Tomatoes have stalled ......?

[ourarka]

So, maybe succumb to store bought plants this year then ........?


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[Kristen]

If they are for outside? then I would consider sowing some more.

If for greenhouse then plants you buy in the garden centre will save you about 6 weeks (I'm guessing) growing time. You will be limited on choice of varieties at the garden centre though - so if you have some varieties you particularly want then perhaps re-sow some of those, to crop "later", and get a few plants from the garden centre for Early Crop (regardless of variety).

You could also try to get your plants to recover - although I expect that sow-again will pretty much catch up with them.

[poly]

So, maybe succumb to store bought plants this year then ........?


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There will be lots of tomato plants available for a little while yet, if you are on a lottie might be worth asking if anyone has any spare. I do think it might be worthwhile giving your's some Epsom and tomato feed if.

[poly]

To my mind that's the effect of the cold stress.

I agreed. But once seedlings get to that yellow stage, they are really struggling to photosynthesize due to the reduced chlorophyll. I find they are able to pick up quicker given a spray with Epsom or seaweed to boost Magnesium thus increasing Chloropyll and improving nitrogen and phosphorus uptake. The feeding is to correct the imbalance in the compost and allow the plants to get back to healthy growth as soon as possible.

I’m finding that the compost I’ve been using the last couple of years, although on the label it says suitable for seed sowing and potting on, is running out of nutrients much sooner than previously. Perhaps manufactures are cutting their costs. I find my plants need several feeds to keep them healthy and actively growing before planting out time, whereas this was not an issue before.

Temperature is a major impact, but going on ourarka first post, her minimum temperature although lower than recommended on occasions, has generally been ok at I think 12-13, which might suggest there were other problems too.

Similarly to ourarke, the earliest toms I’m growing were started in modules in Feb although mine were in a heated propagator and then under lights for a few weeks before they went out to the green house by day and in by night and then unheated greenhouse since the first week of March (although temperature had dropped to a worrying 3-4 some nights). The earlier sown ones are well grown and most now in a poly-tunnel with open door at night for the last week.

[Kristen]

Interesting points Poly. I'm familiar with Tomato plants getting magnesium deficiency later on in the season, never tried (i.e. never been in the position to need to try!) to correct it this early. When I've had "Magnesium deficiency" I've never known if it was actually a deficiency (in the soil), as such, or rather that the Potassium levels have increased (e.g. when feeding with "Tomorite" starts) and the extra Potassium has locked-up the Magnesium.

My thinking as to "Cold" rather than "nutrient deficiency" was primarily because of the purple colour of the seed leaves

Either way, I agree that feeding them and trying to get them to recover is a good plan, although I think that even then they have been weaken and may thus be unable to fight off any "illness" later in the season. But most years my Tomatoes go through the season without having to fight off any illness - so there is a fair chance that that won't be exposed to anything life threatening! - and I'm probably just over-thinking it ...

I am also not sure that they are showing signs of Magnesium deficiency, specifically. But the photos are not big enough for me to see the detail very well. For Magnesium deficiency I would have expected the colour drain to have been more pronounced nearer to the veins, and less so towards the edges of the leaf, whereas the true leaves (rather than the seed leaves) look a uniformly "dull" colour to me.

But I'm splitting hairs as the cure is to feed them, just as you say. It would make sense to give them Magnesium (e.g. Epsom salts), in particular IF they have been fed with a Tomato fertiliser like Tomorite? as that will have been Potassium-rich, and/or to counter-act any Magnesium deficiency, plus a regular liquid feed (but not normal strength as they are only young plants)

I would also give them a Seaweed feed / tonic (like Maxicrop), as that does seem to help things like this recover.

I'm interested in your point about compost companies cutting down on added-fertiliser, as I can well believe that that is the case. I would prefer that compost had no fertiliser - then I could start feeding from Day One with whatever concoction I thought was best - perhaps I should just do that anyway, at 1/2 strength perhaps?

Re: Temperature. I had made the assumption (risky that!!) that the 9C stated was optimistic. I don't think my conservatory would have maintained 9C in February on particularly cold nights - not that we had many this winter. Come March / April a chill on a frosty night is shorter lived, so I think more "survivable" on two counts: firstly that the Conservatory/Greenhouse temperature fall lags behind outside, and the shorter nights means that dawn is arriving before the indoor temperatures have equalised with outdoor ones and also because the following day is often hot, (much more so that in February), so the plant doesn't actually get to the point of being sufficiently stressed that its chemistry gets mucked up.

[ourarka]

Interesting discussion. Mine are for the greenhouse so maybe I'll give them a week and see if any improvement, otherwise just buy some. I've fed them with tomorite today and sprayed with seaweed. The temperatures are accurate as I have a min/max thermometer in there. I must say I am very surprised because a) I've treated them no different to other years and b) all other plants in that compost (bedding etc) has done really well. Ho hum.


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[Kristen]

Recommend you give them some Epsom Salts too (if you don't have any in the house then I would suggest trying the Garden Centre first, and Chemist second, as the Chemist will sell you a tiny pot for a small fortune, whereas the Garden Centre will sell you a 5kg bag for ... the same small fortune! Having said that, you won't need much ... but the 5kg bag will last you for years to come ... or put them in your Bath, like Granny did