Low yields for the past two years

[Noodlesoups]

I'm in California and have always had a robust tomato, squash, and lemon cucumber harvest each spring and summer. However, the last two years have been a bit off. We usually grow a few full size tomato plants and a few cherry sized ones, one season we got a ton of full sized and few cherries, this last season we had hundreds of cherries and only 3 full sized the whole season. We are using new wine barrels to plant in, they were used to age wine, so we think they might have too much acid in them for the plants' liking. We have also had very odd weather here for the past couple of years too.

Do you think the acid is to blame, or the weather?

 

[Chuck]

I'm in California and have always had a robust tomato, squash, and lemon cucumber harvest each spring and summer. However, the last two years have been a bit off. We usually grow a few full size tomato plants and a few cherry sized ones, one season we got a ton of full sized and few cherries, this last season we had hundreds of cherries and only 3 full sized the whole season. We are using new wine barrels to plant in, they were used to age wine, so we think they might have too much acid in them for the plants' liking. We have also had very odd weather here for the past couple of years too.

Do you think the acid is to blame, or the weather?

Were they the same varieties each time. If so it is probably the weather. It probably got too hot sooner than normal. Larger sized tomatoes reliably set fruit between 68F and 74F NIGHTTIME temps. Are these big barrels? If so, how many plants are you planting in each?

 

[Noodlesoups]

Yes they were always the same variety of tomato plant. The barrels are about 2 ft or so wide with one full sized tomato planted alone and two cherry tomatoes planted together.

 

[Chuck]

Yes they were always the same variety of tomato plant. The barrels are about 2 ft or so wide with one full sized tomato planted alone and two cherry tomatoes planted together.

I think it is the weather. I just can't see a little acid leaching into the soil as having any big effect on tomatoes which are acidic themselves

 

[Noodlesoups]

I think it's the weather too, we have had un-predictable weather patterns here for the past couple of seasons. All of the tree's and rosebushes in my neighborhood are so confused every season, they don't know when to drop or flower or fruit anymore.

 

[headfullofbees]

The acid is likely to be inconsequential, a tiny amount, and if anything, a bonus.

Growing medium and feed, please?

 

[headfullofbees]

I think it's the weather too, we have had un-predictable weather patterns here for the past couple of seasons. All of the tree's and rosebushes in my neighborhood are so confused every season, they don't know when to drop or flower or fruit anymore.

That'll affect perennials, but remember, we tend to grow toms as annuals.