First of all, if you recall my previous post you will notice that the topsy turvys were filled to the top with soil (see the picture of the super fantastic tomato). I have had some major settling issues which is what I am going to blame for my other problems. Would it be fair to continue the experiment when not all of the soil is what I started out trying to test?
This summer has been averaging hotter than normal temperatures so there have been days I have looked out the window and have noticed that the leaves are beginning to look droopy and wilted. With the lesser amount of soil to hold the water the plants have needed on those hot days, has that affected the quality of my tomatoes?
The soil settlement also made me wonder if there are sufficient nutrients in the soil for the tomato plants as well. Many of my early formed tomatoes have ended up with blossom end rot. Is this because of lack of moisture, lack of nutrients, or inability to absorb the calcium they needed from the soil? To attempt to remedy this problem I have been adding a teaspoon of epsom salts to my gallon watering can and I've watered each of the tomato plants with 1/3 of this solution. I haven't noticed any new tomatoes developing this problem, but only time will tell if it has actually worked.
I do not like to have to water the tomatoes so often either, so I have been considering filling up the tops of the planters with a mixture of other soils that I have on hand for another project. I could buy more bags of the expensive stuff, but since I have this on hand it seems to be a much more economical choice. Since each container seems to have settled about the same amount, would it be fair to add this to each planter and continue the experiment?
So, my questions above need to be answered by others who are unbiased. Do you think it is fair if I continue on with the experiment with the ideas listed above? If not, do you have other suggestions to offer me?
Thank you for stopping by to chat with me. Please leave me a message, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Cindy
3 comments:
Blossom end rot can be caused by a fluctuation in moisture. Too much water or too little will cause stress to the tomatoes and affect the uptake of calcium, resulting in this disorder. There are foliar calcium sprays available but you can get mixed results, due to how much/little calcium is absorbed by the plants. Ideally, you want to get about 1 inch of water per week to keep a steady amount of water and decrease the chances of stress. The hot weather, you mentioned, is also causing stress to the tomatoes, making it harder to retain any moisture. I don't know if you tried the Miracle Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix, but that may be ideal for retaining moisture in a topsy-turvy. Also, there is the Miracle Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix that has plenty of rich organic material to allow even drainage. I hope this helps and I’ll definitely keep following your updates
Thank you. I do realize fluctuations in soil moisture can contribute to the problems I am having. I had figured that the moisture plus type of soil that I used would work well. I didn't use the moisture control variety of the miracle gro soil. I guess I should have had the moisture retention soil of both varieties. Maybe I'll try that next year...
I must say that it has been a bit disappointing having had only one tomato develop without the rot problem. I don't imagine the plants would look all wilted and shriveled up if they were over wet, though I guess it's hard to be 100% certain on that thought.
What a disappointment! I was following along and looking forward to the final decisions. Sorry you didn't get lots of good tomatoes during your experiment.
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