Problems with Container Tomatoes

[lakngulf]

This is my first year for full scale container tomatoes, with mixed results. I began collecting whatever large pots I could find, and finally settled in on some large green pots that farmers use to feed protein lick, and the tomatoes have done OK in those pots.

My earliest planting was in a mixture of containers: One tin pot, four blue plastic pots from Walmart, etc. I planted nine tomatoes in these fairly early and they grew well, bloomed and put on fruit. Then I ran into some problems.

1. I was warned that is was hard to keep the pots watered and that the nutrients would washout. So I kept them watered, and applied 15-0-15 periodically.
2. I was warned the BER would be a problem with container tomatoes. I have definitely had my share of that, much more of a problem than any other tomatoes I have grown
3. And then the leaves began to turn "gold bronze" and "brown". What do you think causes this?

[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/2012_Summer/IMG_0682.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/2012_Summer/IMG_0676.jpg[/img]

4. These tomatoes are alternating Beef Steak and Better Boy. We have eaten some fairly good fruit off each, but many, many tomatoes turned out like this.

[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/2012_Summer/IMG_0703.jpg[/img]

The yellow part is very hard. When you cut into the tomato, this white core goes all the way through. What is this called and what causes it?

[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/2012_Summer/IMG_0704.jpg[/img]

[dustyrivergardens]

This is called Yellow Shoulders The tops of the fruit never ripen completely, especially on fruit that are exposed to direct sunlight. The area under the yellow shoulders will be corky as well as discolored. This is partly a genetic problem. Maintaining good foliage cover so fruit are shaded will also help. Remember, tomatoes do not need direct sunlight on the fruit to ripen. I am thinking the roots are getting to hot, maybe figure away to give them a little afternoon shade or put a little row cover around your containers to keep the containers a little cooler. Those containers look like they would get a little to hot...

[lakngulf]

Those containers look like they would get a little to hot...

Thanks for the info. Yes, the whole reason I use the edge of my pier is to get more sunshine on the plants. But obviously too much of a good thing. Maybe these are shading the plants in the middle of the pier.

[rainbowgardener]

But I'm thinking this is happening because you have some kind of foliage disease. Looking at your pictures I can see all the tomatoes. Usually they would be much less visible because of all the foliage.

That and the bronzing suggests a disease, perhaps blight or septoria. They are fungal diseases and can be treated with fungicides.

[dustyrivergardens]

the reason I came up with that assumption is because I have had the same problems with my container tomatoes in the past. a little shade on the containers or a little afternoon shade solved my problems with out trying to fight fungal diseases and other problems brought on by roots cooking in there containers....spent lots of money just to find out I was cooking there roots....

[lakngulf]

It does get hot down there, no doubt, and the last few days have been brutal. A decent breeze today, thanks I think to TS Debby, but still hot. After reading the posts, and googling a bit, I went to the garden this morning with the plan to pull the decent green tomatoes and take out all the plants. After looking at them, some new growth was showing on some of the plants, and the fruit on all still looks good. A lot of fruit does not yet have yellow shoulders, or blotches. I cut into a couple of just turning fruit and it looked and tasted good.

So, it is not so pretty but I now have the 8 or so plants under a shade of porch screen and black cloth, with some two by fours holding it down. Lots of folks come by in their boat each year to check out my garden. When they ask about the black screen and cloth I will tell them I have some "secret" tomatoes.

[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/2012_Summer/IMG_0708.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/2012_Summer/IMG_0705.jpg[/img]