Bottom leaves on my tomatoe plants drooping

[Lish]

The bottom leaves on my tomato plants appear to be drooping. I have planted them in containers being there is really nowhere else to plant them. This is my first time. I live in California. It is not really hot here yet. As a matter of fact the last few days have been cloudy. I water them with the hose with a slow stream of water until water drains out the bottom of the pot. I do this every morning. I purchased the plants and planted them in my containers about 1week ago or so. I used Miracle Gro with plant food and my neighbors horse manure as compost. I mixed the two together at 2/3-1/3 ratio. Maybe a little closer to 1/2&1/2. Now I am thinking uh-oh!

[The Helpful Gardener]

Fresh manures are high in nitrogen as are chemical fertilizers. I do not use either...

Any yellowing? Spotting?

HG

[atascosa_tx]

Sounds like maybe over watering...containers can dry out quicker than in ground plants, but to me seems like over watering.
How big are the containers? How old are the seedlings?

[oldschoolvdub]

I would say overwatering also. I found that here in Cali, If we water everyday, it's almost detrimental to the plants. They seem to produce less and get a little droopy.

[The Helpful Gardener]

I whack lower leaves once the plants get larger; I don't allow leaves until they are a foot off the soil (helps prevent splash up diseases like early blight; make sure you have a two foot plant before you go all the way, but losing some lower leaves is okay as they get shaded out anyway).

HG

[tomatodude]

That's good advice Scott...most of those lower leaves really serve no purpose anyhow on a larger plant. Those are the first to succumb to diseases from soil being splashed up on them.
I usually take all of them off 8 inches up from the ground....makes for a happier plant too..doesn't have to spend any more of it's energy supporting them.
It's important to remind some people not to remove too many branches around the blooming clusters as it would lead to sun scald when the fruit starts developing....
But we have some smart people in here, so that shouldn't happen.

[The Helpful Gardener]

True TD!

Thanks for your support!

HG

[Lish]

Thank You for all of your advice. I apologize for my delay in replying. I never thought someone would actually answer me! As my son would say, "How cool is this!" Yes, yes and yes again. I was most certainly over watering. My poor babies were so water-logged I haven't watered them in over a week. All of a sudden my babies are growing before my eyes. In answer to the question about pot size. I believe they are 8-10 gallon. I have another problem. Though they are growing well they seem to have taken on a black modeling color on the leaves. Once again the lower lower leaves. The new growth appears to fine. FOR NOW. What do they have? I have many more questions but I will refrain for now.

[elevenplants]

That too could be a symptom of the over-watering, since it's only on the lower leaves. As others advised, I would wait until they are tall enough, then remove those lower leaves altogether. Only be concerned if the mottling spreads to the other leaves.

Rebecca

[The Helpful Gardener]

Black mottling is necrotic (dead) tissue and should come off immediately; leaving it just promotes other possibilities we'd rather not see. No benefits to leaving them; I'd remove them now...

HG