Author Topic: Tomatoes  (Read 108340 times)

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Ed Sutton

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #40 on: May 30, 2010, 08:48:30 PM »
Are cottonwood trees the ones that flare out like an old fashioned men's shaving brush stood up on end with the handle on the ground and the brush in the air ?      If so, thats what the makeup brush is shaped like except it has an inverted cone of filaments sticking up.

If any fruit pollinates askew the shape of the fruit is askew.    I spell phonetically so I am not so sure of "askew" .
Grateful for Psalms 32 and Titus 2:10 - The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of God.  {11MR 266.2}

Ed Sutton

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #41 on: May 31, 2010, 02:15:30 PM »
Have you ever wondered why your tomatoes and peppers sometimes get blossom end rot and great looking fruit has a rotted section ?

Usually it's after or during rains when the tomatoes and peppers have stopped or slowed down growing because of lack of water.  

rains come at last, or you forgot to regularly water the garden - let it get way too dry and now give it lots of water.

Suddenly they start or speed up growing rapidly, then fruit blossom end rots.  It is a temporary calcium deficiency caused by rapid growth, not enough calcium in the soil or the plant for the roots to feed the plant a quick surplus to build the cell walls in the rapidly developing fruit, and those cells go gangrene literally and rot, on an otherwise good looking tomato or pepper.

Tomatoes and peppers are prone to this.  

There are 2 remedies.

1. Soil prep and enriching before planting with slower release calcium sources.

2. Buy a concentrate to mix with water and foliar feed / water with / root zone drench - either before it happens, (like before going to campmeeting) , or upon returning from campmeeting and finding blossom end rot in progress.

Ever noticed that every year storms during campmeeting, and evangelistic series - then be proactive with tomatoes and peppers too.
Grateful for Psalms 32 and Titus 2:10 - The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of God.  {11MR 266.2}

Mimi

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #42 on: July 08, 2010, 06:21:58 PM »
I took five containers of the yellow variety tomato plants to a friend's greenhouse for an experiment. Her's were almost to the roof, so I got excited at the potential for the heirloom seeds Richard sent. In my yard, they were trudging along, growing, but not so quickly, even in full sun. The trouble is the cold nights. They do not like it, so one week ago I left them with my friend. They were probably 4 inches high. I saw the little things today and they are almost a foot high! Doubling size in one week is shocking. Talk about thrilled!

Hers are hybrid cherry tomatoes. Compared to the color of the leaves of the heirlooms, they appear sickly - pale green, whereas the heirloom leaf is very dark green, thick and sturdy. I could hardly believe my eyes. They were beautiful! Again, thank you, Richard, for the seeds.
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Ed Sutton

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #43 on: July 08, 2010, 08:40:20 PM »
Sounds like you need that hoophouse............any sleeplabs with openings in your area ?   If I get hired I'll help you build it.
Grateful for Psalms 32 and Titus 2:10 - The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of God.  {11MR 266.2}

Mimi

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #44 on: July 09, 2010, 06:49:43 AM »
Bless you! If things ever settle down around here, I'll get it built.
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Vicki

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #45 on: July 11, 2010, 10:19:25 AM »
Something is eating our tomato blossoms.

Suspects: guinea hen, quail, rabbit, tomato hornworm.

Alibi's: quinea hen & quail have been around for years but I didn't notice blosoms missing previously; a small rabbit could get through the fence, but the garden greens weren't munched; tomato horn worm would have eaten more than the blossoms.

It was windy last night & this morning so no foot prints in our dusty garden this morning.

Out of the above possibilities, which would you think it is and how would you deal with it?

Ed Sutton

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #46 on: July 11, 2010, 10:55:19 AM »
Are there any blossoms on the ground ?

Are their desicated remains of blossoms still on the plants ?

Any remains of blossoms on the ground ?

are the blossoms drying up and blowing away?

If you have an artists paintbrush - hand polinate some new blossoms then cover with a looser weave cloth bag (like cheesecloth), and secure with string so no tiny worms, moths, critters can get through.

Check each day, and do the blooms remain at least in part when a tomato starts forming ?

