I have 5 tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets on the south side of my home, which has pale yellow siding. They're about 2 feet from the siding. None of my tomatoes are doing well this year - had some issues with early blight and physiological leaf curl, but they seem to be doing better after a bit of Tomato Tone and Seranade. This morning after rain last night they still look a bit droopy.
Can they be getting too much light from the reflection on the siding? Would that cause wilting? After jungle-like tomato plants last year, I'm rather discouraged this year. Even the toms in the beds aren't doing well. Not ONE tomato yet and July is almost over! Not even the cherries.
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CharlieBear
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 588
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:19 pm
- Location: Pacific NW
It is not reflected light, but extra heat that could be adding to your woes. The south side is always the hottest place that you have, what you get is reflected heat, the siding heats up and releases all of that back at night keeping the area warmer, great in early spring, late fall or when the temps are low. I am assuming the temps are very high there, so if it were me I would move them if you can. Remember tomatoes don't ripen much over 90 especially with high humidity, so will have to be patient. Sounds like you have a very wet spring with the early blight problems. It is really a rough year for most of us, for one reason or another.
I usually have a row of tomatoes against the south side of our white brick house. They are big enough to shade the wall from getting hot by the time mid summer hits, but they are in-ground with deep soil for moisture. I think that plants in buckets would get cooked. The east side is a great place for tomatoes with reflected light....cool morning sun