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Francis Barnswallow
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Tomato plants turning brown/leaves curling

I can't figure this out. All of the other tomato plants I have are growing nicely except for this bunch of tomato plants. They're starting to turn brown and the leaves are curling inward. The blossoms drop over time as well.

I need to know what's stressing the plants. I planted all the plants in the same soil too. Could it be a mineral problem.....it's been really hot here too (lower to mid 90's). I water them twice a day because it's been really dry here.

TZ -OH6
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Are the all the same variety, and different from the others?


Could be one of the wilts if the other plants are hybrids carrying resistance.

This will give you some idea

https://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/diagnostickeys/TomLeaf/TomLeafKey.html

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Francis Barnswallow
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All are the same cherry tomato species.

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thebigtomato
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Those temperatures are really difficult for a tomato plant. If you are growing these tomatoes outdoors, then you may want to consider putting some sort of shade cloth over them as the intense light and heat is most likely what is stressing them out.

If you are growing your tomatoes indoors, then you need to work on bringing those temperatures down through the use of some sort of AC unit and ventilation equipment.

Hope this helps!

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SP8
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Are they in pots? If they are and they're getting watered twice a day you could be flushing a lot of nutrients etc. away. I had a similar problem which cleared up a bit after adding some Epsom Salts.

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Francis Barnswallow
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They're in kids pools (bottoms of pools drilled out). I'll try adding epsom salts. The plants now look like they were burned. :?

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applestar
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How deep are the pools? Maybe the roots are overheating?

When I plant my tomatoes, I plant them deep like many people, so they stst out at at least 6" deep. Since they are directly in the ground, the roots will go on to seek greater depth.... It really helps because we always have drought in July-August.

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Francis Barnswallow
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applestar wrote:How deep are the pools? Maybe the roots are overheating?

When I plant my tomatoes, I plant them deep like many people, so they stst out at at least 6" deep. Since they are directly in the ground, the roots will go on to seek greater depth.... It really helps because we always have drought in July-August.

The pools are approx. one and a half ft. deep. I've noticed that the roots themselves went through the holes of the bottom of the pools, through the wooden deck slats and into the ground below the deck.

How much epsom salts should I put down?

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thebigtomato
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I have read that you should add one tablespoon per foot of height for each plant every two weeks. Here is the source, follow advice at your own risk as I have never tried this: https://www.alpharubicon.com/primitive/epsomll4e.htm

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applestar
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Note that what you have is a container situation even if the roots have escaped and are doing their thing. I haven't read the link but keep it in mind so the salts do not get concentrated and kill the plants.

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Francis Barnswallow
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Thanks all, I'll give it a shot since it's going to be "cooler" here (upper 80's) instead of mid 90's.

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Francis Barnswallow
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I got this tonic from "The Garden Rebel"....this guy really knows his stuff. Here's what is listed on his site for the problem I have:

Tomato Tonic

To 5 gallons of water add:

1 Cup Epsom Salts
3 Pouches of Unflavored Gelatin
1 Teaspoon Borax
1/4 Cup Peppermint Soap (found at any health food store)
3 Tablespoons Triple Super Phosphate

Apply every two weeks, giving 1 quart to each plant in the early evening. For an added boost use Mushroom compost in the soil. Fertilize every two weeks with Super Bloom.

Does this sound okay to try out?



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