Newbie can't afford to lose all her container tomatoes!!

[aflatea]

Hi - I'm a newbie gardener hoping for a good crop of container veggies. This question is specific to tomatoes, though. I have different varieties of tomatoes, all in 5 gallon containers (1 plant per container) in full sun in Zone 9a (that's the Nature Coast area of Florida -- about an hour north of Tampa on the west coast).

My soil is Jungle Growth flower/vegetable mix in all of the containers with about 2 inches of gravel in the bottoms of the containers for drainage. I purchased the plants at Lowes and showed them to the master gardener who was there picking up mulch for my son's school garden -- she agreed that they were healthy. I also amended the soil with an organic manure compost (also purchased at lowes) -- I mixed about 2/3 jungle growth and 1/3 manure in each container before transplanting. After giving them a good soaking (until water ran out of the bottom) upon transplanting, I've been watering as soon as the soil feels dry up to my first knuckle, which averages every other day, again until water runs out of the bottom. I've also been dragging them under shelter up against the house when it rains so they don't get overwatered. I've been treating them every 3 days with a ready-mixed organic insecticide and have checked them early in the morning for pests -- still haven't found anything, except dead little black flies.

I have an heirloom black krim (indeterminate), an heirloom black cherry (indeterminate), and a red beefsteak (indeterminate). I do have one Early Girl bush, but it's in an upside down container and is mainly just an experiment. I water it and will see how it does.

The black krim has not grown a bit since I got it in a month and a half ago. It has three little blossoms that have grown and turned from yellow to white, but the flower part is turning brown on the tips of 2 of them and one is droopy and dead looking.

The red beefsteak seems to be growing, but just a little. There is not a hint of a blossom anywhere. I keep pinching off the little leaves that grow in the crooks of the stems (I read somewhere that helps), but it just keeps growing more and more leaves. This may be entirely normal, but I don't know one way or the other

The black cherry is not growing, no little blossoms, and there are spots on the leaves. I don't know how to treat it or what it is. I attached pictures of all the plants, maybe someone can tell me what I am doing wrong/right? How to make sure I at least get *some* tomatoes after all this money and time?



BLACK KRIM

black krim.jpg

black krim blossoms.jpg

BLACK CHERRY

black cherry.jpg

blackcherryleaf.jpg

blackcherryleaves.jpg

RED BEEFSTEAK

redbeef.jpg

[Stainless]

Is it just me or are the photos now popping up like they should? I get an error when trying to view them.

*Update* Works now.

[aflatea]

When I click on the links, they pop up. I'm not sure how else to attach them.

[Sun City Linda]

Have you applied any plant food? Manure mixed into potting mix is not sufficient especially for plants like tomatoes which are heavy feeders.

You don't need gravel or anything else at the bottom of your pots.

I would also not be pinching off or doing any other type pruning until your seedling get going. Once they are robustly growing, you might wish to prune but that is optional. I never do.

It also looks like you have some sunburn damage on the leaves, which they will outgrow but you need to harden them off by getting them used to the sun in small doses at first.

Not sure why you are spraying for insects unless you have a particular problem. In humid areas like Florida many spray regularly with a fungicide to protect against leave diseases.

[aflatea]

I've fed them twice with Miracle Grow Nature Cure Organic Veggie and Flower Food. The balance is 3-4-2 and said it feeds in containers for up to two months, to only feed at transplant and at bloomset with 1/4 cup per gallon of soil mixed in. I did that twice (once at transplant and once last week). I also fed them about 2.5 weeks ago with a water soluble plant food (Miracle Grow Organic Choice), and the balance on that is 8-0-0. I read after that that high nitrogen foods aren't good for tomatoes, so I haven't used it on them since and hope it didn't do too much damage. My bush beans liked it though. lol. You said it looks like sunburn? I bought them at Lowes off of a rack sitting out in the sun. They were the size they are now (except for the beefsteak, which has grown about 2 inches taller/wider), so I thought they'd be OK. Should I move them into the shade about halfway through the day for a while?

[aflatea]

I am spraying because we have like every pest known to man in Florida. I live in the woods bordering a game preserve and the insect population is JUST. RIDICULOUS. I planted an in-ground garden last year and the entire thing was consumed within a week of germination, so I thought I'd get ahead of it this year and treat proactively and grow in containers.

[Doug9345]

I have a thought with your aggressive pruning you haven't removed the growing tip have you. Tomatoes like every other plant grows from the top. The stems don't elongate to any great extent. If it is generating lateral branches ( suckers ) it seems to be wanting to grow. Right now my best guess is that you are over pruning them.

