We are growing our tomato plants in big gallon buckets. We've got Bigger Boys and Better Boy plants. We've gotten some tomatoes, but they're not getting big. The plants have some yellowing on their leaves and on one plant the tomatoes I've gotten so far are small and the bottoms are rotten. We've put Sevin dust on already. What is the problem?
Hardiness Zone: 9a
By Karen from Jacksonville, FL
Try Epsom salts in the pot, mix 1 tablespoon in a gallon of water, use it to water the plants, Good luck. (06/01/2010)
One gallon buckets are not big enough. They need a five gallon bucket each. The Epsom salts is an excellent idea and Miracle Grow, too. But mostly they don't have enough room to grow. They are vines by nature and need lots of room to grow and lots of water. Also they need at least 6 hours of sun with 8 being better. Good luck. Also the temperature has to be below 90 for blossoms to set and fruit to make. Good luck. (06/01/2010)
By Jan
The rotting on the bottoms is called Blossom End Rot. It's a disease and all the affected fruit should be picked and destroyed. Since you are growing in pots, I'd say the soil is diseased too, so If it were me, I'd burn the fruit, the plant, and sterilize the soil before discarding to kill the disease in its tracks before allowing any contamination to occur.
Blossom end rot is indicative of a calcium deficiency. I'd start with clean pots, some clean gravel for drainage, fresh PH balanced soil, new plants, 4 crushed egg shells per plant, a little bone meal to encourage root growth, even a dip in some rooting powder wouldn't hurt. A nice deep watering, a week of hardening off, water every 5 days, and full sunlight for at least 8-10 hours per day minimum. (06/01/2010)
By Edmund
Blossom end rot is usually associated with lack of calcium. Try crushed egg shells. You may want to mix them into the soil at this time. Next year, when you set your plants, you can just sprinkle them on top of the soil. Egg shells are also good for other plants since slugs won't cross them. And they're free! (06/04/2010)
By Chris
The Epsom salts is what I use all the time. Do not put Sevin on them. Also, yellowing can come from lack of iron in the soil. You see this with container tomatoes more so. It leeches out and does not get replenished due to no ground soil connection. I went back to regular planting of tomatoes. Anything in the garden with blossoms needs a dose of magnesium sulfate about once a week in order to make good healthy blossoms turn to the fruit of your labors.
This is the Epsom salts.
You also need about 1 foot of dirt to support the tomato and its massive root system. (06/29/2010)
By Grandma J
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