Help Please....

Plaz · July 18, 2016

Can anyone tell me what is going on with this? This is usually what my container maters look like at the end of the season, not this early.

Thanks!

Worth1 · July 18, 2016

Looks to me the most important thing is they are lacking in fertilizer and old leaves.

Worth

Cole_Robbie · July 18, 2016

They look root-bound. It expresses itself as a nitrogen deficiency. You can try feeding them calcium nitrate, but the real problem is that they need a bigger container.

bower · July 18, 2016

The yellow lower leaves tells me, bring on the ferts!
It's worthwhile to feed container tomatoes once a week after they start ripening fruit. Leaves that are dying to feed the top of the plant also can host disease and that can spread. And besides, if they are healthy all over they will continue to produce more fruit.

dustdevil · July 18, 2016

As others have said, they need more fertilizer.

Disease-wise, your cherry tomato looks nice and clean.

What variety is that?

Plaz · July 18, 2016

Thanks for the quick help, just added fertilizer and will keep my fingers crossed. The variety in the pict are super sweet 100's. No matter what I have grown in the past the family always love to eat these.

mobiledynamics · July 20, 2016

OT but new to fabric pots...have always planted in ground...
Don't even use ferts in ground. We compost and I'll put a smigen of TT when I transplant from the pot to the grounds in the spring.

Fabric pots were tricky. My in grounds were like 8X bigger than my smart pots. I started using liquid fert diluted in my watering. Pots got bigger but stil nowhere as big as the in grounds.

Once tomatoes start set, if I'm reading this right, you guys recommend more ferts ? What do you use as I totally stopped using liq. ferts once it started to set, to stay as ~organic~ as possible

Ed of Somis · July 21, 2016

mo...my in grounds are always a bit bigger and better than my containers. Of course, there are many variables. My soil is enriched and good. That being said...most of my container maters are fine. Generally, the bigger the container the better. I have to be careful to not fert too much...because I am very aware the nutrients leak out the bottom fairly quickly.

mobiledynamics · July 21, 2016

Yes, re: the fall out. But it takes awhile for something like TT to actually incorporate in the soil. Unless , we're talking liq. ferts.

July 18, 2016	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Looks to me the most important thing is they are lacking in fertilizer and old leaves. Worth

July 18, 2016	#3
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	They look root-bound. It expresses itself as a nitrogen deficiency. You can try feeding them calcium nitrate, but the real problem is that they need a bigger container.

July 18, 2016	#4
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,793	The yellow lower leaves tells me, bring on the ferts! It's worthwhile to feed container tomatoes once a week after they start ripening fruit. Leaves that are dying to feed the top of the plant also can host disease and that can spread. And besides, if they are healthy all over they will continue to produce more fruit.

July 18, 2016	#5
dustdevil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: WI, USA Zone4 Posts: 1,887	As others have said, they need more fertilizer. Disease-wise, your cherry tomato looks nice and clean. What variety is that?

July 18, 2016	#6
Plaz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: SC Posts: 18	Thanks for the quick help, just added fertilizer and will keep my fingers crossed. The variety in the pict are super sweet 100's. No matter what I have grown in the past the family always love to eat these.

July 20, 2016	#7
mobiledynamics Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: 7B Posts: 281	OT but new to fabric pots...have always planted in ground... Don't even use ferts in ground. We compost and I'll put a smigen of TT when I transplant from the pot to the grounds in the spring. Fabric pots were tricky. My in grounds were like 8X bigger than my smart pots. I started using liquid fert diluted in my watering. Pots got bigger but stil nowhere as big as the in grounds. Once tomatoes start set, if I'm reading this right, you guys recommend more ferts ? What do you use as I totally stopped using liq. ferts once it started to set, to stay as ~organic~ as possible

July 21, 2016	#8
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	mo...my in grounds are always a bit bigger and better than my containers. Of course, there are many variables. My soil is enriched and good. That being said...most of my container maters are fine. Generally, the bigger the container the better. I have to be careful to not fert too much...because I am very aware the nutrients leak out the bottom fairly quickly.