My tomato plants are turning purple. It started at the base of the plants and has now spread to over half the stems. I have 6 better boys, 1 beefsteak, and a couple husky reds; and they all have it.
I've had this problem before but a little fish emulsion and epson salt has always taken care of the problem.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
Charles
Try miracle grow instead for acid loving plants. It contains micros and has a higher phosphorus 30% vs 3% in fish emulsion. Water early in the morning when the stomata are open.
Phosphorus deficiency usually is not that noticeable in the beginning. It is common in acidic soils where there is high rainfall. Plants can be stunted or smaller than expected and fruit will be acidic. Leaves are blue green and leaves and stems can be purple.
Some varieties of tomatoes do have purplish leaves and stems.
Phosphorus deficiency usually is not that noticeable in the beginning. It is common in acidic soils where there is high rainfall. Plants can be stunted or smaller than expected and fruit will be acidic. Leaves are blue green and leaves and stems can be purple.
Some varieties of tomatoes do have purplish leaves and stems.
I would only put a small patio type tomato in a five gallon bucket. The roots would fill the bucket and you would have a hard time getting enough water to your tomato to keep it from getting BER. Unless the bucket has a lot of large holes in it and it is on the dirt, then the tomatoes will exit and go to ground.
For an indeterminate tomato I use 18 gallon tubs. I get the kind they use as muck buckets or ice buckets with rope handles. They don't last more than three years, but they are about $8 on sale. Even using them, my tomatoes will still go out the holes and into the ground, but they are big enough that I can water them enough to keep them from wilting and I do not add any calcium to the soil mix and rarely get BER. Be aware though that I grow heat tolerant tomatoes and they may just be more resistant to BER. Some tomatoes varieties are more prone to things like cat facing, BER, and cracking, it is in their genetics and even under the best of conditions it is hard to stop.
In summer I when it is hot and windy and the tomatoes are loaded with fruit, I may have to water two or three times a day. I cut up the plastic bags that the compost and potting soil come in and use it as a weed barrier and mulch and it helps retain water too. I sometimes put a watering tube in the pot so I water at the root level and not at the top, it helps to slow down fungal disease and gets the water where it is needed most, at the roots.
I had tomatoes in self watering tomatoes too. They were 18 gallon rubber maid totes with a 5 gallon reservoir. It made it easy to tell when the plants needed more water. A fully grown tomato in production in summer will take up to 4 gallons of water a day.
For an indeterminate tomato I use 18 gallon tubs. I get the kind they use as muck buckets or ice buckets with rope handles. They don't last more than three years, but they are about $8 on sale. Even using them, my tomatoes will still go out the holes and into the ground, but they are big enough that I can water them enough to keep them from wilting and I do not add any calcium to the soil mix and rarely get BER. Be aware though that I grow heat tolerant tomatoes and they may just be more resistant to BER. Some tomatoes varieties are more prone to things like cat facing, BER, and cracking, it is in their genetics and even under the best of conditions it is hard to stop.
In summer I when it is hot and windy and the tomatoes are loaded with fruit, I may have to water two or three times a day. I cut up the plastic bags that the compost and potting soil come in and use it as a weed barrier and mulch and it helps retain water too. I sometimes put a watering tube in the pot so I water at the root level and not at the top, it helps to slow down fungal disease and gets the water where it is needed most, at the roots.
I had tomatoes in self watering tomatoes too. They were 18 gallon rubber maid totes with a 5 gallon reservoir. It made it easy to tell when the plants needed more water. A fully grown tomato in production in summer will take up to 4 gallons of water a day.