cherry tomato plant needs help (long)

[gonzo]

Greetings,

I'm growing a sweet million plant in zone 5. I took a branch off the plant in the garden in Sept. and have it living in a 7" pot with one of those cheap alum. tomato cages. The plant is now poking out 3-4" over the top of the cage, has one set of (pea sized) tomatoes and a couple sets of blossoms.

I figure last years winter tomato didn't do so well because it was cooped up in my study, not enough heat. I had a "grow light" on it to make up for the weak (south windw) winter sun. Got three tomatoes, plum sized, off that last winter but it took almost all winter! Hence my move to cherry tomatoes.

Plant gets watered ~7-10 days, before it starts to wilt.

Bear with me, it's all relevant to the tomato question (at end of all this).

I drive a truck. The plant rides behind the seat - it's a little too tall to sit in the seat. I don't _think_ the plant is pinched in any way, I'm trying to be careful about that.

Why the vehicle? Because I think the plant gets more heat than if it stayed home. When I get into it to come home, it's usually noticeably warm within the vehicle. I haven't put a therm. in yet but plan to some time, and we don't have snow yet, when I figure the plant will remain indoors (house) from then on.

Here's the ?: Parts of the plant (mostly tips) are curling up and dying, as in drying out to the point leaves grasped crumble to powder. The soil ranges from moist to dry, but not powder-dry. I use potting soil, with every other watering a dose of M.G. I also tossed a handful of alfalfa meal in there last month. The branch ends are literally curling up, some within the cage where there is no way I can see they would be rubbing on the seat in the truck.

So what is happening to this plant, and how can I get it back on track? I figure it's lost 10-15% of leaf area. Yes, all this happened after I added the alfalfa meal. Praps it is rubbing on the seat, I have gotten two small branches broken, but I figured if they rub they break, not curl up and die.

Radio is usually not blasting away either :)

BTW I was able to sprout some late spinach this fall by this truckin' technique when the batch on the heating pad failed (same batches of seed). I plan to try that this spring as well for early plants.

Any ideas what's going on with the plant??

Thanks!

[Ann]

gonzo expounded:

You bring this plant in and out of the truck? It's cold where you live now? Nevermind the plant isn't getting enough sun behind the seat, the changes in temp aren't doing it any good, either. Put it in the window at home and leave it there, although it probably won't do well there, either.

I worked with an engineer at Stone & Webster who grew tomatoes in his office window. It faced due south, he built a trellis for them and tied them to it, fed them judiciously, pinched, preened, misted, etc. and he got tomatoes all winter (they were delicious). Those plants were meticulously cared for, however, that's the only way they'd make it. That's the level of care you'll need to give your plant to get it to bear fruit indoors during the winter.

[Omelet]

Odd... I have to ask, did these tomatoes get artificial/timed lighting? I've successfully kept tomato plants alive thru the winter in a small greenhouse but did not get tomatoes until March.

I understand that light cycles have as much to do with fruiting as temperature?

Please correct me if I'm mistaken. :-) I'd LOVE to have tomatoes all winter!

[Ann]

Omelet expounded:

Nope, they didn't. They weren't prolific, but there were tomatoes. He had to watch them like a hawk, they'd disappear as soon as they were ripe - somehow

Dunno about that, all I know is he had them.

I can't say your mistaken, perhaps it was the variety, they were indeterminates of some type. When they got too gangly he'd start cuttings. It was quite an operation.

Then there was the guy with the pothos that wrapped around his cube and over the arch he put over his cube door - he had to move it twice while I was there, they kept playing shuffle the cubes :o)

[mor]

l get your point , but donot you think your strssing the plants ,on th track and off the track. that means the tomato donot have constant temp

-- mor