North Texans are you planting out this weekend? - Page 11

Worth1 · April 27, 2015

Yes lower it to 6 or 6.5.
Aluminium sulfate for permanent drop in ph or vinegar for temporary.
The aluminum sulfate is immediate or you could go worth some other types of sulfur like the stuff you use to turn hydrangeas blue.
Worth

April 28, 2015

Excerpted from Hortmag.com

Soil amendments: Once you know your pH you can determine if you need any additives to help obtain the level you desire. Remember: which additives and how much you use, as well as how and when you use them, will depend on how much lower your pH needs to be. Good pH-lowering amendments include: sphagnum peat moss*, elemental sulfate, sulfur and acidic fertilizers such as nitrogen fertilizer –make sure to read the label to confirm that it is acidic. You can also add aluminum sulfate and iron sulfate, which will quickly lower your pH, however you have to be cautious of applying these nutrients because they can be harmful to your plants. (Side note: If the leaves are yellowing and your pH is fine, then acidity most likely isn’t a problem, something else is. Your plant may have an iron deficiency, you could have issues with disease and/or pests or you are watering too much/too little.) Coffee grounds can help maintain a lower pH, too. - See more at: http://www.hortmag.com/weekly-tips/q....VYtozvdx.dpuf

Ted

decherdt · April 28, 2015

Maybe this is probably where I ought to tell how one time I mixed a Quart of 5% vinegar in 5 gallons of tap water, and ceviche'd half a row of mater roots. I'm down in the safer dosage of 1oz per gallon of water if I try to fiddle ph in season anymore. Sulfur in the Fall is my main means of adjustment.

OzoneNY · April 30, 2015

Blossom drop! I lost one or two the other day and thought not much of it, now I have noticed about a dozen blossoms are gone. Its not because its been too hot. Too cool perhaps?

This is heart breaking

Dewayne mater · April 30, 2015

I don't know about others, but, I get far more blossoms that drop than blossoms that turn into tomatoes. That's my normal. That said, something to look out for is thrips. When they invade, they somehow destroy the flower and all the flowers will wither and drop. These guys are tiny tiny tiny. The best way to see them is probably with a magnifying glass. The next best is to take a white cardstock paper, put it under the flower and tap it several time to see if any thrips come out. If you have them, you want to eliminate them if at all possible! They are effective carriers of TSWV and if you get that, it's curtains for that plant.

Dewayne mater

OzoneNY · April 30, 2015

So two or three drops per plant is nothing to worry about... yet.

OzoneNY · May 8, 2015

how much longer before any of you expect first take?

I have several small tomatos and many more blossoms but my math has me taking my first ripe ones in the first or second week of June. Having never done this here in DFW before, Im still learning the curve.

Worth1 · May 8, 2015

I'm hoping to have a tomato when I get home.
Worth

Worth1 · May 8, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by OzoneNY

So two or three drops per plant is nothing to worry about... yet.

No it isn't my plants were dropping some time ago due to weather swings.
Worth

creister · May 8, 2015

Worth is right, your drops were most likely due to the temperature swings we have had. I'm seeing some in my plants as well. Don't worry, if you are getting fruit set. We should have about another 4-6 weeks of prime to ok fruit set weather.

Dewayne mater · May 8, 2015

No idea on when I will get my first ripe one. The definition of eternity is the time from when a tomato reaches full size until the time it ripens! I assume my first will be a cherry, but, we shall see. There are several plants in contention from cherry size to saladette to slicers!

I've started having disease issues in my container plants, looks like early blight, but that isn't a big surprise considering the record amounts of rainfall we've had over the last month. I did the first round of bleach spray last evening after removing some obviously diseased leaves. Then it poured over night. Hopefully, the few hours the bleach was on was enough to kill a lot of pathogens. Gonna hit them with copper and mancozeb tonight.

Dewayne mater

creister · May 8, 2015

Dewayne,

Sounds like we are in for potentially more rain today and tomorrow. I hope you can get your diseases knocked out. The only small fruit I have is Juane Flamme. Not sure when I will get my first one. Margaret Curtain is loaded up. Sure hope they taste good.

Worth1 · May 8, 2015

I'm scared to get home and see what happened while I was gone.
I did a good trimming before I left.
Worth

decherdt · May 8, 2015

I've had to trim a trash bag full of leaves from my big indet RL pinks and reds this week. Also went from Serenade with Actinovate to mancozeb with copper. Daconil with azoxystrobin next. Hand paint daubed some 1% bleach on some spots last night. Scheming on a HTH calcium hypochlorite solution (pool water) to replace bleach. Picked 4-5 purple Black Cherry, but they need a week to sweeten up.

May 8, 2015

My fingers are crossed hoping for continued good luck. My garden hasn't experienced any high wind, hail, or disease yet. It is growing into a tall jungle covered with blossoms and small tomatoes. I feel fortunate the rain is coming now when the tomatoes are small and not susceptible to BER or cracking. We did have a tornado within five miles of our house last night. It tends to make my wife a little nervous, but I am pragmatic. What will happen will happen. More storms are probable today and through the weekend. I will take a tennis racquet to the garden to battle the mosquitos.

