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Why my tomato plants are bending and looking pale and stressed

newbie77newbie77 Posts: 1,838
in Fruit & veg
I have gardeners delight and moneymaker plants. I dont know which is which. But they arent arent growing straight and bending downwards. I have been making futile effort to straighten these. The stems are also looking pale and knobly. Please help.


South West London
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  • newbie77newbie77 Posts: 1,838
    These are in conservatory, so good sun. I also have sungold tomatoes, which look fine at same location. Difference is the bent ones are few weeks older and i potted those up once.

    This is how i have the plants

    South West London
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Those are seriously poorly ... what compost are they growing in? 
    Have they been treated with anything? 
    Have they been exposed to, or been placed near up anything which has been treated with a herbicide?
    Or watered using a container which has previously been used for herbicide?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • newbie77newbie77 Posts: 1,838
    They are in wickes mpc. They started curling, then i potted them up. And after that they got worse over last few days.

    No herbicide at all. Just tap water from kitchen sink. 


    South West London
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Dunno 🤷‍♀️ 

    @Borderline @Pete.8 @Fairygirl @Hostafan1  and everyone, what do you think?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Maybe wickes stored the compost near something toxic
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited May 2020
    I saw the post earlier and quickly moved on...
    I've never seen anything remotely like it and my first thought was the same as yours - they've caught some over-spray of weedkiller or fumes of some kind - air freshner - fly spray - furniture polish?
    Or maybe a new variety - Solanum lycopersicum contorta :)

    I don't think they're worth keeping - they look seriously unwell

    My only other thought is possibly something badly wrong with the first lot of compost - did you use the same stuff  for other plants?

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • newbie77newbie77 Posts: 1,838
    thank you for looking at it and all replies. 

    First I messed up labels and now they are not well  :'(

    I kept thinking about it. Only remote possibility is that my glove had some residual weedkiller and I touched tomatoes with same gloves while potting up. Really cant think of anything else. And i dont know which gloves were those. need to wash up a dozen pair!

    Atleast I have got some sungold ones which are alright so not all is lost.
    South West London
  • newbie77newbie77 Posts: 1,838
    I thought of giving it a chance to revive so i have cut off the affected top growth. Hopefully new shoots will appear from remaining plants. 
    South West London
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I'd love to know how it gets on - do give us an update as to what happens
    Good luck

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Have they been like that from the start? I'm asking because you said they were curling, and then you potted them up. 
    Are the others in the same compost? I'd move them away and keep an eye on them if they are.

    I don't think Id keep them either. Something not right at all with those.  :/
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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