Why are my tomato plants so short?

They are social distancing.

@chyna – Vertical social distancing? Lol! Maybe so.

Amount of light and soil conditions including temperature of dirt.

Have you had enough warmth in your area?

Do you know if they are determinate or indeterminate? One grows short and bushy, the other grows tall like a vine. One grows tomatoes all season and the other only once per bloom. I don’t grow tomatoes, so I don’t know which is which but I’ve heard a lot of people talking about it. You might want to do a little research to see what you have before writing them off

the plants reflect the depression pervading the nation. Who would choose to “grow up” in prevailing conditions?

@Tropical_Willie -I planted then in a glassed in room that gets a lot of light and while not heated, is definitely warmer than the outside temp.

@zenvelo -This is what I have been wondering about. Last week we had two days where it snowed..in May. lol
It did not stay as the ground is too warm right now,
Not warm enough to help germination though which is why I start them inside.
I have also started about 70 dahlias, which are doing fine. They are a warm weather plant so I don’t know what’s going on.

@SEKA -I’m still going to keep at it with them but will buy bigger plants if they don’t ste to it soon.
I have grown both determinate and indeterminate strains and it doesn’t really make a difference when they first starting off.

@stanleybmanly They do look sad. XD

Tomatoes like the temperature above 50* F but below 95* F. If the temp dropped below 45* F that can slow them. Sounds like the area is unheated . . . . . . . So !^^^^

@Tropical_Willie – Aside from a weird snow we’ve had, the temperatures have been pretty normal.Could two days really slow them that much?
This hasn’t affected the dahlias at all and they’re native to Mexico.
You’re making me look for the little heater :)

I think Dahlias can go a little cooler, are they all sitting on a concrete floor?

@Tropical_Willie – They do last until November’s first frost around here, then get dug up and stored. I have also had indeterminate tomatoes last as long.
They are on a wire rack above the floor (wood).
What do you think about putting a little fertilizer in the cups?

I wouldn’t fertilize them until they’re in the ground for a couple days. Once they bloom in ground mix up Epsom Salts; 1 tablespoon for a quart of water and spray all the leaves.

@Tropical_Willie Thanks for that! I will definitely do that.
Now I need to find my Jerry Baker books. Remember that guy?

Maybe they will ketch up lol

@ucme They can’t cut the mustard.

Its not the size that is important but the taste. Unless you are in a competition. Farmers plump veggies with lots of water to make a bigger weight for sale. It doesn’t improve on the nutrition of your tomatoes.
I don’t know how they do it, but a quick search would be fruitful.

Also my guess is that they are genetically predisposed to shortness as a trait.
You could save the seeds from tomatoes that meet your requirements for height, and artificially grow, and select the ones that you want.

@RedDeerGuy1 that idea of saving seeds to use next year works best with heirloom tomatoes. If you buy from Burpee or whatever, they don’t recommend you save the seeds for the next year.

@RedDeerGuy1 -When I say short, I mean a plant that is under 2” tall. lol At this time of year, they should be around 12” tall based on the way I’ve done this in years past.
@snowberry is right about the seeds. With heirlooms, you can expect to get the same plant. With hybrids, it’s a wild card.

How are they doing, now, @lucillelucillelucille? Mine are where they should have been a month ago, I’ll be harvesting in October at this rate.

They’re about 2’ now with some flowers
I had given some of the same seedlings to a friend who reported that they are huge.
They’re San Marzanos and some Beefsteak.

I gave the ones I sprouted and didn’t use to my friend’s mom, I ‘ll have to ask her how they’re doing! Good idea,thanks!

Maybe it’s just us???

Yours are behind too?
My zucchini is not so good either but that I can get by the boat load from my neighbor.

Mine are still waaay behind. My basil is short, my beans are small, and I will probably get a total of six peas. My peppers are barely even trying. :-(

My basil is doing well as is the oregano.They are grown in an enclosed porch.
I have a bay plant that is doing great. I thought it was going to die as it looked like the Charlie Brown Xmas tree.
What do you think the problem is with your plants?

I’ve talked to a lot of people around her, we figure everything got a late start. It was a chilly spring here, and things not started in greenhouses haven’t caught up. I think that simply starting in-house wasn’t enough. I’m already planning more aggressive starting measures for next year. (Mostly because that’s half the fun, planning grand Rube Goldberg ways to fix stuff)

I will be starting mine earlier for sure.
It probably wouldn’t hurt to do a soil test as well.

Well, I think a soil test would be a bit redundant at this point, as I have a container garden, and all the factors are pretty much the same as every year in my pots. There were only two real variables, the fact that I started all my seeds this year, and the lower temperatures in late spring.
Now that it’s really hitting up, things are doing OK, better late than never!

Mine are both in pots and in the ground and I am guessing that I’ll have to add amendments at some point.
Both my brother and sister’s gardens are doing great. They put theirs in about a week earlier than I did.

Next year I plan to attempt potatoes! Had some plans this year, but the pandemic intervened. Ugh. Still intervening, in fact.

I haven’t tried that yet but it sounds good.
I once tried to grow artichokes but I killed them I cared too much XD

Awww, I have over-loved my little planties sometimes, then I grieve when they don’t thrive. Or die and stuff. :-(

@canidmajor My friend calls that “Begonia-ing”. She can’t get them to grow. XD