Tomato Growing Thread 2022

The mystery Beefsteak continues to grow, these will be the biggest toms I have grown to date, with the biggest pushing 9cm.

 

Sheps,
Your pH is spot on. Unusually so. Do you calibrate your meter regularly? What area are you in?
I just read the ingredients on the Maxigrow Organic Seaweed bottle and I cannot find any mention of Calcium. Also if the pH of your tap water is 6.0 (acid), you are probably not in a limescale area and so you will get no contribution from the water. I would suggest buying "Growth Technology Calmag" that adds and unlocks Calcium and Magnesium to your feeds. I've just done the same but it's too early to tell if it's worked as it was only 2 days ago.

If you are using a feed to the prescribed concentration, I wouldn't change the feed regime but adding some Calcium and Magnesium may make the difference.

Again, I hope this helps.

Ademission

 

Sheps,
Beef tomatoes look great. Not much wrong there!

Ademission

 

I use the same feed among others but i always add Fish blood and bone, calcified seaweed and sulphur along with aspirin to the growing medium when potting up as maxicrop lacks calcium and some nutrients/minerals are in minute ammounts from the seaweed element

 

@Ademission pH was taken using the most unreliable paper strips, so maybe not that accurate.

I've just ordered a 1L bottle of Growth Technology Calmag to give it a try as my plants are definitely lacking in something, made all too obvious by @eatenbyweasels picture of the Pink Boar that looks ridiculously healthy.

Cheers...

 

Sheps,

I hope it works for you. I'll let you know a little later if I see an improvement on my chilis. Calcium deficiency is a common problem (I'm told).

I've gone back to topping up my Wilma systems with tap water and then adjusting the pH to 5.5 with "pH down" solution. I adjust to 5.5 because I know it rises during a short period and I will re-adjust as it reaches 6.5 averaging 6.0. I will also add Calmag to aid with Calcium and Magnesium unlocking to help the plants grow to their full potential.

Good luck and let me know how you get on.

Regards

Ademission

 

Hi,

Think you might have to be careful with that Calmag as its surely the calcium is bound to raise the PH and act as a buffer, though no idea how strong Calmag is in the working diluted form ?

Seems it can be used as a weekly foliar feed which avoids upsetting your waters parameters ?

 

Hello Ricky

Calmag was one of the products that the experts said I should get familiar with. Dilution into my hydro water is 1cc per 2litres. The final stage for me after adding things like this is to re-adjust the pH back to around 6.0 (in my new regime 5.5) so pH should not be a problem. It basically unlocks absorption of Calcium and Magnesium. Have you used it before?

I don't remember reading about using it as a foliar feed on the bottle instructions. A few years ago I got a problem on tomatoes where the leaves seemed to go transparent between the veins and that was cured with Epsom salts in solution sprayed on the leaves. That apparently was due to a Magnesium deficiency.

Regards

Ademission

Regards

Ademission

 

Calmag is a must if you are growing in coco coir

 

No, never heard of Calmag before now, though like you have tried Epsom Salts on plants, but often wonder if its by then too late to make much difference that season.

Most of the makers/suppliers of CalMag say a foliar feed is equally as good, have you looked on your makers web site ?

 

I'm not such as intense grower of tomatoes as some of you are here, I just grow them for a few salads and maybe preserve a few for winter use.

I mostly grow mine in dirt
You don't seem to get all these deficiencies then, not very scientific I know, but I can't help thinking growing scientifically you basically end up with the same stuff you can buy in any supermarket.

 

Are tomatoes lethargic this year?
I have just one fruit - the size of a petit pois
Jenny namaste
they are outdoor " Sungolds "

 

Jenny,
I grow tomatoes mainly in Wilma systems, but I also have a few in pots outside for your comparison. I started them late in the season but they appear to have caught up. My main variety is Maskotka, but I have a small amount of other varieties (Cherry Falls, Black Russian, Radana and Garden Pearl).


1. Outdoor tomatoes


2. Small greenhouse LH side


3. Small greenhouse RH side


4. Both sides

I think we are a little bit behind some of the experts but fruit is forming and we had our first red tomato off yesterday.

Regards

Ademission