Pruning and Repotting... - Page 9

MissS · January 27, 2017

Ron, they look to be too close together to me. You do not even have 1 foot of space between your pots. You would like to have at least 2 feet between the edges of the pots and 3 would be even better. You yourself need room to work on the plants. The plants need the space between them for air circulation. They should never be allowed to touch one another. The plants are looking very good. You have some nice fruit set. It looks like you are going to have a nice crop there. Yes, the plants do need pruning. I am sure that you will address that. For now I suggest that you give them more space.

murihikukid · January 30, 2017

Patti...The CalMag has arrived ....I sure hope its the proper product....Later I will grind it up...I wonder If I can water it in tonight because I did give all my plants water last night......Today I am putting some shelves up and some plants need staking etc cause they are getting away on me....??? Ron

MissS · January 30, 2017

Oh good. You may not need to grind it Ron. See if it will dissolve in water first. You can give them some but do not over-water them...

murihikukid · January 30, 2017

Patti...I am expecting to see a greenhouse full of green tomorrow...I do water round the outside of the pot now as against round the stem .....All i have to get now is Myco ....now the guy who I saw from the soil place told me they make their own from "milk" .....I am very hestitant about spending my money with these type of businesses....Cheers Ron

MissS · January 30, 2017

Milk does not contain mycos. However, in making yogurt and other dairy products, milk does produce a bacteria that many people like to use on their soil for tomatoes. I would not bother to spend my money on it. You can make some at home yourself if you really want it.

murihikukid · January 31, 2017

Patti..Just shows you what its like here ...basicly you cannot trust anybody.....I tried some calmag in water and after a couple of hours it was quite evident it would take maybe weeks to become soluable so I put 3 cup fulls in my blender and powdered it but I can still feel some sitting in the bucket of water.....I am giving 1/2 litre or 500ml to my plants ..apart from the 6 big ones ....everytime they get a "special" watering they get moved around ??
So thats CalMag/Miracle Grow and Mycorrhizae (when I get it)....Does that meet your approval...No Fish tales Etc..

I have e built a shelf so that will be extra space for me ...of course it will be taken down later as the plants outgrow the space but I will deal with that when it happens ...I want all my plants in my greenhouse so as I can clean the house for the winter crop????

At this point of time I am looking at buying the 2 KG of MycoMax from Auckland and splitting it....At least i know what I am buying and I just cannot see 20 or 40 sachets of 50g and 100g not selling down here ...and there is always Trademe....Its legal but I presume the company could object and refuse to sell me another 2kg but by then hopefully I will find another supplier either here or overseas...
Regards Ron

murihikukid · January 31, 2017

Patti..I will sieve the Calmag after I powder then I can get true powder and then reblend what is left...so that i can get an equal amount in each pot...
Also I have some photos that I will post soon of what I see as problems...Cheers Ron

MissS · January 31, 2017

You can mix the Calmag with water. No it will not dissolve but you can shake or stir it up to blend it into your water and then water the plants with this mixture. This hopefully will help to green things up and give you stronger stems.

We should be happy with the Calmag, Miracle Grow and Mycos if you can find some that are not too pricey. I think that this is as good as we can find for you over there. I would like to change you from MG to something else at some point. I just can not find the something else over there that would do well right now. I still think that the MycoMax is expensive. I think that you can live without it.

Cheers ~ Patti

murihikukid · January 31, 2017

Patti..I am so tired from carrying buckets in and out from the wash house to get my warm water......Maybe its time to have something to eat ....Tonight I have to do repotting ....I am still not happy with some that I see ...I am sure they have a disease on the stem ...The leaves and branches I just cut off now ...unless I find a good fungicide unless I already have one there is nothing I can do about it ...When I water my plants now...each is lifted down or up on to a work bench where I check it ,tie it if required and water it and put it back ....The garden hose is never used here ????
I am pruning the lower main stem after all some have to be put in larger pots and after I got branches etc caught on a new main stake I now realise if I thread it down from the top I should not damage my plant...

Yes Mycorrhizae....I could be better off buying Serenade....

Repotting do I still sprinkle oyster shell on with Tricoderma or do I now use the CalMag...

I still do not know about those TT's ...one in particular is growing at twice the rate as the others...mind you as long as it produces fruit why should I care .....Would whatever they do to those plants be passed on to their seeds??

