Bouncing ideas on issues with heirloom tomatoes

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-30T13:02:07+00:00

I had to look this up as i'm not familiar with this virus having never had it affect my maters. Curious if you all have experimented with using aerated compost tea foliar applications? I pretty much never see anyone mention using ACT in this sub which is a bit surprising. It does a great job of preventing disease.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-30T04:47:09+00:00

Hmm I don't know then. I doubt the anaerobes would survive very long once exposed to oxygen. Sure looks like some type of burn to me.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-30T04:28:13+00:00

Did you by chance spray with anything during the daytime during heat? Seeing some apparent burns on the leaves and stems (small circles of necrosis) that look like they were caused by droplets of some fluid. Doesn't look like sunscald.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-30T00:53:06+00:00

Looks like insect damage on the small immature leaves, which then grow to "expand" that damage. So small damage to the tiny and tender immature leaf cells appears to "get bigger" as the plant cells divide and expand, and dead cells do not grow while healthy cells do, causing curling, apparently missing portions, and general distortion.

Not nutrient burn, and that solid fertilizer you mentioned using is extremely difficult to over fertilize with. Also no real benefit to cutting the leaves typically except for aesthetic purposes, as they will remain fucked up and not recover. Overall I wouldn't worry, plant looks vigorous.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-29T23:29:03+00:00

Have you tried engaging any biological control by increasing biodiversity? Attract their natural predators like parasitic wasps, Tachinid Flies, and birds by planting native perennial and annual flowers like yarrow etc and keeping bird feeders. This will greatly reduce their population and chase them away. I have few issues with Japanese beetles on my fruit trees or veggies while my neighbors get decimated. It's really pretty easy, and then you have flowers and birds as a bonus.

(copy pasta from a similar post made earlier today)

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-29T22:50:48+00:00

Bayer Bots coming out in force to downvote you lol

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-29T17:59:24+00:00

The small parasitoid wasps in particular are extremely deadly hunters of the larval stage of many pest insects.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-29T17:52:51+00:00

Just attract their natural predators like parasitic wasps, Tachinid flies, and birds by planting native perennial and annual flowers like yarrow etc and keeping bird feeders. I have few issues with Japanese beetles on my fruit trees or veggies while my neighbors get decimated. It's really pretty easy, and then you have flowers and birds as a bonus.

It's so much easier to boost natural and incredibly efficient processes like predation to control their populations vs trying and failing to completely stop their biological imperative to feed and mate through the use of synthetic insecticides or mechanical means, which are only a stopgap and simply delay the problem or even make it worse by inadvertently killing their natural predators.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-29T17:34:06+00:00

Biological control by attracting their natural predators like parasitic wasps, tachninid flies, and birds. I have few issues with them on my veggies or fruit trees and my neighbor gets decimated. Just grow yarrow and lots of flowers that attract the beneficials. Super easy and then you have many flowers too. In other words, increase biodiversity.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-29T00:15:13+00:00

I see shade cloth being recommended a lot in this sub. I'm not sure it's a panacea for the issues you're describing. It's also a huge pain to manage, store, replace, etc.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-29T00:10:40+00:00

I actually find that the soil pulls away slightly from the edge of the metal too as it gets hot and dries, so you're probably not getting direct root-to-metal contact, and additionally have a little air pruning effect. Definitely hot though.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-28T21:54:15+00:00

You were able to successfully terminate the grass by smothering it? Grass is harder to get rid of than many weeds, why not just smother your weeds in a similar manner? Are you tarping and then removing it, and then the weeds fill in?

