HELP - 1ST ATTEMPT FAILED :-(

[brewski]

Hi

Where do I start??
I tried growing tomatoes in pots for the 1st time this year.....I grew some from seed and bought some from morrisons I placed them all into a cold frame then moved them to pots when they seemed big enough...

I waited to 'pinch' them out when they were a bit bigger when I was advised to as I didnt know in the beginning...

They grew so fast the bamboo canes I put in the pots couldnt support the plants then they went crazy and it looked like a rainforrest in my garden...

I got a few tomatoes out of them but now they have all withered and dies and the stems etc look a bit black...

So what I need to know is where I have gone wrong and what is the best type of plant, type of soil, type of fertiliser and anything else i need to know to grow them properly....

[rainbowgardener]

Sounds like they got some kind of fungal disease, maybe blight.

You will want to pull the dead plants and dispose of them away from your garden, not in the compost. Next year plant in fresh soil, not what these were in.

Hard to know what to say about how to prevent this, though if the "rainforest" effect means they were all tangled up together, you might want to try to avoid that next time. High humidity, lots of rain, and poor air circulation are conducive to fungal diseases. But sometimes you can avoid all that and still get disease.

Next year, now that you know what you are looking for, monitor your plants carefully. If you notice the fungal problems starting, there are treatments for it. But generally they work best if used preventatively or at the first sign of infection. By the time a lot of the plant is affected, it is probably a goner, no matter what you would try.

Pinching is controversial, not everyone does any kind of pinching or pruning on their tomatoes. But if disease is a problem, taking off all the lower leaves helps prevent soil borne disease (as does mulching well) and pruning enough to maintain good air circulation helps.

Can't help you with what types of tomatoes would do best in your South Wales climate, since I'm not familiar with it. I'd ask around at a good nursery with experienced staff.

[brewski]

Thank you very much for your help

There has been a huge amount of rain during august and they are grown in quite a confined space so sounds like a possible cause

Thank you

[garden5]

These sites may help you to determine just what affected the plants:

Tomato Diseases

Tomato Problem Solver.

[AkeenGardener]

I have had the same problem 2 years running and I am beginning to think it may be the climate (rain rain) in the UK. Last year there was a lot of tomato blight about and I suspect it might be the same this year.

The ones in the greenhouse did better but I have to say that I didnt get a lot
of tomatoes in there-so not the most successful season all round really.

[farmerlon]

Where do I start??
I tried growing tomatoes in pots for the 1st time this year.....I grew some from seed and bought some from morrisons I placed them all into a cold frame then moved them to pots ...

Also, keep in mind that it can be more challenging to grow tomatoes in containers or pots. Many issues can arise, such as: container too small, lack of proper support for the plant, poor soil mixture, poor drainage, not enough or too much water, etc... .

(you may have done so already, but if not) I would suggest researching container growing first, to be certain that you're giving the plant the best opportunity for success in your container or "pot".

Best of luck

[garden5]

Yeah, all that rain will do it. For one thing, it splashes soil up on the plant, which can give the plant diseases. Next, if that doesn't ruin the season, it can create a very humid environment.....perfect for the growth of fungal and bacterial diseases .

Keep trying, you're bound to get a good season and when you do...look out. You'll have tomatoes everywhere .