Spots on tomato leaves? A quick question.

[aido]

Hi we've recently setup a unheated greenhouse in out back garden to try our hand at growing our own vegies and herbs. We planted a few seeds, but also bought two grafted tomato plants, a beefsteak and one simply labeled elegance. The beefsteak stem is growing dark and the leaves look like their skin is pealing, and it seems to be spreading. This also seems to be starting on the 'elegance'. And there is sign of leaf curl as well (but this is probably due to stress, adjusting to new environment), is there anything i can do to help the plants?

I only have them two days, and they were in the greenhouse on the first day. I've taken them in a night as it is still cold here in ireland and only watered them a little as the soil is still moist.





I didn't want to re-pot them outside in the greenhouse as its still quite cold at night. Any tips on watering plants of this size and age? We bought 4 much smaller plants recently and all died, they were pretty dried out, and then i think we over watered them and subsequently died. So I'm hope to avoid a repeat.

I'd be grateful for any advice.

Thanks

[rainbowgardener]

Not for sure but that kind of beige spots look kind of like sunburn. That can happen if your plants were in a greenhouse or protected area and then you put them into direct sun. They aren't hardened off to it and can scald like that. But if that is the case, it should not be spreading and any new leaves that appear should not show it.

But if the color in your picture is true, they just look kind of generally pale, not the deep green color you would hope for.

I think the pots are too small for plants that size. Get bigger pots, use potting soil with nutrients added or fertilize. When you up-pot, bury the stem deeper than it was before -- it will grow additional roots along the buried stem, which is helpful.

[aido]

Thanks for the quick reply!! If that's the case i'd say its sunburn, we put them in the greenhouse on the first day and it was quiet sunny. Its probably not spreading, as much as 'developing'. Today I've just put them out in the morning for a few house (not in the greenhouse) and have brought them back in already, to start to harden them as i don't know if b&q had already done this.

Will they recover on their own? I have two 15ltr pots for them. But i want to give them a week to harden first. Is it too early to leave them out?

[rainbowgardener]

If it is just sunburn, they would recover on their own once hardened off. The marks will never go off the leaves that have it, but the new leaves would be fine.

But the sunburn doesn't account for the general paleness. That won't go away unless whatever condition causing it is corrected. Some nutrient deficiency?

[aido]

hummm, well at the moment i have multipurpose bark compost and peat moss. But would it probably be best to pick up compost tailored to vegetables tomorrow them re-pot them? Maybe ad in a little slow release fertilizer?

Sorry like i said I'm quite a beginner

[rainbowgardener]

Oh definitely! Bark compost (mulch?) and peat moss sounds like sterile, no nutrients. So definitely you need either some potting soil (vegetable compost you might say?) that contains nutrients or you need to be adding fertilizer. So yes, re-pot them in bigger pots, planted deeper, in compost/potting soil with fertilizer. I think you will see them perk right up.

[suncitylinda]

I agree with sun/light burn. For ferts I would think a drink of fish fert diluted Miracle Grow, blue stuff or something high Nitrogen, liquid and available now. Slow release is good for the long term but I would select something with a faster reaction.

[aido]

Thanks for the advice. I've re-potted them in bigger pots, in good vegetable compost, i mixed in a bit of slow release fertalizer. They seem to be doing ok. I've been hardening them off in the shade during the day time.

Would mixing in some tomato feed in the next watering be overkill or would it help with recovery?

Cheers