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On top of Brush Mountain, Pa.

Here we are at the end of another growing season and all of my tomatoes that were to be 8 pounders only weigh, give or take a little, 3 to 4 pounds. Every plant had a single fused tomato with none being less that three tomatoes in one. I actually thought I might have a shot at a really big one. They were doing fine but started to ripen before they made it to anything significant. And I can tell you I did everything I could to get them to where they were significant. They had a long growing season but hardly any sun. The only thing I can't control is the weather and I feel that is what did me in again this year. Even the tomatoes I grow to eat were undersized. I am ready for next season and after having 4 years in a row of too cold and too wet and not much sun, I look forward to it. I have considered moving from Pennsylvania but I don't know where to go. Where might the perfect weather be? Not here for sure.

9/17/2017 6:35:38 PM

Central NY

The domingo variety didn't mind the wet gray wrather this year in ny...glad I planted them...my 9lb big zacs didnt even hit 4lbs...

9/17/2017 7:12:53 PM

Walla Walla Wa.

Walla walla, we have the best water,at least that's what someone told me !

9/17/2017 8:31:31 PM

Wixom MI.

I don't know why yet but i have not grown a big zac to 4 lbs yet ? My ph is around 6.5 maybe to asidic for them i don't know. But my megazacs and Domingos love it !!!

9/17/2017 9:47:12 PM

Wixom MI.

I also can't grow the Delicious veriety those are even worse than bigzac for me.

9/17/2017 9:51:19 PM

Central NY

I'll be growing the mega zacs next year...

9/17/2017 10:52:27 PM

Wixom MI.

Let me know if you need seeds.

9/17/2017 10:58:16 PM

Walla Walla Wa.

Wixom -6.5 ph. is good for big zacs,that is a very good reading.

9/17/2017 11:56:55 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

I am having the problem with my 8 lbs weighing only 3 also. In addition to the cooler,cloudy weather I had when the tomatoes should have been growing the fastest i also have garden conditions to try to improve. I have 7.4 ph 8 inch top soil over pure sand. I also have a serious shade problem. Much of the garden only gets about 6 hours of sun per day. I know that tomatoes are not deep rooted but when I have pulled the plants..the roots are getting into the sand. Next year, I can lower the ph, increase top soil depth and cut down two trees that are on my property. Cant do anything about the neighbors trees though.

9/18/2017 5:32:17 AM

Walla Walla Wa.

Bnot, I think you need to get your ph down to about 6.4 if possible ,shade is not your main issue, tomatoes actually don't like it too hot,I run shade cloth over my tomatoes so the leaf surface isn't cooking hot,also mulch to help cool the roots.

9/18/2017 10:12:10 AM

Wixom MI.

The truth is that i know very little about soils and how to amend it !!! In march 2014 i had a soil test done and got my results back but to me it was a foreign language. I had no idea how to find and apply any amendment's to balance my soil so i decided to do nothing. All i know is my ph was 6.5 that being said, i have noticed that different verieties seem to Like different soils. I think that i will try a soil test again this fall and hope that i can learn much more on how to interpet my soil test and learn how to emend it properly. How to find the right products and not just guess at it.

9/18/2017 12:10:18 PM

Walla Walla Wa.

I know that minerals are the key to a healthy soil,but I always have to remember that no mineral is an island to itself, so that if we adjust one mineral we are effecting others,we could be doing damage when we think that we're helping, your calcium and magnesium ratio is the most important ratio of all,I think that there are 7 main ratios that are vital.

9/18/2017 12:32:12 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

I have fought alkaline soil here ever since I first started growing. I might not be that high right now...I did add a bunch of sulfur this spring. I think in the middle of October will get another soil test. Have to start preparing for next year.

9/18/2017 4:37:33 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

Biscuit, you might have to give us some tutorials on what you think is ideal ratio's for tomatoes and how it varies from ideal for pumpkins. I know you have it dialed in really well.

9/18/2017 5:04:16 PM

Bloomington, IN USA

I have been fighting an alkaline soil too.
I had added Sulfur last year and added more this Spring.
I also did something more radical because I was discouraged that the pH had not responded well to the added Sulfur.
I took a tip from a desert SW grower and added some phosphoric acid tile cleaner to my soil.
So I will really be interested in my soil test results later this Fall!

9/19/2017 10:21:10 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

i am interested to know how your phosphoric acid experiment works. Every spring I add sulfur and by the next spring my soil test ph comes back again in the low 7's. I think my biggest issue is my alkaline water. I need a pipeline built to Walla Walla.

9/19/2017 4:00:22 PM

Wixom MI.

Bnot if you move a little north you can get superior water from a Great Lake !!! (0:

9/19/2017 6:19:58 PM

Oak Grove, Mn

This discussion has given me some ideas for next year. I am contemplating watering not directly from the tap but instead filling my tote and adding some ph down to it before I input it into my drip lines. i think that the main ingredient in ph down is phophoric acid so you might be onto something materdoc.

9/19/2017 6:33:15 PM

Wixom MI.

Biscuitridge do you know what your ph. Level is ?

9/19/2017 11:17:26 PM

Walla Walla Wa.

It's right around 6.4 the last time I checked, which was a week or two ago.

9/20/2017 1:35:23 AM

Wixom MI.

Do you use western labs for your testing or someone else ?

9/20/2017 8:49:39 AM

Walla Walla Wa.

I do it myself.

9/20/2017 10:06:47 AM

Bloomington, IN USA

I will let you know what the response of my soil is to the phosphoric acid when I get my Fall soil test results.
I ought to check out my water pH also.
I think the key is to make small adjustments.

9/20/2017 11:31:10 PM