23
votes
Accepted
Since tomatoes don't need cages in the wild, how do they stay up?
The size of the tomato has been increased with human selection. Wild tomatoes are berry sized, so the plant doesn't need extra support. The same is true for most plants that humans have selectively ...
- 1,585
19
votes
Strange Fruit from Tomato Plant
That looks like a poorly pollinated cucumber (the type of distortion on the fruit is exactly what you'd see if pollination were uneven). Although I can't see any leaves, the stem looks like a cucumber ...
- 18.6k
16
votes
Accepted
Can a tomato plant break by its own weight?
Tomato plants need some kind of support (as you see, they are a sort of vine). Especially when they are fruiting, the stem cannot support the weight of the tomatoes.
It is normal to have the stem ...
- 14.2k
13
votes
Accepted
How should I repair a partially broken stem with lots of tomatoes?
That injury looks more like a "sprain" than a break. In other words, the stem is injured, but the tissue isn't completely severed. If you can immobilize it and provide additional support to keep the ...
- 3,639
13
votes
Are blossom end rot tomatoes edible?
Blossom end rot is a physiological disorder primarily caused by irregular or insufficient water supply, which disables calcium uptake. The fruits, or the bits that aren't affected, are not dangerous ...
- 132k
11
votes
Do seeds from fresh tomatoes need to completely dry before they will sprout?
Tomato seeds that have never been dried can germinate. I've tried it.
Tomatoes can actually germinate inside the fruit, sometimes (wherein the fruit is still good to eat, at that).
I've read that ...
- 18k
11
votes
Accepted
If I save seeds from sweet million cherry tomatoes will I get more sweet million tomatoes
Sweet Million are an F1 variety, so will not come true. Seeds saved from their first year may grow what are known as F2 types, which may be quite close to the original F1 Sweet Million, but any seed ...
- 132k
11
votes
Accepted
Plant recommendation for gift for kindergarten students
I recall doing something like this each spring (for several years) growing up, and the plant of choice was Marigolds (planted in a paper cup, as far as I recall) which were grown in class and then ...
- 23.2k
10
votes
Mushrooms instead of tomatoes
Too much water, most likely, for one thing, could be combined with poor drainage depending on the details of the pot and soil mix. Probably some other things [planting depth?] to not get any tomato ...
- 23.2k
10
votes
Plant recommendation for gift for kindergarten students
My two suggestions; Scarlet Runner Beans and the second is Carex testacea or Orange Sedge. Easy to grow, very pretty no matter its age, wonderful to tuck into any plant bed or pot, nice just left in ...
- 40.2k
10
votes
What variety is this tomato with long, milky green branches?
I'm afraid with over 20k tomato breeds and striking similarities among many of them (with crosses possible), there's not enough information for others to know what kind of tomato this is. Even if it ...
- 18k
9
votes
How can I grow tomatoes in a pot?
That's a small pot, and definitely not ideal. I recommend as much larger of a container as you can manage, even if you have to sacrifice drainage to make room. However, you can grow some kinds of ...
- 18k
9
votes
Accepted
How can I organically make the soil potassium rich?
I don't know of anything ubiquitous off-hand in the kitchen that is both high in potassium and ready to use on plants without composting or some other such. Kelp is supposed to have some. So, maybe if ...
- 18k
9
votes
What are these abnormal tomatoes on my tomato plant?
This looks like blossom end rot. Here is another source of info.
According to the second link, which is from Clemson University:
After tomatoes are planted, gardeners can minimize the potential ...
- 7,027
9
votes
Accepted
What should new tomato growers know about growing tomatoes?
It really depends on the variety. Some can stay on the vine for a long time after they're ripe (how long they can stay on is known as hang-time), and some have to be picked as soon as they're ripe. ...
- 18k
9
votes
Will applying twenty year old cow manure hurt my vegetable garden?
Unless harmful elements fell into your manure during those 20 years without your knowledge, it certainly shouldn't hurt anything. It might not be as potent as properly matured and composted manure, ...
- 321
9
votes
Plant recommendation for gift for kindergarten students
Have you considered something as simple as Garden Cress (Lepidium sativum)?
You can simply hand out a pack of seeds and a piece of cotton wool. The kids can then "plant" it themselves (really just ...
- 223
8
votes
How can I organically make the soil potassium rich?
Potassium is easily obtained via wood (or other plant material) fire ashes - "pot-ash" is the source of the name potassium (and while "potash" is now used more to refer to mined material, the ashes ...
- 23.2k
8
votes
Do seeds from fresh tomatoes need to completely dry before they will sprout?
No need to dry them out usually, and large varieties of tomato will grow exceptionally well with the right conditions. Here in Florida we just slice the tomatoes and lay the slices on top of the soil. ...
- 81
8
votes
"Volunteer" tomato plant in my vegetable garden - good, bad, indifferent?
The answer really depends on how much space you have to grow tomatoes. The reason most people choose to start with tomato seedlings or plants in areas that are not tropical is that the growing season ...
- 9,464
8
votes
Is using tomato slices really viable for starting seedlings?
Think of how tomatoes grow "in the wild" fruit drops to the ground, slowly rots, and when conditions are right a new plant emerges. So cut open the fruit and cover it in soil, the results are not ...
- 8,497
8
votes
What should new tomato growers know about growing tomatoes?
Once they are red or ripe get them off the vine/bush! This promotes MORE fruit setting, ripening. Keep them cool and eat them sooner than later. Don't put in the refrigerator. Keep apples and ...
- 40.2k
8
votes
How do I ripen tomatoes?
Unless they're too immature, they will eventually turn red if you bring them in the house and wait. If you're planning to save seeds, though, people often say that the seeds cease to develop after you'...
- 18k
8
votes
What causes tomato plants to bear large fruit?
This is a very open question, and I like to see other answers.
As you wrote, variety is the main driver. Cold weather and dry soil could stop the growth of a tomato.
Position is also a determinant. ...
- 14.2k
8
votes
Accepted
White insects on tomato plant?
This is scale or mealybug, they are insects that suck sap out of the plant. So yes they are harmful and it is better for your plant to get rid of them.
There are several ways to get rid of them (in ...
- 13.1k
8
votes
Safe water for tomatoes
It is perfectly safe. In fact it is also legal to use gray water to water your plants. Some houses are designed to do this. Gray water is water from kitchen and laundry and in some cases also from ...
- 2,095
7
votes
Why are my tomato plant seedlings dying?
Disclaimer: This answer is mostly based off of my own experience.
Yes. That appears to be classic transplant shock. As Ecnerwal said, it could be cutworms, too, though. Anything that disturbs (or ...
- 18k
7
votes
What could be happening to my tomato plants?
First, you should always know what you're using to fertilize your plants and why you're doing it. Anything sold as plant food/fertilizer is required to have a guaranteed analysis (3 numbers x-y-z) at ...
- 8,497
7
votes
Planting potatoes between tomatoes, bad or good idea?
It's harder to control blight when the two are planted in close proximity. Late blight caused a devastating epidemic in the 1840s in the North Eastern USA. http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/...
- 23.1k
7
votes
Will applying twenty year old cow manure hurt my vegetable garden?
Sounds like perfect stuff. You are going into winter, yes? If you are, just put it on top of the beds thickly. This will help keep the weed seeds already in the soil from germinating as well. In ...
- 40.2k
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