Container tomatoes in zone 3?
Question:I have two tomato plants in container in my inner-city backyard. Zone 3. Unusually high amount of rain lately. Fertilized weekly.
Plants are growing well, but they seem very leafy and there are hardly any blossoms yet.
My question is: at what point in the season should there be lots of blossoms in zone 3?
Answers:
I think you're using too much fertilizer. Weekly in a container is a bit much...The result is too much nitrogen, which encourages leafy growth at the expense of blossoms.Usually container plants need only one or two fertilizers during the growing season.I'd stop the extra nutrients and give it a bit of time.The plant should start blooming afterwards...
good luck
Plants grown in containers need frequent watering because the containers dry quickly. Watering on a daily basis is necessary to provide adequate moisture for plant growth.
Apply enough water to reach the bottom of the container and allow the excess to drain out through drainage holes. Avoid wetting the leaves when watering as this will encourage the development of foliar disease.
DO NOT ALLOW THE CONTAINERS TO DRY OUT completely between watering as this will lead to FLOWER & FRUIT DROP. Do not over water as the container will become waterlogged and the roots will lack oxygen, leading to poor growth and eventual plant death.
Container-grown plants require more frequent fertilization than field-grown plants because of the limited space within the container.
Use a balanced fertilizer. Use of a high nitrogen based fertilizer can promote leaf growth at the expense of flower & fruit production. You can make a dilute nutrient solution by dissolving soluble fertilizer such as 10-20-10, 12-24-12, or 8-16-8, in water following label directions. The nutrient solution should be applied once a day when the plants are watered. Frequency of watering may vary with vegetables, but once a day is adequate.
Leach the unused fertilizer nutrients from the potting mix once a week by applying pure tap water. It is also important to water occasionally with a nutrient solution containing micronutrients such as copper, zinc, boron, maganese, and iron. Follow label directions in order to give plants the right amounts.
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