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Tomatoe
Bill from the USA

Some cause of blossom end rot are low calcium in the soil and a erratic rate of water application. Mark a calendar with the days of the week that you water and try to water every 2,3,4 day intervals. Keep the same number of days between the watering. Tomatoes must be watered on a regulated basis and not sporadic.

Steph from the USA If your tomatoes are getting blossom-end rot, which is when the blossoms or fruit begin to rot, you can use bone meal to give it a calcium supplement. The rot is caused when there is a differential in the water supply, such is a drought or periods of heavy rain. Make sure you keep the plants watered and give the plants extra calcium to prevent and restore them from blossom-end rot.
Bill from the USA

Tomato bloom drop off is usually caused by several different things. The most common is low night time temperatures compared to daytime temperatures and a high humidity rate for a extended period. Tomatoes really like full sun, low humidity rates for the blooms to set. Another cause of bloom drop off is caused by the lack of calcium in the soil. If you have experience this, mix some gypsum in the soil when you till it the next time and add bone meal. Another fix for this is mix 2 tablespoons of epson salt in a gallon of water and water each plant. This will only work on plants that have developed past the 7 week mark of life.

Sunny from the USA

For the question of how to ripen tomatoes at the end of the season, my mother would pull all the green tomatoes on the vine just before the first frost, put them in a brown paper sack with an apple. The gas from the apple riped them, she said. Same principle as the banana but would not smell as loudly.

Greg from the USA

If you are expecting a light frost then just cover them up. Digging them up and replanting them can be just as traumatic for the plant as a frost and should only be done as a "lesser of two evils".

Sue from the USA

You can remove the worst leaves but do not get rid of them all. It is doubtful if new leaves will grow unless it is the beginning of the season. If the tomatoes are present then these should ripen ok but if there are only the tomatoe flowers then be very carful not to remove them as these are the first stage of the tomatoes.

Steph from the USA

If your tomatoes are getting blossom-end rot, which is when the blossoms or fruit begin to rot, you can use bone meal to give it a calcium supplement. The rot is caused when there is a differential in the water supply, such is a drought or periods of heavy rain. Make sure you keep the plants watered and give the plants extra calcium to prevent and restore them from blossom-end rot.

Tom from the USA

Pinching the top off will not harm the plant. You can also prune off some branches to let the sunlight reach the tomatoe fruit better and help ripen them.

Marshall from the USA

True leaves have scalloped/indentations compared with the first leaves which emerge through the soil. Transplant survival increases with stem size.
Handle transplants by a leaf instead of the stem. An old ball point pen makes a good dibble to open the planting hole. I transplant up to individual pots (I use 1/2 pint milk cartons).
When setting into the garden, a fistfull of gypson will reduce blossom end rot. Young plants have a high need for phosphate but go lightly.

Derek from the UK

My grandmother used to put the green tomatoes into a brown paper bag along with a banana skin. Aparently the gas given of by the rotting banana helps ripen the tomatoes!

Jeanne from the USA

I start my tomatoe plants day the same way I start my day. Coffee, milk and eggs. For the plants I throw my coffee grounds and the egg shells and some left over milk or powder milk and a few kind words and it works.

Janet from Canada

You can prune back tomatoe plants that are growing out of hand at anytime. By thining the leaves you will allow more sunlight to reach the fruits which helps ripen them.

Ersula from the USA

You can ripen tomatoes indoors by putting them in a brown paper bag on top of your fridge for a few days.

Jack from the USA

"What's the best way to tie up tomatoe plants?"

I put large stakes at intervals between the tomatoe plants and fix a strong wire along the tops. From the wire I hang binding string down to each plant so that I can tie the tomatoe shoots to it. It works fine and can easily be adjusted during the growing season.

Mary from the USA

Growing tomato's need miracle grow every 2 weeks.

Sherry from the USA

"I have a potted tomato plant, it has loads of blossoms, but, no fruit. The blossoms fall off."

I don't know that much about it, except that there is a product called, "tomato set", I think. It's a spray that you are supposed to spray on the flowers. This causes them to produce fruit. I think it's some kind of germination. You can probably ask someone at a nursery or hardware store about "tomato set"--this may not be the acutal product name, but they should know what you want and should be able to direct you to the right product. We've used it and it works well. Good luck.

Tomato plants can grow on every ground that has a good structure and water housekeeping. You can keep the tomato plants well-aired by taken some leaves off. Not to much at the same time because the leaves make nutrition that the tomatoes need for their ripening. If there are a lot of tomatoes on one plant you have to take of the top of the cluster that's better for the size and the taste of the tomatoes. In the cultivation time you have to fertilize one or two times. It's very good that you removed the suckers.

Fruit Rot

A mold growing inside tomatoes as they rippen but outside the tomatoes are healthy. The problem might be fruit rot, it's a fungus. Try a chemical control spray such as Copper spray or something like that.

Early Blight

Leaves that curl up, turn a yellowish brown color and almost look like black spot found on rose bushes could be caused by Early Blight. Early blight is a fungus. Dark brown to black spots on the leafs with concentric rings, usually starting on the lower leaves. Leaves can turn yellow and drop off the plant.

You must avoid watering the leaves and pull off the older leaves that have spots on them, you must burn those leaves. Never use them in compost. Avoid also overhead watering.

If that doesn't help then you can use a chemical control such as copper spray. A powder that you mix with water. Always read the entire label of the container and follow the directions.

Blossum End Rot

Blooms that keep falling off without production of fruit could be caused by blossum end rot, and a product called Manab could help. Read the instructions carefully.

Also: To eliminate blossom end rot on tomatoes, mix up 2 tablespoons of dry concrete mortar mix and 2 tablespoons of epson salts for each tomato plant and sprinkle around base. Puts necessary nutrients in soil.

 

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