Due to my small garden space, I prefer to stake up and single stem most of my tomato plants. I find that this method really improve the fruit quality and eas…
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Question by Pryncess379: Should I pull out an Heirloom Tomato plant from my garden?
Ok so this is my first garden and I went a little overboard with my plants. I purchased 14 tomato plants (6 – Big Boys, 6 – Cherry & 2 Heirlooms), 3 Cucumber, 3 Jalapeno, 1 Ancho, 1 Habanero, 3 Bell Peppers, 3 Hot cherry peppers, 1 Eggplant and 1 Melon. In a 20′ x 10′ area. Told you I went crazy. Anyways, everything is doing great except my Harvest In Harmony Organic Striped German Heirloom Tomato Lycopersicon. Well I shouldn’t say they are doing great because most of my tomatoes have not ripened yet. (I heard it was because of the insane heat waves we have had). For the most part they are doing good. I planted my garden with all plants (no seeds) June 5th, so it has been 56 days. On the tag it does not state how many days to harvest it says: “Flat, medium to large sized with ribbed shoulder. Indeterminate.” Now mind you my other Heirloom is a Green Zebra and has at least 25 tomatoes on it. The Striped German does not have 1 tomato on it.
Should I pull it from my garden so the other plants have more room or wait a little longer?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18228178@N07/sets/72157627340160130/
Here are a few pictures of my garden.
I just re3moved the bamboo stacks from keeping the plant upwards and directed them more away from the center of the garden.
Best answer:
Answer by carl r
Hmmm. It could be the variety, the site, the competition for sunlight and nutrients and more, without seeing it. Some varieties set fruit late. Some are really particular about the 70 degree rule, where most medium and large tomatoes won’t set fruit until the night time temperature drops below 70 degs. We have that issue here in AZ.
If you are setting plants in June, where we set them in March or April, you probably have a short growing season. If you have the room, build some cylinders out of wire reinforcing concrete mesh, or whatever else, and guide the tomatoes upwards so they can get more light. Indeterminates can grow 20-30 feet long.
I’d give them a chance. Don’t forget to use high phosphorus (middle number) fertilizer. If you just use high nitrogen (first number) you’ll get plenty of foliage, but little fruit. Every variety is different.
Good luck!
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Not sure if you were saying that you like letting your fruit lay on the
ground or if you were comparing it to staking, but letting your fruits lay
on the ground reduces sun exposure and greatly increases the risk of
rotten/infected/infested fruit. Nice video though.
Hi, judging by your photos, your tomatoes are doing very well. Just be patient and give each variety a chance. Summer will be with us for a wile longer. Competition will determine which plants perform better than others. Next year space them out further apart and let the rows run from east to west to allow more sunshine in between plants. Good luck!