Get a small spritz bottle of blossom set and spray the backside of new blossoms to keep them available for pollination longer, if the humidity is consistantly too dry, or nites too cool, nites too hot, days too hot,  or windy, too much stress on plant, it interfers with the already limited life cycle of the blossoms - preventing or deminishing pollination opportunities.

Blossom set helps over ride this and gives more opportunity for pollinization.  Even tomatoes have fertility problems.  Total accumulated stress causes chemical alarms withing the vegetable and fruit plant - with disease conditions results > just as they do in humans.

her's fall off too


tomato problems

why they fall

Use a shade cloth white color, as a canopy over the tomatoes, use a more open weave cloth like cheese cloth as a decreasing factor for the day time intense sunlight /heat.   Once the stress is decreased the plants hold flowers longer.   Commercial growers do this, but home growers can too (smaller scale).
Grateful for Psalms 32 and Titus 2:10 - The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of God.  {11MR 266.2}

Vicki

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #47 on: July 11, 2010, 12:10:54 PM »
Thanks for all the info, Ed. Slow computer - we've only seen one youtube so far but we're working through it.

We just got back from our sleuthing adventure. We did find some blossoms on the ground. Early Girls appear to be the only ones affected. 60's at night & high 90's at noon is too extreme? No humidity to speak of here. So I should find a way to shade them? All day long shade or something that needs put up for the middle of the day heat? Husband probably has more knowledge about this than I do, but he's gone for the day.

We did find one plant that had a leaf half munched - 1/2 tomato hornworm. Chickie thought he was delicious. Couldn't find anymore worms, munched leaves, or eggs elsewhere.

I'm glad it wasn't the quail - I would be in touble with the law since it's not quail season. They do like to peck holes in the ripe tomatoes, but we've got enough plants that I don't get too upset over that.

Richard Myers

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #48 on: July 11, 2010, 02:40:33 PM »
The green worm leaves evidence behind. Like geese, they leave a trail  of droppings. Black. I usually see the droppings before I see the worms. My cure is to get the moth before it lays the eggs. We have a game we play with the water hose. It is not nice for the moth, but it is either her or my tomatoes. It seems neither of us win the game, but many of them  lose the battle.  Some, I think get smart and if they manage to escape, they don't come back.

Like Betsy, some learn how  serious  I am at protecting my garden from vegans.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Vicki

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #49 on: July 11, 2010, 05:30:42 PM »
The moth would have to hold very still for a water game with me - we use a bubbler.  ;)

I only saw one moth last year & it was late in the season. It escaped over 2 rows of fence. I hesitated to nab it since I hoped son would do the dirty work - but he thought it was gross and wouldn't touch it. He did play with the humongous tomato hornworm we found a few weeks previous. Gross. I resolved not to be that squeamish this year...but I haven't found a big one yet to prove my mettle.  :P And I didn't have to touch the little one - I took the whole leaf to the chickies.  ::)

Mimi

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #50 on: July 11, 2010, 06:16:35 PM »
A very large gray moth has been eating the geranium leaves.  >:( He is so large that I will need to take the broom to him - that is, if I can find him tonight.
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Vicki

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #51 on: July 11, 2010, 06:48:43 PM »
Those big moths are fun to look at - except when they make themselves at home on our gardens.

Mimi

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #52 on: July 11, 2010, 06:52:52 PM »
Yes! Those buggers! I went looking for him but of course, he is nowhere to be found. I did discover 3 wasps nests (gratefully empty) and empty swallow nests so some cleaning is in order!
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Vicki

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #53 on: July 11, 2010, 06:59:54 PM »
A few years ago we saw a big moth on the bumper of a van at a gas station. Husband & son walked closer to get a better look. When the driver saw them they pointed to the moth. The man took a rolled up newspaper & swatted the thing off his bumper. How horrid! But maybe he was a gardener and had pent up frustrations. We took it & fed it dandelions and drops of water until it recovered then set it free in a park - not near our garden.  ;)

Mimi

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #54 on: July 28, 2010, 10:51:21 AM »
I took five containers of the yellow variety tomato plants to a friend's greenhouse for an experiment. Her's were almost to the roof, so I got excited at the potential for the heirloom seeds Richard sent. In my yard, they were trudging along, growing, but not so quickly, even in full sun. The trouble is the cold nights. They do not like it, so one week ago I left them with my friend. They were probably 4 inches high. I saw the little things today and they are almost a foot high! Doubling size in one week is shocking. Talk about thrilled!

