Tomato Plants

JenKent · June 2022

Is there something wrong with my tomato plants? The new growth on the top of the plants seems to be withered. Is that just the normal unfurling of the leaves or a dreaded lurgy? There are flowers forming below this curly growth. I water them morning and evening if it's really hot and feed them once a week. They are planted in a border in full sun against a trellis. I pick out the side shoots regularly.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/xe/bemn9tx55e0u.jpg

Fairygirl · June 2022

It's quite common for that kind of growth on toms. It can happen when they're not quite getting moisture to the extremities and they're putting on rapid growth. It usually settles down.
I'm not sure why you're feeding them so much though, unless there's something very wrong with the soil they're in. They only need feeding once the first truss sets.

It's also not a good idea to water at night. It's less likely to evaporate readily, and it tends to encourage roots to stay nearer the surface if there's frequent light watering. A good, thorough watering in the morning is better.

Pete.8 · June 2022

How strange
Have any herbicides been used in the vicinity? as that can cause weird growth.
It's not blight

If it happened during the last couple of days of extreme heat, that could also be the cause.
Your plants otherwise look very healthy, so it may be just a blip and they'll sort themselves out.
The tops of my plants in the greenhouse were curled and twisted yesterday - they're returning to normal today.

Fairygirl · June 2022

Oh yes - you had very high heat down there in the last couple of days. That will have had an effect.
Slightly different from our weather

JenKent · June 2022

Thanks all. Yes, it's been a scorcher here for the last 3 days. I watered & misted the tomato plants at dusk (9.45-ish) and watered them in the morning before it got too hot. I'm feeding them once a week because the soil they are in isn't very good - it was part of the lawn which we dug up to make a small border. Hopefully, they will settle down and we'll get some tomatoes worth eating! I'll reduce the feed now they are established. I can't see any 'bugs' on the leaves and no insecticides have been used anywhere near them. Fingers crossed!

Dovefromabove · June 2022

I definitely wouldn’t mist at all … tomatoes really don’t do well with moisture on leaves … it encourages Septoria leaf spot and sets up the ideal conditions for blight.

And I’d not feed until the first truss has set and then only once every 10 -14 days at most. Grow them a bit hard to get the best flavour.

If I’m concerned about the soil a little Fish, Blood & Bone when planting out should deal with that.

I give a good watering at the base of the plants when they look as if they’re beginning to flag. After all, they grow in hotter climates than here in the UK.

😊 🤞 🍅

Fairygirl · June 2022

Yes - it would be much better to improve the soil. In autumn, once you've taken the toms out, it's worth adding some rotted manure, compost etc. Then you can do the same in late spring just before you plant the new lot out. Always better to get the soil in good heart

I don't feed mine more than about 2 or 3 times. Watering gets done when they're looking slightly droopy. Mine are inside though, so that's easier than when they're outside, but it's better to keep them a little bit stressed. It helps push them into flowering.

Tomato Plants

Posts