To trim or not to trim - Page 2

MissS · June 27, 2017

I once had this happen to me. I found that my neighbor liked to urinate outdoors and thus did so on my plants. To counter act the nitrogen, I would throw super phosphate at them every week. The leaves were so green that they were almost blue. They had hundreds of blossoms but no fruit. Mine grew to 12 feet before I cut them back to 6 feet. After the haircut they began to set fruit.

So my advise is to cut them back and feed them some phosphorous.

gorbelly · June 27, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissS

I found that my neighbor liked to urinate outdoors and thus did so on my plants.

Uh, ew. It's one thing if he wants to do his business in nature for some unknown reason, but to invade your property with his pee? NOT OK.

MissS · June 27, 2017

He was an alcoholic and the plants were nearby. The plants were closer than his bathroom. Yes, I was pi__ed off at him, but it did not stop him.

wildcat62 · June 28, 2017

Me & that neighbor would have trouble.

MissS · June 28, 2017

If you notice I speak about the neighbor in the past tense. It seems that more than once people have called the police on his drunken and disorderly conduct. He spent some time in the jail and then moved on.

My Foot Smells · June 28, 2017

Never topped a mater plant before. Interesting...

Spartanburg123 · June 28, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by My Foot Smells

Never topped a mater plant before. Interesting...

I have now topped 8 out of 20. The suckers are going crazy down in the tomato basket. The nice thing is, I have excellent fruit set at chest height and above. This will be a challenge when the plants become so top heavy! I have added an extra 8 foot stake next to a few of them.

I went a little crazy with the rabbit poo this spring, and now it shows. 10-12 foot plants and it's not even July yet. I'm hitting them hard with phosphorus, and trying to keep them from getting sick, mainly.....

Gardeneer · June 28, 2017

Back in PNW with early end-of-tomato season. I used to do topping and MO pruning starting early September. Any flower after such time would have had NO chance to get ripe, even on the counter. So by pruning all new growth, buds/flowers the plants could spend their energy on the existing fruits.

Chanjet · July 1, 2017

I tested the soil and the nitrogen is very high. Potash is very low, Phosphorous is very low, and the PH is a little acid.8.0. What can I do now.?

Gardeneer · July 1, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chanjet

I tested the soil and the nitrogen is very high. Potash is very low, Phosphorous is very low, and the PH is a little acid.8.0. What can I do now.?

How did you do it ? Yourself, or by a lab ?
Home test kits are not reliable for nutrients testing/ But for pH its ok. You can be half a cycle off but that is enough for soil test.Unless it is in critical range.

BTW: pH of 8 is alkaline. 7 is neutral. Anything higher than that is alkaline/basic.

MissS · July 1, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chanjet

I tested the soil and the nitrogen is very high. Potash is very low, Phosphorous is very low, and the PH is a little acid.8.0. What can I do now.?

If your test is accurate, then I would add some wood ashes. The ash will help to lower the PH quite rapidly as well as add some potassium. Add a little. Scratch it in and water well. Check the PH again in 10 days to see if you would like to add more. A quick acting source of phosphorous is super phosphate which you can find in almost any garden center. This too will have to be worked in or you can use a water soluble blossom booster which is high in phosphorous to help move your plants from the growth phase into the blooming phase.

zipcode · July 1, 2017

Wood ash is very alkaline though, not acidic. It has potassium hydroxide and calcium carbonate, both of which with raise the pH.
I'm surprised to see a soil high in nitrogen, and low in phosphorous, usually is the other way around.

As long as iron deficiency doesn't show, don't worry about the pH. Just add some potassium phosphate and you should be good. There are 3 types, from one to 3 potassium atoms. Of course, the best one would be the one with 3 which is 0-33-66, but I think it is rather uncommon so expensive. Try to find the one with 2.

June 27, 2017	#16
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,150	I once had this happen to me. I found that my neighbor liked to urinate outdoors and thus did so on my plants. To counter act the nitrogen, I would throw super phosphate at them every week. The leaves were so green that they were almost blue. They had hundreds of blossoms but no fruit. Mine grew to 12 feet before I cut them back to 6 feet. After the haircut they began to set fruit. So my advise is to cut them back and feed them some phosphorous. __________________ ~ Patti ~

June 27, 2017	#18
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,150	He was an alcoholic and the plants were nearby. The plants were closer than his bathroom. Yes, I was pi__ed off at him, but it did not stop him. __________________ ~ Patti ~

June 28, 2017	#19
wildcat62 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2014 Location: Zone 6 Northern Kentucky Posts: 1,094	Me & that neighbor would have trouble. __________________ Mark

June 28, 2017	#20
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,150	If you notice I speak about the neighbor in the past tense. It seems that more than once people have called the police on his drunken and disorderly conduct. He spent some time in the jail and then moved on. __________________ ~ Patti ~

June 28, 2017	#21
My Foot Smells Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas Posts: 1,239	Never topped a mater plant before. Interesting... Last edited by My Foot Smells; June 28, 2017 at 11:10 PM.

June 28, 2017	#23
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	Back in PNW with early end-of-tomato season. I used to do topping and MO pruning starting early September. Any flower after such time would have had NO chance to get ripe, even on the counter. So by pruning all new growth, buds/flowers the plants could spend their energy on the existing fruits. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

July 1, 2017	#24
Chanjet Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Holbrook NY Posts: 27	I tested the soil and the nitrogen is very high. Potash is very low, Phosphorous is very low, and the PH is a little acid.8.0. What can I do now.?

July 1, 2017	#27
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	Wood ash is very alkaline though, not acidic. It has potassium hydroxide and calcium carbonate, both of which with raise the pH. I'm surprised to see a soil high in nitrogen, and low in phosphorous, usually is the other way around. As long as iron deficiency doesn't show, don't worry about the pH. Just add some potassium phosphate and you should be good. There are 3 types, from one to 3 potassium atoms. Of course, the best one would be the one with 3 which is 0-33-66, but I think it is rather uncommon so expensive. Try to find the one with 2.