[Sun City Linda]

As to the sunburn, in the future harden off all plants more gradually and you will avoid it. At this point they would be fully acclimated and just showing old damage.

I understand on the insect thing but generally with insects you would want to know what you are treating as opposed to just continuing to apply insecticide. Even organic insecticide is not health food for plants.

I grow almost exclusively in containers and I do not advocate growing anything, but especially tomatoes organically in containers. Like most others, I did try but as I learned more, I realized it is really difficult to get it right and few ever do. I also use high N liquid non organic fert at a diluted rate with my seedlings to get them going.

Unlike synthetic ferts, in order for orgainic ferts to be available to your plants they need to first be broken down by the microbes in the soil. Problem is, when we grow in containers, we don't grow in soil. Those that are successful are generally applying specialty products to introduce and maintain microbes. Some ferts include them but they are not all that stable. Again, in real dirt, organics work swell, in potting mix, not so much.

Generally, your plants look pretty good to me. If they were mine I would cut back on the spraying and give them a drink of Miracle Grow, the blue stuff!

[Sun City Linda]

And cut back on the cutting back, per Dougs comments which I just saw.

[gturmindright]

Do you have holes in the bottoms of the buckets? The gravel won't help with drainage. It will have the opposite effect creating a perched water table.

[aflatea]

The "planter" 5 gallon containers came with 4 holes in the bottom. I drilled 4 more, so they have 8 now. I drilled holes about 2 inches up the side of the plastic 5G paint buckets I bought after seeing it recommended on this site to help have a reservoir in hotter climates. I will get some of the blue miracle grow. I was trying to grow organic because I prefer it, just can't afford supermarket organic, but if it really only works in ground, maybe I need to reconsider a little. I will stop picking off those little offshoots and see what happens. As far as water management - should I water the tomatoes daily even if they feel damp to my first knuckle? Container water management sucks, but I want to give it my best effort. I'm really trying to learn all I can and certainly appreciate the experienced advice!!!

[AKmark]

When I transplant seedlings into 1 gallon containers, I wet the soil then walk away for about a week, before watering again. Also, If you bury the stem to the top, you will have stalks thicker than a pencil when they are less than 10 inches tall. They grow in those for a couple of weeks before getting transplanted(buried again) into large containers, again, it takes a few days before you have to water.
I didnt think your plants looked that bad.

[amideutch]

Proactive spraying for insects is a good thing and you need to get ready to do the same for fungal and bacterial disease. Right now I would leave the plants alone as far as trimming and applying extra ferts. They need to get established and once the root system takes hold your plants will take off. Once you get fruit set then you can start applying ferts to supplement plant growth. Right now you have enough ferts in the aggregate to support plant plant growth.

Putting your plants up against the house to shelter them from the rain is a good thing as far as disease control is concerned. Don't worry about over watering as they have sufficient drainage for that. As the season goes on the ferts will leach out of the soil and that's why supplemental feeding will be needed. Get some Black Strap Molasses and add 1 tablespoon
to two gallons of water and give to your plants once a week. You will need to put the molasses in a jar of warm water and shake prior to adding to the rest of the water to dissolve it. This will help feed the plant and any organisms in the soil. Then add normal ferts at regular intervals for supplemental feeding whether it be organic or inorganic. For organic I have had good results with "BioBizz Biogrow" and inorganic "General Hydroponics FloraNova Grow".

For foliar disease I have had good results with Actinovate and Exel LG which are contact and systemic fungicides and are Bio and Bio-friendly products. But in your area down in Florida with high humidity Daconil which is a protectant which covers the leaves and keeps the bad guys from entering the plant is the most effective. It's not bio but can be applied up to last the day of harvest. The key word here is you have to be proactive in applying these products as you have been with your insecticide applications.

Ami

[zipcode]

I think your plants look rather good.
Black cherry is quite late, and probably also red beefsteak, that's why there are no blossoms. Also Black krim seems somewhat stressed, which will lead to faster flowering.
The spots as has been said is probably not a disease but sunburn.
As for pruning, it depends. In 5 gallon, fully unpruned tomato will get large roots fast without a self watering system and could get stunted later in the season. I would say to prune at least one plant to make an experiment.

[mdvpc]

I second Ami's advice about the FLoraNova Grow. I have used it for several years in containers. Its is a complete fert-7-4-10 with micronutrients. You need a complete formula. You use it as a soil drench. I have used it as a foliar also, but you have to really dilute it-I don't have it in front of me right now, but about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon to a gallon for foliar. If you want to do that, start with 1/8 or even 1/16 teaspoon to test it as a foliar.