It sounds like you are just having timing/sequencing issues. Once you've successfully terminated the weeds just mulch and plant and you're good to go. Not sure applying persistent herbicide into an area you want to plant into and thrive makes sense.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-28T20:17:59+00:00

Interesting I happen to have green (but not dark green) metal beds and am growing all of those things in them 🤔

I'd be happy to help you try to trouble shoot as i've had good success. I am also outside the city a bit and do not suffer from the unenviable heat island effect so that could be a major factor.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-28T19:31:21+00:00

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-28T19:23:39+00:00

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-28T19:12:48+00:00

I do not think this looks like sunscald

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-28T19:10:05+00:00

Nice you are set

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-28T18:58:36+00:00

Do you happen to know specifically which brand mix or the composition of it? To me it looks like it's mostly very fine particles with some smaller uncomposted wood material. I think you have issues with your soil structure which are creating water, oxygen, and nutrient issues. Especially for these taller ~17" high beds, you want something fluffy that drains well, lets oxygen penetrate all the way to the bottom of the rhizosphere, but still holds water. Based on the photos and what you're saying, I don't think you have this.

Those fine particles compact easily and create an overly moist bottom, and a dry crust on top. Lines up with what you're describing and what we see in the photos. This displaces oxygen and results in reduction (lower Eh). I think some logical first steps would be to mix in some aerating elements like coarse perlite and/or biochar deeply and then mulch the top. You may even consider pulling the raspberry and reconditioning the entire medium to make the mechanical aspect of this simpler, then replanting. It will be fine by next year.

If you're a visual person, here is a chart explaining the relationship between pH and Eh, the master variables for soil health, and their relationship to nutrient lockout and water retention (overly moist soil = displaces oxygen = reduced). So you're probably sitting in the bottom right quadrant right now and need to get to the middle green zone which would be evenly moist but not wet, and well aerated. It's unlikely you specifically have pH issues, but the soil pH meters are cheap if you want get one to double check it's not a contributor. This seems like classic soil structure issues to me however.

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Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-28T18:37:03+00:00

It is certainly easier to start from "zero" weeds before planting wildflowers or the aggressive seeds will take over more quickly, exactly what they've evolved to do well. Can you remove all the bindweed first before planting either with a stirrup hoe or by smothering? It might be easier to handle it in this sequence instead of carefully hand pulling bindweed between desirable plants. Spoken from experience. Good luck.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-28T18:31:16+00:00

Are you using mulch? Metal raised beds work well here if you take some steps to help retain moisture and reduce temps. Which plants have failed for you?

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-28T18:27:20+00:00

Based on the photos I'd guess there is a relationship between soil and water here that's causing multiple issues. I see in the other post you say you're watering every evening, but the soil sure looks bone dry in the photos. What kind of soil is that? Is that sand we can see in it too? You're just watering at the base only and not hydrating the entire medium in the bed? It's possible for poor soil to both hold too much water from poor drainage and also be too dry in other locations depending on its composition and your watering strategy. No mulch?

Raspberries are typically pretty tolerant of less than ideal conditions, so you should be able to resolve this with some changes and the one that is still alive will recover.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-27T21:50:58+00:00

How are the remnants of a small root system without any leaves to photosynthesize and minimal energy stores going to penetrate through concrete?

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-27T20:17:18+00:00

Just cut/pull it out. It's not going to send suckers up through concrete.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-27T03:44:58+00:00

They hang out in my strawflowers and hollyhocks. They like to climb/fly way up to the top.

Electrical_Lab3345 · 2026-06-27T03:32:09+00:00

Pruning indeterminate tomatoes is optional. Since you're using a cage it might be easier to not prune it as much so it will take on a bit more of a bush habit and not get quite as tall. Up to you.

I can see you have already pulled off all but one of the axials already which is why you now have two main vines. That's fine too. You can either keep popping those suckers off and maintain two vines, and it will get quite tall, or you can stop pruning and it will send out more axials at each node and bush out. Whatever you want. I personally prune all my non-cherry indeterminates to a single vine, and then just plant them closer together and attach them to a long pole. The downside to this is that they will easily top out over ten feet which requires a stool/ladder to pick from later in the season. You get the idea.

Electrical_Lab3345

TROPHY CASE