A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum The Tomato Forum Dying

My tomatoes were fine, but now their leaves are turning slightly yellow, and on one of the plants, the leaves are starting to fall off. The stem is still strong and sturdy. I have kept them watered-have I watered too much? I transplanted them from six-packs to plastic cups. I have them under lights-the lights are not touching. Thanks for your help!

Did you punch drainage holes in the cups?

Tomato seedlings look wilted for a short time after transplanting.

The first set of leaves - seed leaves - will drop off. Are you losing true leaves?

Ciao all-

Sounds like too much water to me. Tomatoes like to dry out somewhat in between waterings. How long ago did you transplant? At transplant time, you want to soak them thoroughly from the bottom until you see the soil colour change, indicating saturation has happened, but after that you want to wait until the top of the soil looks dried out before you water again.

Cheers,
Julianna

:/

Check under the leaves and see if yo have white fly? Eggs or flys.

I transplanted them awhile ago-yes I have holes punched in the bottom. They are looseing true leaves. I think I might have watered them too much-I didn't see anything white on the leaves. Thanks

Oh, I forgot-will they recover from too much water, and how fast. Thanks!

Tomatoes are pretty hardy so you should see recovery once the water is gone.

Yes, tomatoes are pretty hardy souls....

Another question for you, is the soil staying moist
or are the holes so big, the water runs right thru??

Sometimes when water is drained right thru,
it leaches out some of the nutrients in the soil,
cause it passes thru so fast, they go right with the water..

But yes, let them dry out a bit,
add some Epsom Salts *you can find in any store,
or even a Wally~World* you can sprinkle some on the soil,
or even do a foliar feed with it, helps w/magnesium and calcium uptake...

Whn my get waterlogged......i punch holes in the container and let it drain........
Don't over do the epson salt...

You can do too much to them..

thats crazy, a FEW of mine are doing the same thing. I"m not overwatering, giving them a good soaking every 3 days, right now got them in 6" cups. The leaves arent yellowing, but rather turning crinkly, black/smokey in color on the tips of the leaves & looking overall dead. Though the whole plant is looking fine, just a few spot leaves here & there.

NOTE: My plants are quite leggy, i beleive i gave them too much light during the day. (usually around 16 hours of light).

What are you watering them with?
Straight from the tap, *like with cholrine in it*


And if they are leggy, go ahead and transplant them
right up to about an inch of the leaves...
cover that whole stem up, it'll root up good for you...

To much light does not cause leggy plants. Having a light source to far away from a seedling causes it to "reach" toward that source - result - legginess. The light source should constantly be just several inches above seedlings. If the seed didn't have a virus and the plant remains healthy, legginess won't matter. Tomatoes can be planted up to their first set of leaves or they can be trench planted. Harden off plants before they are planted out.

Cut off black leaf tips-they won't recover. If its only a few leaves I would gently remove them. You don't want any of the plants energy wasted on a dying leaf.

Lack of light is what causes the leggy tomatoes.. They are reaching for the light.

I don't know. I sprinkeled a little epsom salts into the tomatoes. I have a picture of a very mild case, but can't figure out how to attach it. I have lights on them all the time-maybe this is the problem? I am letting them dry out. The poor things just look so pitifyl that I want to water them. I'll have to resist though.

Hannah, do you have a Photobucket account you
can load your pictures on to??

You then have to come back here and go to the
REPLY or QUOTE page, and find the "world"
paste your URL from the picture here...

Need more help, don't hesitate to ask or holler
for HELP!!

I don't think salt is good for the plants in won't evaporate out of the soil.And salt in the earth is murder to the plants. Thats why I can't plant anything next to my drive way all the ice melt (salt)I use in the winter kills everything.

That salt is regular ole SALT...
*that you're talkin' about...*
Click here for Epsom Salts in the Garden...

Epsoms' has magnesium and sulfur in it, and that helps the
plant with chlorophyll production and helps with Calcium
intake from the soil too..

It's gooooooooood stuff..

No I don't have a photo bucket account-how do you get one? Do you have to pay? Thanks

No pay for just a basic one..
*Up to maybe like 250 pictures are put
on for free, or something like that..
*Gosh, I have hundreds' and they haven't charged me.*
~~~>check out mine, just below my sig/name on bottom
of every post I have..

Here's a direct link to it..
Click here to log on to Photobucket (click on the big red rectangle that says, JOIN NOW.)

Keep me posted on how you're coming along...

I second the motion.

b

Does this look too blurry? On the tomato leaves with the popsicle stick labeled H, you can kind of see the yellowing. This is how all of them started, and have gotten worse. I need to get a digital so I can update it. Got to go-will mess with it later

One more thing quick- how long should I wait until I water the tomatoes again?

So thats why people take baths in epsom salt.A big duh.. for me.

Hannah, they don't look too bad to me
with that *little* picture.
but not 100%...
Sometimes letting they dry out doesn't hurt
them, actually makes them get busy doing what
they are supposed to do..

But a good rule of thumb in a pot/container
for re~watering is check with your finger,
and if the top inch of so is dry, then water..
*and don't let them sit in any water..
Maybe give them a good watering/soaking and pour
off excess water after an hour...*

Please keep us posted on how they are doing!!!!
Love to hear updates...

There's many uses' for Epsom Salts,
and a good sprinklin' around and a scratchin'
in around the base of the plant does good...

*rose's love E.S.*

Hannah, you're tomatoes look just fine. Yellowing of the bottom leaves is very common, it happens to me all the time. Don't baby your plants too much. The more you baby them, the more they're constantly going to need. Tomatoes are tough! At that young age, you shouldn't have to give them anything but water. All the nutrients they need are in the soil you've planted them in. It's not until they get more mature where they will require additional feed.
As for your lights...you're keeping them on all day? I have mine to turn on at 7am and turn off at 11pm. That's more than enough light.
Keep us updated and good luck!!!!!

Christina

:list:
I heard in baking soda too????????


Why?????????

The tomatoes i clipped the tops off are rooted in water already..

I never had to baby tomatoes..I think they like slightly cool temperatures......Like my unheated back rooms.. They get some hallway heat..
b

The only thing I've heard for Baking Soda
is used as a fungicide type for Powdery Mildew!!!
*make up a solution of like 10~1 with water*

Anyone Know????????????????

Actually, that picture is when it first started- some of the leaves have fallen off-the plants are a little bigger now then when I took the picture. I have taken pictures-but need to get them developed-haven't gotton a digital yet. I watered them a little yesterday, and it seemed to me like they perked up.

\
Tomatoes need water almost daily.. If in the sun.

Last year, I was watering my tomatoes twice a day just to keep up with the heat and super sandy soil. It was crazy. They love that water!

correct.........

But on the other hand, in flooding , they hate water..ha ha
Yes tomatoes are all water , like the cukes and need much.
We used 5 gallon buckets to water the cukes......They come quick and leave quick....
b

How often should I add more epsom salts? They are looking slightly better-I still feel sorry for the poor things. Thanks!

Tomatoes like it hot. Or at least the plum, tiny time, and roma that I've grown have liked it hot. I'm not sure about the brandywine. It was not happy in my garden. Could be heat it could be lack of enough compost in it's soil. My soil isn't that great. Although I work on it every year.

From my experience with tomatoes , for many years.
I say dont over feed them......It makes lots of leaves and no tomatoes........

Maybe I am wrong..

Tomatoes: 1 tablespoon per foot of plant height per plant; apply every two weeks.
As per the Epsom Salt Industry Council.........

Wow that is alot! Will do. I checked them again and they are starting to get the healthy green back. Praying and hoping....