Greetings,

I'm growing a sweet million plant in zone 5. I took a branch off the
plant in the garden in Sept. and have it living in a 7" pot with one
of those cheap alum. tomato cages. The plant is now poking out 3-4"
over the top of the cage, has one set of (pea sized) tomatoes and a
couple sets of blossoms.

I figure last years winter tomato didn't do so well because it was
cooped up in my study, not enough heat. I had a "grow light" on it to
make up for the weak (south windw) winter sun. Got three tomatoes,
plum sized, off that last winter but it took almost all winter! Hence
my move to cherry tomatoes.

Plant gets watered ~7-10 days, before it starts to wilt.

Bear with me, it's all relevant to the tomato question (at end of all
this).

I drive a truck. The plant rides behind the seat - it's a little too
tall to sit in the seat. I don't _think_ the plant is pinched in any
way, I'm trying to be careful about that.

Why the vehicle? Because I think the plant gets more heat than if it
stayed home. When I get into it to come home, it's usually noticeably
warm within the vehicle. I haven't put a therm. in yet but plan to
some time, and we don't have snow yet, when I figure the plant will
remain indoors (house) from then on.

Here's the ?:
Parts of the plant (mostly tips) are curling up and dying, as in
drying out to the point leaves grasped crumble to powder. The soil
ranges from moist to dry, but not powder-dry. I use potting soil,
with every other watering a dose of M.G. I also tossed a handful of
alfalfa meal in there last month. The branch ends are literally
curling up, some within the cage where there is no way I can see they
would be rubbing on the seat in the truck.

So what is happening to this plant, and how can I get it back on
track? I figure it's lost 10-15% of leaf area. Yes, all this
happened after I added the alfalfa meal. Praps it is rubbing on the
seat, I have gotten two small branches broken, but I figured if they
rub they break, not curl up and die.

Radio is usually not blasting away either

BTW I was able to sprout some late spinach this fall by this truckin'
technique when the batch on the heating pad failed (same batches of
seed). I plan to try that this spring as well for early plants.

Any ideas what's going on with the plant??

Thanks!

gonzo expounded:

I drive a truck. The plant rides behind the seat - it's a little too
tall to sit in the seat. I don't _think_ the plant is pinched in any
way, I'm trying to be careful about that.

You bring this plant in and out of the truck? It's cold where you
live now? Nevermind the plant isn't getting enough sun behind the
seat, the changes in temp aren't doing it any good, either. Put it in
the window at home and leave it there, although it probably won't do
well there, either.

I worked with an engineer at Stone & Webster who grew tomatoes in his
office window. It faced due south, he built a trellis for them and
tied them to it, fed them judiciously, pinched, preened, misted, etc.
and he got tomatoes all winter (they were delicious). Those plants
were meticulously cared for, however, that's the only way they'd make
it. That's the level of care you'll need to give your plant to get it
to bear fruit indoors during the winter.
--
Ann
e-mail address is not checked

In article ,
Ann wrote:

gonzo expounded:

I drive a truck. The plant rides behind the seat - it's a little too
tall to sit in the seat. I don't _think_ the plant is pinched in any
way, I'm trying to be careful about that.

You bring this plant in and out of the truck? It's cold where you
live now? Nevermind the plant isn't getting enough sun behind the
seat, the changes in temp aren't doing it any good, either. Put it in
the window at home and leave it there, although it probably won't do
well there, either.

I worked with an engineer at Stone & Webster who grew tomatoes in his
office window. It faced due south, he built a trellis for them and
tied them to it, fed them judiciously, pinched, preened, misted, etc.
and he got tomatoes all winter (they were delicious). Those plants
were meticulously cared for, however, that's the only way they'd make
it. That's the level of care you'll need to give your plant to get it
to bear fruit indoors during the winter.

Odd... I have to ask, did these tomatoes get artificial/timed lighting?
I've successfully kept tomato plants alive thru the winter in a small
greenhouse but did not get tomatoes until March.

I understand that light cycles have as much to do with fruiting as
temperature?

Please correct me if I'm mistaken. :-) I'd LOVE to have tomatoes all
winter!
--
Peace, Om

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"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Steve Rothstein

Omelet expounded:

Odd... I have to ask, did these tomatoes get artificial/timed lighting?
I've successfully kept tomato plants alive thru the winter in a small
greenhouse but did not get tomatoes until March

Nope, they didn't. They weren't prolific, but there were tomatoes. He
had to watch them like a hawk, they'd disappear as soon as they were
ripe - somehow G

I understand that light cycles have as much to do with fruiting as
temperature?

Dunno about that, all I know is he had them.

Please correct me if I'm mistaken. :-) I'd LOVE to have tomatoes all
winter!

I can't say your mistaken, perhaps it was the variety, they were
indeterminates of some type. When they got too gangly he'd start
cuttings. It was quite an operation.

Then there was the guy with the pothos that wrapped around his cube
and over the arch he put over his cube door - he had to move it twice
while I was there, they kept playing shuffle the cubes )
--
Ann
e-mail address is not checked

l get your point , but donot you think your strssing the plants ,on the track and off the track. that means the tomato donot have constant temp.