Tomatoes and flower beds, oh my!

[valis2]

Um. This is mostly for florence_craye and artystone, but perhaps a few of you might find these pics interesting...

Underneath the cut, pics of our front flower bed (before and after), pics of our tomato plants, pics of awesome pretty clematis, and pics of our pond!

---

Okay, so here we go. Pretties first. This is the view of our pond:

---

And two pics of clematis...so pretty!

---

Here's the left front flower bed. Silly me, I forgot to grab the camera until after we had pulled out the first shrub. But still, you get the idea. Ugh! I hated those shrubs SO much. grah. I'm so glad they're gone. We're still working on the right front flower bed...pictures later this week, hopefully.

There is one change--the irises all growing (literally) on top of each other on the left hand side have been split and redistributed through the bed.

---

And now, the great tomato problem!

The tomato plants are growing like gangbusters, they're flowering a little, but the leaves--ALL of the leaves--are curling and withering slightly at the edges. Even the new leaves. I have a feeling that the soil I planted them in contained too much fertilizer, and they're a little burned. Any opinions?

</td>

Comments

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

I would make sure you give the tomato plant a good soaking for a couple of days. It looks like it gets plenty of sun and the container has lots of drainage so you shouldn't drown it. Tomatoes are pigs for water and it should help flush the excess fertilizer.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Excellent idea! I've been watering, but I can water more, definitely. Thank you SO much!!

[little-tristan.livejournal.com]

That is such a great pond. Now all it needs is some ducks.

I showed your tomatoes to der Herr, the plant man, and he said it sure looked like fertilizer burn. Soak it down good to flush the soil and then make sure it stays wet. It's not too bad, just keep them wet and they'll be fine.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, there are ducks out there. A mama duck and a cute little arrangement of ducklings!

Thanks for the tomato advice!! I'm really glad that I haven't destroyed them utterly.

[little-tristan.livejournal.com]

Most welcome. And please post ducky photos at your earliest convenience. I've a bad case of unrequited ducky love.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I will try my best, but the little guys sure are quick paddlers!

[todayiamadaisy]

That's a lovely view!

Some tomato plants just grow deformed leaves even when the plant is healthy, so if they're still growing normal tomatoes I wouldn't worry. Other times the leaves can curl from too much water, too little water, bugs or a number of different diseases (we have one called Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl, which is possibly the least imaginative disease name ever).

[valis2.livejournal.com]

OMG, the view is absolutely incredible. I am thankful each and every day.

They haven't started growing tomatoes yet--just blossoms so far. :( I'm really hoping that they feel better.

These are heirloom tomatoes, so they might even be pickier than regular tomato plants...wah!

[cordelia_v]

Most tomato varieties need pruning. Otherwise, they get too many leaves, and some can become yellowed, too. Also, pruning helps prioritize fruit production, which is what you want. See here: http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/pruning-tomatoes.aspx

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yeah, while I was gone, I forgot to instruct Husband about the pruning, and *headdesk*. Yeah. That's why it looks out of control.

Thank you so much for the article!! That was totally helpful. :)

[marginaliana]

Oooooooooooooooh, pond!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Isn't it lovely? We even have a little rowboat we can float around in. squee!

[saruwatari.livejournal.com]

Your pond is beautiful. <3

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! It's so lovely and beautiful, and I'm so happy about our view. :)

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

Dude! The pond is awesome! You are so lucky - and your backyard must be quite large, too - another bonus. Are there fish in the pond? You could drop some feeder goldfish in there and they'll do very well.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

We have about an acre and a half, which suits us just fine. And there are already fish in the pond, glee!! Fish and GIANT bullfrogs and ducks. oh my!!

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Your pond and your flowers are beautiful!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks so much! I'm really loving this house and the yard. It's pretty amazing! Husband and I are really lucky.

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

I have no idea about the tomato-plants, but I wanted to tell you that your pond is absolutely beautiful! And you have so much space - it's awesome!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

The pond rocks so much! I love watching it.

I grew up on a lake, and it was such a pain in the butt--jetski noise, boat noise, people shouting and splashing. Sound carries over water, after all.

But this? Is wonderful! Except for the geese.

[artystone.livejournal.com]

YAY!!! I love clematis but I've never had much luck with it. Agreed with the Lots of Water advice, anything in a container needs extra water. Tomatos are also heavy feeders, it wouln't hurt to get some fertilizer for them.

