Plant management - Page 9

NarnianGarden · June 30, 2016

What I am using (Neudorff Azet-Tomato feed) has mycchoriza in it, that should be super helpful and advance the nutrient intake.
I can't exactly try what you are doing, as I don't have a greenhouse and I don't have access to the ferts that commercial gardeners do; my plants have been healthy tho

As they are not speaking to me, I can't know exactly what they want, but - so far they are growing and are lovely green...

zipcode · July 1, 2016

That's exactly what I was using. It's not enough, as soon as fruits start to grow, deficiencies creep up nicely. At least magnesium and iron are necessary, and even like that, I can't manage to get them to keep vigour for more than 4 levels of fruit, after that the plant becomes too generative, thin upper growth, flowers close to the tip, etc. Only after some ripen, do the plants manage to regain some vegetative strength. Might be related to watering as well, drip or self watering should help with this problem quite a lot as it gets extremely hot on the balcony (60-70C).

NarnianGarden · July 5, 2016

zipcode: How do you add those trace minerals? I do add some seaweed & chicken manure (horse is so strong it makes everything grow super giant), and some sugar beet extract (molasses)..
Some plants seem to be so vigorous they can go on and on until Christmas, while others give up easily. Same soil, same conditions. Weird!

zipcode · July 5, 2016

Mg sulfate, Borax, Iron EDTA, Zn sulfate, Copper sulfate, sodium molybdate, manganese sulfate. I add them in small amounts, best to just do a mix with right proportions (look on internet, there are amounts) that you add a 2-3 times a year. It helped for sure.

Nematode · June 28, 2017

Circling back here, using AkMark's formula from this post
http://www.tomatoville.com/showpost....8&postcount=35
With the exception of master blend 4-18-38 instead of chem gro.
Truss 1 and 2 are basically naked on 40 plants, no fruit setting. Not sure if N is pumping too hard or if the herbicide drift screwed up the plants. Only plants setting fruit are bloody butcher and sungold.

N is used as an herbicide adjuvant, so high N could be causing extreme 2-4-d sensitivity i guess....

Will try reducing N and see if they improve.
any suggestions?

thx

zipcode · June 28, 2017

You could, but also just reducing the ratios doesn't mean N won't be in excess and absorbed. I don't know much about hydroponics, but I think your problem should be solved by increasing the EC. Also less moisture during the night.

Ricky Shaw · June 28, 2017

In looking back at your pic of herbicide damage, it looks a lot like phosphorus deficiency related to cold root zone temps that I'm dealing with in my smaller pots. We had two late June days that never got above 60 and rain. The purplish hue to the stem and new leaves, the curling, the arching downward.

Did cold temps coincide with this? If so, a lot of this should work out.

Ricky Shaw · June 28, 2017

Nema pic1, Ricky pic2, 3

Nematode · June 28, 2017

EC = 2.7 which may be a little stiff, although plants don't really have the "bullish" look to them indicative of over-doing it on ferts.

Will drop EC towards 2.2 to see if they get some relief.
Ph = 6.1 which should be fine.

I could smell the yard chems in the air monday-tuesday.

Weather has been warm.

Peppers, cucumber, melon, look ok and are on the same feed.

Eggplant has some leaf cupping which could be "touch o herbicide", although I am less tuned in to normal for them.

Back-up plants don't get much love, but they do get the same feed occasionally from a watering can. They show nearly normal growth, some epinasty, but nothing I would be worried about. They are also growing slower due to having only a cupful of media.

Ricky Shaw · June 28, 2017

I have all heirlooms excepting Sungold and feed the HG 4-18-38 at an EC mmhos of 1.6 until a few clusters, mature plants at 2.0

PureHarvest · June 28, 2017

In my limited 3 year experience, a EC of 2.7 is very high.
At 2 an a little above, I was getting twisting and bending down stems till I backed it down. I think 2.7 would have killed my plants.
PPM wise, I am at 1400 right now and things look normal.

Nematode · June 28, 2017

Thanks PH. Now that I step back and look, they look a bit overfed, been looking at them that way since Zip said too much N.
EC = 2.2 now, will be lower tomorrow, will settle them near 2.0 for a while.

They may be drying more than last year, the media is a drier, free-er draining type. womdering if that could spike the EC in the root zone when its hot and sunny.

Still learnin.

Gerardo · June 28, 2017

I'm with u guys. I've been running at 2.0-2.2 and they are bending and twisting a bit, as usual, some say more please others say it burns a bit.

I'm gonna dial it down to 1.7-1.8

AKmark · June 28, 2017

A leaf sample is a great way to know if your EC is too high or not, or if you have an imbalance. They are cheap, and the results come back fast, so why wait until tomorrow.

Nematode · June 28, 2017

Was looking at that based on your earlier comments Mark.
Umass does them for.$30.
Wasn't sure about their sample procedure, they want 30 compound leaves from near the top of the plant. Short on detail there.
I'll wait till tomorrow because it's 8:00 here.

