MM and Tomatoes

Hi Folks,

I use MM. My tomatoes are languishing. They grow long and spindly and the flowers dry up and fall off. Help? Too much Nitrogen? What? My peppers are also not growing. 3.5 months and they are only six inches high. What am I doing wrong?

Frustrated Gardener.
Bart

We need a little more information to help you. 
Did you make your own compost or did you purchase bagged compost. 
What ingredients or types of compost did you use in making the compost portion of the MM. 
Are you growing in raised beds or containers. 
Is this the first year you have been using these beds or have they been used in past years.

1. Bought 5 different types of compost. Cow, chicken, mushroom and two other types that now allude me. I almost forget, I added some of my own compost. Mostly kitchen scraps.
2. Raised beds 4x4'
3. Second year. And as suggested I added more compost to MM this year to compensate for last years planting.

Long and spindly could be too much nitrogen. You're on your second year now, so your compost mix should have matured; otherwise I would wonder if you had perhaps used poorly composted manure when starting out or as part of your yearly compost refresher.

Alternatively, it could be from lack of sun. How many hours of sun per day do your tomatoes get?

Further, staked plants are not under as much pressure to develop thick support stems or trunks. Were your plants staked from early on?

Did you grow from seed yourself, or transplant? If transplanted, how were the root balls? Were they circling or did they take up too much of their container? Did you rough up the roots a little before transplanting, if they had been cramped or circling. A super-tight root ball can severely inhibit plant growth.

As to flowers falling off, that can be simply from the temperature -- too warm or too cold and fruits will not set. It can also be from pH. A little lime can set that straight quickly, if that's the problem.

Bart, Hang in there.

I know this post is old but I have a question.
The bags I use are approximately 5 - 7 gals, however there are a taller style versus a wider style. 
My concern is if the sides are tall (approx 10 - 12 in) and the MM is only needs to be 6"....do I use a filler to raise the bottom of MM or will the 'matoes do fine with the high sides?
I stake all my 'matoes.

If you give them a bit more depth than 6", and plant deep, they will grow a larger root mass. A couple inches or so of extra wall shouldn't bother anything, that can make a protected area while they are small.

Turan wrote:If you give them a bit more depth than 6", and plant deep, they will grow a larger root mass.  A couple inches or so of extra wall shouldn't bother anything, that can make a protected area while they are small.

Agree.  You need much deeper than the 6" because the width is not there.  Therefore, you need the depth.  The 6 inch depth will work if there is plenty of lateral room for the roots to spread out.

Thanks for your suggestions....I wanted to use more depth but wanted some buy-in that it was the best use of the MM. Looking forward to using the MM this year.

I fill 5-gallon buckets up to the first ring, about 4 gallons. That equals 0.53 cu. ft. which is one square.