Tomato Advice re: disease and feeding?

[fiskies]

Lat year I grew to types of tomatoes, both climbing variety, one was cherry the other a normal table size, sorry don't know the variety. Anyway both were in 45cm pots in the garden up against a warm well sunned wall and I watered them every evening without fail. Although I had loads of the cherries some of them seemed to crack or split but nonetheless they all tasted great. The normal toms however got a black rotting patch on the bottom of most of them. I did feed both about once a week and I was watering them at the base of the plant as I was told to keep the water off the plant itself.

couple of questions...

Am I watering them enough or in the right place?
What was the cause of both problems and any remedy suggestions?
I've heard of people using tea bags to retain moisture, can this be regular shop bought ones that have been used for a cuppa?
This year I'm going for several varieties in the blowaway and outside next to it against the warm wall, do the conditions mean a different treatment?

If it helps the varieties are 'moneymaker', 'gardeners delight' and 'f1 sweet millions'.

Like I said, last year I put a lot of effort into them and although I got a lot back from just two plants, one of each, this year I want to make sure that they all get the care they need to give me a glutton of juicy edible toms.

[Jamesy_uk]

I will be interested to hear about the blackspots on the bottom as my Moneymakers last year also had the same thing on 70-80% of the fruit.

[Two_Sheds]

The black bottoms is blossom end rot

Splitting affects some varieties more than others: Sungold is notorious for it

[fiskies]

Just looked at the picture of your link, deffo what I had last year, what should I do to avoid it this year?

[Bigmallly]

Management of Blossom End Rot:
Maintain the soil pH around 6.5. Liming will supply calcium and will increase the ratio of calcium ions to other competitive ions in the soil.
Use nitrate nitrogen as the fertilizer nitrogen source. Ammoniacal nitrogen may increase blossom-end rot as excess ammonium ions reduce calcium uptake. Avoid over-fertilization as side dressings during early fruiting, especially with ammoniacal forms of nitrogen.
Avoid drought stress and wide fluctuations in soil moisture by using mulches and/or irrigation. Plants generally need about one inch of moisture per week from rain or irrigation for proper growth and development.
Foliar applications of calcium, which are often advocated, are of little value because of poor absorption and movement to fruit where it is needed.


Copy & Paste was a wonderful invention...........

[taff]

sounds like you watered both a bit too much, if the cherries split [unless they're a type prone to it, like black cherry or something].
Did you leave the pots sitting in water at all?

[fiskies]

No they weren't left in water, just a god glug of water each evening once the direct sunlight had gone off them, normally about a litre each pot, ish.

[taff]

next question, did you stick your finger in the compost about 20 mins-ish after to see if the compost was moist all the way through?
because i just saw 45 cm pots, and that's a big pot for one litre of water.

[Filbert]

splitting happens if the plants dry out and then take up lots of water so constant moisture is the ideal. As mentioned already some varieties are more prone to it than others.

[zazen999]

What I do is to site all my greenhouse pots in big trays and water the tray until it sucks up no more water. I find they take what they need and no more. I do it once a day in the summer but twice or more as the heat increases, they soon start to flop if they are in need of extra.

[Potstubsdustbins]

A litre a day on a regular basis would seem to little water in the height of the season.

I grow in the Morrisons buckets and when planting leave a good 11/2" of pot above the level of compost. This volume is flooded at least once a day and sometimes twice in really hot weather.

If you are growing in pots one tip is to flood the pot, if the water runs through the pot and out the bottom to quickly the compost is to dry. Leave it a few minutes to absorb some water and repeat the process. If the pot is really dry you may have to do this several times. Keep going until the water appears to stay on the top of the compost for some time.

Colin

[fiskies]

Sounds like i didnt water enough as the water absorbed quite quickly and often dribbled out of the bottom, thanks, live and learn, whats the bets feed to use?

[Two_Sheds]

whats the bets feed to use?

Tomato feed

(sorry, I wanted to get in before everyone else) Although I don't buy it, I make mine out of comfrey

btw, put some saucers or gravel trays under your pots - the plants will benefit & you'll be watering more efficiently