Potting Medium Makes All The Difference

As I noted earlier in my blog, I'd started a Black Krim plant from a rooted sucker, but this time applied some of the things I'd learned in the course of growing the parent plant.  The difference is rather amazing.  Here are some of the things I've noticed:

• The plant has grown faster, and I think only part of this was due to the warmer weather conditions of mid summer.
• The leaves are larger and only the bottom most branches have shown curling, whereas on the parent plant a majority of the leaves have curled. Side by side, it's clear that the second plant looks healthier.
• Fruit production not only happened earlier but at a faster pace.
• BER struck the parent plant (I've lost 8 tomatoes to it), but not the transplant.

Black Krim Parent 6' Tall -- curled leaves galore

Black Krim Parent -- common leaf detail

Given the state of the plant... and the continuing appearance of BER, I'm a week or so away from aborting it altogether because of this:

Black Krim Transplant -- large and lush healthy leaves

Clearly there's a huge difference between the plants. The potting mix makes for a much healthier environment than the fertilized top soil.  In retrospect, I saved about $8 by going with the top soil, which was a savings that can't even begin to match the effort spent in dealing with plant issues and an anemic production for most of the early season.

By the way, I started a little experiment...

After I successfully rooting the sucker (mentioned earlier) and got it growing into a productive plant, I decided that 3 large SWC containers was enough. I wasn't going to add any more to the inventory for this growing season. However, I did have one sucker that had sort of half-rooted and I figured I'd see how long I could delay its growth in a traditional small pot. I wasn't watering it diligently, but it kept on growing at a snail's pace. It was starting to outgrow the container, but I kept it in the pot to see if growth would be noticeably stunted. Water uptake was increasing and the plant started to flower. But I never expected any of of the flowers to pollinate. I didn't help it along in any way.

Well, I suddenly spotted a swelling on one flower and couldn't believe it--a tomato was growing. Not only that, but another two smaller ones were starting as well on the same truss. There's no way this plant would be able to grow any decent tomatoes being kept in that cramped pot. I had a decision to make. Either I abort the plant or I let it grow. I chose the latter. I got out another standard plastic pot about double the size, filled it with potting mix and fertilizer, then transplanted it. It reacted well and sprouted a sucker, that I had to pluck. I don't want this plant to have more than one production stem. It's going to be an experiment, where I'll be bringing it indoors as the fruit it is bearing nears the ripening stage. I honestly don't expect to get more than 5 or fewer tomatoes from it. But it'll be interesting to see how long I can grow it after the season finishes out. Once one of the other plants dies off, I might transplant this one into the larger container if it is demonstrating to be an able producer (of course I'd have to hand pollinate all of the flowers). I'm quite tempted to abort the parent plant and give it a shot in a much bigger pot (no rhyme intended--wink).

EDIT: [Unfortunately, those promising tomatoes shown above ended up contracting BER. I'm guessing that the suppressed conditions I'd put the plant under having kept it in such a small container left it ill prepared to bearing fruit. I'd watered it sufficiently and fertilized as well, but this did nothing to stave off the affliction.]

As it stands right now, I've been actively pruning my other plants. Aside from sucker plucking, I'm also nipping off the tops and trimming flowers, as there simply isn't enough time to start new tomato growth that will mature enough by the end of autumn. Plus, I don't want to be struggling with the plants as late October/early November rolls around, assuming they don't start dying off.