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What's wrong with my Mortgage Lifter?

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2023 12:03 pm
by Plantaholic12
Open season on me, go ahead...be brutal.

I don't prune suckers. I am a let the plant be itself gardener.

But the Meter Stick ( not a Yard Stick ) tells me that this plant should have more fruit.

Why so large ( too much nitrogen? )?
DSCF1905.JPG
Thanks for any help,

Tom

Re: What's wrong with my Mortgage Lifter?

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2023 12:20 pm
by Sue_CT
I see 6 tomatoes on this side of the plant, but there could be more hidden in the foliage, and obviously I can't tell how many more there are on the other sides. If it is the same and there are say a dozen tomatoes, I think that isn't bad. This year everyone around here seems to be getting low production of everything, not just tomatoes. Many are blaming smoke from Canadian wildfires blocking the sun, and the lack of sunny days. I don't know why, I don't thing the smoke was around here long enogh to make a difference. I don't know what your weather has been like but pollination decreases a lot for most varieties when temps are over 90. Too much nitrogen could also be a problem, but I don't know what your soil is like or what if anything you using for fertilizer, or how much or how often you apply it.

Re: What's wrong with my Mortgage Lifter?

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2023 1:34 pm
by Mark_Thompson
Damn Tom, what I wouldn’t give to have a plant hit 2 meters plus with no yellow or brown leaves! How many fruits are hiding inside that foliage?

Re: What's wrong with my Mortgage Lifter?

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2023 4:45 pm
by Gardadore
Ditto what @Mark_Thompson wrote since most of my tomatoes are either dead skeletons with tomatoes hanging on them, or losing brown leaves. My Estler’s Mortgage Lifter has tomatoes but none ripe yet and leaves going fast. If nitrogen is the culprit then feed with a high middle number fertilizer. I am using Neptune’s Harvest Rose and Flowering 2-6-4. Seems to have helped set tomatoes but I will have to figure out the disease part for next year! Good luck! Maybe we can trade some tomatoes for more green leaves! Can’t win, can we! 🙂

Re: What's wrong with my Mortgage Lifter?

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2023 7:43 pm
by JRinPA
You too with the late EMLs, huh @Gardadore ?


@Plantaholic12, is that a specific variety of Mortgage Lifter?

Re: What's wrong with my Mortgage Lifter?

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2023 11:44 pm
by MissTee

Re: What's wrong with my Mortgage Lifter?

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2023 8:19 am
by Plantaholic12
Fertilizer is the Steve Solomon Complete Organic Fertilizer: Cottonseed Meal /lime/bone meal/ kelp meal.

My seed starting for 2023 was a disaster as I'm changing to LED lights and the tomatos all turned white and struggled.
The one that got planted is a Halladays, I believe.
My Harvester ( long story )says we've gotten three tomatos from that plant.
The other tomatos were bought at garden centers and department stores. All but one were heirloom, times have sure changed!

Re: What's wrong with my Mortgage Lifter?

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2023 8:47 am
by MissS
Tomatoes don't need much nitrogen. If they get too much all you will get is nice green growth. Next time I would up the phosphorus which promotes blossoms and potassium and back off on the nitrogen.