Regards Ron

murihikukid · January 31, 2017

Patti...I am getting there ....So i have some photos with important questions written on them...Tonight I will be putting more plants in drums and slowly the layout of my greenhouse will hopefully come together ....??? Cheers Ron...

murihikukid · January 31, 2017

Patti...Some more photos..??Cheers Ron

MissS · January 31, 2017

Ron, you can still use the oyster shell if you need to use it up. It is a very slow release calcium. If you are running out then there is really no reason to buy more. If you still need to adjust for ph then you need to add your dolomite lime. Tricoderma is a good thing so please do use that.

I would use the "search" tool here on the top of the page and do a search for Serenade before you buy it. I have heard mixed reviews about it here.

Whatever someone does to a plant, unless it is genetic engineering, will not be passed on in their seeds. If whatever the plant is doing on it's own, can be passed on to some of the offspring.

Watch for disease and get rid of it before it takes hold. Be sure to spray your plants regularly and do try to alternate between two products. If necessary use the bleach spray locally.

I do like how you are giving each plant a thorough inspection when you are watering them. This is a great way to get to know your plants and find any issues that may arise.

Way to go ~ Patti

MissS · February 1, 2017

Thanks for the pictures Ron. The plants are looking pretty good, but as you noted they do have fungus growing on the stems which is most likely powdery mildew.

Eva Ste. Wendell bottom leaves are touching the pot. When leaves are touching the pot I always recommend that they be removed. They become susceptible to disease quite easily. I would also pinch off the lower suckers.

Your unknown also has the powdery mildew. Remove the lower leaves that are touching the pot this will also open the plant to better air flow. As it is right now it's growth is dense and the air is stagnant in the center of the plant.

Aunt Ginny's Purple has the mildew and I think it has early blight too. Remove all effected leaves and dispose of them ASAP.

Whippersnapper needs to have the lower suckers removed.

I think that Stump of the World will grow out just fine and give you some nice fruit. Yes it is behind, but it is coming along just fine. This ones leaves seem to be curling from too much fertilizer.

Lastly, yes it would be just fine to cut the main stem off and allow the new growth to take over. It is a good way to rejuvenate an old plant.

Cheers ~ Patti

murihikukid · February 1, 2017

Patty ..Its 10.25pm and time to have tea and its dark so there is always tomorrow ...Do not know why but my Aunt Ginny's Purple plants just never looked any good ..Its like Missouri Love Apple ..I propagated about 6 seeds and got one to germinate ...I do have some spares coming along??? for all my plants...????
So lets move onto spraying...I have Natures Way Fungi spray which is copper and sulphate and I have Thiram which I only tryed once before the baking soda.. so it never got a chance to prove itself ...Lets say I do a Thiram and Natures Way program..so what would you suggest one every alternative week or a shorter period.between.... Did I tell you that Daconil and similar products are being banned from the country due to human health risks...basicly only leaves Serenade???

Also instead of spraying could the stems be carefully wiped somehow...its only a few plants that have the problem...

Well nearly everything has been CalMaged.....Tomorrow a polysyrene box of 12 plants is being thrown out....and do you have Sweet 100 in the US....What a terrible plant ?Its like a weed growing all over the place of course some of my Tasty Toms are not much better...Far too many of them so the notice has go in the window tomorrow ..somebody may want them...
I still think if I split the MycoGrow up my share will cost me nothing...I mean its $200 but if it works i will get over that amount back in pleasure of tasting the various fruit varieties.....Every Sweet Scarlet seed I tried germinated...so thats one dwarf for the winter crop...along with another named Dwarf??? I do not think the grower knows what it is ??
I do have some nice plants coming up ...and as for the TT's ...I have three stakes and string round them to hold them up ..??? I must try and get rid of some of the laterals?? Problem is there are fruit and flowers every where and I hate even knocking one small tomato off a plant....Regards Ron...

MissS · February 1, 2017

Ron, what time does it get dark there? At 10:30 PM I am getting ready to go to bed and yet it is dark over there and you are just having tea. What time do most people there turn in for the night?

I would spray your plants weekly and alternate using Thiram one week and then the Natures Way the next. I would spray every 7 days due to your very high humidity. The problem with wiping down the areas that you see infected is that fungi spores are microscopic and they have been growing and harming your plants before you are even able to see it. The fungi are fast producers of off-spring and spread very quickly. Spores have already spread to other areas of the plants, but you are just unable to see it with the naked eye yet. So spraying your plants with a very fine mist both the top and the bottom sides of the leaves is best. And yes you did mention about the Daconil.

Yep, we do have Sweet 100 here. Some plants are ramblers and this is one of them.