June 30, 2016	#121
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	What I am using (Neudorff Azet-Tomato feed) has mycchoriza in it, that should be super helpful and advance the nutrient intake. I can't exactly try what you are doing, as I don't have a greenhouse and I don't have access to the ferts that commercial gardeners do; my plants have been healthy tho As they are not speaking to me, I can't know exactly what they want, but - so far they are growing and are lovely green...

July 1, 2016	#122
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	That's exactly what I was using. It's not enough, as soon as fruits start to grow, deficiencies creep up nicely. At least magnesium and iron are necessary, and even like that, I can't manage to get them to keep vigour for more than 4 levels of fruit, after that the plant becomes too generative, thin upper growth, flowers close to the tip, etc. Only after some ripen, do the plants manage to regain some vegetative strength. Might be related to watering as well, drip or self watering should help with this problem quite a lot as it gets extremely hot on the balcony (60-70C).

July 5, 2016	#123
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	zipcode: How do you add those trace minerals? I do add some seaweed & chicken manure (horse is so strong it makes everything grow super giant), and some sugar beet extract (molasses).. Some plants seem to be so vigorous they can go on and on until Christmas, while others give up easily. Same soil, same conditions. Weird!

July 5, 2016	#124
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	Mg sulfate, Borax, Iron EDTA, Zn sulfate, Copper sulfate, sodium molybdate, manganese sulfate. I add them in small amounts, best to just do a mix with right proportions (look on internet, there are amounts) that you add a 2-3 times a year. It helped for sure.

June 28, 2017	#125
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Circling back here, using AkMark's formula from this post http://www.tomatoville.com/showpost....8&postcount=35 With the exception of master blend 4-18-38 instead of chem gro. Truss 1 and 2 are basically naked on 40 plants, no fruit setting. Not sure if N is pumping too hard or if the herbicide drift screwed up the plants. Only plants setting fruit are bloody butcher and sungold. N is used as an herbicide adjuvant, so high N could be causing extreme 2-4-d sensitivity i guess.... Will try reducing N and see if they improve. any suggestions? thx

June 28, 2017	#126
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	You could, but also just reducing the ratios doesn't mean N won't be in excess and absorbed. I don't know much about hydroponics, but I think your problem should be solved by increasing the EC. Also less moisture during the night.

June 28, 2017	#127
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	In looking back at your pic of herbicide damage, it looks a lot like phosphorus deficiency related to cold root zone temps that I'm dealing with in my smaller pots. We had two late June days that never got above 60 and rain. The purplish hue to the stem and new leaves, the curling, the arching downward. Did cold temps coincide with this? If so, a lot of this should work out.

June 28, 2017	#129
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	EC = 2.7 which may be a little stiff, although plants don't really have the "bullish" look to them indicative of over-doing it on ferts. Will drop EC towards 2.2 to see if they get some relief. Ph = 6.1 which should be fine. I could smell the yard chems in the air monday-tuesday. Weather has been warm. Peppers, cucumber, melon, look ok and are on the same feed. Eggplant has some leaf cupping which could be "touch o herbicide", although I am less tuned in to normal for them. Back-up plants don't get much love, but they do get the same feed occasionally from a watering can. They show nearly normal growth, some epinasty, but nothing I would be worried about. They are also growing slower due to having only a cupful of media.

June 28, 2017	#130
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	I have all heirlooms excepting Sungold and feed the HG 4-18-38 at an EC mmhos of 1.6 until a few clusters, mature plants at 2.0

June 28, 2017	#131
PureHarvest Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b Posts: 1,369	In my limited 3 year experience, a EC of 2.7 is very high. At 2 an a little above, I was getting twisting and bending down stems till I backed it down. I think 2.7 would have killed my plants. PPM wise, I am at 1400 right now and things look normal.

June 28, 2017	#132
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Thanks PH. Now that I step back and look, they look a bit overfed, been looking at them that way since Zip said too much N. EC = 2.2 now, will be lower tomorrow, will settle them near 2.0 for a while. They may be drying more than last year, the media is a drier, free-er draining type. womdering if that could spike the EC in the root zone when its hot and sunny. Still learnin.

June 28, 2017	#133
Gerardo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Diego-Tijuana Posts: 2,598	I'm with u guys. I've been running at 2.0-2.2 and they are bending and twisting a bit, as usual, some say more please others say it burns a bit. I'm gonna dial it down to 1.7-1.8

June 28, 2017	#134
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	A leaf sample is a great way to know if your EC is too high or not, or if you have an imbalance. They are cheap, and the results come back fast, so why wait until tomorrow.

June 28, 2017	#135
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Was looking at that based on your earlier comments Mark. Umass does them for.$30. Wasn't sure about their sample procedure, they want 30 compound leaves from near the top of the plant. Short on detail there. I'll wait till tomorrow because it's 8:00 here.