gallon and give my 76 tomatoes and 108 peppers a nice drink,oone time a month.

Fish emulsion etc. is a beneficial , fast acting fertilizer.

I grow on a 6-8 degree incline-so standing water is never problem-lucky me.
Took these pics last wed.3 weeks in-hope it gets warm.

These pics were 2 weeks ago,,,before the rain

cajunsmoke13 · Jun 7, 2009

I had a couple bad rain storms after I planted and were wilted. They sprung back and I am getting tomatoes like crazy now. Hopefully the spring back...I use liquid miracle gro also. Father-in-law has a bunch of sheep, so i fill up about 3/100 pound bags of that and dump it on ech year.

fire it up · Jun 7, 2009

Doing all my veggies (includingtomatoes) completely organic this year and though they had a late start going out they are looking really nice, even after several days of heavy rain.

One thing you could try that will help them out is crushing up 1 tablet of aspirin and mixing it with one gallon of water then spray all of your leaves, the aspirin will give the plants immune system a boost and will help them prevent diseases.
You could also try giving them a calcium/magnesium mixture. The magnesium is more for flowering but it wouldn't hurt. Or if you want to go straight calcium just sprinkle some bone meal around the base of the plant and water, gradually the bone meal will work its way down.

Make sure you don't have any leaves touching the ground because they can contract bacterial diseases that way.
Did you do anything to prepare the ground besides tilling?

If you could post a few shots of the plants (close-up also) then maybe we could figure out exactly what the problem is.
I hope they make it.

jjrokkett · Jun 7, 2009

All I can say is 130 tomato plants? Wow...you must make a lot of spaghetti sauce and salsa! I would be canning tomato's all year long!

davenh · Jun 7, 2009

Laurel...one year I had 60+ tomato plants in containers and I'll tell you...I was sooo sick of tomatoes by the time mid august rolled around

. Now I only do 16 or so plants and pick varieties that will ripen at different times.

rio_grande · Jun 7, 2009

Ya,, it is our faimly garden althought I think Dad and I are the only ones doing anything with it,,, But no prob,,, Brings the faimly together even if only for a few months. My son is really getting into it. Knows not to hurt the plants and helps with alot. Cours I have had to eject him from the garden every trip :)

Stopped in today and the plants must be monitoring my internet activity cause the wilted plants are starting to look much better, deeper green and some of the laid over plants have stood back up... We are tilling tomorrow. Plan to spray with mirical grow. I am looking into where we can find the fish stuff here and I actually have bone meal in the shop... Just don't want to over do it.

Now I am excited!!

fire it up · Jun 8, 2009

A little late now but if you have access to fish heads you can drop them in the hole when preparing it for outdoors transplant.
If I have any of the leaves more than 50% beginning to die from shock/sun burn/anything then I always cut them off, best to do early morning so the wound in the plant will heal more quickly, and not on a watering day if watering overhead.

Right now I have 30 tomatoes outside and am putting in 20 more tomorrow, then I'll only have a good 50 more to go.
Going to have a roadside stand and sell them since I will have more than enough.
And, of course, any members who happen by my way are welcome to free bunches of some delicious heirloom organic Jersey tomatoes. Something like 15 different kinds, long as everything continues to go as planned...

Glad your plants are starting to bounce back.

Anyone have these little suckers yet?

Colorado potato beetles

Though we also have some baby ladybug larvae showing up

alx · Jun 8, 2009

I am swamped in lady bugs last 2 weeks,but growing organic( 25 years) seems to encourage them.

4 years ago had lots of beetles- i just squished and got most of eggs and have been lucky last 3 years, almost none..My neighbor is growing potatoes and i told him about the BT for colorado beetles.The BT for cabbage worm is only way i can grow cabbage,brocoli and brussel sprouts, without bad worms.

slanted88 · Jun 8, 2009

Man....I feel yer pain! Squirrel's are eatin on mine & tearin the Jap's up. Hate ta shoot the lil critter's. They are tearin & eatin everything cuke's included.

alx · Jun 8, 2009

My beans are breaking and if my rabbit friends go wild like last year-I am going to set a few of my cage traps.

My garden neighbor is fanatical at his old age in plinking the squirels.

Moles and Voles will be next.

jjrokkett · Jun 8, 2009

Not sure if any of these solutions work but I found this site on home remedies for squirrel repellents:

http://ezinearticles.com/?13-Home-Re...way&id=1222651

rio_grande · Jun 9, 2009

Had to spray tonight,, spmethin is chewing on the beans and tomatoes,,, I hate spraying bug spray... But I can't find anything that gets rid of what we get.

Tilled everything up and all is going well. Gonna try to find some fish emulsion.. Worst case I will do mirical grow.

flash · Jun 9, 2009

Mine are really starting to pop now. Miracle Grow once a week and some Daconil also to fight all the rains we've had.

Crappy looking tomato plants

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