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Yellow Tomato Leaves - Prune or Propagate?

Paul.ogradysPaul.ogradys Posts: 3
in Fruit & veg
Hello, hope you can help. I have been growing a San Marzano tomato plant from seed under light since February. I started putting in the unseated greenhouse last month and then bringing it inside the house during the night.

it has developed yellow leaves with dark patches as per the pictures. The op leaves remain healthy. Wondering if I should cut off the yellow leaves/stems or take a cutting from the healthy section to propagate a new plant.

If I take a cutting, does it have to be from a side branch or can I just cut off the bottom half of the plant and put the top half in water until roots develop?

The yellowing started with the bottom leaves and is working its way up the plant. 

Thanks in advance.

Posts

  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    First thought would be it has exhausted the compost. If the pot is full of roots, pot it on into a larger pot with fresh compost.
  • Paul.ogradysPaul.ogradys Posts: 3
    The roots aren’t poking out of the bottom but I could try repotting and if the problem persists then consider taking a cutting from a healthy side shoot or top half of the stem. Thanks.

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Looks like sun scorch from what I can see but a close up of the leaves would help.
    If you've had them under a grow light then they've had the full sun on them the leaves just can't cope with such a high wattage and they've burned.
    If you can acclimatize them to the sun over a week or so they'll soon recover

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Paul.ogradysPaul.ogradys Posts: 3
    Hi Pete. Grow lights were pretty tame. Plants grew nice and healthy under them. Since about 4 weeks ago when we had the hot spell in the uk they were in the greenhouse during the day. Close up picture attached.
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    That's what pete meant, plants under lights get sunburnt when exposed to real light as it's much brighter, However that doesn't really look like sun-scorch on the close up it looks to me like it's run out of nutrients. it is quite a large plant in a very small pot.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited May 2020
    I agree - mostly deficiency, but nothing to worry about as @GemmaJF suggested.
    Just put them in bigger pots with fresh compost and they'll be fine again. There will be enough fertilizer in the new compost for them to recover.
    The darker colouration on the leaves maybe due to a chilly draught at some point.

    Sun scorch leaves patches of dead leaf that look lioke thin brown paper.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    That plant needs more nutrition together with better light in order to photosynthesise ... it has a nutritional imbalance. 
    I would pot on into a larger pot with good compost and move into good natural light. 
    There’s no point in propagating from an unhealthy plant. 

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





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