Tomato problems

[Penellype]

I have seen woodlice cut into stems in dry weather. I found them after dark by torch light.

Could be woodlice - I certainly have lots of those.

[Penellype]

Not likely to be slugs. They don't really like tomatoes (I guess it's the taste). I think some type of cutworm is more likely.

Could be cutworm. I have leatherjacket type things in the soil sometimes. I did dig in some home made compost (from the hotbin) before I planted the tomatoes, maybe whatever it was came from there.

[Penellype]

I've used Jacks magic this year and have had some good results, both for seeds and for potting on.

Yes, I thought it was supposed to be better quality than the ordinary MPC, which I usually buy because it is cheaper and I use a lot.

[Penellype]

Mine are only just starting to set fruit but that's no later than normal. I must admit that it doesn't seem to be any worse than usual this year, the plants are growing reasonably well and healthily, just taking their time.

Going back to the original question though, it does look a bit as though the seedlings are overwatered which would mean that they haven't developed a good root system. I'd question your compost, if you're getting mushrooms then it doesn't sound as though its properly sterile. Is it old? kept from previous years? Last year I got (what looked like) Bacterial Canker which I put down to using a mixture of garden compost and fresh tomato bag compost so this year I have only used commercial compost for my tomatoes and everything seems fine (at the moment).

Yes I think they look wet, but I don't know how to stop that happening on capillary matting and it has never been an issue before. The mushrooms appeared in a bag of compost that had been opened last year and overwintered in the garage. The later plants (Sungold, Crimson Crush, Ferline and Oh Happy Day were potted on into compost from a new bag of Big Tom and did not grow mushrooms. But apart from the Ferline they haven't grown well at all. The Shirley sideshoots, potted up in the same compost and kept on the same mat under the same light are mostly the usual darker green and grew well. I'm completely confused by it all.

I used the same composts for my peppers, mushrooms in teh seed pots (very poor germination including from new seed) and potted up into the new bag. The peppers that did germinate are growing fine.

[quanglewangle]

I'm getting more and more convinced that commercial compost is declining in quality and we are being ripped off.
Needs transparent labeling regards content, origin, sterilisation etc.

[goosander]

3 friends plus self have had poor results this season. We have all had problems with the compost despite it being from the best brands.
Being just a beginner i have had more problems than any of the previous seasons and the only difference is the weather.
Thought it was only me.
Bob.

[Penellype]

I'm getting more and more convinced that commercial compost is declining in quality and we are being ripped off.
Needs transparent labeling regards content, origin, sterilisation etc.

I agree. I potted up some of the Shirley at my friend's today, this time using Miracle Grow compost. Apart from having the consistency of shredded straw with large chunks of sticks (upto 4 inches long ) in it, I fished out several pieces of plastic bag more than an inch square. Not good.

[Penellype]

3 friends plus self have had poor results this season. We have all had problems with the compost despite it being from the best brands.
Being just a beginner i have had more problems than any of the previous seasons and the only difference is the weather.
Thought it was only me.
Bob.

Its definitely not only you. I think the combination of the bizarre weather and the issues with compost are probably mainly to blame. The problem with the compost is that the manufacturers are having to find a substitute for peat, which until very recently was the basis for most compost. They use green waste to substitute part of it, which leads to issues with foreign material such as plastic as well as the problem of people putting lawn clippings that have had weedkiller on into their green bin. This is not inactivated by the composting process and can lead to problems similar to those sometimes encountered with horse manure (when weedkiller used on grass can pass unchanged through a horse). Hard to know what to do about it really as all brands are vulnerable if they include green waste.

[Penellype]

The damaged tomato plant is looking very unhappy despite having a few roots on the stem, so I have pulled it up and put it in a bowl of water in the hope that it will survive. I probably should have done this this morning, but I don't really like bringing outdoor plants into the house as it can bring in aphids. I've put it in the kitchen, away from everything else.

[Martin H]

I'm getting more and more convinced that commercial compost is declining in quality and we are being ripped off.
Needs transparent labeling regards content, origin, sterilisation etc.

Yep. I'm having lots of problems with watering. The peat-free stuff seems to soak up water until it is completely sodden, then won't let it go again. Even when the surface is dry it's still drenched an inch down. It doesn't matter whether I water from the top or the bottom, same problem.

Also no two bags of the same brand seem to be the same.

This year when I want to use some, I tip it into a big tray, sprinkle it with water and give it a good mix with my hands until it is about moist enough. Then I decide whether to add grit or perlite. Only when I'm happy with the texture and moisture content do I start with the sowing or potting. And having got the compost to the right level of moisture before I start, I'm being very sparing with watering afterwards.

We'll see how it goes.

[Snoop Puss]

This is a really interesting discussion. I've grown really good tomatoes this year, but checking the bag of compost I see it has peat in. I didn't notice that. Mr Snoop just bought what was recommended at the shop for starting off seeds. The stuff I've grown in peat-free compost has not done anything like as well. The plug plants I've bought have been utterly useless. As peat-free compost is extremely cheap here, it's likely they were grown in that. They're so bad, I'm just giving up on the aubergine plants. Not worth the land they're growing in when I can put something else in instead

Let's hope things improve.

[Plot70]

The more disgusting part is that you believe that analogy to be even slightly appropriate.
Pheasants are game birds, there are millions of them in this country, and they are not even native in the first place. As long as the bird was killed humanely I see no issue.




Not likely to be slugs. They don't really like tomatoes (I guess it's the taste). I think some type of cutworm is more likely.

You are right. The stately homes in my area have pheasant shoots every year and rear them on site.
Last year the regulations for the pesky virus were held off until the end of the shooting season.
They went on to restock the birds for this year but the shooting was much reduced. I can hear the guns from my plot.
The birds are just running wild all over the area.

[demoosa]

My tomatoes always look week, and I think the main reason is climate. I am from worldcams.tv/united-states/deerfield-beach/pier, and the weather here is not the best for tomatoes. The best tomatoes I have ever eaten were in Turkey and Italy. I have never tried so sweet tomatoes ever after. Proper sun and humidity do their job. I will never have this result at my place.

[ameno]

Could be cutworm. I have leatherjacket type things in the soil sometimes. I did dig in some home made compost (from the hotbin) before I planted the tomatoes, maybe whatever it was came from there.

Cutworms are moth caterpillars, any of several different species. They hide in the soil during the day then come out to the surface at night to feed. They have an annoying propensity for cutting through the stems of young plants at soil level, hence the name.

[Penellype]

Yep. I'm having lots of problems with watering. The peat-free stuff seems to soak up water until it is completely sodden, then won't let it go again. Even when the surface is dry it's still drenched an inch down. It doesn't matter whether I water from the top or the bottom, same problem.

Also no two bags of the same brand seem to be the same.

This year when I want to use some, I tip it into a big tray, sprinkle it with water and give it a good mix with my hands until it is about moist enough. Then I decide whether to add grit or perlite. Only when I'm happy with the texture and moisture content do I start with the sowing or potting. And having got the compost to the right level of moisture before I start, I'm being very sparing with watering afterwards.

We'll see how it goes.

Interesting. The compost I am using is not peat free but is probably less peaty than it used to be. I certainly agree that the compost appears very soggy when I pot the plants up, although if it is at all dry when you start, when you first try to wet it the water just sits on top. It is very odd.