How to brace - stakes or cages or strings? Have used cages but thought about running 2X3's over plants and using twine to help hold up when the fruit comes.
Any method - stakes, cages or strings - would work just fine. Here is an article that discusses each method and weighs the advantages of each:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/best-way-stake-tomatoes.htm
The outer edges of my tomato plant leaves are turning brown. What could be the cause and how do I fix it? The tomato plant at first was a potted plant that I recently replanted into the soil and tied it to the stake. Ever since the replanting, the leaves have began to turn brown around the edges. The stock even has some brown areas. The plant is producing fruiting flowers and even has 6 baby green tomatoes. This is my first experience with a garden; please help!
I would inspect your tomatoes for early blight, which affects the leaves, stem and fruit. Here are links to aid you in your identification:
Early blight leaf examples:
http://blog.tcgardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Tomato-Early-Blight-Leaf-Examples-Cornell-University.jpg
Early blight stem examples:
http://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/diseases/images/early-blight-stem-big.jpg
Article on early blight:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/early-blight-alternaria-tomato-leaf-spots-yellow-leaves.htm
Why are our homegrown tomato plants' leaves turning yellow while we are hardening them off? We've been putting them outside in the sun for a few days. But the leaves seem to be yellowing.
When hardening off seedlings you gradually introduce them to the sun. You start off by placing them in a sheltered, shaded area and then little by little expose them to the sun.
For more information on how to harden off your seedlings, please visit the following link:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/seeds/how-to-harden-off-your-seedlings.htm
This tomato plant just started yellowing from the inside of the main stem outward. I suspect a mineral deficiency, but have been feeding it weekly using Miracle Grow since planting it (grown from seed started in our basement in February). It is planted in an area of our garden that has a lot of peat moss, and very little soil mixed in. Could you advise how best to treat this issue?
How is your watering scheduled?
Make sure your giving a deep root water, as shallow watering can leave the growing root system thirsty.
Inspect your plants carefully, look for signs of insects or damage.
I personally would cut back on the fertilizer. Once a week should be sufficient. You don't want to grow a plant, you want tomatoes!
I love to use Epsom Salt on my tomato plants. You can mix in water or when I'm busy I just sprinkle about an 1/8 cup around the base of each plant.
Here are a couple of links I recommend reading.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/epsom-salt-gardening.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/yellow-tomato-leaves.htm
We have a new 2'x4' ELEVATED red cedar garden box and a couple of tomato boxes. We purchased some organic vegetables at a nearby farm and would like to plant them in a couple of days. We bought one bag of organic compost and one bag of organic potting soil. So much info online re: raised beds, but not elevated. We have no "topsoil" that would be organic from our yard. The question is: What else do we need to purchase for soil in order to fill the garden enough and keep it organic? Also, what type of stakes or cages do we buy if we want the tomatoes to truly be organic? And should we try to use some sort of organic mulch in the garden?
Compost is a great way to produce organic soil for the garden. Also, mulch, such as straw, is good for applying to vegetable gardens and will eventually break down into the soil, further aiding its enrichment. For more information on this and cages, the following articles will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/basics/composting-basics.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/whats-the-best-mulch-for-my-garden.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/best-way-stake-tomatoes.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/making-tomato-cages.htm
Peppers can be staked or put in cages the same as tomatoes. Also, for other veggies, you could try these: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/beans/pole-bean-supports.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/cucumber/planting-cucumber-fence.htm
I have tomato and potato leaves curling as a fern would. This happened while under the grow light in early development. The tap roots of the potatoes are also curled back to the top. I have not used any fertilizer on these plants.
It is very possible that the weather is the cause of this, but it is also possible that it is tomato leaf curl (which can affect other nightshade members as well, like potatoes). If it is the weather, it will clear up but if it is tomato leaf curl, there may not be much you can do. This article has more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/tomato-leaves-curling.htm
Several of my tomato plants seem to be dying. There are tomatoes on some but leaves are turning brown and the stalk also seems to be weakening. How can I remedy this and continue to get tomatoes from these vines?
As long as the overall plants look ok and appear healthy, I would not worry too much about the browning leaves. It may just be in need of some additional watering. Tomatoes require lots of water. This article will help with that: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/watering-tomato-plants.htm
If you are seeing wilt and generly poor health, it may have wilt. Here is more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/wilting-tomato-plants.htm