1. The top growth of some new plants is starting to look deformed and unhealthy - like its curling inward a bit perhaps? Don't know what it is, if there's anything I can do about it, or if I need to pull up the plants. They were looking really healthy up until this week and now at least 30% of the plants are showing this same symptom.
Tomato problems, please help!
I've been growing tomatoes for at least five years in 5 gallon containers (with holes drilled in the bottom) and I'm encountering some new issues. I should mention that I am growing them for the first time in a PVC structure I made with insect netting covering it. I started growing them in November here in Miami where the weather has been in the 80s. It gets about 7 hours of sun daily, from 8am-3pm. I mixed the old soil from last year with some new soil (peat moss, vermiculite, cow manure, lime and fertilizer). Below are the problems I'm experiencing.
1. The top growth of some new plants is starting to look deformed and unhealthy - like its curling inward a bit perhaps? Don't know what it is, if there's anything I can do about it, or if I need to pull up the plants. They were looking really healthy up until this week and now at least 30% of the plants are showing this same symptom.
2. I find mostly the main growth stems snapped off on a lot of the plants and is left dangling. One branch had a random break in the center.
3. I find random leaves that are wilted.
1. The top growth of some new plants is starting to look deformed and unhealthy - like its curling inward a bit perhaps? Don't know what it is, if there's anything I can do about it, or if I need to pull up the plants. They were looking really healthy up until this week and now at least 30% of the plants are showing this same symptom.
2. I find mostly the main growth stems snapped off on a lot of the plants and is left dangling. One branch had a random break in the center.
3. I find random leaves that are wilted.
Tomatoes are heavy feeders. I usually grow indeterminates in 18 gallon pots and I use new potting soil each time. I put the old soil to use in the garden. I recently did try reusing soil and found that it really was depleted and I had to add 10-20-20 plus minors (1/2 cup in 18 gallons of soil) as a starter fertilizer to get my cucumbers to grow halfway decently.
The other issue which I have are soil borne diseases like nematodes and fungal diseases, so I have my soil sterilizedy the before I put it in the garden. I bleach the pot with 20% bleach solution before I refill it with new potting soil.
The other thing I found when I tried reusing soil was that even when I took the soil out and sifted it, there were still a lot of decomposing roots left in the pot and that caused issues with the pot not draining well as well as stealing nitrogen and weeds. Not to mention the fungal fluff in the pots that were actively decomposing the remnants of old roots. I could not tell how much additional nutrients I needed to add, and it was not practical for me to send the potting soil to be analyzed. I knew by the smaller leaves that I had nutrient deficiencies but I did not know how much I had to add. I just decided to go with the full monty instead of 1/4 cup of 6-4-6 which was not enough. It was what it needed in the end. I think I am going to break down this time and send the soil to the lab and try to get a better analysis to figure out what I need to add to the pots since the cost of the potting media is getting higher and some of the ag suppliers have changed owners and don't really want to do small volume retail. I am lucky since, I am able to get my order attached to the garden order at their discount, but it is much harder for me to get perlite when I need it.
In August in a covered house, it will get 10-20 degrees warmer inside. It is the hottest time of the year, so wilting is probably from the heat and the relatively small soil volume you have in your pot. I would use a larger pot so it does not dry out as fast or use a SIP. Otherwise in the hotter months you may have to water twice a day and mist and midday just to cool things down.
The leaves look yellow on some of your plant and the fact that it is snapping can be from the wind or because of nutrient imbalance. Yellow on the lower leaves would indicate you need more nitrogen. I would give it more magnesium and potassium just because it can help strengthen the cell walls. I can't tell you how much to add, because I am still trying to figure that out for myself whenever I try to reuse soil.
The other issue which I have are soil borne diseases like nematodes and fungal diseases, so I have my soil sterilizedy the before I put it in the garden. I bleach the pot with 20% bleach solution before I refill it with new potting soil.
