eChipmunks

Tomato Gardening Help?

I have fruit set on my early girl tomato, but the fruit appears to be growing no larger been over 2 weeks and no change in fruit size or color. Is there something I might be doing wrong? A couple weeks ago we had some drastic fluctuations in temp. and pretty heavy rain where the plant was practically drowned. added extra drainage and pruned damaged areas and plant recovered ... however it does have curly leaf and some of the new flowers don't appear to be setting properly but I think that might be from the wild temps. I water 1-2 times per week depending on the temp and fertilize every 14-20 days. Container has two companion marigolds growing with it. While plant is in a container it is not root bound and does continue to put new growth and flowers on every day. Soil mixture of loamy peat, potting soil with perlite and moisture control miracle grow mix. I use an organic spray to control pests and powdery mildew gets a fine mist every 30 days or so *mum said to use the one for roses and vegetables.*

Public Comments

1. Temps are crazy this year, aren't they? We are having the same trouble. Tomatoes need lots and lots of water. If your weather is already hot in the afternoons, it might be time to water everyday. I found it is best to water at the same hour of each day...as in every morning or every late afternoon. Be sure to water until the water runs out of the drainage holes. Give this a try and see if they improve.
2. I agree with the previous answer. If you are having really hot temps, it does sound like it may be from lack of water. Good luck.
3. Most tomatoes will stop growing fruit or even drop fruit and blossoms if the temperatures are consistently above the low nineties or below the mid fifties. Wild temp. fluctuations will even make it worse. In most cases if the blossoms set but dry up before forming fruit it's too much heat, a lack of water or pollination. Early Girl is bred to be an earlier, cooler weather plant, so is even more susceptible to heat caused stress. Curly leaf can be caused by too much water, not enough water or viral disease. Putting all your symptoms together, it sounds like you are doing everything right, just need to wait for more stable weather. I have sometimes constructed some temporary afternoon shade for my Early girl tomatoes when the temps are extreme.