Tomato Plant Problems

[frankvena]

Originally Posted by ArthurDent004

You didn't say if you were using Self-watering containers or not. I think I would have left the manure out of the mix and used a slow-release fertilizer. Manure can make the soil too dense and restrict water/air flow. You can amend your soil with gypsum if you want Calcium but don't want to change the soil PH.

No, I'm not using self watering containers. They're 17litre hard black plastic pots with drainage holes at the bottom edge. I just purchased a soil moisture meter and discovered that the soil is holding the moisture in for much longer than I expected. It still reads >4 up to 4 days after watering (4 being the wettest - and according to the instructions on the meter, 4 is also what tomatoes prefer for soil moisture level). I also purchased a PH meter and found that after my dolomite slurry treatment, the soil measures a PH of 6.5 - 7. I also measured the PH of the manure (still have some left) and it also measured pretty much neutral. I've started adding a liquid calcium/magnesium supplement called Mag Cal. However, I'm not very clear on how often and for how long to add it to the water that I water the plants with. The instructions on the bottle don't say. It only says how much to dilute it for a treatment. So far every tomato on every plant has BER and I have 14 plants. At this point only the first tier is fruiting so I am praying that the second tier will be ok. I guess only time will tell!

[frankvena]

Sorry, my error: the product is called MagiCal by Technaflora:
http://www.technaflora.com/indexProduct.php?ID=103

[AKmark]

I think you have been under watering, foilage blossoms, and fruit compete for nutrient, when its stressed by drought, fruit and flowers fall first. Even your watering out and water more until you see a fruit or two crack/ means too much water, then find a happy medium for each plant. Look at my thread, thats how I did it and I experienced many of your problems with some of my new strains I tried. However mine are fixed, cut out the Cal-Mag, extra sauce, whatever, it was a watering issue through and through, each strain has its own needs, and you really see this in containers when plants get huge. Your curling is nothing, early in the year mine look like witch's plants, gnarled, thick and ugly. Use a quality continuous feed fertilizer too, every day you water.
I reread your complaint and wonder if something the manure has caused a water uptake issue, 4 days after watering they should be almost dead from lack of water. I have tried several medium additives, all for nothing, and migrated to just pro-mix with a high quality fertilizer that meets all plant needs. I have used organic compost, many different mixes, they taste no better, and the yields are no better. Everything breaks down to be used, anyway, into goodies that a plant can used readily.
Sorry, hang in there and keep trying

[frankvena]

Originally Posted by AKmark

I think you have been under watering, foilage blossoms, and fruit compete for nutrient, when its stressed by drought, fruit and flowers fall first. Even your watering out and water more until you see a fruit or two crack/ means too much water, then find a happy medium for each plant. Look at my thread, thats how I did it and I experienced many of your problems with some of my new strains I tried. However mine are fixed, cut out the Cal-Mag, extra sauce, whatever, it was a watering issue through and through, each strain has its own needs, and you really see this in containers when plants get huge. Your curling is nothing, early in the year mine look like witch's plants, gnarled, thick and ugly. Use a quality continuous feed fertilizer too, every day you water.
I reread your complaint and wonder if something the manure has caused a water uptake issue, 4 days after watering they should be almost dead from lack of water. I have tried several medium additives, all for nothing, and migrated to just pro-mix with a high quality fertilizer that meets all plant needs. I have used organic compost, many different mixes, they taste no better, and the yields are no better. Everything breaks down to be used, anyway, into goodies that a plant can used readily.
Sorry, hang in there and keep trying

Sounds like good advice. The problem I have is figuring out how much water to give them at one time. My hose outputs 1 litre ( a quart) in 5 seconds and the pots are 33 litre (8 US Gal). Each pot has 2 plants and I've been giving them 1 litre/quart per pot every other day. Do you think it should be more than that? Like 2 litres/quarts per pot. And every day?
Thanks for the help.