John of http://www.growingyourgreens.com visits his local Home Depot to find Tomato Plants being sold in the middle of Winter, as well as Raised Bed Garden K…
Question by anna34: What is wrong with my patio tomato plant?
In Illinois, I am growing a patio tomato plant in a 10 inch pot and it has tomatoes on it but it is not growing that much. During the day it looks all droopy and sickly but at night and when I wake up it looks all health and standing straight up. I give it plenty of water and I use miracle grow for tomatoes which seems to help the other tomato plants that I am growing I have used normal potting soil which also seems ok for the other plants but this one plant is driving me crazy thou.
Best answer:
Answer by D C
Sounds like the pot is too small. I have a patio tomato plant too and it is in a huge pot, about 18 inches across and tall which is set inside a wooden planter box to insulate it from getting too hot of soil from the sun. So far so good with it, we are enjoying a bountiful crop of cherry tomatoes!
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Grapes with seeds are bitter? Never ran into that before!
Pressure treated lumber leaches toxins into the soil, which can be/are taken up by the plants – so you get to eat the toxins, too. (Not to mention that the manufacturing of pressure treated lumber is not exactlt healthy for the environment.)
I do not recommend going to home depot they allow raciest mexicans to become managers. I worked at home depot for 4 years doing great all my reviews were great. The store mgr and mgrs liked me because I work hard.Then we got this store mgr from Mexico and off of a sudden I was getting written up right and left for doing nothing wrong. All of the white employes started getting fired and mexicans were being hired as the replacements.I got fired and told my story to unemployment &they sided with me
So what’s the problem with pressure-treated?
not many, you really have to look for them…honestly thats why I like doing seed better. Even with ornamentals, I have alot of trouble finding non hybrids.
But does Lowes or Home Depot even sell Non-hybrid plants?
I would suggest going to the apple orchard near you and asking them if they ever sell some trees. Those are guaranteed trees that DO work in your climate. I would go with what they are growing. I planted strawberries that I bought from a local strawberry farmer, and they are producing great.
what! in mexico they don’t sell them!
Tell me “joe average” home depot shopper knows this information? Most have no clue, and see tomatoes and think they can buy them and plant them now.
The purpose of the plants totally went over your head. Lowes/HD sell those for people that have either hoop houses, hothouses or similar. Also, neither company loses money on the plants. They claim the lost (dead) plants against future orders (if the manager is on top of matters). Like the rest of the vid tho.
thats great!
John, what about pallet raised beds? I got mine for free and within a few minutes I had a raised bed by taking off the boards. Check it out.
I was so confused to see tomatoes at lowes last week too!!! What the heck are they thinking!! I’m getting irritated with what they sell too. We have a smaller garden store I want to check out, but I think I’ll use your seed websites and get some different kinds of plants. We did buy blue berry and raspberry, hopefully they do ok!
Now why didn’t I think of that! Blend them and strain out the pulp. Doh! Thanks – I will definitely give that a try. Thanks for your reply John – I sure enjoy your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Debbie *Ü*
ooo think I will check for bare rooted trees! =D
I chew up the seeds when eating my grapes. They are rich in antioxidants. You can buy grape seed extract at the health food store for lots of money. I usually eat grapes by themselves, or just blend them, and strain out the pulp.
I don’t know the varieties of ours – they were here when we moved in. They’re wine grapes, that’s all I know. Some are so sweet and delicious! But, my husband’s thinking of removing them because we don’t do anything with them and they do take a lot of working pruning them…
Debbie *Ü*
I am not sure which varieties taste good, but we grow Thompson’s and they are fantastic!
Thank you rskurow ~ I have to admit – I’ve never eaten the leaves!
Debbie *Ü*
Hey Debbie, Minh and I eat our grape leaves and make wraps with them. They are really great.
Hi John ~ You mentioned getting seeded grapes. We’ve got 8 seeded grape vines, probably 30 years old. But – I don’t know what to “do” with them. I’ve tried them in smoothies, etc. – but the seeds in there make them too bitter.
Can you tell us what you do with seeded grapes (well, besides just eating them)? I’d sure appreciate it. (All I’ve been told is to blend them – but again, too bitter…)
Debbie *Ü*
Great video & message.. I personally found it really easy to get lost in the “puritain” side of organic gardening, with heirlooms, rare varities and all that.
But for beginners its much better to get some success under your belt in any way you can. And then slowly getting more advanced.
I second the misguided seasonal selection at the HD.. they always have Tomatoes, cukes and others at the wrong time here in FL too.
Maybe something has disturbed the plant or you have in in too much sun. Some tomatoes don’t want full sun. try to move it or replant into a bigger container. Good luck.
A 10 ” pot is not very big when a tomato really sets its roots. It may work but wont produce many tomatos at all. They do normally wilt a bit in the middle of the day if sun is hot. Dont water at night. Always water in the early AM. Easy on the Miracle grow.
the pot is simply too small.
watering several times a day might help.
pruning would keep the water requirement down also.
You may be watering and fertilizing it too much. You also need to make sure that they bottom of the pot is somewhat open to air, like put rocks underneath so air can reach. Miracle Grow is kinda like crank for plants, so it works for awhile, and then your plants get weird.
Also make sure the tomato plant is in full sun…
Oh dear, I just noticed you planted it in a ten inch pot. You are going to get a ten inch plant with that. You need a pot that is like at least 5 gallons or so…. The general rule of thumb is what is above ground is also below ground as far as roots, so if you don’t have much room below ground, you won’t have much growth above ground.
for one thing the pot is way to small so therefore you have put yourplant in stress check the bottom of stem and see if it is like the others or is it bumpy also to much heat in the small pot dosent help it might not prouduce like you want or you could have a lemon try not to over baby it also
It sounds like it could be getting to much sun. Move it to a shadier spot.
use a small amount of plant food as a foliar spray a plant feeds 95% from the leaves, so feed the mouth, not the feet. spray b-4 10 am and after4 pm, that is when the somota’s are open under the leaves. is the plant in a very hot spot on the deck? imagine u putting your foot in a hot bath-tub of water, u can pull it out but a plant has to stay where u put it. consider a half shade and half sun for a few hours.