I hope the photos come up here ok.
So I'm new to gardening and I bought a couple of tomato seedlings at a garage sale in around Spring here (Autumn in the northern hemisphere). I didn't think to ask what type they are, though. I don't even know if they're indeterminate or determinate or bushes what. They seem to have two large stems each, where the rest of the stems come from, if that helps. Can someone tell me please what they could be?
The two plants have only grown 1 or 2 feet high, but they are in containers. One of the plants hasn't produced any fruit, and is in much worse shape than the other one, but neither are in tip-top shape. I don't know what's wrong with them, I think it may be water-logging, but there are these circular bumps on the stem of just the sick plant which makes me worry it's something different. The new leaves start off really curled but they straighten out eventually, I don't know if that's normal or what. If it's not some kind of disease which will be passed through the seeds, I'd really like to save the seeds from the healthier plant. So, any ideas?
[img]https://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh191/Kat_SA/P2250008.jpg[/img]
The first tomato (that I've ever grown). Kind of pear-shaped, tasted quite nice, sort of salty. It might have ripened unevenly, but I could have imagined it. And there are little green veins through it on the bottom.
[img]https://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh191/Kat_SA/P2250012.jpg[/img]
This is the sick plant, which the tomato didn't come from, but I assume is the same variety. See the circular bumps on the stem? Are they cankers or something?
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Your plant is not looking very healthy, but the bumps are not the problem.
If you've read on this forum, we always advise planting tomatoes deeper in the ground than they were in the pot. That's because tomatoes tend to put out roots all along the stem. By planting it deeper, all the planted part of the stem becomes part of the root system. Even not planted, the stem still tries to send out roots. That's what the bumps are.
From the picture of the tomato, they are some kind of roma, paste type tomato.
The leaves should not be curled like that. But do I not remember that you folks down under have been having an extremely hot summer while we were buried under snow? Leaf curl can be a moisture conservation tactic for helping the plants cope with extreme heat and drought.
What makes you think they might be waterlogged? Tell us a bit more about what the conditions have been for your plant and how you've been treating them. Have you fertilized? With what?
We think of tomatoes as hot weather plants, but they are really warm weather plants. They grow best with daytime temps between 70 (degrees F) and 85; much above that, they start suffering, have trouble setting fruit, etc.
Your plant is definitely looking stunted and unhealthy. Tell us more about the conditions and we will try to be more help.
If you've read on this forum, we always advise planting tomatoes deeper in the ground than they were in the pot. That's because tomatoes tend to put out roots all along the stem. By planting it deeper, all the planted part of the stem becomes part of the root system. Even not planted, the stem still tries to send out roots. That's what the bumps are.
From the picture of the tomato, they are some kind of roma, paste type tomato.
The leaves should not be curled like that. But do I not remember that you folks down under have been having an extremely hot summer while we were buried under snow? Leaf curl can be a moisture conservation tactic for helping the plants cope with extreme heat and drought.
What makes you think they might be waterlogged? Tell us a bit more about what the conditions have been for your plant and how you've been treating them. Have you fertilized? With what?
We think of tomatoes as hot weather plants, but they are really warm weather plants. They grow best with daytime temps between 70 (degrees F) and 85; much above that, they start suffering, have trouble setting fruit, etc.
Your plant is definitely looking stunted and unhealthy. Tell us more about the conditions and we will try to be more help.
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katylaide
- Cool Member
- Posts: 85
- Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:12 pm
- Location: Adelaide Hills, Australia
Thanks for all the help so far, Rainbow. Do you think I should put some dense mulch or soil further up the stem to encourage it to send out roots on the bumps? And yes, we are melting in Australia 
, and that explains a few things.
Ok so the plants are in pots around 40 or 50cm deep. I think they're waterlogged because I was really water-happy at the start and would water them all the time. The ground underneath the pots is a very hard clay, and the least healthy one had a tray underneath which caught the water, which I only removed yesterday when I realised what was happening. They've had compost, rabbit poo, wood ashes, leaves, dead grass and the stuff from under my cockatoo's cage, which is mostly seed husks and dry bird poo as food/mulch. I guess I could be giving them more food, though, what I've given has never been in large amounts.
, and that explains a few things. Ok so the plants are in pots around 40 or 50cm deep. I think they're waterlogged because I was really water-happy at the start and would water them all the time. The ground underneath the pots is a very hard clay, and the least healthy one had a tray underneath which caught the water, which I only removed yesterday when I realised what was happening. They've had compost, rabbit poo, wood ashes, leaves, dead grass and the stuff from under my cockatoo's cage, which is mostly seed husks and dry bird poo as food/mulch. I guess I could be giving them more food, though, what I've given has never been in large amounts.
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kimbledawn
- Senior Member
- Posts: 225
- Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:18 am
- Location: Memphis
Your plants sound like my garden last year. What you have in your containers may be too heavy a mix and as you said not draining very well. If you have more room at the top I would add a lighter potting mix with some castings and see if that helps.
I didn't know last year what the problem was so I just started adding amendments and lighter soil and when I pulled the plants at the end of the season the majority of the plants roots were at the top of the containers. The bottom of the pots were filled with a soggy brick of soil and no roots.
This year I made sure to make the soil for my containers light and I will mulch to conserve moisture . Hope this helps.
I didn't know last year what the problem was so I just started adding amendments and lighter soil and when I pulled the plants at the end of the season the majority of the plants roots were at the top of the containers. The bottom of the pots were filled with a soggy brick of soil and no roots.
This year I made sure to make the soil for my containers light and I will mulch to conserve moisture . Hope this helps.