Ted

April 28, 2015	#153
decherdt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 329	Maybe this is probably where I ought to tell how one time I mixed a Quart of 5% vinegar in 5 gallons of tap water, and ceviche'd half a row of mater roots. I'm down in the safer dosage of 1oz per gallon of water if I try to fiddle ph in season anymore. Sulfur in the Fall is my main means of adjustment. __________________ 500 sq ft of raised rows zone 8a Last edited by decherdt; April 29, 2015 at 09:01 AM.

May 8, 2015	#164
decherdt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 329	I've had to trim a trash bag full of leaves from my big indet RL pinks and reds this week. Also went from Serenade with Actinovate to mancozeb with copper. Daconil with azoxystrobin next. Hand paint daubed some 1% bleach on some spots last night. Scheming on a HTH calcium hypochlorite solution (pool water) to replace bleach. Picked 4-5 purple Black Cherry, but they need a week to sweeten up. __________________ 500 sq ft of raised rows zone 8a Last edited by decherdt; May 8, 2015 at 02:33 PM.

April 27, 2015	#151
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Yes lower it to 6 or 6.5. Aluminium sulfate for permanent drop in ph or vinegar for temporary. The aluminum sulfate is immediate or you could go worth some other types of sulfur like the stuff you use to turn hydrangeas blue. Worth

April 28, 2015	#152
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	Excerpted from Hortmag.com Soil amendments: Once you know your pH you can determine if you need any additives to help obtain the level you desire. Remember: which additives and how much you use, as well as how and when you use them, will depend on how much lower your pH needs to be. Good pH-lowering amendments include: sphagnum peat moss*, elemental sulfate, sulfur and acidic fertilizers such as nitrogen fertilizer –make sure to read the label to confirm that it is acidic. You can also add aluminum sulfate and iron sulfate, which will quickly lower your pH, however you have to be cautious of applying these nutrients because they can be harmful to your plants. (Side note: If the leaves are yellowing and your pH is fine, then acidity most likely isn’t a problem, something else is. Your plant may have an iron deficiency, you could have issues with disease and/or pests or you are watering too much/too little.) Coffee grounds can help maintain a lower pH, too. - See more at: http://www.hortmag.com/weekly-tips/q....VYtozvdx.dpuf Ted

April 30, 2015	#154
OzoneNY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 390	Blossom drop! I lost one or two the other day and thought not much of it, now I have noticed about a dozen blossoms are gone. Its not because its been too hot. Too cool perhaps? This is heart breaking

April 30, 2015	#155
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	I don't know about others, but, I get far more blossoms that drop than blossoms that turn into tomatoes. That's my normal. That said, something to look out for is thrips. When they invade, they somehow destroy the flower and all the flowers will wither and drop. These guys are tiny tiny tiny. The best way to see them is probably with a magnifying glass. The next best is to take a white cardstock paper, put it under the flower and tap it several time to see if any thrips come out. If you have them, you want to eliminate them if at all possible! They are effective carriers of TSWV and if you get that, it's curtains for that plant. Dewayne mater

April 30, 2015	#156
OzoneNY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 390	So two or three drops per plant is nothing to worry about... yet.

May 8, 2015	#157
OzoneNY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 390	how much longer before any of you expect first take? I have several small tomatos and many more blossoms but my math has me taking my first ripe ones in the first or second week of June. Having never done this here in DFW before, Im still learning the curve.

May 8, 2015	#158
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I'm hoping to have a tomato when I get home. Worth

May 8, 2015	#160
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Worth is right, your drops were most likely due to the temperature swings we have had. I'm seeing some in my plants as well. Don't worry, if you are getting fruit set. We should have about another 4-6 weeks of prime to ok fruit set weather.

May 8, 2015	#161
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	No idea on when I will get my first ripe one. The definition of eternity is the time from when a tomato reaches full size until the time it ripens! I assume my first will be a cherry, but, we shall see. There are several plants in contention from cherry size to saladette to slicers! I've started having disease issues in my container plants, looks like early blight, but that isn't a big surprise considering the record amounts of rainfall we've had over the last month. I did the first round of bleach spray last evening after removing some obviously diseased leaves. Then it poured over night. Hopefully, the few hours the bleach was on was enough to kill a lot of pathogens. Gonna hit them with copper and mancozeb tonight. Dewayne mater

May 8, 2015	#162
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Dewayne, Sounds like we are in for potentially more rain today and tomorrow. I hope you can get your diseases knocked out. The only small fruit I have is Juane Flamme. Not sure when I will get my first one. Margaret Curtain is loaded up. Sure hope they taste good.

May 8, 2015	#163
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I'm scared to get home and see what happened while I was gone. I did a good trimming before I left. Worth

May 8, 2015	#165
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	My fingers are crossed hoping for continued good luck. My garden hasn't experienced any high wind, hail, or disease yet. It is growing into a tall jungle covered with blossoms and small tomatoes. I feel fortunate the rain is coming now when the tomatoes are small and not susceptible to BER or cracking. We did have a tornado within five miles of our house last night. It tends to make my wife a little nervous, but I am pragmatic. What will happen will happen. More storms are probable today and through the weekend. I will take a tennis racquet to the garden to battle the mosquitos. Ted