stunted tomatoes in the bed inside green house. Pots doing fine?

[Superh]

I have a big dilemma i hope someone can help me with!
I grew many tomatoes in pots to a reasonable size a couple months ago. towards the end of may i put all the strongest plants into the bed within the greenhouse. To my surprise, they have hardly grown. They have only a small amount of new foliage and stem, and seem to have focused more on the flowers.

The ones in pots inside the green house that are on the bench above ground have grown well, and have a nice dark foliage compared to the ones in the ground which have a much lighter complexion.

Considering i've been on ball with watering, and that i put loads of well rotted manure into the beds and even dug them really deep this year to loosen up the soil, i don't have a clue what is going on.

they do fine every other year!

[Scarlet]

Are you feeding them? What varieties are you growing. Can you post some photos up, they would really help to spot any problems.

[Superh]

Are you feeding them? What varieties are you growing. Can you post some photos up, they would really help to spot any problems.

Money maker and Alicante.

I do not feed them as i believe they are too young, and i added a lot of goodness to the soil before planting. My father however may be abusing the bottle of "liquid fish mix" feed someone gave him. It could be over feeding knowing him. He puts a cap in every watering can and waters them almost every night with it. I've mentioned how it may be too much or just unnecessary but....hes the expert

I'll get some pics shortly.

[Jungle Jane]

It might be because the temperature underground is colder than that in a pot? Some of my plants are slow too.

[veggiechicken]

Are they getting enough light?
Were the ones in pots on the bench in different compost to those in the bed?
Does your father water those?

[Superh]

Are they getting enough light?
Were the ones in pots on the bench in different compost to those in the bed?
Does your father water those?

Everything is watered the same. The growing medium in the pots is levingtons compost, the beds are garden soil mixed with manure.

The light is an interesting point. they don't get as much light in the beds yet, but it's not a massive difference. This hasn't effected them in previous years.

The ground temperate may be a factor...








The difference is much more noticeable in person. considering they are in the beds i expected them to be better, but maybe it is a combo of the low temperatures this year(especially at night) and the slightly reduced sunlight along with the more cloudy days we have been having where i live.

I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope they catch up!

[Scarlet]

Have you used the ground in the greenhouse for several years running for growing tomatoes? Have you dug out and renewed the soil? Or just top dressed with manure?
I would be worried of anyone feeding my toms everytime he watered. Ban him - get him to do some other jobs

[Scarlet]

You aren't side shooting?

[Potstubsdustbins]

#4 That's a good idea. To add to the mix have you imported something nasty into the bed? Are they getting enough nitrogen?

I wouldn't worry about over feeding per se IMO you can feed the wrong stuff, but plants will usually only take up what they need, so I am not a fan of the over feeding theory. If it where indeed true I would have some very obese plants.

The pics came up as I was posting, I think looking at the plants you can rule out anything nasty being imported.

They look good plants to me, I would at this time put it down to the weather this year and lower ground temperatures. The pot will warm up a lot faster than the bed.

[Scarlet]

I don't think there's much wrong with either the ones grown in the bed or the pots. They all need staking and their side shoots removed. They should put more growth then.

[WendyC]

Moneymaker and Alicante are both cordon tomatoes and are usually grown as a single stem with the side shoots removed. Yours look like they need side shooting.

[Superh]

HAHAHA! If only it were so easy! I work on a bloody nursery and he still doesn't respect opinion!! I tell yah..

I have indeed been growing tomatoes in that spot for 3 years or so. This year i dug the beds down extremely deep ad removed old roots, mixed the soil up nice and good and added an entire 50L bag of well rotted manure throughout each bed. I thought this would be adequate, but not sure.


Regarding side shooting. It is something i've never understood so left well alone. i don't want to risk less tomatoes! what should I do with them?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Where the leaf joins the main in the V shape you get an extra stem sprouting with cordon varieties this is usually removed.

[maverick451]

They look alright to me, not stunted, they have just turned into a bush so need side shooting and staking.

You can usually tell if the are stunted or leggy by looking at the distance between leave branches (internode) but your look fine.

[Scarlet]

Regarding side shooting. It is something i've never understood so left well alone. i don't want to risk less tomatoes! what should I do with them?

If you dont prune and train correctly you will probably get less fruit and end up with a huge amount of greenery. Your main leader shoots are bending over, these can snap if not supported. If they were tied in as they grew your plants would look much taller. The ones in the pots look better because they haven't yet bent over. Too much foliage and your plants may succumb to botrytis from too little air flow.

Its not too late, tie the main leader to a cane, taking care when you straighten the main stem and as Potty says, remove the stem/greenery that grows between the leaf and the main stem. Yours have grown quite big, you could leave an extra one but that will also need a support.