I need some help

[Tbone2010]

I have about 40 tomato plants in the ground have been for 3 weeks and they arent growing up at all.. I water everyday at 5 a.m. . They have big blooms at the end of the main stem at the top.. The tallest is 14 inches .. I usually grow big boy or better boy but this year tried Anna Russian Oxheart Heirlooms .. Is this normal for these plants.. I am at wits end thinking i should just go pull em all up and plant betterboy late.. IF you know something that might have caused this please help.. about 20 of them are no bigger than they was when i planted them and they are almost purple the other 20 have grown to 14 inches and have just stopped ...These ones are the ones with a Monster bloom on the tops of them.. I dont Know.. Help please

[backyardgardener]

What is your planting zone and your average outdoor temperature this past week?

[Gardenluver]

I have about 40 tomato plants in the ground have been for 3 weeks and they arent growing up at all.. I water everyday at 5 a.m. . They have big blooms at the end of the main stem at the top.. The tallest is 14 inches .. I usually grow big boy or better boy but this year tried Anna Russian Oxheart Heirlooms .. Is this normal for these plants.. I am at wits end thinking i should just go pull em all up and plant betterboy late.. IF you know something that might have caused this please help.. about 20 of them are no bigger than they was when i planted them and they are almost purple the other 20 have grown to 14 inches and have just stopped ...These ones are the ones with a Monster bloom on the tops of them.. I dont Know.. Help please

Tomato plants will not grow well in soil that is too cold. Conversely, tomatoes shut down when the temps get around 85 degrees. I'm writing from zone 6b and the soil temps here are around 58 ... that is way too cool to consider putting tomatoes in the ground. Heirloom tomatoes are more finicky than the well known varieties that you have planted in the past. Also heirloom tomatoes aren't as disease resistant (VFNT) and many garden experts believe this is why these plants are heirloom because no one wants to grow them anymore. If you like the idea of heirlooms, try Brandywine

[Tbone2010]

I live in North Carolina on the coast and the past week its been low of 85 all week high 93.. Zone 7 i think

What is your planting zone and your average outdoor temperature this past week?

[Tbone2010]

Thank you Gardenluver i live in North Carolina about 30 minutes north of South Carolina and im in zone 7 i think. However its been in the 90s here.. I do have other tomato plants in the ground some supersteak and big boy and they are 3 foot tall and have quarter size tomatoes on them .. Its not to cold for tomatoes here .. I will add some pictures so to better explain my problem..

Tomato plants will not grow well in soil that is too cold. Conversely, tomatoes shut down when the temps get around 85 degrees. I'm writing from zone 6b and the soil temps here are around 58 ... that is way too cool to consider putting tomatoes in the ground. Heirloom tomatoes are more finicky than the well known varieties that you have planted in the past. Also heirloom tomatoes aren't as disease resistant (VFNT) and many garden experts believe this is why these plants are heirloom because no one wants to grow them anymore. If you like the idea of heirlooms, try Brandywine

[backyardgardener]

I have a lot of inputs from users who use Facebook. You can search for Backyard Gardener.

Rebecca Blubaugh-Brown
Biggest reason for tomatoes to not grow is warmth, or lack of if and cool night temps. Have your posted set cylindrical wire cages over each plant and then wrap these "cages" with plastic sheeting. This will increase ground temps and help maintain a more even ambient temp around the plant. And YES, knowing her growing zone would be a BIG HELP.



Lynda Swink
Two things come to mind. Did you recently add new commercial mulch to the garden or did you use Roundup or a pre-emergent in your soil for weed control?

It was recently in the media that commercial mulches can contain residual traces of round up and it will stunt or kill your garden plants. Also, it has been my experience many years back that ... See Moreusing a pre-emergent in the vegetable garden will cause mutations in your vegetable plants. Most notably tomatoes.

I really hope this is not your problem because it takes a really long time to go away.


Adriana Carrico
Thinking too darn much water, needs to dry between waterings and cool evening temps. Its still too cool to start producing most places. If she keeps the plants alive and healthy, she'll probably start getting tomatoes in a month or two.



Stacy Friedman Magid
Watering everyday seems overkill. Cut back on the water to every 2-3 days


Cheryl T. Jones
Have you tried the red plastic under the plants trick? It is supposed to stimulate the growth hormone in tomatoes...also keeps the ground warmer.


Suzanne Ballard
Person with tomato problems is in NC...me, too. Gonna go over to the blog post and talk to her...


Suzanne Ballard
I think the person with problem is a guy...sorry, TBone


Thom Browne
There are too many variables time, place, medium, variety, night and day temps, zone, protected, or in open, .Experience of person could be nil, thus explanation wide off the mark.


Becky Hayes Hurley
not sure if you have blossoms and no tomatos but we had that problem and tried gently shaking each plant to help with pollination and it worked.


Aunt Susan
i shall try that this year

Jake Ouellette
Shaking, or flicking the plant does do wonders...As well as, staggering your planting spot, from year to year...That is, if they are in the ground...Food, moisture, warmth, sun, and a flick flick here,,,and a flick flick there...:)))


Frederick M Kahn
Planting way too early in the growing season is a common mistake. It's the cool nightime temps that lead to misery. Wait until May 15 to plant unless you're living in Mexico.



Thom Browne
pLANTING TOO EARLY AND temperature differential.Tomato plants are simplicity it self.


Deborah Aldridge
I'm in FL, and my tomatoes did nothing until the nighttime temps were in the 60's. Now they are going to stop growing soon because of the temps above 90 during the day. Can't win for losing.


Thom Browne
Tomatoes react to high temperatures by curling their leaves, to slow down evapo-transpiration, ie; loss of moisture.



Louise Hardy
Not too much water, and the best mulch is to gather nettles into a bucket, add water and allow to rot for a week or so. Best tomato food ever.