Tomorite - when to use?

[juststartingtoms]

Hi Folks

A complete novice here, looking for some advice

My container baby tomato plants have been great, they are still under a foot tall, so i have been keeping them in the garage when the weather is bad (i don't have a greenhouse)

They still look very healthy, but i have noticed that some of the leaves are yellowing (not crispy or curly). I think i may have over watered them, as someone told me to always keep water in the tray & water from the roots (but i think she might have meant to do this when they were big striving plants!) So i've stopped watering for a few days.

Could the colour be due to over watering & not enough sun? Should i be giving them anything at the moment? Someone told me only to start using Tomorite when the plant flowers, is this true?

No water for them today & they will be outisde all day as it's nice.

Any help gratefully received

[DavidT]

It certainly sounds as if they have been overwatered. Tomatoes need moist, not wet, soil. Do not stand them in water. Start feeding when the first flower truss has set.

[juststartingtoms]

Thanks DavidT, really appreciate your help

I'll stop leaving water in the drip trays! I asked at the garden centre today as i heard you couldn't water tomato plants over the plants & he said this was a myth & that it's fine to water them like this & give them a thorough water.

That way i wouldn't be watering from the root & the drip tray could be used for draining the water that the plant doesn't want?

Can you help with this?

[DavidT]

What are the tomatoes planted in?

[juststartingtoms]

I am container gardening, so they are in big containers & i was advised to put grow back soil into them, is this ok?

Can i water from the top?

Any tips would be appreciated

[UrbanVegBoy]

Use any garden centre Multi Purpose compost really JST.Im using Levingtons Multi Purpose with added John Innes which means it has peat,sterilised loam and horticultural grit which give nutrients and trace elements to the plants.It also has an added water retaining agent.I used Westlands MP+JI 2 years ago but found it compacted when watered and went hard.The Levingtons MP has a much better texture and is kinder on the roots I think,esp with coco.

B&Q are doing 3 56L bags for the price of 2 just now.With planters its best to put broken terracotta pots and other crock at the very bottom,then add some pebbles(There at B&Q as well but dont get decorative ones £££) to a depth of 3-4cm before adding the soil.
We've got our planters with tatties on top of a 2" layer of pebbles in a gravel tray which is good for the drainage and stops drips falling on the folks belows balcony.

Try to keep the soil moist but not wet or waterlogged.Toms are quite heavy drinkers but if the soils too wet then it becomes anaerobic and the roots are starved of Oxygen,killing the plant.
As a rule of thumb water til you see about 2-3cm of water in the tray below, then let the plants soak up the run off water from the bottom.If after 30 mins the tray is dry,add more water/feed till you see run off again.

Im using Maxicrop Organic Seaweed extract and a fish mix on the potatoes but il be using Tomorite for the tomatoes.Mix 20ml in 5 Litres of water and feed them weekly.Water inbetween feeds if the plants need it.
The yellowing might be a Magnesium deficiency.Are the older leaves yellowing first?A feed with some Tomorite should help as it has added Mg.Im thinking about getting one of those mini poly patio greenhouses to protect the young Tomato and Strawberry plants in this wind or even a small 110 watt fluorescent light to bring the young plants on indoors to give us a few weeks start when the weather is bad.

[juststartingtoms]

Thanks for the reply UrbanVegBoy

I'm just growing mine in grow bag soil, hope this is ok Someone else who grows toms told me this....

Thanks for the watering tips, that method will really help me know if they are getting enough/too much to drink

I seen those poly tunnels when i bought my fleeces, they look quite good! I know the wind is really terrible, i can't wait until it stops! We had hail stones last night!!!!
I gave them a little feed last night, as the man at the garden centre agrees with you about the magnesium deficency . . So i'll check on them tonight, fingers crossed.
Should i be watering Tomorite over the leaves? Or staying well clear?

[paulsherwin]

Originally Posted by juststartingtoms

I'm just growing mine in grow bag soil, hope this is ok

I use growbags to fill containers and they're fine. You can probably get better results with specialised compost but I've never bothered.

Paul

[juststartingtoms]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

I use growbags to fill containers and they're fine. You can probably get better results with specialised compost but I've never bothered.

Paul

Thanks Paul, feel a bit better now

[UrbanVegBoy]

Hi Jean,Pauls got a great point.Its best to keep it simple.I got given a lot of gardening stuff and advice by well meaning friends and family, only to find myself overwhelmed by it all.
So im adopting the KISS method and going back to basics.I suppose its easy to get carried away at first.
At least we're getting some sunshine Just hope it lasts

[juststartingtoms]

Originally Posted by UrbanVegBoy

Hi Jean,Pauls got a great point.Its best to keep it simple.I got given a lot of gardening stuff and advice by well meaning friends and family, only to find myself overwhelmed by it all.
So im adopting the KISS method and going back to basics.I suppose its easy to get carried away at first.
At least we're getting some sunshine Just hope it lasts

Hey UrbanVegBoy

Yep i agree, there's mound's of info out there, it all gets a bit confusing! I'm getting a bit obsessive about my plants & wondering whats happening to me! pmsl

Yep keeping it simple is hopefully going to get us something to eat in summer, here's hoping!

Roll on the good weather, just wish i wasn't stuck in work missing it!

[Country Bumpkin]

How have you got on? I've had exactly the same problem with my tomatoes which are grown in containers with grow bag compost. They're starting to flower now but have not had much of a growth spurt!

Kelli

[juststartingtoms]

Originally Posted by Country Bumpkin

How have you got on? I've had exactly the same problem with my tomatoes which are grown in containers with grow bag compost. They're starting to flower now but have not had much of a growth spurt!

Kelli

Hi Kelli

I lost one of them when i used a foliage spray of epsom salts, the rest are looking pretty healthy. Although one of them is showing the same yellowing spots, i'm giving them tomorite just now every two weeks, just to help them on as they are in containers . .

I found a really good plant for container toms which looks like it may be a lot easier (fingers crossed) try & find a plant called "totem" if you don't already have one I've got tumbling toms in a basket too, which seem to be less of a challenge. However they are the only ones that are flowering (don't know if this norm?)

I'd say if they are flowering they are pretty healthy I've not noticed a massive growth spurt, but have noticed the stem is getting a lot thicker, we should have prob took before & after pics as i think when we look at them everyday, we don't notice the growth so much

Let me know how you get on & any tips

[Country Bumpkin]

I definitely think before and after pictures may be needed. Starting to drive myself nuts looking at them constantly! I gave mine Tomorite yesterday. Had read about epsom salts but decided to use the Tomorite instead (as it had all the relevant stuff in). Just hoping for a bit of good weather now : )

Kelli

[katihannah]

I've been using tomorite once a week on my potted cordon tomatoes and so far (fingers crossed) they seem to be doing fine. Two of them are just starting to flower so I must be doing something right! I also have tumbling toms, and they started flowering a couple of weeks ago so I can only assume that they grow at a different rate to the others.

But it's all very much trial and error at the moment, the ones that are at the back of the house and out of direct sun seem to be doing better than the ones at the front which are in full sun all day (when it's sunny that is). I would've thought it would be the other way around

Katie