A Gardeners Forum
Posted By: ninniwinky Question - May 23rd, 2005 at 02:17 PM
how long before I can expect to see some flowers on my Tomato plants? The largest one is over a foot tall, but I personally think it looks a little spindly, or gangly.

Thanks,

ninni
Posted By: weezie13 Re: Question - May 23rd, 2005 at 02:58 PM
Ninniwinky,
Questions for you...
What kind of soil do you have your tomato plant in?

What kinds of fertilizer, if any, are you using on your tomato plant?

How much sun is your tomato plant getting??

Those are some factors....
that will help up figure it out!

What size pot/container do you have it in?

Weezie
Posted By: ninniwinky Re: Question - May 25th, 2005 at 05:15 AM
Well my tomatoes are still inside in these Huge planters, we have had some chilly weather and when it was nice out I forgot to put them out or I was away from the house when they should have been outside. They are still getting some sun in my front Foyer that is mostly glass, it reminds me of a green house in there thats why I put them there. In the foyer they get about 4 direct hours of sun. The soil we used, was bought at HD and it said it is for Vegetables, but when I was planting them, there was a BOATLOAD of wood pieces in there, and there still is, I wasn't happy about it, but I used it anyway. My tomato plants are getting very gangly looking, they are about 14" tall, but the stalk is looking so thin. I am giving it MG tomato food once a week like the directions say, but I think I failed at this tomato growing experiment! ters

Thanks for all your help,


ninni
Posted By: ninniwinky Re: Question - May 25th, 2005 at 05:16 AM
One more thing I need too add, I had a MUSHROOM popping up next to one of my plants...Is that odd??? idea

thanks,

Ninni
Posted By: weezie13 Re: Question - May 25th, 2005 at 06:28 AM
Ninni,
Quote
In the foyer they get about 4 direct hours of sun.
They need some more than that..
Like 6~8 I believe..
Lot's of sunshine too!!!

Quote
The soil we used, was bought at HD and it said it is for Vegetables
Can you check the label for me.????
Does it have a fertilizer on it, like a 10~60~10
or a 20~5~5???
If it's Miracle Grow, usually that's filled with a nitrogen based fertilizer, and will promote a lush green growth..
*which you don't really need for them.*

Quote
My tomato plants are getting very gangly looking, they are about 14" tall, but the stalk is looking so thin.
I'd almost say, REPOT THEM, or replant them into the soil and plant them deeper, right up to the bottom leaves, or strip a few leaves/branches off and then plant up to the top set of leaves...

The tomato will root from that long stem,
give you a better root system for feeding it's self and for sturdyness...


Quote
had a MUSHROOM popping up next to one of my plants...Is that odd???
Quote
but when I was planting them, there was a BOATLOAD of wood pieces in there, and there still is, I wasn't happy about it, but I used it anyway.
The mushrooms are from the decomposing pieces of wood...
The actual mushroom I don't believe will hurt the tomato plant, but the decomposing process of the wood may rob or steal the nitrogen away from the plant....

Weezie
Posted By: Amber J Re: Question - May 25th, 2005 at 08:27 AM
Wait -

how does wood steal away nitrogen? How do you know all this? I am really getting a complex about soil nutrients!
Posted By: Longy Re: Question - May 25th, 2005 at 10:56 AM
how does wood steal away nitrogen
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Any organic matter which is still green needs to go through a process of decomposition before becoming humus and being useful as nutrient to a plant. If you cut a tree branch off and mulch it all up , the initial period of decomposing will require nitrogen to help it break down. The nitrogen is the fuel. It will take it from the air or the soil. If it's in the soil it can deplete the soil of nitrogen which is why mulches are best left to age for a few months before being applied to the soil. Once they are aged though they won't cause nitrogen drawdown, it's just for that initial browning off period.
Posted By: PAR_Gardener Re: Question - May 26th, 2005 at 05:52 PM
Longy,

I always considered the brown/carbon material(wood, leaves, etc) the fuel and the green/nitrogen material the flame. The wood you throw into a fire is the fuel. The fire is the catalyst that releases the energy stored in the fuel.

If wood is used as a mulch, it will draw nitrogen away from the soil that it is in contact with. The sub-soil should still be ok. So plants with shallow roots may be lacking nitrogen, but deep rooted plants should be ok. If the wood chips are mixed in with the soil, then the sub-soil may be lacking in nitrogen. If the wood is still hard, it hasn't broken down enough. If the wood is soft and crumbly, you don't have anything to worry about. The 'shrooms kinda indicate that the wood has not broken down enough. Test the soil first before adding a nitrogen rich fertilizer. Symptoms of low nitrogen is thin, not very dark green leaves, and stunted growth. Too much nitrogen, and you'll get a very green leafy plant, but not a lot of fruit.
Posted By: Longy Re: Question - May 27th, 2005 at 11:58 AM
Beautifully put PG. Thanx.
I am sure i will adopt your explanation in the future. (If there are no copyright infringments of course)... wink

Here, have some of this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/m.longstaff/mmmmm_beer.jpg
Posted By: ninniwinky Re: Question - May 27th, 2005 at 04:55 PM
hello everyone,

weezie- the soil we bought is called "sta-green".
the ONLY numbers on that bag say "GUARANTEED ANALYSIS .05 -.03 -.03"

Now, why do you think I should repot them? To use different soil? Because if not I could STILL mound more dirt up along the base of the plants, I could probably mound it up another 2-3" on these plants.

I really appreciate all your help!!

Ninni
Posted By: tkhooper Re: Question - May 27th, 2005 at 05:10 PM
Spindly plants are normally a lack of light so I've been finding out. I am rather stubborn and in spite of being told this. I have not always located my plants in the best places. Now they get about 12 hours of light per day. I am growing them indoors and they are right infront of my window that gets sun all day long.

I'm finding something out about my roma tomatoes that I didn't know. When they got to about 2 feet tall they started producing more leaves on the existing stems. Not in the crock of a branch but on the branch itself. And the leaves are now starting to get bigger. It's like the stem grew first and now the leaves and branches are catching up. And I even have a couple of really tinny buds starting.
Posted By: ninniwinky Re: Question - June 4th, 2005 at 03:16 PM
yeah I am stubborn about it also, but I had to give in, My Mother and Fiance were hounding me that they had to be outside because they were not getting enough light and thats why they were so spindly. Well they have been out in a spot that gets light from sun up to sun down!!! if thats not good enough I don't know what it!!!! :)Now I can't find any tomato cages, the only ones I have found are GIGANTICAL!!!! they cage is taller than me 5'5" LOL. Well thats it for not, thanks for all your help everyone!!!!!!!

Ninniwinky
Posted By: tkhooper Re: Question - June 4th, 2005 at 03:21 PM
Take the ones that are 5 foot something you may find that you need it. My tomatoes took off and ended up broken because I didn't have tall enough support.
Posted By: ninniwinky Re: Question - June 5th, 2005 at 04:38 PM
Thanks TK I gUess I really should do that. I have been worrying a lot about these plants I don't want anything else to go wrong that I can control... smile

Ninni
Posted By: weezie13 Re: Question - June 6th, 2005 at 04:05 PM
Ninni,
You can even use some garden fencing..
Just run it in a circle, zip~tie it together...
and you've got an instant tomato cage..

And don't forget, when you replant your tomato
plant, you can snip off the bottom leaves,
and plant it deep into the soil or even dig a
trench, lay it down sideways, and it'll root
all along the stem....

And it'll give you a stonger stem and better
root system for you plant!!!!
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