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Tomato leaf branches growing down and breaking off.

goulbournjagoulbournja Posts: 6
in Fruit & veg
Hi everyone,

Apologies I did search for this issue but found nothing on branches, just lots to do with leaves.

I've noticed a couple of my tomato plants have broken leaf branches. At the junction between the main stem and leaf branch (where I've removed the suckers) the branches are splitting and breaking off, I assume on their own. At first I thought a bird or something may have gotten into the greenhouse but its happened on probably 4-5 branches over a couple of plants over the past week!

Plants are being grown in large pots, in the greenhouse, i'm watering regularly especially over the hot weather, i'm feeding them, and keep a close eye on the temp in the greenhouse which can get hot (use a combination of opening all the windows etc and shade nets).

I've never seen this happen before, and its not affecting the fruit trusses, i have fruit growing. 

Only thing I've done differently this year is to put a few small fans in the GH to help with ventilation, but they are very slow moving.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks
James

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Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Could we have a photo or two so we can see the problem?

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • goulbournjagoulbournja Posts: 6

  • goulbournjagoulbournja Posts: 6
    Thanks Pete.8 - First shows a branch growing downwards... second photo shows the issue. The top leaf branch is split, and almost off... I've tied it back to main cane to try and support it. And below where ive pruned a branch off because it split. 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    hmmmm - not seen that before.
    Leaves drooping is not unusual and is usually nothing of concern, but leaves actually snapping off is not something I've not come across before.
    The only thing I can think of is that it is somehow related to watering.
    I keep mine slightly on the dry side.
    The only other thing I can think of is if the plant has been fertilized and grown huge leaves that the plant can't support - but that's a bit out-of-the-box..

    I hope someone else can come up with some ideas for you.


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    Heavy foliage seems plausible in terms of it being a 'mechanical' effect of the brittle stems not supporting the weight.

    I've not seen it either and the only leads I came across searching suggested splitting due to watering, dry followed by wet causing swelling similar to that seen in the fruits sometimes when they split (though mostly this related to stems not leaf stalks), or cycles of heat stress from cold to hot. 

    In all if it was mostly the older lower leaves affected I would be tempted to remove them, as it is often suggested in any case.
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    I very much doubt this is related, but two years ago a similar thing happened with the large flower heads on my agapanthus. They were severed about 50% of the way through at the neck of the flower. The explanation from specialist growers was erratic watering.
    Rutland, England
  • goulbournjagoulbournja Posts: 6
    Thanks for the comments all.

    I'm not sure the foliage is any heavier than previous years, and doesn't seem any fuller. However I suppose the actual stem / joint might be more brittle, although stems seem pretty robust this year. 

    In terms of watering, I suppose if anything I might have over watered. I haven't let them dry out at all, and with a hot spring maybe I went overboard. Coupled with too much feed might mean the plants are growing to fast? which has potentially caused them to split? 

    I will hold off on watering for a bit, especially now its cooler. 








  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    If you pot your tomatoes up as they grow using fresh compost, they don't need any feed at all until the first fruits begin to form, then use a tomato feed weekly - that's the tried and tested method

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    What variety of tomato are you growing. The only difference in foliage I have is that Roma has thicker denser leaves that are heavier, but these tend towards squatter plants.
  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    That is weird. Toms go all limp and floppy if underwatered, I've seen branches snap but only due to fruit.

    Where does the sun move? Maybe the plant is growing down in that way in response to light, it could even be a reflection - I've seen odd growth where toms turn away from the sun because the reflection off nearby glass gives "more" light. Doesn't really explain the snapped branches though.

    Take a cutting and market it as Solanum lycopersicum BranchSnappyDownium. You could charge a fortune  ;)
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