By Vanessa Richins

Marilyn:

“Is there a grower or distributor in Bakersfield, California area for “Green Tomatoes”?… Have a special recipe for relish that calls for green tomatoes! Thank you!”

Hi Marilyn! Green tomato relish sounds interesting. I’ve been meaning to try fried green tomatoes myself, and now perhaps some relish too.

I don’t know of any specific growers or distributors who sell green tomatoes, but I do have some ideas for you. These could possibly work for any area, too, for anyone else looking for green tomatoes.

1. I know you’re in an area with a lot of farms (I have relatives that live there). I would suggest calling some of them and ask what they do with the green tomatoes that are left over after the main harvests.

2. Go to Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Alan:

“I live in Brooklyn and I am growing tomatoes on my fire escape using a “Topsy Turvy” planter.

They have been growing beautifully until work called me out of town and I asked my 10 year old to water them. Now I have alot of yellow leaves. However I am not sure his over or under watering is the problem because the yellow leaves are the ones that get the least light.

Does anyone have any suggestion?”

Hello Alan. How often do you fertilize your Topsy Turvy tomatoes? Since container grown plants have a limited Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

A reader writes:

“This is the second year that I don’t have any blossoms on my tomato plant….I wheel them in the sun everyday.”

Hello. I’d be interested to learn more about the growing conditions you have for your tomatoes.

Do your plants look generally healthy? Do you fertilize them?

One reason that your tomato plants may not have blossoms is due to an excess of nitrogen. When you see the 3 numbers on the front of a fertilizer package, the first one is nitrogen. This number will tell you the percentage of nitrogen contained in that fertilizer.

Nitrogen is necessary for Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Wendy:

“The top of my tomato plants are shriveling up, but the new growth seems to be a little healthier.
Should I cut the tops off so the bottoms get the nutrients?”

Hi Wendy. How old are your plants? Are they determinate or indeterminate?

I’d want to figure out what is going on with your plant first. Are the leaves turning any color or just shriveling up?

Where is the new growth? Has it been raining a lot? Do you see any signs of insects?

The problem with removing the tops is that this would Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Terri asks:

“I live in NJ, we’ve had too much rain; a few of my tomato plants are not doing well.

Is the rain the prob? Leaves are drooping, appreciate response.”

Hello Terri. It is probably true that too much rain is hurting your tomatoes.

It’s a strange thought isn’t it – when you think of wilting leaves, you would think it was due to lack of water. However, overwatering can also produce wilting leaves.

It’s especially problematic if you have Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

From Andy:

“I have 2 old German’s planted for about 40 days, they are approx 3′ tall , look healthy as can be BUT the buds stem and all wilt and drop off? The leaves around them wilt also, any suggestions?”

Hello Andy. If it was just the blossoms I would be inclined to saythat it was a case of blossom drop, but it sounds like something else when the leaves are wilting too.

Have you noticed any spots or discolorations on the wilting parts?

There are some wilts that can affect tomato plants, but most have rings
or spots of some kind, along with abnormal colors.

Check out this article about Tomato Wilt Problems from the University of Tennessee Extension service. If none of those match, send us a picture so we can see what’s going on a bit better. I hope it clears up soon!

Jeanie H. says:

“I am growing my tomatoes in Read the rest of this entry »