This is my last year trying to grow tomatoes in Oklahoma.

[redstatebluegirl]

I give up, mine are not thriving again this year. I bought larger plants this time, tried the epson salt method and mulched them. They are not growing, they aren't exactly dying , but they are not thriving either.

Before I totally throw in the towel, any ideas??????

[kimbutgar]

1. Any fracking going on nearby?

The soil might be poisoned.

[redstatebluegirl]

20. Not that I am aware of most of it is at least 40 miles from us.

[CrispyQ]

2. 2015 was my last year.

For all the time & water I could have purchased heirloom or farmer's market tomatoes.

[redstatebluegirl]

5. I totally feel you, that is what I am going to do unless i can learn how to do this after 17 years.

[Best_man23]

3. Have you tried raised planting beds?

Instead of attempting to plant in the local soil, you may need to go with store bought garden soil augmented with composted manure or home brewed compost. Best way to do this is building a series of raised beds, then put your garden soil/manure. I do know the intense rainstorms that come to Oklahoma and other plains states in the spring are not kind to tomatoes. In Virginia we hope for moderate rains in the spring, too much rain and the tomato plants tend to not do as well.

You may want to talk to the folks at the state cooperative extension for ideas as to what works best.

http://www.oces.okstate.edu/

[redstatebluegirl]

4. I am using raised beds, it doesn't seem to matter. Everything else is growing fine.

Last year in the same bed, I got over 40 eggplants off of 2 plants.

[Warpy]

6. If you always plant them in the same spot, you might be encouraging disease

I moved everything around year to year so anything that was expecting a succulent cabbage seedling was going to be really put off by a squash plant.

The only other thing I can suggest if you want your heart broken next year is that you try growing them in bags of potting soil.

[redstatebluegirl]

7. I do rotate, a friend suggested using pots. I guess a bag of potting soil is the same thing. :-)

[Warpy]

8. The bag retains water a lot better than a porous clay pot does

so you have to water carefully. However, the soil within is sterile and the bag itself supplies the mulch.

[Bayard]

9. I can understand

What's your soil like, or are you using store-bought? We have almost straight clay here in KY, and I've had to mix literally tons of compost into it (rotted horse manure, hay, dead leaves, kitchen scraps).

We've been getting torrential rain and flooding here the past week. Wiped out half row of tomato seedlings, and lots of flower seeds I'd just planted. I've been digging trenches like crazy.

I've been reading lately that epsom salt and homemade Miracle Grow aren't that great. I'm guessing you've already tried regular fertilizer? Also, are you planting types that are supposed to do well in OK hot sun?

[redstatebluegirl]

11. Yes, I bought varieties that are for the Oklahoma hot sun.

Last year we got huge rains, I have always thought the runoff from neighbors yards with chemicals may have made a difference. I am taking my soil to the Cooperative Extension on Tuesday.

[lpbk2713]

10. I had to give it up a couple of years ago.

There's nothing in the world like home grown tomatoes. But the lady behind me decided she would feed the neighborhood squirrels morning and night. I'm sure they came from miles around. Some times I would see eight at a time. They thought they would add some variety to their diet with my tomatoes. I had been growing various varieties for about twenty years. But it was no longer worth the trouble I would have to go through to protect them.

[Runningdawg]

12. Where are you getting your seed or plants?

I have a black thumb but the plants I buy from http://tomatomansdaughter.squarespace.com/ (located outside of Tulsa) never fail me.

[redstatebluegirl]

13. I went there and those are the ones in the ground right now... :-(

[Runningdawg]

17. Well that sucks.....

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

14. What's the bee situation there?

I'm in Michigan. Couple years ago after having bounty after bounty of tomatoes garden crashed and burned. Could not understand. Then....I looked around and really started to notice things.
My new neighbor ripped out all the flowering plants in his yard. Said he was allergic to most plus just didn't have the time to care for them.

Well...my old neighbor was a prolific gardener. Pollinating flowers and herbs by the almost literal ton. The bees moved on. I didn't plant too many flowers but that year they crapped out also.

I changed gears and dedicated a larger portion of my yard to flowering herbs and butterfly flowers you know the ones they say draw butterflies to the garden.

Bingo bango that righted everything the next year.

If there are no pollinators there will be no fruit. That's nature!

[redstatebluegirl]

15. I have quite a few because of my flower garden which is right next to my raised beds.

[NRaleighLiberal]

21. tomatoes are self pollinating - bees not needed...in fact, they often lead to unwanted crosses

for seed savers!

for cukes squash, melons bees are essential. For peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, beans, etc - with perfect flowers - not necessary

[packman]

16. I figured out the cost to tomatoes grown

and I could have bought over 100 pounds of tomatoes for what those 3 or 4 homegrown ones cost me. Bugs, weather, something just did them in this year. Going to buy mine from the farmer's market up the street.

[redstatebluegirl]

18. Well today they look better, go figure. I swear this is the last year for this mess.

[NutmegYankee]

19. I'm beyond frustrated by this craptastic spring in the Northeast.

It's June and I still have to use the heat! I swear it's like I live in Seattle with the constant clouds and rain. And the tomatoes are losing leaves to disease and it's still early season.

[NRaleighLiberal]

22. What are they doing, exactly? What kinds of tomatoes

what is your sun exposure (hours of direct sun)?

[redstatebluegirl]

23. Very few tomatoes, they are small, green and then get spots on them rather than ripen.

Lots of wilted leaves on the plants. They are HUGE plants just not many blooms or fruit. It gets almost a full day of sun.

[Kaleva]

24. If the plants are huge, maybe they are spending too much on growth and not on tomato production

Are you pinching off the runners?