[artystone.livejournal.com]

Meant to add, there are a couple of good, organic fertilizer products that don't burn--that's what you need to add once you get the salts out of the soil they're in now.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

The clematis is incredible! I can't believe how they grow, it's just amazing. They're a little out of control, actually.

I will definitely continue to water the tomatoes in excess and hope for the best. I mean, they're flowering, so they can't be that upset, I suppose...

Thanks, sweetie!

[jaelle-n-gilla.livejournal.com]

Wow! The Pond! (Capital P on purpose) You have such a huge back yard and the pond is just awesome. I'd be happy with a pond two yards across, but that one looks as if it could turn into a self-sustaining ecosystem. Looks great! Is it deep enough to swim in?

I love the tiled outside of your house. Very pretty.

I'm sure the tomatoes will be ok. Tomatoes grow in almost everything. As people suggested in warm weather give them a lot of water to flush the fertilizer out. they may still grow quite some tomatoes though.

Your place is awesome (I had to repeat that one).

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Wow! The Pond! (Capital P on purpose) You have such a huge back yard and the pond is just awesome. I'd be happy with a pond two yards across, but that one looks as if it could turn into a self-sustaining ecosystem. Looks great! Is it deep enough to swim in?

It's a big pond! It's owned between three houses--what you're seeing in the first photo is ours, and the second photo is split between the neighbors on the right and in back. (There are two houses behind the trees that aren't visible in the pics.)

It is deep enough to swim in, but you wouldn't want to, because of the fowl contamination and also the mud, mud, mud.

I'm sure the tomatoes will be ok. Tomatoes grow in almost everything. As people suggested in warm weather give them a lot of water to flush the fertilizer out. they may still grow quite some tomatoes though.

I am definitely going to keep them on a strict diet of water, water, water! hee!

Your place is awesome (I had to repeat that one).

Aw, thank you so much!! *beams*

[florence-craye.livejournal.com]

OMG POND so lovely!

And your tomatoes are impressive! I am about to prune, too. They are way out of control and I want them to put their energy into fruit, damn it! XD

I have also burnt my plants with too much fertilizer, but watering a lot will work. I think the thing is to just keep to the manufacturer's directions and not fertilize too often or too much. I should look in my Garden Problem solver tonight and see if I can find other causes for that.

My dad once said that the fish and game control office will give people free fish eggs for their ponds to get fish in them. I am not sure if that is still true, though.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

OMG POND so lovely!

hee! I love it so!!

And your tomatoes are impressive! I am about to prune, too. They are way out of control and I want them to put their energy into fruit, damn it! XD

Dude, mine are insane. I'm so mad at myself--I totally forgot to tell Husband to prune them while I was gone. He watered them faithfully, but never pruned them. grah!

I have also burnt my plants with too much fertilizer, but watering a lot will work. I think the thing is to just keep to the manufacturer's directions and not fertilize too often or too much. I should look in my Garden Problem solver tonight and see if I can find other causes for that.

Yeah, I feel really stupid because I planted them in soil that contained fertilizer--and I even thought it might be too much for them but I did it anyway! grah!

My dad once said that the fish and game control office will give people free fish eggs for their ponds to get fish in them. I am not sure if that is still true, though.

Our pond has fish in it already--often waterfowl carry the eggs on their legs! Isn't that fun?

And OMG you should see the bullfrogs. Huge! *snuggles the frogs*

[verdenia.livejournal.com]

Pond? Tis nearly a lagoon! :D
Awesome!
What a lovely view.
Animals sound neat. Yay rowboat. ;)

The house looks nice!

I hope the tomatoes are doing well now!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

The pond is pretty big! I love it so much. It's all mysterious and foggy in the morning, and there are just so many dragonflies!

The house looks even better now--the sunflowers are taller than I am, and I've planted a lot more daylilies!

The tomatoes, sad to say, have not improved. :(

[verdenia.livejournal.com]

Ooh, dragonflies! What colors? I've only seen a few in person, heh. :P

[Not hot enough most of the places I've been, I guess!]

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Lots and lots of red ones! I have never seen so many red dragonflies before--I've seen plenty of green and black and sometimes blue--but wow, the red ones are abundant here. I've been thinking about trying to get a picture of one.