what happened to my tomato???

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by NY to LA

If I cut it off will it stop producing vertically at all and just focus on the present blossoms and leaves?
The holes are one inch from the bottom. I'll re adjust the watering and fertilizing schedule from now on. This is our first year gardening and we already learned a lot and I'm sure there is much more to learn.

No, it'll keep growing, but it will even if you don't cut it off. I've had cherry tomatoes (in the ground) that grew to about 7', arched over, grew back to the ground, then started creeping west. Rust and indeterminate tomato plants never sleep.

One inch is better than in the bottom. Somebody on here mentioned drilling the holes 4" from the bottom. It might have been phonelady. That sounds like a lot to me, but I've never gardened in zone 9. The first time time I gardened in zone 8 was a disaster! I was used to 6, and I'd never had to deal clay.

In some places more than others, gardening is an adventure. It's too hot; it's too cold. There's not enough rain or too much. Bugs, diseases and animals are just waiting to kill your plants. It makes me wonder why I love it so much.

[NY to LA]

Originally Posted by Gerania

No, it'll keep growing, but it will even if you don't cut it off. I've had cherry tomatoes (in the ground) that grew to about 7', arched over, grew back to the ground, then started creeping west. Rust and indeterminate tomato plants never sleep.

One inch is better than in the bottom. Somebody on here mentioned drilling the holes 4" from the bottom. It might have been phonelady. That sounds like a lot to me, but I've never gardened in zone 9. The first time time I gardened in zone 8 was a disaster! I was used to 6, and I'd never had to deal clay.

In some places more than others, gardening is an adventure. It's too hot; it's too cold. There's not enough rain or too much. Bugs, diseases and animals are just waiting to kill your plants. It makes me wonder why I love it so much.

Animals are a whole different story that I decided not to worry about right now. I think the birds are watching our tomatoes the same we do to get the first harvest

[sunigal99]

Tomatoes in the south are a real battle. But they taste so much better than the ones in the grocery store! It seems like each year I tried, something new happened.

I went from planting in the ground to a pot to an earth box. I had to buy netting that brides wear from a craft store to keep the birds off. Then an unseen tomato worm stripped my plant in one day.

I got so frustrated that I took a couple years off. This September, my quest for tomatoes will continue.

I'm zone 9, Florida.

[SorryIMovedBack]

Originally Posted by NY to LA

My main question is if the five gallon bucket enough for growing indeterminate tomato? ...

If it's really pot-bound, you can dump it out of there and put it into a larger pot. I've done that a few times, most recently when my Husky Red Cherry dwarf indeterminate outgrew it's 5 gallon bucket and got top-heavy. I did the same with La Roma II last summer. If you work carefully, one person can do it with minimal damage to the plant. Wrap a sheet around it or something to help prevent breakage.

[NY to LA]

I'm not sure what's really wrong with those cherries, they are making lots and lots of flowers and I can see some buds developing into tiny little green tomatoes but taking forever to see any growth. It's about six feet tall and only one little tomato was harvested today. I have one in ground that's doing the same too.