The other thing I found when I tried reusing soil was that even when I took the soil out and sifted it, there were still a lot of decomposing roots left in the pot and that caused issues with the pot not draining well as well as stealing nitrogen and weeds. Not to mention the fungal fluff in the pots that were actively decomposing the remnants of old roots. I could not tell how much additional nutrients I needed to add, and it was not practical for me to send the potting soil to be analyzed. I knew by the smaller leaves that I had nutrient deficiencies but I did not know how much I had to add. I just decided to go with the full monty instead of 1/4 cup of 6-4-6 which was not enough. It was what it needed in the end. I think I am going to break down this time and send the soil to the lab and try to get a better analysis to figure out what I need to add to the pots since the cost of the potting media is getting higher and some of the ag suppliers have changed owners and don't really want to do small volume retail. I am lucky since, I am able to get my order attached to the garden order at their discount, but it is much harder for me to get perlite when I need it.
In August in a covered house, it will get 10-20 degrees warmer inside. It is the hottest time of the year, so wilting is probably from the heat and the relatively small soil volume you have in your pot. I would use a larger pot so it does not dry out as fast or use a SIP. Otherwise in the hotter months you may have to water twice a day and mist and midday just to cool things down.
The leaves look yellow on some of your plant and the fact that it is snapping can be from the wind or because of nutrient imbalance. Yellow on the lower leaves would indicate you need more nitrogen. I would give it more magnesium and potassium just because it can help strengthen the cell walls. I can't tell you how much to add, because I am still trying to figure that out for myself whenever I try to reuse soil.
Thank you so much for your response! I debated whether I should fill them completely with brand new soil, it does get costly. Next time will try the bleach solution. I am also concerned some of the containers may have got contaminated with nematodes, I hope not!
You may be right about the wilting, it is definitely hotter where the plants are growing even though it is covered with an insect netting, not a plastic or hard barrier so the wind does go through.
The suggestion of adding more magnesium and potassium is great, will do that asap. It could be the fact that I haven't fertilized them yet is affecting them.
You may be right about the wilting, it is definitely hotter where the plants are growing even though it is covered with an insect netting, not a plastic or hard barrier so the wind does go through.
The suggestion of adding more magnesium and potassium is great, will do that asap. It could be the fact that I haven't fertilized them yet is affecting them.
I grow many tomatoes in big pots as well. As said above, even in containers the soil can become fungal or whatever and just not do well with tomatoes. My experience has been that the tomatoes will start well in the Spring, show healthy growth and put on some beautiful green tomatoes. Then, overnight, BOOM, the wilts. Based on symptoms I think mine is Southern Bacterial Wilt. I plant so many that I let each pot tell me when it is time to change the soil. If the tomato plant wilts and dies, I just pull it and plant some sweet corn or okra in that pot. Then I change soil the next year, or just not use it for tomatoes.
I also have not perfected how often and how much fertilizer to add. I do plan to add more potassium and calcium this year
No good answer to your problem, but at least sympathy.
I also have not perfected how often and how much fertilizer to add. I do plan to add more potassium and calcium this year
No good answer to your problem, but at least sympathy.
Thank you for the feedback and the sympathy 
It is really frustrating having put a lot of time and effort (and money haha) into the tomato plants and see so many of them doing poorly. From my research online the symptoms of the leaf curling and distortion (the first photo I posted) seems to match the cucumber mosaic virus.
Usually a few of the plants have to be pulled up every year because of disease, but this time the majority seems to be affected
In the past fertilizing with a liquid fertilizer once a week worked best for me. I've never had the wilting problem before, that's interesting. With gardening nothing is the same every year, I'm always learning.
I like the advice "I let each pot tell me when it is time to change the soil". I may just have to pull some of them up and plant something else instead like you mentioned. Thank you!
It is really frustrating having put a lot of time and effort (and money haha) into the tomato plants and see so many of them doing poorly. From my research online the symptoms of the leaf curling and distortion (the first photo I posted) seems to match the cucumber mosaic virus. Usually a few of the plants have to be pulled up every year because of disease, but this time the majority seems to be affected
In the past fertilizing with a liquid fertilizer once a week worked best for me. I've never had the wilting problem before, that's interesting. With gardening nothing is the same every year, I'm always learning. I like the advice "I let each pot tell me when it is time to change the soil". I may just have to pull some of them up and plant something else instead like you mentioned. Thank you!