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North Of The Border

I have three plants of 3.51 DeMars tomatoes, that are all starting to form first truss flowers. They are only 1.5 to 2 feet tall, but extremely s5ocky for their night, almost half an inch across.
The best plant had it's first flower open partly today, and t is a large flower, at 3/4 to 1 inch aross. I was wondering how I could push the fruit once it is set.

If anyone has any advice for a novice grower, it would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, and hope you grow big ones! :)!

7/21/2020 1:10:45 PM

Coventry Rhode Island USA

No expert here, but If there already stocky for there size, don’t give too much nitrogen at all . Let the tomatoes get some size to them, then give them some calcium first , then potassium , kelp or seaweed . I way overdid it this year ! Paying a big price my season is done ! Way too much food in soil ! Nitrogen in particular and not enough water !

7/22/2020 11:22:38 AM

Coventry Rhode Island USA

No expert here, but If there already stocky for there size, don’t give too much nitrogen at all . Let the tomatoes get some size to them, then give them some calcium first , then potassium , kelp or seaweed . I way overdid it this year ! Paying a big price my season is done ! Way too much food in soil ! Nitrogen in particular and not enough water !

7/22/2020 11:22:43 AM

Grittyville, WA

You could add compost around the base of your plants. Its hard to know what nutrients you might want to push unless you know what you are short on. I would only go with things that contain some calcium until about DAP 20 then... it would still depend what u are short on. Since your plants are stocky and potassium usually makes them lanky, this may indicate you could boost potassium... you could probably add kelp at around day 20.

7/22/2020 3:49:29 PM

On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

I feel that with tomatoes it is more about sustaining growth than pushing growth. You need to start out with adequate nutrients in your soil and then foliar spray to make up for anything that might have gotten used up from plant growth.

7/23/2020 1:39:19 PM

North Of The Border

I don't have any calcium fertilizers or kelp. I did topdress the soil with some hen manure that had wood shavings. I have some triple 20 water soluble, and some 4 31 37 water soluble. I have read that the triple 20 is good for tomatoes, so I was going to use it, once every 1-2 weeks, and water every other day, with just water. Is there anything else is should know?

7/26/2020 4:39:39 PM

Grittyville, WA

I have had terrible results with ammonium.. every time I add high ammonium fertilizer it gives me blossom end rot. Three times in a row now. Its a calcium antagonist. Read you labels, I would use something with amino acids like fish or feather meal maybe rather than a straight heavy ammonium fertilizer.

7/26/2020 8:10:13 PM

Grittyville, WA

Not that you want to go buy another product, but mircle grow makes a tomato fertilizer that has a lot less ammonium. Or maybe I am the only person with this particular problem.

7/26/2020 8:13:07 PM

North Of The Border

I was just thinking, tomato fertilizer made by miracle grow, is 18,18,21. 20,20,20 is Somalia number wise at least, so it should do well for the plants. All I want is something to go past 3 pounds. I'd be happy with 2 pounds! I just hope I can get something weighed.

7/28/2020 7:26:37 AM

Grittyville, WA

You will get there! These plants are a lot of fun as long as they are moving calcium around. The 'tomato fertilizer' is 1.5 % ammonium I think... other products have much higher amounts.

7/28/2020 11:53:42 AM

North Of The Border

My new PB tomato, 1Lb 1.5 oz!
Pretty small, but it was completely green. I was looking at a few large beefstake type tomatoes, when I noticed a particularly large one had fallen out of its small hammock I had made. I put it back in, and was trying to reposition it, when the tomatoes stem broke off of the stalk!
Might have been able to make 2 pounds, but it hasn't been growing much, so wasn't to worried.
Hopefully my 3.51 DeMars will do well. Still have 80 days to grow, and I have a few large blossoms, that started opening a week ago, closing, so hopefully large flowers=large fruit! Hope to make something good come out of the patch this year.

7/29/2020 5:08:55 PM