What’s wrong with my tomatoes
Hi everyone. Could someone support me with understanding what is wrong with my tomato plant? I give a little water from the bottom once every two days and live in the UK. Thanks in advance for any guidance!
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applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30551
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I feel like every two days is not often enough although it might not be very hot there?
Tomatoes become extra-thirsty plants when they have green fruits on. Container tomatoes unless in intentionally extra big volume tend to need watering at least once a day and often twice a day when fruiting and hot summer temps.
Also the method you are using might not be sufficient water — How are you determining you’ve watered enough?
Unless you are using a sub-irrigated planter, basic method is to water from top until running out of bottom drainage holes, then water again to saturate.
My favorite method to know the planter has been watered sufficiently is to heft the fully saturated container, remember the feel of the weight, and test by hefting next time. This is also a good way to test if they need to be watered.
The above double soaking method quickly flushes out nutrients so you need to supplement with dilute fertilizer every other time or at least once a week.
If using chemical fertilizer and bottom watering without ever flushing, salts can build up — the leaf issues in the pictures especially the burnt edges reminds me of excessive salts — but this, I’m not sure of.
Tomatoes become extra-thirsty plants when they have green fruits on. Container tomatoes unless in intentionally extra big volume tend to need watering at least once a day and often twice a day when fruiting and hot summer temps.
Also the method you are using might not be sufficient water — How are you determining you’ve watered enough?
Unless you are using a sub-irrigated planter, basic method is to water from top until running out of bottom drainage holes, then water again to saturate.
My favorite method to know the planter has been watered sufficiently is to heft the fully saturated container, remember the feel of the weight, and test by hefting next time. This is also a good way to test if they need to be watered.
The above double soaking method quickly flushes out nutrients so you need to supplement with dilute fertilizer every other time or at least once a week.
If using chemical fertilizer and bottom watering without ever flushing, salts can build up — the leaf issues in the pictures especially the burnt edges reminds me of excessive salts — but this, I’m not sure of.
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pepperhead212
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- Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
- Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b
Welcome to the forum!
I can't add much to what apple suggested, except to ask what size those containers are? I can tell you this much - I grow tomatoes in a lot of sub-irrigated planters, and early on I learned that those with approximately 7½ gal of soil per plant, and 2 gal of water (1 per plant), would dry out in less than a day, with plants approaching full size! So I had to hook up a drip system, and set it for twice a day, or 3 times a day, to avoid overflowing the ones that only held 2 gal. It is amazing how much water some plants suck up! When making those SIPs, I design them so they hold even more water, and use those for larger, thirsty plants.
I can't add much to what apple suggested, except to ask what size those containers are? I can tell you this much - I grow tomatoes in a lot of sub-irrigated planters, and early on I learned that those with approximately 7½ gal of soil per plant, and 2 gal of water (1 per plant), would dry out in less than a day, with plants approaching full size! So I had to hook up a drip system, and set it for twice a day, or 3 times a day, to avoid overflowing the ones that only held 2 gal. It is amazing how much water some plants suck up! When making those SIPs, I design them so they hold even more water, and use those for larger, thirsty plants.
Hi all. Really appreciate all the responses, this is very helpful. By the looks of it, it was indeed as simple as lack of water. It's been quite rainy in the first week I got the plants and my knowledge was tomatoes are sensitive to water so I was careful with how much I watered. Increasing it to twice a day gave strength to the plant and it already looks healthier. Thank you so much for the support!