Last summer, my fiance and I tried to grow some tomatoes and peppers. We were not very successful. Our tomatoes were so tiny. And hardly any peppers bloomed. Are we watering too much? Could it be the type of soil. Last year we had them in containers, this year we are hoping to grow them in the ground. Any tips or suggestions. We live in Iowa and my grandfather used to grow wonderful tomatoes, unfortunately he has passed away and I can't ask for his advise.

labman

There are a number of things that could have gone wrong. It you told somebody you were container gardening, they may have steered you to a cherry tomato which are small. Go with a regular variety. I have been planting Super Stake tomatoes for years. Unlike many modern varieties they have much better flavor if left on the vine until there are crimson red.

Since I don't know what you were doing last year, it is hard for me to say what else may have been wrong. Tomatoes and peppers do like a rich soil.

seeker2

We picked a variety of plants but steered away from the cherry tomotoes. They ended up a bout the size of a small Roma tomato. They were suppose to be larger. We will definitely look for Super Stacker. What type of soil do you recommend? I have been reading on this and noticed that darker, clumpier soil is what is best. I think we just used a bag of top soil last year and the year before.

labman

Usually you are stuck with what you have for top soil. In Iowa, unless you are in a sandy river bottom, likely you have a clay soil. As long as you choose a place with the original top soil, tomatoes should do fine. Nothing does very well in the stuff builders leave from excavating for the foundation. My sister lives in virginia, and her soil looks terrible, a red clay. Her garden does fine. If you do have sand, you may have to water more.

Scargod

There are many difficulties that can be associated with container gardening. I did it exclusivly for years because I did not have enough light anywhere but on my driveway.

You don't say how much sun the tomato plants received in a day... Tomatoes need a lot. At least six hours a day. With container gardening, watering too much or too little it can kill roots and it will wilt, either way. With plants in the ground it is harder to mess up. You need to fertilize regularly, especially if you have to water a lot. I like Rapid Gro's liquid fertilizers (ther'e one just for tomatoes). Follow instructions for frequency and amount. Add peat or decomposed organic matter to your soil to aerate and help retain moisture. Decomposed leaves and grass clippings work well. They must be decomposed, though! Decomposed cow and horse manure is very good, too.

superboff

for plants to grow to their full capacity they need plenty of sunlight, water and carbon dioxide + fertille soil. peppers dont grow very well in this countruy but good luck
from superboff (age12!)

mike6019

It maybe the soil.I dig up the area I want to plant my tomatoes and put compost in it.I plan to use Espson salt,1 tespoon to help the growth.Pinch off the suckers and you will get bigger ones.Also put an teaspoon of sugar in a watering can when tomatoes show color.I put them in cages

Scargod

Watering a tomato plant with sugar water may produce bland and pulpy fruit.
There are a lot of different forms of sugar. Plants convert them into starch, which is actually just another kind of sugar.
If you taste starch (like corn starch), you'll find it doesn’t taste sweet-but pretty bland. When you water the tomato plant with sugar water it may convert the sugar into lots of starch. This starch is very useful for the tomato plant if it needs energy later. But it could make the tomato tastes bland and pulpy. This has been commented on by people before.....
I don't know what the epson salts are supposed to accomplish, except for adjusting the PH. You want to know what the PH of your soil is and if the soil is in the proper range for the type of plant you are growing. Amending the soil by adding salts may take it in the wrong direction!

Pinching off suckers or any new growth you don't want or can't get enough sunlight... and cages, is a good idea.

Scargod

According to Wickipedia:
"In agriculture and gardening, magnesium sulfate is used to correct magnesium deficiency in soil (magnesium is an essential element in the chlorophyll molecule). It is most commonly applied to potted plants, or to magnesium-hungry crops, such as potatoes, roses, and tomatoes. The advantage of magnesium sulfate over other magnesium soil amendments (such as dolomitic lime) is its high solubility."

In a previous post I meant to say "Miracle Gro". Miracle Gro "for tomatoes" has magnesium in it....
I apologize for claiming that Epsom Salts was a silly thing to add!
It is still very important to know the PH of your soil and adjust it accordingly!

rainy207

Can anybody tell me Method for tomato preservation. Or Any Food processing techniques for tomato preservation. Anyone have the links for the same ?