Growing Tomatoes

[geezer]

I am trying a few tomatoes in pots this year - they are growing okay but do not seem to be ripening to red very well. They remain mostly green and are now crackening because they probably are almost completely ripened? Any idea why they won't get red?

Thanks

[Doug Kanter]

Ripening time can be the result of many factors, including the variety you planted, fertility of the soil, moisture, and weather. Be patient with that. Cracking is often the result of uneven moisture. In other words, letting the soil get very dry and then watering heavily. Assuring proper moisture is more of a challenge when growing in pots. Add a thick layer of mulch on top of the soil. Grass clippings work well (assuming you don't use poisons on your lawn). Otherwise, get yourself a bad of shredded cedar or hardwood mulch (NOT PINE). And, find a way to shade the entire pot. Finally, if you're using clay pots, which are porous, switch to glazed ceramic or plastic pots next season. And, whatever size you're using, double it.

[geezer]

Thanks for response. You seem to be on the money.

I am using plastic pots, but I am watering very unevenly - like once every day or two, and very heavily when I do. I am not using any mulch - will do so next time certainly. I am surprised Pine is not good to use - I thought tomatoes liked acid. Grass clippings are a good idea too.

Thanks again

G

[ds549]

i didnt have much luck using pots. i used 5 gallon pot with one plant and it got quite rootbound. i think thats what slowed things up.the same variety plant in the ground produced big. lucas

[geezer]

As luck would have it - I had some hardwood mulch left over from the spring that I can and did put in the pots this morning. Then I watered a little.

Thanks

[wcrbudox]

The cracking suggest too much water. Do your pots have drain holes? Don't water every day. It can cause root rot also, especially if the pots get too hot. I don't know your area of the country and climate. Ripening depends on temperature, sun, and variety.

[geezer]

Delaware - Been very hot here - some days in mid/high 90s. Pots do have drain holes.

Thanks

[wcrbudox]

[Anthony]

"geezer" wrote

Because of deer problems, I'm using plastic pots (set on my deck) for the third year. I use 15 gallon pots w/holes. The mix I'm using is about 2/3 soil, and 1/3 peat moss, well mixed together. I water every other day, a heavy watering. For the third year in a row, my tomatoes are better than they've been over the past 20 something years.

I'm thinking your pots are too small, and drying out too rapidly.

[geezer]

Yup - I tend to agree. Wait til next year!

Thanks

G

[Doug Kanter]

I have deer, too, but my tomato plants are caged. The deer are munching on the ends of some of the branches that stick out of the cages, but I'm still getting far more tomatoes than I can handle. Cages are the secret to happiness, in more ways than one. Cleaner fruit, little or no cracking.

[Muvin Gruvin]

growing cherry tomato and roma tomato in plastic pots. The cherry tomatos are ripening without problems. However, the leaves of the roma plant are cupping ....esp the ones on the bottom of the plant. Interestingly, we have a gardening guru in this area, Ciscoe Morris, who is a real hoot. He briefly made a statement on his tv show last week ....Do not pick the first ripe tomato on the plant. Leave it there to split and do whatever.....the fumes it emits is spose to be beneficial to all the others on the plant. This is new to me.....anyone else ever hear of this?

[G Henslee]

What that actually does is scare the other fruit into not splitting. Want hoots, turn the channel to Andy of Mayberry. At least you know it's comedy.