Impatient?

[PaulF]

Being a fifty year or more tomato grower, my plants are growing at a fifty year low pattern. It is like they are in hibernation. They all look healthy enough, the soil has been tested and is in balance, rainfall has been good even though the area is in a severe drought. There is adequate sunshine and temperatures are well within the normal range.

Historically no extra fertilization is necessary, but I am wondering what to do next. All the twenty-five plants have stopped growing and tend to be tall and slender rather than bushing out as expected. Most have blossoms and small tomatoes but there has been no change in a couple of weeks.

With the hotter days coming soon I am afraid sunscald will doom what fruit there is without foliage to help shade it. I am about ready to add fertilizer to kickstart some growth.

Any suggestions or ideas?

[biscuitridge]

I'd add some composted cow manure from an organic dairy if possible and maybe a little feather meal along with humic and fulvic acid drench.

[Tormato]

You said severe drought. I wonder if, this year, the normal watering that you do just isn't getting deep enough?

When presented with a problem, I never look for a single solution for the answer. I try two or more experiments to see if one works better than any other.

If I had your problem, on some plants, I would do a very deep watering, and there would be some of the water soluble "blue stuff" added.

And, possibly, on a few plants (that had several more blossoms higher up) I would remove the small green fruit, too.

And, on the other plants, just do what you've always done, and see if they come around.

[PaulF]

I have been relying on rainfall which luckily has been fairly frequent in this area. Other parts of the State is lacking moisture. Perhaps we have not gotten sufficient rain to assist in good growth. Besides the fertilization, extra deep watering is to be on the schedule.

Thanks for the suggestions...I begin tomorrow.

[Tormato]

End of season, I'd be curious to hear what your root balls look like.

For me, I've had a few years, lately, where plants shot up leggy, and then basically stopped for quite awhile, like your current situation. Initial tomato set on the first couple of trusses was good, with not much after that. These are the same results that several gardeners in the area where also getting, but I have no idea how they were treating their plants.

Digging up plants at the end of the season, many had two sets of root balls, one shallow, one deep, neither very large. I can't say if there was any correlation between that, the stunted plant growth, and poor tomato production later on.

Perhaps my soil is running low on something needed. When first getting into tomatoes, there was much soil amendments, and plants generally had one large root ball.

[PaulF]

I will make sure to include the rootball size in the year end report sent to a couple of the mainly visited sites including this one.

In past years the root balls have been extensive and very healthy. Hopefully with this years fertilization program the plants will grow to normal size and depth.

[KarenO]

I think a soil test may be informative.

[PaulF]

Soil tests professionally done are part of the yearly regimen. The entire garden space is very much in balance with nothing needed to be added except for elemental sulphur. Eighteen years ago the soil was at the 8.8 range. As you could guess, production was quite low. Now the pH is in the manageable range of 7.5.

The garden area had never been turned over...ever. After many years of adding organics and the application of sulphur, results began to improve after about five years. No other additions need be made except for nitrogen. I am still leary of adding N in excessive amounts so a balanced 10-10-10 granules and a liquid plant food at the base was also applied. That was a higher nitrogen formula.

Already the plants seem to be getting bigger. Imagination or wishful thinking? Maybe. Stay tuned. Maybe a few photos will help.

[bower]

Last year I had a miserable garlic harvest, because I didn't realize just how dry it was. When I should've been watering, I was thinking gee the garlic look pretty good compared to everything else that just isn't growing.



So I'm absolutely betting that insufficient water is the single cause of your troubles.
I know your soil management is top notch and since nothing has changed, it has to be the drought.


I haven't had a ripe tomato yet either, definitely closing in on two weeks late if not later... a sad year! Plants are still setting or really just starting to set in earnest, now that it's too hot instead of too cold. Sigh.

[Patihum]

Most of my plants are on the 'slender and tall' side of things this year. Usually by now it's hard to move down the rows. Soil is good but it's been so hot and dry that even with watering on a regular basis the plants just aren't as robust as I'm used to.

[JRinPA]

A natural pH of 8.8, that is so strange to read. The soil here is typically very acidic. A lot of limestone is dusted each year on the farms.

[PaulF]

Along the Missouri River for several hundred miles from Sioux City south to the St. Joseph, Missouri area a windblown deposit from the volcanic eruptions in the Yellowstone area several hundred thousand years ago called "Loess" was deposited. It is a narrow band of fertile but very basic soil called sugar clay. A couple miles either side of the Loess Hills soil is more acidic and does require addition of lime.

For us in the Loess zone it is a yearly addition of elemental sulphur. The natural vegetation has accustomed itself to the soil conditions. Trees, weeds, brush and certain fruits have evolved tolerances, but introduced plants and flowers and trees need help. Tomatoes and peppers and vine crops all benefit from human intervention. This year nothing seems to help.

[b54red]

Paul whenever I have leggy plants it is usually a temporary state because I start applying a mix of fertilizers more frequently than usually needed. I will give them all a good dose of MG to perk them up then apply alternating Urban Farms Vegetable food and TTF until fruit set and plant health is improved. This usually works but it does take some time and patience.

Hearing about your soil ph issues I wondered if you have tried adding pine bark fines, peat and cottonseed meal. They are all low ph and over time will bring your soil acidity closer to what is ideal for tomatoes which for me seems to be between 5.8 and 6.7.

Bill

[PaulF]

Peat is the only one of those items available in the Midwest. Peat is very hard to find in quantities here. I do return my straw and newspaper mulch into the soil for additional organics which helps with the pH, but a yearly dose of sulphur brings it down cheaper and effectively.

I am now thinking the straw used this year for mulch may have been sprayed with a growth inhibitor and is stressing the plants out. Already two plants have succomed and several are not doing very well. First crop failure...ever. Sad deal. Hoping for better luck next year with a different straw source.

I am in the midst of a fertilization program beginning with a higher N plant food. Some plants are showing good signs. Not sure what more I can do except continue and wait and see.

[Yak54]

Hope you find the answer to the problem !


Dan