Do you wish for sweeter tomatoes?

[Dirtmechanic]

I believe that it is @Dirtmechanic ,

who makes use of molasses in garden soil on a regular basis.

He likely has an idea re sweetness of fruit.

Steve

That's more about soil and minerals. I know sulphur impacts the flavor in a huge way. Epsom salts I mean, magnesium sulphate. I had to abandon tomatoes because of pyros in the black kow one year and actually tested no fertilizer on the abandoned group vs my bad habits on celebrities. Big difference. It was a lark because I did not think the stunted group would even make fruit. It is very likely that it is something else besides actual sugar that makes sugar inside the fruit. Try humic acid as the plants use carbon, and C,O,H are the components of sugar as well as the major nutrients.

edit: okokok. potassium sulphate. Or work toward making them less acid so the sweet show up more but that's not me, I hit them with salt and mayo.

 

[flowerbug]

humic acid is an incredibly complex molecule... "Humic acid has the average chemical formula C187H186O89N9S1 and is insoluble in strong acid (pH = 1)." i.e. it is not very likely to have a major direct impact upon sweetness other than encouraging other organisms in the soil community in very complex ways.

the major source of sweetness in tomatoes is going to be sunlight on the leaves in combination with the genetics of the variety of tomato. if you want flavor i would check out different varieties of heirloom tomatoes which have been noted for their flavor and then make sure to give them plenty of sunlight and just enough water.

as someone else noted the amount of water the plants are given is going to dillute or enhance the sweetness to some degree but if you do not give them enough moisture when needed you are going to be risking Blossom End Rot in the fruits.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

humic acid is an incredibly complex molecule... "Humic acid has the average chemical formula C187H186O89N9S1 and is insoluble in strong acid (pH = 1)." i.e. it is not very likely to have a major direct impact upon sweetness other than encouraging other organisms in the soil community in very complex ways.

the major source of sweetness in tomatoes is going to be sunlight on the leaves in combination with the genetics of the variety of tomato. if you want flavor i would check out different varieties of heirloom tomatoes which have been noted for their flavor and then make sure to give them plenty of sunlight and just enough water.

as someone else noted the amount of water the plants are given is going to dillute or enhance the sweetness to some degree but if you do not give them enough moisture when needed you are going to be risking Blossom End Rot in the fruits.

Yeah I felt bad about that suggestion of humic. I got guilted about it but I am a soil soul to a large degree. It was an interest in soil that pushed me along when I started taking care of my wife's garden while she was laid up. Rule one is watch out for Internet advice! Especially from me. Humic acid doesn’t march into the fruit carrying sugar like a tiny mule. What it does is influence the soil ecosystem, which then affects how well the plant can build sugars. But it won't hurt anything usually, unless your dog gets in it and tracks it through the house.

 

[flowerbug]

@Dirtmechanic it's definitely a bonus for a garden if your soil is poor, but it also is very hard to build up in a garden if you don't keep your organic materials in the garden.

when i look around here, this is all fairly flat, it used to be swampy, built up some great amount of actual topsoil and some nice dark humus. some fields around us even still look to be in pretty good condition, but others have been literally mined out of all of their humus and any other organic materials. the farmers are pretty much now getting by on what looks like subsoil with whatever little they can add back in (some lime for some areas). you don't see many of them growing cover crops or spreading manure any more or even fallowing and growing cover crops like alfalfa for a few seasons to help improve their drainage.