Help with tomato fertilization schedule/calcium deficiency

Hi all, quick question if anyone can help me out. Basically I have tomato plants with calcium deficiency and would like guidance as to how much and how often to feed.

Details: two plants in each 50 gallon container, soil is a mix of compost, manure, clay, topsoil, and promix, and has about a half pound of slow release ferts with calcium and a couple cups of epsom salts added in.

Once the fruit started getting ripe they started showing deficiencies so I started feeding with a PK booster and cal-mag. I am giving them 5 mL of cal-mag once a week right now and 2.5mL of pk booster. They are getting watered three-times-a-week-ish. Should I keep feeding them this once a week, should I feed them less, or should I feed them more?

I've never grown tomatoes in containers before and I really thought what they started with should be enough to get them through the season.

PS: also could use a recommendations for a semi-determinate type of tomato that will do well indoors in the winter.

With slow release ferts ..... the release part isn't a constant even stream. It's possible that you have lock up instead of a deficiency.

It's for that reason, that MG has should a bad reputation for growing weed.

It's better to amend cheaper soil and let it cook.

Also there's a million sites with tomato info, container info. I've been reading all summer trying to help a friend with his tomatoes.

Just be careful with instant fixes because they will change stuff and then two weeks later change again.

Good luck and let us know if you figure it out and actually fix it.

Bareback said:

It's possible that you have lock up instead of a deficiency.

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Thanks, I hadn't considered that. I think rn that the slow release nutes are just running out (they are supposed to last 4 months and went out in may but I added a little more about a month ago). It is calcium deficiency for sure, I am going to just try giving cal-mag once a week and see if it gets better or worse, it it gets better I might just top-dress with more of the same.

I have thought about amendments but it seemed so much more complicated than just adding a couple of cups of something pre-formulated into a rich soil. This is my first time mixing my own soil too and it worked out well, made some mistakes and most importantly, learned. The "Recycled Organic Living Soil (ROLS) and No Till Thread" is incredible but a lot to try to digest and I don't think I'll ever even try to read all 500 pages.

edit to note that the calcium deficiency is the only deficiency they have, no other symptoms other than the characteristic brown spots.

TrippleDip said:

Thanks, I hadn't considered that. I think rn that the slow release nutes are just running out (they are supposed to last 4 months and went out in may but I added a little more about a month ago). It is calcium deficiency for sure, I am going to just try giving cal-mag once a week and see if it gets better or worse, it it gets better I might just top-dress with more of the same.

I have thought about amendments but it seemed so much more complicated than just adding a couple of cups of something pre-formulated into a rich soil. This is my first time mixing my own soil too and it worked out well, made some mistakes and most importantly, learned. The "Recycled Organic Living Soil (ROLS) and No Till Thread" is incredible but a lot to try to digest and I don't think I'll ever even try to read all 500 pages.

edit to note that the calcium deficiency is the only deficiency they have, no other symptoms other than the characteristic brown spots.

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You might try some gypsum, it takes a while to get usable but could be the long term fix IDK.

Post some pics

Bareback said:

You might try some gypsum, it takes a while to get usable but could be the long term fix IDK.

Post some pics

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You know, I was looking for gypsum but haven't found it at any of the big stores. I have to get out to an actual greenhouse sometime.. Those containers are like half of 50 gal too.

You can make water soluble calcium with eggshells and vinegar and apply it as a foliar spray.

https://growingorganic.com/diy-guide/how-to-make-water-soluble-calcium-at-home/

As for best tomato for growing indoors I would think a patio/container variety would be best as they wont grow too big. There are many available. Some are listed here.

https://www.veggiegardener.com/best-tomatoes-for-containers/

TrippleDip said:

You know, I was looking for gypsum but haven't found it at any of the big stores. I have to get out to an actual greenhouse sometime.. Those containers are like half of 50 gal too.

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That looks like a cherry variety and the plants don't look that bad. They're setting fruit. I have some with similar issues but overall the plants are doing fine and making lots of tomatoes. Larger tomatoes really suffer from calcium deficiencies and can develop blossom end rot that why I always mix some pulverised eggshells into the soil when planting tomatoes. But I have never noticed a cherry variety developing blossom end rot.

xtsho said:

I always mix some pulverised eggshells into the soil when planting tomatoes. But I have never noticed a cherry variety developing blossom end rot.

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Thanks for putting my mind at ease. Blossom end rot is exactly why I was worried about it. It's funny because when I mixed the soil I was told to mix eggshells into it but didn't. Live and Learn..

Update: The spots haven't gotten any worse in the last week. I will probably just give them a light liquid feeding once a week until the summer is over. It is probably too late to work eggshells into the top of the soil? Thanks again for your help guys.

Yeah it's too late to work eggshells into the soil. But something to think about for next year if you grow tomatoes. I save my eggshells all year long to use in the garden.