Hers are hybrid cherry tomatoes. Compared to the color of the leaves of the heirlooms, they appear sickly - pale green, whereas the heirloom leaf is very dark green, thick and sturdy. I could hardly believe my eyes. They were beautiful! Again, thank you, Richard, for the seeds.

The plants are needing the cages! YAY! What a difference the greenhouse has made. We are hoping for a bountiful harvest! Will take photos when that begins to happen. 
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Ed Sutton

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #55 on: July 28, 2010, 02:29:10 PM »
Vicki,

cheesecloth ia a great shade cloth, get it as wide as possible, and as long as the row needs.   Use pre-existing brush, tall grass stalks, sticks, even tying corners with string and suspending from the tomato sticks (like the roof of thr Denver Int Airport ), whatever works to shade the tomato plants, (even making one open sided loose drawstring tie cheesecloth sacks like a trash bag) to cover the tomato plant .   (But leave one side open for pollination and picking )
**********************

Sybil,

Great to hear, hope to see pictures of lots of ripening tomatoes soon .   ;D
Grateful for Psalms 32 and Titus 2:10 - The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of God.  {11MR 266.2}

Richard Myers

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #56 on: July 28, 2010, 08:49:18 PM »
Why shadecloth for tomatoes? I thought the liked plenty of sun?
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Ed Sutton

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #57 on: July 29, 2010, 12:31:17 AM »
Vicki was saying her tomatoes were dropping the blossoms without setting tomatoes ='s a stressed tomato plant.   Day time heat she said was upper 90's close to 100, with 60 degrees at night ='s a 40 degree shift per 24 hr cycle.    From U tube it was shown that such stress can stop fruit set in suceptable older varities.  If her altitude is high enough night times will drop too low at nite to limit the range to 20 degree range shift.   

So cutting the daytime sun intensity 5 to 10 % will decrease the width of the range shift.   If she could like Sybil put her tomatoes under a heat retaining cover (in Sybil's case a friends greenhouse ) each nite,, the stressful range would decrease, blossoms stay long enough for pollination and fruit set, plus it decreases sun scald on ripening tomatoes on really hot days.
Grateful for Psalms 32 and Titus 2:10 - The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of God.  {11MR 266.2}

Richard Myers

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #58 on: July 29, 2010, 09:50:34 AM »
Thanks Ed. I could not see putting shade cloth over my tomatoes. Although we have gone from 68 to 110.  I suppose I ought to consider doing something if I don't get tomatoes soon!!  It seems some varieties are doing better than others. My neighbor gave me some heirlooms, three varieties, and I had four different heirloom varieties. And I planted some hybrids. It appears that the heirloom varieties are more temperamental. My neighbor did not get tomatoes last year from his heirloom. He said he needed to plant them earlier so they developed before it got real hot. I had not known this. This year there was no danger since it remained cool late into summer which has caused a problem with all tomatoes here. We have only gotten a few regular tomatoes so far.

But, the zucchini is putting out great! Looking for those who like to make zucchini bread!
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Vicki

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #59 on: September 29, 2010, 06:09:18 PM »
The tomatoes have finally come on. I've been making sauce at least twice a week, and we are having our fill of tomato sandwiches.  :)

This week, the horrendous happened. Actually, 38 horrendous things. Tomato horn worms.  :P The majority have been picked off of the heirloom tomato plants. The top 3rd of most of those plants are practically bare. I would like to think we got them all, but that is doubtful. Tomorrow I'm cutting off all the munched branches so I can tell if there are any worms left.

(The chickens are happy. If any of you have difficulty giving up eating chicken, just think about eating tomato horn worms second hand.  :P)