Cheers Patti

January 27, 2017	#121
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	Ron, they look to be too close together to me. You do not even have 1 foot of space between your pots. You would like to have at least 2 feet between the edges of the pots and 3 would be even better. You yourself need room to work on the plants. The plants need the space between them for air circulation. They should never be allowed to touch one another. The plants are looking very good. You have some nice fruit set. It looks like you are going to have a nice crop there. Yes, the plants do need pruning. I am sure that you will address that. For now I suggest that you give them more space. __________________ ~ Patti ~

January 30, 2017	#123
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	Oh good. You may not need to grind it Ron. See if it will dissolve in water first. You can give them some but do not over-water them... __________________ ~ Patti ~

January 30, 2017	#125
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	Milk does not contain mycos. However, in making yogurt and other dairy products, milk does produce a bacteria that many people like to use on their soil for tomatoes. I would not bother to spend my money on it. You can make some at home yourself if you really want it. __________________ ~ Patti ~

January 31, 2017	#126
murihikukid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Invercargill New Zealand Posts: 1,022	Patti..Just shows you what its like here ...basicly you cannot trust anybody.....I tried some calmag in water and after a couple of hours it was quite evident it would take maybe weeks to become soluable so I put 3 cup fulls in my blender and powdered it but I can still feel some sitting in the bucket of water.....I am giving 1/2 litre or 500ml to my plants ..apart from the 6 big ones ....everytime they get a "special" watering they get moved around ?? So thats CalMag/Miracle Grow and Mycorrhizae (when I get it)....Does that meet your approval...No Fish tales Etc.. I have e built a shelf so that will be extra space for me ...of course it will be taken down later as the plants outgrow the space but I will deal with that when it happens ...I want all my plants in my greenhouse so as I can clean the house for the winter crop???? At this point of time I am looking at buying the 2 KG of MycoMax from Auckland and splitting it....At least i know what I am buying and I just cannot see 20 or 40 sachets of 50g and 100g not selling down here ...and there is always Trademe....Its legal but I presume the company could object and refuse to sell me another 2kg but by then hopefully I will find another supplier either here or overseas... Regards Ron Last edited by murihikukid; January 31, 2017 at 05:38 PM.

January 31, 2017	#128
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	You can mix the Calmag with water. No it will not dissolve but you can shake or stir it up to blend it into your water and then water the plants with this mixture. This hopefully will help to green things up and give you stronger stems. We should be happy with the Calmag, Miracle Grow and Mycos if you can find some that are not too pricey. I think that this is as good as we can find for you over there. I would like to change you from MG to something else at some point. I just can not find the something else over there that would do well right now. I still think that the MycoMax is expensive. I think that you can live without it. Cheers ~ Patti __________________ ~ Patti ~

January 30, 2017	#122
murihikukid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Invercargill New Zealand Posts: 1,022	Patti...The CalMag has arrived ....I sure hope its the proper product....Later I will grind it up...I wonder If I can water it in tonight because I did give all my plants water last night......Today I am putting some shelves up and some plants need staking etc cause they are getting away on me....??? Ron

January 30, 2017	#124
murihikukid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Invercargill New Zealand Posts: 1,022	Patti...I am expecting to see a greenhouse full of green tomorrow...I do water round the outside of the pot now as against round the stem .....All i have to get now is Myco ....now the guy who I saw from the soil place told me they make their own from "milk" .....I am very hestitant about spending my money with these type of businesses....Cheers Ron

January 31, 2017	#127
murihikukid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Invercargill New Zealand Posts: 1,022	Patti..I will sieve the Calmag after I powder then I can get true powder and then reblend what is left...so that i can get an equal amount in each pot... Also I have some photos that I will post soon of what I see as problems...Cheers Ron

January 31, 2017	#129
murihikukid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Invercargill New Zealand Posts: 1,022	Patti..I am so tired from carrying buckets in and out from the wash house to get my warm water......Maybe its time to have something to eat ....Tonight I have to do repotting ....I am still not happy with some that I see ...I am sure they have a disease on the stem ...The leaves and branches I just cut off now ...unless I find a good fungicide unless I already have one there is nothing I can do about it ...When I water my plants now...each is lifted down or up on to a work bench where I check it ,tie it if required and water it and put it back ....The garden hose is never used here ???? I am pruning the lower main stem after all some have to be put in larger pots and after I got branches etc caught on a new main stake I now realise if I thread it down from the top I should not damage my plant... Yes Mycorrhizae....I could be better off buying Serenade.... Repotting do I still sprinkle oyster shell on with Tricoderma or do I now use the CalMag... I still do not know about those TT's ...one in particular is growing at twice the rate as the others...mind you as long as it produces fruit why should I care .....Would whatever they do to those plants be passed on to their seeds?? Regards Ron

