QuestionI have two flats of beefsteak tomatoes that got "shocked" out in my
greenhouse in the late April snow. Anyway, while the other tomatoes are
doing fine, these are purple on the undersides of the leaves, are "reaching
upward" and appear to be slower growing. I have been using fish emulsion
(with sea kelp?), but it doesn't seem to be improving much. Is this a
phosporous deficiency? What can I do to correct the problem? Will they
recover by themselves? I'm freaking out a bit, since I grew these for clients
who pre-ordered them and I don't think they'll be pleased with how they look
currently. Please help. Thanks.
AnswerDear Wendy,
I think, even though then are not growing as quickly as you'd like, if they are still growing, they will probably come out of this shock phase. It usually takes a plant a few weeks to overcome a major setback, and this April freeze was a major setback for many plants. I'm sure your clients are aware of the unusual weather and simply offer them a discount or whatever you can do to please the clients. Weather is out of your control, but it does sound like the plants are still alive, just set back. I would just treat them regularly from here on out, maybe an extra feeding of fish emulsion, but not excessive.
Kind Regards,
Kindred
www.eingedi.us