January 31, 2017	#132
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	Ron, you can still use the oyster shell if you need to use it up. It is a very slow release calcium. If you are running out then there is really no reason to buy more. If you still need to adjust for ph then you need to add your dolomite lime. Tricoderma is a good thing so please do use that. I would use the "search" tool here on the top of the page and do a search for Serenade before you buy it. I have heard mixed reviews about it here. Whatever someone does to a plant, unless it is genetic engineering, will not be passed on in their seeds. If whatever the plant is doing on it's own, can be passed on to some of the offspring. Watch for disease and get rid of it before it takes hold. Be sure to spray your plants regularly and do try to alternate between two products. If necessary use the bleach spray locally. I do like how you are giving each plant a thorough inspection when you are watering them. This is a great way to get to know your plants and find any issues that may arise. Way to go ~ Patti __________________ ~ Patti ~

February 1, 2017	#133
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	Thanks for the pictures Ron. The plants are looking pretty good, but as you noted they do have fungus growing on the stems which is most likely powdery mildew. Eva Ste. Wendell bottom leaves are touching the pot. When leaves are touching the pot I always recommend that they be removed. They become susceptible to disease quite easily. I would also pinch off the lower suckers. Your unknown also has the powdery mildew. Remove the lower leaves that are touching the pot this will also open the plant to better air flow. As it is right now it's growth is dense and the air is stagnant in the center of the plant. Aunt Ginny's Purple has the mildew and I think it has early blight too. Remove all effected leaves and dispose of them ASAP. Whippersnapper needs to have the lower suckers removed. I think that Stump of the World will grow out just fine and give you some nice fruit. Yes it is behind, but it is coming along just fine. This ones leaves seem to be curling from too much fertilizer. Lastly, yes it would be just fine to cut the main stem off and allow the new growth to take over. It is a good way to rejuvenate an old plant. Cheers ~ Patti __________________ ~ Patti ~

February 1, 2017	#134
murihikukid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Invercargill New Zealand Posts: 1,022	Patty ..Its 10.25pm and time to have tea and its dark so there is always tomorrow ...Do not know why but my Aunt Ginny's Purple plants just never looked any good ..Its like Missouri Love Apple ..I propagated about 6 seeds and got one to germinate ...I do have some spares coming along??? for all my plants...???? So lets move onto spraying...I have Natures Way Fungi spray which is copper and sulphate and I have Thiram which I only tryed once before the baking soda.. so it never got a chance to prove itself ...Lets say I do a Thiram and Natures Way program..so what would you suggest one every alternative week or a shorter period.between.... Did I tell you that Daconil and similar products are being banned from the country due to human health risks...basicly only leaves Serenade??? Also instead of spraying could the stems be carefully wiped somehow...its only a few plants that have the problem... Well nearly everything has been CalMaged.....Tomorrow a polysyrene box of 12 plants is being thrown out....and do you have Sweet 100 in the US....What a terrible plant ?Its like a weed growing all over the place of course some of my Tasty Toms are not much better...Far too many of them so the notice has go in the window tomorrow ..somebody may want them... I still think if I split the MycoGrow up my share will cost me nothing...I mean its $200 but if it works i will get over that amount back in pleasure of tasting the various fruit varieties.....Every Sweet Scarlet seed I tried germinated...so thats one dwarf for the winter crop...along with another named Dwarf??? I do not think the grower knows what it is ?? I do have some nice plants coming up ...and as for the TT's ...I have three stakes and string round them to hold them up ..??? I must try and get rid of some of the laterals?? Problem is there are fruit and flowers every where and I hate even knocking one small tomato off a plant....Regards Ron...

February 1, 2017	#135
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,146	Ron, what time does it get dark there? At 10:30 PM I am getting ready to go to bed and yet it is dark over there and you are just having tea. What time do most people there turn in for the night? I would spray your plants weekly and alternate using Thiram one week and then the Natures Way the next. I would spray every 7 days due to your very high humidity. The problem with wiping down the areas that you see infected is that fungi spores are microscopic and they have been growing and harming your plants before you are even able to see it. The fungi are fast producers of off-spring and spread very quickly. Spores have already spread to other areas of the plants, but you are just unable to see it with the naked eye yet. So spraying your plants with a very fine mist both the top and the bottom sides of the leaves is best. And yes you did mention about the Daconil. Yep, we do have Sweet 100 here. Some plants are ramblers and this is one of them. Cheers Patti __________________ ~ Patti ~